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Connect the World
Anti-Corruption Activist Alexei Navalny Convicted Of Embezzlement; Senegalese Striker Papiss Cisse Refuses To Wear Newcastle Jersey; Interim Egyptian President Calls For Calm, Reconciliation; South Africans Celebrate Nelson Mandela's Birthday; Global Events in Mandela's Honor; Life Under Apartheid; Birthday Wishes for Madiba
Aired July 18, 2013 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Anger erupts in Moscow after a Russian protest leader is jailed. Coming up, one Alexei Navalny's friends on how he will cope.
Also this hour, tears of joy in a special CNN multimedia report on Europe's lost children.
And, a royal kitten shower as we keep waiting for England's future monarch.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: I want to start - begin - let me start that again. I want to begin tonight with a verdict that critics call a blatant attempt to silence one of Russia's top opposition leaders yet again. A court in Moscow sentenced Alexei Navalny to five years in prison today. If the conviction stands, it'll force the outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his candidacy for mayor of Moscow.
Let's get right to Phil Black who has the details on this story - Phil.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, up until just a short time ago, here in Central Moscow there were thousands of angry Alexei Navalny supporters screaming their frustration at the walls of the Kremlin. They've since been moved on by these riot police and others.
When I spoke to Alexei Navalny during the course of this trial he said he knew he would be convicted. And he said he knew it would be very likely that he'd end up in prison.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK: This was Alexei Navalny in a more hopeful time, leading tens of thousands of people protesting against Vladimir Putin. Navalny's passion, charisma, fierce language and commitment to fighting corruption inspired many to join him on the streets on those brutally cold winter days.
But that was more than a year ago and a lot has changed.
New laws, considered by many to be repressive, crushed the protesters' enthusiasm. And Navalny, the movement's most popular figure, became the target of a criminal investigation.
ALEXEI NAVALNY, OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): This day has finally come. I expected it.
BLACK: Why do you believe this is happening?
NAVALNY: I've been investigating corruption in state run companies by government officials for the last six years. These people steal billions. I'm making it harder for them to steal. They understand my anti-corruption work is a threat.
BLACK : The corruption fighter accused of corruption. He was prosecuted for allegedly stealing $500,000 worth of timber from the state when he was an adviser to a provincial governor. Navalny has always said the charge is ridiculous.
(on camera): Do you think you have any chance of winning?
NAVALNY (through translator): Of course not. They didn't fabricate this case to allow that. It's obvious for me it's going to be a guilty verdict.
BLACK (voice-over): Navalny also has political ambitions. He wants to be president, but Russian law forbids convicted criminals running for office.
NAVALNY (through translator): It's true. One of the important goals in this trial is to stop me from being involved in politics. But this law only exists in Putin's system. And our goal is to destroy Putin's system.
BLACK: The president's spokesman said Putin didn't follow the trial. Navalny is not the first prominent Kremlin opponent to be sent to jail. Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been locked up for the last decade. Once Russia's richest man, he was convicted in a case widely seen as punishment for trying to promote democracy in Russia.
And Navalny was in court last year to see the women of Pussy Riot sentenced to two years for their anti-Putin punk prayer in a Moscow cathedral.
(on camera): Are you ready to go to jail? Is your family ready for that?
NAVALNY (through translator): I always understood right from the start, you can go to jail in Russia for any independent political activity. You shouldn't do it if you are not ready to go to jail.
BLACK (voice-over): Russian authorities have always insisted Navalny's prosecution is not political, but a senior investigator recently admitted his colleagues had fast tracked their work in Navalny's case, because of his criticism of Russia's political system.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK: The immediate impact of his conviction, Navalny has had to pull out as a candidate in the race to be the mayor of Moscow. Russian officials from the president down have said this trial was not political, that they are unlikely to persuade Navalny's supporters who are the urban educated middle class. Like Navalny, they are fed up with the political system of this country and what they believe is an intolerable level of corruption in Russian society. Back to you, Becky.
ANDERSON: Phil Black in Moscow for you this evening with the details on the case.
Well, before this show, I spoke with a friend of Navalny, a fellow opposition activist Pyotr Verzilov. He's the husband of one of the Pussy Riot activists now serving time in prison.
I began by asking him how he thinks Navalny will cope in jail. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PYOTR VERZILOV, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION ACTIVIST: Yes, we spent two weeks together with Alexei in one jail cell. And from what I was witnessing through all this, he was strong. He was - is a very great leader. He's very sociable. He knows how to speak people and how to deal and basically how to find a common language with people in any conditions.
So I think he's going to grow even stronger. And whenever he'll exit prison, he'll exit as a true leader of Russia and as person with really big presidential aspirations. And probably the most presidential aspirations we've seen from anyone in the last 10, 15, maybe even 20 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Fascinating.
All right. Well, Navalny's jailing has come under criticism from the international community. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said, "this outcome," and I quote, "given the procedural shortcomings raises serious questions as to the state of the rule of law in Russia."
UK foreign secretary William Hague said the decision, and I quote, "has highlighted once again the concerns felt by many about the selective application of the rule of law in Russia."
And the U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul tweeted, quote, "we are deeply disappointed in the conviction of Navalny and the apparent political motivations in this trial."
Well, Phil Black earlier reminding us of another prominent Kremlin opponent who wound up in jail, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. I spoke a short time ago with his son Pavel. He's the president of the institute of modern Russia. And I started by asking him tonight to explain how he would describe the rule of law and the state of the judiciary in Russia in 2013.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAVEL KHODORKOVSKY, CO-FOUNDER, ENERTIV: Well, first of all, what happened today, earlier today in Kirov (ph), in the courtroom over there, had nothing to do with justice, it had everything to do with the course of political repression, the course that our government the Russian government, has decided to take against its own people. The courts and the rule of law are - well, the rule of law is practically nonexistent. The courts are merely used in these particular cases as tools - as tools by the regime to oppress their opponents.
ANDERSON: Your father is scheduled to be released in October of 2014. Will that happen?
KHODORKOVSKY: There area lot of speculations today about the possibility of a third set of charges against my father. I certainly hope that that would not be the case, but the path of the government is taking against its opponents may very well lead to such an unfortunate turn of events.
However, I would like to say that this is a very shortsighted strategy chosen by the Russian government, because embarking on this course of repression, instead of embarking on the course of gradual reform and actually addressing the concerns of its own society.
The Russian government is only going to exacerbate the level of discontent with its own actions.
ANDERSON: We saw tens of thousands of people on the streets before and during the Russian elections, presidential elections last year protesting what was a democratically elected president. We saw the same thing in Egypt of late and that president was deposed. There will be those who sit tonight and say this is a democracy. Just because there are opposition figures doesn't mean that there should be a revolution.
KHODORKOVSKY: There are certainly those people. Unfortunately, though, the actual process that is being used has nothing to do with democracy and has nothing to do with the rule of law. If you actually look at the merits of the case presented in Kirev (ph) and the charges that were brought up against Alexei Navalny, those charges are just as ludicrous as the ones that were brought up against my father. It follows the same template, criminalizing the normal economic activity of a business and pushing through the ridiculous criminal prosecution against a person who is a potential, and in this case a very real, political opponent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You're watching Connect the World live from London. Our top story tonight, one of Russia's most high profile opposition leaders sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of embezzlement. Reaction to the charges have been swift with many both in Russia and in the international community decrying what they see as further evidence that Vladimir Putin is bent on neutralizing his political opponents.
Still to come this evening, 23 children in north India were killed after eating a contaminated school meal. Now police say they are searching for the head mistress and her husband.
Plus, Nelson Mandela marks yet another milestone as he turns 95 today. We're going to have a look at the celebrations being held in his honor.
And find out why this football player is refusing to wear his club's new shirt even if it means losing his career.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right. Police in India are searching for the head mistress of a school where 23 people died after a free school meal. The local police chief says that authorities want to question the principal and her husband at the school in Bihar.
Sumnima Udas finds many parents overwhelmed with grief.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Unbearable agony for this young mother still in a state of shock. She repeats her 5-year-old daughter's name over and over again.
"Why aren't you coming back," she asks? "Why isn't anyone bringing Depu (ph) back?"
Depu (ph) died after eating a free lunch in a government school on Tuesday, as did 22 of her school mates.
(on camera): This is the school where those meals were served. And right in front of the school, over here, is where one child has been buried.
(voice-over): Across the fields, more burial mounds. Locals say some 60 children were studying here that day. Now, just reminders of those days that ended too soon.
"There was sudden commotion at the school so we all rushed over there and saw all these children washing their plates after their meals. And then some just started fainting 10 minutes after their meal," he says.
No one here knows what caused this mass poisoning.
Officials have said they suspect it was cooking oil contaminated with pesticide. Many are demanding answers, some have even turned violent.
(on camera): Local politicians have been coming here one after the other trying to assuage the public, but the atmosphere is still very tense.
(voice-over): This weeping mother unable to even speak. She, too, calls out for her lost child while her relatives try to stop her from trying.
Sumnima Udas, CNN, Masrat Village (ph), Bihar, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Germany's finance minister has warned Greece not to push its luck by asking for more help from its creditors. Wolfgang Schauble came to a deserted Athens to unlock millions of dollars in loans for Greek firms. The streets were empty because demonstrations were banned to afford Schauble safe passage and to prevent protests from getting out of hand.
Well, a source tells CNN the top U.S. diplomat has submitted a plan designed to bring Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas back to the negotiating table with Israel. Now the source also says John Kerry presented his ideas to the Arab League.
While elsewhere in the Middle East, Kerry got an earful today from frustrated Syrian refugees. They told the U.S. secretary of state that Washington must do more to help end Syria's civil war.
Kerry visited the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, a camp that's becomes Jordan's fifth largest city, housing a staggering 115,000 refugees. They want the U.S. to establish a no-fly zone and buffer areas in Syria to help prevent attacks by Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Egypt's new interim president Adly Mansour has just addressed the nation on the eve of new protests. Mr. Mansour is calling for calm and reconciliation whilst also vowing to restore stability.
Supporters of the deposed president Mohamed Morsy are calling for mass demonstrations once again on Friday. These are pictures coming to us live of pro-Morsy protests in Nasr City in Cairo.
Let's get more from CNN's Reza Sayah who joins us now on the line from Cairo. What do we hear from this new interim president?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was his first speech since being appointed interim president, Becky. He made it brief. I'm not sure if it lasted more than 10 minutes. Nothing earth shattering in this speech. He called for calm, and restated that this process to set up a new government is an inclusive one, one that all factions are invited to take part in. Even though Mr. Mansour did not name the Muslim Brotherhood, his statement was probably directed at them and supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Morsy. And it was part of mixed messages authorities seemed to be sending the Brotherhood.
Of course, during this transition, the Brotherhood has been absent. They have not taken part in setting up the caretaker government in protest of Mr. Morsy's ouster. They say the entire process is illegitimate.
So in response, you have Mr. Mansour, the interim government repeatedly saying they want all factions to take part in the process. At the same time, you have the government holding a number of Brotherhood leaders in custody, including the deposed president and other leaders are wanted on charges.
So these mixed messages by the interim government make it very difficult to figure out what their strategy is moving forward when it comes to the Brotherhood. Do they genuinely want them to be part of this caretaker government or is it just lip service? Do they want to eliminate them from the political landscape?
In his speech, Mr. Mansour also sent a stern warning for what he called those who want to kill the innocent and plunge Egypt into a cycle of violence and bloodshed. Again, not clear, Becky, who he is talking about. Is that a veiled warning to the Brotherhood? Is that a warning to Islamist militants in Sinai it's hard to say.
ANDERSON: Yeah, OK. Pretty confusing stuff there. But these - nothing confusing about these pictures that we are seeing. Reza, thank you for that.
Live pictures coming to you from a pro-Morsy rally in Nasr City. Pictures that we've seen before, haven't we, over the past couple of weeks, but certainly tens of thousands of people on the streets in support what is their deposed president.
We'll keep you on that story, of course, as things become clearer in Egypt.
All right, Panama has charged the crew of a North Korean ship carrying weapons from Cuba despite North Korea's demands that Panama release the ship.
Now 35 crew members are accused of endangering public security by illegally transporting war material. Police found the weapons under bags of sugar. Cuba says it was sending the weapons to North Korea for repair.
Football player Papiss Cisse has put his career on the line by refusing to wear his club's shirt. The Senegal striker has withdrawn from Newcastle's preseason tour in a dispute over the club's new shirt sponsor. CNN's World Sport's Amanda Davies joining us now.
What's this about? Why won't he wear the club's shirt? I mean, he's one of their best players? They're going to miss him if he doesn't play.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's very much the case, Becky. Papiss Cisse is training on his own in Newcastle with the rest of the squad now in Portugal at their preseason camp. It's because he's refusing to wear any of the club's kit, their training kit and their match shirts because of their sponsorship deal which is with a money lending firm Wonga. He says that that fundamentally opposes his Muslim beliefs. And Sharia law stats that nobody should take any money from lending to other people, or indeed get money through interest from investments either. And so that's his opposition to it.
He did express this opposition to the deal when it was done back in October. So, too, did the Muslim Council of Britain, because of the huge interest rates that Wonga offer.
There has been negotiations between Cisse and the club. At the moment there's very much a stalemate. He suggested maybe he wears a shirt without the sponsor on the front, or indeed he wears one with a charity logo. But Wonga have paid a lot of money for this deal. And that's not something that they're going to allow easily. And so as you said, his future with the club very much on the line at the moment.
ANDERSON: It's been interesting, hasn't it, because the last two sponsors at Newcastle have been banks. I think I'm right in saying. Certainly Northern Rock until the bank stumbled somewhat in 2007, and then Virgin Money, of course. But Wonga quite a different outfit. And as you say, some might suggest that it is as much as a money lender, certainly one of those organizations that charges considerable amount of interest for very short-term loans.
Cisse not prepared to wear the shirt at this stage. The story will continue. Amanda, thank you for that.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson.
Coming up, a mother reunited with her two daughters thousands of miles from home. The story of the Afghan kids making the dangerous journeys to Europe for the hope of a better life. This is a great story. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're with Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. 24 minutes past 9:00 out of London for you this evening.
They come by foot, by horse, and bus, trekking for thousands of miles, kids, some as young as 10, trying to escape Afghanistan for a better life in Europe, but many of them get caught, stuck in detention centers across Greece, for example. These kids are far from their families, alone, and they are scared.
In a joint special project with the team at CNN.com, Irene Chapple brings you their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRENE CHAPPLE, CNN.COM: Somia (ph) and Zara (ph) have a new friend. They hold her up close to the camera so mom can get a better look. For just a moment, they forget the pain of two years separation, but only for a moment.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Asks 13-year-old Zara (ph). "I want to see you in person, not see you like this on a screen."
Her brother tells her not to cry wiping away tears of his own.
"Don't worry," their mother Arezu (ph) tells them, "god willing, we will all be together again."
Originally from Afghanistan, the family paid $5,000 to make the hazardous journey through Iran and Turkey and into Europe. Mom went first with the boys, making it all the way to Germany. But when the girls followed later, they were caught as they tried to enter Greece.
At first, they were held in a detention center before moving on to a children's home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have another...
CHAPPLE: Jigsaw puzzles pass the time, but mom is never far from their minds.
Almost 2,000 kilometers away in Munich, Arezu (ph) has been doing what she can to bring her girls to safety.
"I wish you were here," she says clutching her photograph tightly. "I only hear your voices, never get to see you properly."
She told me about the awful day she learned the girls had been caught.
"They called me and said, mother this place is terrible. Nobody is looking after us. And the food that they give us is disgusting."
Nothing seems to happen quickly. But eventually Arezu gets an appointment at a DNA clinic.
A swap of Arezu's saliva will be matched against samples from Somia (ph) and Zara (ph) in Greece. If the tests are positive and prove the girls are Arezu's (ph) daughters, they will be allowed to come to Germany.
Stepping out onto Munich's wintry streets on her way home, Arezu (ph) is met by her boys. Youngest son Reza (ph) ounds up to mom and throws his arms around her. It's been a long journey, far longer than anyone has ever imagined. And it's finally drawing to a close.
The authorities have accepted the girls are Arezu's (ph) daughters.
The children's home has organized a party. And the news is gently broken to Zara (ph) and Somia (ph) mom has come to get them and take them back to their new home.
Irene Chapple, CNN, Alesandropoulos (ph), Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, there are plenty of comments coming in on our Facebook page about this story. If you'd like to join in on the conversation, tell us what you think about the sister's extraordinary journey to Germany, just head to the Facebook page Facebook.com/CNNConnect. And you can always tweet me, of course, @BeckyCNN. That's Facebook.com/CNNConnect or @BeckyCNN.
You can go to CNN.com, see a lot more on that special investigation into Europe's lost children. There, you can also see the story of 17-year- old Ali Reza (ph), another youngster who made the dangerous journey out of Afghanistan for even more uncertainty in Europe.
Latest world news headlines as you would expect here on CNN at the bottom of the hour.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: (SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Celebrating Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday. We're going to get an update from Pretoria on just how Madiba is doing.
And with the help of some very cute kittens, we're going to take you through the top names tipped for the royal baby.
And for those preparing to get in the saddle, we'll tell you how not to take the reigns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson for you. The top stories this hour.
News just in: the US city of Detroit has filed for bankruptcy, making it the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. We'll, of course, bring you more information on this story as we get it.
Also coming in, tech giants Google and Microsoft have both just posted quarterly earnings that badly missed expectations. Google recorded a second quarter with over $14 billion in revenue. Microsoft announced a quarterly revenue of $19.9 billion. Again, we'll keep on this story. After hours trade, of course, at this point, we'll find out what their shares are doing as we move through the hour.
Western governments condemning the jailing of Alexei Navalny, one of the fiercest critics of Russian president Vladimir Putin. A Moscow court sentenced the opposition leader to five years in prison after convicting him of embezzlement. His supporters say the trial was a farce.
Egypt's interim president is calling for calm and reconciliation on the even of a national holiday and Friday prayers. Supporters of the deposed president calling for mass demonstrations. Adli Mansour, the interim president, said Egypt is committed to fight to maintain security across the country.
And Nelson Mandela is spending his 95th birthday in hospital in Pretoria. The former president has been hospitalized, as I'm sure you know, since June the 8th and remains in a critical but stable condition. Events have been held in South Africa and around the world to honor the ailing anti-apartheid icon.
Well, for South Africans, today is particularly special, as you can imagine, honoring the man many consider to be the father of the rainbow nation. Huge crowds gathered outside the hospital where Mandela is, celebrating his live and wishing him well. Robyn Curnow is there, and she joins us now.
The nation's celebrating, Robyn, and we are hearing that Mandela is doing better. Do we have any concrete details about his health at this point?
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We haven't, have we, Becky? All the way through this hospitalization and the many others he's had over the past six months, not a lot of detail, particularly medical detail.
The presidency coming out today saying there's been a steady improvement, one of his grandchildren telling me today he's comfortable considering the circumstances. But still, no real underlying change to the fact that he's in a critical but stable condition in this hospital behind me.
And as you saw those pictures, there were lots and lots of people here today, celebrating, partying, singing, balloons. There's just a really joyful atmosphere. It's quiet now, as you can also see. Everybody seems to have gone home.
And I think many people reflecting on what was a really happy, fun day. With all this bad news over the past few weeks about Mandela's health, many people got together and really enjoyed celebrating him, even the youngest of South Africans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: How old is Tata Mandela?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: He's three!
CURNOW: He's three? Oh! Do you know he's 95? That's old, eh?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes.
CURNOW: Yes. How old are you?
UNIDENTIFED CHILD: Ninety-five!
(LAUGHTER)
(CHILDREN SINGING)
CURNOW (voice-over): These children, all of them abandoned or orphaned, might not know just how old he is, but they know Nelson Mandela deserves a party.
(CHILDREN CHEER)
CURNOW: Many of Mandela's grandchildren came to the SOS Children's Village in Mamelodi Township to hand out gifts and food in honor of their grandfather.
TUKWINI MANDELA, NELSON MANDELA'S GRANDDAUGHTER: This is where our future leaders are going to come from, so we thought that we would come here as cousins and as a family to come and contribute all that we can.
CURNOW: All walks of life, untied in celebrating one man. In Johannesburg, they made a human chain, holding hands for the former president who held their nation together after apartheid.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: He's recovering, he's in my prayers, and he's the father of this nation, and without him, we didn't have anything.
CURNOW: South Africans joined President Jacob Zuma outside Mandela's hospital to wish him happy birthday and to sing the national anthem. Inside, Mandela remains in a critical but stable condition.
T. MANDELA: He's comfortable and he's doing well, as well as can be expected under the circumstances, but I mean, it's a huge milestone for us and the family.
CURNOW: A milestone for a man born in 1918 and who's still here to give hope to his people.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Mandela is here. Happy birthday to you!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: As you know, just to give some sense of what a big milestone it is, just think about it. He was born at the end of the first World War. He faced a death sentence at the age of 46, was put in prison for 27 years, emerged at the age of 72, became the president at 76, got remarried for the third time at 80.
And of course, in the past few years, many people just thought, well, he might not make 95, but always the fighter, always the survivor, never capitulating, Nelson Mandela is still here fighting it out. And I think South Africans very proud, very thankful that they were here to celebrate that day with him today.
ANDERSON: Robyn, it's just exhausting as you list those achievements and events in his life. That little kid at the beginning of your report, so sweet. And if I look as good as he does at 95 -- and I know he's only 3, but idea that he told you he was 95, I will be absolutely delighted. Super stuff, thank you. A long day for you. We appreciate it. Robyn Curnow outside the hospital there in Pretoria.
Around the globe, events have been taking place in Mandela's honor. Bill Clinton and Reverend Jesse Jackson were among those present at a special meeting at the UN. The US Congress held a ceremony on Capitol Hill, and people everywhere have been dedicating 67 minutes -- now, that's a minute for every year Mandela committed to public service -- to help others and give back to the community. It's been a big day for charity around the world.
Well, many of us know the story of apartheid, but I want to give you an insight into what life was like back then, how separated people were just because of the color of their skin. The South African photographer Ernest Cole made it his life mission to capture the injustice of the apartheid system. Here's a look at a recent exhibit of his work at UCLA's Fowler Museum.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUNILLA KNAPE, CURATOR, UCLA FOWLER MUSEUM: The whites and the blacks were very differently treated, and it was very obvious with signs. The blacks, they could clean the stairs and the toilets, but they were not allowed to use them.
But this was an area where blacks and whites had fun together. They drank together and they enjoyed themselves. Here, it -- they liked being together. So, for them, it was natural. But for the government, it was completely forbidden. So, that was the problem.
Then, we had the black nannies. So, that's when people could be together, blacks and whites. And everyone had these black servants. And one thing I think Ernest is quite good at, that we can see in some of the pictures, are the gates. And looking at this small boy going with his nanny to school and realizing that a black photographer is taking his picture.
When Ernest started to work at "Drum" magazine, then he had to travel, to commute every day, two and a half hours in each direction. And then he learned about how the train system worked or didn't work. The white trains were very frequent and very empty, but the black ones -- the black one was full and the trains were more than full.
And the worst thing was that if they didn't catch the last train, they would be caught by the police, because they were not allowed to be in the cities.
OK, so this one is one of his pictures from the forced removals, and there you can see how the bulldozers have just erased the area and the people were moved.
This series is about mine labor, and the miners had about the same situation as the maids. And when they arrived to the mines, they had examinations and this one picture shows where the humiliating situation when they were really medically examined to -- they were herded around to different doctors and they were told yes or no.
This is one of my favorite pictures, to see the little schoolboy being so concentrated and sweating, so for me, it's like an icon for schooling. They didn't have anything to write on, but still, eager to learn.
I think it's -- important to show the new generations what has happened and to give them an understanding for their roots. And I think you can learn a lot of history in order not to repeat it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That really drums home how significant Nelson Mandela's vision of unity was, doesn't it? And why he is such an inspiration for people around the world. Well, here at CNN, we've been inundated with messages for Madiba.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK DARDEN, IREPORTER: Happy birthday, Mandela. You're my favorite fellow. Hope you get well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Reporters -- iReporters from every corner of the globe have been sending in photos and messages. You can, too. If you'd like to send him a birthday message or say what you would do for your 67 minutes or, indeed, what you did do today, just head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/CNNconnect.
Live from London, you're watching the show here on CNN. Some may like it hot, others are hoping for a little relief from the heat. Your global weather update is just ahead. And we introduce you to one man working to give us all a brighter future.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Most of us in the developed world take streetlights for granted. When it's dark, the lights are always on. But that comes at a price many nations around the world simply can't afford. Now, a Dutch designer is working on what is known as a smart lighting system that could have profound environmental benefits as well as cost saving ones. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHINTAN SHAH, FOUNDER, TWILIGHT: I'm Chintan Shah. I'm a graduate from Delft University, and I'm working on solving the energy problem in streetlights. One of the major problems with existing streetlights is that they burn all night, even when there is no one around, and this is a big waste of energy.
In my previous job, I used to fly a lot, and I was amazed to see how much streetlights are burning. And actually, when you fly, you can really notice that there is absolutely no one around, and they're just burning there.
Twilight is all about intelligent streetlighting. What we have designed is a sensor that can fit into existing streetlights and thus basically two main functions. One, it dims the lights during off-peak hours, and as soon as any occupants are detected, all the surrounding lights glow to the full mode.
And that's the beauty, that whenever there is anyone, they should feel everything is normal, but actually, they are walking in an intelligence zone.
Daan Roosegaarde is a famous artist and an innovator when it comes to interaction with sound and light. For example, his work on tunes and smart highway are very, very close by to our solution.
Hi, Daan. Great to see you.
DAAN ROOSEGAARDE, ARTIST: Yes. Hi.
So, what is this little friend over here?
SHAH: Daan, this is a sensor --
ROOSEGAARDE: Yes.
SHAH: -- which we have designed, and it fits into the existing SLS new streetlights.
ROOSEGAARDE: It's a good idea. I'm always wondering why it never existed before. I think it's part of our culture of today, like maybe ten years ago people would not have cared about it so much. But today, in a world where energy and things like economy are crashing, we need to renegotiate this relationship with reality.
I think challenge number one is to make it happen as fast and as hard as possible. I want to see it, I want to feel it's normal, I want to feel that everybody says, that already existed all the time.
SHAH: Right now, it's, let's say, an active system. So, it acts to the people.
ROOSEGAARDE: It's responsive.
SHAH: Yes, it's responsive.
ROOSEGAARDE: Yes, yes, yes.
SHAH: But how to make it interactive?
ROOSEGAARDE: Yes. If the firetruck can communicate with your intelligent lighting, then the moment the firetruck comes, all the streetlights go and be red so the cars know they --
SHAH: That's brilliant.
ROOSEGAARDE: So, now you have all these different layers of communication. Imagine I can write a piece of software that when I take my girlfriend out for a walk, it does something special. Wow! You know? You have this boulevard of interactive lights.
These are the things I think they need to think about much more, which are not about the medium, but about the message. What do you want it to generate? And this is not just about saving electricity.
Indeed, I would definitely encourage you, take one day per week time for yourself to develop the next versions. That's the true innovation, that you keep on pushing your own mental map.
You know, the danger is that they only focus on the product itself on not on the process, on the thinking, and then you have the risk that somebody will come and will make one cheaper and you're gone.
SHAH: Actually, it was brilliant, and he gave a nice perspective on where could Twilight go in the next phase. And these are the moments which make you feel really proud that this is something which helps to make a better world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: All right. Coming up after this short break, for all of your horse riders out there, a few tricks of the trade -- well, to help you get back in the saddle. But if you're a horse rider, I don't suppose you would be performing like that anyway.
Will it be George, Alexandra, or even Elizabeth, perhaps? We'll look to some special helpers for a lowdown on the favorite name for the royal baby. That after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: If you ask the bookies, today was the favored day for punters for the birth of the royal baby, but the betting hasn't ended there, because there isn't one at the moment, or certainly we haven't been told there is one.
The name of the new British heir is also attracting many a wager, and as Vladimir Duthiers discovered, it's become a pet project at London's famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VLADIMIR DUTHIERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lining up for a royal sweepstakes. According to the bookies, one of these kittens rescued from a London dumpster will almost certainly share a name with the new Prince or Princess of Cambridge.
DUTHIERS (on camera): George is actually the name of Queen Elizabeth II's father, and there have been many King Georges, but it's not the number one, odds-on favorite --
LINDSEY QUINLAN, BATTERSEA DOGS AND CATS HOME: No, George is not --
DUTHIERS: -- for the royal baby.
QUINLAN: -- not the favorite.
DUTHIERS: Who is?
QUINLAN: This little lady, here. She's named Alexandra.
DUTHIERS (voice-over): Indeed, punters are betting the new royal baby will be a girl. Charlotte is another hot favorite at 6 to 1, but she's got some competition with royal tradition.
DUTHIERS (on camera): So, Elizabeth seems particularly regal. Have you started to see some of the attributes or qualities exhibited in these kittens already? Is there one that's more frisky than the other? Is there one that's more -- this one seems like just totally chilled out. It's my favorite.
(LAUGHTER)
QUINLAN: Well, I think given their start in life, being found in a bin and then coming into Battersea, and they obviously are all doing very well. I think it's safe to say that they're all very brave, they're all very courageous.
DUTHIERS: Which are qualities that a monarch should --
QUINLAN: Absolutely.
DUTHIERS: -- absolutely have.
QUINLAN: Absolutely.
DUTHIERS (voice-over): The outside favorite in the litter is Grace. This kitten is doing little for her cause in the sweepstakes. Desperate to run from the spotlight, she may not be cut out for royal life.
Vladimir Duthiers, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: With no sign yet of the royal baby's arrival, we imagine the duchess must be feeling rather uncomfortable, but it's incredibly hot here in London and in the UK, and from what I hear, sizzling on the East Coast of the United States as well. Tom Sater is at the CNN International Weather Center with more. Sir, where are you going to start tonight?
TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're going to start right there in your back yard. Are you making it?
ANDERSON: Yes, go on, then.
(LAUGHTER)
SATER: Get ready to break some records. I've -- this July may go in the record books. Notice first of all the lack of cloud cover across much of Europe. Yes, we had a few thundershowers in parts of France, even for the cyclists of the Tour. But again, we're looking pretty good. If you want the sunshine, you have it.
Unfortunately, it's coming with the high mercury numbers. Again, 30 degrees at Heathrow, 29.5, so we round it to 30. That makes it the sixth day now in a row at 30 degrees or higher. Above average -- average is 23.
And you've been above average since the 4th of July, the longest hot spell in London since 2006, and you're on pace, now, to have one of the driest Julys in history, and modern-day records go back to 1910. Also may break a record for the most hours of sunlight for the month of July.
Now, if there's good news, it's that the temperatures do drop to comfortable levels during the evening period. You're at 21 degrees right now. Let's take a look at some of the pictures, see how those are trying to handle it.
You're at every little public place does have some sort of cooling mechanism, if it's a fountain, if it's a vendor, a cafe, which you have, indoors, of course, and the museums for the tourists.
But it looks like it's going to warm up again. Look at the numbers. We're going to go with 30 degrees, this will be seven straight days tomorrow. Paris 29 for Friday, but the extended forecast kicks you into the low 30s as you get into Saturday and Sunday. And even after maybe a brief drop in London at 27, you're back up to 30.
The eastern US in pink here, these are excessive heat warnings, including the city of Detroit. We're talking very close to Washington, DC, Philadelphia, up toward interior New England, these are the warmest numbers that we have seen in the US East Coast for these cities.
Washington, DC, 36. Philadelphia, New York, each day it seems like they top the previous day, and it looks like there will be a break, but not until Sunday, when a cold front starts to slide down from the north.
That's good news for those cities, and of course, to the eastern prairies of Canada as well, Becky, 20 -- 34 degrees in Toronto, Quebec sees an average of five days at 30 or higher, and they're at 33.
So, when we take a look at pictures, even in Washington, DC, it's amazing, though, that those that are out there, need to get out there, those that work out there, must, and even the ones that need to continue their workout regime. It's amazing, but hopefully everyone will stay cool and do the best they can until relief is on the way. Back to you.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: That last mate didn't look very fit, actually. But anyway, I'm sure he's much better now.
(LAUGHTER)
SATER: Right, he's working out.
ANDERSON: That run in the sun. Exactly. What? Who am I to say?
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: I remember the last time I went jogging. Thank you, Tom.
And tonight's Parting Shots just before we go here on CONNECT THE WORLD, a bit of horsing around for you. The story of a rider who was thrown by his horse but refused to let go. Jeanne Moos with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A horse is a horse, of course not just any horse would tolerate what happened to Ultimate Decision.
RICK WALLACE, EQUESTRIAN: He's just suck a low-key kind of guy.
MOOS: The horse is also known as Mark. Mark was relatively knew to competitive jumping when this happened earlier this month at trials outside Atlanta.
WALLACE: My feet were swinging, and I was like, I'm not touching the ground. So, I figured, well, let me see if I can crawl back on him.
(CROWD CHEERS)
MOOS: What Mark's owner is exhibiting has a name. Rick Wallace is demonstrating "stickability," tenaciously trying to stay in the saddle or, in this case, get back to it. Listen to the announcer praise well-known equestrian Andrew Nicholson when he defied gravity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Stickability or what?
MOOS: There are even products and clothing that riders count on to improve their stickability. They use a powder favored by pole dancers called Mighty Grip, or they spray stuff on their boost to help the leather stick to the saddle, or they wear Sticky Bum breeches. But none of that would have saved Rich Wallace.
MOOS (on camera): Why couldn't you get back up?
WALLACE: Ah! You're going to be rough on me! I think it takes a lot of upper body strength, and yes, I was a gymnast when I was 15, but I'm in my 40s now.
MOOS (voice-over): Nevertheless, this 19-second effort made Rick a hero --
(APPLAUSE)
MOOS: -- on websites like Horse Junkies United. As for Mark, "That horse is a saint," posted one admirer.
WALLACE: He wants you to hug him and love on him.
MOOS: Not everyone was loving on Rick's stickability. "He's using the horse's knees as a bleeping step ladder. Not OK."
WALLACE: That's a bunch of malarkey.
MOOS: Rich says what he did didn't in any way hurt Mark.
MOOS (on camera): Now, we don't know if the horse was hanging on Ricks' words, but we do know that while Rick was hanging from the horse, he kept talking to him.
WALLACE: I was like, "Mark, we really have to think about this next time."
MOOS (voice-over): Meaning how not to repeat missing the jump that threw Rick, partly obscured from view by the plant.
WALLACE: I gave him a kiss.
MOOS: Rick's a stickler for stickability, well done and well-hung.
Jeanne Moos, CNN.
(CROWD CHEERS, LAUGHS)
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I want to update you on some news just coming into CNN. This is the US city of Detroit filing for bankruptcy. It's the nation's largest public sector bankruptcy. The move could slash pension benefits to city workers and retirees, leave investors holding the city's debt with only pennies on the dollar.
Detroit's population has fallen 28 percent since 2000. The unemployment rate, while down from a peak of 27.8 percent in the summer of 2009, when General Motors and Chrysler Group were going through their own bankruptcies.
The car companies, of course, very much based in the city. It's still twice -- it's still at, sorry, 16.3 percent, that is nearly twice Michigan's statewide average, for example. You'll get a lot more on this story as we get the news and analysis in here on CNN.
For the time being, I'm -- well, not for the time being, I'm always Becky Anderson. For the time being, that is CONNECT THE WORLD. You're watching CNN. From the team here in London, it's a very good evening.
END
