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Brazil Health Authorities Advise Women to Delay Pregnancy; Denmark Passes Anti-Refugee Law; Fmr. German Policeman Speaks Out About New Year's Eve Attacks. Aired 11:00a-12:00p ET

Aired January 26, 2016 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:16] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: An historic meeting at a pivotal time. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sits down with Pope Francis at the

Vatican. I'm going to get you the very latest as Tehran signals its readiness for business with Europe.

Also ahead, Denmark approves a controversial bill while the EU decides what to do about the influx of migrants. Live in Copenhagen for you

shortly.

And growing concern in Brazil over the spread of the Zika Virus. What's being done to contain it coming up this hour.

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

ANDERSON: A very good evening at just after 4:00 here in the UK. We begin with breaking news out of Denmark. Lawmakers there have just passed

what is a contentious migrant bill. The law allows authorities to seize migrant's valuables to help pay for their stay and forces asylum seekers to

wait three years before they can apply for family members to join them in Denmark.

Arwa Damon joins us from Copenhagen. And the prime minister had described this bill as one of the most misunderstood in Danish history --

explain.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERANTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, that is mostly because back then the debate was centering as to whether or not they

would be taking jewelry and sentimental values off of these asylum seekers.

Now, they will not be taking items of sentimental value, but other things that have a cost of over $1,500 whether it's cash or the actual item

itself. Those are all fair game. But most controversial in all of this is actually the issue of family reunification where an individual will have to

wait not a year, but now three years before they can even begin that process.

Now, no big surprises. The bill did go through very easily. Around 75 percent of people voting in favor of it.

I am now joined by Pernille Skipper who voted against the bill, one of the few out there. What does this mean for Denmark and Denmark's identity?

PERNILLE SKIPPER, MEMBER OF DANISH PARLIAMENT: Well, I do think there's a lot of people outside of parliament who disagree and do not feel

represented with this bill today. And I think I take a bit of comfort in that.

But I'm also afraid that it will create more division in our country, that there will be -- well, a larger gap between those who want to help

refugees more and those who, well, feel -- well, righteously or not, feel this fear because of the huge amount of refugees coming to Denmark.

And they're also fed by this bill.

I think that, well, it becomes acceptable to treat refugees in this way and to, well, divide families which is correctly the most horrific part

of this bill today.

DAMON: And one of the other issues that those who support the bill were bringing up was that if you let in more asylum seekers, that's going

to threaten the very identity and the Danish way of life.

Now, what kind of a solution did you want to see, because people do want to see the flow of refugees coming under control.

SKIPPER: Well, I think there is first and foremost, we need to recognize that people are coming to Europe and they are coming to Denmark,

and they are fleeing war and things that are much, much worse than we can ever present luckily, and so they will keep on coming.

The question is whether or not we should take on policies that have the idea of pushing people out of Denmark, scaring them off coming to

Denmark and pushing them to our neighboring countries, or we need to go a common European way.

And my party and the other opposition parties of this bill, we really, really want to take leadership in Europe towards a common European

solution. It's the only way forward, because we will now just be creating ideas for other right-wing governments and other parts of Europe who want

to follow and also scare refugees away. And while we can all see that's not going to have a happy ending.

DAMON: And so what kind of a solution would you want to see being put into place, being implemented as opposed to this bill?

SKIPPER: Well, we need a European common solution. And that means that we need to come together in Europe, have an agreement on how to divide

people who -- refugees coming to Europe in Europe and between countries. And then taking on all the responsibilities that we need to take on.

We need to take on refugees in Denmark. We do. And we need to treat them fairly. Other European countries also need to life a larger

responsibility than they do right now.

And then most of all, we need to provide a better ground for the refugees who are not able to come to Europe, but are stuck in neighboring

countries and in Syria. Those are really the people that we need to help the most, cutting back on welfare and help towards them, that is the worst

thing that we can do right now.

[11:05:00] DAMON: Thank you very much.

And, Becky, another issue that has also been brought up and highlighted by all of this is that it's not just Denmark that is facing

these kinds of various challenges when it comes to how to deal with the refugee situation.

Denmark, it would seem, now has a short-term solution when it discouraging people from coming here with this legislation.

But again, underscoring all of this is going to be how is Europe collectively going to come together to try to handle this influx. And

Denmark right now is really going through something of not an identity crisis, but perhaps a period of self-questioning between what the country

was, what it is today, and what kind of a nation it wants to be. And handling this kinds of situations in the future.

ANDERSON: Arwa Damon reporting for you. Arwa, thank you. And the controversy in Denmark, one of the stories that we are covering that brings

Europe's migrant crisis into sharp focus.

And it is an example of how the harsh winter finds attitudes calling in some countries that have first extended a warm welcome to refugees.

In the days ahead, my colleague Atika Shubert will look at efforts to assimilate newcomers to Germany. This follows protests sparked by reports

of widespread sexual assaults by migrants in Cologne and elsewhere.

Phil Black following the debate in Norway where deportation is becoming more and more common.

And Jomana Karadsheh will bring us the voices of Syrian refugees in Jordan, languishing in limbo. That is a focus on Europe's migrant crisis

all this week on CNN.

Well, Iran's president Hassan Rouhani sat down with Pope Francis at The Vatican on Tuesday. It's the first time a pontiff has met with an

Iranian leader in almost 17 years. And it comes at a critical juncture as Tehran reemerges on the global stage following the lifting of economic

sanctions, of course.

Well, let's cross straight to Rome. CNN's Erin McLaughlin is there for us this hour.

This is a trip originally scheduled for late last, and clearly, Erin, designed to drum up business with old friends, as it were. What's the

bigger message here?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think clearly in this visit, President Rouhani not only trying to project Iran as a country

that is open for big business, but it's also trying to present Iran as not just a regional player within the Middle East, but a player on the

international scale. And really, what better way to do that than to kick off this mini European tour with a stop in Italy, signing some $18.4

billion worth of contracts as well as a meeting with the pope, one of the most spiritual and popular people on the planet.

Now, according to The Vatican, which released a statement following what was a 40 minute closed door meeting, it was a cordial environment,

lots of key topics discussed, including religious freedom within the Middle East, also discussing Iran's role -- Iran as well as other countries --

role in political resolutions within the region as well as counterterrorism efforts. They also discussed, of course, the nuclear agreement.

Now, no specific mention to Syria was made in this statement released by The Vatican. We have yet to hear from the Iranians on that -- on the

contents of the discussions of the day, but we know that Syria is particularly important to Pope Francis. The resolution of this crisis.

Also, not mentioned by the Vatican and it was a lot of buzz going around this morning about this in the Italian media as well as among

Vatican watchers is the potential invite from President Rouhani to Pope Francis to visit Iran. No word on that just yet. But Vatican watchers

tell me that that is something that Pope Francis would be open to.

ANDERSON: Yeah, Erin, all right. Good stuff. Thank you.

President Rouhani has also been getting down to business, as Erin pointed out, on his trip to Italy. The two countries will sign over $18

billion worth of contracts. What's more, Iran's president tweeted to say that the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will return the favor and

visit Tehran soon to, quote, boost economic ties.

One sector set to benefit from such trade deals is the oil industry. Iran is, of course, a major oil producer. But as CNN's Frederik Pleitgen

been finding out, some Iranians are fairly worried about the road ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tehran's gas stations are almost always busy. The country with some of the largest oil

reserves in the world has also seen a boom in car sales in recent years.

While Iran wants to increase its share of the world's oil market, it also wants to drastically increase its capabilities in terms of refining to

make sure they can meet the needs of a growing number of motorists here at home.

Among drivers we spoke to, oil was a major topic and a major point of concern, given the low international crude prices.

"The oil price is very important, because it affects so many things in our daily lives," this woman says.

"In my opinion, the low oil price is very bad, because it really hurts our economy," she adds.

And this man says, "it's very bad, because so much of our income is from oil.

Analysts say over half of Iran's budget comes from oil revenues. No wonder, then, that with the lifting of nuclear sanctions, Iran wants to

export and additional 500,000 barrels per day even at a time when international crude prices are tanking.

Some experts fear Tehran's reentry into the market will cause an even further, and f course, Iran would also make considerably less selling while

prices are down.

But analyst Saeed Laylaz tells me Iran's hydrocarbon strategy is about more than just money.

SAEED LAYLAZ, IRANIAN ECONOMIST: This is a geopolitical agenda for the country, not just economic one. This is not the subject of the money,

this is a subject of the share of the market, which is very essential for the country.

PLEITGEN: There is little doubt that Tehran will quickly reestablish itself as an oil powerhouse. Even if revenues start off-weak in the

current market climate, Tehran's influence is expected to grow with every additional barrel it's able to expert.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, from London tonight, this is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Coming up, Brazil admits it's losing the battle against

the virus that has now spread to more than 20 countries. We are live from a city at the very heart of the outbreak later on this hour.

First up, though, the low price of oil being felt far and wide. Find out why there is growing

discontent in Russia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDRESON: Right, you're with CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson tonight out of London at 13 minutes past 4:00 for you.

The seesaw price of oil that we've been seeing for, what, about a month now seems to be leveling off slightly. Right now, crude trading

above $30 on the barrel. And this is helping to stabilize global equity markets.

Let's have a look and see what's going on as we speak.

well, the Dow there up 1.6 percent, 253 odd points higher. And my colleague Business View anchor Nina Dos Santos is here.

Is has been a miserable start to the year for investors. Anybody who is worth their salt knows

that forecasting is a mug's game.

However, it feels to me this market is particularly difficult to call. Why?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a reason for that, it is the amount of quantitative easing, Becky, that's being pumped into the

markets. And that, to a certain extent, has extended the natural length of an economic cycle. You and I know that very often -- and I know I've

mentioned this on CNN in Davos last week, that the economic cycle lasts seven or eight years but of course things have been distorted by seven or

eight years of free money that has been -- almost free money -- that's been pumped into the system by the Fed, by the ECB, by the Bank of England, Bank

of Japan, you name it.

Now, what we've got at the moment is this sort of dichotomy between the policymakers in the

United States with the Fed starting to raise rates -- they have got another interest rate meeting in the next two days to come, not expected to raise

rates, but the big question is will they think that they have to pause for the rest of the year? People are pricing in two interest rate hikes in the

United States, probably not more elsewhere in the world.

But all of this divergence between policy, economic policy, and what the corporate world is doing is causing people to get a bit nervous about

where the growth is.

[11:15:40] ANDERSON: I hear experts saying get with the program here. This is going to be quite a different economic cycle going forward. Don't

expect high growth any time soon. Let's keep interest rates low, low inflation. Is that the picture?

DOS SANTOS: And we haven't seen any high growth. It depends which markets you're talking about. Now the real concern here, the elephant in

the room if you like, is China, because China is transitioning from a high- growth environment towards a modest to medium growth environment, so we're talking about.

ANDERSON: That's what they publish anyone.

DOS SANTOS: Exactly, if you believe the figures as well. That's the big concern. So mid-digit figures. That many European countries would

like to have. The United States is heading back to 3.5 percent growth, but the reality is, is for the length of this economic

cycle that's not an awful lot. And that's what people are getting worried about.

So, what do they doing? They are not just trading stocks, they're looking for proxies for growth here, Becky. So that's one of the reasons

why people are saying, well, let's have a look at the oil price. If the world doesn't need so much oil, there's so much oversupply, perhaps it's

not growing at the pace we thought it was.

ANDERSON: So, let talk about oil. Because it's oil, oil, oil that is really worrying people, certainly those who are trading these markets. Do

we get an emergency OPEC meeting? Does OPEC? What does Saudi do next? You've been up the hill at Davos for a week. This was a conversation you'

will have had with so many people.

DOS SANTOS: It's a conversation also -- and this is one of the reason why Davos is so helpful, Becky, that those people on the different sides of

the argument in OPEC are able to have offline, if you like, they can have off the record.

As yet we don't know whether they are going to get an emergency meeting. We know that many of the OPEC members would like to see an

emergency meeting, but remember, Becky, we also had production figures coming out this week from Russia. Russia isn't an OPEC member and it's

continuing to pump at unprecedented levels despite the low price of crude.

So, a lot of these countries are in this sort of bind, if you like, where for their budgets they

have got to keep pumping, but they are not not making much money on the oil. And investors as well, they have got to keep trading those markets,

but some of them aren't doing so well right now.

ANDERSON: Hold onto your hats, investors, and those out there who have funds just don't

look at them for the time being I think is the sensible advice.

Thank you. Always a pressure. Thank you.

Well, the low price of oil along with a record low ruble and western sanctions are hitting Russians hard in their every day lives. And we have

seen protests beginning to pop up.

Russia's economy shrank by 3.7 percent last year putting it into a deep recession.

Well, Matthew Chance joining us now live from Moscow.

Matthew, Russia heavily reliant on the oil and gas industry. Few signs that the state has made any real effort to diversify its economy. No

surprise we're seeing inflation soaring in the average Russian's purchasing power shrinking significantly.

But we are now seeing signs of discontent by a majority population who have in the past been steadfastly supportive of Putin.

What happens next?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, for the most part, I think we have to say that the support for Putin still stands.

I mean, is popularity ratings are still at well over 80 percent. That hasn't changed.

What has changed is across the country, particularly this year and over the past couple of

months I'd say at maximum, there's been small, uncoordinated protests that have been by various groups, uncoordinated, say, against bus passes, for

instance, being canceled in southern Russia, against new road taxes and things like that.

And so even thought popularity of Vladimir Putin has not been impacted directly by the economic crisis, there are small signs that may be starting

to change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: They have been remarkably tolerant of their country's deep economic crisis. But there are now signs Russians are losing patience.

These angry customers of a Russian bank that sold them cheap dollar mortgages, the plunging ruble has made their debt simply unaffordable.

"My monthly payment is bigger than my monthly wage," says Yvgeny (ph). "Even if I give my apartment back to the bank, I'll still owe them 8

million rubles," he says. That's nearly $100,000.

The protests aren't limited to those burned by Russia's devaluing currency. For weeks now, long distance truckers have been demonstrating

outside Moscow. They're against a new road tax, they say, will put them out of business.

Appeals for help have been made directly to Vladimir Putin, but drivers like Sergei (ph) from St. Petersburg no longer expect the Russia

president to intervene.

"We're very disappointed because we trusted our president," he tells me. "But now we realize he's spitting on us, his people."

Those are strong words from the kind of ordinary working Russians usually supportive of the

Kremlin.

Well, this is just one small protest on the outskirts of Moscow involving 10 or 11 trucks, about road tax that affects just these long

distance truck drivers. It doesn't affect ordinary Russians across the country.

But it comes at a time of intense economic hardship in Russia. And all over the country now, there are small protests just like this one that

are emerging.

Earlier this month pensioners blocked the streets in southern Russia demanding free travel to

be reinstated on public transport.

"Give me back our bus passes right here, right now," this old woman shouts.

But the government tightening its belt is refusing to back down. It's stalemate back at the truck

protest, too. One has been turned into a soup kitchen. They could last the entire winter in here.

Anna Dezhda (ph) a truck owner, told me they intend to.

"We will never give in," she says. "We'll resist until the last moment."

In a country where protests are rare, some Russians are making their voices heard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: But Becky, it's not as if Russia is on the brink of rebellion quite yet. I mean, the popularity of Putin is still very strong, as I've

said, and these protests are very small and they are uncoordinated.

But the fact they are happening at all is making the Kremlin very worried indeed.

ANDERSON: Matthew Chance out of Moscow for you this evening. It's 7:22 there at 4:20

in the afternoon in London.

This is Connect the World with Becky Anderson. The latest world news headlines are just ahead, plus when you can't build up, expanding into the

basement is becoming the next best option. We see why digging down has become so appealing. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DEFTERIOS, EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: When you can't build up, the only way is down. That's been the latest trend in the UK capital as

residents try to overcome building restrictions by going underground.

Fillet Stogenovsky (ph) has been developing basements in London's up market areas for nearly a decade.

This 220 square meter house is undergoing a massive refurbishment, which will add 110 square meters of basement space. The extra space means

extra cash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cost of digging and concreting a shell like we have here would be about 4,000 pounds a square meter. That still makes

sense, because the selling price of these is around 10,000 pounds a square meter.

[11:25:07] DEFTERIOS: After plowing roughly 1.9 million dollars into this house, he expects a strong resale value of $7 million. As with most

property projects, location is key.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you've got the wrong location, then you can spend money which you will not back on digging a basement.

DEFTERIOS: In Kensington and Chelsea, one of the city's golden post codes, there were 393 basement applications in 2014, more than double the

number made in 2008.

This 400 square meter house in the trendy Nottinghill area is on the market for over 10 million dollars after a full refurbishment and basement

expansion.

ROB ATKINS, REAL ESTATE AGENT: They built a courtyard here to bring light down to this level. They've got a (inaudible) below the muse (ph).

They've also got the gym downstairs below the original basement of the house, which leads through to a spa room, a plant room and a (inaudible).

DEFTERIOS: Real estate agent Rob Atkins says the increase in basement works was also a byproduct of the economic downturn.

ATKINS: Post recession is really where it came, because everyone was staying put. And actually the best way to maximum their floor area rather

than moving -- the cost of moving, everyone was looking at increasing their floor area in a home they actually like.

DEFTERIOS: Bug diffing down can have major pitfalls. Concerns over structural stability, excessive noise, and a lot of dust are just some of

the complaints Ronda Hanna (ph) of the Belgravia resident's association has heard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have got builders who aren't equipped, a lot of legislation wasn't in place, and as a result a lot of problems happened

along the way.

DEFTERIOS: Some Burroughs of London have recently restricted basement extensions to just one floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've always tried to do single story basements anyway. We found that by digging beyond one story, you're actually losing

the balance, losing the proportions of the house.

DEFTERIOS: Whether up or down, novel or nuisance, finding ways to add square meters to London properties will always be good business.

John Defterios, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[11:30:55] ANDERSON: Brazil says it is losing the battle against the mosquito that carries the Zika virus. That virus has now spread to 23

countries. And health officials in some of them are warning women to postpone pregnancy for several years.

Now, this is because the Zika virus has been linked to birth defects.

Just to underline what a jump in cases Brazil has seen, there have been almost 4,000 cases of what's called microcephaly in babies since

November alone compared to just 140 cases in the whole of 2014.

CNN's Shasta Darlington joins us now from the city at the heart of the outbreak. She's at a clinic in Recif in northeastern Brazil.

This is one of the worst affected areas, Shasta. What have you been seeing and hearing?

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Becky. We're really at ground zero. This is where doctors first started

noticing a link between the sudden appearance of the Zika virus and a sudden surge in these cases of microcephaly.

Where we are now, it used to be just a vaccine clinic, now they have turned it into basically an area where they can do physical therapy with

all of these babies who being born with birth defects.

When you mention there are close to 4,000 cases here in Brazil, well 40 percent of those are right here in the state Fernambuco (ph). And what

we've seen is pretty devastating.

We're talking in many ways about a whole generation of babies. These are often very poor families, people who are still coming to terms with

it. You pick up these little babies and they are 2-month-old, 3-month-old. They are still helpless. Babies at that age are. So the mothers and the

fathers are hoping, well, OK, but as they get older they will continue to develop the way another baby would.

And it's really hard for them to come to terms with the fact that these will be infants and children who will dependent on them for their

entire lives, often with serious developmental issues and in many cases it leads to early death.

So, I think the doctors are coming to terms with it. Many of them are actually getting -- they are seeing psychologists themselves, the families

are dealing wit. And of course, it's a huge impact on society. The health ministry has said that they are going to send out 200,000 troops around the

country to go door to door to make sure that there aren't standing pools of water in homes, that's where you really get the most of these mosquitoes

breeding.

And we saw a lot of that in action right here in Resiche (ph), Becky.

ANDERSON: And Shasta, there are reports that the army will be deployed. What do you think Brazil is hoping that the army can do in this

situation?

DARLINGTON: They are really giving -- they're really just backing up the health ministry. A lot of the health workers know what they have to

do. They have to go inside the homes. They have to inspect for standing water under plants. They have to inspect for standing drinking water.

But because people are obviously uncomfortable about letting others into their homes, the army gives them a certain institutional backing.

People trust the army. And they're being trained to do the same thing.

So they'll go into the homes. They'll make sure that the water is dumped out. They will put the chemical in the standing water.

Here in Recife (ph), this is a drought stricken area, so people do stockpile water. They are going to put chemicals in it to make sure larvae

of these mosquitos, Aedes aegypti, they can't multiply.

They are going to make sure that people really are following the instructions.

They are also going to be handing out repellent. That's another decision by the health ministry that all pregnant women will be given

repellent to help protect themselves.

It's hot. This is -- these are the summer months. You get these summer rains. It's very hot here. So, when you tell people, oh, no, just

cover up, wear long sleeves, that's really not going to happen, Becky.

ANDERSON: Shasta, there are on average about 100 cases of Zika every year in Brazil. Is it clear why there has been such a spike this time?

DARLINGTON: Well, Zika itself is new to Brazil. It's endemic in parts of Africa and parts of Asia, South Pacific. It cropped up in Brazil

for the first time in the beginning of last year around March, April, May. And it has very mild symptoms. It's carried by the same mosquitoes that

cares dengue fever, and (inaudilbe), which on the face of it are much more serious diseases. They have real painful fevers, achy joints.

So, the doctors shrugged off initially the appearance of the Zika virus. What really set off alarm bells was the appearance of microcephaly.

They started testing the babies. They actually started testing the fetuses of the babies who died when there were miscarriages. And they

discovered that these babies had Zika virus that many of the mothers who gave birth to them had talked about having symptoms that basically go along

with the Zika virus and so they made this connection.

But this is new and I think the scariest thing here, we're hearing from doctors, is because this is so new, they don't know where it's going

to take us next. We may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg, Becky.

[11:35:59] ANDERSON: All right, Shasta. Thank you for that.

Let's get more on this. Eduardo Gomez joins me no. He is a senior lecturer at Kings College here in London and a specialist in emerging

economies and how they tackle a crisis like Zika.

Before we talk about the wider picture here, was Brazil ready? How is it coping?

EDUARDO GOMEZ, KING COLLEGE LONDON: I really don't think Brazil was entirely ready. They have been having problems with their public health

system for a while in terms of funding, administrative different structure. A lot of states have had -- it's a decentralized system, so a lot states

are raised revenue for public health and I think it took them by surprise.

I think many have been trying to get the resources need, the doctors and nurses, the staff. And I think it did take many states by surprise.

You've had several instances in which states have been requiring, asking for money from the central government. They haven't been receiving

enough. So, it's been a difficult situation for them.

ANDERSON: Well, a number of Central and South American nations have asked women to delay pregnancy.

GOMEZ: Yes.

ANDERSON: What are the implications for women's rights postponing pregnancies?

GOMEZ: Yes. I think it has big implications. I think that first of all, it's a bad idea, obviously. But secondly, it doesn't take into

consideration -- it's very naive, it didn't take into consideration that fact lot of women don't have control over their pregnancies, especially

issues of rape or teen pregnancies.

Another thing is cultural issues. These are countries where Catholicism is highly prevalant. You have churches that don't condone the

usage of condoms, which is very difficult for these women.

So, I think it's not only an infringement on their rights, but also very naive that this can actually happen.

Cases of the Zika virus have been identified in more than 20 countries and territories worldwide according to the CDC. A health alert was issued

after the first case in this outbreak was confirmed in Brazil of May last year. Since then outbreaks have spread through much of the Americas.

What do you think about the ability of these countries to deal with these crises? We talked firstly about Brazil. You said, you really didn't

think they were ready. What about the wider picture here?

GOMEZ: The wider picture in Latin America is going to very varied. You have some countries like Colombia that have a very strong centralized

medical health system, Mexico as well, that I think will be able to respond pretty aggressively. Their economies are doing relatively well. Peru's

economy is doing relatively well.

Other countries -- El Salvador, Guatemala, or smaller countries with smaller resources may have a difficult time. And so that's why I think

there is going to be variation and some countries doing better than others.

ANDERSON: Rio de Janeiro, of course, is hosting the Olympic games in 2016 and some of the Brazilian authorities say they are going to tackle

mosquitoes breeding grounds in the run-up.

What is the likely political fallout, do you think, of all of this, if this remains a serious risk?

GOMEZ: If this remains a serious risk, this could be high political stakes.

The government is already under fire for having poor social services, health care services,

bus services, bus services.

If this is not controlled immediately, civil society and politicians could use this furthermore against Dilma and her party.

So, it really is -- could lead to some graver social and political pressures and crises for the current government.

All right, we're going to leave it there. We thank you very much indeed for coming in, Dr. Eduardo Gomez

Joining us on the show today.

Still to come tonight, U.S. presidential contenders are campaigning hard for the Iowa caucuses less than a week away. The democratic

candidates answered voters questions in what was a CNN town hall on Monday. Find out what they said up next.

And an artistic take on the war in Syria. Why a renowned Syrian artist still paints images of the home that he was forced to flee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:42:04] ANDERSON: Right. This is CNN. You're watching Connect the World with me Becky Anderson out of London this evening.

AS the U.S. presidential campaigns heat up, candidates are making their final pitches to voters ahead of what are these crucial Iowa

caucuses. And the Democratic candidates made their case at a CNN town hall on Monday night in Des Moines.

They answered voters' questions, and through a few verbal punches as well. CNN's Brianna Keilar reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We are live.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Less than a week away from the Iowa caucuses.

SANDERS: This calls for a standing-up response.

CUOMO: OK.

KEILAR: The Democratic candidates are out of their chairs.

MARTIN O'MALLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not capable of doing Q&A in Iowa from a seat.

CUOMO: Yes, please.

KEILAR: And throwing soft punches in a final pitch to voters.

SANDERS: Experience is important. But judgment is also important.

KEILAR: Bernie Sanders kicking off CNN's town hall going record-to- record with Hillary Clinton.

SANDERS: I voted against the war in Iraq. Hillary Clinton voted for the war in Iraq. I led the effort against Wall Street deregulation. See

where Hillary Clinton was on this issue.

On day one I said the Keystone Pipeline is a dumb idea. Why did it take Hillary Clinton such a long time before she came into opposition?

KEILAR: Clinton says one bad vote on the Iraq war is just a scratch, not a dent.

CLINTON: I have a much longer history than one vote which I have said was a mistake because of the way that that was done and how the Bush

administration handled it. But I think the American public has seen me exercising judgment in a lot of other ways.

KEILAR: Former Maryland governor, Martin O'Malley, once again fighting for his place in this race.

O'MALLEY: I am the only one of the three of us who has a track record not of being a divider but of bringing people together to get meaningful

things done.

KEILAR: Voters challenging the candidates on key issues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you planning to ensure racial quality?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you going to fight for women's rights?

KEILAR: The Vermont senator clearing up his stance on gun control.

SANDERS: If a gun shop owner should know, why should somebody be buying a thousand guns? Somebody should be thinking that does not make a

lot of sense. In that case that gun shop owner or the gun manufacturer should be held liable.

KEILAR: The former secretary of state leaning on nearly a million miles of travel to prove she's the foreign policy frontrunner.

CLINTON: I flew from Cambodia where I was with the president, to Israel, middle at night, go see the Israeli cabinet. Work with them on what

they would accept as an offer. Go see the Palestinian president, work with him to make sure he back it up. Go back to Jerusalem, finalize the deal.

Fly to Cairo, meet with President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood president of Egypt. Hammer out the agreement.

KEILAR: Clinton not only highlighting her record but defending her character.

[11:45:04] GIPPLE: I've heard from quite a few people my age that they think you are dishonest.

CLINTON: I've been on the front lines of change and progress since I was your age. I have been fighting to give kids and women and the -- and

the people who are left out and left behind a chance to make the most out of their own lives.

KEILAR: Throughout the night, one message was clear. Dump Trump.

O'MALLEY: We are far better than the sort of fascist rhetoric that you hear spewed out by Donald Trump.

KEILAR: Clinton taking it a step further.

CLINTON: We need a coalition that includes Muslim nations to defeat ISIS. And it is pretty hard to figure out how you're going to make a

coalition with the very nations you need if you spend your time insulting their religion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Brianna Keilar there.

I'm joined -- well, not there, it was reporting from there. I'm joined by CNN Politics executive editor Mark Preston. He's in Des Moines

where the Democrats took the stage on Monday.

Clinton and Sanders, they're neck and neck in Iowa. Clinton in the lead nationwide, but the margin, Mark, between the two is shrinking. How

important is Iowa for her?

MARK PRESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Becky, for our viewers all around the world, Iowa is where it all starts. And Iowa can

either sink a candidacy or it could propel you. You only have to go back to 2008 when Barack Obama came out of nowhere to win Iowa, an African-

American winning a state that is at least 96 percent white, only a very small percentage of

African-Americans who live in Iowa.

When we talk about the national polls, though, Hillary Clinton has a pretty substantial lead

over Bernie Sanders. But here, as you said, in Iowa, they are neck and neck.

And should Bernie Sanders pull out a win in Iowa, he would go into New Hampshire where he has a huge lead and this race could totally turn on its

head for a race that we thought that Hillary Clinton was a shoe-in just a year ago.

ANDERSON: Now, let's switch gears. Take a look at the Republican field, then, and a new CNN/ORC poll, Mark, puts Donald Trump's support with

Republican voters at 41 percent. This is a new high for the real estate tycoon with more than 4 in 10 GOP voters nationwide now saying they back

the billionaire.

Second Ted Cruz 19 percent. Cruz followed by Marco Rubio with 8 percent.

Can anyone catch Trump at this point?

PRESTON: Sure. Because here is the situation in Iowa. Donald Trump is doing very well

in Iowa. He has a lead -- or rather Ted Cruz is trying to catch up to him. But his support in Iowa is among people who have never participated, or at

least half of them, I should say, have never participated in this caucus system.

And how that works is that instead of going in and casting your ballot, you go to a central meeting place in your community and you cast

your ballot at that point. That requires about an hour, maybe an hour and a half of your time, which is really a commitment, certainly in the middle

of winter here in Des Moines, Iowa as well as throughout the state where it is

extremely cold, and it really takes a big organization.

The question is does Trump have that organization to get his voters out to support him?

ANDERSON: Now we could see another billionaire throw his hat into the ring for presidency.

Mark, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reevaluating mounting a bid for the White House, but the prospect of another businessman doesn't

seem to be worrying Trump. And he told our own wolf Blitzer he'd beat Bloomberg. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, 2016 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd beat him. And I would love him to do it actually. I love the competition. I love

the competition. I would love for Michael to do it.

You know, we used to be friends. I guess we're not friends anymore. I don't think we are. But we used to be friend, good friends.

When I had a problem -- he had a problem, big problem in the Bronx, I cleared up the problem. It was a big project that was -- they were unable

to get it built. It was under construction for like 25 years. Way, way over budget. I took it over. I got it knocked up in one year. And now

it's a tremendous success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: All right, well, then how do you think a Bloomberg run would shake up this campaign?

PRESTON: Well, right -- and look, listen, Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat who became

a Republican, who became an independent, a three-term mayor of New York City, a billionaire in his own right is said now to be looking at it.

And the reason being is that he's concerned that Donald Trump on the Republican side or perhaps Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side might

actually win their respective party's nomination. And Bloomberg thinks if that's the case he would run an independent bid.

Now, all the money in the world doesn't necessarily buy you victory. It would certainly help his campaign, but he would be doing it without the

infrastructure of a political party that's been in existence for over 100 years on both sides.

It would be an uphill battle. If Bloomberg does get into this race, it would be nothing like

we've ever seen in our life, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, fascinating. All right, Mark, we'll be chatting more in the months to come, I know. If you can't get enough of politics viewer

you can always head to CNN.com/politics for updates on the race to the White House. There, you will find more polling, more analysis, and

articles from our reporters following the candidates day in and day out on the campaign trail. All that, again, CNN.com/Politics. The only place to

get your info on the race for 2016.

Live from London, this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, depicting the horrors of war, we catch up with a Syrian refugee

artist who is defying the conflict with his paint brush.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: And just before 5 to 5:00 in London. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. And you're watching CNN. Welcome back.

Throughout the hour, we have been talking about the hardening attitudes across Europe towards refugees. Some critics of Germany's open

door policy seem to become more vocal after the New Year's Eve attacks on women in Cologne.

A former Cologne police officer has an insider's perspective on what happened that night and

how his country should respond.

Atika Shubert has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For 11 years, Nick Hain was a cop with Germany's federal police. He spent three patrolling

the streets of cologne. Last year he put his career on hold to pursue his dream of becoming mixed martial arts fighter, but when he saw these social

media videos of the New Year's Eve chaos, an apparent mass assaults at Cologne's train station, he decided to speak out when many of his former

police colleagues could not.

NICK HAIN, FRM. GERMAN FEDERAL POLICEMAN: I always said it's kind of a civil war on New Year's Eve when you go.

SHUBERT: Nick took us around his old beat, Cologne's train station, for years a notorious hunting ground for pick pocket gangs.

Nick knows by name many of the Moroccan and Algerian pick pockets that target the station. But he says they represent a small criminal minority

in a vast majority of law abiding refugees.

HAIN: They are a minority. And it's important that people know that this minority causes immense problems since a long time ago.

SHUBERT: Crime is not new, he says. But the numbers have increased along with the surge in refugee arrivals, he says, overwhelming police

resources.

HAIN: We are losing trust to the public, you know.

Now, when they go through the train station people eyeballing them, like showing them, like, you know, you should have been helping us that

night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We're getting news of an active shooter in The States. I want to get you to our

colleagues in the U.S.

(SIMULCAST WITH CNN USA)

END