Last night Piers Morgan welcomed Katherine Jackson into the studio for a candid and revealing face to face interview.

Joining "Piers Morgan Tonight" for an hour long, worldwide exclusive, Michael Jackson's mother addresses her son's legal troubles and prescription medication use, evaluating the role each may have played in the stars 2009 death:

"I think a lot of that was exaggerated, about the different things that he was taking, because I've been to my son's house unannounced and I've been there announced," explains the 82-year-old matriarch. "I have never seen him in that way. I know he was taking painkillers, because he got burnt on the top of his head. Very painful. But all this other stuff they added to it, I don't know if that was the truth or not. But I don't think that have anything to do with the way he died."

Asked by the host about Conrad Murray, Jackson responds:

"You know what, I can't even describe the way I feel about him. He did a terrible thing," she says of Michael's former personal doctor. "For a person's life, four years in jail is not enough. I'll never see my son again. But he can get out and he'll enjoy his children."

MEDIA ADVISORY

Known to viewers worldwide as a presenter and reporter for the BBC’s coverage of world sports news and Premier League football, and to UK viewers of BBC One’s flagship weekend news programmes, daily breakfast bulletins and F1 coverage, Davies joins CNN’s London bureau as the network gears up for a year of major sporting events.

At CNN she will work alongside London-based sport anchors Pedro Pinto and Alex Thomas, covering global sport stories from football, tennis, golf and motorsport, through to basketball, cricket, rugby and athletics. Over the past 12 months CNN’s sport team has broken exclusive stories such as FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s controversial comments on racism, and interviewed world-renowned stars from Lewis Hamilton and Samuel Eto’o, to Shaquille O’Neal and Caroline Wozniacki, via Sebastian Vettel, Rory Mcllroy, David Beckham and Novak Djokovic.

Ahead of 2012’s summer of sport, CNN International’s flagship sport programme, World Sport, will also be re-launching in April.

Bill Galvin, Senior Vice President at CNN International, said: “Sport is a big part of our offering at CNN and Amanda’s addition certainly enhances what is already a very strong team. With Euro 2012 and the Olympics just around the corner it’s a very exciting time, particularly for ourLondon bureau. Amanda’s experience covering big events and breaking news is perfect for CNN, and we’re very excited to have her on board in time for the re-launch of our World Sport show.”

Davies added: “2012 is an absolutely huge year for sport and it’s fantastic to be at the heart of that. I feel I’m joining CNN at a very exciting time for its sports coverage, and it’s good to be part of a genuinely international network. As well as giant events like the Olympics there’s a proper commitment to covering the full range of international sport here, and that’s a great prospect.”

World Sport airs daily on CNN International at 0500, 0800, 1700 and 2230 (all times BST) and the network’s extensive sports coverage can also be found online and on mobile. CNN’s sport portfolio also includes feature programmes such as Living Golf, Mainsail, Open Court, The Circuit and Winning Post.

Ends

About CNN International

CNN is the world's leading global 24-hour news network and one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. The CNN brand is available to two billion people via 18 CNN branded TV, internet and mobile services produced by CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc and a Time Warner company. CNN International is the international directorate of CNN Worldwide and distributes news via 14 services in seven different languages. CNN International can be seen in more than 259 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, and online at www.cnn.com/international

CNN International today announced the return of its award-winning monthly ‘CNN Business Traveller’ programme, which will launch on Thursday 15 March.

‘CNN Business Traveller’ hosted by CNN business and travel expert Richard Quest is the definitive authority on making the most of doing business on the road, and aims to give discerning viewers the edge on their fellow travellers.

FULL POST

 Inside the Middle East

A reflected view of Saudi Arabia’s modern capital city through the glass globe sitting atop the 267m Al-Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh

In March, 'Inside the Middle East' gets a rare look inside the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a modern, oil-rich nation that is also home to two of the holiest cities in Islam – Mecca and Medina.

Host Rima Maktabi (pictured, top) puts on a traditional abaya – a long-flowing, black robe that women are required to wear in public – as she investigates the limits of personal expression inside the conservative kingdom.  

From the capital, Riyadh, to the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Maktabi discovers the challenges that many Saudi women face on a daily basis – from the driving ban to the inability to travel without the approval of a male guardian.  

The programme also meets several young Saudis – comedians, “social media celebrities”, and contemporary artists – who are pushing the barriers of society through their popular, but sometimes controversial, crafts.

Living Golf

Credit: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

In March, ‘Living Golf’ comes from the home of Florida-born Lexi Thompson (pictured), the rising star of women’s golf. Aged 12 she became the youngest ever player in the US Open, won it at 14 and now, at 17, is preparing for the Kraft Nabisco, her ninth appearance in a Major Championship.   

Also in the programme, European Tour winner and Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart interviews his brother-in-law, world number two Lee Westwood, who gives his thoughts on the current state of the game, the Ryder Cup, Rory Mcllroy, and the Majors.

‘Living Golf’ looks at the controversy surrounding long putter clubs, the use of which Tiger Woods has called to be outlawed. The show speaks to those for and against the club, gets a demo from one of the game’s great putting gurus and hears from Adam Scott, who turned to using the long putter and won himself a World Golf Championship.  

Plus, in the monthly feature ‘Hotshots’, the young, male star of US golf, Rickie Fowler, gives another insight into his shot making, and hot tips for players of any level.

MainSail

The world of the America's Cup is renowned for its secrecy. However, this month on ‘Mainsail’, CNN gains a unique insight into what life is like for those earning a living as a member of anAmerica's Cup team. Host Shirley Robertson goes inside this private world, meeting Cup team ‘Artemis’ (pictured) at their base in Spain.

The programme takes a behind-the-scenes look at what the teams have been up to since the last event of the America's Cup World Series in November 2011. Robertson speaks to the private design team that has been burning the midnight oil to shape a 72 foot catamaran for the finals, the build teams getting in place to create the machine and sailors practicing out on the water.

Rebuilding Japan

A year after the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Northern Japan, CNN shares the country’s remarkable journey to recovery in a special week of programming, ‘Rebuilding Japan’.

Throughout the week, CNN looks at how the Japanese people are rebuilding their lives, what changes have occurred in one of the world's biggest economies and what the future holds for power generation in a country where nuclear energy dominates. 

‘Rebuilding Japan’ will feature live daily reports from CNN’s Anna Coren in Tokyo and the Tohuku region, as well as in-depth reportage from Coren, and correspondents Kyung Lah and Andrew Stevens from around the nation.

The week will also include in-depth feature interviews on ‘Talk Asia’ with Japanese football star Homare Sawa and one of Japan’s most respected business executives and founder of Uniqlo , Tadashi Yanai.  A special half-hour show, ‘Rebuilding Japan’ brings highlights from the week’s coverage.

‘Rebuilding Japan’ will also feature extensive online coverage and a special iReport initiative calling on people to share their photos and videos of life in Japan before and after the tsunami. The iReport initiative has already begun receiving submissions and can be accessed here: http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/744690 The best stories and videos will be featured on CNN.com.

Piers Morgan Tonight

 

Piers Morgan’s penetrative style of journalism is at the fore in his nightly interview programme, as he fires questions at a host of famous names in this exciting, surprising and unpredictable talk show.

Recent guests have included: Rick Santorum, Jerry Springer, Charlize Theron, Seal, Alec Baldwin, Jill Biden, Sean Penn, Jimmy Carter, Ed Burns, Jennifer Hudson, Ricky Gervais and Chaka Khan (pictured).

Christiane Amanpour returns to CNN Worldwide this spring and will broadcast her signature programme, ‘Amanpour’, in primetime inEuropeand throughout the world in more than 200 countries and territories, as the centerpiece of a new CNN International lineup, it was announced today by Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

Each weeknight on CNN International, ‘Amanpour’ will deliver the definitive international news and interview program that CNN’s worldwide audience has come to expect of the preeminent global journalist. 

‘Amanpour’ will air weekdays at 2000 GMT / 2100 CET and replay 2200 GMT / 2300 CET.

The half-hour show will air twice during European primetime, providing viewers with an additional opportunity to tune in for a distinct take on the challenging issues facing the world.

Liza McGuirk, an award-winning producer who has more than two decades of experience in television journalism both producing and reporting, will be the executive producer of ‘Amanpour.’ McGuirk will be based in New York along with Amanpour.

In the unique relationship announced in December, Amanpour’s primary role is as global affairs anchor for ABC News blazing a trail in international reporting for American viewers, in addition to her new programme on CNN International reaching a vast global audience.  She will continue her courageous reporting in war-torn countries for all ABC News programmes, platforms and online, including her unmatched ability to land major and rare exclusive interviews with world leaders – including last year’s only interviews with Moammar Gadhafi and Hosni Mubarak. As global affairs anchor for ABC News, her ongoing assignments range from the uprisings in the Middle East toIran's nuclear program to the Eurozone crisis.  Amanpour will also report on new conflicts, natural disasters and humanitarian crises, anchor four primetime specials on ABC and continue ‘Around the World with Christiane Amanpour’, her recently launched video series for ABCNews.com and Yahoo News.

“We are delighted to see ‘Amanpour’ return to the heart of CNN International’s lineup,” said Maddox. “Christiane has proven herself time and time again to be the leading international journalist in television news and with Liza’s commitment to producing compelling television, ‘Amanpour’ will showcase the very best CNN has to offer.”
“I’m thrilled that Christiane’s powerful, utterly original journalistic voice will once again be heard around the world, and I look forward to helping her shape an important program at a time of great global change,” said McGuirk.

‘Amanpour’ will be at the centre of a dynamic new lineup featuring existing programmes, ‘International Desk’, ‘Quest Means Business’, ‘Connect the World’ with Becky Anderson and ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’ as well as a new weekday news programme anchored by CNN’s Isha Sesay, who also appears on ‘Anderson Cooper 360°’.

With the launch of ‘Amanpour’, CNN International is once again offeringEurope’s primetime audience a destination programme featuring one of the world’s most distinguished journalists. Known for her tough questions and extraordinary depth of knowledge, Amanpour will focus on international stories shaping the news agenda, delivering sharp analysis to an audience of more than 280 million households in more than 200 countries and terriories around the world with CNN International.

Amanpour and McGuirk have previously collaborated on a number of projects for CNN, including the award-winning 1999 documentary aboutIran, Revolutionary Journey. In June 2008, McGuirk launched the Sunday morning news and discussion programme ‘Fareed Zakaria: GPS,’ which was nominated for an Emmy after just months of being on air.  Most recently she served as the executive producer of ‘Parker Spitzer’. She also worked at CBS News for eight years, including four years producing and writing segments for the late ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent Ed Bradley. McGuirk reports to Mike McCarthy, senior vice president of programming for CNN International.

Amanpour spent more than 25 years reporting from around the globe for CNN. Most recently, she was CNN's chief international correspondent and anchored ‘Amanpour’ on CNN International from September 2009 to April 2010. In the summer of 2010, Amanpour joined ABC News and became host of ABC News’ ‘This Week’, where she was the only Sunday morning anchor nominated for an Emmy award. Her body of work has earned nine News and Documentary Emmys, four George Foster Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards, the Courage in Journalism Award, an Edward R. Murrow award, an inaugural Television Academy Honor and nine honorary degrees.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

“If one person dies, our conscience cannot take that.” – CNN speaks exclusively to Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby on the Syrian Massacres

 

In an exclusive and candid interview with CNN anchor and correspondent Hala Gorani, Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby explains why he thinks the international community felt compelled to intervene in Libya but is not ready to do so in Syria, citing both the lack of oil and the global economic situation as potential reasons. He also discusses why Russia is opposing U.N. intervention in Syria and explains that "once the people will go on the street, you have to yield to their demands".

TRANSCRIPT 

*MANDATORY CREDIT: CNN INTERNATIONAL*

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

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT:  What is exactly the language that’s bothering Russia right now?  When you’re in discussions with Russian representatives at the U.N., what is bothering them and what can be removed, as far as you’re concerned?

NABIL EL-ARABY, ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY-GENERAL:  Well, I’ll tell you what they say, I mean, and they have said it already.  They do not want any reference to military intervention and no one is speaking about that.  They don’t want any reference to sanctions, and no one speaks about sanctions as such.  They don’t want the Arab peace plan, which says that the president delegates power to the vice president.  We didn’t ask that the president should step down, but only to delegate powers to the vice president, which actually, according to their constitution—

GORANI:  You know, there is a joke now that says Bashar al-Assad is going to demote himself to vice president.

(LAUGHTER)

GORANI:  Because that’s how seriously people are taking this, you know?

EL-ARABY:  I didn’t…

GORANI:  Right.  They’re saying it’s just toothless.  It’s going to lead to nothing.  This regime is going to continue to employ violence, because it’s the only way it knows to deal with opposition.  Do you think that’s true?

EL-ARABY:  Well, up to now, it’s true, but you have to refer that to the world we are living in.

GORANI:  And if this resolution is passed and Russia removes every little reference to possible sanctions, possible intervention, possible pressure, then what good will that resolution do?

EL-ARABY:  It will still put pressure on the Syrian government, because they realize that Russia cannot stand up forever.  And they are under great pressure now.  And you know, Russia does not want to be against the people.

GORANI:  Time is running out.  I mean, today, 70—

EL-ARABY:  Yes, yes, people are dying.  And even one – if one person dies, our conscience cannot take that.

GORANI:  But in a country of 23 million, 6,000 people have died.  This is just a shocking—

EL-ARABY:  It’s awful.  It’s awful.  But you tell me, what can be done?  And more than that, you are going to a universal organization, which is responsible for world peace.  Security Council is the organ vested with the primary responsibility for the peace and security in the world.  You cannot go further than that.

GORANI:  People will say, why was Libya a case that the international community thought required intervention because a massacre was about to take place – I’m quoting people.  Whereas Syria is a country where a massacre is taking place, and there is no intervention.  Why?

EL-ARABY:  Well, I’ll try to answer but it’s not – my view, personally, but I’ll give you some examples.  First of all, at one time, Gadhafi’s Saif al-Islam threatened that he was going to wipe out the whole city of Benghazi.  And they had the means to do that.  Secondly, you can say that the – as I said to you, political location is different here and there, between Syria and Libya.  Thirdly, in Syria, there is a regular strong army.  In Libya, there was no army, just some militias headed by Gadhafi’s sons, which, I mean, is completely different.  And maybe there is no oil in Syria.

GORANI:  So what are you saying when you say maybe there’s no oil in Syria?  That the economic motivation was there?

EL-ARABY:  Could be.  Could be.  But anyhow, we can add to that that this is an election year in the United States and there are elections in France.  And Europe is not in the – I’m not going to say bankrupt, but is not in the best economic situations to enter into such a venture.

GORANI:  When you look at Syria, what – I mean, you say you have hope, but what then gives you hope?  What aspect of what’s happening right now is giving you hope?

EL-ARABY:  The fact that such, I mean, the regime itself is under pressure from the international – and they cannot go on forever.  And once the people go to the street anywhere, and actually I told – I am saying this in public because I told the leadership in Syria, that once – the lesson from Egypt and from the others, but I speak as my own country – at that time I was foreign minister, as you know – that once the people will go the street, you have to yield to their demands. 

– END – 

CNN is the world's leading global 24-hour news network and one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. The CNN brand is available to two billion people via 18 CNN branded TV, internet and mobile services produced by CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc and a Time Warner company. CNN International is the international directorate of CNN Worldwide and distributes news via 14 services in seven different languages. CNN International can be seen in more than 280 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, including over 44 million across the Asia Pacific region and online at www.cnn.com/international

Keep up to date with all the latest social media updates from CNN at:

www.facebook.com/cnninternational

Airs Wednesday 8 February at 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

In February, CNNGo heads to Rome to reveal the sights, tastes and sounds of Italy's Capital – from the historic wonders of the city centre to the trendiest spots off the beaten track. 

Acclaimed film directors Luca Ragazzi and Gustav Hofer take viewers on a bike tour through winding cobbled streets in search of the perfect coffee and to the very top of one of Rome's most iconic buildings, "Il Vittoriano". 

In a city deeply steeped in history and art, CNN admires Raphael's frescoes through a photographer's lens and explore the art scene in the up-and-coming Pigneto neighbourhood.

Social media expert and part-time singer Paolo Mulè shows us around the trendy neighbourhood of Testaccio - at the heart of it, sits a hill which is entirely made of vessels discarded by ancient merchant ships. Sommelier Hande Leimer takes CNNGo to the Monti neighbourhood to savour the best of the local food and wine. And "The Michelangelo of Pizza", Gabriele Bonci, shows us how he makes his renowned creations. 

Full air times:

As the focus of the next Republican Presidential primary battleground zeroes in on Florida, CNN plans to utilize resources across its platforms for coverage on the ground and from the CNN Election Center. Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett and John King will headline the network’s America’s Choice: The Florida Primary coverage beginning at 7 p.m. A special edition of AC360 will air following the network’s primary coverage at 10 p.m. and a special edition of Piers Morgan Tonight will air at midnight.  All times Eastern.

CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen, along with political contributors Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos and Ari Fleischer, will be on set in the CNN Election Center to offer insight and analysis throughout the evening.

Reporting from Florida on primary day will be anchor and chief political correspondent Candy Crowley live from the Romney campaign headquarters, national political correspondent Jim Acosta and Miami-based correspondent John Zarrella. CNN political contributors Erick Erickson and Roland Martin will be live from Miami. From Washington, chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin will provide the latest updates on reaction from the Obama campaign.

Looking ahead to the Nevada caucuses, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash and senior political correspondent Joe Johns will report live from Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, respectively, tomorrow night. Tom Foreman also will report live from a focus group location of undecided Republican voters in Las Vegas.

CNN Radio
CNN radio reporters Lisa Desjardins and Bob Costantini will cover the primary results for the CNN Radio network and its affiliates. Desjardins will gather sound for the American Sauce podcast and Costantini will produce a Political Notebook podcast.

CNN Digital
Users can check out the CNN Election Center to track real-time election results and analyze the exit polls and results thus far from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The GOP Delegate Calculator allows users after each caucus or primary to try their hand at predicting which candidates will win each state and eventually, the Republican presidential nomination. CNN.com will continue to provide the CNN Electoral Map with the most recent predictions on battleground states as updated by CNN’s political experts.

CNN.com will live stream campaign events leading up to and on the day of the Florida primary. To engage and comment on election night news as it happens, users can visit the CNN Politics Facebook page. On Twitter, users may follow @CNNPolitics for breaking developments and join the conversation by using hashtag #CNNElections.

CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions related to the events in Florida, some of which will be shown on CNN.com and broadcast on CNN.

Across CNN’s mobile platforms, the latest election stories and opinion pieces will be available via CNN’s mobile website and on the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone and Android tablet.  The new Election Center section can also be accessed on CNN’s mobile platforms. All apps will live stream the candidate speeches and events during the primary. On primary night, live results can be viewed on CNN's mobile website and in the CNN App for iPad.

CNN en Español and CNN International
CNN en Español will offer extensive coverage of the Jan.31 Florida primaries, one in which the Latino vote is expected to play its most significant role yet. On Tuesday, Washington D.C. correspondent Ione Molinares will be reporting live from Tampa, and reporter Rafael Fuenmayor will offer live updates with guests from Miami throughout the day. Starting at 7 p.m., Washington D.C. anchor Juan Carlos López will host a special edition of Directo USA from Atlanta joined by anchors Patricia Janiot and Fernando del Rincón, and a panel of political contributors Maria Cardona, Juan Hernandez and Roberto Izurieta to offer analysis of the events of the day.

CNN International will simulcast the domestic network’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Programming schedule  for Tuesday, Jan. 31 – Florida Primary day (All Times Eastern):

• 7:00PM – 10:00PM:        America's Choice 2012: The Florida Primary (Live)
• 10:00PM – 12:00AM:        Anderson Cooper 360° – Special Edition (Live)
• 12:00AM – 1:00AM (Feb.1):    Piers Morgan Tonight (Live)

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

-30-

CONTACT:
Megan Grant                 Washington, D.C.                    202.577.8409                          megan.grant@cnn.com
Edie Emery                   Washington, D.C.                    202.898.7657                            edie.emery@cnn.com

 After his speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, David Cameron met with CNN’s Richard Quest.

***PLEASE CREDIT CNN/QUEST MEANS BUSINESS***

FULL INTERVIEW WILL AIR IN QUEST MEANS BUSINESS 1900 GMT, 2000 CET

TRANSCRIPT:

CNN Anchor, Richard Quest:  Prime Minister, listening to your speech today you were visibly frustrated, fizzing with frustration about what is happening in the eurozone and the inability to solve this crisis. Is this fair?

UK Prime Minister, David Cameron: Well of course it matters, not just to the countries of the Euro zone, but also to their neighbours, that the crisis is resolved, but I am not saying it is easy, I am not saying there are simple switches to flick, these are difficult decisions, they are sometimes expensive decisions. And it involves politicians having to give up powers as well, these are very difficult things we need to do.  But, for the single currency to work there are some short-term things that have to be done and longer-term issues that have to be grappled with.

Quest: Chancellor Merkel and yourself are essentially saying the same message in a different way, “Get on with it!”

Cameron: Well, you could put it like that, but I prefer to say is short-term, you have to ease the economic crisis, you have got to resolve the Greek crisis, you have to strengthen the banks and the firewall has got to be big enough to deal with any contagion in the system.  We have been saying this – you could almost put it to music because politicians have been saying it for so long – but we have to deliver it at the beginning of this year and that is only the start.

Quest: Right, you have taken bold measures and the austerity measures that you have implemented, but if the Euro zone crisis continues or worsens, as some predict, I am not going to ask whether you are going to backtrack on austerity, but what I am going to ask you is whether you would  be prepared to countenance taking your foot off the pedal?

Cameron:  Well,  the IMF I think gave us some clear advice – when asked whether Britain is a country with the fiscal space to take its foot of the pedal – Christine Lagarde said very clearly, ‘no it isn’t’.  We have a big budget deficit we have a big stock of debt, we need to show the world that we are paying down that deficit, dealing with that debt and that is one of the keys to recovery. And it’s a good thing in itself, it has given us, because we have a plan, some of the lowest interest rates – just over 2%.  Now, if you took your foot off the pedal and eased up, spent some more money, borrowed more money in a discretionary sense you could lose all the benefit of that as interest rates go up. 1% of interest rate is a £1000 of a family’s mortgage.

Quest: Now, toBritain’s relationship with Euro zone partners and your EU partners.  Following December, is there any movement that you can see that would allow you to rejoin the full debate now? Because you are going toBrussels on Monday, there is going to be a European summit, so are you still on the outside?

Cameron: We are on the inside. AtBrussels on Monday we are going to be talking about what really matters – the single market, competitiveness, and how we help our economies to grow.  Britain is at the heart of that debate.  But in terms of the new treaty, outside the European Union, for the Euro zone members that treaty is going to be about the fiscal union they want to bring about as members of the Euro zone.  We are not going to be at a disadvantage by not being party, we are not a part of the Euro zone and we are not going to join the Euro zone.  I think we should focus on what really matters forBritain, which is actually getting the single market moving.  The reason we didn’t join the treaty is the same reason we don’t join the treaty today, which is that we asked for safeguards, we asked for conditions, particularly around the single market and financial services, we haven’t got those safeguards so we cannot have a treaty inside the European Union.

Quest: The dynamics have changed within the 27, once they all have their fiscal pact which may come in March, or sometime this year, the dynamic has changed and you have to play a different role…

Cameron: The dynamic changed when part of the European Union decided to have a single currency, the Euro. That was the moment the dynamic changed. And from then on, frankly, countries likeBritain, which are in the single market, but not in the single currency, have been basically engaging inEurope in a slightly different way. Absolutely committed to the single market but frankly out of the realm when the Euro zone issues are being discussed because we are not in this currency, and we don’t have to be in this currency, and I think we should take a relaxed view of that -  Britain gets a lot out of Europe through the single market - through our engagement in foreign affairs and other issues, but we don’t want to be in the Euro zone, we would rather set our own interest rates set our own economic policy for the benefit of our own people.

Quest: Coming back to the idea of a treaty – which of courseBritain could sign up to even without signing the part of the fiscal pact – can you see movement that would enable you sign up to the treaty even though you wouldn’t be a part of the fiscal pact? 

Cameron: I haven’t seen that movement because the conditions we set out are the conditions we set out and they haven’t been moved towards, so I don’t see that development.

Quest: So there is no movement on that…

Cameron: There hasn’t been. The members who want the fiscal union are going ahead with that treaty outside the EU.  It’s obviously in our interest that it is fixed to the fiscal union and doesn’t fall into matters covered by the European Union treaties and I think that will be the case.

I think you can look at individual countries and say are you are you ahead of the curve or how do you plan to deal with the deficit, I think in the UK we are ahead of that. On that issue, I think there have been good developments in recent months showing that the politicians and leaders in the Euro zone recognise what needs to be done and are willing to do it. They care about their currency, they know they need to take steps for it to be a success, it is in their interests and the rest of the world’s interests

CONTACt:

Inside the Middle East

In February, ‘Inside the Middle East’  explores the struggle to preserve traditional Arab culture in a rapidly changing, modern world. Host Rima Maktabi looks at the stories of four people from the region who are leading the fight to protect, promote, and adapt their heritage.

Maktabi journeys deep into the heart of Baqa’a, Jordan’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, where she meets the women striving to save the age-old art of hand-made Palestinian embroidery. Helping them on their quest is Dubai-based fashion designer, Zeina Abou Chaaban, who markets their ‘Palestyle’ clothing in the upscale malls of the UAE.  

The programme also meets Amin Maalouf (pictured), a renowned Lebanese-born French author whose romantic tales of Arab mythology have enlightened readers across the globe for decades. In a rare interview, he tells how being inspired “by everything” allows him to bridge his two cultures and identities.  

CNN travels to Burj Hammoud, Lebanon, and takes a tour with filmmaker, Nigol Bezijian. Born in Syria, raised in Lebanon, and educated in the United States, Bezijian explains why he comes here to get his “cultural fix” and reconnect with his roots.

The final story is that of Abdel Halim Caracalla, who opened a fledgling dance school and theatre in Lebanon that presents internationally-acclaimed performances and promotes the art of Arabesque in the Arab world (pictured above).  But, as the show discovers, in some conservative circles, not everyone is a fan.  

Living Golf

This month’s ‘Living Golf’ comes from the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, where host Shane O’Donoghue speaks to some of the stars of this year’s tournament, including Rory McIlroy (pictured), Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods.

With the world’s top four – Tiger and three of the current Major Champions – in town, has the UAE’s capital taken over as golfing capital of theMiddle East?

In addition, the show presents the ‘clinic’ with world number 2, Lee Westwood; goes behind the scenes with one of the best golf photographers in the world, and follows two young pros trying to make their mark on tour.

cnn.com/livinggolf
@shaneodonoghue

MainSail

In February, ‘MainSail’ is in Abu Dhabi for the Volvo Ocean Race (pictured) stopover, an event in which nations from all over the world invest time, money and people in the sport of sailing.

This winter marks the first time this classic round-the-world boat race will make a Middle-Eastern stopover in its thirty-eight year history. But theMiddle Eastis not only investing in the professional side of the sport. Government-backed initiatives are also providing learning opportunities for local people, offering the chance of employment and the prospect of training and coaching for those who show promise.

Host Shirley Robertson is in the region and on board with professional sailors and team managers to find out why the Volvo Ocean Race has come to theMiddle East. She also spends time on the inside of a unique training camp for local people to find out why the region has developed such an interest in sailing.