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Connect the World
Nelson Mandela Rushed To Hospital, Responding To Treatment; Zara Clothing Stores Embroiled In Supplier Scandal; Bail Restrictions Lifted For Oscar Pistorius; Cypriot Banks Reopen To Long Queues; New Zealand Cricketer Jesse Ryder In Hospital After Attack
Aired March 28, 2013 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MAX FOSTER, HOST: A call for prayer: the South African government urges people around the world to keep Nelson Mandela in their thoughts. Coming up, from Singapore to the UK, your messages for a global icon.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World.
FOSTER: Also ahead on the show, an emotional plea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Shame on us if we've forgotten.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: President Obama urges law makers to remember the children gunned down in the Newtown school massacre as chilling new details emerge about the shooter.
And a charity challenge that's no walk in the park. We'll be talking live to the runners limbering up for 39 marathons in 33 days across eight countries.
Doctors in South Africa say Nelson Mandela is responding well to treatment. The 94 year old icon was rushed back to hospital overnight for a recurring lung infection. Let's go to Robyn Curnow in Johannesburg for the latest. And Robyn, the concern was that he was rushed to hospital. That in itself was something that sparked so much concern.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Previous hospital trips have involved statements coming from the presidency as saying it's a routine medical checkup telling people not to panic. The fact that South Africans woke up to this news this morning that Nelson Mandela had been rushed to hospital in the middle of the night did make many people concerned that -- the president has since come out and said he's responding to treatment.
But this recurring lung infection is a worry. He has been sick over and over again when it comes to his lungs. I spoke to a doctor. They said he's probably by the sound of it suffering from pneumonia, which means that he might have been breathless or at least short of breath. He might have been coughing, all of these signs obviously worrying for his doctors, but also to really score how serious this might be.
Just remember, Nelson Mandela's home here in Johannesburg is essentially like a mini-clinic, a mini-ICU. He has around the clock, 24 hour medical attention. We know that it's a sterile environment, that doctors over the past few weeks have been telling people not to come and visit him too much, because they're worried about him getting another infection or a bug because of the change of seasons.
So the fact that beyond all of that medical care he had at home, doctors felt it necessary to take him to the hospital is an indication of how serious this is.
Now of course South Africans become increasingly used to these hospital trips, because his health has been deteriorating for some time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: These are the most recent pictures of Nelson Mandela, taken by CNN at his 94th birthday party in his home, surrounded by his large family. He looked bewildered, uncertain. So different to the vigorous man who fought so hard, endured so much.
The former South African president has seemed frail and unsteady on his legs for some years now. Public appearance became increasingly rare, too much effort for a man in his 90s. Those he did make, Mandela sometimes dozed off during speeches and seemed confused.
His last official appearance was in 2010 at the closing ceremony of the World Cup in Johannesburg. Since then, he's been in hospital four times. In December, Mandela was treated here for a lung infection and had surgery to remove gall stones.
Now, he's back in hospital, rushed there in the middle of the night, again suffering from a lung infection, say officials, although he's now responding to treatment, they say. President Jacob Zuma, though, has asked South Africans to pray for him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: OK. Well, authorities here saying that Mandela remains in treatment and that he will continue to stay in hospital for observation, nothing else beyond that.
FOSTER: All right. Robyn, stick around because as we watch Mandela's health, we've been getting plenty of response on our Facebook page. And it's a truly global picture. If you look at some of the comments coming in. Here in the UK this comment from Steve, "a leader takes people where they want to go, a great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be. That is Nelson Mandela to me."
Chidi from Nigeria, "An African leader that saw the whole human race as one. I believe he is the greatest man of the century."
Many people do believe that he's a genuine icon.
In South Africa, of course, a huge amount of concern and respect. "We have such a beautiful country, especially the diverse warm people, 'the rainbow nation' that Madiba -- Mandela -- created. He is a shining example and our star."
Over in India, "the name Nelson Mandela to me means living for the people of South Africa and sacrificing his whole life for their betterment," that's from Macrina.
And finally from Malaysia, this from Chinonso, "I wish for a speedy recovery. Nelson is an embodiment of change."
Robyn, he's not just a South African story, is he, he's a global story. And do you get that sense there in South Africa that the whole world is watching?
CURNOW: Absolutely. And I think there's good reason for that, because just think about. Nelson Mandela was born in 1918, the First World War was just coming to an end. This is a man whose life, whose struggle, mirrored South Africa's battle for human rights and for dignity and for democracy. But beyond that, beyond that sort of myth that was created around this image of Nelson Mandela as a political figure, you know, particularly in the years after he was released, you know, as South Africans, the world, all of us got to know this man who beyond that who is quite quirky. He was quite cheeky. He's quite funny. He's quite flirty. You know, he's also very stubborn. You know, you got a sense of the real humanity of Nelson Mandela.
We know that he acknowledged that he made lots of mistakes, sacrificing particularly his family and his family life for the political struggle. So you get this duality of a man. And I think that's where people identify with him, because they realized that he's not perfect. And he himself has said a saint is just a sinner who keeps on trying.
So I think for many people, particularly long after he's gone they can identify with Mandela because in a way you can perhaps want to be like him, you can be like him, because everyone is flawed, even Nelson Mandela. And he always said that. And I think that's the power of someone like him.
And I think many South Africans acknowledged that. And they also realize that they're just so grateful that a leader like him was there to lead them away from civil war into this democracy.
So, you know, there's all sorts of nuances and levels of how and why he engages with people. But I think what it boils down to it, he was just a human being. He was just the right place at the right time. And boy did he change things, didn't he?
FOSTER: Absolutely. Robyn, thank you very much.
Our top story tonight, Nelson Mandela is said to be responding well to treatment for a recurring lung infection that forced another emergency hospital visit overnight.
This is Connect the World. Still to come tonight, Oscar Pistorius's bail restrictions have been relaxed. We'll tell you what he's now allowed to do as he awaits trial for murder.
Cyprus's banks throw up their doors after nearly two weeks, but it's far from business as usual. We'll update you on the latest on the country's economic crisis.
And how Pope Francis ended up cleaning feet at one of Rome's detention centers.
All that and more to come when Connect the World continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me, Max Foster. Welcome back to you.
Now a cache of weapons -- a gun safe and more than 1,600 pounds -- or rounds of ammunition all found in the home of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooter. We're learning new details today about the second worst school shooting in U.S. history. Documents show it took less than five minutes for Adam Lanza to kill 20 children, six adults before taking his own life last year.
President Barack Obama says it's, quote, "time to turn that heartbreak into something real." He made a passionate plea for gun control laws today. We'll bring you his comments and much more on this story in around 20 minutes from now.
It's a high street fashion giant with stores in shopping centers across the globe. But now ZARA is once again coming under scrutiny over how its clothes are made. Rafael Romo has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The workshop was a cluttered mess, authorities finding sewing equipment only meters away from bunk beds. At another sweat shop, investors found worn mattresses, unsanitary conditions, and all kinds of fire hazards. A human rights group says 21 mostly migrant workers live there, working shifts of up to 16 hours under conditions of slavery.
GUSTAVO VERA, DIRECTOR, LA ALAMEDA (through translator): These images show these places were in a dreadful situation. There were loose cables, flammable materials, plenty of dust and overcrowding. They were really living there like Animals.
ROMO: Gustavo Vera s the director of La Alameda, a human rights organization in Argentina dedicated to fighting modern-day slavery. La Alameda shot this video after a police raid at three workshops. And as you've seen the images as evidence in a federal complaint against three clothing manufacturers, Zara, Irish, and Cara Cruz.
There's no evidence that the companies own or directly operate the workshops, but Vera says there's definitely a link.
VERA (through translator): They found labels. They also found designs which prove that all of these three workshops worked for Zara.
ROMO: CNN requested interviews with all three companies. Cara Cruz said it has not been legally notified about the case and it has no knowledge of any links with Clandestine workshops.
Iris and Zara have not returned our calls. Both Argentina and Spain are on holiday for Holy Week.
But Inditex, the Spanish clothing giant which owns Zara, told Spanish newspaper El Pais that they're surprised and indignant about the complaint. "We have no knowledge of the facts and we don't know what they're referring to," Inditex said. "We have no tolerance when it comes to situations like this. We regularly audit the 60 providers we have in Argentina."
This is not the first scandal Zara faces regarding workshops where their clothes are produced. Back in 2011, the clothing manufacturer was fined $1.8 million by the government in Brazil after an investigation showed dozens of Bolivian and Peruvian migrant workers were producing clothes for the firm in conditions of slavery.
After the scandal, the company said that Zara has unveiled a series of new internal and external initiatives to reinforce control over the production chain. Now a major Zara store in Buenos Aires has been targeted by human rights groups since the most recent allegations surfaced.
Argentina has begun to crack down against trafficking. Last year a series of unconnected raids against other companies, also in Buenos Aires, targeting 12 sweat shops, 23 Argentine and Bolivian nationals were arrested, 76 immigrants from Bolivia, who were forced to sew clothes around the clock, were liberated during the operation.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: The S&P 500 stock market is closed at a record high in the U.S., hitting levels not seen since 2007. The Dow also boasted its best first quarter in 15 years.
Zain Asher is with us from CNN New York. And what's interesting about the S&P, Zain, is that it's actually a much better reflection of the economy, some say, than the Dow.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Max.
It flirted with the record for the past few weeks. It finally broke the barrier set in October 2007 as you mentioned soon after the opening bell on Thursday, thanks in part to the boost it's been getting from the federal stimulus policies.
Now let's take a look. The S&P closing at 1,569, up six points so far today. The Dow Jones also closing another record, closing at 14,578, up 11 percent so far this year.
Meanwhile, the NASDAQ up 8 percent so far this year.
And as you mentioned, the S&P 500 really is the one to watch. It's 500 stocks as opposed to the Dow's 30. More mutual funds track it as well. So a lot of people's retirement savings are getting a big boost today -- Max.
FOSTER: And that combined with some good GDP data will make everyone think that actually the U.S. economy is starting to turn a corner at least.
ASHER: Yeah, that's exactly right. So the U.S. economy grew at .4 percent during the last quarter of 2012, not exactly knocking the ball out of the park, but still doing better than analysts had expected. It's certainly a positive sign. Even though it wasn't out today that jobless claims are up by 16,000.
You know, whether or not the economy can continue growing largely depends on sequestration. You know, the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that pose a relative threat to the economy here.
Still, recent data shows that at least for now the economy is gaining some strength. You've got retail sales also up. Home prices also up. And increase in manufacturing helping as well -- Max.
FOSTER: That's some rare good news about BlackBerry of all companies.
ASHER: I know. It does seem as though BlackBerry is back from the dead. The company did report a surprise profit today. $94 million. Not necessarily great, but still a profit nevertheless. Thanks in part to cost cutting tactics, even though analysts had been expected a loss. It also shipped 1 million Z10 phones during the last quarter as well.
Shares did rise earlier in the day on the good news, but still closed lower, down by almost 1 percent. And BlackBerry, as you know, has been struggling with declining sales, revenue down by $7.5 billion in one year. Marketshare also shrinking as well.
Positive news, definitely, in terms of profit, but still I think an uphill battle -- Max.
FOSTER: Somewhere to go. Zain, thank you very much indeed.
Cyprus's foreign minister says the strict controls on the country's banks could last for a month. Authorities had feared a run on banks following a controversial bailout by the European Union. Today branches threw open their doors for the first time in nearly two weeks, but savers were limited to how much cash they could withdraw.
Ivan Watson is in Nicosia and has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When the doors of the banks in Cyprus finally reopened, there was no panic. Instead, Cypriots lined up politely and waited their turn.
How's it going today?
UNIDENTFIED MALE: As expected.
WATSON: Patience and calm and a media circus, even though the crisis had forced banks to close for nearly two weeks.
The night before the banks reopened, the government imposed strict new rules to ensure whatever money is left in the banks doesn't leave Cyprus. Depositors can only take out a maximum of 300 euros a day, cashing of checks is basically prohibited. And you're only allowed to take about a 1,000 euros, or the equivalent of $1,300 cash off the island.
One of the Republic's biggest and oldest banks, Laiki, is effectively being closed for good, which is bad news for this retired philosophy professor.
ANDY ORPHANIDES, RETIRED PHILOSOPHY PROFESSOR: Said I'm losing my money, because I got all my money at Laiki Bank. And it will be closing now. And they said they will split it into a good bank and into a bad bank. So, I'm losing my money.
WATSON: Many business owners cannot afford to be philosophical.
How are you going to pay your employees?
ALI NASSER, CELL PHONE SHOP OWNER: This is a big problem now we will face.
I say to them, you have two options, even you stop...
WATSON: Stop working.
NASSER: Or you'll continue on a half salary.
WATSON: You're cutting salaries already.
NASSER: Yeah, what I make if I don't have a job. They have family also. They have families. And all we are living together like domino. If someone falls down, we all fall down.
WATSON: Cyprus used to be a center for high flying international finance, but this visiting European diplomat had little sympathy for Cypriot bankers or their foreign investors.
The days of Cyprus being a major international banking sector -- center, they seem to be over.
CARL BILDT, SWEDISH FOREIGN MINISTER: That remains to be seen. I think the days of mismanagement of financial sector, I hope that that is (inaudible) but in other places as well.
WATSON: With the help of a last minute $13 billion bailout from Europe, Cyprus appears to have dodged total financial collapse. But once prosperous Cypriots know fully well, tough times are ahead for their small island.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Nicosia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now some terrifying video to show you, showing something you just can't prepare for, the moment that a security guard in China was swallowed up by a gigantic sinkhole. The 25-year-old man can be seen for an instant in the foreground just before the ground opened up and it killed him.
A Chinese media report, the sinkhole is almost 16 meters deep and around five meters wide. They also say heavy rainfall may have been a factor in its formation. People who live in the area also pointed tremors from a construction site nearby.
A new British TV series has been given rare access to Prince William and his day job as a search and rescue pilot. Take a listen to Flight Lieutenant Wales (ph) in action as his crew search for an injured boy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: (inaudible) keep your eyes out. I've got him on the right-hand side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Now in the program, the prince reflects on the pressures of his work and also describes what it's like to save lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE WILLIAM: You have to analyze all the information you're given and make the best judgment. It's not easy. It makes you feel worried, concerned. You obviously want to make the right call. Obviously you care for the crew, for casualty in many cases as well. So you do have to think very carefully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The show will air in the UK on Monday April 8th.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up, fighting for his life, a New Zealand cricketer is in a coma after an attack. We'll have the latest next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: You're watching Connect the World live from London. Welcome back. I'm Max Foster.
Now Oscar Pistorius could compete in the upcoming world championships in Moscow as he awaits a trial on charges of killing his girlfriend. The 26 year old Olympian has won an appeal of his bail restrictions permitting him to leave South Africa to compete in international competitions with conditions.
Nkepile Mabuse has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's yet another win for Oscar Pistorius. The Paralympian is of course facing a charge of murder after shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. Pistorius was granted bail of more than 100,000 U.S. dollars in late February by the Pretoria magistrate's court, which also imposed very strict condition. One of those conditions was that he couldn't consume alcohol. He also couldn't travel overseas. He was also forbidden from going back to the crime scene which is, of course, his home, or speaking to any of his neighbors. The magistrate's court also said he could not be charged with any crime relating to violence against women.
Now on Thursday, his legal team approached this court behind me, the Pretoria High Court, arguing that these bail conditions were unwarranted and not substantiated by facts. The judge here agreed with them.
BERT BAM, JUDGE: After having considered all the facts and the arguments with specific emphasis on the magistrate's finding that the defendant is not a flight risk, I could find no reason why the defendant should be forbidden to leave the Republic of South Africa if invited to compete in an athletic events in other countries.
MABUSE: Judge Burt Bam emphasized that murder is one of the most serious crimes that can be committed by man, but he said bail conditions should never be punitive and should be reasonable. In his view, the ones that were imposed on Oscar Pistorius were not.
BAM: The magistrate was entitled in the law to exercise his discretion in imposing the conditions in question. And this court will only be justified in the fear if it is established that the magistrate exercised this discretion wrongly.
MABUSE: Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, Pretoria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now extremely vicious and unbelievably brutal, that's how witnesses are describing an attack on New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder, an attack that has him fighting for his life in hospital. World Sport's Don Riddell is here with the details.
You better take us through those horrific incidents.
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It really was absolutely awful, Max, thanks very much. And even the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has commented. He described this attack as sinister and vicious.
As you say, Jesse Ryder is in hospital. He is in a medically induced coma. He has a fractured skull and what have been described as serious internal injuries following this assault outside a bar in Christchurch. And we understand that he was attacked not once, but twice.
Police are still desperately searching for a motive, but we understand that they have plenty of CCTV footage to examine. They also have many eyewitnesses who saw this attack. But really, why he was attacked we don't yet know.
Of course, this is very, very unfortunate for Jesse Ryder, not least because today, Friday in New Zealand, he was due to be getting on a plane and heading over to India to play in the lucrative IPL, the Indian Premier League. He was due to be playing for the Delhi Daredevils.
Sadly now he is in hospital. His friends and family are by his bedside hoping that he pulls through, but this is just an absolutely awful attack and cricket fans all over the world are keeping their fingers crossed that he makes a good recovery.
FOSTER: Yeah, we'll follow his progress.
And the Miami Heat's quest for NBA's longest winning streak, we've been talking about that, but it's ending at 27, Don.
RIDDELL: Yeah, they were hoping to get to 28 against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. But they fell four points short -- or five points short of winning that game. They lost by 101-97.
LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and company just couldn't keep the run going. It's interesting to see how Chicago played this game, because they were very, very physical. They committed a lot fouls. Miami did not like it.
But I tell you what, the end of the run could be a good thing for them. Obviously, they would have had a place in the history books if they got past the L.A. Lakers record of 33 straight wins, which they set in the early 1970s, but the fact is that Miami really didn't have to be winning every game in the way they were. They're so far ahead in the Eastern Conference. One more win will give them the top seed going into the playoffs. And this defeat now at least means they can focus on the postseason, which is, of course, Max, where it all counts.
FOSTER: OK, Don, thank you very much indeed.
The latest world news headlines just ahead. Plus, chilling new details about the Newtown, Connecticut school shooter. We'll tell you about a weapons cache that police found in his home.
The papal blessing starting from the ground up. Why Pope Francis kicked off the Easter weekend by washing feet.
Then, eight countries and 1,000 miles in just 33 days. Why these men are preparing for the run of their lives.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: This is CONNECT THE WORLD, the top stories this hour. Nelson Mandela is said to be responding well to treatment for recurring lung infection that forced another emergency hospital visit overnight. The 94- year-old hasn't seen -- hasn't been seen in public since 2010. This is the second time he's been in hospital this month.
Banks in Cyprus reopened today without any sign of panic after nearly two weeks on lockdown. There are strict new controls in place to prevent any hemorrhaging of cash from the country.
Italy's president, Giorgio Napolitano, will hold talks with political parties on Friday to try to form a government. Tonight, center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani said he had failed to assemble a coalition.
Newly-released documents show the home of the Newtown, Connecticut shooter was stuffed with weapons, including Samurai swords. Adam Lanza shared that home with his mother. He shot her before massacring 26 other people at an elementary school last year. Lanza took his own life as police arrived.
Let's get more details on those new documents on the Newtown shooter. Susan Candiotti is following developments for us from New York. So, what did they find, Susan?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, among other things, we now know exactly how many rounds were fired on that day in December at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Adam Lanza fired off, according to police, 154 rounds.
We knew that he came to the school armed the hilt with a couple of handguns and a military-style assault weapon. We now know that he also had nine rounds -- magazine rounds, rather -- nine magazines for that weapon of 30 rounds each. Some of them were empty by the time he was done.
But in addition to that, we also know that at his home, where he shared with his mother, he had sort of a mini homemade arsenal there, too. A number of rifles were found, guns, knives, Samurai swords, as you mentioned before. Even something described as a seven-foot pole that had a blade and a spear on either end of it.
But we also know that they found newspaper clippings and other materials that I reported early on that indicate, according to police, that this was a young man who was obsessed with both serial killers and mass shootings.
In fact, one of them was the newspaper clipping about something that happened at a college in the state of Illinois back in 2008, a mass shooting there.
An interesting thing that they also found, Max, is a holiday greeting card. Remember this happened in December. And inside that card was a check signed by his mother, and it was itemized to buy a specific kind of gun. So evidently, he had even more firearms that he could have purchased before this shooting happened.
And one more thing, a witness told police, someone who is not identified, that Adam Lanza, who lived with his mother, was a loner, he was a shut-in at that house, and he was an avid gamer. Liked one particular violent game called "Call of Duty."
And this person also told authorities that, in his words, Sandy Hook Elementary was Adam Lanza's "reason for living." It was his life, they said. Why he decided to make it his killing field, a motive, we're still not sure.
Police have a lot of different theories that they're working with, why he chose that day, why he was obsessed with these weapons, why he did this. Perhaps it will be in their report, they say, their final report around June. Max?
FOSTER: And a lot of people are asking why this information is only coming out now? Why is that?
CANDIOTTI: Well, I'll tell you, one reason is that the governor of the state of Connecticut was unhappy that some of the information about what investigators were finding was leaking out, and so he told the prosecutor that is in charge of this case that he wanted him to put at least some official information out there. It's certainly not everything they have, but it is some of it, and that's why we're learning this today.
FOSTER: OK, Susan, thank you very much, indeed. US president Barack Obama says Americans have cried enough, urging them to turn their grief into action. He spoke at the White House today, surrounded by families affected by gun violence.
The president reminded Americans about the outrage immediately following the Newtown massacre and said it's inconceivable that the will for stricter gun control may be fading.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Less than 100 days ago that happened. And the entire country was shocked, and the entire country pledged we would do something about it and that this time would be different. Shame on us if we've forgotten.
(END VIDEO CILP)
FOSTER: Mr. Obama wants Congress to pass a series of proposals by his task force on gun violence, but at least one measure, a ban on semi- automatic weapons, has already been dropped from the legislation expected to soon hit the Senate floor.
As far as public opinion goes, the US Congress may have missed its chance to pass strict gun control laws. In the week right after the Newtown shooting, a narrow majority of Americans believed that there should be major restrictions if not an outright ban on guns.
But three months on, that tide is turning. Now, only 43 percent want to see that happen. It's worth noting that in both surveys, around a third of respondents said they wanted to see some restrictions.
Live from London, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. A pope for the people? Francis starts the Easter celebrations with a humble Christian tradition. That's next here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: I'm Max Foster, this is CONNECT THE WORLD, welcome back to you. Now, ten days on the job and Pope Francis is definitely doing things differently. His no-frills lifestyle turns away from the luxuries of the Vatican and all it offers, and it seems this pope is all about just keeping it simple. Jake Tapper reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it pope and change. Today in Rome, instead of delivering mass to a packed cathedral, new Pope Francis went to prison. There, he washed the feet of 12 out of nearly 50 inmates of a juvenile detention center, commemorating the act of Jesus washing his disciples' feet.
The images today intended to signal how Francis is mixing things up at the Vatican by putting the poor front and center and by pursuing more modest trappings. He kicked off Holy Week by riding through St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday in a pope mobile without bullet-proof glass, popping out to greet the faithful and kiss, seemingly, every baby in sight.
His sermons simple and to the point. A departure from his, shall we say, more verbose predecessor, Benedict XVI.
KEVIN W. IRWIN, MONSIGNOR, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA: He has a pastor's heart. In that sense, he's probably more of a journeyman than he is a highly-accomplished scholar. In the process, we'll all get onboard with the journeyman, and they make the world work.
TAPPER: Monsignor Kevin Irwin is a theology professor at the Catholic University of America. He says the changes are adding up. Papal limo? No. Francis is still riding the bus. Handmade red leather shoes? Those are gone, too.
And Tuesday, Francis said no thanks to the palatial papal apartment, sticking instead to a small suite at the Vatican guest residence. Fitting for a pope who said his papacy would put the poor first.
IRWIN: At the same time, I think there's a level of concern about the morally, spiritually impoverishment that we might experience even in the developed countries, so those are both things on his radar screen, but clearly the economically poor will be advantaged in this papacy.
TAPPER: These shifts in tone are not the end. Irwin says the new pope is poised to shake up the Vatican establishment.
IRWIN: During Easter, we all pray hard and devote ourselves to the Lord, but after that, Act Two is going to be the personnel changes he makes, and I have a suspicion he's a very decisive man who will make those changes and want them to be for the best of the church, but he'll do them fairly quickly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN contributor Father Edward Beck from our New York bureau. Is this push, then, Father, a distraction from actually all the issues that we were talking about in the run-up to the election?
EDWARD BECK, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I don't know about a distraction. I think he's setting the playing field for what kind of papacy this is going to be. He's surprising everybody and just stepping out and doing things differently. So, if you change the tone of the papacy, you can only think that perhaps what's going to follow is also change.
I was thinking of those poor people. St. Peter's, where the washing of the feet ceremony, that Last Supper mass, is supposed to take place, they had printed 4,000 tickets and given out 2,000 already. And then suddenly, the pope said, by the way, we're not going to do that. We're going to go to a small prison with just 50 people. I'm not sure they know what to do with him at this point.
FOSTER: It's a very clear message, this very humble pope that we're seeing. How do you suspect, or how do you think that that will affect his policy-making, if I can call it that? Does it give an indication on how he's going to deal with those substantive issues?
BECK: Well remember, his patron is famously known to have said, "Preach the gospel always, and when necessary, use words." Which obviously means your actions are going to tell an awful lot.
Now, take that example today of the washing of the feet in that prison, the video that we began with. Well, what wasn't reported in that video is that two of the people whose feet he washed are young women. A pope at that ceremony has never washed the feet of women, it's always been all men. So, two women had their feet washed, young women.
Two of them were also Muslim. So, in one gesture of washing the feet, he included women and included another religious tradition. So you can see by these very simple actions, worlds are being said without having to give long homilies. It's all in what he's doing.
FOSTER: Is there any sense within the church that he's going too far and actually because he's such a senior figure, such a respectful figure, people like to think of him being housed in some grand apartments and not the most humble. There's so many humble people in the church already, and actually, that's not his role?
BECK: Well, I think he's walking a very delicate balance there. There are some more conservative Catholics who have taken umbrage with some of what he's done. If you look at some the blogs and some of the tweets, they're saying why is he doing all of this? He's putting his humility out for everybody to see. And so, there's been some blowback on that.
But I think what you have to see is the man who was archbishop in Buenos Aires is the same man who's now pope. If he were to change drastically, we would say to ourselves, well, who was that archbishop then? He's being consistent with who he was and it shows the face of the church, of ministering to the poor, a preferential option for the poor, that's part of the gospel.
This is the man who's supposed to lead us as shepherd of the church following in the path of Jesus. Well, who did Jesus hang out with? The outcasts, the sinners, the prostitutes. And so, by going to a prison today, he's simply following in the path of the man who he follows.
FOSTER: Well, it's fascinating to watch. Father Edward Beck, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us, as ever.
Now, it's a busy Easter weekend for the pope. He'll lead two services on Good Friday, including the Stations of the Cross at the Coliseum. On Holy Saturday, there will be an Easter vigil held late in the evening, Rome time. Easter Sunday will start with a holy mass in St. Peter's Square, followed by the traditional Urbi et Orbi, message blessing.
Coming up after this short break on CONNECT THE WORLD, 39 marathons in just 33 days. The challenge is set, but just how will it help victims of human trafficking?
Where pharaohs lie dead, others will climb. The unforgettable photos from the top of Egypt's most famous landmark. The story behind them is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Well, all this week, we've been bringing you a unique look at the Great Barrier Reef. These days, you can explore the remarkable ecosystem from your armchair. Google Maps aren't just about streets. Now you can check out underwater panoramic pictures, too.
Google teamed up with the Catlin Seaview Survey to make the images available. As our special correspondent Philippe Cousteau found out, above the surface in cyberspace, all of us can learn more about one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: So, what have we got here? What's going on?
RICHARD VEVERS, PROJECT DIRECTOR, CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY: We're just taking the camera out from the last dive and then download the images straight onto the computer, and then normally we can get the images that we've taken on the dive up within the hour up on the internet.
So, we've got our social media pages and we've got over 1.7 million at the moment. And we just like to keep people updated on what we're doing.
COUSTEAU: This is pretty radical from the perspective of science and research, to be having this much of a consistent and immediate online presence.
VEVERS: Yes, and we wanted -- that is an essential part of the Catlin Seaview Survey. It's really about trying to communicate the science as much as doing the science itself.
COUSTEAU: Yes, there's a greater purpose than just showing pretty pictures of fish to this endeavor to try and help people understand what's at risk here.
VEVERS: Absolutely. The pretty pictures of the fish are really to start getting people engaged in the first place. Then we want to take people on the journey with us so they actually get involved in the science.
So, we explain the science, but then try to get them involved in the analysis of the data, so they really understand what's going on in the oceans.
COUSTEAU (voice-over): A partnership with Google allows the survey team to bring the company's Street View technology underwater, giving anyone with internet access the chance to go on a virtual dive at many of the survey sites. Vevers says he had doubts that the scientific community would embrace this form of instant outreach.
VEVERS: I thought there would be a lot of resistance to what we are trying to do. But universally, I -- well, I haven't had one negative comment from any scientist, and we've been talking to hundreds about this project.
I think every scientist we've spoken to realizes there's a need for science to be communicated extremely well, and this project allows so many scientists to do exactly that.
COUSTEAU (on camera): Do you fear that that type of outreach might interfere with the serious science that's going on?
OVE HOEGH-GULDBERG, LEAD SCIENTIST, CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY: We're showing them the evidence, showing the methodology, showing the sort of philosophy of science, and I think that's an important experience in itself.
But you're right, we can do so much more in taking the raw, unpolluted evidence and communicating it to the places where it needs to go, and I think the Catlin Seaview Survey does that in a way which is very unique. And certainly unique from my experience. And that's one of the reasons why I'm quite hopeful about how much impact it will have.
For me, that's why this is exciting. Before, it's like well, you do a science project, you get a press release, you get a paper, and that's the end of it. For me, this is a global problem, and it's going to involve billions of people understanding the problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Philippe Cousteau takes you underwater and above it for a unique perspective on how coral reefs impact the world's oceans, all of us as well. It is a CNN special, "Going Green: Oceans." See it at 3:30 in the afternoon in London, 4:30 in Berlin.
Now for some of us, Easter weekend will involve two things: the sofa and lots of chocolate. For my next guests, it will mark the end of training and the start of a challenge to run the equivalent of 39 marathons in just 33 days.
Why? To give hope to the 1.2 million children who are trafficked each and every year. Guy Hacking, Tom Stancliffe, and Rob Martineau join me now in the studio, and you won't just be tackling this challenge on your own, will you? So, part of this publicity drive is to get people to join you.
GUY HACKING, RUN FOR LOVE 1000: Yes, absolutely. This has certainly started with the idea of just the three of us, and actually it's grown pretty massively since then. It's now over 200 runners from across Europe.
FOSTER: Well, they picked just sections of the route, yes?
TOM STANCLIFFE, RUN FOR LOVE 1000: Yes, that's exactly right. Some people are joining for 250 miles plus Balkans, others are coming through the last day in Dubrovnik.
FOSTER: OK. So it's through the route. The challenge will begin at Odessa in Ukraine, and from there, they will run just over 200 miles, crossing Moldova to reach the city of Braila in Romania, just six days later.
From there, it's off to Bucharest with the team hoping to cover around 30 miles a day. Next, it's over to the border to Bulgaria before running through Macedonia to Kosovo, then Montenegro, finishing up in Dubrovnik in Croatia. That's 1,000 miles in just 33 days. So, what sort of training goes into something like this? Because you can't train the whole thing, obviously.
ROB MARTINEAU, RUN FOR LOVE 1000: No, sadly not. I think the key is getting a lot of time on our feet with backpacks. We'll be carrying --
FOSTER: Yes.
MARTINEAU: -- sort of eight, nine kilos.
FOSTER: Whilst you're working. So, this is in the mornings and the evenings.
MARTINEAU: In the mornings, in the evenings, lots of weekends. And trying to get distance under our belt. The longest run we've done to date in a single day is 55 miles. We've done lots of 30 milers. And yes, early mornings, through the winter, and after work in the evenings.
FOSTER: And be honest, at what point did you think, I can't do this?
STANCLIFFE: During the training --
FOSTER: Yes?
STANCLIFFE: -- at about 4:00 AM at Marble Lodge in January.
(LAUGHTER)
STANCLIFFE: The snow's coming down.
FOSTER: It's been a cold January, for people around the world.
STANCLIFFE: And we were setting off to Oxford, which is 55 miles, and I'm not sure the day got much better, but --
FOSTER: Yes.
STANCLIFFE: -- it's been tough, but it's been fun, and we can't wait to get out there.
FOSTER: You have had a lot of support, so that presumably is what keeps you going?
HACKING: Yes, absolutely. It's been amazing from start to finish. We started with a launch party in November, and we raised a large sum of money already there. And we're well on our way to making our 150 grand target, and certainly that's what we're hoping to do, to raise this money to become -- to create this first safe house rehabilitation center for trafficked children in the UK.
FOSTER: What was it that made you want to choose that cause? Is there something specific that shocked you or upset you? What was it?
HACKING: Well, what brought it to our attention was the Rochdale -- the trafficking that was in the grooming -- that was happening in Rochdale.
FOSTER: This is a British town where we had -- it was a -- yes. It was a grooming story, basically.
HACKING: Exactly.
STANCLIFFE: Yes, and I think we'd read so much over the last year about exploitation of children --
FOSTER: Yes.
STANCLIFFE: -- and trafficking all across Europe, and we met the charity Love 146, who told us about the really inspirational work they're doing to provide support to children that have been trafficked.
So, ultimately, this is a positive thing, a community of people coming together to have a great adventure and try and do something to help. And everyone's very excited about that.
FOSTER: Some controversy, perhaps, because you're reflecting the problem in the route as well, aren't you?
HACKING: To a certain extent. There's -- the problem is two-pronged. There's both the demand in the countries where the people have been trafficked to, and there's also the supply. And these countries are suffering from it, but equally, it's not only that.
The issue is global. And certainly it's an issue that we need to tackle worldwide, and this is not a finger-pointing --
FOSTER: Yes.
HACKING: -- at those areas. But certainly, they are -- they suffer a lot as well.
FOSTER: But in terms of physical exercise, you're doing more than a marathon a day, aren't you, averaging? So, in terms of energy levels, how do you ex -- how are sort of -- what are you eating and how are you surviving during the course of it?
MARTINEAU: Well, I think if lots of people are with you trying to do something like this, you'd be on energy gels, you'd be on energy bars and that stuff. We're not going to have that out there. We're going to be dependent on what we get.
We'll stay in villages for lots of the time, that means we eat local foods. And we're really just going to have to adapt to that, I suppose.
FOSTER: You're going to trust those local --
MARTINEAU: We're going to trust them. Well, I hear the food's great, actually, out there. I think there's going to be lots of kind of energy and it'll actually be a perfect thing for us.
HACKING: I guess the combination of -- combination of that and some hardcore antibiotics, sort of knocks any stomach issues out.
FOSTER: Blisters are often a problem, aren't they? It sounds really simple, but how do you prepare for that?
HACKING: Well, I'm a bit of the joker of the group, because I tape up every single one of my toes and feet. But the other guys, they're more solid than me, and we just manage to keep on going.
STANCLIFFE: And lots of -- we've got lots -- we've been madly downloading audio books and music to deal with long days on the road, actually.
FOSTER: OK, yes.
STANCLIFFE: Hopefully that will blind us to the pain.
FOSTER: And what have you learned about each other during this intensive exercise?
HACKING: Well, we've all got to be very stubborn.
(LAUGHTER)
HACKING: I think that's a pre-requirement --
FOSTER: Yes.
HACKING: -- to be able to get through it. But also, there's camaraderie. We did a race together last year, the Marathon des Sables through the desert, and we got on really well and actually enjoyed that peculiarly. And certainly we'll get to know each other even better when we're sort of huddled in a tent and the side of the road.
FOSTER: Well, you're all mad, but it's a great cause, and very good luck. We'll follow your progress.
HACKING: Thank you.
STANCLIFFE: Thank you very much.
FOSTER: If you want to find out more about the Run for Love, Guy has written a blog, which you can read by heading to cnn.com/CNNconnect, or you can also find out about how to donate or even join the challenge. You can also visit our Freedom Project website to find out more about CNN's campaign to end modern-day slavery. That's cnn.com/freedom.
Now, a Russian photographer is in hot water with Egyptian officials. It's not what he took the pictures of that's got him in trouble, it's where he took them from. Jonathan Mann explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a view so exclusive it's illegal. Standing atop Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. These spectacular photos were shot by a group of daredevil Russian photographers.
One of them is Vitaliy Raskalov. His English is a little limited, but he did speak with us via Skype from St. Petersburg.
VITALIY RASKALOV, PHOTOGRAPHER: We saw the old photographs of the pyramids and decided to climb on it.
MANN: Climbing the Great Pyramid is strictly off limits. Raskalov and his friends made their unauthorized ascent at sunset, more than 450 feet to the top, where they shot some amazing aerial shots of the pyramids, the sphinx, and the surrounding desert, and then escaped unnoticed.
One of Raskalov's colleagues told cnn.com, "We were very lucky not to get caught. We would have been in serious trouble if we did. That's why I would like to apologize for this ascension. We didn't want to insult anyone. We were just following the dream."
(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)
MANN: It's not the first time the group has followed the dream, climbing to very high places to snap photos. Last year, Raskalov and several friends scaled the 1,000-foot-high Russky Island Bridge, where he shot this vertigo-inducing video. Russian authorities briefly detained him once he climbed down. Raskalov says he has no plans to quit.
RASKALOV: I don't know. For me, it's just cool.
MANN: For his next stunt, Raskalov says he's planning a trip to the Middle East. He says Israel or perhaps Syria.
Jonathan Mann, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Incredible images, controversial ones, at that. I'm Max Foster, thank you so much for watching CONNECT THE WORLD. We'll be back again tomorrow. Atika Shubert will be joining me.
END
