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Connect the World
Tens of Thousands Flee Aleppo; Young Refugees in Greece Resort to Selling Selves to Survive; African Startup: Taxi Jet; Romney Meets with Trump Again. 10:00a-11:00a ET
Aired November 30, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:04] ZAIN ASHER, HOST: Fleeing for their lives. Tens of thousands of people are getting out of Aleppo, but many more are left
behind with barely any help. W'll bring you that full analysis next.
Also ahead, the next American president is sitting down with some heavy hitting critics. You see them there at dinner last night. He is
looking to fill one of his top jobs. We'll be live in Washington this hour for that.
Also ahead...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And when Donald Trump questioned America's commitment to NATO, and seems to want a detente
with Russia, that bit of land just there, it gets noticed here.
From Trump's rhetoric to realpolitik. We'll take you deep inside the Arctic Circle for an exclusive look at American forces U.S.'s war games as
Moscow looks on.
Hello, everyone. Welcome to Connect the World. I'm Zain Asher at CNN Center in for my colleague Becky Anderson. We begin with the suffering in
eastern Aleppo. Take a look at these photos. They show the absolutely horrific devastation after this latest attack. Syria's bombardment shows
no sign of stopping, no sign of letting up.
The goal is to flush out rebels, the civilians are the ones who end up paying the price.
The White Helmet volunteer group tells CNN that 45 civilians were killed on Wednesday and
most of those people, by the way, were women and children.
In the last few days, an estimate 20,000 people have fled the area, conditions are dire for the 200,000 people who have been left behind. Food
is running out. Hospitals are closed down. They can no longer care for the sick. Russia, Syria's main ally, says civilians in retaken areas are
receiving humanitarian aid.
We are covering the story from all angles. Jill Dougherty looks at we look at Russia's role in the
civil war from Moscow. But we begin with Mohammad Lila who is following the story from Istanbul.
So, Mohammad, we know that 20,000 people so far have fled the violence. All of them are heading into western Aleppo. What happens to
them now?
MOHAMMAD LILA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, the situation on the ground is more dire now than it has been, quite possibly
since this conflict began about four years ago. A Syrian -- a news source that is allied with the Syrian government has put out some drone footage
showing some of those civilians escaping the eastern part of the city, passing through a a government checkpoint. We understand that those
civilians will be housed at a camp close to the airport.
But the bigger question is what happens to those civilians that remain inside? The Syrian White Helmets said 45 civilians were killed when they
were trying to move from one neighborhood to another neighborhood and they got caught in an artillery strike. As far as the Syrian side goes, the
western part of the city, they say that eight civilians died on their side of the city.
So, there are displaced people on both sides. There are casualties on both sides. And the reality is that the situation on the ground is getting
very -- it's getting much worse, and it's happening very, very quickly.
ASHER: So, Mohammahd, you know, for those people who are living in areas that have been taken, retaken, I should say, by government forces,
how great is the fear of arrest and interrogation?
LILA: That's a very good question, and the fear of reprisals and revenge attacks is very high. And it's for this reason, as the Syrian
regime was putting its choke hold on the eastern part of the cit, they made it a very slow and calculated and deliberate process. It wasn't something
that took just a day or two, it's something that took several weeks and months to enact, and for the strategy to take place.
And as part of that, the Syrian regime says that they opened up humanitarian corridors for
civilians to leave. Now, some civilians did not leave whether they stayed by choice, because that's their home and they don't support the Assad
regime, or whether they are forced to stay by the rebels, the reality is there are still hundreds of thousands of civilians that are still now in
those areas. And if they haven't left, there is a very real fear and risk that the Assad regime will see them as rebel sympathizers or, as the regime
says, terrorist sympathizers.
So, there is a real fear right now that if that is the case, there could be violence, there could be and revenge attacks in the days and weeks
to come.
ASHER: So, government forces have retaken literally almost a third of the territory in eastern Aleppo. Just explain what has led to this
dramatic escalation in military power?
LILA: Well, that's a very good question. And the answer is simple. It's been a very fierce and
relentless bombardment campaign from the air along with ground incursions. Syrian state news agency today put out some footage there showing one of
their tanks moving into one of the areas and a small firefight, and small skirmishes in some of the outlying areas.
But this has been Syria's strategy all along. It was never to wipe out the rebels in one shot, it was what I refer to as death by
asphyxiation, a slow strangulated death where you basically choke, in this case, literally, the life out of eastern Aleppo, until either everyone
surrenders or they're all killed. That was their strategy from the beginning and that's why they've been able to get so far.
And that's where we are today, because they've been following through on that strategy and they show no signs of letting up. So they are
continue to go neighborhood by neighborhood. And as we're talking about this, and as we're talking about the strategy, there's no more food. The
UN has said there are no more hospitals in eastern Aleppo that are functioning, so the humanitarian situation is deep and is dire and is more
serious now than it ever has been.
ASHER: Gosh, that is a sobering reality. Mohammad, I want to bring in our Jill Dougherty who is live for us in Moscow.
So, Jill, I just want to talk about this sort of political angle, political aspect of all this, particularly with the relationship between
the United States and Moscow. What do you expect to happen or change in Syria on the ground there around Aleppo when Donald Trump officially takes
over in January?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, nobody really knows, of course. But I would have to say that the Russian hope is that
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will be able to work out some type of cooperation, and that's the word they're using, cooperation, on going after
the terrorists.
Because after all, remember, you know, Russia has really put it to the United States under the Obama administration that you have to separate the
bad guys from the good guys. But at the same time, kind of arguing that it is impossible to do that.
So now, Russia steps back. It hasn't bombed in Aleppo for 44 days. It's allowing the Syrian
government to carry out these attacks. And as you can see, the news is really bad. It looks very bad, you know, for, let's say, the Syrian
government. But the Russians are saying that actually, some of the video that you're seeing has been created by the terrorists in order to cast
dispersion on the Syrian forces.
So I think, you know, again, standing back politically, what they're hoping is they can take over eastern Aleppo, that the facts on the ground
will be that by the time Donald Trump becomes president. and that Donald Trump will look at it also in kind of black and white terms, that you have
to go after the terrorists, and the best way to do that is do it with Russia. That is Moscow's hope.
ASHER: So, Jill, just following up from what Mohammad said about the humanitarian aspects of all of this. The Russians have actually promised
that they would be sending mobile hospitals to eastern Aleppo to assist in the crisis. Do we know if they've actually
followed through on that promise?
DOUGHERTY: Well, they're certainly preparing them. And they have -- that's the emphasis
coming out of Moscow today -- the hospitals, they pointed out that Syrian forces apparently have cleared Castello Road. They're saying that they are
ready, the Russians are ready, to assist in aid agencies, in getting into eastern Aleppo.
And in fact, Moscow says hat it also has put together a team, I believe it is 200 people, who
are deemed minors, who can go in there and get rid of some of the landmines and other ordinance in eastern Aleppo.
Now, the question is, is it actually happening? Has the United Nations, or anybody else asked for it. That is not clear at this point.
But the point is Russia wants to show itself as the peacemaker in this and not be (inaudible) the group that is carrying out all of that
destruction.
ASHER: All right, Jill Dougherty, live for us in Moscow. And Mohammad Lila, thank you so much. Appreciate that.
All right, some other stories I want to tell you about that are on the radar right now. ISIS media is claiming The Ohio State University attacker
is one of the group's soldiers. There is no evidence -- I want to make this clear, there is no evidence to back up that claim. Authorities
believe the 18-year-old student was inspired by ISIS propaganda. Of the 11 people wounded in this attack, three people remain in hospital.
And Colombia is on the verge of a peace deal that could help end more than five decades of
violence. The center has approved a new agreement between the government and the rebel group FARC. The two parties signed it last week. This time,
there was referendum. You'll remember that the public actually rejected an earlier agreement.
In the United States, huge fires in eastern Tennessee have killed three people and damaged
hundreds of buildings near two popular resort towns. Take a look at these images here, fires really ripping through this town. The national park
service says the fire that sparked dozens of others was actually caused by humans, by people.
Brazil is a nation in grief, as I speak, as it marks three days of mourning for the victims of Tuesday's plane crash in Colombia. It's still
not known what exactly brought down the aircraft near the city of Medellin. Investigators are looking into a couple of possibilities, one of them being
perhaps a lack of fuel that the plane may have run out of fuel, or a problem that cut fuel from the engines.
At least 71 people were killed in this crash, including members of a Brazilian football team. Medellin will hold a remembrance ceremony on
Wednesday at the stadium where the team was supposed to play.
Flight recorders from the plane have been recovered as investigators try and figure out what's wrong.
To discuss all of this, CNN's Rafael Romo joins me live now.
So, I guess, the slight piece of good news, I would say, Rafael, is that the block boxes are in very good condition. How long until we
actually get the information from the black boxes so we can actually figure out something concrete about what went wrong in this crash?
[10:10:50] ROMO: Typically in a case like this, we're talking about weeks. And currently, there are two lines of investigations. Number one,
it is very suspicious to investigators right now that there was no fire at the crash site. Normally, when there is fuel in the
plane, there's some sort of fire, there's some sort of explosion, nothing of that sort was found at the
crash site.
And number two, there was an emergency declaration. The pilot reported to the control tower just minutes before the crash that they had
some sort of electrical problem in the aircraft, and that's the second line of investigation that aviation officials are going to be looking at.
Now, Zain, there is a delegation from Brazil coming to Medellin today that includes aviation experts, also the mayor of Chapeco, the town from
where the team originated, and other officials. They are going to be helping in the investigation.
And today is going to be an especially difficult day, because tonight would have been the time, the night, that Chapecoense was playing against
Atletico Nacional in Medellin. This was going to be the first game of two that would have decided the champion for the South American Cup. Instead,
the mayor of Medellin has said that they're going to allow people to pay their respects to the Chapecoense team. And at the very same stadium where
the game was going to be held, people are going to go there. They are being asked to dress in white to pay homage to the victims of the plane
crash.
ASHER: Gosh, this is absolutely heartbreaking.
And you know, there were a handful of people that, somehow, by some miracle, managed to actually survive this plane crash. At what point will
investigators actually be able to talk to them and perhaps learn a little bit more about what happened?
ROMO: We don't know exactly in what kind of condition they are in. But there has been bits of information coming out of Medellin, and one that
of the survivors, one of the players for Chapecoense had to have his leg amputated. Among the six survivors we count, three players, two members of
the crew and one journalist. Let's also remember that there were more than 20 journalists on that flight. So it's definitely quite a hit for the
sports journalism in Brazil.
And again, like you mentioned before, three days of national mourning declared by President Michel Temer in Brazil and the world of football is
very -- has been very shocked by what happened And a lot of people declaring themselves in mourning.
ASHER: And it is important to remember, Chapeco, that town in southern Brazil where all these players are from, it's such a small town,
but literally almost everyone would have known someone, or known of someone who was actually on the plane.
ROMO: No, that's right. And only two years ago, they were not even the top tier category and now this happens.
ASHER: All right, right. Rafael Romo, thank you so much for bringing that to us. Appreciate it.
At the UN, the security council voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea just a short
time ago. The decision follows the country's latest and largest nuclear test. Meanwhile, in South Korea, things seem to be going from bad to worse
for the country's embattled president.
Park Geun-hye has been caught up in a devastating corruption scandal for weeks now. In the last few hours, opposition parties announced they'll
continue to push for an impeachment vote. Protesters actually took to the streets of Seoul to voice their outrage as well.
Here's our Saima Mohsin with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thousands of people are marching through Central Seoul tonight here, calling for President Park
to go and to go unconditionally. This, of course, just one day after she took to the television for a third national address, to apologize yet
again. But she did not resign. She threw a curveball back into the court of parliament, saying they should decide what she should do next. And that
is why, tonight, unusually, we are seeing thousands of people gathered for this snap protest.
Normally on a week night, we only see people gathering in their hundreds. Tonight, there are thousands here, and they are from 1,500
different trade unions and student groups and other members who have decided to join them. These are members and workers of companies across
Korea, in central Seoul, who are sick of the corruption scandal that is embroiling
their president and their government.
Saima Mohsin, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[10:15:24] ASHER: All right, time for a break here on Connect the World. Still to come, from bitter enemies to strategic allies. We'll
update you on Donald Trump's working dinner with secretary of state candidate, emphasis on the word candidate, Mitt Romney, because he still
auditioning for this job as well as two big announcements today from his transition team.
Also ahead...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: We're heading out with the Norwegian border patrol towards their frontier with Russia. A presence on the ground being vital for them,
and ensuring nothing untoward happens with their large, at times, unfriendly neighbor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN will take you deep inside the Arctic to ride along with some U.S. Marines. We'll have that exclusive reportahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back, everybody. You are watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Zain Asher.
Two new appointments to Donald Trump's cabinet will have tremendous influence in shaping
U.S. policy on the economy, on taxes, trade and jobs, as well. The Trump team has just confirmed that billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross will be
his pick for Commerce Secretary, while former Goldman Sachs banker Steve Mnuchin is Trump's choice to head the Treasury Department.
A lot of billionaires on the short list for Trump's cabinet, but Mnuchin actually spoke to reporters just minutes ago at Trump Tower in New
York. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE MNUCHIN, NOMINATED FOR U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Our first priority is going to be the tax plan. And the tax plan has both the
corporate aspects to it, lowering corporate taxes so we'll to make U.S. companies most competitive in the world, making sure we repatriate
trillions of dollars back to the United States. And the personal income tax, where we're going to have the most significant middle income tax cut
since Reagan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: A business genius, he is not. Remember that famous quote? That is what Mitt Romney said about Donald Trump during the presidential
campaign, warning that his economic plans would sink the United States into a prolonged recession, one of the many not so nice things that Mitt Romney
said about Donald Trump.
But that was then. And take a look here, this is now. The two men are not only mending fences, but they're also having dinner together, as
Mitt Romney auditions to be Trump's secretary of state.
Here's our Sara Murray with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump and Mitt Romney putting their past differences aside, at least for dinner. The two
talking foreign policy, alongside Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus, over garlic soup and sauteed frog legs at a high-end restaurant inside
Trump's international hotel in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President-elect, are we looking at the next secretary of state right here?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well you're going to see what happens.
MURRAY: Romney, speaking to reporters after the meal, showering praise on Trump and the transition.
ROMNEY: We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world. And these discussions I've had with him have been enlightening and
interesting and engaging. I've enjoyed them very, very much.
MURRAY: And lauding the president-elect's accomplishments with a nod to where he fell short in 2012.
ROMNEY: It's not easy winning. I know that myself. He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. He won the general
election. And he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together.
MURRAY: Romney's remarks a sharp contrast to their bitter rivalry on the campaign trail.
ROMNEY: Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.
TRUMP: Mitt was a disaster as a candidate.
MURRAY: The ongoing secretary of state search coming as sources tell CNN Trump is expected to roll out his economic team today. Former Goldman
Sachs banker Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary. But Mnuchin is sure to face scrutiny for his tenure as a mortgage banker, heading up a firm that
made big money off of foreclosures.
The DNC calling out Trump's pledge to drain the swamp, dubbing Mnuchin "a billionaire hedge fund manager and Goldman Sachs alumnus who preyed on
homeowners struggling during the recession."
Trump also selecting billionaire investor Wilbur Ross to lead the Commerce Department.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you interested in being commerce secretary, sir?
WILBUR ROSS, COMMERCE SECRETARY NOMINEE: Well, time will tell.
MURRAY: Meanwhile, Carrier announcing they have struck a deal with the Trump administration to save at least 1,000 jobs at its factories in
Indiana. But so far the details of the deal haven't been announced.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: And Sara Murray who filed that report joins us live now from Washington.
I want to start with a little bit of news you got a few hours ago. And that is Trump plans to leave his businesses to his children to handle
while he is president. But here's the thing, just because his kids are running the businesses doesn't mean he can't influence them.
MURRAY: That's absolutely right. And I think that's going to be a key question when he does hold this press conference in December with his
children. You know, is he giving up ownership of this business? Is he just giving up weighing in on the day to day operations? And if that's the
case, and his children are still running it, it does seem like that will present to
potential problems. Obviously, his daughter, Ivanka Trump, has also been involved in some high-level meetings as they plan out the
transition, and as they map out a Donald Trump White House.
But her husband, Jared Kushner, has also become a close adviser to Donald Trump. And we don't expect that to change once he moves to the
White House. So, the notion that there is going to be a big, bright line, just if he says he is going to step back, doesn't really hold weight.
We'll see if he does something more substantial to try to remove himself. But so far, his advisers are not offering up much more details than what he
put out on Twitter.
ASHER: And Sara, let's talk about the second meeting that Mitt Romney had last night with Donald Trump. I have to ask you, does Mitt Romney have
any sort of real credibility left at this point? I mean, one minute, he is calling Donald Trump every single name under the sun, and the next minute,
he's sort of asking him, or pleading with him for a job, possibly.
What does he actually believe in?
MURRAY: Well, this is an interesting scenario, because Donald Trump asked to meet with Mitt Romney initially, and brought his name in the mix
for the secretary of state job. It wasn't Mitt Romney who criticized Donald Trump and went to him, asking for a job.
So, I think Governor Romney was probably as surprised as anyone upon their first meeting, that
Trump was interested in potentially putting him in a cabinet level slot.
I think one of the things you have to realize about Mitt Romney is that this is a guy who really
views public service as sort of like a calling in his life. He feels like he still has more to give on this front and that even if he doesn't
necessarily agree with everything that Donald Trump has stood for, everything that Donald Trump did in the campaign, he still believes that he
could be potentially a force for good in the administration.
I covered his presidential campaign four years ago and, obviously, we've been talking to a lot of his advisers, which is how we sort of know
what his frame of mind is on this.
And so I think while he would be certainly happy to do that job if asked, I think his advisers, as well as the rest of us, are kind of
waiting to see how this is going to play out, you know, will this be an extended head fake, or is Donald Trump really willing to go through with
naming someone like Mitt Romney to a cabinet level position?
ASHER: I mean, it'll be interesting to see. They have such different foreign policy views, especially when it comes to Russia. Mitt Romney has
called Vladimir Putin a staunch enemy of the U.S. But obviously, Donald Trump thinks otherwise. But we'll see.
Sara Murray live for us there. Thank you so much, appreciate that.
Donald Trump -- speaking of foreign policy -- called NATO obsolete during the presidential
campaign and now NATO countries bordering Russia fear the U.S. won't come to their defense in a time of need.
The U.S. has deployed a small unit of troops in Norway to train with NATO forces and help ease those concerns. Here's our Nick Paton Walsh with
more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:25:26] WALSH: War just got very cold again for these U.S. Marines training with tanks in Norway on the eastern borders of a NATO that's
suddenly nervous once more. They're moving forwards now towards the fake enemy positions but these kind of exercises, since Russia's moves in
Ukraine, have taken on a new kind of realism and urgency.
In January, 300 Marines will move to Norway permanently. That's how worried about Moscow's intentions they are. For now, a unit from North
Carolina are readying these Abrams tanks, normally stored deep in caves but now the furthest north of the Arctic Circle they've ever been. After Iraq
and Afghanistan, these are old new war games about protecting Europe and they know that when the enemy isn't role-playing it will probably by the
newly-emboldened Russian military.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 2014, that was a clear sign that Russia has stepped into an area where they are willing and able to use military. You
know, suddenly we have changed focus from what was going on, in particular, in Afghanistan, and to collective defense -- national defense.
WALSH: A change in focus somebody's watching. Norwegian police investigating 10 sightings of medium-sized unidentified drones over these
exercises. At a furthest point north of the border you can go, it's an open game of watching a Russian helicopter land, rare here.
And when Donald Trump questioned America's commitment to NATO and seems to want to now taunts (ph) with Russia, that bit of land just there,
it gets noticed here. So all of you here, did you hear about Donald Trump becoming U.S. president?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I did.
WALSH: What do people think out here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not allowed to talk about that, actually.
WALSH: It's not really a Russian invasion they worry about here but, rather, the sort of separatist uprising Russia fermented in Ukraine. Little
green men with guns creating trouble.
We're heading out with the Norwegian border patrol towards their frontier with Russia, a presence on the ground being vital for them and
ensuring nothing untoward happens with their large, at times unfriendly, neighbor.
That's really the reason the Norwegian and American tanks you saw earlier to be sure that even out here in the empty pines and crisp snow, no
matter what the Trump presidency brings there's enough muscle already here to enforce NATO's promises of collective security.
Do you see Russians at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh, it happens. You just salute them.
WALSH: Would you like to talk to them if you could?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh, probably, but it's illegal.
WALSH: Very strange to hear Norwegians, NATO members, talk so vividly again about the Russian threat. The constant and real backdrop to this
survival training happening tonight under a staggering display of the northern lights. Not until now is being sure you're ready happened with
such a sense of insecurity about Europe's very borders that mount slowly as the Trump presidency nears.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, northern Norway.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. Coming up, oil prices are on the rise as everyone hopes and believes and
OPEC deal is near. We'll have a live report with our John Defterios from Vienna.
Also ahead, we'll have more on a controversial bill in Israel over whether settlements like this one in West Bank should be made legal.
We're also live in Jerusalem, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[11:32:44] ASHER: Oil prices have rallied on the hopes an OPEC deal may finally be reached. Sources say that OPEC will cut production by 1.2
million barrels a day. Oil ministers from OPEC have actually met three times so far this year, but failed to implement a deal every time so far.
So, could this time be it? Let's go live now to our John Defterios on the ground there in
Vienna.
Also, John, prices, oil prices, rather, have fallen pretty much by half since 2014 due to oversupply. So how much do we expect them to
recover by if this deal is real?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, first and foremost, Zain, there is quite a bit of enthusiasm in the market. We have
a gain of 7 percent on the day, but it is off the highs earlier of a gain of 10 percent, and taking crude above $50 a barrel.
The long-term goal here is, of course, to try to get to a band of $60 to $75 a barrel. But let's look in the near-term. Back in June, the Saudi
Arabia minister Khalid al-Faleh said by the end of 2016, if we do our business right, we should get to $60 a barrel.
Let's update our viewers of where we are right now. We've spoken to a number of different players who are inside the room. The deal is not final
yet, but they have landed on a number to cut production of 1.2 million barrels a day.
This is then to go to the non-OPEC players to say, we've cut, you cut now, and see if we can get something close to 1.8 to 2 million barrels, to
get prices up to $55 or $60 a barrel.
The prospect, though, was Zain coming into this meeting, if they didn't have an agreement after that meeting in Doha, another one in Algiers
in September and now in Vienna, the prices could have penetrated $40 on the downside. There was a lot of pressure across the
board. And it allowed, because of that pressure, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, the regional rivals having proxy wars with Syria and of course with
Yemen, to set aside those differences and see if they can have a collective good. And the market is surprisinged on the upside.
When I sat here 24 hours ago, it didn't look that way. It looked like the old strains amongst those three players were going to prevail. And
they were at a dead end. And that's all changed in the last 24 hours.
ASHER: So, John, with oil prices rallying, I mean, what will this mean for countries that heavily depend on oil for their revenues, countries
like Nigeria, where I'm from.
[10:35:04] DEFTERIOS: In fact, Nigeria has a break even price, which was running between $70 and $75 a barrel. We're not there. But they had
to cut their budgets because that was over $100 a barrel when oil was -- in 2014, trading at $115. So we've seen budget adjustments. But let's just
take Saudi Arabia as one indication. They have this target going to 2030 to reduce their dependency on
oil, but they're not there yet. They've been burning through $100 billion of reserves as a result of oil hovering between $40 is and $50 a barrel.
Now, the magic here if they can get between $55 and $60, Zain, it is not too hot to track more shale production or deep water expensive
projects, but it is enough for them to balance their budgets. And that is the goal here. Don't go up $75, $80 a barrel right away. Have something
that is reasonable. They can balance their budgets and make money, but it doesn't cause too much strain. It doesn't help a country like Venezuela,
which is under incredible pressure because of this fall from $115 down to $40 to $45 and now we're knocking on the door of $50.
ASHER: Yeah, Venezuela has been suffering through all this.
John Defterios, live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.
A showdown could be looming between Israel's parliament and its high court, it's over dozens of illegal outposts in the West Bank. On Monday,
Israeli lawmakers will debate a controversial bill that could pave the way for legalizing these outposts. The high court already ordered this outpost
in Amona to be torn down.
So, let's talk about this more with our Ian Lee, who has been following the developments from Jerusalem.
So, Ian, what has been the Palestinian reaction and also the Israeli opposition reaction to this
Bill?
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, for the Palestinians, they view this bill as, you know, just another attempt by the Israeli
government to seize Palestinian land. But this bill isn't just about legalizing 55 outposts in the West Bank, it has what could be far reaching
consequences for settlements in the West Bank in general.
And we're hearing this concern from the Israeli government because the international community, by and large, views these settlements as illegal.
And the United States has blocked all resolutions from the UN security council against them. The Israeli government fears, though, that if this
law were to pass and 55 outposts, illegal outposts, become legal in the eyes of the Israeli government, that when another UN security council
revolution comes up, that the United States will not block it because they believe that it is an impediment to a two-state solution, and that's what
we're hearing from the Israeli government.
They also fear that if this bill were to pass, that Israeli officials could potentially be brought -- or be charged in the international criminal
court.
So right now, we're hearing from some certain Israeli officials, caution about this bill, and that's possibly why they postponed voting on
it from today, which we were expecting, until Monday.
But there is a very strong element within Israeli society who says that this bill needs to pass, that they want these settlements to be
legalized, and especially Amona, that is one of the key settlements that's been considered with this bill. And that's because on December 25th, the
Israeli high court has ruled that it needs to be demolished.
So the parliament is, the Knesset, is talking about that. And some are viewing this as a way
that they can circumvent the high court, which is leading to a bit of a crisis here where who has the final say, the high court of the Knesset?
ASHER: And just sort of digging deeper on something you touch on a second ago, Ian, if these outposts are authorized, what will this mean for
the viability of a two-state solution?
LEE: Well, Zain, basically, this will make it incredibly difficult because when you just look at it, there's about 2,000 acres of land that
these outposts occupy. And we see, as the settlements expand, as the outposts expand, it is going to make it be harder for when and if they go
to the negotiating table to talk about a two-state solution. How are they going to divide it up? It just makes the viability of a Palestinian state
less likely, and for those in the Israeli government who are pushing for this bill, that is almost their point is that they are against a two-state
solution, and they believe that the more land they grab, the less likelihood there will be a two-state solution.
And then going back to that UN security council, President Barack Obama has always hit on the fact that there needs to be a two-state
solution. And again, that's why the Israeli government is concerned, that if this bill passes, that a UN security council resolution will pass and
the United States will let it.
[10:40:14] LEE: All right, Ian Lee, live for us there. I appreciate that.
After the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. and Brexit before that, there are certainly a lot of fears around the world that there is a rise in
populism.
Our Nic Robertson explains what this mean and why Europe could be the litmus test over the next few months.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First Farage, then Trump did the unexpected, rode a tide of populism to electoral
triumph.
So, how did it happen, and what could come next? Anger at the establishment over immigration and the economy bottled up since the
financial crash of 2008. The feeling for many Europe is flooded with migrants from Syria and other wars. Jobs tough to find. Wages slow to rise.
Politicians tone-deaf to it all.
Trump used Farage's Brexit success to help oxygenate his own presidential campaign. Combined, they could spark a chain reaction and blow
the lid off Europe's increasingly fragile 28-member union. In the next 12 months, 75 percent of the euro area voters will go to the polls. Populism
will be tested. Austria's Norbert Hofer, the anti-EU ultranationalist, took 35 percent of the nation's first- round presidential vote. Since then,
U.K.-U.S. results have buoyed his second-round chances .
Italian P.M. Matteo Renzi called a referendum on political reforms, has seen his party's popularity plunge to anti-EU leftists. The pro-EU says
he will quit if he loses.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity is riding the storm. Her open-door migrant policy and economic bailouts for some E.U. members
have deepened European divisions. For now, she has 50 percent, declaring she will run for leadership in 2017.
And in France, Front National leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen claims Trump's victory is energizing her own populist message. Le
Pen's popularity is on an upswing, now expected to win the first- round presidential vote next year. If she wins the 2017 elections, she will take
France out of the E.U., Frexit likely collapsing the 23- year-old institution.
So, where to from here? In a Europe awash with uncertainty, one certainty has risen to the top. Farage and Trump have shaken up the
establishment. No telling yet if it will all boil over.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: You're watching Connect the World. Still to come...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look behind you. There is an old guy. That make massage to a younger boy, you see?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The CNN Freedom Project and a very sad story of young refugees selling their bodies, selling their bodies out of desperation.
Plus, we'll check out the Ivory Coast answer to apps like Uber by hopping a ride with Taxi Jet. That's in this week's African Startup.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:45:53] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Open your phone, launch an app and within minutes, you have a taxi. In several African countries, that
service is provided by Uber, but it hasn't yet reached Cote d'Ivoire so three brothers stepped in to fill the demand with a company called Taxi
Jet.
Barca Watara (ph) is co-founder of Taxi Jet. He says safety is one of the biggest concerns driving this concept.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People were not feeling secure using a taxi. So, we created Taxi Jet to give an answer by using technology to solve a big
problem that we saw in our country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Watara (ph) began designing the application in 2011. It went live last year. So far, Watara says roughly 10,000
customers are using the app.
I'm a very passionate guy of technology. And I believe that technology can change and improve the way that we behave, the way that we
live, make it easier. That's the purpose why we created Taxi Jet, to make it easy for customer.
Because most of the time, you can be waiting 15 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour, because you don't have a taxi. So, we created Taxi Jet to help
the drivers know exactly where the customers are and for the customer to know exactly where the driver is. So, we connected them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Taxi Jet's initial investment and the application was relatively low. But once demand picked up, Watara (ph)
says they invested $1 million in a fleet of cars. As with any start up, there were challenges.
For Taxi Jet, it includes getting the drivers up to speed.
UNIDENITIFIED MALE: They don't know how to use the application. They don't how to use technology. So, we have to train them. We have to teach
them how to behave, because they used to behave as they want. But you have to train them how to behave when you are out with a customer, how to
drive. You have to behave at traffic lights and care about the people around you, the car around you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's also about accountability. So, Taxi Jet cars have GPS systems to track its vehicles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These GPS they put inside the car, to track the car, to know where the car is. If the car is at the place where he has to
be.
UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: With open road ahead, Taxi Jet hopes to expand throughout the Ivory Coast and beyond.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In five years time, we expect to have more than 10 percent of the market here. And (inaudible be in all the countries around
Cote d'Ivoire. And maybe, why not go to America or Europe?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:01] ASHER: You're watching CNN and this is Connect the World. I'm Zain Asher. Welcome back. Millions of refugees are risking everything
for the chance at a new life in Europe. It's the story that we continue to tell here on CNN. And unaccompanied minors are often especially vulnerable
among those who are making the journey to the continent.
Up next, we meet one Afghan boy who is turning to prostitution just to stay alive.
Here's our Arwa Damon with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is where the deals are made. Our camera is filming from a distance with a mic on Tassos
Smetopoulos.
Push the audio on the microphone.
TASSOS SMETOPOULOS, SOCIAL WORKER: OK.
DAMON: He's a social worker showing us Athens is prime shopping ground for illicit sex. Older men troll the square scoping their options, waiting
for the right moment to approach.
SMETOPOULOS: Look behind you. There is an old guy that make massage to a younger boy. You see?
DAMON: Yes.
SMETOPOULOS: It's a game.
DAMON: The boys who play to survive are often unaccompanied minors, many from Afghanistan.
SMETOPOULOS: It's shocking. Really it's shocking. You know, they are desperate. There is no way out unless they find money.
DAMON: Most we approached were too afraid, too ashamed to speak to us. But Ali, not his real name, agreed, in hopes it would somehow make a
difference. He's 17 and he's been here for nine months. The little money he had ran out a long time ago.
ALI (through translator): I said to myself, look what a mess you're in. Such bad luck just so that you can make some money. I think to myself
where have you ended up. You have come to Europe but what is this that you're doing?
DAMON: The act itself happens in a sprawling park, a five-minute walk away from the square. It is long been a haven for drug users and the sex
trade. Now exacerbated by the refugee crisis.
ALI (through translator): You've seen the park, at the end of the day, some come to you. They pull their pants down so you see their ass. Others
talk to you and show you their money. It works like this.
DAMON: Tassos takes us into the park during the day so we can see the sheer scale of the situation.
It's really quite disconcerting to be here even during the day and stepping back into one of these areas behind the bushes off the main path.
You just get a bit of a sense of what happens here after dark. There's condom rappers all over the place.
The cost varies.
ALI (through translator): Some offer 5 euros, some 100, some 80. But I didn't go with anyone for less than 60 euros.
DAMON: Some he says take the boys home, a chance to shower, sleep in a bed, eat a proper meal.
ALI (through translator): I am not doing this because I like it. If I wanted to do something nice, I would date a girl. I was forced to do it
because I had no money. Otherwise, I would stay with a girl instead of going with an old man.
DAMON: This sickening trade is a result of a flawed European refugee policy and lack of preparedness. The Greek government latest figures show
that about 1,200 unaccompanied minors are on a waiting list for shelter. In a statement to CNN, Greek police said that they have not had any cases
reported of the sexual exploitation of unaccompanied minors from the parks we went to. But acknowledge the problem and say they are working to address
it.
One day hopefully you'll be able to bring your mother, and you'll see your mother and your sister again. Do you think you'll ever tell them about
what you had to do to survive?
[08:40:37] ALI (through translator): I won't say that everything is good. But I won't reveal too much to upset her, my mum is sick. I am afraid
if I tell her, God forbid something would happen to her.
DAMON: Then, his eyes fill with tears.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Athens.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Such an important story. It's so sad seeing what children in that part of the world are going through. The burden on their shoulders
just to stay alive. And as a follow up from that report from our Arwa Damon, tomorrow, we're going to be showing you new initiatives working to
protect children from this type of violence, exposing sexual predators who hide behind computer screens and cell phones.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys get involved in this behavior, they start somewhere, right. So the hope is the first time you go exploring, buying a
young person for sex, if the first time you do that you realize, whoa, someone's watching, and I'm going to be held accountable for this -- and
law enforcement are paying attention, then that's the kind of message that we think will educate men to change their track real fast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:55:18] ASHER: More on how the system works and how law enforcement is using it.
find all that tomorrow on CNN's special series, Tackling Demand that is part of the CNN Freedom Project. And by the way, we put all our in-depth
reporting up on our Facebook page. You can find them as well as a selection of our original reporting from CNN and from our Connect the World
team, just go to Facebook.com/CNNconnect. You can also comment and share your thoughts. We'd love to hear from you.
Plus, feel free to reach out to me directly as well. You can tweet me @zainasher. I always try to respond and write back.
All right. so for your Parting Shots, we look at the cleanup of the worst civilian nuclear disaster
in history. Three decades on, the world is still feeling the effects of the meltdown at Chernobyl. Its reactor blew up in 1986, sending more than
100,000 people fleeing and killing dozens.
Now, a huge shelter has been built to contain the leaking radiation. This time lapse shows it's sliding into place over the past few days.
Dozens of countries have contributed to this project, helping to build the largest movable land-based structure ever built.
It's longer than two 777 planes, taller than the Statue of Liberty. And it's designed to last at least, get this, 100 years.
All right, I'm Zain Asher. And that was Connect the World. Thank you so much for watching. My colleague Jon Mann is going to be up next with
the International Desk.
END
