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Connect the World

Hollande/Merkel Want Greece In EuroZone; JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dixon Stays On Job Despite $2 billion Trade Gaffe; Warlord Bosco "Terminator" Ntaganda On Run in Democratic Republic of Congo; Congonese Refugees Flee to Rwanda; ICC Pushes for Ntaganda's Arrest; Leading Women: Balancing Work and Life; The Dan Plan Update

Aired May 15, 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 on Connect the World Europe's new political duo: the French president eventually arrives in Berlin to sell his new European vision to the German Chancellor.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.

ANDERSON: The fight is claimed is being struck by lightning, Francois Hollande made it to Germany to kick start a vital partnership for Europe under real pressure as Greece announces new elections which could push it closer to the euro exit doors.

Also tonight, fleeing their homes: Congalese refugee swept up in the international manhunt for ex-warlord known as The Terminator.

And nature versus nurture: we catch up with Dan, the man who has got a plan. He's hoping to become a pro golfer through sheer hard work.

Now fast moving day of events in Europe. A severe setback, the words of Germany's foreign minister early on Tuesday as the inevitable became reality. Greece heading back to the polls after its parties failed to form a coalition, the consequences that seal Greece's exit from the EuroZone. The stakes couldn't be higher. And that was reflected by the words just in the past few minutes from France's new president Francois Hollande.

In his first meeting with the German chancellor he said a Greek exit was a scenario he was keen to avoid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): My wish is that Greece stays in the EuroZone. Both sides to try the (inaudible) and also Greece is trying, that's why we have to make it possible for the Greek -- for Greece to find solutions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Elinda Labropoulou is standing by for you in Athens tonight. First, though, let's speak to Richard Quest who is in Paris. He has been monitoring a very busy first day in office of France's new president.

Richard, Hollande inaugurated in Paris and then arriving in Berlin slightly later than scheduled.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERANTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. After his plane was hit by lightning on the way from Paris to Berlin it returned to the French capital. He changed planes and then they got off again to a good start.

A relatively short meeting before they met the press. They have such huge agenda. And many, many differences between Merkel and Mr. Hollande to bridge, not least of which opening the fiscal compact.

But Becky, it was the Greece question which of course is so serious and so immediate. And that's why Angela Merkel made it clear that from her point of view she wants Greece to stay in the EuroZone if possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We want Greece stays in the EuroZone and most of the people in the Greece want that as well. We have Mr. Troika (ph) we agree (inaudible) and has to be stuck too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Of course that was human moment for Mr. Hollande to return to his favorite tub thumping message. In fact, whenever he was asked a question he very rapidly brought it back to the question of growth, growth, growth. And certainly he brought it back to growth when it came to Greece.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLLANDE (through translator): We want face with the Greece said Europe is -- will support growth, that growth can return to Greece, because Greece is in such a recession. There are such responsibilities, but they need to be stuck to as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: There are real differences between Hollande and Merkel. They didn't paper over them this evening. They said they could deal with them. They will have more meetings. But ultimately tonight, Becky, the start has begun. They know they don't agree, but as Angela Merkel made clear, Europe's future depends on France and Germany coming to a united view.

ANDERSON: Yeah, very briefly, this partnership is absolutely crucial to the resolution of what is this European mess at the moment, isn't it?

QUEST: It is crucial. And that is why they will come to an agreement, but the problem is as long as Hollande wants to rediscuss the fiscal compact in his words, Merkel doesn't want to do anything of the kind. She's prepared to give ground a bit on growth. And ultimately as they head towards the G8 in Chicago, the G20 and the next round of European summits they're going to try to have a common French/German position, but the days of Sarkozy and Merkel are gone.

ANDERSON: Richard Quest is in Paris for you this evening. Richard, thank you for that.

Elinda is in Athens. And Elinda, support from this Franco-German axis today, the choice for Greece at this point is pretty stark isn't it: stick with austerity or ditch what is a multi-billion dollar bailout the second, and we're talking about some quarter of a trillion dollars in some two years at this point, to keep Greece afloat.

The battle lines in Athens are drawn. What happens next there?

ELINDA LABROPOULOU, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, from now on it's up to the president. He will call the political leaders in tomorrow in order to try and form a caretaker government that will then see Greece through to the next elections. We expect the next elections to be held as soon as possible. Greece really has no time to waste if it is to either and implement the lenders' bailout or make some very important decisions ahead it seems.

So we expect that the next elections are very likely to be held some time in mid-June and we are likely to possibly have a date tomorrow.

ANDERSON: We've seen this revolving door with politicians wandering into meetings and coming out with absolutely nothing. Now of course we know, as you suggest, that we've got these new elections. What we really do not know at this point is whether Greece will get out of this political limbo once those elections are over, nor do we know at this point whether Greece will stay in the euro. That could be a watershed moment for the European project.

Interestingly today, the Wall Street Journal reporting that Greece have withdrawn a billion dollars out of bank accounts already just today. Are we looking at a sort of nightmare scenario here which is a run on the banks?

LABROPOULOU: Well, we are looking at that possibly. I mean, this is something that's been taking -- that's been happening for a long time in Greece. A lot of uncertainty continues. It's very difficult to persuade either the Greek population to stay calm and not panic, or either investors to come in, or people who have any way of promoting any form of growth in Greece.

So we're looking at a very difficult time ahead. Certainly there were a lot of people that wanted to see a coalition government come together, fall into place and then start promoting a form of stability again. We didn't see that happen. And we're looking at weeks ahead where what you just described is likely to continue.

Now the leader of the coalition of the radical left, the party that came second in the last elections could well be, if the polls are anything to go by, be the party that wins the next election, has already made some very strong comments in relation to the bailout. He said that it is null and void. He made a number of statements today. Let's have a listen to part of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXIS TSIPRAS, SYRIZA PARTY LEADER (through translator): They say there's no room for negotiation and the red lines are only drawn by the powerful ones. Now they're looking for the second chance to survive. They keep threatening the Greek people and blackmailing them, but they don't realize that people going through so much hardship can't be blackmailed any more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LABROPOULOU: So that's the leader of the coalition of the radical left basically calling the bailout a form of blackmail, if you like, and saying that, you know, if he was to come to power he would certainly handle things very differently.

ANDERSON: Elinda is in Athens for you tonight. Elinda, they say a week is a long time in politics, it must feel like a lifetime there in Athens. Just nine days ago that election and new elections now being called for in June. Elinda in Athens for you tonight.

Well, Britain never adopted the euro, but even with this latest crisis some Brits still stress the benefits that joining could bring. Peter Mandelson, who once served as the UK's trade secretary is one such person, is a former commissioner. He has a unique insight into life at the very heart of the European project.

Well, earlier Nina Dos Santos sat down with him and started by asking him firstly whether this new Franco-German partnership could work. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER MANDELSON, FORMER EUROPEAN TRADE COMMISSIONER: He's a strong European. He's very committed to the future of the euro and the EuroZone. Actually I think he probably has a rather more rounded view of what Europe needs to do and how it needs to change than perhaps on occasion Mr. Sarkozy did, but is slightly more skeptical view as it happens. And I think it resulted in him not being certain in the early years as easy a partner if you like with Mrs. Merkel. I think they are two people who will find it easy to work together if not immediately possible converging on every policy detail.

But I also think definitely they have a view of the EuroZone which recognizes its original design faults.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDNET: Euro skeptics would say aside from the whole EU as a project as a whole, that perhaps the single currency is a weak point here, because it has brought us to political fractioning of the other countries as well.

MANDELSON: If you take the currency itself and since it was introduced in what, 1999-2000, you've seen stability, growth, no inflation, no (inaudible) costs. I mean...

SANTOS: But aren't we paying for that now?

MANDELSON: No, you're not paying for it now. There's not much more you could ask for from a currency. But the EuroZone, the framework of policy surrounding it, had weaknesses, it had flaws.

SANTOS: I suppose the irony would be that had those rules been stronger, Greece would not be inside the EuroZone. So would it not be best to let it leave the EuroZone now?

MANDELSON: In theory, you might say it doesn't fit. It's not performing in the way that others need it to do, its politics were falling apart and the public are very miserable. So why not let it go out? But the consequences of that would, I think, shake confidence in Greece and its economy for many, many, many years to come.

SANTOS: The current foreign secretary William Hague once described the EuroZone as a burning building with no exit door. You must be familiar with that kind of quote.

(CROSS TALK)

SANTOS: Right. It doesn't have an exit door given the current legal framework that we have to work with. Is that a bad thing or a good thing? Now some people who defend the euro said well that's a good thing, because at least it creates unity here. But surely it's damaging the other members of the bloc?

MANDELSON: No. What you need is a EuroZone which in a sense has greater unity, becomes a form of fiscal union and in addition in my view a strong central bank that was able to sort of stand behind the whole of the EuroZone.

SANTOS: Austerity versus growth, where do you see the mid-point and where do you see this argument working?

MANDELSON: I think it's become a rather sterile argument to be honest. I think that we need to see countries which have ruinous public finances taking the steps and the measures to repair them and put them on a stable footing over the medium term, but there are other certain predator countries, stronger economies in the EuroZone which in my view have got to contribute to further economic expansion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Peter Mandelson, a former European commissioner, talking to Nina Dos Santos earlier.

You're watching Connect the World live from London. Our top story this hour, Greece's future dominating the news in Europe this Tuesday. The new French president declares his support for Greek membership of the euro. Lawmakers in Athens are resigned to sending voters back to the ballot box as political limbo there continues to cast doubt for whether the country can realistically retain a seat within the EuroZone.

Still to come tonight, the man in charge of JPMorgan Chase faces jail today. Find out whether CEO Jamie Dimon did in the face of revolt after $2 billion loss at the bank.

And in sport, after a quick trip to see the bosses in America, the fate of Liverpool's football manager still hangs in the balance.

And that and much more when Connect the World continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, shareholders in JPMorgan Chase held their annual meetings today. It comes just days after the bank revealed losses of $2 billion in botched trades. The CEO Jamie Dimon emerged from the meeting without the shareholder revolt that some had expected.

Poppy Harlow is in Tampa, Florida with more on that meeting. And for those who thought this was a boss on the brink, Poppy, they were wrong.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Becky. You know it was very interesting to watch the shareholder meeting today, because there were many less fireworks than we expected from shareholder that wasn't really a dramatic meeting. I will tell you that shareholders voted in a ratio of 9 to 1 for CEO and chairman Jamie Dimon to keep his $23 million pay package. They also voted for him to keep both the CEO and the chairman title. That was a big focus of this meeting.

After that $2 billion botched trade by JPMorgan, which Jamie Dimon took full responsibility for, the question of whether one man should have so much control over America's biggest bank, an institution with $2 trillion in assets. That was a big question today.

I had a chance to speak with someone who was here representing a group of shareholders that have invested in JPMorgan to their pension. She took great issue with the fact that Jamie Dimon had such control of the bank. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA LINSLEY, DIRECTOR, CAPITAL STRATEGIES: We're saying as shareholders, the board represents us. And the person at the head of the board shouldn't be the same person who is the CEO of the bank. I think that it's time that we shareholders stop treating our CEOs like rock stars, or star athletes.

You know, when a rock star has a melt down, no one else gets hurt. When a bank has a meltdown, millions of people lose their jobs, their homes, and their retirement security. It's just too important to leave up to one person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Now this is important to note, Becky, this is not a meltdown of a bank or of the whole system like we saw here in the United States in 2008, this is a contained $2 billion loss. The question here is could this be pointing at greater systemic risk for the entire U.S. and global banking system. Has anything changed in terms of practices on Wall Street? Will there be a renewed push for tougher regulation? That should be the big takeaway from this loss at JPMorgan and the consequential fallout from it.

I will say Jamie Dimon noted, he said quote, "this should never have happened." He went on to say that no clients were affected, that no customers were hurt.

At the same time JPMorgan itself is still trying to figure out the details of this trade. Why did it go so bad. Is more money going to be lost as a result? The SEC is investigating here in the United States what happened. There's still a lot of work to do to get to the bottom of this. The bottom line, Jamie Dimon started off the meeting addressing those issues, but you did have shareholders with some big, big questions for this bank that has been exceeding its peers. And Jamie Dimon until this point seemed as the top risk manager on Wall Street.

Important to note as I wrap up, JPMorgan will still be very profitable this quarter and is expected to make $18 billion this year despite this loss.

ANDERSON: Yeah, fascinating stuff. He retains his job, many will say rightly so, many though will say absolutely wrong.

Poppy, thank you for that. Poppy Harlow is in Florida for you this evening after the shareholder meeting there wrapping up.

We're going to take a very short break here on CNN. When we come back, basketball player's actions have him in hot water with rival fans. That and other sports news coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back.

24 minutes past 9:00 in London. This is CNN and Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson.

Oklahoma City's basketball fans are in no mood to give peace a chance, that is because a player named Meta World Peace on the roster for the Los Angeles Lakers when they came to Oklahoma for a playoff game. So what did he do to draw the fans' ire? Don Riddell with me now to explain the situation for us.

And Don, I'm really hoping there is a good reason for the fans' reactions.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is a good reason, but it is a weird one. If you heard someone in the street shouting out World Peace, I hate you, you'd think that's a bit weird -- that's a bit out of order, but in Oklahoma City it is perfectly acceptable because the Lakers have a player, bizarrely in itself known as Meta World Peace, that is actually his legal name. And on April 22nd, he elbowed one of the Thunder's players, causing him a concussion. And this player, Meta World Peace, was banned for seven games.

But when his ban expired, the playoffs were underway and the Lakers were drawn against this same team, Oklahoma City Thunder. So this is the reaction he got when he took to the court last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At forward, 6-7 from St. Johns, number 15 Meta World Peace.

(CROWD BOOING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Rather predictable response from the Oklahoma crowd there, Becky. He is not at all popular there.

It was a great night for the Thunder, though, because World Peace and the Lakers did not have a good night. They were beaten by some 29 points. They're now a game down in the Western Conference semifinals.

ANDERSON: But he didn't look too bothered by the fans reaction did he? I guess he's a big guy. He's a big guy. He's a tough guy.

RIDDELL: To be fair, he's not that tall player. He's outspoken. He's eccentric. I mean anyone that would change their name from Ron Artest to World Peace with the idea of bringing the youth of the world together and inspiring them and then he goes out on the court and elbows people and concusses them, I don't think he's really too bothered about what people think, do you?

ANDERSON: You make a very good point, mate.

Could the man, Don, known as King Kenny about to be ousted from Liverpool as manager? I can't actually believe we're having this conversation. What is the latest on Kenny Dalglish's job status?

RIDDELL: Well, it may be that he's perfectly safe. But I mean earlier today the rumor mill went into a full whirl. I mean, Liverpool as we all know, Becky, have not had a great season. In fact they've had one of their worst seasons in years. I mean, they finished eighth. That's their worst finish in 18 years. They've lost 14 games. They only scored 52 points. That's their worst since 1954. They lost to Swansea on Sunday. They lost the cup final to Chelsea recently. They only won two of their last five games. And no sooner was the season over then Kenny Dalglish was off to Boston to report to the team's owners, the Fenway Sports Group, what had gone on this season.

Now Kenny Dalglish is already back in the UK. No one is saying anything. No word from Boston. No word from Liverpool. And until someone actually comes out and says, yes, we are supporting Kenny Dalglish, he will be our manager again next season, of course this rumor is going to persist that either he's resigned or he's been fired.

Remember, the Fenway Sports Group spent $300 million buying Liverpool only a couple of years ago. So far they're not getting much bang for their buck.

ANDERSON: Yeah, lest we forget reminder our viewers who may not be as familiar with the story at Anfeld as we are, this was a hero, a hero at Liverpool, but many people say as a player -- many people of course, they never go back, never go back. And he's gone back and it hasn't gone well.

Don, thank you for that.

Still ahead on Connect the World, new urgency tonight in the hunt for a renegade general known simply as The Terminator. After years of ignoring international calls to arrest this man, we're going to see why the Democratic Republic of Congo is now leading the charge.

And he dreams of being a professional golfer, but will 10,000 hours of practice make what was a complete amateur get him up to what he hopes will be PGA material? That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: To our -- I think I started a bit early there. A very warm welcome to our viewers across Europe and around the world. Just after half past nine in London. I'm Becky Anderson, these are the latest world news headlines from CNN.

Greece heading back to the polls. The country's president announced fresh elections after its parties failed to reach an agreement on forming a coalition. It's expected to be held -- that being elections -- next month.

France's new president says relations with Germany are constant and stable. Hours after he was sworn in, Francois Hollande headed to Berlin to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is leading the austerity drive Mr. Hollande opposes. One thing they are agreed on is that debt-ravaged Greece should stay in the eurozone.

A rare bomb attack in the Colombian capital has killed five people. President Juan Manuel Santos calls it an assassination attempt against the former interior minister who was an outspoken critic of leftist rebel groups. The former minister was one of 19 people wounded in the blast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MEN SHOUTING)

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(MEN SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: In a town near Hama in Syria, a blast struck a UN convoy. No UN personnel were hurt. The three vehicles were damaged. An opposition group says 48 people have been killed today nationwide.

A warlord is on the run tonight in the Democratic Republic of Congo with hundreds of mutinous soldiers reportedly by his side. Bosco Ntaganda is known as the "Terminator." He's been wanted for years by the International Criminal Court for allegedly using children as soldiers. Well now, the ICC has added new crimes against humanity to his indictment.

Congo's government has refused to arrest him, even making him an army general in 2009 as part of a peace deal with rebels. But now, it's changed its mind, accusing him of orchestrating a mass defection of soldiers.

Those defectors have been clashing with army troops, destabilizing a huge area in eastern Congo. Nearly a quarter of a million people have fled their homes to escape the violence, thousands streaming over the border into Rwanda.

Our Nima Elbagir is live tonight from the border town of Gisenyi. Her team is the first TV crew to cover the refugee crisis there. Nima, what have you found?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this is not exactly a part of the world known for its stability, but for the past few years, there has been an admittedly fragile peace. Now that has been shattered. We went down to a border town where thousands are seeking refuge. Take a look, Becky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR (voice-over): These are the newest refugees arriving here today at the Nicamira Camp in Rwanda. Only a few miles from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a hundred or so Congolese arrived today to join the thousands already here, carrying what they could.

This 17-year-old girl told us she was taking a final exam at school when they heard the bullets outside. "I ran with my family," she said. "We managed to escape together."

After three years of fragile peace, last month the Congolese government vowed to capture International Criminal Court indictee Bosco Ntaganda, triggering clashes as forces loyal to him deserted the national army. And thousands are now caught in the crossfire.

And it's not just the violence they're fleeing. Young men here told CNN Congolese National Army soldiers threatened and attempted to forcibly recruit them. And they fear that as much as they fear the gunfire that still surrounds their homes. The Congolese government could not be reached for comment.

Rwanda already hosts 56,000 refugees from Congo, many a legacy of the last time almost a decade ago forces loyal to Ntaganda and the government clashed. There are also reports of thousands of refugees making their way to Uganda. The worry is that this fresh fighting could further overburden neighboring countries.

But more worrying still is the face of the tens of thousands the United Nations believes are stuck in the Congo out of reach of help. Tens of thousands who, incredibly, would be better off here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR: And Becky, regional governments are growing increasingly uncomfortable about the turn this is taking. The Rwandan foreign minister has gone so far as to ask whether one man is really worth this much devastation. Becky?

ANDERSON: Nima, thank you for that. Well, given the humanitarian crisis we've seen, it's understandable, isn't it, that some critics do question whether the hunt for one man is worth the suffering of thousands of Congolese.

The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court says the whole region will benefit from Ntaganda's arrest, and the sooner, he says, the better. Luis Moreno-Ocampo joins us, now, from New York. What is the likelihood, at this point, of that arrest?

LUIS MORENO-OCAMPO, CHIEF PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: Look, the court was investigating the crimes committed by Bosco Ntaganda for the last ten years. He committed crimes in two different -- now in Kivu. We shall request a new warrant against him. Now, it's time to arrest him.

I think the Congolese government is putting effort, now. Rwanda, I was with President Kagame, he said he would never protect this man.

ANDERSON: Right.

MORENO-OCAMPO: And UN can support the effort to arrest him. So, it's time to --

ANDERSON: Right. OK, I get that. And with respect, the question was, how likely do you think it is that he'll be arrested anytime soon?

MORENO-OCAMPO: Look. I think consensus to arrest him is the first step to do it, and I think we are gaining consensus now that Bosco Ntaganda should be arrested. Then, it's a military operation, what to do it. The Congo is going to have to do it.

ANDERSON: All right.

MORENO-OCAMPO: UN can support it.

ANDERSON: Why has the ICC just now added new charges against him after all of these years, out of interest?

MORENO-OCAMPO: Because we always say -- we're saying since 2006 that at the end of the Thomas Lubanga trial, we'll evaluate the evidence, and then we'll decide to present new charges. And Thomas Lubanga's trial just finished, so we added charges to Bosco Ntaganda, who in 2003 was number two of Thomas Lubanga's military.

So, he committed crimes, awful crimes, in 2002, 2003 military, and then he moved to Kivu, where for the last ten years, committed new crimes.

ANDERSON: Congolese officials have suggested they want to try him when arrested and if arrested in their country instead of sending him to the ICC. Would that be acceptable? If he's arrested, do -- you want him, right?

MORENO-OCAMPO: Look, the first thing is to arrest him. After that, the judges will decide he can prosecuted in ICC or in Congo. In this case, Congolese have to make a formal presentation to the judges of the ICC. The priority is to arrest him, stop the crimes.

ANDERSON: What would his arrest mean for Congo to your mind?

MORENO-OCAMPO: Sorry?

ANDERSON: What would his arrest mean for Congo and the Congolese, do you think?

MORENO-OCAMPO: It would mean that the leaders of militias cannot continue doing that. That's the end of the use of killing civilians to make power and to make money. That is the meaning of arresting Bosco Ntaganda, who is the name of impunity in Congo.

ANDERSON: You will have heard Nima's report. She's one of -- or she's the first TV crew with our colleagues down there on the border. When you hear her report and you see the pictures that she's sending back to us, your thoughts. Is this something that as a community, as a world, we should expect more and more of?

MORENO-OCAMPO: The communities are victims. The problem in the Congo is different militias are fighting between them, but they're attacking civilians. So, people escaping from the violence is normal in Congo for the last 20 years, in fact, since the Rwanda genocide.

All these crimes are consequences of Rwanda genocide impunity. Some of the leaders of the Rwanda genocide moved to Congo and from there, started to attack Rwanda and attacked people to consolidate the bases, and that is what we are paying now, the cost of impunity, 18 years of people being attacked by different militias. It's time to stop.

ANDERSON: Luis Moreno-Ocampo joining us out of New York this evening. We thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.

Check out your mobile phone. Chances are parts of that came from the Democratic Republic of Congo. We're talking about a country, of course, similar in size to Western Europe. It's huge and extremely wealthy. More than 5 million people lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo before the war officially ended in 2003. You've seen the pictures. Many would say it still isn't over.

Lots more still to come on CONNECT THE WORLD. We are back in 90 seconds. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: It does seem remarkable that in 2012, we still hear people asking can women really have it all, their successful career and a successful family life? People say, does it -- does one come at the cost of the other.

Well, as part of our Leading Women series here on CNN, we speak to two women at the top of their game who tell us how they have managed to strike what is a work/life balance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIN SKOGEN LUND, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TELENOR: I believe here in Norway, if you had followed someone within politics or public administration, you would have seen many women.

In private business, unfortunately, we are few -- very few women at my level, and even at the level below me. So I just tend to be the only one in very many settings.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Kristin Skogen Lund has risen to a corporate level in Norway, where she's got very little female company, and she's done it as the mother of four, two sets of twins, in fact. Her success makes her stand out, but not necessarily in a way she would like.

LUND: I sometimes get described as Superwoman, and I understand how people can see me that way, because I guess it looks a bit like I handle it all. I guess they don't see -- they don't see my insecurities or when I feel down or when I have to -- when I can't prioritize what I want to, or when I feel bad because I'm not home with the kids.

Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED MALES: Hello.

LUND: I believe there is a difference between men and women, because a woman is not -- it's not socially accepted and allowed that you don't also play the role as a mom. And the thing is, if I weren't a EVP or the president of the corporation, somebody else would be that. But no one else would be the mom for my children. So, that really makes it the most important role that I have.

ANDERSON: Lund's husband, Christian, has a stressful job, too. He's an attorney of civil affairs and sometimes serves as a judge. But he also plays a role that Lund says is often looked down upon in society. He's a supportive husband to a powerful wife, and he's also an active father.

LUND: If you have a woman who supports the CEO husband, they would say, "Oh, so she's so great. She's given up all of her things to support him." But if a man does the same thing to a woman, he's seen as a dork.

ANDERSON: Giving her husband further credit, Lund is quick to point out that it's Christian who keeps her focused at home.

LUND: I'm very bad at turning off my phone. It goes off sometimes at night. He gets really annoyed with it sometimes, and he's right, because you just -- you don't think.

And he said something that's really good. He said, "It's OK that you're not here, but you have to be here when you are here." And it's so true. And I'm really trying to work on that.

MONIQUE LHUILLIER, FASHION DESIGNER: Look at this. It's like she's laying in a bed of roses.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Felicia Taylor. A supportive husband is one of the things these two women have in common. In Monique Lhuillier's situation, her husband, Tom, is CEO of her company.

LHUILLIER: We work together on every facet of the company. Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's not.

Did they send us -- oh, are those the colored ones? Let's see.

But his role in the company is CEO. He runs the day-to-day of the company.

I feel like this is even the picture for up the stairs.

And he also is the one that decides what the next steps are. And then, my role in the company is to make sure everything we decide to do together looks perfect.

It's harder to keep family life and the workplace separated. And we always say we do, but we really don't.

It's so hard not to continue a conversation that was started earlier in the day and then when we find a moment as we're getting ready to go somewhere and do something, catch up on that thought and say, "Oh, what happened with that -- idea?" Or "What happened with that collaboration?" And so, it's hard.

Hello! Jack! Hi! Hello! Hi, baby, how are you? Whoa!

I know how to enjoy life and embrace it, and when I'm with my kids, that's -- I think that's the perfect life. I feel like when I come home to them, it's pure joy, and everything is worth it. They inspire me.

So, every time I focus on one thing, I really focus 100 percent of myself to that thing. So, I think now I've learned how to juggle my life, and I feel like now I have the perfect balance.

Where's your napkin? On your lap?

(LITTLE GIRL SINGING)

TAYLOR: But it's not always easy to achieve that kind of balance. Next week, we'll hear from both women on their biggest fears and their advice for women in the beginnings of their careers.

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ANDERSON: All right, more on that series, Leading Women, at our website, cnn.com/leadingwomen. Find out why quotas are being introduced and why female representation is as important as ever. Also a discussion about equality in the workplace there at cnn.com/leadingwomen.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. When we come back, he spent nearly 3,000 hours on the green, but is this amateur golfer any closer to playing with the pros? That up next.

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ANDERSON: Wouldn't we all love 10,000 free hours to master an art or a skill? Well, American Dan McLaughlin thinks he can become a professional golfer starting off knowing very little about the game.

So, he's teeing off with the pros. Well, he's not yet, but he hopes to be. I caught up with him to find out how he's doing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Meet Dan McLaughlin. At the age of 30, he gave up his day job as a photographer. He put down his camera and picked up a putter on a mission dubbed the Dan Plan to become a professional golfer.

CHRISTOPHER SMITH, PGA GOLF INSTRUCTOR: I made it pretty clear to him that you might want to think about doing something else, like tiddly winks or bowling.

ANDERSON: That was the opinion of his coach, but Dan had something to prove: the theory that anyone can master a skill in 10,000 hours. The test began in April 2010, and two years on, Dan is a third of the way into his commitment. The keys to the plan: dedication, repetition, and patience.

DAN MCLAUGHLIN, AMATEUR GOLFER: The first month, I only putted from one and then three feet and just kind of learned that little, teeny stroke.

ANDERSON: Baby steps for a grown man who has until 2016 to achieve greatness on the greens.

MCLAUGHLIN: My best round to date is 79, and my handicap is right around 8.7, so single digits, finally.

ANDERSON (on camera): And you are hoping to become a professional at the end of all of this and possibly make the PGA tour, right?

MCLAUGHLIN: Yes, that's the goal. That's the stated goal, and that's what I work for every day.

ANDERSON: And are you going to make that?

MCLAUGHLIN: I don't see why not. It's been a steady progression so far, so yes, I think that the possibilities are kind of unlimited.

ANDERSON: OK, I've read that Leo Tolstoy took 10,000 hours to write "War and Peace." He was a genius. What you're trying to show is, is that you're not a genius. It's just hard work and dedication that will get you through. But how do we know you're not genetically inclined to just be a very good golfer in the end?

MCLAUGHLIN: You know, I think that if I do succeed, there'll probably be an argument that I was genetically gifted at golf, but if you look at my fist rounds and pretty much everything I've done to date, I obviously started with no specific golf ability and have been slowly increasing my golf-specific ability over time.

ANDERSON: And you've written on your blog, "It isn't an easy endeavor. Quite possibly, it's impossible." But if you -- your Dan Plan inspires even one person to quit their day job and find happiness in their own plan, then the Dan Plan is a success.

A lot of our viewers are going to be thinking tonight, how do you afford to do this? We'd all love to give up our day jobs. But how do you afford this?

MCLAUGHLIN: I spent about five years saving up money so that I could actually do this endeavor. It's not something that just happened, flying - - by the seat of my pants or whatever you say. It was a long time building up and working towards this so I could attempt this 10,000 hours.

ANDERSON: Why did you choose golf, out of interest?

MCLAUGHLIN: For me, golf is -- has a universal system, the handicap system, set up to track progress. It's in the limelight enough where people know how difficult is. It's completely different from anything I'd ever done before. It's a mix of physical and mental. It's outdoors.

And it's completely objective. You have stick, ball, hole. And whoever gets it in the hole in the fewest strokes is the best that day.

ANDERSON: Let me ask you a question. What is the point if in 2016 you make it as a professional. You're getting a little old at this stage, aren't you? The world's number one golfer's around, what, 21, 22 years old at this point? You have to go back to the old day job.

MCLAUGHLIN: One of the reasons I chose golf is because you can still have a career in your 30s and 40s. There's great golfers who have won in their 40s. Tom Watson, he placed second when he was 59 years old.

So, when I get to the 10,000 hours, I'll be 36, which actually isn't that much older than your average rookie on the PGA tour.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Seven and a half thousand hours to go. It's never too late for a Dan Plan. If you have the chance to quit your job and put in 10,000 hours practice into one thing, what would it be?

We've been asking ourselves that on the team today. Golf? Piano? Ballet? What do you think you'd be any good at, and how much do you think it's down to sheer, hard work? Nature or nurture, big question out there.

The team at CONNECT THE WORLD wants to hear from you, facebook.com/CNNconnect. Have your say. You can tweet me, of course, @BeckyCNN. Your thoughts, please, @BeckyCNN.

I am Becky Anderson, that was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for watching. The world news headlines up after this short break. Don't go away.

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