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NEWS STREAM

Fleeing the Violence in Syria; E. Coli Update; NATO on Afghanistan

Aired June 08, 2011 - 08:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: Welcome to NEWS STREAM, where news and technology meet.

I'm Kristie Lu Stout, in Hong Kong.

Now, running in fear from Syria's government. This city appears to be a ghost town as residents take cover and refugees scramble for the Turkish border.

NATO airstrikes pound Tripoli, but are they working? Defense ministers gather in Brussels to review the campaign to topple Gadhafi.

And the writing is on the wall, how a Cambodian former sex slave is inspiring teenagers in New York to speak out against human trafficking.

Now, scores of Syrians are trying to escape ahead of what they fear will be a major crackdown. Residents of Jisr-Al-Shugur are trying to flee into Turkey. They are afraid that Damascus is sending tanks to their town after more than 100 security forces were killed in the area.

Now, Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has promised them that he will keep the border open. He's also called on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to show his citizens more tolerance.

More than 100 people fled from Syria overnight, and many more are still waiting for their chance to cross.

Our Ivan Watson is speaking to people along the Turkish/Syrian border.

And Ivan, you've been speaking with some of the refugees. What have they been telling you?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, these people say that the town of Jisr-Al-Shugur is now a ghost town, that tens of thousands of residents have fled since the fighting first erupted there. They're terrified, they say, that the Syrian army is going to come in, in tanks, and enforce. They say that the electricity has been cut off to that town, that there is no food and no water, that even the pharmacy has been torched there.

And what we're seeing here on the border, overlooking Syria, are the consequences of that -- clusters of Syrian refugees, several hundred at a time in different pockets, that have come here to what they see are safe havens along the Turkish frontier, where there does not appear to be any Syrian security presence whatsoever.

And within the last hour and a half, about a hundred of these Syrians came right up to the edge of the Turkish border, where they chanted, they waved the Syrian flag, and some Turkish soldiers paced back and forth until these people then pulled back. Earlier in the day, about 120 Syrian refugees crossed the border at another unofficial crossing point and had been taken to a tent city that's been erected already for some of the previous hundreds of Syrian refugees who arrived here to escape the fighting over the past month and a half -- Kristie.

STOUT: Now, Ivan, we have pictures of wounded Syrian men in a Turkish hospital close to the border. Now, they claim to have been injured by police gunfire during anti-government protests inside Syria.

Ivan, what kind of physical condition are the refugees you're seeing in?

WATSON: Well, you know, we're talking to a cluster of these Syrians that I would estimate are less than two kilometers away from me. I can see them kind of in the shade under some trees next to some farm fields. And they say that within the last 20 minutes, two wounded women arrived in a car from Jisr-Al-Shugur. One of them, they say, was shot in the face.

Now, the people that we've seen do seem -- for the most part, seem to be healthy. There are many women and children, and they are sleeping outdoors here. I mean, they've been forced to flee their homes.

Some of them don't want to flee into Turkey yet, they tell us. They're staying here until they see a threat from Syrian security forces. Others have been waiting here for days, waiting for the Turks to allow them to come through.

Today, the Turkish prime minister announced that this border would not be closed, that refugees would be welcomed to cross the border. So we may see more movement in the hours ahead.

STOUT: And also, are women and children making up the bulk of these refugees? Who is fleeing the violence?

WATSON: You know, from what they've told us, the young men are willing to say in the town of Jisr-Al-Shugur. It's the women and children that they're particularly worried about, and that they are the ones that primarily have been evacuated.

And I was struck to hear that women and children were sleeping out in the open last night along the frontier, you know, without access to really food or water or heating fuel, except what they were getting from sympathetic Turkish villagers on this side of the border that was being smuggled to them. You have to remember that the communities on both sides of this border are very closely linked culturally, economically, and through families. There are cousins on both sides.

So the people here on the Turkish side, very worried about the reports of death and killing taking place just less than an hour's drive away from Turkish territory -- Kristie.

STOUT: As are a number of very vulnerable people, women and children, fleeing the violence.

Thank you very much indeed for that update.

Ivan Watson, joining us live there.

The United Nations Security Council is set to discuss the violence in Syria. The council has been criticized for failing to act.

Arwa Damon is following developments in Syria from Beirut, Lebanon. She joins us now.

And Arwa, the U.K. and France, they have a draft resolution condemning Syria's brutal crackdown. But what real impact will it make?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, if what we have historically seen, any sort of condemnation of Syria's actions, if that impact were to be something to look at that, it most certainly seems as if this is a regime that is going to continue to remain defiant no matter what, especially when we look at what we expect this draft resolution to entail. It falls far short of implementing sanctions, it falls far short of the resolution that we saw, for example, when it came to Libya that called for military action to protect the civilian population.

As far as we know, this draft really serves to condemn the regime, to condemn its actions. It calls for the president, for the government to basically meet the demands of the demonstrators. It also says that political prisoners should be released, and it also asks the regime to allow United Nations members to be able to enter and assess the humanitarian crisis in that country.

But it doesn't really threaten the regime with anything. And the rhetoric has been phrased as such because of concerns that some countries like China, like Russia, who do have strong standing ties with the Syrian regime, could possibly veto it.

So, in terms of this resolution really having an impact on the ground, that is not entirely likely. And this is especially concerning, because now we are seeing yet another military front opening up in Syria.

STOUT: Now, the draft resolution, it lacks some serious teeth. And it comes a day after a delegation visited the ICC at The Hague with documentation of deaths, injuries, and disappearances inside Syria.

What will they be able to accomplish?

DAMON: Well, again, what they are hoping to accomplish, this group of Syrian and international activists that really presented this communique in The Hague is to try to further spotlight the alleged atrocities they say being carried out by the Syrian regime. And what they are hoping is to try to open up yet another pressure point. Not one that necessarily is going to be able to have direct impact on members of the Syrian government, because at the end of the day, Syria is not a signatory to the ICC. But the activists are hoping, at the very least, that if there are individuals within their regime that are on the fence, that are doubting the regime's actions, if they do realize that there could possibly be repercussions for their actions, that could perhaps lead to more defections, it could lead to more greater and stronger voices of dissent.

But again, what the aim of this is, is to really try to catapult the crisis in Syria into the international spotlight, because even though it is being reported on, on a daily basis, even though there is this onslaught of information, videos of these alleged atrocities coming out, we really have not seen any sort of significant action by the international community as a whole that has had any serious impact on the regime's behavior -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right. Arwa Damon, on the international reaction to the crisis in Syria.

Thank you, Arwa.

Now, in Yemen, opposition fighters are taking advantage of President Saleh's absence and the resulting political uncertainty. Witnesses say 400 gunmen took control of the southern city of Taiz on Tuesday, dealing a big blow to government forces. And U.S. officials say that they are concerned growing instability in the country could empower al Qaeda and other militant groups which have a strong presence in the southern province of Abyan.

Now, in Europe, the source of the deadly E. coli outbreak, it remains a mystery. One more death was reported on Tuesday, bringing the total to 23. Germany's health minister says there is a sign of hope.

Now, the rate of new E. coli cases is falling significantly. And while that is encouraging news, many European farmers say that the damage has already been done.

Fred Pleitgen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a painful sight, case after case of ripe tomatoes thrown away. This produce marketer near Berlin says selling tomatoes has become all but impossible since the E. coli outbreak began. "Things are awful at the moment," the manager says. "We hope this won't continue for the whole harvest season. But if the government keeps telling people not to eat lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, nothing will change."

German authorities are still warning not to eat those vegetables uncooked, and consumers seem to be heeding that warning. The company near Berlin says at one point, demand for tomatoes dropped to only five percent of what they normally sell.

(on camera): The folks here say in total, they're going to have to destroy about 270 tons of tomatoes. Now, that batch alone is worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars. And keep in mind, these are perfectly fine tomatoes, but they simply can't sell them because demand has flat- lined.

(voice-over): German authorities still have not found the source of a deadly E. coli strain that has killed almost two dozen in northern Germany. Officials believe it may have originated in this sprout farm, but so far there is no scientific evidence to back that up.

Farmers all over Europe are suffering as fearful consumers are staying away from vegetables. At a crisis meeting in Luxembourg, where especially Spain criticized German for suggesting its cucumbers might be the source of the bacteria, the EU agreed to pay 150 million euros in financial aid for the industry.

SZANDOR FAZEKAS, HUNGARIAN MINISTER FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (through translator): We have to pay compensation for the damages that they have suffered. We need a swift solution and our commissioner came to our meeting with a set of proposals.

PLEITGEN: Andre Bekker (ph) would rather see his tomatoes on dinner tables than receive compensation for throwing them away. He oversees this greenhouse, and the prime harvesting season is right now. Like so many others, he wants consumers to know his products are safe.

"We work according to strict standards," he says. We test the water we give to the plants, and we also test it for E. coli. The results were negative."

The tomatoes have grown exceptionally well this year, but no matter how beautiful and ripe they may be, the workers here know they will probably go straight from the greenhouse to here, to be thrown away and destroyed.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Waldau, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Coming up next on NEWS STREAM, as NATO airstrikes continue to bombard Tripoli, defense chiefs are sitting down to review their progress. And a look ahead to what a post-Gadhafi Libya could look like.

As part of CNN's Freedom Project, we're with students in New York as they use street art to try to help end slavery.

And Formula 1 teams are hoping to steer clear of Bahrain this season, but could they be forced to race?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, one day after NATO carried out its heaviest airstrikes on Libya's capital so far, and a defiant Moammar Gadhafi spoke on state TV, NATO is currently reviewing its bombing campaign. Defense ministers are meeting in Brussels, where the situation in Libya is sure to be high on the agenda.

And to the east, Yemen is also likely to be a talking point, as tensions there continue to rise.

Now, with the U.S. planning to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan next month, NATO officials are also expected to discuss Afghanistan's ability to counter the Taliban. And with more on that, Nick Paton Walsh joins us now live from Kabul.

And Nick, what is on the agenda for NATO?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's going to be an interesting meeting, I believe, because, frankly, for some time many have thought that NATO's branding of the operation here was sort of a fig leaf, in some ways, was the sense of being an American-funded, American service, American troops mission here. And I think that will increasingly be the case over the next year.

The Germans are beginning to leave by December. The Canadians, next month, pulled back from their combat role. The British, who provide the second largest forces here after the Americans, right about 9,000, have made it clear they want to start pulling back fairly soon. Leaving really only the Australians leaving a signal that their thousand troops will stay significantly longer.

So I think we're seeing -- perhaps Mr. Gates and Mr. Rasmussen will be discussing exactly how NATO's role in this operation will continue. The Americans, of course, very keen to be sure people see this as a multinational force rather than just a U.S. presence -- Kristie.

STOUT: Now, in July, the U.S. will begin its troop drawdown in Afghanistan. What more do we know about the scope and the pace of the U.S. troop withdrawal?

WALSH: Well, Barack Obama's intentions are being kept remarkably secret, frankly, given the leaks we heard last time the numbers of troops to be put (ph) to this country were discussed. There are two schools of thought clearly emerging.

Robert Gates, the secretary of defense, when he was here made it clear he wanted the withdrawal to be small and slow. The U.S. presence and policies continue until the end of the year. I think the number there looking at something like about 3,000 to 5,000.

Conversely, there's leaks coming from the Obama administration and the U.S. media, pointing to larger numbers, perhaps as many as 10,000 by the end of the year. Frankly, when you're talking about 100,000-plus, 90,000 or so American soldiers in country anyway, the difference between 3,000 and 10,000 troops being withdrawn isn't enormous, isn't going to hugely impact the war here. But it's certainly -- the amount of noise generated around this explains frankly how vital it is to the Obama administration in terms of how they handle this for the reelection campaign next year -- Kristie.

STOUT: And once the United States leaves, can Afghan forces secure their country on their own?

WALSH: That really is the key question, to be honest. I mean, there's been a huge debate as to whether the Afghan National Army, a force which the U.S. and NATO poured vast resources into to build up quickly, is really up to the job.

A while ago, the focus was on building a quality army rather than the quantity of troops in it. And that does seem to have slipped, perhaps, the strategic goal as the rush for an exit really builds. I mean, many Afghan soldiers I've seen on patrol aren't frankly up to it in terms of Western standards, but it's really down to whether they can reduce violent levels here and keep the Taliban at bay.

Huge concerns about collusion between Afghan officials, Afghan soldiers and the Taliban, a recent instance in which Afghan police or soldiers have actually turned on NATO soldiers and shot them. But, I mean, really, the big (ph) will be in the coming months or so as to whether or not the idea can be sold in America that Afghan forces here are able to do the job America came here in the first place, and that's prevent this from being some kind of safe haven for terrorists -- Kristie.

STOUT: Nick Paton Walsh, joining us live from Kabul.

Thank you, Nick.

And now, with more on NATO and the situation in Libya, Dan Rivers joins us live from the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

And Dan, NATO has been hitting the capital with some of the most intense bombings yet. Walk us through what is happening.

DAN RIVERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, yesterday was the most intense bombing of the campaign so far. NATO have said they carried out 66 strikes, sorties, including hits in Tripoli and Brega.

In Tripoli, they say they hit command and control facilities, vehicle storage, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and radar. And in Brega, again, command and control and truck-mounted guns.

So it was a real ratcheting up of the campaign yesterday, into the night, quite late into the night. However, there has been a lull now for several hours where we haven't heard any NATO planes overhead and no further explosions. So we don't quite know whether they are now just kind of assessing what they accomplished yesterday and whether more is on the way.

STOUT: And what do we know about the Libyan leader? How is Moammar Gadhafi reacting to these intensifying airstrikes?

RIVERS: Well, he appeared on state television -- or his voice, anyway, appeared on state television -- yesterday, defiant as ever, saying that they wouldn't surrender, they wouldn't give up, that martyrdom was a million times better than surrendering. He was then pictured later on state TV meeting tribal leaders.

We don't know when that footage was filmed though. There was nothing to indicate that it was filmed yesterday or recently. That's what the regime is saying though.

They're still maintaining that he is in Tripoli. We don't know where. We know that his compound was hit repeatedly by rockets yesterday from NATO, and we could see and feel those explosions just a short distance from where we are here.

But at the moment, no indication as to where he is in the city and to what his health is. His officials are saying he's fine, that the fight goes on, basically.

STOUT: Dan Rivers, live for us in Tripoli.

Thank you.

Now, still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, the space shuttle as you've never seen it before. Find out how this picture was taken.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: And coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching NEWS STREAM.

Now, right now a Soyuz capsule is carrying three people to the International Space Station. And here on Earth, we have some new images of the ISS to pore over.

Now, NASA has just released what it calls a family portrait of sorts, the shuttle and station seen together this way for the first time ever. Now, the pictures were taken by Italian Paolo Nespoli while he was riding a Soyuz capsule home last month.

And now what you have been waiting for. Now, that is an up-close look at Shuttle Endeavour docked to the ISS.

And this shot here, it really puts it into perspective for us. Now, that is years of international collaboration floating above the Earth. On Endeavour's final mission, astronauts finished construction of the U.S. portion of the ISS.

And this one is just for fun. Can you spot Endeavour? Well, it is right here, at the very top. And you can just make out the orbiter's main engines there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

STOUT: Now, just ahead here on NEWS STREAM, a mural with a message. These New York students are taking a stand against modern-day slavery, and we'll tell you the story that inspired them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now growing numbers of Syrians are trying to escape their country, scrambling for the border with Turkey. Now the Turkish prime minister says his country will not close its doors to refugees. The United Nations is under increasing pressure to take a stand on the crisis in Syria. The UK and France are asking the security council to condemn the violence.

Now OPEC ministers are meeting in Vienna to decide whether to increase oil output. Some members expect demand will grow later this year and they want to pump more crude into the market. OPEC is reported to be divided on the matter.

As NATO jets continue to pound pro-Gadhafi forces, defense ministers are meeting in Brussels to review the campaign so far. And despite a defiant message from Moammar Gadhafi, NATO chiefs will be making plans for a Libya without him at the helm.

In Yemen, government forces are regrouping in an effort to retake the city of Taiz. Now witnesses say 400 tribal fighters pushed out government forces on Tuesday. Now the fighting has intensified across the country since President Saleh was moved to Saudi Arabia for emergency medical treatment.

Now al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists had a foothold in Yemen even before the rebellion. And now with government troops diverted and the president out of the country, there are concerns that militants are taking advantage of the chaos. Nic Robertson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Blood on the floor where Yemen's president was wounded Friday in what now looks like an assassination attempt. The western diplomatic source says it was a bomb, not a rocket attack as Yemeni officials first reported.

The photographic evidence supports it. Windows bent outwards by the force of a blast inside the mosque. An un-scorched shadow on the wall suggesting a blast inside the mosque erupted around a standing person.

What ever the cause, President Ali Abdullah Saleh's injuries, forcing him to Saudi Arabia for surgery, opens a window for change he long blocked.

APRIL LONGLEY ALLEY, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: He is in charge when he is in Yemen. He calls the shots within the party and within the regime. With him out of the country, you know, he is no longer doing that.

ROBERTSON: But even recovering from serious surgery, he refuses to meet protesters' demands that he step down.

For now, a shaky cease-fire in the capital.

Elsewhere, violence tying up government forces.

GREGORY JOHNSEN, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: The last time that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had this much space and this much time, they were able to plan and eventually launch an attack that came very close to bringing down that airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. And so I think it's a very, very dangerous situation for U.S. and regional security.

ROBERTSON: Overnight in the city Taiz, anti-government gunmen facing off with government forces taking control with massive street protests by day. Saleh has left a weak vice president in charge until he returns. But his sons and nephews hold the real power.

JOHNSEN: Given the fact that his son who controls the Republican Guards and the special forces, his nephews who run the central security forces -- I mean, we're talking of over 100,000 guys with guns who are still loyal to the president. And that's a very big number.

ALLEY: Each day that passes that there's not an agreement on how to move forward and, you know, who exactly is going to be in charge in the next days and weeks and how Yemen gets past this impasse, you have the risk of escalated conflict.

ROBERTSON: This is what worries western diplomats. Saleh incapacitated, his power crumbling, and still refusing to step down with al Qaeda left to profit on the mess.

JOHNSEN: They can use Yemen as sort of the launching pad for attacks into either Saudi Arabia or into Europe and the United States.

ROBERTSON: Yemeni officials say even now they are still battling al Qaeda, 30 killed in the past day. It's what kept President Saleh in power for so long, propped up by western allies to fight al Qaeda. But those days are gone. Now it's his failure to hand over power that's the bigger threat and a boon for al Qaeda.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now there are more than 12 million adults and children in prostitution and forced and bonded labor worldwide. Now that shocking statistic comes from the U.S. State Department. And through the CNN Freedom Project you may have heard about celebrities like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher launching campaigns to raise awareness of the problem. But you don't have to be famous to make a difference and help fight these cruel practices.

Now take CNN hero Somaly Mam, an ordinary woman who overcame adversity and is making an extraordinary difference in fighting human trafficking. Now born into extreme poverty in Cambodia, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery at a young age by a man who posed as her grandfather. And after escaping her captors, she vowed to dedicate her life to liberating other victims and to rehabilitating and empowering survivors.

In 2007, she launched the Somaly Mam Foundation with the simple vision to create a world where women and children are safe from slavery.

Now here Somaly Mam tells us more about that mission and why we can't afford to turn a blind eye to human trafficking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOMALY MAM, SOMALY MAM FOUNDATION: When I meet the people they say Somaly you story Somaly, because story is so heavy and I don't want to know that. Madam, please, you don't want to know. But if you run away it's not a solutions.

The trafficker, they had money. Recently we just saved a girl for Malaysia. She was 10 years old. She had been sold Cambodia to Thailand. Thailand take a boat to Malaysia. They keep her in the cage for seven years.

We have have saved more than 7,000 girls. Right now at the center we have more than 200 girls. You know this day we have one of girl going to law school and that is my help. We have to react. It's not time -- it's not time to read the paper now, it's the time to react, how to help, how to end. More you make time, more the girl die in the brothel.

You know maybe one year you -- for you hear it's so fast, one day for us is so long.

When the people come to me say, life is so short Somaly, I say no life is so long for us, because it's suffering too much. I can't. I can save them, but I cannot end it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now the Somaly Mam Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of modern day slavery. And want to tell you how her story has inspired teenagers in New York to speak out against trafficking. Now students at Wings Academy in the Bronx join the foundation's newest program, it's called Project Futures Global. And they started out by reading Somaly Mam's book The Road to Lost Innocence. And then they finish by working with a group of former graffiti artists to create a largescale mural. Now their aim is to engage the community in a conversation about human trafficking and prostitution and to make a difference.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're painting a mural to raise awareness for human trafficking.

BILL LIVERMORE, CEO SOMALY MAM FOUNDATION: This is amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible)

LIVERMORE: It's kids raising awareness in their communities, working together to get their voices heard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those children who are human trafficked are like 12, 14, even younger as five.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We learned that this is happening very close to our neighborhood. And we want to raise awareness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What if that was my sister. What if that was my brother. Like you want to help those kids, because they don't have a voice, they can't do nothing.

SANDRA SIROTA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADVOCACY LAB: They felt like we have our freedom and these young girls and boys don't have their freedom, so it's our responsibility to speak up to raise awareness and take action to try to stop this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do I go all the way in here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIIFIED MALE: I hope they will actually see that we're trying to do something. And that the more people know, the more people that acknowledge it, the more that can be done.

LIVERMORE: They know that they have a role to play in ending trafficking. That that role is to raise their voices up.

SIROTA: And so it's very empowering for them. And these are skills that they can take with them for the rest of their lives.

LIVERMORE: This is not the world they want to live in where children are still enslaved today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be there. When we grow up, we can like walk past and see and show our children like that's what we did and we tried to like spread awareness about this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looks great.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it's sending out the message we want to send.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three!

UNIDENTIIFED FEMALE: I think it turned out pretty nice. I'm proud of it. And we're all proud of it.

UNIDENTIIFED MALE: All right. It's a wrap.

LIVERMORE: I hope that they walk away with the knowledge that their voice means something, that they do have an impact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks everyone.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: And their hard work on that mural in the Bronx, it was officially unveiled on Monday. And this is that Wings Academy final project. And if you look closely at it, you'll see it spells out Somaly Mam. Let's hope it gets people talking there.

To learn more about modern day slavery and how you can raise awareness and help stop it on our Freedom Project blog. Just click on a CNN.com/freedom. We're also asking you to make a difference by using social media.

First, there's our Facebook page, Facebook.com/cnnfreedom where you can upload your pictures and videos, or you can follow at CNN Freedom on Twitter. You can join conversations about the CNN Freedom Project by including the hashtag #endslavery on air and online. Get involved as we spend the next 12 months shining the spotlight on this very serious global issue.

Now coming up next here on News Stream, the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton might not be gracing Bahrain's Formula 1 track this season. I'll tell you why teams are hoping to give it a swerve.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now when you go online today, you will probably experience the future of the internet, you just won't notice it and that's the point. Now hundreds of internet giants like Google and Facebook are participating in the first global test of IPV6. It is a major upgrade of one of the basic elements behind the internet.

Now every device you own that can go online has an IP address and it will look like this. It's a string of up to 12 numbers separated by periods. Now the internet uses IP addresses the same way the postal service uses your home address to deliver your mail. The IP address tells the internet where to deliver your data. Now the problem is we are running out of IP addresses.

As I said, every device that can go online needs an IP address and that obviously includes computer and tablets as well as mobile phones. But you might not realize just how many devices access internet. All modern video game consoles, including handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS can go online. Even laser printers have the ability to operate as a network device, meaning that yes it needs an IP address.

Now the existing system can generate just over 4 billion IP addresses. Now that is less than 1 per person. And I'm betting that some of you have more than 1 device that can go online. So what is the solution? We'll let an internet pioneer explain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINT CERF, CHIEF INTERNET EVANGELIST, GOOGLE: The short answer is IP version 6. You're using IP version 4. It had 32 bit addresses, which translate into 4.3 billion unique termination on the net. And at the time that that was chosen we thought that would be enough for an experiment. IP version 6 has 128 bits of address space, that's 340 trillion trillion trillion addresses, which should be enough to last until after I'm dead and then it's somebody else's problem.

So that's the transformation we have to make is introduce this new address format in parallel with the existing one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now let's just show you that number again. It's 340 undecillion. Now that is 34 followed by 37 zeros. Now that is enough for every person on earth to have trillions of internet devices.

Now today's experiment will run both the old system and IPV6 at the same time. And if it works you shouldn't notice any difference. But if you're having a little trouble accessing Google and Facebook today, well, now you know why.

Now, there's another gadget coming next year that will demand an IP address -- Nintendo's next home console, the Wii U. Yes, that's what it's called, the Wii U. And it's built around this new controller. As you can see, it has all the normal buttons, but in the middle a six inch touch screen.

Now Nintendo says the screen can be used to shift your game from the TV to the small screen or even provide a second screen for more information or an additional view point. Now the Wii U also has motion control like the original Wii and it won't hit stores until the middle of next year.

Now, let's go to the world of sport now. And the big question is this, will Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix take place this year or not. Don Riddell joins us now -- Don.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Looking less and less likely, Kristie. The Bahrain Grand Prix will almost certainly now be scrapped after the Formula 1 teams officially objected to the reinstatement of the race at the end of October.

In a letter that was sent to Formula 1 management, the sports governing body the FIA, and the Bahrain International Circuit, the teams made it clear that they were opposed to running the race on the 30th of October. Due to the political instability in the Gulf kingdom, the Bahrain Grand Prix was postponed earlier this year. But it was voted back onto the schedule at last Friday's meeting of the World Motorsport Council. It turns out that the FIA overlooked one of their own codes of conduct which states that all the teams have to agree to any changes in a championship schedule.

Meanwhile in Dallas, the Mavericks have squared the NBA finals series with Miami at two games apiece. And Dirk Nowitzki is being hailed as one of the greatest of all-time. The German basketball star has played through the pain of a finger injury in this series. And last night, he took to the court with a fever of 101 degrees.

Only Dirk and his teammates knew that he was suffering, but LeBron James and the Heat could see that he was struggling as the game got going.

Dwayne Wade led Miami with 32 points. James set him up for an alley oop there in the third quarter. But this was a very close game. Dallas with 2-1 down in the series and knew they had to make the most of home advantage.

When Chris Bosh turned the ball over there Jason Terry streaked towards the bucket and gives the Mavs the one point lead.

Despite his illness, Nowitzki showed that he will give everything for the cause. He grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 21 points. That lay-up was for a 3 point lead.

Miami needed something at the desk (ph). Wade almost lost the ball, but he recovered only for Mike Miller to miss.

Dallas held on for the win by 86-83. Series tied at 2 games apiece.

You know Nowitzki was far from his best, missing 13 of his 19 shots and giving the ball away three times. But he was still the best performer on his team. And he scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. And whether he's ill or not, this is a man that Dallas can count on.

Let's compare him to Miami star man down the stretch. During this series in the 4th quarter Nowtizki has scored a total of 44 points. And James has managed just 9. And in that game, Nowitzki scored 21 points to LeBron's 8. That was his lowest ever to score in a playoff game. And he didn't have a fever of over 100 degrees.

Finally for me, Kristie, it has been clear for some time that Tiger Woods is on the wane. The former world number one has slide down to number 15 in the rankings. And he's just announced that he'll have to miss the U.S. Open for the first time since making his debut in 1995. The 14-time major winner injured his left knee and Achilles tendon during the Masters at Augusta in April and withdrew from the Players Championship at Sawgrass in Florida after just 9 holes.

He'd been wearing a protective boot in the hope of making the first tee at the Congressional, but he's decided that it's not worth the risk of aggravating his injury any further.

That's the latest in the world of sport. Back to you.

STOUT: All right. Don Riddell there. Thank you very much indeed.

And coming up next here on News Stream, Anthony Weiner, he has tweeted pics of his pecs, now he's the butt of jokes, although Congress is not laughing. We've got an update on Weinergate next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now New York Congressman Anthony Weiner has taken responsibility for his Twitter transgressions, but that is still not enough for some voters or even his colleagues on Capitol Hill. Now the U.S. House Ethics Committee may launch a formal investigation into his actions, which involve sharing inappropriate photos of himself with several women online.

Now two members of Weiner's own party have decided not to keep donations from him, opting to give them to charity instead. And voters and politicians from both sides are suggesting Weiner should resign despite his refusal.

Now Congressman Weiner's photos have become a source of folly for U.S. media. And Jeanne Moos looks at the chest pic that is getting chuckles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fully clothed, we know Anthony Weiner as a nerdy, lanky congressman. But when his shirt dropped, so did jaws.

STEPHEN COLBERT, COLBERT REPORT: The guy is my age and he is totally cut.

JON STEWART, THE DAILY SHOW: He's ripped.

CRAIG FERGUSON, LATE LATE SHOW: With his chiseled torso -- can you see that? Look at there. The man's in decent shape.

COLBERT: It would be hard not to tweet a photo like that, that is why I have made the moral choice to let myself go.

MOOS: Even headless, folks were able to identify him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Weinergate man.

MOOS: But these days there are so many half naked congressman, you'd be forgiven for getting them mixed up. From the Illinois representative with the six pack abs on the cover of Men's Health, to the Craigslist congressman who resigned after putting this picture online, to the Massachusetts senator who posed for Cosmo in his youth. And let's not forget Russia's Vladamir Putin, an aging Rambo who seems like he's always stripping.

But the naked truth can be disconcerting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like it was weird. Why is it separated soe much?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why would you think that that would be attractive with all these boobs hanging here and all that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm saying, he's got a little bit of boobage.

KELLY RIPA, REGIS AND KELLY: When I first saw this photo I was like is that me?

STEWART: That is some cleavage. That is -- can we zoom in on that by any chance is there any way to...

JAMES FRANCO, ACTOR: Please, I'm in the canyon!

MOOS: It used to be we'd only see naked congressmen in movies.

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: I'm a congressman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you kidding?

HANKS: No, I'm absolutely series. I'm Charlie Wilson. I represent the Texas second congressional...

MOOS: But now they're staring up at us from newspapers on our laps or our laptops. Forget that politician's war chest, it's his chest hair being analyzed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's a shaved chest which tells me that psychologically he was putting some real effort into trying to make this thing as sexual as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But is he also like waxing himself all over? It seems oddly hairless.

MOOS: For some female anchors, Weiner's naked torso was too much for the naked eye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we all understand, you know, I...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think we need to see all that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do also think that there is a...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take that off, please. I don't want to keep seeing that.

MOOS: Congressman Weiner got his guilt off his chest, leaving us with his chest and his drawers.

Jeanne Moos, CNN.

Would you want this chest?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh, if he get a little tanner, maybe.

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now as we go over and out there, some practical tips on how to avoid the next Weinergate. Now when sending a risque photo on Twitter do not confuse Twitter's message and mention functions. Now a mention is like a reply to a particular user, but it is one that everyone can see. But a direct message, or a DM can only be viewed by the recipient. You can only send a DM to someone who follows you on Twitter.

Now to send one you type the letter D followed by a space and the recipient's Twitter address. For example, D KluStout. And to make a mention you type the character @ followed by the recipients address as in @ KluStout. And yes, that is my Twitter handle. And please no lewd photos. This is just for the sake of instruction.

Now, it seems that Weiner got the two mixed up when he sent that scandalous photo last week. And alas this fate could have been avoided if a certain Twitter executive had his way. Now a day ago, Jason Goldman, Twitter's former vice president of product, he said this on Twitter, quote, "I tried to kill Dms in 2007. Sorry, I wasn't successful @representativeweiner." And yes, that is a very public mention.

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

END