Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

The Summer Of British Sporting Excellence; Bradley Manning Found Not Guilty; Forgotten For Five Days, California Man Gets Judgment Against Government; Pakistani Game Show Gives Away Baby; Oil Spill In Thailand; Italian Family Sues Facebook Over Abusive Posts

Aired July 31, 2013 - 08:00:00   ET

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


KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now, his trial is over. And now we wait to find out Bradley Manning's sentence for the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history.

We'll also bring you the tragic story of a 14-year-old girl who killed herself and why her family blames Facebook.

And we'll take you to a part of North Korea most people never see: a shop that sells electronics.

Now, Bradley Manning will soon learn how much time he will spend in Prison. A sentencing hearing begins in around 90 minutes, but it could last for days. And on Tuesday, a military judge acquitted the U.S. army private of the most serious charge against him: aiding the enemy.

But the soldier behind the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history still faces years, if not decades, behind bars.

Now manning was found guilty of 20 charges under the Espionage Act, including the theft of more than 700 U.S. Southern Command records about the war in Afghanistan, the theft of U.S. State Department cables, and possession of classified army documents.

Now 12 of the charges carry maximum sentences of 12 years each in prison. And altogether, Manning could be locked up for 136 years, but he may not serve the maximum sentence for each count. And the judge could rule the former intelligence analyst will serve time for some of the charges concurrently.

Now for more on the case, let's bring in our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. And Barbara, the sentencing phase, we know it begins today, what should we expect?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kristie. You know, it's the sentencing phase begins later today. One of the key questions for the judge to decide is how much damage to national security did Manning's leaks really do.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): Private First Class Bradley Manning technically was spared a life sentence when the judge ruled he was not guilty of aiding the enemy. Manning gave three-quarters of a million pages of classified documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Wikileaks, the anti- secrecy web site. The military accused him of putting lives in danger, saying some of the material was found in Osama Bin Laden's compound. Manning said he just wanted the public to know what the government was doing. Supporters say it's a partial victory.

BEN WIZNER, DIRECTOR OF ACLU'S SPEECH, PRIVACY AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECT: The only reason why the government proceeded with this trial is so that it could pursue this dangerous theory that equates leaks to the press with aiding the enemy.

GENE FIDELL, CO-FOUNDER, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MILITARY JUSTICE: It shows that a really very junior enlisted person can do battle with the federal government in a case where the government is really mad as hell about what happened here, throws everything it has at him and its biggest charge fizzles.

STARR: But the former intelligence analyst still faces a maximum sentence of 136 years in jail, convicted on 20 counts including stealing classified information, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the internet and possession of classified videos including a 2007 video showing U.S. troops firing on people in Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And later today, congress will have a hearing for the public on the other leak issue: the leak of classified information about the National Security Agency's communications surveillance programs around the world and the damage caused by that leaker Edward Snowden - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, in the meantime, we're waiting the sentencing, the fate of Bradley Manning. What impact will the verdict have on military intelligence in guarding state secrets today in the digital age?

STARR: Well, this is a very tough question, you know, because after Manning, a lot of new policies came out about not using portable media - the thumb drives, the CDs that we're all so familiar with, because they believe Manning put these types of portable media into a computer system, downloaded and then took them out. That wasn't supposed to happen anymore.

So there's - with Snowden now, a second major leak situation, they're looking across the board on how to further safeguard material.

But there is an acknowledgment that if somebody wants to commit a crime, they probably can find a way to do it.

LU STOUT: Yeah, and here on News Stream, we've been talking about the differences between the two cases - Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning, but do you think the Manning verdict, does it send a message to all leakers and all self-described whistle-blowers like Snowden?

STARR: well, it certainly is sending a message that the government - either the military justice system or the civilian justice system - is absolutely prepared to crack down as hard as they can and charge people as aggressively as they can. But what we know is Manning supporters, Snowden supporters, are making the case in their view that these men did not commit crimes, that they were whistle-blowers and that they were trying to tell - through the media, tell the American public and the public around the world what was going on.

They're making a case that it's very similar to investigative journalism.

The government is not buying it. It says these men swore an oath to protect information and they broke that oath - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Barbara Starr reporting as always, thank you.

Now, secret sharing website WikiLeaks has never confirmed that Bradley Manning was the source of classified documents it published, but the site's founder has repeatedly called him a hero. Now Julian Assange says Tuesday's verdict is an attack on freedom of speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIAN ASSANGE, WIKILEAKS FOUNDER: Bradley Manning's alleged disclosures have exposed war crimes, sparked revolutions and induced democratic reform. He is the quintessential whistle-blower. This is the first ever espionage conviction against a whistle-blower in the United States. It is a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism. It is a shortsighted judgment that cannot be tolerated and it must be reversed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now Bradley Manning has been called a traitor by some, a martyr by others and many things in between. And his court martial has touched off a furious debate about what harm, if any, he has done to U.S. national security.

Now CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin and journalist Glenn Greenwald had this to say on Anderson Cooper 360 on Tuesday.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Bradley Manning released 700,000 cables including the life's work of a lot of foreign service officers who risk their lives and the people they talk to risk their lives to talk to American officials, and the idea that Bradley Manning has the right, and it was somehow justified, in releasing this material, I think is just completely wrong.

And, you know, Bob Woodward is a separate story and unrelated as far as I'm concerned.

GLENN GREENWALD, JOURNALIST: And the thing that I find most bizarre is that anybody who would go into the field of journalism or call themselves a journalist, who would call for the prosecution and imprisonment for decades of a source like Bradley Manning who, as I said, didn't publish anything top secret the way that most sources for large media outlets in America do all the time, it's baffling.

What Bradley Manning did is the job of journalists which is to bring transparency to what the government is doing.

TOOBIN: The people who wrote those cables have devoted their lives to try to make the world a better place, particularly Foreign Service officers. You know, maybe you disagree about that, Glenn, but I admire the Foreign Service a great deal, and, you know, I trust their judgment about what's a secret a lot more than I do Bradley Manning.

GREENWALD: In the Bush years people said whoever told Dana Priest at the "Washington Post" that the Bush administration had secret CIA prisons who whoever told the "New York Times" that the Bush administration was fine without warrants, what right did they have to disclose secrets?

This is how journalist, investigative journalism works, Jeff, is that people inside the government with a conscience come forward when they find out things that their government is doing that are wrong and they disclose it to the world through media outlets and journalism.

If you think that's criminal, you're essentially calling for the end of investigative journalism. That is what investigative journalism is about.

TOOBIN: No, I appreciate your education to me of what journalism is. But, you know, releasing 700,000 cables in the completely blunderbuss way is not the same as the work of Dana Priest and Bob Woodward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Highlights of a great discussion there.

And you can read much more about the Bradley Manning trial on our website. Go to CNN.com/international. And there you can check out this commentary from the media theorist and author Douglas Rushkoff (ph). Now he argues that the U.S. government has not faced up to the fact that it cannot control information in this digital age writing, quote, "the more networked we become and the more data we collect, the more likely something will eventually find its way out."

And he adds this, "a security culture based on surveillance and big data cuts both ways."

And now to a settlement in a shocking case out of California. Now a U.S. college student who was left in a holding cell for five days without food or water, he'll receive a $4.1 million settlement from the U.S. government. Now Daniel Chong, who was detained last year in a drug raid on a house and was apparently forgotten as he sat in the holding cell.

Now here's what he said about the ordeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL CHONG, PLAINTIFF: Of course, I can't assume that it was deliberate, of course. I think it was just what it sounded like, it was an accident, a really, really bad, horrible accident. And - it's not just to the point where it's, you know, you've got to hold them accountable, but I mean, it was an accident. And I do recognize that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: I can't believe what he went through.

Now Chong, he was never formally arrested or charged in the case. And while left alone in the cell, he drank his own urine to survive. He even wrote a farewell note to his mother before he was discovered.

Now you're watching News Stream. And up next, long-time president Robert Mugabe casts his ballot in Zimbabwe. Will voters extend his 33 year rule? We'll have a live update.

And she is just a baby, but what a story she'll be able to tell one day. Stay with us for a surprising first for Pakistani television.

And an Italian girl takes her own life after her family says that she was bullied online. And now her mother is on a mission.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got in the show today. And we started with the upcoming sentencing of Bradley Manning. A little later in the show, we'll take you to a resort in Thailand where they battling a serious oil spill.

But now we turn to Zimbabwe. An uneasy power sharing government is coming to a close in the country. And what comes after it is now in the hands of voters for today at least. Now some 6.4 million people are eligible to vote in Wednesday's general elections. And all eyes are on the presidential race. The two frontrunners are well known to Zimbabweans. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is the country's opposition leader. President Robert Mugabe, he's been in office for 33 years, and he is the only president the country has known since independence.

Now Mr. Mugabe says he will respect the outcome of today's vote. But Tsvangirai has already gone on the record to cite voting irregularities.

Nkepile Mabuse is following the story from neighboring South Africa. She joins me now live from CNN Johannesburg. And Nkepile, it has to be asked just how free, how fair is this election today?

NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is the big question, isn't it, Kristie? And in the lead up to these elections, the southern African development community, the regional body here, tried to push Mugabe to postpone this poll, because they felt that the conditions on the ground in Zimbabwe were not conducive to free and fair elections.

Now Robert Mugabe is a wily politician. He is very smart politically. He has been able to outsmart his opponents at home. And time and time again, we've seen him outsmart leaders here on the continent. He wanted the election to happen today on the 31 of July. And that's exactly what he's getting.

So all eyes will be on those election observers that are watching over this election. You'll all remember that Mr. Mugabe has not accredited any election observer missions that have been critical of him in the past. Many of those observer missions that you see overseeing the poll - the elections in Zimbabwe today are from countries that are friendly to Mugabe.

So, yes, the question is being asked today, will these elections be free and fair Kristie?

LU STOUT: It looks like more about Robert Mugabe. I mean, he has said if he - that he will step down if he loses. It's a big if.

Now Nkepile, you have met and you have interviewed Robert Mugabe, would he even allow his party to lose?

MABUSE: You know, in 2005, during the country's parliamentary elections, I asked President Robert Mugabe what he would do if his party, Zanu PF, lost the election. And his answer to me was, well, Zanu PF never loses. And opposition politicians in Zimbabwe will say that's because Zanu PF has been rigging elections using violence and intimidation to hold on to power.

Robert Mugabe yesterday vehemently denying this. He says that there has never been any rigging in Zimbabwe and that this election on Wednesday will be free and fair, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And what is life like in Zimbabwe today. And what has changed there since 2009 when it formed a unity government back then?

MABUSE: You know, one thing that stands out when you talk about how life has changed in Zimbabwe between 2008 and now is the economy. The economy in that country has stabilized. We saw high inflation in that country. We saw stores being unable to get goods for Zimbabweans to buy, empty shelves in Zimbabwe.

Now what happened is that the Zim Dollar has been discontinued in Zimbabwe. The country is now using multiple currencies. The main currency being used is the U.S. Dollar. And shop owners have been able to buy goods. People are getting bread and fruit and vegetables in the stores.

But when you talk about freedom of speech, the state media in Zimbabwe is still very much pro-Robert Mugabe. The police, the military are still very much seen as pro-Robert Mugabe. In fact, we're reading reports in Zimbabwe that a retired military leader has said that if Robert Mugabe loses this election there will be war in Zimbabwe. So those conditions have not changed.

But daily life is improving, because steps have been taken by the unity government to improve the economy in that country, Kristie.

LU STOUT: But as you said violence on the back of potential election result. Nkepile Mabuse, we thank you for your reporting.

Now moving on to the unrest in Egypt. U.S. President Barack Obama has asked Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain to travel to Cairo. Now the trip, it could take place as early as next week. And it's aimed at urging the country's military to hold new elections.

Now the two senators are hoping to meet military and political leaders, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Now European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, she has wrapped up an official visit to Cairo after meeting with the ousted president Mohamed Morsy.

Now let's hear from Arwa Damon who is live from Cairo. And Arwa, has Ashton's visit helped to lower the tension there in Egypt?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the tensions have been ever so slightly lowered on perhaps a superficial level, although the probability, the likelihood that they could once again be reignited most certainly is still there. At the very least, Catherine Ashton was able to meet with all of the main players that are involved here. And she was able to meet with deposed president Mohamed Morsy.

When we spoke to his supporters, afterwards they said that those who had heard about it, at the very least felt a certain sense of relief to hear that he was doing well. But at the same time, they have absolutely no intention of clearing out the areas of Cairo where they have been conducting their various sit-ins until he is brought back to power, which is of course a non-starter when it comes to the military backed interim government.

So the court issues are still there, but perhaps tensions lowered ever, ever so slightly at this stage, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, tensions lowered slightly.

Your thoughts on this. Do you think an international mediator, whether it's the EU's top diplomat or a U.S. Senator, could someone from the outside help bring about a political solution in Egypt?

DAMON: You know, what Egypt is going through right now is so phenomenally sensitive that to ensure its success, it would need to, in fact, be an Egyptian solution. The perception that any sort of political reconciliation was somehow mediated by an outside force might not ensure its own success.

Catherine Ashton in the unique position that she was able to, and does have a good and solid relationship with all of the players here.

For the U.S., that is going to be quite the challenge. None of the main players here really fully trust the U.S. They say that the U.S. doesn't really have a leg to stand on when it comes to active mediation.

The aim of this expected upcoming trips by Senators McCain and Lindsey Graham, the U.S. is saying that that is to show that all main players within the American political process are on the same page when it comes to Egypt, that they want to see a democratically elected government in place sooner rather than later, and that the Egyptian military, the government should not be detaining individuals simply because they are in political opposition.

But at the end of the day, this very much is going to have to be an Egyptian solution for it to actually to be able to succeed moving the country forward.

LU STOUT: All right, Arwa Damon your reporting, your perspective always appreciated. Thank you.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still ahead, you've heard of Oprah Winfrey giving away cars, other big prizes, but in Pakistan one popular game show is giving out something rather unusual and rather controversial. It's a story you won't want to miss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Live from Hong Kong you are back watching News Stream.

Now this Ramadan in Pakistan, a popular TV game show decided to do something different. And you won't believe the prize it gave to one couple.

Now Saima Mohsin has more on the very unusual giveaway and the fallout.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They say having a baby is the greatest gift of all. This is the moment an abandoned baby was handed over to an unsuspecting (inaudible) couple on live TV.

SURIYA BILQUEES, NEW MOTHER (through translator): I was really shocked at first. I couldn't believe we were being given this baby girl. I was extremely happy.

SYED ZULFIQAR HUSSAIN, NEW FATHER (through translator): We weren't complete. This baby has made our house a home.

MOHSIN: 500 people make up this live studio audience for a marathon seven hour Ramadan special program.

AAMIR LIAQUAT HUSAIN, TV HOST (through translator): At Christmas, there's Santa Claus to give everyone gifts. It's important for Christians. For us, Ramadan is a really special time, so it's really important to make people happy and reward them.

MOHSIN: So then would you call yourself the Santa Claus of Islam, then?

HUSAIN (through translator): Oh, I wouldn't say that myself, but I think it's a good concept to give gifts to people. It's not good to take, but to give.

MOHSIN: The show's host Aamir Liaquat has been described as a religious scholar, TV megastar and even a sex symbol. His heady mix of religion and entertainment is often followed by controversy. In his new show, he cooks while men sing Islamic hymns, discusses religion with children and a garden full of rabbits, snakes and goats, and then he has a Price is Right style bonanza giveaway.

He's testing the audience's knowledge of the Koran to win everything from a mobile phone to a motorbike.

Now he's pleased, shocked and surprised people across the country in what's a TV first for Pakistan, giving a way a baby.

Do you think by handing over a child on live television to a childless couple is trivializing the issue of abandoned children and adoption?

HUSAIN: Not at all, not at all.

(through translator): We've created a symbol of peace and love, that's our show's theme to spread love. I'm setting an example, giving a childless couple an abandoned child.

MOHSIN: The NGO which finds and houses up to 15 abandoned babies a month says it joined forces with the TV show to raise awareness of the issue.

RAMZAN CHHIPA, CHHIPA FOUNDATION (through translator): Our team finds babies abandoned on the street in garbage bins, some of them dead, others mauled by animals. So why not ensure the baby is kept alive and gets a good home? We didn't just give the baby away. We have our own vetting procedure. This couple was already registered with us and has had four of five sessions with us.

MOHSIN: But the couple didn't know that they'd be handed a 2-week-old baby girl when they were invited to take part in the show. They're the second couple to be given a baby on TV. Adoption isn't officially recognized in Pakistan, and there is no adoption law that these couples will have to apply for guardianship at a family court.

This wasn't processed before the live broadcast.

Aamin Liaquat says this isn't a gimmick to win the fierce Ramadan ratings war in Pakistan. He says another couple will soon be given an abandoned baby on the show in the coming days.

Saima Mohsin, CNN, Karachi, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: The multifaceted story.

You're watching News Stream. And up next a family in Italy says a barrage of abusive messages posted on Facebook was too much for this 14- year-old girl to take. She committed suicide. And now Italian prosecutors are considering action against the social network.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.

Now the sentencing phase begins today in the trial of U.S. army private Bradley Manning. He was convicted of espionage for giving a trove of secret U.S. government documents to WikiLeaks. Now Manning was acquitted on the most serious charge against him: aiding the enemy. Now he could, however, still face decades in prison.

Now people in Zimbabwe are going to the polls to vote for a new president. Now casting his vote earlier was current leader Robert Mugabe who has already been in power for more than three decades. His main rival is Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai from the opposition NDC Party. Now if Tsvangirai wins, Mugabe says he is ready to step down.

Now civilian deaths in Afghanistan have risen by 14 percent in the first six months of the year according to the United Nations. The majority of deaths and injuries were caused by improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Now 1,319 civilian deaths were documented in the first six months of 2013.

Now court officials say the driver of the train the derailed in Spain last week was on the phone with railway staff when the train crashed. Now the train was said to be going nearly twice the speed limit for the stretch of track when it crashed killing 79 people. Francisco Jose Garzon has been charged with homocide by professional recklessness.

Now Facebook could face a criminal complaint after the suicide of an Italian teenager. Now Carlina Picchio's family says that she killed herself after she was tormented by messages on the social network. The 14- year-old jumped from her family's fourth floor apartment in January after allegedly receiving thousands of vulgar messages online.

And before she jumped, she reportedly posted a note on her Facebook page. It read, "forgive me if I'm not strong. I cannot take it any longer."

Ben Wedeman has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: She was like so many girls her age - her identity, her pictures, her thoughts, her life splashed across Facebook. But when a video of 14-year-old Carolina Picchio allegedly showed up on Facebook in which she appeared to be drunk and disoriented at a party the social network became a social nightmare.

An ex-boyfriend and his friends posted a steady barrage of abusive, offensive messages aimed at Carolina.

"He was insulting her, mistreating her," recalls her sister Talita (ph). "We naturally spoke about it with her, but she told us not to worry."

Talita (ph) and some of Carolina's friends say they reported the nasty messages to Facebook, hoping they'd be removed, but nothing happened.

In the prosperous Northern Italian town of Novara, what started online spilled into Carolina's daily life at school and among her friends. Unbeknownst to her family, it was all becoming too much for her to handle.

Some time between 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning on the 5 of January of this year, Carolina jumped out of her bedroom window and landed head first on the concrete below.

She left a final letter addressed to her tormentors, which her mother Kristina (ph) read to us.

"Are you happy now?" Asks Carolina. "Have you hurt me enough? Have you had enough revenge?"

Novara prosecutor Francesco Salutso (ph) is looking into the possibility of throwing the book at Facebook for failing to remove offensive content that may have led to Carolina's suicide.

"In the case of Carolina," he says. "It appears some of her friends, some of her relatives, asked for the removal of this strong content and it wasn't removed. And this played a role in her decision to commit suicide."

In response to a request for comment on this story, Facebook provided CNN with a statement. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Carolina Picchio and our hearts go our to her family and friends. Harassment has no place on Facebook. And we actively encourage teens and parents to report incidences of bullying using the links located throughout the site. We remove content reported to us that violates our statement of rights and responsibilities and we escalate reports of harassment and bullying to law enforcement where appropriate."

Carolina's mother feels the time has come for Facebook to confront the reality of online bullying.

"My battle," she says, "is to make the social networks responsible so that there are protections for minors. We can't allow for more Carolinas or other mothers who must cry and be deprived of the lives of their daughters."

Carolina's uncle has posted a video on YouTube dedicated to her. Carolina's death now a raalying point in Italy in the fight against online bullying.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Novara, Northern Italy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now Twitter is also facing a backlash after a feminist campaigner in Britain became the target of a barrage of rape and death threats. Now police investigating the abuse have arrested a 25-year-old man in northeastern England. A 21-year-old man was detained in Manchester earlier this week on suspicion of harassment offenses.

Now Carolina Criado-Perez successfully petitioned the Bank of England to feature female author Jane Austen on a bank note, but then she and Stella Creasy, an MP who had backed her campaign, were both confronted by sexually abusive and threatening tweets like these. And at one point, they've received around 50 threats an hour.

Now rather than retreat from the microblog, Criado-Perez started shaming her attackers on her Twitter feed. And now more than 100,000 people have signed an online petition urging Twitter to tackle Internet trolls. Now Twitter UK's general manager has taken to his own feed to respond. And Tony Wang writes this, quote, "we continue to listen to feedback and are working hard to bring the report button currently in iOS and mobile web to other major platforms.

Now CNN was in North Korea last week for coverage of the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting between the north and the south. And while there, our Ivan Watson had a little bit of free time and he decided to do a little shopping. And just take a look at what he found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the first time we've been brought to a shop here in Pyongyang. There are optometrists here fixing glasses. And this store has a remarkable variety of goods for sale.

Look over here, there's stationary and makeup on this side, more glasses over here. We've seen customers coming in. And we're going to swing around to the high tech side of things - a lot of TVs for sale. This is a famous North Korean girl band being displayed on the television here.

We've got some portable computers, some tablets as well apparently for sale. And something that really came as a surprise for us, there is a certain kind of cash card here in North Korea that has been exhibited to us. I had no idea there was anything like that working here.

We don't know who exactly gets to come and shop typically of the North Koreans in a store like this, but if they need it there are diesel generators for sale as well as Honda motorbikes.

I'm now taking pictures of the Arch of Triumph with my cell phone. And this is something that's completely new, completely new for foreign journalists traveling to North Korea. Our cellphones were not taken away from us. In fact, we were allowed to purchase local SIM cards that provided data access. So we were able to tweet photos out and send out pictures as well. And that's completely new for foreign visitors.

However, it's very important to note that while we're seeing that North Koreans have cellphone, they do not have any access, as far as we know, ordinary North Koreans, to either email, Internet or international calls.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Pyongyang.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And after that story, Ivan Watson said on Twitter that he was surprised to see a North Korean shop with that cash card, but said that he doubts that the 2.4 million people that the UN is trying to feed have those cards.

Now coming up, we'll be taking a look at the oil spill in the Gulf of Thailand. Now the company responsible for this says cleanup is 80 percent complete. But environmentalists say it is just getting started.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Now welcome back.

And let's take a look at the oil spill in Thailand. Now environmentalists have accused a Thai energy firm of understating the fallout from a major pipeline leak near the popular tourist island of Koh Samet. And the company responsible for this spill, PTT Global Chemical, says 50,000 liters of oil leaked into the ocean, but one Thai academic believes that the real volume could be from 75,000 to 100,000 liters.

Now PTT staff, Thai navy and volunteers, they are scrambling to contain and to clean up the spill. And if you look at this satellite photo, this was taken earlier today, you can get a better sense of the size and the direction of this spill. And you can already see that the leak has already spread to the west coast of Koh Samet Island. And the coastal area of Rayong on the mainland is also a popular resort area.

Now let's get more now on the spills movements. Tom Sater joins us from the world weather center - Tom.

TOM SATER, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, as we have seen in the past with oil spills, much like in the Gulf of Mexico, watching the choppy seas and trying to get an idea of where this spill will go next is quite difficult. On a large scale, however, there's a number of factors that we can watch. Let's talk about the Southeast Asia. We have a number of tropical systems that we're going to talk about. These will play a slight role. But really it's a closer look into what we can find as far as thunder storm development.

When we have thunderstorms along this very active monsoonal trough, thunderstorms just develop in single places and kind of rain themselves out, which help disperse, somewhat, or keep any movement contained.

Now there will be some, of course, sea movement. Right now we're looking at 28 degrees. We have a northwest wind at 7. But this northwest wind will play a minor role.

It's really how active with the thunderstorm development be in and around this spill that will kind of in a way help slosh this oil in different places.

So when we talk about the forecast, notice the color of yellow here on a broader scale here. This is a lot of rainfall. So to contain this is really going to take a lot of work. They're going to have to work, of course, in that main area of the spill and then build outward and try to find what they can.

There will no doubt be what we call tar balls that will be found on the beaches and a closer look they'll be able to inspect just how much is just offshore.

But this could take weeks, if not months, to find its way to the shore.

So again the activity of the weather is going to play a bit role.

There has been some heavy rainfall, but it's been well to the north in some of the provinces of Thailand further northward. The forecast, yes, calls for more rain, but again it's the movement of the thunderstorms in relation to the wave movement of the water. And that's going to take some days, if not weeks, to really gather a handle on.

We have a number of systems, our tropical depression Jebi. We've got another system we're watching, Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Two systems with a low chance. More concerned about the one out to the southeast of Guam really that will have more room to develop.

But again, already in the Philippines we're seeing 70 to 100 millimeters. And we've got this one right now in the Bicol region, the Visayas.

But as we talk about Jebi here, take a look at its movement right into northern parts of Vietnam. in about 72 hours. But again 55 kilometers per hour. Again, it will develop to tropical storm status.

This really will not concern or have the waves concern itself with the cleanup efforts down there of course in the Gulf of Thailand.

So as everything is down to the south, it's the heat. And again, we are breaking records. Shanghai did it. 25 days for the month of July at 35 degrees or higher, breaks a record from the July of 1934 with the greatest number of days in July, or any month for that matter. The warmest summer was also 1934. It doesn't look like we're going to hit it, but 40 degrees is warm enough.

It looks like the upper 30s, mid to upper 30s, Kristie, will continue in Shanghai as they begin August.

They've got to through the entire month of August to have the warmest summer. That was also in 1934. Don't think they'll happen. Let's hope.

LU STOUT: Yeah. Really hot. And the high heat, plus the haze in certain areas not a good combination.

Tom Sater there, thank you.

Now we want to warn our viewers in Australia you might want to turn away, because we're about to tell you about Britain's unprecedented sporting success this summer. Now much to the dismay of sports fans in the southern hemisphere, it's been a good few months for the UK's athletes and sporting teams. Amanada Davies takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: They say succeeds success, but we've seen more British sporting history than we could ever have imagined this summer. The Union Jacks have been flying high with performances that have been hotter than the weather.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: London 2012, we were on such a high and then to do this a year later is just - just amazing. It's fantastic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We took the Lyons (ph) on the cricket, we're just about the Australians which can't be bad. You know what I mean? We're going to win here. Beat the French again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's just amazing (inaudible) really. I followed it since I was a little boy with my father. I've come here three or four times to watch it. And as you see, look around year, follow it down there. I've got this one. Everyone's in Britain loves it, like last year especially. It's just amazing.

DAVIES: Justin Rose started it off winning his first major title at golf's U.S. Open and giving England their first major winner in 17 years.

JUSTIN ROSE, 2013 U.S. OPEN WINNER: Someone just sort of chirped from the crowd, "Rose. A good iron shot and two putts and it's yours." You know, and that's kind of in a sense that's all I was trying to do at that point just had to really stand up there and be counted. I mean, it was a major, it was my moment. It was stand up and just deliver really.

DAVIES: The British and Irish Lions followed suit winning their first test series for 16 years. And then there was Andy Murray, he had 77 years of hurt on his shoulders at Wimbledon, but where so many had tried and failed before him, the world number two pulled out all the stops to beat Novak Djokovic and finally become the first British male winner since Fred Perry.

ANDY MURRAY, 2013 WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: I was just happy it happened, really. You know, that's the one worry you have before you go to bed, you know that you wake up and it's actually not true. But yeah, it was just - I was obviously very happy and relieved to have finally done it.

DAVIES: Chris Froome has done things differently, though. There's been none of that nervous nailbiting us Brits are used to. He's put in a performance worth of the pre-race favorite and stormed to victory to keep those Union Jacks flying high.

CHRIS FROOME, 2013 TOUR DE FRANCE WINNER: It definitely - I - yeah, I feel like I've at least contributed my part in that regard. And it's - it just the momentum after - after the Lions, after Ashes, Andy Murray's victory, I mean, it really - it just feels like everyone's - everyone is just following whatever sport it is and the momentum just keeps growing.

DAVIES: Even the queen has got excited supporting England's cricketers as they do battle for the Ashes with a 2-0 series lead. Now Alistair Cook's side just need to finish the job against Australia.

Amanda Davis, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now in the U.S., nearly 3 million grandparents are raising their grandchildren by themselves. It's a role that can be overwhelming. But that's where this week's CNN Hero comes in.

Now drawing inspiration from her own family tragedy, Sylvie de Toledo helps support grandparents who have suddenly become parents once again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One day my daughter came to my door and she handed me three kids, says here mom, I'll call you later. And it's seven years already. It changes your life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything changed. At 60, wow, I have to raise this baby. How am I going to do it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does anybody have a crisis that they want to talk about?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Most grandparents who are taking in the children, it does wreck havoc because many are living on fixed incomes and they were not prepared to take in one or multiple children.

SYLVIE DE TOLEDO, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: I'm Sylvie de Toledo and I help grandparents who suddenly have to take in grandchildren.

This is my sister. And she was pregnant here.

When my sister was 27, she committed suicide and left an 8 year old.

This is Kevin when he came to live with my parents.

My parents were my inspiration. From a family tragedy, something wonderful has happened.

I know it may not feel like it, but you are going to get past this.

When a family calls, whether it's help with the school, finding a pediatrician, resources, we will find a way to help you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden I had things coming - clothes, food, they're like my therapy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sylvie was able to walk me through everything. They helped me get on my feet where I could help myself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody, I want to introduce you to our new grandmother.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really the relatives who are doing this that deserve the recognition. I have never gotten up once and said I can't do this anymore.

I just love what I do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: She's incredible, isn't she? And if you want to read more about Sylvie de Toledo and her organization, it's called Grandparents as Parents, go to our website CNNHeroes.com. And while you're there, tell us if you know someone who deserves to be recognized as a CNN Hero.

Now, you are watching News Stream. And still ahead, Carly Simon is back on stage with her old hit song "You're So Vain," but who is the song about? The 40-year-old guessing game continues after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now we're used to seeing holiday snaps from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, but now Syria's Bashar al-Assad has joined Instagram. Now you won't find any images of trophies, tanks, or bloody battles on this feed. Instead, there is plenty of propaganda. Photo after photo of the president being greeted by adoring crowds and caring for the sick or disadvantaged. Now al-Assad is no stranger to social media. He also has a Twitter account, his own Facebook page, and a YouTube channel.

Now, in 1972, U.S. singer Carly Simon, she scored a huge hit with "You're So Vain." And the song, it played out as a classic kiss and tell, except Simon has never publicly revealed who the song is about. Jeanne Moos revisits the guessing game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prepare to dip your hat strategically below one eye and wear a scarf that's apricot.

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: We're going to sing "You're So Vain" tonight, and I'm so excited.

MOOS: So excited, they were holding hands in this behind-the-scenes video. Taylor Swift brought Carly Simon out on stage at her Boston- area concert, so together they could belt out Carly's signature song about some conceited mystery man.

TAYLOR SWIFT & CARLY SIMON, SINGING: You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you

MOOS: Don't you know, 41 years later, we still don't know.

(on camera): You're so lame, you probably think this song is about...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Warren Beatty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cat Stevens.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: James Taylor?

MOOS (voice-over): Sixty-eight-year-old Carly Simon has never spilled the beans, though she's doled out a few clues over the years.

SIMON: The name of the person it's about had an "E" in it.

MOOS: She gave us two vowels.

SIMON: An "A."

MOOS: And a consonant.

SIMON: I'm going to add an "R."

REGIS PHILBIN, FORMER HOST, ABC'S "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": An "R"?

MOOS: When she released a new version of the song in 2009, a British tabloid was sure it had the guy based on barely a whisper. Played backwards sounded like some to David. Ah-ha. David Geffen, the record producer. But Carly shot that one down.

At an auction for charity, Carly promised to reveal the secret to the highest bidder. Former NBC sports executive Dick Ebersol donated $50,000 for Carly to whisper the name to him, though he had to sign a confidentiality agreement not to reveal it.

Will Taylor Swift have loose lips?

SWIFT: Who is "You're So Vain" written about?

SIMON: Well, I've already told you, and I told you never to tell. So you know.

SWIFT: I was just thinking that she might tell you. But I do know now.

MOOS: Cat, James, Warren, Mick, Carly sometimes says who it's not about.

SIMON: It is not Mick Jagger.

MOOS: Or who it's not not about.

SIMON: Well, you know what? It's certainly not not about Warren.

MOOS (on camera): But if you have dreams of ever solving this riddle, they're just clouds in your coffee.

SWIFT & SIMON (singing): Clouds in my coffee.

SIMON: I could never solve it, because if I solved it, then no one would have anything to talk to me about.

MOOS: Nothing vain about Carly.

SWIFT & SIMON (singing): You're so vain...

MOOS: It's just asking that's in vain.

Jeanne Moos, CNN...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was Warren Beatty, wasn't it?

SIMON: What are you talking about?

MOOS: ... New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Nice one, Becky.

Now for years, binge drinking has been an English term to describe consuming way too much alcohol over a short period of time, but now France, long famous for its fine wines, has its own expression for the phenomenon. I'll try my French here. Beuverie express, quite literally the phrase it translates as fast drinking.

It was approved by the Fench culture ministry on Sunday. And officially, it is defined as, quote, "the massive absorption of alcohol generally in a group aimed at causing drunkeness in the minimum amount of time."

Now beuverie express is just the latest French alternative to an English term. And other recent examples include mot-diese, meaning hashtag and courriel meaning email.

But this addition to the language, it's a real sign of the times. Studies suggest that binge drinking is, indeed, on the rise in France.

And that is News Stream, but the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.

END