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Phone-Hacking Scandal; Underground Medics in Syria; Al Qaeda May be Recruiting Doctors to Implant Bombs
Aired July 07, 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.
We have an exclusive report from Syria, where a network of underground medics is risking their lives to save protesters.
And headed for sentencing in the next hour. What is next for Casey Anthony?
And the world's best footballer is distraught after Lionel Messi again fails to lead his country to victory.
But first, the phone-hacking scandal involving a British tabloid is getting worse by the hour. Now, there are new gut-wrenching accusations that voicemail of bereaved families of British troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan was targeted.
Now, British Prime Minister David Cameron is calling for an independent inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal. And meanwhile, "The Times of London" says journalists and newspaper executives behind the illegal eavesdropping are set to be arrested within days.
We should mention that The Times is owned by the same parent company as "The News of the World," Rupert Murdoch's News International.
Now, amid the new allegations, the Royal British Legion, a charity that works with service personnel and their families, has suspended ties with "The News of the World."
Dan Rivers is following this story for us from CNN London, and he joins us now.
And Dan, what more can you tell us about these new allegations?
DAN RIVERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's difficult to imagine this getting any worse for "The News of the World," but every day it does seem to get worse. We're now being told that families of soldiers who have died in Afghanistan may have had their phones hacked into. This comes hot on the heels of other allegations that young murder victims may have had their phones hacked into, and also that victims of terrorist attacks in Britain may have had their phones hacked into, or their families, at least.
This is today the sixth anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London, and we're being told now that some of the families who lost loved ones in those terrible attacks may have been targeted by "News of the World" journalists trying to get salacious stories.
We've spoken to one of them, Graham Foulkes, who lost his son David. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM FOULKES, LOST SON IN 7/7 ATTACKS: The thought that somebody may well have been listening to me begging for David to phone home was very difficult. I thought we were in a dark place, and I didn't think anybody could make it darker. But I'm sadly proven wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: The former head of the British forces here, Colonel Richard Kemp, said that he is speechless with anger about suggestions that soldiers and their families may have been targeted by these journalists by this tabloid.
None of this has been conclusively proven, but what has happened is that they found all of these numbers in the files of a private detective that was employed by "The News of the World." And the police have therefore approached these various different people saying, look, your phones may well have been among those that were eavesdropped upon by tabloid journalists.
STOUT: And Dan, can you tell us about the business impact? Advertisers are pulling out of "News of the World." We've seen shares of the parent company News Corp. taking a big hit. And there in the U.K., the company's bid for BSkyB is now in question as well.
What can you tell us?
RIVERS: Well, that bid for BSkyB by News International, or News Corp., is being debated at the moment in the House of Lords, the upper chamber here in the U.K. It's highly controversial anyway, because there is a general feeling amongst News Corp's sort of enemies that they've already got too much media influence here. And if they complete their buyout of BSkyB, they will have a real grip on many newspapers and a TV channel. So that is sort of hanging in the balance.
But in addition to that, this is getting even worse for the parent company, because advertisers are pulling out of advertising with "The News of the World" in protest of all this. Adding to the list now, O2, the mobile phone provider here; Aldi, which is a big supermarket here. Even the U.K. government, it's being reported, is pulling any advertising from "The News of the World," coming hot on the heels of Ford, Vauxhall, Virgin Holidays, Halifax, and The Co-Op.
And just today, as well, as you mentioned, the Royal British Legion, a charity that supports U.K. forces, it's come out with a statement which says, "We can't with any conscience campaign alongside 'News of the World' on behalf of armed forces families while it stands accused of preying on these same families in the lowest depths of their misery. The hacking allegations have shocked us to the core. We think we'll do better without them."
So, an absolute stinging statement from the Royal British Legion, which is one of the most respected charities here in the U.K.
STOUT: Yes. And the fallout from all this just gets bigger and bigger.
Dan Rivers, joining us live from London.
Thank you.
Now, this British hacking scandal, it's more than just a PR problem for News International. There are also real financial implications.
Now, "The News of the World," it brings in about $60 million a year in ad revenue. And some major advertisers are pulling out, or thinking about it.
Now, Ford was the first company to announce that it would pull its ads from this weekend's "News of the World" editions, but there are many more. Now, here are a few.
For example, Virgin Holidays has also pulled ads out of this weekend's newspaper. And on top of that, the car manufacturer Vauxhall not far behind. But it says it will reconsider its position pending the outcome of police investigations.
Now, Halifax Bank is the only financial institution to pull its ads, and its parent company, Lloyds Banking Group says it was "a tactical decision in the short term."
Now, even Britain's largest advertiser, Procter & Gamble, the maker of health care and household products, is considering pulling its ads, and that would be a big blow for News International. Now, the company spends more than $2 million each year in "The News of the World."
Now, let's go next to Syria, where it appears a crackdown in the volatile city of Hama may be easing. A prominent opposition activist there tells us that tanks are moving out of the city center.
A human rights group says 34 people have been killed in the past two days in a crackdown that was launched after peaceful demonstrations on Friday. Activists say security forces raided homes and arrested protesters. And Syria denied that a military campaign was under way.
This next story is about the victims of the violence in Syria, and I want to warn you, it contains video which may be too graphic for some viewers.
Now, in Syria, a group of doctors, they are risking everything to save the lives of wounded protesters.
Arwa Damon has this exclusive look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On concrete floors, in secret locations, an underground network of medics struggle to save lives. They call themselves "The Damascus Doctors."
We met the founder, a young man in his late 20s, at an anti-government demonstration after we broke away from our official escorts. For his own safety, we are hiding his identity and disguising his voice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to show you the field hospital that we have here.
DAMON (on camera): You set up a field hospital?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DAMON (voice-over): The field hospital is nothing more than a tiny room. The equipment and supplies, basic at best.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of blood, a lot of shouting out of pain.
DAMON: But he explains people are afraid to go to government hospitals.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They refuse to go to the government hospital because they will be arrested. And if they die, we can't take their body. After we -- their family comes and makes a signature, there are armed troops.
DAMON: And so some of them die, like this man. The doctor, helpless to save him.
A few days later, after careful planning to avoid being trailed, I met the doctor again in secret.
(on camera): How was your organization structured? How did you get it going?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I started talking to my friend, the circle around me, circle of doctors who I trust.
DAMON (voice-over): They set up a Facebook page. They're intent not only to treat the wounded, but to catalogue the regime's crimes, the doctor says. Like this clip they posted of a man whose body they found dumped in the street, who they say later died.
(on camera): But you're risking your life to do this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I know that. But the administrators, they're risking their lives, too. So we have to help them. And that hurts -- there's something that hurts the doctors that we spent all of our lives trying to treat people and help them.
DAMON (voice-over): We met some of those who have been treated by this clandestine network, a teenager who claims his back was cut open when security forces dragged him over glass. "They would detain me if I went to the hospital," he says.
And this 17-year-old boy. He was shot in the chest, and it missed his spinal cord. "He had blood in his lungs, so we had to drain it," the doctor tells me. Initially, he didn't think there was any nerve damage.
(on camera): The blood clotted inside, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hematoma (ph). The blood has collected next to the spinal cord until it makes --
DAMON: Paralysis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, paralysis, and brush the spinal cord, the nerves.
DAMON (voice-over): Something that would have been detected in most hospitals. Instead, this teenager is in a wheelchair, partially paralyzed.
The government says the demonstrators' fears are unfounded. Dr. Adib Mahmoud is the director general at Damascus Hospital. "We accept all cases without regard as to how the injuries were sustained or where it happened," he says.
At the hospital, we speak with a young man who was shot in the leg. He says he doesn't know by whom when he found himself in the middle of a demonstration.
"After I got hit," he tells us, "people carried me off to see a doctor outside of the hospital." But the wound didn't heal. He admits he was afraid to visit a government hospital, but he says he had no problems.
Others, like this man shot in the side, firmly believe that if they go to a government hospital, they will be killed. And so they rely on this illegal network of professionals risking their life to try and save others.
(on camera): What was the hardest moment for you during all of this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time when I leave home, I say goodbye to my mother. Sometimes I feel I won't be able to come back and see her again. And sometimes I feel bad when I see people shouting for their freedom, even when I'm, like, making the sutures to their muscle or their skin.
They keep shouting for freedom. They say, "We want our freedom. We will keep fighting."
(CHANTING)
DAMON: Later, he writes to me. "In the name of humanity, let people know that we are suffering for our freedom," he says.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Damascus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: Now to Europe and the Netherlands now, where at least eight people are injured after part of the roof of a soccer stadium collapsed just a short time ago. The stadium is home to the FC Twente football club in the town of Enschede. The mayor's office tells us that the injured are thought to be construction workers carrying out work on the roof above the stands.
And we will follow this story, bring you any new developments, right here on CNN.
Now, the U.S. government believes the next big terror threat could be surgically implanted. Coming up, how doctors could be al Qaeda's latest assets.
And then we go undercover with Spanish police working to bust forced labor rings. We'll take you inside one of their biggest cases.
And NASA is prepping Atlantis for its last spin around space, but there are concerns that bad weather could keep the shuttle here on Earth for a little longer. We'll bring you the latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: In Yemen, authorities say militants attacked a military checkpoint on Wednesday, killing 10 government soldiers. Now, the shootout took place in the town of Lawdar. That's in the southern province of Abyan.
Now, meanwhile, in a separate incident nearby, the country's Defense Ministry says it has killed an al Qaeda commander, along with other suspected militants.
U.S. authorities say al Qaeda in Yemen may be trying to recruit doctors. And the reason? It might surprise you.
From Washington, Brian Todd has this shocking story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. security officials tell CNN of a chilling tactic terrorists might try next: targeting commercial aircraft by surgically implanting explosives or bomb components inside the bodies of attackers.
JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: We see this as the latest iteration or the evolution of what terrorist groups are trying to do to circumvent our security layers and to perhaps defeat our societal norms.
TODD: Officials say there's fresh intelligence showing terrorists have a renewed interest in planting bombs in bodies but there's no specific or imminent threat. One U.S. official says a man suspected of involvement in this effort is Ibrahim Asiri, bomb-making mastermind for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Asiri is believed to have planned the 2009 plot to kill Saudi Arabia's interior minister by placing a bomb in the rectal cavity or underwear of his own brother. Asiri's brother was killed, but the minister escaped.
I asked Rafi Ron, Israel's former top aviation security official, about surgically implanted bombs.
(on camera): What are does it tell you about where the terrorists are versus where security officials are right now?
RAFI RON, NEW AGE SECURITY SOLUTIONS: Well, it tells me that we have exhausted the capabilities of the technology available to us. Because there's no way we can take the next step after the body scanners to figure out when a person carries out -- carries a device in his body.
TODD (voice-over): Ron and other experts say those full body scanners which we once tested out can see through clothes, can find prosthesis, breast implants, contours but cannot detect bombs inside the body.
I spoke with Dr. Jack Sava, chief trauma surgeon at Washington Hospital Center, about how terrorists might try to pull this off.
(on camera): Do you need a hospital to do this or can you do it in some kind of a terrorist field camp? What kind of training do you need?
DR. JACK SAVA, WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER: Well, I think again, the fundamental question is going to be how well do you want to do it? If you want to do it to 20 people and have 19 of them die and one success that you can send to -- on your mission, that will be easier. You can do that sloppy. But if you wanted to do it well and expect them all to remain sterile, not cause infection, I think then you're largely going to be talking about a hospital or at least a clinic setting.
TODD (voice-over): Explosives, he says, could be placed in the abdomen or elsewhere.
(on camera): Dr. Sava says an explosive could be implanted in a prosthetic device like a fake hip, a breast implant. He says a non-sophisticated implanted bomb might last three to four days inside the body before complication sets in. But if it's a sophisticated surgery and implant, it could last weeks, months or even longer.
(voice-over): Experts disagree on whether a bomb inside a body would need an external detonator to ignite it, or if it could be set off with a timer. It's also not clear if the body itself could blunt the impact of an explosion.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: Now, if the weather holds out, the last shuttle of the U.S. space shuttle program could lift off in just over 24 hours. We'll be live at Kennedy Space Center ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you are back watching NEWS STREAM.
Now, it is cloudy in the U.S. state of Florida, where, weather permitting, the last shuttle of NASA's space program is due to lift off this Friday morning.
Our John Zarrella joins us live from the Kennedy Space Center with more -- John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kristie. You're absolutely right. You know, it's not only cloudy, now it's actually raining a little bit here as we speak. A little drizzle coming down. So today certainly would not have been a good day to get the Shuttle Atlantis off the ground.
And tomorrow, launch day, is not looking any better. Probably just as bad, if not worse, than the weather we're seeing right now. It's cloudy all around us.
But the weekend looks a little bit more promising. If they can't get off the ground tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday both look like better opportunities to get Atlantis in the air.
You know, about a month ago I had an opportunity to sit down in Houston with the crew flying the vehicle, a crew that has become known as "The Final Four."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A beautiful shuttle, beautiful day.
ZARRELLA: You guys are going to be the last shuttle flight. What's going through your mind? Are you going, oh, man, you know, why me? Or is it like this --
REX WALHEIM, SHUTTLE MISSION SPECIALIST: Kind of like being at Disneyland late at night and thinking, OK, am I going to get to the front of the line before the ride closes, or am I going get to actually get to -- get cut off there at the very end? So, when we finally got assigned to the flight, it's like, wow, you know, you kind of squeaked by. And then to realize that this, you know, probably will be the last space shuttle mission ever, it really felt like an honor to be a part of it.
CAPT. CHRIS FERGUSON, SHUTTLE COMMANDER: We want to make sure we get the job done. And when the job is done, we can look back and reflect and think about where the place in history lied for this final shuttle flight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The crew, getting their last looks at the space station complex.
SANDRA MAGNUS, SHUTTLE MISSION SPECIALIST: We've got more transfer and logistic supplies to send the station than we ever had on any other mission. We are very, very busy in training. It's a very challenging mission.
ZARRELLA: You represent thousands of workers for 30 years who have poured their, you know, heart and soul into these vehicles.
DOUG HURLEY, SHUTTLE PILOT: That's exactly right.
ZARRELLA: And you guys are representing them on the final flight.
HURLEY: It is -- and I think that's where I feel the most pressure to be able to represent them the way they deserve to be represented. And finish out the program on a high note with a successful mission. And then be able to thank them all afterwards, ideally.
ZARRELLA: Would you stay the shuttle program has been a success?
HURLEY: I think at times it is the -- hate to use a cliche, but it sometimes has been the Rodney Dangerfield of the space program over the years. But it's just the amount of payload it can take to orbit, the amount of payload it can bring back. Seven people on top of that, you know?
You know, where else have we seen that in the space program?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: You know, I was talking to Commander Ferguson back there when I did those interviews a month or so ago out in Houston, and he told me that he was bound and determined to be the last person off the space shuttle when they call "Wheels stop" out here at the end of the mission, just a couple of miles from here, when they finally come back -- Kristie.
STOUT: That would be a very interesting dynamic to witness between the astronauts jostling at the exits there.
John Zarrella, joining us live.
Thank you so much, John.
(WEATHER REPORT)
STOUT: Now, as citizens of the world's newest country prepare to mark their hard-won independence, there is news that the president of the country they split from will attend their festivities. We'll get the latest from South Sudan.
And undercover in Spain. We will witness a special police unit crack one of its biggest human trafficking cases.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout, in Hong Kong.
You're watching NEWS STREAM, and these are your world headlines.
Now, "The Times of London" says journalists and newspaper executives in Britain could soon be arrested over claims the tabloid hacked into private phone messages. The list of people whose phones were said to have been targeted by "The News of the World" is growing. It has now emerged that families of British soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan may have had their phones hacked.
The veterans group the Royal British Legion has cut ties with the paper. They had run charity campaigns together.
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not accept any plea bargain, and he won't plead guilty to anything. That's according to his attorney. Strauss-Kahn is accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. In recent days, the prosecution has acknowledged problems with the credibility of Strauss-Kahn's accuser.
And eyes are looking up in the U.S. state of Florida. The last shuttle of NASA's space program is due to launch on Friday, so long as the weather cooperates.
Now after decades of civil war, South Sudan is just days away from independence. And on Saturday, the new nation will officially be formed. Now southerners, they voted for independence from Sudan in a January referendum, but there are fears that violence between the north and south could escalate ahead of the split.
Now a U.S. based monitoring group says the north has formed a heavy military presence along an oil rich border.
Now CNN's Nima Elbagir is in the future capital of South Sudan, Juba. And she joins us now. And Nima, even there in the future capital the situation is very desperate with young children at risk. What have you seen?
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie we were just at the only children's hospital in the entirety of South Sudan today and we were hearing from some aid workers, organizations including UNICEF have been raising alarms. They said that at the moment 1 in 7 children in South Sudan doesn't pass the age of five.
This is one of the huge burdens, one of the relics of the really three decade civil war that South Sudan is entering this new dawn, this new independence with.
You can see behind us, we're actually at the parade grounds where the flag is going to be raised. You can see the preparations, people are incredibly excited, but there is the sense that for this moment in time, they're turning their eyes away from all the burdens and the expectations of the future and just trying to celebrate. But those burdens are very much snapping at their heels.
We were at the border a few days ago, Kristie, where nearly 100,000 people have been displaced by that fighting along that disputed border that you were talking about. And they told us that none of them are prepared to go home. They feel that it's not safe now and that they don't believe that it will be any time in the near future, Kristie.
STOUT: And Nima, there's been heavy violence along what will be South Sudan's new border with the north. Will there be more violence ahead as South Sudan becomes independent?
ELBAGIR: Well, the president of Sudan of the north -- Omar al-Bashir is actually due to come to the independence ceremonies on Saturday. He will entered to the tune of the national anthem for the last time played here at the (inaudible) in South Sudan.
So the hope is that by coming here he is making a gesture of pragmatism. He's expressing -- his office told us -- his hope that there will be brotherly relations in the south.
But there's also a fear that that really is just for international consumption, that he's coming here but that what he's saying in the north is very different. Sudanese state TV has been showing comments that he made to his supporters in the north accusing the south of betrayal, of violence, and of disagreement to contracts that had been set up years before in terms of where those borders were going to be.
And he said that until there is agreement on security arrangements that there will not be an end to this conflict, Kristie.
STOUT: Nima Elbagir live from Juba. Thank you very much indeed.
And now to our week-long series Freedom Project Undercover. Now as part of CNN's commitment to revealing the struggle against human trafficking through the eyes of the police. Now CNN has been given unprecedented access to the human trafficking unit of the police agency for Spain's Catalonia region.
Yesterday we focused on the toughest challenge faced by the undercover unit: cracking forced prostitution rings.
And today, Martin Savage takes us inside one of the units biggest cases.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVAGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Catalonia region of Spain, its mild weather, rolling countryside, and endless coastline make it a prime destination for European travelers. But a new face has begun to settle in. Sub-inspector Xavier Cortes heads up the human trafficking unit for the region's police agency Mosses E'esquadra. His is the only face we can show you from the undercover unit.
He says he's seen a strong influx of Chinese immigrants in the past two or three years. No surprise, given that Barcelona the region's most populated city, is becoming one of a key points of Chinese trade with Europe. But there's been a dark side to this migration. Lurking behind the immigrants who are here living and working legally, there are Chinese criminal organizations bringing people here to engage in prostitution and forced labor.
And this discovery has led to the biggest case Cortes has ever worked on.
XAVIER CORTES, SUB-INSPECTOR MOSSES D'ESQUADRA (through translator): This chart is reflecting the network of complex relationships was said between about 100 Chinese illegal sweatshops.
SAVAGE: This chart shows a tangled web of labor exploitation. 80 sweatshops filled with workers that Cortes says were brought over from China on tourist visas. Their passports were taken. They were shoved into deplorable living conditions and forced to work to pay off the cost of bringing them to Spain.
It took three years to pull all these details together, exposing just how large this web grew.
CORTES: We could see that the head of this workshop wasn't the owner of the van utilized by four workshops to carry their clothes. But at the same time, the policyholder of that vehicle was responsible for these other workshops. And in the same way that the workshop was responsible for paying the water of three workshops over another area of the town.
SAVAGE: The human trafficking unit would not have known that any of it was happening until two men came forward one of whom had his hand stabbed by a workshop manager as he tried to collect evidence.
The men provided details such as where some of the workshops were located and what was happening inside.
CORTES: The amount of people who worked there, the kind of production that they carried out, what were the time when they were being exploited, the degrading conditions in which they were operating.
SAVAGE: The human trafficking unit started to build evidence. They monitored the workshops, planting cameras outside, and counting how many workers were there and whether they were allowed to leave.
This video was shot by an undercover agent who has experience in the textile industry and could speak the lingo. He went into the workshops as if he were a potential client looking for some cheap labor. With a hidden camera, he captured some workers wearing next to nothing while they sewed, conditions too hot to wear any clothes.
The three years it took to gather this evidence was just phase one of this operation.
CORTES: The first part is referring to the location and the crediting of the activity of the workshop, took that information regarding how many people who were exposed there as workers, under what conditions, and collecting the evidence sufficient to prove this fact.
It will conclude with a very wide police operation which involves around 900 police officers.
SAVAGE: Once the judge was satisfied there was enough evidence to prove the claims of labor exploitation, it was time for Mosses D'esquadra to move in.
They have two objectives: hit all 80 workshops at the exact same time, and rescue the victims. It would be the police agency's biggest ever simultaneous raid.
Martin Savage, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: Now many of those who are trafficked and exploited are female. And often they are forced into the sex trade. Now Errol Barnett spoke with the former director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime about the difficulty in protecting them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Many of the women who are being used and forced through these rings aren't really women, they're girls. So how do you protect them? And how do you distinguish between young girls who are forced into prostitution and those who have chosen to do so? How hard is that?
ANTONIO MARIA COSTA, FRM. EXEC. OFFICER, UN OFFICER ON DRUGS AND CRIME: This is indeed one of the biggest problems we are facing when we bring in public meetings about human trafficking very often we are confused as people who are against -- obviously against sex, against prostitution which is not the case. Prostitution is a commercial transaction between two willing people, hopefully of mature age. Human trafficking is a violation of the rights of the individual to choose.
The girls are sex -- they're trafficked. They are sex slaves. They are mostly under age. Very often sold by their parents. Certainly cheated and moved from one country, one continent to another, never paid for whatever they do, exploited 50, 60, 100 times a day the revenue according to the traffickers, it is really -- it's not a business, it's a crime against the human rights of these girls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Now Friday here on NEWS STREAM we conclude our series showing you the horrors that investigators found when they moved in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: 900 officers with Mosses D'esquadra hit 80 workshops at the same time. They found dozens of workers in each shop crammed in together, 450 victims in all brought over from China on tourist visas then forced to work to pay off the cost of bringing them to Spain. They were sleeping, working, eating all in the same room.
CORTES: In some cases, the mattresses were placed in the middle of the machinery and they slept there. And the next morning they returned to work. And in some extreme habitats, they are shaped as if they were bunk beds with a false wall that was behind a cover.
MARTIN: And yet as shocking as these conditions were, there would be another surprise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Now watch out for that tomorrow here on NEWS STREAM.
Now Casey Anthony returns to a Florida courtroom today for sentencing. Now that is expected to happen in the next 20 minutes. And we bring that to you live as soon as it happens.
Now Casey Anthony was acquitted on Tuesday of killing her two year old daughter, but she could face some jail time for four misdemeanor convictions. One of her attorneys talked to Barbara Walters from ABC News and he said there are now concerns about Anthony's security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, ABC NEWS: Are you worried about her safety?
JOSE BAEZ, ATTORNEY: I am. I am. And I'm afraid for her. And I don't think it's fair.
WALTERS: How do you see Casey's future?
BAEZ: I think Casey can -- could have been anything she wanted in this world. And I think there are still plenty of things that Casey can do in life. And I think Casey can be a productive member of society.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: After the bombshell verdict, the state of Florida dropped a bombshell of its own. Now the state is taking new legal action against Casey Anthony. Now officials in effect want to send her a bill. Martin Savage has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVAGE: Stunned by its loss in the Casey Anthony trial, the state of Florida tonight is filing a motion to tax Anthony for what it calls special costs in investigation and prosecution. In other words, bill her for the state's police and legal work. Any money she makes as a result of her fame could go to those costs.
In addition, there is a potential civil suit. Remember Anthony's original claim that her daughter was kidnapped by her nanny who she identified as Anita Gonzalez (ph). The story was a lie, but police actually tracked down and questioned a woman by the same name. Now that woman is planning to sue Anthony for defamation.
Both suits greet Anthony as she potentially walks free tomorrow.
The four guilty verdicts could mean a total sentence of about four years. The big question, is would that time be served concurrently, all at the same time, or consecutively, meaning one after another.
VINNIE POLITAN, HOST, HLN: That's going to depend how the judge sees these four counts. Does he see them as four lies about the same thing, or four separate acts.
SAVAGE: Even if the judge decided to give her the max time consecutively she's already served three years, allowing for what in Florida is called game time and good behavior. Any additional sentence might be a wash.
There are some potential complicating factors, Casey Anthony already has a felony conviction, check fraud. And the judge might take that into account.
POLITAN: This prior conviction which occurred during the 31 days, by the way, for this check fraud is going to hurt her, because on that score sheet that the judge has that's now going to put her closer to one year than it would to probation.
SAVAGE: So let's say Casey gets to walk, it won't be out the front door of the courthouse. A statement from the Orange County Corrections Department says that due to the high profile nature of this case and intense emotional interest appropriate measures will be taken to release the acquitted into the community in such a manner so as to preserve the safety of the acquitted individual and the public.
But where would Casey go? Given the way the trial seemed to bitterly divide the Anthony family it seems unlikely she'll go live with mom and dad. Instead, her legal team is likely to whisk her away to points unknown.
Martin Savage, CNN, Orlando.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: Now reports former Chinese president Jiang Zemin is dead have been dismissed as, quote, pure rumor. Now the state run Xinhua news agency issued the (inaudible) by Beijing. And this was the response from China's ministry of foreign affairs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HONG LEI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): On this topic, I don't have anything to add.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Now the rumors of Jiang Zemin's death had begun to fly on Friday when he failed to attend the 90th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. And despite the official denials, China has gone to extreme lengths to end speculation about Jiang's death's ruling on the internet.
Now take Sina Weibo, it's China's answer to Twitter. As of one hour ago, the Chinese characters representing the name, Jiang Zemin's name, they are blocked on the site, but so are a huge range of other search terms including the names of Chinese leaders, including that of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.
Now this term, Jia Beng is also banned.
Now this is honorific used by Chinese to describe the death of an emperor or king.
And then there's this, the three represents, that is also censored. It refers to the political roadmap that was drafted by Jiang Zemin.
Now when you search for any of these terms, this is what you get, this message. It says, quote, "according to the relevant laws, regulations and policies the results of this search cannot be displayed."
Now a number of related terms are still searchable on other top Chinese internet destinations like the search giant Baidu. Now on Baidu, you can search for the following, you can look for river or Jiang in Chinese, which sounds like Jiang Zemin's last name. And Chinese netizens can still search his full name there and information related to him. They can even access reports about the rumors of his death.
No here in Hong Kong, broadcaster ATV led its main newscast last night with the report that Jiang died. It has since apologized for that report.
And still, there has been much speculation in the print media. Now it was front page news in today's local papers. The Standard, right here, saying Jiang, quote, critically ill. The Apple Daily leading with this photo of Jiang Zemin and the current president of China Hu Jintao.
And such speculation is unlikely to end anytime soon, unless Jiang Zemin makes a public appearance.
Now we're going to head to sports after the break. You're watching NEWS STREAM right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: Welcome back.
Now they are one of the most talented football teams in the world, but Argentina continued to play below par. Alex Thomas is in London to tell us why they are still flattering to deceive -- Alex.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kristie, after a disappointing World Cup quarterfinal exit 12 months ago, Argentina ended an 18 year wait for a major trophy by lifting the Copa America. However, the host nation is fighting to stay in the tournament now after a 0-0 draw on Wednesday night.
Let's show you how it happened. Remember, this all followed a 1-all draw with Bolivia. And Argeninta's second group A match was against Colombia.
The Colombians creating the best chance of the game early on, a mistake from the home team's defense allowing Gustavo Ramos to surge into the area and he's brought down and Dayro Moreno then misses an open goal when the loose ball rolls his way.
But it's quite (inaudible) attacking talent Argentina were finding it hard to hit the back of the net. And Ezequiel Lavezzi can't beat Colombia's goalie Luis Martinez later in the first half.
Twenty minutes into the second half now, the swift counterattack from Colombia. Fredy Guarin sets up Pablo Arnero, but his shot misses the target.
Substitute Gonzalo Higuain almost put the Copa America host on the score sheet, but his shot was kicked out by Martinez. And a 0-0 draw prompted boos from the home fans. Argentina must beat Costa Rica on Monday to progress.
Well, Argentina's miserable display was summed up by this late free kick from Lionel Messi, an unbelievably wayward shot from the player voted world footballer of the year for the last two seasons running. The Barcelona star still seems unable to reproduce his club form for his country. No one is more aware of that than himself. After the wild shot he spent the final 10 minutes looking distraught and almost close to tears at one point.
Now Australia has claimed the last quarterfinal place at the Women's World Cup thanks to a 2-1 victory over Norway in the final round of group games. Also on Wednesday night, Sweden beat the United States 2-1. And that means the Americans now face a massive last eight showdown with Brazil. The Brazilians already guaranteed a quarterfinal place before facing Equatorial Guinea.
But they rounded off the group stages in style with a second successive 3-0 win, including this stunning goal from Erica. Watch the replay as she controls the ball, flips it over the defenders head and bullies home. What a strike. The Brazilians have racked up seven goals in just three games at the Women's World Cup so far.
This is how the quarterfinals look, then. Two standout games on that list -- Brazil against the United States, and England's match with French. Defending champions Germany play Japan.
That's it for now, Kristie. Much more in world sport in just over two and a half hours' time where we'll analyze the Copa America displays of Argentina so far.
STOUT: All right. Alex, thank you very much indeed for that.
Now still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, presidential tweets. U.S. President Barack Obama builds social media into his latest town hall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: Welcome back.
Now the U.S. president, he held a town hall with a difference, he took questions via Twitter. Now Mr. Obama was participating in the first ever Twitter town hall. But some were disappointed. Mr. Obama answered just 18 questions. And of those, the first 10 were posted hours before the event, leaving some to feel that it was all planned in advance.
Now as for his answers, Dan Lothian tells us they were not quite as concise as your average tweet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Twitter questions came in 140 characters or less, then answers from the president did not.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know Twitter, I'm supposed to be short.
LOTHIAN: Before he could talk about what he had down or hopes to do, President Obama had to answer a question about what he would do over.
On the recession:
OBAMA: One would have been to explain to the American people that it was going to take a while for us to get out of this.
LOTHIAN: On housing:
OBAMA: I think that the continuing decline in the housing market is something that hasn't bottomed out as quickly as we expected.
LOTHIAN: In his first ever Twitter town hall, something George Washington could never have imagined, in the East Room the president answered a debt ceiling question that he had avoided in his press conference last week -- whether invoking section four of the 14th Amendment, possibly allowing him to keep on borrowing past the August 2nd deadline, was an option.
OBAMA: I don't think we should even get to the Constitutional issue.
LOTHIAN: Even before the town hall got underway Republicans, led by House Speaker John Boehner, were flooding Twitter with pointed questions on jobs and broken promises. Then surprising Boehner crashed the forum.
JACK DORSEY, TWITTER CO-FOUNDER: Where are the jobs?
OBAMA: Obviously, John's the Speaker of the House. He's a Republican. And so -- this is a slightly skewed question.
But what he's right about is that we have not seen fast enough job growth relative to the need.
LOTHIAN: Beyond getting to focus sharply on his economic message, the town hall allowed the president to preach to an audience that skews toward younger voters. Some, dissatisfied with what he's done for them so far.
HEATHER SMITH, PRESIDENT, ROCK THE VOTE: It's not rocket science, talk to them about the issues and the things that concern them.
LOTHIAN: And with new young voters who weren't around in 2008, Rock the Vote's Heather Smith says the president needs to get their attention.
SMITH: Young people are a huge part of this president's success in 2008. And part of his winning formula, I believe, for 2012 has to be the continued engagement of young people at the polls.
LOTHIAN: More than 60,000 tweets were submitted. But by far, the biggest focus remains getting the debt ceiling raised. That's why on Thursday, congressional leaders from both parties will come here to the White House. The hope is that they can find compromise ahead of the August 2nd deadline.
Dan Lothian, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: Now Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled his answer to Google+ yesterday. It is a Skype video chat function that is embedded inside Facebook. And it may seem like a 1, 2 punch to his rival Google, but the Skype partnership only lets two people video chat at a time. That's because you need a paid Skype account to conference in more people.
Now Google+, it lets video chat users bring in 10 people at once.
Now Mark Zuckerberg, he defended the decision not to offer multi-person chat, saying the majority of video chats are one-on-one.
Now he had said that this would be a, quote, awesome announcement. But the presentation took a few awkward turns. Like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK FOUNDER: If you took a piece of paper, right, and folded it on itself 50 times, how tall would it be? Have you guys heard this before?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: No one ventured a guess. And it turns out it goes to the moon and back more than 10 times. Now Professor Zuckerberg is explaining the principle of exponential growth. And he really wants you to get it so then he busts out a better visual, since obviously exponential curves look great on regular graphs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZUCKERBERG: So you tend to look at them in what we call log normalized graph, right. So that way if you look at the y axis here, it's skewed, right. So it's now going up linearly -- this is kind of how people tend to look at these exponential graphs to plot out how progress is being made over time.
And the most famous one that we have in the technology industry is Moore's Law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Of course, the log normalized graph. Now we get it.
Now Zuckerberg was trying to illustrate how powerful it is that Facebook users are increasing their activity on the site exponentially. And we'll see if he can do the same with his partnership with Skype.
And that is NEWS STREAM, but the news continues at CNN. In fact, we are standing by for the sentencing of Casey Anthony who was acquitted of killing her daughter but was found guilty of lying to police. And we'll bring you that when it happens live right here on CNN.
END
