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Connect the World
Security Challenges Ahead Of Mandela Funeral; North Korean Leader Ousts His Own Uncle From Power; French Troops Show Force in Central African Republic; British Soldier Murder Trial; Ukraine Protests; Cold War-Style Divide in Ukraine; Art of Movement: Slava's Snowshow; English Football Fixing Probe
Aired December 09, 2013 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: It is a week of remembrance. Dignitaries from around the world are heading to South Africa to pay their respects to one of the world's most revered statesman. Tonight, we take a look at the enormous security challenge. Mandela's monumentous farewell presents.
Also this hour...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're out with the French on their first patrol since their arrival here in Bossengoa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And we're live in the Central African Republic for you this hour where French troops have begun to disarm the militia.
And caught between Russia and the west, a closer look at the battle over Ukraine.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: Well, South Africa is preparing its final good-byes for its beloved former leader Nelson Mandela. Today, people across the country are flocking to pay their respects to the iconic South African. It was the scene of celebration in Johannesburg.
Over in Cape Town, a special session honoring the country's former president was held in the South African parliament. Archbishop and long time friend of Mandela's Desmond Tutu spoke fondly of his old comrade. He also spoke about Mandela's legacy, saying that moments like this a young Afrikaner consoling a middle-aged black woman would never have happened without him.
Well, let's cross to chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour who joins us from Johannesburg this evening. And ahead, Christiane, of what will be an extraordinary memorial service Tuesday. How would you describe the mood?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, so many people think that everybody is terribly sad. And of course they miss Nelson Mandela. But you know they've had a long time to get used to him being departed, because of his long illness and joy and celebration and thanksgiving is the predominate mood, really, on the streets. And I think you're going to see that in the big soccer stadium tomorrow.
You mentioned already more than 90 world leaders are coming. There will be tributes by people like President Obama, the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, Chinese dignitary who is coming here, the UN secretary- general and of course South Africa leaders, but also it's going to be open to more than 90,000 first come, first serve whether they're South Africans or people who have managed to come from abroad and have got in line at the right time.
But it's going to be apparently everybody expects -- and we have no reason to doubt -- a really joyous, lengthy African farewell to their, as they say favorite son and their greatest son.
ANDERSON: I was struck by what Archbishop Desmond Tutu said earlier today, Christiane, at his prayer service. He said, and I quote, "the best tribute each one of us could give is to embrace the values that he gave us." And he appealed for South Africans to unite. He said Mandela must live on.
It's clear the economy and its politicians aren't the success he might have wanted them to be.
Is this a united country?
AMANPOUR: Yes and no. It's obviously had 20 years of total transformation. And the reconciliation is almost unbelievable. But there are still a lot of divisions, not just between black and white, but perhaps even between black and black, with this big income inequality, with a lot of the infrastructure still in the hands of still powerful white minority. And there are also fears by the white minority about what might happen in the absence of the great conciliator.
But by and large if you talk to most people they say, look, we've had 20 years. We are well on our way to being a solid democracy. We have a free press. We understand about reconciliation. And we're going to keep going.
The challenges are the economy, the unemployment, the poverty, the corruption, still the legacy of aids, those are the challenges, and there are ones that only a united country with a really committed leadership can get their head around.
ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. All right, Christiane, thank you for that.
Mr. Mandela's memorial service will see the largest gathering of world leaders, then, in Africa's history, as Christiane said. At least 91 heads of state are headed to South Africa. U.S. President Barack Obama, British prime minister David Cameron and Cuba's Raul Castro amongst them.
Also 10 former heads of state, including former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Celebrities including the Prince of Wales -- I wouldn't call him a celebrity -- Bono, Oprah and Naomi Campbell.
All told, representatives from more than 60 countries will be in attendance.
Well, the influx will be something like South Africa has never seen before with dignitaries arriving by the planeload. And millions of South Africans expected to attend. It's a mammoth security undertaking.
Arwa Damon reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These men have asked not to be identified for their safety. They are part of an elite task force usually operating in secret and under cover. South Africa is using its best to sweep and secure the FNB Stadium ahead of the nation's largest single event. There is no room for error. In action, thousands of military and police, sniper teams, canine units, continuous air surveillance to include helicopters and fighter jets.
BRIG. GEN. XOLANI MABANGA, SOUTH AFRICAN DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: Shoot anybody or anything dead to disturb or to disrupt the spirit of mourning. And finally taking and accompanying the former president to his last resting place and then that (INAUDIBLE).
DAMON: This is the Vatucuv (ph) air force base is where some of the heads of state will land, including U.S. President Barack Obama and his predecessors, Bush, Clinton, and Carter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We prepared for any eventuality. We've got our intelligence on the ground. We've got - you know, the East Air (ph) support, the support from the army.
DAMON (on camera): It's incredibly culturally sensitive to speak about funerals, especially when it comes to someone of Nelson Mandela's stature. There have been plans being worked on for years, but those plans have been kept very secret and under wraps.
(voice-over): In addition to the monumental task of securing routes and vehicles for the 80 plus dignitaries, they're also responsible for moving the public. The memorial is open to everyone on a first come first serve basis. FNB can accommodate upwards of 90,000 people. Two other stadiums set up to accommodate the spill over. But authorities expect they will have to turn people back. At midnight, a security lockdown, roads blocked.
(on camera): To get to it stadiums, people will have the option of bus or rail. This is expected to be the largest mass transit movement for a single event in this country's history. The numbers anticipated, at least double that of the World Cup.
(voice-over): These workers are part of a 1,500 strong team working for an event planning company.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're assisting in people club (ph) control also to see that people, they don't bring the wrong items (ph), knives, beer, everything like that.
DAMON: In the same venue where Mandela made his last public appearance during the World Cup back in 2010, the nation and the world will be bidding South Africa's savior farewell.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, let's look at this week's events in South Africa. And the official memorial service will be held on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people are expected to converge as Arwa said in FNB stadium in Soweto.
Mandela's casket, though, will not be there from Wednesday until Friday. Mandela's body will lie in state at the union buildings in Pretoria, the seat of power of the South African government.
Then on Saturday, a military aircraft will fly at Mandela's casket to Matata (ph) in South African province of Eastern Cape. Thousands of mourners are expected to line the streets from there to Qunu where Mandela spent his childhood years.
On Sunday, the funeral and burial will take place in the ground on Mandela's Qunu home.
Well, CNN, of course, will be covering these events for you. Tune in tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. GMT, that's 11:00 in South Africa, for live coverage of that in memorial event with Anderson Cooper, Christiane and Robyn Curnow.
Well, for many of those who met Nelson Mandela, well he left a lasting impression for the South African embassy in London. Those paying tribute gave us their firsthand accounts of the man himself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TANYA VON AHLEFELDT, NELSON MANDELA GODDAUGHTER: My father James Cantor (ph), he was one of the accused at the (inaudible) trial. And my mother was pregnant with me at the time. And my father actually passed a note down the dock to Madiba to say, you know, as an adjunct of some of the most devious roles you've held, it would be a great honor if you could be our baby's godfather. And he passed a note back saying the honor would be all mine and then they dare not hang me.
So it was quite an extraordinary thing to happen for those days.
KAMALESH SHARMA, SECY. GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH: I had the pleasure of meeting him many years ago, many decades ago. He was full of wit and full of charm. And he had an aura as soon as he entered a room, which really comes from the people who have incorporated in themselves the highest values of humanity.
NOMASUNDU OSEI-OWUSU, ANC WOMEN'S LEAGUE: When he came out of jail, there was a big rally. And we were just standing there. Then you know, oh, how are you. How are you. How are you. So I touch his hand. That is Mandela.
AHLEFELDT: The legacy, really, is all about freedom, opportunity for all South Africans. And it was really dignity that was involved in that, because there was no dignity in those days.
SHARMA: Say the name Gandhi, you don't have to say very much more. I think in the time to come you take the name Madiba or Mandela you probably won't have to say very much more.
OSEI-OWUSU: Many things have been done in the name of Mandela. Today, I'm here in Britain, a place which I've never dreamed of coming in for Mandela. Mandela opens the door, the doors that are closed for everybody. We salute him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And CNN will be across all the Mandela events this week with our extensive reporting team on the ground. When you're not able to watch, do use the website. You'll find content there on the great man himself, including this list of 10 things you may not know about the man they call Madiba. All at CNN.com/Mandela.
Right, still to come this hour here on CNN. Thailand's prime minister offers a major concessions, but they're not enough to satisfy the masses in the streets. Why? Well, we'll have an update from Bangkok for you.
Plus, the biggest political upheaval in North Korea in years. Kimg Jong un purges one of his own relatives form the halls of power.
And, what will we wear in 2014? We're going to talk to our fashion sources, at least two of fashions biggest icons about next year's top trends.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're with CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. 13 minutes past eight here.
Thailand's prime minister announced surprise concessions today in an effort to diffuse what is an ongoing political crisis for protesters demanding her immediate exit from power, saying the move is too little, too late.
CNN's Anna Coren is in Bangkok for you tonight with the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, more than 200,000 protesters took to the streets of Bangkok in the largest anti-government demonstrations to be held in Thailand despite Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra calling for snap elections and the dissolution of government.
Well, the shock announcement was designed to appease protesters and stop any further violence, but it has failed to dampen these demonstrations. They're not calling for the prime minister to resign and for neutral caretaker prime minister to be installed.
Well, these protests have been going on now for more than two weeks. Well, last week they turned violent when five people were killed and hundreds injured.
The prime minister says she does not want violence or any further loss of life.
Demonstrators claim that Yingluck Shinawatra is just a puppet for her older brother Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted from power during a military coup in 2006 and has been in self-imposed exile following corruption charges.
Well, protesters have taken over government buildings, staging sit- ins. They're now calling for a complete overhaul of the democratic system in Thailand and the formation of the people's council.
Well, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected to power with an overwhelming majority in 2011. And she says she is not going anywhere and will remain caretaker until the election on the 2nd of February, 2014.
According to all experts, she will win that easily. And they believe that this stalemate will continue for weeks if not months ahead.
Anna Coren, CNN, Bangkok.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Indonesian authorities are investigating a deadly train crash in Jakarta. They say a commuter train colliding with a fuel tanker causing a passenger carriage to derail and burst into flames.
Now, at least five people were killed and some other 80 injured. Authorities say the truck accelerated and drove onto the train tracks just as the gate was coming down to stop traffic.
Singapore's prime minister says, and there is, and I quote, "no excuse" for the worst outbreak of violence there in decades. He says authorities will spare no effort to identify and prosecute those involved in a weekend riot.
Hundreds of people went on a rampage in the Little India district after a construction worker was hit by a bus and killed. At least 18 people, including police officers, were injured, 27 workers from South Asia were arrested.
The riot has sparked concern about discontent among Singapore's large foreign workforce.
In an Italian courtroom, the captain of the Costa Concordia faced a local coast guard commander who ordered him to return to the sinking ship nearly two years ago. Francesco Schettino is charged with abandoning his ship, amongst other crimes.
Now Captain Gregorio de Falco testified about the initial radio call from the ship which he said did not offer a true picture of the extent of the disaster. He also testified about ordering the captain to return to the ship without success.
Well, now to an extraordinary turn of events in the normally secretive North Korea. The state news agency there says Kim Jong un has removed his own uncle from a powerful post. As Paula Hancocks reports from neighboring South Korea it is likely a warning to others to fall in line.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's not just the announcement of a political shakeup, this unprecedented statement from North Korea shows a dramatic fall from grace for one of the most powerful men in the country.
Kim Jong un's uncle Jang Sung-taek was expelled from the ruling Worker's Party. This image from state run television shows him seemingly being escorted out of a meeting by military personnel.
Jang and his allies are accused by Kim Jong un of trying to build their own powerbase within the party and selling of the country's resources at cheap prices, threatening North Korea's economic development.
Jang, who was often seen side by side with Kim Jong un is also accused of womanizing, using drugs, gambling and eating at expensive restaurants.
Experts say that this could be the end of a consolidation of power by Kim Jong un and a very public warning to anyone thinking of challenging that power.
Others believe if Kim Jong un's authority was complete, he would have no need to get rid of Jang so publicly.
But observers agree that this is the biggest upheaval in the power structure of the country since Kim Jong un took power in December 2011.
It's not known at this point where Jang Sung-taek is.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, eight of America's biggest tech companies have united to urge the government there to reform its surveillance activities. They want governments to be more transparent and to collect less data.
Well, in a joint letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, they said, and I quote, "this summer's revelations are highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide. The balance, in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish."
I'll have your headlines for you. Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up, the U.S. military will soon get involved in efforts to help stabilize the Central African Republic. Why? We're going to tell you.
That news comes as French troops begin a crucial disarmament mission there.
And braving the cold to push for change, protests continue in Ukraine but there is growing concern about violence. We're going to get the very latest from Kiev for you.
This is CNN. You're watching Connect the World. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching Connect the World live from London. Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson for you.
Now, a Pentagon spokesman says the U.S. military is getting involved in the Central African Republic. And they say this is to help prevent, and I quote, a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe.
It will transport African and European peacekeeping troops who are joining a French led effort to restore order.
Now French troops already on the ground began disarming rebel fighters today. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent days in clashes between Muslim and Christian militia. Now the country has been racked by violence since Muslim rebels, many of them from neighboring countries, seized power in March.
Two main groups are blamed for the chaos. The Seleka, a loose alliance of warlords and Muslim fighters and the Anti-Balaka, or the anti- machete Christian militia who say they have taken up arms to defend themselves.
French troops who are trying to restore order are now in a northern city that's been a flashpoint of the violence. Nima Elbagir filed this report earlier from Bossengoa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This mission for France was always going to be about speed and it took them 14 hours straight driving up from the capital Bangui, but they're finally making it out into the regions. They're now here in Bossangoa up in the north of the Central African Republic, a place that's been described as the epicenter of the tragedy threatening to engulf this country.
We're out with the French on their first patrol since their arrival here in Bossangoa. This is a recon. Mission. They want to get a sense of the situation, they want to gather intelligence, they want to understand the scope of the crisis here.
But it's also about a show of force. They want to show the actors in this conflict that they are now here.
All morning, French fighter jets have been flying overhead just to really hammer home that reality of French presence here in Bossangoa.
And more reinforcements are arriving. This contingent (inaudible) with numbers of about 80 to 100 ment. They got in late last night. Now this morning the tanks, the heavy weaponry is coming in. The hope is that they can both reinforce Bossangoa and then push out to the even more insecure bush past the city limits where 100,000 people have been hiding for the past six months in fear for their lives.
This church compound that you see behind me is home to about 35,000 people. Even as the UN security council was voting to give France the mandate it needed to engage here in the Central African Republic, Christian and Muslim militias were taking aim at each other's communities.
Another camp slightly further down where the Muslim community is, that quadrupled over the last few days of fighting here in Bossangoa. It went from about 2,500 people to about 10,000 people.
And for the first time in days we've had a respite in the killings and the violence, but the challenge is going to be about building on that and sustaining it.
Nima Elbagir, CNN, Bossangoa, the Central African Republic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And Nima joining us live now from Bossangoa. And it was interesting to see your report there showing us what's going on the ground where you are. Is it clear what's going on elsewhere? And who the enemy are so far as the African Union troops and the French are concerned?
ELGABIR: Well, the African Union troops and the French have said that as far as they're concerned now anybody who refuses to disarm is the enemy. They have already been given permission -- they've been given the command, Becky, to engage with any of the actors in this conflict that threaten civilians. And they've made it very clear with a very aggressive presence -- very aggressive messaging -- fighter jets continuing to fly very, very low, almost buzzing the militias on the ground.
But we're also getting a sense that already the scope of this crisis here is beginning to stretch France's resources. They only got their mandate on Thursday. The U.S. Pentagon says that their secretary of state for defense received a call yesterday from the French prime minister requesting U.S. help in transporting troops and aiding with speeding up that deployment.
Because initially what France wanted to do was focus on securing the capital of Bangui. The spiraling of the retributive violence here in Bossangoa very quickly proved that that wasn't going to be possible, that they needed to get up here as soon as they could. So now there's a fear that they could start becoming overstretched. So those reinforcements need to arrive and they need to have arrived already, Becky, that's what the U.S. is stepping in to do, to just make sure that they can spread themselves as thickly as possible and force their advantage now, Becky.
ANDERSON: Had there been any commitments by other actors in the international community, Nima, for help going forward. If it's becoming abundantly clear at this early stage of French involvement that they simply haven't got enough boots on the ground?
ELBAGIR: No is the short answer. Only France seems to be willing engage at the moment. France -- for France this really has been the year of the chapter seven mandate. They got one in Mali, they helped push for one in DRC for the UN and now here in the CAR.
But the issue is, you know, I think the fact that France has come in and we're not used to that kind of action from the international community in general being willing to risk being bogged down here, I think what it's done is it's really camouflaged the real issue here, which is that they don't actually have enough money to deal with the humanitarian crisis. So securing the country is of course important and that will help with the situation.
But people have real needs right now. They need shelter. They need food. They need clean water.
We were speaking to the UNICEF emergency chief here earlier today and he told us that even UNICEF, which usually is one of the agencies that can count of people digging deep into their pockets, they have less than 50 percent of what they needed for this crisis this year. And we're at December.
So the odds that they're going to get any more money are really, really slim -- Becky.
ANDERSON: What are the chances of this spiraling out of control at this point? I mean, you're talking there about the humanitarian needs. You also talked about what's going on on the ground and the incredible issues to date. So what chance this just gets a whole load worse?
ELBAGIR: Well, it's -- you know, it's easy when you first come in and you know you've made a big show and people are impressed and perhaps a little cowed. But realistically in the long-term this is about a conflict over resources, it's a conflict over power as most of them are. And that balance of power between the majority Christian community and the minority Muslims who for the first time now have a Muslim leader here, a Muslim president, are they going to be willing to let that go?
We spoke to the Salaka colonel here who we should say has willingly complied with limiting and containing the movement of his troops, but he said in the long run they're not going to let go of power. They might be at the moment walking hand-in-hand with French and African Union plans, but his exact quote to me was, "if we've left power, then it means they've killed us" -- Becky.
ANDERSON: All right. Fascinating.
Nima Elbagir on the ground for you in the Central African Republic.
The latest world news headlines are just ahead as you would expect here on CNN at the bottom of this hour.
Plus, it's the protesters versus the president: tensions rise in Ukraine as the standoff in Kiev continues.
And from Premier League star to a main suspect in a (inaudible) fixing investigation. What is next for DJ Campbell and the world of football?
Plus, a face, a strut and a brand how modern day models are creating their very own platforms to walk on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: This is CONNECT THE WORLD, the top stories this hour for you. Nelson Mandela's home in Johannesburg is still getting a stream of visitors as crowds continue to come to pay their respects to the anti- apartheid icon. Meantime, more than 10,000 security forces have been deployed around the city ahead of Tuesday's memorial service.
Ukrainian authorities are denying charges that riot police stormed the headquarters of the opposition Fatherland Party. Tensions remain high in Kiev's Independence Square, 100,000 protesters also gathered there Sunday to show their opposition to the government's rejection of closer ties to the European Union.
Militants in the Central African Republic are facing an ultimatum right now. They're being told to hand over their weapons or French troops say they will start disarming them by force. Also, CNN just learning that US military aircraft -- that's American military aircraft -- will begin flying African and European peacekeeping troops into the war-torn country following a request by French and African Union peacekeepers.
One of the men accused of the murder of a British soldier admitted that he did not -- did kill the man, but it was not murder. Michael Adebolajo gave evidence in London as part of an investigation into the death of Lee Rigby in May. In his testimony, he spoke out against the West's role in the Iraq War and said he was a "soldier of Allah." Matthew Chance reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the first time in this high-profile murder trial, one of the accused has taken the witness stand, admitting that he killed the 25-year-old British soldier, Lee Rigby, outside his barracks in southeast London, but denying it was murder.
Speaking calmly and quietly, Michael Adebolajo, who gave his name as Mujahid Abu Hamza, told the court that he is a "soldier of Allah" who is at war. Prosecutors say he and his co-accused, Michael Adebowale, who also denies murder, rammed Lee Rigby with their car in May this year before attacking him with knives.
Adebolajo told the court the killing, which shocked Britain, was a military operation, and described the attack using a meat cleaver in graphic detail. He told the court he was brought up in a Christian family and converted to Islam at university after being angered at British foreign policy in Afghanistan, in Iraq.
Matthew Chance, CNN, in central London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, you heard in the news headline wrap there, protests in Ukraine have entered their second week despite freezing temperatures and winter snowstorms. On Monday, president Viktor Yanukovych signaled that he might be willing to find a peaceful way out of the standoff, backing a call for talks with opposition figures.
But the compromise, it may be a far way off at this point. Earlier, cordons of riot police moved into central Kiev in what appears to be preparations to regain control of the central hub of the protests, Independence Square, of course.
And this video just in showing what the opposition Fatherland Party, led by the jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko says is riot police breaking into their party headquarters. Police quickly denying that charge.
Let's get you to the capital and to Kiev. Diana Magnay standing by with the latest. Diana, is it clear whether police have begun moving against protesters at this point?
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we've certainly seen no coordinated efforts by police to start moving in on protesters, no. We went around the streets a little bit earlier, and they've been barricaded off. Really, the central part of this whole city is just people moving around and riot police and protesters in lines opposite each other.
But it's been fairly peaceful, and you hear them singing, the protesters singing, police and protesters are one. Apparently, there have been reports of some scuffles where police have tried to take down some barricades, and we have some video of that, but those are isolated incidents, I believe.
The incident at the headquarters of the Fatherland Party, the police initially denied. And now, in a very sort of baffling series of statements when once they said it was actually the security services, rather than them, who raided the headquarters, now they have issued a statement saying that they were following another probe in a headquarters neighboring that party and seized material in that office.
But according to party representatives, the party spokesman, they also seized the computer service inside the Fatherland's office. So, strange comments from the police, which of course doesn't lead protesters to really have much faith in them or in whoever it is who's calling the shots on what the police do, Becky.
ANDERSON: Very briefly, do they have any faith in this announcement by the president that he is willing to at least meet with what are three former presidents to try and find a way out of this political instability at this point, to try and find a solution?
MAGNAY: That was a proposal made earlier this morning by the first president of Ukraine, that he could bring together a sort of round table of the government and the opposition, and the president, Viktor Yanukovych, said that he wouldn't be opposed to that.
The opposition has not issued a statement yet as to whether they would join in those talks, and Yulia Tymoshenko, in a statement yesterday, the former prime minister now jailed, said that until Ukraine and the government had met their requests, which are to release detainees, for example, who had been arrested two weeks ago and to rid themselves of the government, they wouldn't be sitting down at the negotiating table.
So, there hasn't really been much movement, there, Becky, on what happens next, in terms of talks.
ANDERSON: All right. And the protests continue. Diana, thank you for that. Let's get you a look at how Ukraine's protesters, then, got to where they are now. And you can see, it's awfully cold there.
It started on November the 21st when President Yanukovych pulled out of what was a proposed political and trade agreement with the European Union. Now, that U-turn brought anti-government protesters out into the streets by the tens of thousands.
The protests remained mostly peaceful, it's got to be said, until December the 1st, and that is when police were seen beating protesters with batons, and the protesters retaliating with the revolutionary tractor, as they've called it.
On December the 3rd, the opposition failed to pass a no confidence vote in parliament, keeping the current government in power. They've been looking to get rid of it. Despite the apparent stalemate, protesters came out in full force Sunday, toppling a statue of Vladimir Lenin and demanding immediate change.
So, how did things get this bad? How did Ukraine become embroiled in what seems, at least, to be an East-West divide between Russia and the European Union. Are we seeing a return to Cold War-style rivalry over the country.
To answer that, I'm joined by Orysia Lutsevych -- and I hope I've got your name right, you can tell me in a moment -- a fellow in Russia and Eurasia Studies at Chatham House here in London. I think I got your name right.
ORYSIA LUTSEVYCH, RUSSIA NAD EURASIA STUDIES, CHATHAM HOUSE: Orysia, yes, thanks for that.
ANDERSON: There you go. The Cold War analogy certainly seems appropriate at this stage. Is it?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, as long as it's related to the climate, because it's snowing in Kiev. But most of all, what we see now it the main square of the capital of Ukraine is the struggle for Ukraine from Independence to freedom.
Of course, there are sides to this conflict in a way: Russia, European Union. But the main stake right now is whether Ukrainian people will be able to determine their course of development in the future. And this course, they see, is in Europe.
ANDERSON: Right. OK. That's those who are in the square at present. Let's just take a look at the country's exports and imports as they stand at the moment, because when we see this push-me, pull-me between do we hook up with the EU as part of their economic zone, or do we look to a customs union with Russia? And those in the square are saying let's go West.
A lot of people would say at this point in the economic cycle around the world, why would you pivot West when you can pivot East? And take a look just at these numbers. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity -- what a name -- Russia tops the list with 25 percent of Ukraine's exports headed there. It's followed by Turkey and then by Italy.
And the picture remains similar when it comes to countries that Ukraine imports from. Although Russia is the main source of Ukraine's imports, the two countries that follow are European powerhouse Germany, and then you've got China.
But my point being this: Russia-China or the West? Russia-China or the EU? We've always been this miserable economic picture over the last three or four years. If you were running the country, which way would you turn?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, you see, there's a much bigger question than just economic model. You see all these people on the streets, they are not chanting economic slogans. They are not chanting "jobs," they are not chanting "prices," they are not chanting "inflation."
They are chanting "freedom, human rights, dignity." And this is what was called by one of the civic leaders "the revolution of dignity," something that we have seen throughout the Arab world recently.
So of course, when you look at the economic model that Russia has to offer to Ukraine, it's not just about the exports, it's also about corruption, it's also by crony capitalism, it's also about non-inclusive economic institutions.
ANDERSON: You've got 300,000 people at most out on the streets, you've got an enormous country. Is Independence Square really reflective, do you think, of the entire Ukrainian population?
I was looking at a poll earlier on today, Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych is certainly aware of revolutions past. A recent Gallup poll showing that since 2006, only a minority of Ukrainians actually approve of their government.
The lowest rating was actually for the former president, Viktor Yushchenko's final year in office. He was the leader of the Orange Revolution. The highest incident, the year current president Yanukovych came to power. He's better supported than the former president was. He was a man who faced West. Do we have any sense that the square is truly reflective of the entire Ukrainian population?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, we must remember that President Yushchenko has very low support rate at the very end of his presidency. President Yanukovych still has a few years to go in the office, until 2015.
So how representative is the square, I would say it's even more representative than in 2004, because you have people coming from the south of Ukraine, from the east of Ukraine, and we should remember that 29 other cities are holding their mini revolution squares all throughout Ukraine.
So the center of gravity moves much more from Western Ukraine supporting European integration to Kiev, where this can pull the country, really, towards more Western real integration, not declarative integration.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. We'll bring you back and do more on this, because this story is not going away anytime soon, we think. Thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.
LUTSEVYCH: Thank you for having me.
ANDERSON: You're live from London with CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, clowning around, a journey in the life and works of Slava Polunin. That up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Pushing the limits of physical theater. Nick Glass heading to Paris for you, now, to meet the legendary Russian clown to see what inspires his unique Art of Movement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK GLASS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a cold November morning, Slava Polunin takes to his bed boat to saunter down the river at his home outside Paris. It seems an entirely natural mode of transport for a clown.
SLAVA POLUNIN, CLOWN (through translator): A clown inspires people to live. As Fellini said, a true clown makes a washerwoman wash, a drunkard drink, and a painter paint.
GLASS: Slava Polunin is the world's supreme clown. He revolutionized the art form, moving it out of the circus and onto the stage, becoming a household name in his native Russia as he did so. Slava's Snowshow has won an Olivier Award and toured over 50 countries.
BRADFORD WEST, CLOWN, SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW: When I saw Slava's Snowshow, I decided to be a clown. My image of clown was just in a circus --
(SINGS CIRCUS TUNE)
WEST: And then when I saw this show and I saw people moving on a stage so expressively and so economically as well, I knew that I'd found my sort of form of art that I'd been looking for.
GLASS: Slava started clowning as a child in the Soviet Union after seeing Charlie Chaplin in "The Kid" in 1921. Later, on state television in the 1970s, he used his wordless clowning to mock the authorities without falling foul of draconian censorship.
POLUNIN (through translator): At the beginning of my career, it was like I was in a childhood phase of clowning. My clowning was full of movement. I moves as if I were a child, when you were full of so much energy that you think you could jump to the sky.
Today, my perception of clowning is that you should be able to move just one centimeter and make the audience react as if you moved an entire mountain.
GLASS: Slava became a minimalist, bringing back poetry into clowning, somehow lost in the cruder buffoonery of the circus. Today, his home is a dreamlike, surreal world, feeding both his imagination and his performances.
POLUNIN (through translator): In order to learn now to move like a clown, I imitate the way children, madmen, drunkards, and animals move. I do so because these movements are not bound by intellect.
In order to learn how to move my body, I had to study all systems of the world. For example, butoh dance, a contemporary Japanese dance of death. I studied rock 'n' roll to learn how energy captivates us. I mastered tango as well, the most passionate dance in the world.
I studied the various poses of Disney cartoon characters as they create the most comprehensive system of how to transition from one pose to the next. Our body is an excellent instrument, like a piano or a violin, if you use it well.
GLASS: Modifications are needed when Slava's Snowshow is on tour. American audiences expect more pace. Spanish, more passion. French, more poetry. Yet movement, fast, slow, lyrical, or frenzied, remains the universal language.
POLUNIN (through translator): For me as a person, moving without any words would be the perfect concept of a human being. A clown returns people to the joy of movement. Even if my legs stopped moving, I would still roll myself onstage in a wheelchair and perform just using my arms and continue to inspire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Gorgeous. Coming up after this short break on CONNECT THE WORLD, they have ruled the runways, and now they are taking over social media. How models are creating their own business brands. That after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Police in Britain have arrested six people over allegations of football sport fixing. Rigging certain aspects of a match in exchange for money is the latest scandal of its kind to hit the sport in recent months, and let's find out what the impact may be. I'm joined by CNN sports anchor Don Riddell. Don, what is the latest on this sport-fixing allegation?
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Becky, there has been an increased amount of chatter in recent months about the spread of corruption in football, but this is, perhaps, the most worrying development to date, the suggestion that it could be alive and well in professional football in England and possibly even, maybe, in the Premier League.
The investigation is as a result of an undercover sting by "The Sun on Sunday" newspaper, whose reporter shot this video which appears to show the Nigerian international, Sam Sodje, claiming to be able to influence certain events within a championship or a second division game.
Sodje has played for a number of professional teams in England, and earlier this year, he was sent off for punching another player in the groin. "The Sun on Sunday" reported that he claimed on hidden camera that he'd received $114,000 for doing so.
Becky, as you say, a total of six men have been arrested. None have been charged so far, but we know that one of them is the forward DJ Campbell. He's played for three different sides in the Premiere League, his current team, Blackburn, confirms the news of the arrest.
ANDERSON: All right. Watch this space, more to come on this one. And after all the issues in Brazil, Don, in the lead-up to the World Cup, now problems there, sadly, with violence in the stands. What do we know?
RIDDELL: If you look at the last few weeks and months, Friday's World Cup draw was a rare oasis of good news for the organizers of next year's tournament. I'm afraid that many of the headlines coming out of Brazil are not so positive. Stadium delays, public concern and promised protests.
And now, crowd violence and serious injuries at a football game. On Sunday, supporters fought running battles at the Joinville Arena in Brazil's Santa Catalina state, halting the play between Vasco and Atletico for more than an hour.
The fighting was absolutely savage, with at least three fans seriously hurt. And for some time, there didn't appear to be any official response to the violence. But eventually, security forces fired rubber bullets and teargas to try and disperse the trouble.
And Becky, in an image that will shame all of Brazilian football, at one stage, a helicopter even had to land on the field to transport the most seriously injured to hospital.
ANDERSON: Yes. All right, Don, we leave our viewers with those pictures. Unbelievable stuff.
RIDDELL: Yes.
ANDERSON: All right. Don Riddell is at CNN Center for you with the latest from the world of sport.
Well, they are two faces that the fashion world adores: Coco Rocha and Eva Herzigova. They have made their names in a notoriously tough industry and have lasted in a world where every season could be a model's last. We spoke to the ladies to hear more on what they believe is in store for all of us for 2014.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COCO ROCHA, MODEL: My name's Coco Rocha. I'm a model based here in New York City, and I've been modeling for about ten years now.
EVA HERZIGOVA, MODEL: My name is Eva Herzigova. I am a model.
(LAUGHTER)
ROCHA: When I started, you didn't know really much about your models, and fast-forward to now, ten years later, you do know your models that are on the runway. In fact, you probably follow them on Twitter, on Instagram.
Thanks to social media, we have the chance to voice our opinions and you kind of understand as the clientele that wow, this model has hundreds of thousands of followers. Who would have thought a model would ever get that? But we just never had the chance to say hey, people are interested in the modeling world. People are interested in what models bring to brands.
I'm not sure if there's actually a model that is the identity of 2014.
HERZIGOVA: Each season introduces new trends. You have models that maybe are number one models or one season, maybe two seasons, and then they're out. And there is tendencies, like it was the Brazilian girls, and it was the Russian girls, and then it was the androgynous girls.
Girls today seem to be girls with lots of character, with a lot of attitude that seem to break through more than just beauty.
ROCHA: We just passed a law here in New York where girls under the age of 18 will be protected as any child singer, dancer, or performer, really. They will have the same rights.
So we will notice in 2014 that some designers will do what they need to do to work with these younger ones, some making sure that they have teachers and nurses and guardians at shows and shoots. But if they think that's a little too much to work with, they're going to start working with girls that are over the age of 18.
We're going to embrace technology a lot more. For example, I just did something last season with "Elle" magazine, LEGS studio, and Lexus, where they had this amazing technology that was a hologram, and I was dancing with myself.
So, not only was it just beautiful, but we were, in fact, getting this whole effect with art, fashion, and music. And I think these three things plus technology need to combine themselves in order to have that effect being, wow, I will remember that forever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson, that was CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team here in London and at CNN Center, it is a very good evening. Thank you for watching.
END
