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First U.S. Cruise Ship In 40 Years Docks in Havana; Venezuela's Food Crisis; U.S. Calls on Russia to Help End Bombing Campaign in Aleppo; Will Leicester Win Premier League Tonight? Baghdad Protesters Vow to Return to Green Zone. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired May 02, 2016 - 11:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:00:41] MATT FRYE, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: The survivors emerge, the ghostly image of a nurse carrying a child or baby from the maternity ward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Rare footage captures the immediate aftermath of the bombing of a hospital in Aleppo last week. Well, the U.S. secretary of

state says it is an unconscionable act, but will this latest tragedy help push diplomatic efforts to end the violence in Syria?

Also ahead this hour, could this be the day that Leicester City fans have waited decades for? We are covering all angles just hours before a

decisive Premier League match.

And all aboard the first U.S. cruise ship bound for Cuba in 40 years docks in Havana. We're live from the island this hour.

At just after 7:00 in the evening here in the UAE, welcome. You're watching Connect the World with me Becky Anderson.

The next 24 to 48 hours could be critical to restoring some semblance of a cease-fire in Syria, that is according to U.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry who is in Geneva for what are urgent talks. He says negotiators are making progress as they consider, quote, serious proposals to revive a

month's old partial truce that has all but collapsed.

Today, the Syrian government said it's extending a unilateral cease-fire in Damascus and nearby suburbs for two more days, but that truce does not

apply to Aleppo which has seen a sharp escalation of violence. Hundreds of civilians have been killed there in the past week alone, some in a

devastating attack on a hospital.

Kerry says it's an absolute outrage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Aleppo is particularly disturbing to everybody for what has happened there. There are three health clinics now,

one major hospital, that have been attacked from the air by bombs. There are only two air forces flying in that particular area, and the Russians

are clear that they were not engaged or flying at that time.

The regime has clearly indicated a willingness over a period of time now to attack first responders, to attack health care workers and rescuers, and

the attack on this hospital is unconscionable under any standard anywhere. It has to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that was John Kerry speaking. One of the last pediatricians left in Aleppo was killed in that hospital attack. Channel 4

news has obtained surveillance footage that shows the doctor and other staff inside the hospital corridors just moments before the air strike hit.

Matt Frye shows us the horrific blasts and devastating aftermath.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRYE: This is a silent film, but you begin to imagine the sounds. The CCTV cameras outside the hospital in the rain, and inside, are unflinching

observers of what is about to unfold. The clocks on the screen are an hour out. It is 9:38 on Wednesday evening, and the Al Quds Hospital is shaken

by an explosion nearby.

Some people head downstairs expecting casualties to arrive, that turns out to be a deadly mistake. No one you can see here has any idea that this

hospital is seconds away from becoming a target itself. The choice of where to go left or right up or down seals their fate.

The man in green is a Doctor Mohammed Moaz (ph), leaving the intensive care unit. He is 36 years old and he's the last pediatrician in Aleppo. He's

already done one day shift at another hospital, and is in the middle of the night shift in this one. He is single and his parents have fled to Turkey.

He was looking forward to visiting them a few days later.

We don't know exactly where he has now gone, but we do know his fate.

At 9:42 and 12 seconds, the hospital is hit -- same explosion, different camera. Minutes after the dust clears, the survivors emerge. The ghostly

image of a nurse carrying a child or a baby from the maternity ward. Civilians milling around in a daze, taking on the

tasks of the nurses, who have been killed or injured.

Doctor Moaz (ph) is now dead, and so are 50 others -- nurses, patients, visitors.

As the smoke clears the road outside emerges as field of rubble. Since then, two more hospitals

have been hit and yesterday one of Aleppo's main medical storage facilities. In this case, four CCTV cameras bear talent witness.

(END VIDEOTAPE).

[11:06:16] ANDERSON: Matt Frye reporting. And graphic images, lest we forget what is going on Syria.

We're joined now by Frederick Pleitgen. He is following developments from Moscow. And we've been reporting earlier on John Kerry talking about this

as an absolute outrage. What is it that the U.S. is intent on trying to achieve at present? And what do they expect of the Russians at this point?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky.

Well, the U.S. has made clear that they believe that the Russians are key to trying to get to the

cessation of hostilities back into place there in Aleppo because, of course, it's supposed to count in all of Syria. And actually just a couple

minutes before we went to air here we did receive word from the Russian foreign ministry. They said that only a couple of minutes ago,

John Kerry and Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, actually spoke on the phone, and apparently both of them have agreed to further steps as

rolls being the head of the Syria support group and they also called on all sides to observe what they call this regime of calm, which is, of course,

these additional cease-fires that have agreed to in Damascus and in the Latakia area, but again that's not something that pertains to Aleppo.

And as far as Aleppo is concerned, the U.S. has made clear that it expects Russia to play a positive role in trying to get some sort of cessation of

hostilities there. And also to put pressure on the Assad government to stop its aerial campaign in that area.

Nevertheless, John Kerry has acknowledged that at this point in time, the entire cessation of hostilities is in big trouble. Let's listen to what he

said earlier at that press availability.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: But it is a fact that in the last weeks the cessation of hostilities has been put to test, and it has frayed in certain areas and it

has fallen completely in a few areas. And so we are engaged in an effort with all of the members of the international Syria support group and with

Russia, particularly, in an effort to restore that cessation of hostilities in those places where it has been most at risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now it's interesting to hears the Russian position on all of this, because late last week the Russians were still saying that they were

not intent on putting any additional pressure on the Assad government to stop its offensive that it says it has launched in Aleppo. However, by

Sunday the Russians were saying that they are, indeed, involved in negotiations to try to get the cessation of

hostilities back into place in Aleppo.

Now, it's unclear who the Russians are speaking to, whether they're speaking to any sort of forces on the ground, rebel and government forces,

or whether or not the Russians mean this as part of their international role of course speaking to countries like the U.S. and others as well.

But, of course, Becky, we know that all this is very pressing, some 250 civilians killed in the

Aleppo area in the past ten days.

The next step in all of this, Becky, will be Steffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to the Syrian conflict will be in Moscow on Tuesday for additional

talks.

ANDERSON: Frederick Pleitgen is in Moscow for you this evening. Fred, thank you.

Well, many of us may feel helpless hearing about and seeing the suffering of those in Syria and

yet we are so far away from the conflict, wherever we are, living and working, but there are things that we can all do to help.

CNN's impact your world connects you with aid organizations that are making a difference. By donating to them, you can help Syrian civilians survive

this brutal conflict. Find the information you need at CNN.com.

To some other stories on our radar. Today, South Korea's president is in Tehran holding meetings with her Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. It's

the first time a South Korean leader has visited the country since diplomatic relations were established in the early 1960s.

More harsh rhetoric from Donald Trump. The Republican presidential candidate is accusing China of, quote, raping the United States when it

comes to trade policy.

Trump has repeatedly accused Beijing of manipulating its currency to make its exports more competitive.

And an Australian computer scientist is claiming to be the founder of Bitcoin. Craig Stephen Wright (ph) has published what he says is technical

proof to back up his claim. The widely used digital currency was created in 2009 but the identity of its founder has remained a mystery.

Well, if you have been waiting for a happy ending to the English Premier League's fairy tale story, just need to wait a little longer. Leicester

City only drew their match against Manchester United on Sunday. Now remember, they needed three points from that game to clinch

the English Premier League title, but the dream could still be a reality today if second place Tottenham Hotspur fail to

win against Chelsea.

Well, that game kicks off less than four hours from now and viewers forgive the seemingly hyperbole, but this really would be a seriously incredible

story if they were to win this title.

In a moment, we are going to get to see how Chelsea, who have been struggling this season, are preparing for the game against Spurs at

Stamford Bridge, that is where Kelly Morgan is reporting from tonight.

First, though, let's go to CNN World Sport's Christina Macfarlane who is in Leicester.

The dream lives on. What's the buzz there?

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN WORLD SPORT: That's absolutely right, Becky, the dream does live on. I was packed into a pub here in Leicester City with

around 500 fans last night waiting for that title winning goal that never came. Manchester United playing like the team suddenly they were meant to

be.

So, I've been talking to the fans here this morning, the nervousness and anticipation and the wait goes on. But they've been telling me that they

will now take this title win, whichever way they can get it, Tonight, when Tottenham take on Chelsea by default or whether htey take it here at

the King Power Stadium against Everton on Saturday.

As you say, Tottenham playing the crucial game tonight against Chelsea. Now, if they draw or lose the title will go to Leicester City. And we've

heard that the players who have been making their way back from Manchester will be congregating in one of the Player's houses tonight to watch the

crucial match, but they won't be joined by their manager Claudio Ranieri who understand will be on a plane making his way to Italy to take his 96-

year-old mother out to lunch.

What a time to be doing that.

Now it is the best place to be here, Becky, at the King Power Stadium, because we've had fans

coming here to the stadium all day and just a short while ago, we met a couple who (inaudible) who gave us a very special rendition of a song that

they created in honor of Leicester's title winning chances. Have a listen.

(MUSIC)

MACFARLANE: I'm still dancing now, Becky. How cool are they? Just a snapshot of the

excitement here as we build towards the big game in just a few hours time.

ANDERSON: That's right. And we all thought they were relgation contenders this year. How wrong can we be? Thank you, Chrstina.

Big night then, Kellie, at what is known as the Bridge.

Now, here is the thing, there is a history of animosity between Spurs and Chelsea that goes back

a half centuries. Now no respecting Tottenham fan -- for transparency's sake, I must admit that I am one such fan -- will admit that there is

actually a chance we could win this title, eternal pessimists that we are.

But the idea that Chelsea could deny Spurs the opportunity is, Kellie, hardly worth thinking about.

KELLIE MORGAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONENT: Well, I know Becky, this must be just horrible for you to be watching right now as a Spurs fan, but

yes Chelsea will be coming here this evening with one clear goal in mind. They want to beat Spurs and destroy any hope that they have of winning that

title, because they have to win tonight and the next two games if they've got

any chance to decide destroy Leicester's dream here.

Now as you said, there is a massive rivalry between these two teams. Chelsea has not had a great season. They will be using this spotlight that

they've been given tonight to come back and win back the fate of their fans who has been disappointed this season.

And it's mutual. Spurs, the last thing they want is to have their title dream, which they haven't won a title since 1961, the last thing they want

is for their arch rivals Chelsea to rob them of that, Becky. And I know that you will be watching tonight with great anxiety.

I'm sure that Leicester City, that fairytale isn't even on your mind.

[11:15:47] ANDERSON: Just rubbing our faces in the fact that we haven't won anything

significant since 1961.

But you make a point and therefore this is an important game.

Christina, thank you.

Kellie, thanks.

And to everybody around the world who will be watching -- come on you Spurs, no, I don't mean it, honestly. I'm being completely nonpartisan

here.

Game on here in the UAE 11:00 in case anybody wants to watch.

Thank you, ladies.

Still to come tonight a fractured Iraq after a cleric's word sent hundreds to breach the government's inner sanctum. They are promising to do it

again. So, who's really running Iraq? Analysis up next.

He was told that his country forget about him and he wouldn't return home for years. Kenneth Bae talks exclusively with CNN about life as a North

Korean prisoner. Taking a very short break. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: ISIS says it was behind a car bombing in southwest Baghdad on Monday. Police say -- tell CNN that the attack killed at least 16 people

and wounded more than 40, most of them Shiite pilgrims. It's the third straight day the Sunni terror group has claimed attacks targeting Shiite

Muslims.

Welcome back. You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson.

All right, well, bombings like that, ISIS civil war, sectarian violence, Iraq has seen many horrors since the U.S. invaded in 2003 and now it may be

moving towards more political upheaval.

Protesters began pouring out of Baghdad's fortress-like green zone on Sunday nearly a day after they stormed into it breaking into what's long

been seen as an impenetrable area.

They are vowing to go back later this week if their demands for government change aren't met.

They did it on the urging of this man, Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in a stunning but still restrained display of power.

You can see many waving Iraqi flags as they left while chanting their allegiance to the country, not to Muqtada and not to any sect.

Now, that is putting pressure on Prime Minister Haider al Abadi and other lawmakers to make good on their promises to stop corruption in the country.

Many Iraqis suspect that politicians are dividing the country amongst themselves.

Well, let's deconstruct what is going on in more detail. We are joined from London by Columbia University fellow Luay al-Khatteeb. He is, as I

say, out of London for you this evening.

Politicians know that they are vulnerable even as a symbolic act. Could this usher in big change

in Baghdad?

[11:20:43] LUAY AL-KHATTEEB, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Well, thanks for hosting me, Becky.

What's happened in Baghdad yesterday was something inevitable. In fact, it's already 13 years

too late. Although, we have been in Baghdadi a federal government and various institutions that seem to be like running the show for the past

years, but unfortunately, the incompetency, the mismanagement, the ongoing corruption, went very far and beyond control that it really pushed the

public to the moment of a boiling point to really -- to go storm the epicenter of the government.

In fact, although these demonstrations and protests may have -- could be seen as like Muqtada al Sadr's protesters dominated in terms of the masses,

but we have to remember that these movements started three, four years ago.

It's just like the mobilization of the masses happened over the past few months.

ANDERSON: No, very good point. Very good point.

Let me walk through for our viewers' sake some of the key players here, starting with Iraq's current prime minister, Haider al Abadi. He has been

in the job a couple years now, of course, and is viewed by many as a reformer.

Now he took over from Nouri al Maliki who was in charge for almost a decade. And it's widely seen that he was pushed out with Washington keen

for him to go as well. So that was al Maliki there.

So, let's move on, then there is Muqtada al Sadr who we just mentioned, he is extremely popular and once led an insurgency against U.S. and Iraqi

forces. Now, though, he seems to have tempered his outlook.

This is a country, sir, racked by sectarian violence, Sunni versus Shia, but all these big guys, these big players are Shiite. Why isn't everybody

on the same page here? Why is there so much infighting?

AL-KHATEEB: Well, the political quota system defined today's mess. The political quota system that was enforced on the new Iraq post-2003 have

evolved in an ugly way, that basically politicized every single institution, even the $700 billion that Iraq managed to earn over the past

13 years, never materialized into meaningful development on the ground.

Again, those protesters, when they came out, they came out asking for basically services, the basic human rights when it comes to providing a

respectable life to people. It is unfortunate a rich country like Iraq, after all the high oil prices that the country enjoyed

for many years, never translate these revenues into serious development.

Mismanagement was even bigger than corruption. Corruption, if we are talking about corruption in the millions and a few billions, the

mismanagement led to the losses of hundreds of billions of dollars.

So the people now really are asking for...

ANDERSON: You make a very good point.

AL-KHATEEB: ...a new era to change the status quo that took place over the past 15 years.

ANDERSON: So that begs the question, what might that new era look like? If nothing were to change, could Muqtada al-Sadr spark a revolution here

effectively?

AL-KHATEEB: Muqtada al-Sadr cannot ride this wave alone. Again, he was part of the of the

political quota system. His MPs and ministers were part of the dysfunctional government that -- or governments that ruled over the past

years.

So even when he say sometimes in some of the footage that those ministers or MP don't represent me, it sends a rather confusing message to the

audience that says okay, what is in your mind, what are you trying to say?

At the end of the day Muqtada al Sadr inherited the legacy and the populist support from his father and his uncle that executed by Saddam Hussein. The

leadership that he enjoys today it's by default and inheritance.

So what really Iraq needs is a true leadership to turn things around beyond just relying on one person.

ANDERSON: All right.

AL-KHATEEB: He might be seen as a strong person but this is just the -- enjoying the legacy that he inherited from the past.

[11:25:58] ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, Luay, thank you for that. That's your analysis out of London this evening.

AL-KHATEEB: Thank you for having me.

ANDERSON: Well, despite all the political unrest in Baghdad, Iraq has been ramping up

its oil production even as the world is already trying to figure out how to deal with global oversupply. Well, let's bring in CNN Money's John

Defterios now to explain why the glut prices -- despite the glut, prices are still going up.

Rising supply, rising prices, it's not supposed to work like that. What's going on?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN MONEY: Wellk, it's amazing. What a month of April, basically Becky. We're looking at the biggest percentage gain in seven

years and 20 happens to be an important number, because it was a 20 percent gain in the month of April. And we're $20 above the low that we

reached in January of $27 a barrel.

You are correct, we've never seen so much oil supplies in surplus right now, over 3 billion barrels in the industrialized world. We see that, in

fact, the U.S. is running out of places to store it. But right now everybody is focused on the rebalance taking place in the market that's

likely to happen in the second half of the year.

But we were see far ahead of where we should be. Most were calling for $50 oil by the end of 2016, not early in the second quarter.

I think Iraq is, in fact, the sleeper story for 2016. Everybody has been focused on Iran coming back, Saudi Arabia and Russia perhaps freezing or

not. Iraq is at near record production of 4.3 million barrels and most of that is coming from the Shiite south, 3.3 million barrels a day.

So quietly, despite the political chaos we see in Baghdad, the challenges you have with ISIS in the Kurdish region, and trying to protect Kirkuk, the

production is moving along, Iran is right at its near presanctions level and we even have the UAE with the new director general

of ADNOC (ph), the state oil company, targeting 3.5 million barrels day.

The long and short of it, the Middle East producers don't want to give up their marketshare right now.

ANDERSON: It's fascinating. Well, these lower prices have got people really thinking about what's going on in tightening their belts,

particularly in Saudi Arabia, of course, and in other places.

Tell us about the bin Laden group, because they've been in the news.

DEFTERIOS: Well, there's a direct link to that slowdown in Saudi Arabia and what we've seen with the bin Laden group. I think it's fair to say

this is the closest thing you will ever come to in the Middle East to a revolt. We saw workers who received their pink slips, al-Watan (ph)

newspaper in Saudi Arabia is standing by its story suggesting at least 50,000 are going to be laid off and have exit visas ready on top of the

15,000 last autumn.

You remember the crane disaster back in September. So, we're looking at 65,000 of 200,000 workers of the bin Laden group.

The long and short of it...

ANDERSON: Big construction group, let's remind our viewers.

DEFTERIOS: It's huge, one of the biggest in the world, in fact.

Their assets were frozen after the crane disaster. But we're not growing 5.5, 6 percent in

Saudi Arabia, they're going to get lucky to eek out 1 to 1.5 percent in 2016.

Bin Laden said it's part of the normal procedure. This is not normal. This is an oil shock throughout the region. I think we should make the

connection to the conversation we had this week. And that's what the deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

He suggested he would like to have the private sector make up two-thirds of the economy by

2030. The private sector has been living off the oil wealth for the last five years.

With the drop in oil prices the private sector is not going to move forward. They're going to cut jobs at this stage and that's what we're

seeing right now in the bin Laden Group. They came out with a statement tonight suggesting they will make all those workers whole, but the fact

that they torched seven buses in the holy city of Mecca and are protesting on the streets of Saudi Arabia, tells you of how

difficult the situation is on the ground.

ANDERSON: Interesting times. John, always a pleasure. My colleague here in the UAE.

The latest world news headlines are just ahead. Plus, waiting in line all day for food and still going home hungry. How Venezuelans are struggling

to survive as an economic crisis there deepens.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[11:33:31] ANDERSON: Well, ISIS has claimed responsibility for a deadly machete attack on a Hindu tailor in Bangladesh, that is according to a

counterterror monitoring group. Police there say three people have been detained in what is the latest in a series of brutal attacks on the

country.

Ivan Watson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The government is denouncing dozens of killings that have been carried out by suspected Islamist groups

in the country over the last year. The prime minister in a speech on Saturday said,

quote, "there is no place for terrorism in the country and no terrorist would be allowed to use Bangladesh's soil. We want to establish Bangladesh

as a peaceful nation in the world."

But as she spoke on Saturday, killers struck again. In this case, the victim of the latest machete murder, a Hindu tailor in a town outside of

the Bangladeshi capital. The killers walked into his workshop and killed him with machetes.

Police say a possible motive is the fact that in 2012, he was charged with blasphemy and insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Police say they've detained

at least three men in connection with the attack, two men are officials in local chapters of two main opposition

political parties who were linked with bringing the charges against the tailor in the first place in 2012.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for this attack, as it has as well as al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for previous machete murders. Over the

last month, some of the targets included a professor of English, two gay rights activists an an atheist blogger and now this Hindu tailor as

well.

The Bangladeshi government rejects activities by either ISIS or al Qaeda in the country claiming this is the work of homegrown extremists and the

Bangladeshi prime minister has gone one step further, directly accusing the two biggest opposition parties being behind what she calls planned murders.

A spokesman for the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, denies these

accusations calling them fabrications. In the meantime, members of civil society describe a climate of fear in the wake of these killings, some of

them have gone underground in hiding, others, are simply fleeing the country.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:36:03] ANDERSON: Well, as Venezuela plunges further crisis, people who live there are struggling to find the basics unsure of where their next

meal may come from. Well, the government there has imposed rolling blackouts and the public sector work week has been cut tojust two days

because of the power issues.

Now on Sunday, Venezuela pushed its clocks forward by 30 minutes to deal with the crisis. But those measures aren't enough to fill store shelves.

CNN's Paula Newton has more on what is that desperate search for food for so many.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even in the driving rain, Venezuelans started their day in search of food expecting to see the usual

grim cues that form at government stores.

Not today. The only stores with affordable food are shut, closed for the national workers holiday the sign explains. It says, sorry, and thank you.

People walked away empty-handed but full of dread, wondering where their next meal might come from.

i asked Julian Perez what he needs.

JULIAN PEREZ, CARACAS RESIDENT (through translator): All the basics. I have nothing at home. Sometimes I go hungry. Who can say that we the

people aren't hungry right now?

NEWTON: And here's the thing, these people aren't allowed to come back tomorrow. Food is rationed here, doled out according to the last number on

your government ID.

Carlos Chirinos (ph) explains his turn is today. His number is five.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

NEWTON; So he's saying that just today and Wednesday, can he buy things and because it's closed today, he's out of luck.

So, too, is Ladis Nanes (ph), with two children and one on the way, she is raising her kids with no food in her cupboards and barely any in the

fridge.

Venezuela is sitting on the world's largest proven oil reserves, but it can't stop the nation's refrigerators.

"This is all I have," she tells me as I ask about milk. "When I find it," she says, "they have milk."

And even at six months pregnant, sometimes with a child on each hand, she lines up for as many as 18 hours to find anything to eat.

Janet de Bolivar (ph) shows us all she has, too. She says it took her three weeks of queuing to stock this much, a shop that would have normally

taken about an hour.

"This is not the worst of it for this family.

Janet introduces us to her daughter, Yasday who explains the country is out of medicine, too,and there's no line you can wait in for that.

YASDAY BOLIVAR (through translator): Cancer waits for no one. I'm worried about my own health and the health of so many others who are going through

this right now.

NEWTON: Yasday is holding unfilled prescriptions for chemo, and she says no doctor, no hospital can tell her when she will get treatment.

BOLIVAR (through translator): It pains me to see Venezuela in the state that it's in right now, but what really makes my heart ache is the thought

of not being here for my daughter tomorrow.

NEWTON: Three generations of Bolivars are counting on things to change in Venezuela. But like so many on this date, they cling to patience, hope and

very little else.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Paula Newton is live for you now out of Venezuela's capital of Caracas.

A very revealing report there. And a defiant president over the weekend, Paula, if the oligarchy manages to take this palace I order you to declare

yourselves in rebellion, he said.

How much support does he have at this point?

NEWTON: You know, many people have the indication that no matter what he says he is trying to deal with each crisis as it comes and that even the

government itself now is overwhelmed.

Becky, it's important to understand how we got here. The inflation, the economic crisis, has been spiraling here for several years. The problem,

Becky, was that oil price. And I know you just had John Defterios on. We've been talking about the oil price going up. It's not going to do

enough to solve Venezuela's problems. It gets the majority of its revenue for this country from oil. When that oil price dropped essentially off a

cliff, Becky, you basically took the country here in Venezuela off a cliff.

And at this point, the government is dealing with each crisis as they can, completely overwhelmed.

One thing you're going to see from us later in the week, there is the electricity crisis as well. That really has this country basically

screeching to a halt right now -- Becky.

[11:40:49] ANDERSON: It does seem absolutely remarkable. And you pointed out in your report, this is a country that is sitting on the largest proven

reserves of oil in the world.

I'm just wondering, what happens next? And where the country really goes from here as you rightly point out doesn't matter where the oil goes from

what 35, 40 to 60 or 70 at this point. You know, people are starving. So we've heard from the people on the street there. You know, what happens

next, Paula?

NEWTON: They don't know. And as I said, I don't think the government knows as well. There is a political process here going on. The opposition

is trying to oust the government saying that they will be the ones to be able to at least set this country on the right place.

But as I've said to a few people, Becky, the economic crisis is basically going at the speed of a Ferrari, the political process is kind of winding

down on a very old rickety bike. At this point in time, it is going to remain to be seen if the people of Venezuela say enough is enough.

We have seen isolated incidents of looting and of some chaos, but right now, Becky, I have to tell you, behind me on these streets there are people

once again lining up. They don't have enough hours in the day to really think about what comes next. They need to know where their next meal is

coming from.

And let me point out this is not just from people who perhaps were suffering before economically. This is from the middle classes who cannot

find bread, milk for their children. It is now hitting every strata of society here in Venezuela.

ANDERSON: And more from Paula later this week. Paula, thank you.

Well, he spent years working ten hours a day, carrying rocks and shoveling coal in North Korea, becoming the longest held American there since the

Korean War.

The first time since his release Kenneth Bae is talking about that ordeal. In his first live interview he spoke exclusively to CNN's Chris Cuomo.

Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH BAE, FORMER NORTH KOREAN POLITICAL PRISONER: I was the first American ever sent to a labor camp in North Korea and I have to work from

8:00 in the morning until 6:00 at night six days a week. Working on the field, doing farming, labor, work on carrying a rock and shoveling coal.

And all those things that was physically very demanding and was very difficult, especially I have a back problems and different issues that I

have before even imprisonment.

But along the way, that I found myself adjusting the life in those Korean prison, just depending upon God and just solely pretty much living day to

day and just live one day at a time.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Did they tell you you`re not going home? You`re going to be here forever? What kind of things would they say to you in the

prison?

BAE: Well, there was a one prosecutor assigned to my case for the last year of my imprisonment. He came to me almost every week and say, no one

remember you. You have been forgotten by people, your government, you`re not going home anytime soon, you`ll be here for 15 years. You`ll be 60

before you go home.

CUOMO: What would that do to your head?

BAE: Obviously, it was very difficult to take it in. But I was holding on to the promise that it was from -- when I was praying from God that, you

know, he will be my rescuer and the U.S. government would do everything possible that bring me home.

So, I was holding on to the promise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Kenneth Bae speaking to my colleague Chris Cuomo.

Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Andreson. Coming up cruising into the history books. Why this ship means so much for

relations between the United States and Cuba.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:47:37] ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson. 47 minutes past 7:00 here in Abu Dhabi.

Now, this may look like an ordinary cruise ship, but you're actually watching history in the making. For the first time in decades, a U.S.

cruise ship has sailed into the Cuban capital heralding a new era in U.S./Cuba relations.

Well, the ship docked in the past hour. CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins us live now from Havana, our man in Havana. What's the reception like there,

Patrick?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're hearing a little bit of that reception just now, Becky. On the street below me, that is the

terminal where the first Americans are emerging on to the streets of Havana. And we are hearing Cubans applaud and cheer them -- something I've

never heard before here for any cruise ship passengers, something that would have been unthinkable in the height of the Cold War, which seems more

like a distant memory in Cuba.

This morning it was quite an image to see not only the cruise ship appear on the horizon, but

really feel all the city seemingly stop as we experienced when the U.S. embassy reopened here, of course, last year and the American flag went up

or when President Obama was here just a few weeks ago.

So once again, it was sort of a moment in time where you felt that things were standing still in Cuba and the unthinkable once again was happening.

And now these Americans, of course, just want to take in their first day in Havana. They'll be continuing on tomorrow to other stops on the island.

And, of course, just soaking up the history that is being made really just by arriving here and they're receiving quite the warm Cuban greeting just

as each one walks out we're hearing applause and welcoming like we've never heard for any cruise ship passengers before, something quite unusual,

Becky.

ANDERSON: And patrick, we spoke to Carlos Acosta the other day. He was performing here, the Cuban ballerina, one of the most famous Cubans around

these days. And we talked about whether he felt things would change and I'm wondering what these cruise ship passengers will find as the new

Havana. He said he hoped things wouldn't change from that which was a city that he grew up in, but he

said clearly, you know, he would expect life to get better for people.

What are these new tourists going to find in the capital?

[11:50:08] OPPMANN: You know, they're only here for a day and really one of the reasons why Cuban government feels a cruise ship tourism is so

important because they don't have enough hotel rooms, they don't have enough infrastructure, they don't have enough restaurants so this allows

for a large group of tourists to come here and still have the comforts of home, which they simply won't find in many Cuban hotels.

But, of course, Carnival -- sorry cruise ship tourism is controversial. It's not considered by many to be the most socially responsible tourism.

So, we'll have to see how this unfolds here.

You know, frankly, this is one of Carnival cruise's smaller ships. They can't fit the big ones in

here because of the infrastructure in Cuba is so outdated. So, they're looking ahead. That is something

that will have to change if they want to arrive here with ships that can carry upwards of 3,000 people.

They will have to modernize the port behind me. They can only fit two cruise ships at a time but that's way down the road.

I think many Cubans today who greeted the ship were just really excited by the sheer novelty of

it. Americans not too long ago were a rarity here and now to see 700 disembarking and Cuban-Americans aboard them, again hearing some of the

shouts, and applause, Becky, something that Cubans are still getting used to the idea that Americans can come here, more Americans are coming here

and that more American cruise ships will soon be coming here.

ANDERSON: Patrick Oppmann is live for you out of Havana this evening. Well, as the visitors -- thank you, sir, as that cruise ship enjoy this day

in Havana, did you know that general tourist travel to Cuba is still illegal under U.S. law.

Visitors only allowed under 12 special categories of travel activity. Find out what they are on the web site CNN.com. That is CNN.com.

Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World.

Coming up, we take a look at a Pakistani squash player defying all the odds to become the country's number one. That is just a couple of minutes from

now. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Your Parting Shots this evening. And we're going to take a look at two squash

players hitting new heights -- 20-year-old Nour al Shabini has become the youngest and first ever Egyptian to win the PSA women's world championship.

Another playing defying the odds is Maria Toorpakai from Pakistan. Here's her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA TOORPAKAI, NUMBER 1 PAKISTANI SQUASH PLAYER: My name is Maria Toorpakai. I'm a professional squash player And Pakistan's number one

female squash player.

I come Waziristan, the most dangerous place on Earth.

We come from the same area and from the same blood as Taliban was there. When I was 4 years old, I burned all my girlie clothes and I told my father

that I don't want to, you know, be like girls and I want to hang outside and, you know, be free. And he laughed and he said, okay, from now on your

name is Genghis Khan. So, Genghis Khan was one of the greatest warrior in the history.

I asked my father that I want to play squash. And my dad was really happy with my decision.

Squash is very popular game in Pakistan. You know, we had many legends, world champions. I performed really well in international tournaments. I

got the Pakistan award from the president of Pakistan and it was all over television, news, and there was a time when I got death threats from the

Taliban. It wasn't something that should be taken light.

We could hear bomb blasts. We have seen bomb blasts, people dying right there. There was a time that I wasn't able to go outside at all. There

was three and a half years that I wasn't able to play squash and I only trained and played in my own room.

I started emailing every club, every university, college, school, wherever I could find squash courts in the western world asking for help that I want

to become world champion and I want to train.

I sent thousands of emails, like around 85, 90 emails every day for almost four years. And finally i got a message from Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go.

TOORPAKAI: It was Jonathan Power. And he is a huge name. When I got his reply I couldn't

believe and I was so happy. I'm in top 50 now in the world. My goal is to connect east and west through sports, through education, and I want peace

in the world, you know. I want people to get united against this terrorism.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That's an inspiring story, isn't it?

And back to another inspiring sport story. Leicester City fans, just hours away from finding out if the English Premier league title is theirs.

The Foxes, of course, aren't the only underdogs to overcome unlikely odds in sports. CNN looks at how other improbable teams have fared on the

pitch. For that and much more, do use our Facebook page, Facebook.com/CNNconnect. You can get in touch with me there or on Twitter.

And that is @BeckyCNN. That's @BeckyCNN.

I'm Becky Anderson. That was Connect the World. Thank you for watching from the team here and those working with us around the world. It is a

very good evening.

END