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Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych may be open to early elections, says U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt
By Mick Krever, CNN
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych may be opening to the idea of early presidential elections, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt told CNN’s Hala Gorani, in for Christiane Amanpour, on Thursday.
“There’s a lot of discussion this evening about early elections, and I understand that there were some suggestions made by Yanukovych to the three visiting European foreign ministers who were here,” Pyatt said on the phone from Kiev, referring to the visit of the French, German, and Polish foreign ministers to the Ukrainian capital.
The next elections are currently scheduled for 2015. Yanukovych would be reversing position were he to support early elections.
U.S. Ambassador urges calm in Ukraine
Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, speaks with CNN's Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour.
Pyatt said that the U.S. does not believe that Yanukovych should step down, as the opposition wants, but did say that a new government should be formed.
“Our position is the President Yankukovych needs to lead his country into a new future, and he needs to do so through the vehicle of a new government, change to the constitution and the political order.”
More than 100 people died in the fighting Thursday, protest medical officials said. The government didn't release its own figures.
Ukraine: cessation of violence, not ‘judging,’ needed
By Mick Krever, CNN
Reacting to Western sanctions on Ukrainians responsible for the deadly recent violence, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Yuriy Sergeyev said that the most important thing is not “judging what is going on” but “to stop the violence.”
The European Union said it would freeze the assets of Ukrainians deemed responsible for the violence, with the United States adding that it was rushing to impose sanctions of its own.
Sergeyev, speaking with CNN’s Hala Gorani, in for Christiane Amanpour, expressed his “deepest condolences” for the friends and families of those killed in what he called “atrocities.”
“The only way out of this crisis [is] to put all the parties involved to the negotiation table.”
“The violence should be stopped. And what is needed [is] the wisdom and responsibility from all the sides.”
Click above to watch Sergeyev’s full interview with Gorani.
Interesting times for time itself
By Lucky Gold, CNN
As parts of the world such as Ukraine and Venezuela remain ticking time-bombs, imagine a world where these are truly interesting times – for time itself.
Those anti-government demonstrators in Venezuela who say it's time for a change have a little more daylight to air their grievances, thanks to the late President Hugo Chavez.
Back in 2007, he set all the clocks forward, changing Venezuela's time zone to the half-hour – that's 30 minutes ahead of what he called the "imperialist" time keepers, presumably referring to the U.S.
And at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where athletes race against the clock and one another, timing is everything.
Russians take pride in knowing that Sochi time is only one of nine different time zones that stretch across their vast country, from Moscow to Vladivostok.
Ukraine Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara tells CNN government implemented ‘almost all’ opposition demands
By Mick Krever, CNN
The Ukrainian government has implemented “almost all” of the opposition demands, but the opposition is refusing to cooperate, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told CNN on Wednesday.
“We are ready to discuss the constitutional reform,” Kozhara told CNN’s Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour, on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, it looks like the opposition doesn’t want to share their part of the responsibility with the Ukrainian government.”
Protesters stoked fires along barricade lines as night fell Wednesday over Kiev's Maidan, or Independence Square, a day after 26 people died in violent clashes that have drawn reproach from Western leaders.
Kozhara, speaking from Kiev, called Tuesday’s events “very unfortunate.”
“In the last weeks, police actually stood still, and not responding to offensive actions from the radical groups, which are today many in Kiev.”
Uganda Ethics Minister: homosexual behavior is ‘repugnant’
By Mick Krever, CNN
Homosexual behavior is “repugnant to the lives of the people of Uganda,” Simon Lokodo, the Minister for Ethics and Integrity, told CNN’s Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour, on Wednesday.
A Ugandan bill passed by parliament in December would punish gay and lesbian people with lengthy prison sentences – including, in some cases, life behind bars.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has just signed that bill, according to the minister, but has not yet handed it over to parliament.
“If you want to do your thing, do it yourself,” Lokodo said. “But please, don’t embarrass, don’t involve, don’t bring any Ugandan to this activity, because it’s not acceptable.”
American Ambassador defends U.S. role in Ukraine
By Mick Krever, CNN
With the worst violence in weeks raging in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt defended America’s role in the country.
“We are friends of Ukraine,” Pyatt told CNN’s Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour. “We want to see a Ukraine that is stable and democratic and economically successful.”
“The United States wants to see the politics off the street, back in Ukraine’s democratic institutions.”
At least nine people died in clashes on Tuesday, including both civilians and police officers. Protestors set fire to the headquarters of the ruling Party of the Regions.
“We are appalled by the violence that’s unfolding. It’s been a terrible day in Ukraine’s history,” Pyatt said. “We are hoping that the government and the opposition will take immediate steps to de-escalate.”
Malala tells CNN: World risks losing generation of Syrian children
By Mick Krever, CNN
The world risks losing a generation of Syrian children if it ignores their plight, Malala Yousafzai – the Pakistani girl who made a miraculous recovery after being shot in the head by the Taliban – told CNN on Tuesday.
“It’s a risk to all of us if we ignore them,” Malala, as she is known to her legions of followers, said.
“People should focus on their bright future, because their bright future means our bright future, and the future of the whole world.”
Malala visited on Tuesday travelled to the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan to meet with the young victims of Syria’s grinding war. She spoke from there with CNN’s Hala Gorani, filling in for Christiane Amanpour.
“So many children, they can’t go to school, they cannot get education,” Malala said, overlooking the refugee camp.
Inside the mind of a mass murderer, in drag
By Mick Krever, CNN
How do we know what is in the mind of a mass murderer? How about getting them to re-enact those crimes?
That is exactly what documentary filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer did with several men who participated in mass killings in Indonesia decades ago.
“It’s tempting to look at them through the lens of sort of fiction storytelling, where you have good guys and bad guys, good guys and then cackling villains,” Oppenheimer told CNN’s Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour, on Monday.
“When you're a non-fiction filmmaker, you have to look at the real people you meet.”
Few people outside of Indonesia have heard of the death squads operating there in 1965 and 1966. Human rights groups say these groups killed between 500,000 and a million accused communists.
Oppenheimer constructed a unique and strange narrative about this period in his new film, The Act of Killing. The film has just won a BAFTA for best documentary, and is nominated for an Academy Award.
He had originally sought to make a film about victims of the death squads, but says the Indonesian military forbade him from doing so. The victims’ families urged him to try to talk to the perpetrators.
To his surprise and horror, they were enthusiastic. They agreed to make a movie about how they killed and allowed him to film the process.
The result is a mind-bending movie within a documentary, by turns emotionally revolting, beautiful, and bizarre – one of the mass killers appears, as often as not, in drag. It is rarely entirely clear what is ‘acting’ and what is genuine.
Venezuela faces ‘delicate and complex moment,’ says historian
By Mick Krever and Ken Olshansky, CNN
Venezuela’s political deadlock presents a “delicate and complex moment” for the country, Venezuelan historian and political scientist Margarita Lopez Maya told CNN’s Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour, on Monday.
The country’s simmering protests could come to a full boil at any moment, with a dramatic showdown shaping up between embattled President Nicolas Maduro, the former bus driver and handpicked heir of Hugo Chavez, and opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.
Three people were killed in violent clashes in Caracas last week; Maduro's government blames Lopez, ordering his arrest on charges of murder and terrorism.
Lopez asserts his innocence and dropped out of sight, until last night, when he Tweeted a video call to action, saying he will lead peaceful march on the ministry of justice on Tuesday.
Lopez, though unable to break cover to appear as a guest on CNN, sent “Amanpour” an exclusive audio recording on Monday in which he said Venezuela stood at a “critical moment.”
CNN reached out to offer the Venezuelan government a place on the program; they chose not to appear.
“This is one episode more in our difficulties,” Lopez Maya said. “It is a delicate and complex moment, yes, but this is not the first time we’ve been into one of these.”
Exclusive message from Venezuela's Leopoldo Lopez
Editor's note: You can watch an extended version of the audio message sent to CNN by Lopez here.
CNN's Amanpour approached Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez for an interview. He was not able to break cover to speak with Hala Gorani, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour, but he did send an exclusive audio response to our questions.
CNN reached out to offer the Venezuelan government a place on the program; they chose not to appear.
Click above to listen to Lopez's message.
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