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U.S. Teen Goes for Gymnastics Gold; Syrian Army Trying to Regain Aleppo; Wrangling Sharks; Chinese Flood Victims Blame Govt.

Aired July 25, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to keep you around long enough to see what is causing it.

I want a CBC, mono test, blood cultures, chest x-rays and a liver panel.

UNIDENTFIED MALE: Right, Joe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Everett was married for 45 years to actress Shelby Grant. He was 75.

Thanks for watching, everyone. You can continue the conversation with me on Twitter at KyraCNN or on Facebook.

NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL starts right now.

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We are watching a huge battle for Syria's biggest city and a boy's across continent plane ride with no passport, no ticket.

Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. It is the U.S. versus France as well, and we are keeping an eye on that women's Olympic soccer happening right now in London.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Suzanne Malveaux, and we are taking you around the world in 60 minutes.

This is the scene in Aleppo, Syria, today. There was intense fighting between rebel forces and government troops. The military is sending 2,000 more troops in an effort to retake the city.

Meanwhile, Turkey announced, it is closing its border with Syria, thousands have fled across the border to escape the violence.

The al Qaeda-linked group known as the Islamic state of Iraq is claiming responsibility for the attack that killed and wounded hundreds of people this week alone. The group posted its claims online describing the attacks as a start of new state of jihad. Monday was the deadliest day of the year, 103 people died in bombings and shootings throughout the country, and most of those targeted were Shiite Muslims.

And a spectacular view in southern Japan. One of the country's most active volcanoes erupted yesterday as you see right there in accelerated video. It caused road closures and train delays, but no evacuations were ordered.

Japan's meteorological agency said that the volcano has erupted more than 600 times this years, and it's expected to continue its intermittent eruptions.

All right. It is the first stop overseas as candidate for a U.S. president Mitt Romney in London. He will meet with British political leaders. Romney arrived in London earlier today. The trip is an attempt to build his foreign policy credentials ahead of the November election.

A Romney aide says it is about locking arms with our allies. From London, Romney travels to Israel and then on to Poland.

Busiest destination of the day today? Well, that would be London. About 100,000 people a day are arriving at Heathrow Airport. Olympic athletes and fans from practically every country on earth, and the Olympic flame has not even been lit yet. They are calling today, day minus two, with some events already beginning.

The first women's soccer match kicked off today in Wales, and this is the rough part for the drivers in London, the traffic lanes reserved just for the Olympic athletes and officials get caught in one of those lanes, and it's a $200 fine.

So the London Olympic venue is an ocean away from the Bronx, a long way to go for one American teenager who has spent his life preparing for the Olympic stage.

Jason Carroll has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Orozco's goal of going for the gold started long before he made the U.S. Olympic team.

His dream began when he was just 7 years old.

JOHN OROZCO, OLYMPIC GYMNAST: I never said quit, because a lot of stuff has happened in my life, and that has made me just want to quit and give up my dream, but I didn't let it happen. My parents definitely did not let it happen.

CARROLL (on camera): Orozco grew up here in the Bronx and things were tough and not just the challenges of the streets, but his family struggled financially, and just being a gymnast here in the Bronx presented problems for Orozco as well.

OROZCO: A lot of the guys in school were giving me slack and saying, OK, gymnast, like so like you are going to be a woman in tights. They can throw all of the negativity they want at me. I'm not going to let it break me.

CARROLL (voice-over): It became a family commitment. His mother would take him to gym practices, a two to four-hour commute each day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He couldn't join clubs, and he had to run to practice.

CARROLL: Orozco trained harder, four hours a day, five days week, and his coach knew that there was something special about him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People asked me if he is a once in a lifetime gymnast and I joke around and say, he is a once in a hundred lifetimes gymnast.

CARROLL: And now at 19 years old, Orozco is poised to compete on the biggest athletic stage in his lifetime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The heart that he has, the dreams that he has, that he is a gold winner all right. So anything on top of that is gravy.

CARROLL: His coaches say he has a shot at gold. Already, there's an endorsement and photo shoots and even so, he says, no pressure.

(on camera): You don't feel any pressure at all going into the Olympics? None, zero?

OROZCO: Nope. I kind of feel like there is more pressure at the Olympic trials to make the team.

CARROLL: OK.

OROZCO: And now it is kind of like a sigh of relief now I can just go to do my gymnastics.

CARROLL (voice-over): Although Orozco might make a great coach, he does not see a future in coaching. His next future is acting or singing.

He says he'll work on the voice hoping that practice does indeed make perfect.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Jason Carroll, live now from New York.

Jason, you know, John looks very versatile, and he is very charismatic, too, and he's got incredible personality, along with the tremendous talent. So what are the odds or is anyone talking about that medals and all of that stuff, or hey, enjoy the Olympics.

CARROLL: Well, it is a tough competition for him, no doubt about that. You've got the Chinese team. You've got the Japanese team. They are favored to win.

But Orozco, as you can see, he is determined, he excels at the horizontal bar. He's great at the parallel par. You can see him on the pommel horse. He is a U.S. national all-around champion, and so he goes in favored in some ways. But you never know what is going to happen when you are on that big stage.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness, and he gave you a few pointers there on the mat, on the rings and the pommel horse, what?

CARROLL: Well, we were on the parallel bars there, and I have to tell you it is tough. I have more respect for these gymnasts now more than ever doing that L-sit or whatever he called it there. I mean, you have to make sure you know what you are doing there. Much more respect for the gymnasts now than I ever had.

WHITFIELD: Now that you'd tried it, and you see that, oh, my gosh, the bar is set high, this is hard.

CARROLL: Lot of tougher than it looks.

WHITFIELD: Well, it is beautiful to watch those athletes no doubt. We wish him of course the best and thank you so much for bringing that story to us. Appreciate it, Jason.

All right. Let's get in Alex Thomas. He's in London right. He's watching a lot of the athletes as well.

It is day minus two -- happy day minus two, Alex, and the women's soccer matches are today while most of other events like gymnastic events will start after the opening ceremony Friday. What's going on with the Americans and the French playing now?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, and officially the London Olympics begin Friday with the opening ceremony in the stadium behind me. But let's jump the gun a bit and the action is already on the way, because it is literally not here in the capital city for the U.K., but several hours drive west of here in Wales, in Cardiff, in the Millennium Stadium where team GB kicked off against New Zealand.

But as you say, all eyes on team USA. They are the most successful team in the history of women's soccer and they are up against France. I think USA will definitely be favorites.

France ranked sixth in the world, though, so it won't be a complete walkover I'm sure.

WHITFIELD: OK. And, you know, weather is a factor in London and it's been an awfully rainy summer in much of the U.K. But how is it looking at Wales for the soccer match, for the football match I should say.

THOMAS: Yes, well, it's been a horrible summer, up until a week ago, and suddenly, we were struck with a heat weave and I have been sticky throughout the entire day. I went down to see the U.S. swimming a little bit. It was really embarrassing with the sweat dripping down may head in the interviews.

But that heat wave is not going to last. It is the U.K. after all and it could be a rainy opening ceremony on Friday. But in Wales, it's not far away from London. It is equally sunny there with blue clouds and perfect conditions there. In fact, so hot indeed that some of the experts have been warning against health and breathing problems for some people. Hopefully it won't affect the soccer players.

WHITFIELD: Oh, let's hope not. Well, you know what? Hopefully, it means for a great, fast, successful Olympics if the weather would just cooperate, even if it's really hot. I think a lot of these athletes have trained for that.

Meantime, let's talk about one athlete before things could even get under way, an Olympian representing Greece is in so much trouble that she's actually no longer on the team, is she?

THOMAS: Yes. Normally, you hear about the sort of failed doping tests that rule out the athletes before the main events get under way, but this is a slightly different story. We are talking about Paraskevi Papachristou, just known as Voula to our friends. She is a 23-year-old triple jumper who tweeted recently, so many Africans in Greece, at least West Nile mosquitoes will eat homemade food.

I don't get the tweet, myself, but it is deemed racist. She's apologized profusely on her Facebook page.

And CNN called up the Greek Olympic team spokesperson a little bit earlier and they said that she made a joke, it was a mistake, but it was serious. It was unforgivable, and she -- her games are over before they have begun. She did not leave Greece and she has not arrived in London and her Olympic dream is over.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness.

OK. Any other events that will take place before the ceremonies, by the way?

THOMAS: No, it is only the women's soccer who have the honor to kick it off today. Some of the mens soccer matches play here on Thursday before the opening ceremony here on Friday. That's just because the football tournament has so many teams, so many matches to get in.

And actually, Olympics, unlike a soccer world cup, or rugby world cup maybe is condensed. It's two weeks of absolute high class in track and field and rowing and sailing, you take your pick, and cycling and the lot.

So a lot to get in, and it is the soccer with the privilege of getting underway first, but it is great for everyone, because like all major sporting events, we are all impatient for it to start.

WHITFIELD: I know. So much going on with the heat and the Greek Olympian who will now not enjoy the games and opening ceremony in a couple of days. And, of course, we cannot overlook the biggest issue of all, security, and how confident does the U.K. feel or the OIC feel about how things are unfolding?

THOMAS: They are ultra confident that everyone will be safe and secure, fans, athletes, the officials, the media as well. But they have had to draft in over 18,000 military personnel to bolster the private security force, G4S, that failed to deliver on the contract and get enough security guards trained up in time. There are concerns over logistics and transport, and the teething problems you get everywhere.

I remember the Vancouver Winter Olympics a couple of years ago, and the same stories there. It's the kind of privilege of having a free media to report on all the problems, Fredricka. You got to have bad news stories.

But I think everyone is confident that it will get under way with a spectacular ceremony, $40 million movie production with director Danny Ball overseeing it, and I would say that we can see strains of the James Bond tune coming out. That is a little hint.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: And yes, that is going to be part of the opening ceremony that is going to be incredible. We are all looking forward to that, Alex. Thank you so much.

You know, of course, Alex, a lot of the Olympians of today have been inspired by the Olympians of yesteryear, and one of those is the Olympian who won his first two gold medals in the 1948 Olympic games who also happens to be my father.

Mal Whitfield, well, he is 87 now, but he is a little bit fragile these days in the wheel chair. You see him there at the 100 days to the countdown to Olympic Games in New York. Well, nothing is going to stand in the way from him heading to London this weekend, 64 years after winning the 800 meters, 4x4 relay and winning bronze in the 400 meters.

He will not be alone, of course, because my brother, Lonnie, and I will escort my dad who is anxious to reunite a host of other 48ers as we call them, making the journey across the pond, to London.

Dad along with that fellow Olympians from the historic games are featured by the way this week in the "New York Times." In a beautiful photo gallery and you don't want to miss it. You can hear them in their own words as well at NewYorkTimes.com and NYTimes.com.

Here their stories of an inspiration to keep the Olympic flame burning bright in their 80s and 90s continue to keep that Olympic flame burning bright. So, we'll keep you posted along our journey over the last couple -- weeks, beginning this weekend.

All right. Meantime, she is a mystery lady no more. North Korea's young leader announces he is actually married to this woman seen at his side for many months now.

And a rise in shark attacks off the coast of South Africa has scientists seeking answers. We'll show why they are collecting shark's saliva.

And the fight for Syria. A move to the country's largest city, to go behind the scenes to meet the young men fighting the Syrian government.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The Syrian regime is desperately fighting to retake the rebel-held city of Aleppo at any cost and by any means.

The Free Syrian Army says it is poised to intercept 2,000 army troops en route to reinforce government units in the city. One activist told CNN there was random shelling in eastern portion of Aleppo, which is hitting civilian homes. The city was about 220 miles north of Damascus, near the border near Turkey, and as a commercial hub of Syria, it is a crucial city in the country's 16-month conflict.

CNN international anchor, anchor Hala Gorani joins now.

So, she's been to Aleppo many times, and give us a better idea of how significant is it to take control of Aleppo?

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, it is extremely significant and probably just as significant as Damascus. Damascus is the administrative capital of Syria. Aleppo is truly the beating economic heart of the country. It's an extremely diverse city. It's got many more Christians than Damascus does.

The rebels now are in much closer to the center than they have ever been and that is what is important and interesting of what is going on and significant. You showed a Google map with the citadel which is the 13th century medieval fort, and the rebels have reached the center of the old city, in Bab al-Hadid, which is one neighborhood there, and whether or not they keep the territory is another question, because now what everyone is bracing for is for the regular Syrian army to come in.

We've already heard of reports of fighter jets pounding the rebel strongholds, and now we might hear in the center of Aleppo street to street battles between regular Syria army, and it will be bloody.

WHITFIELD: So, how is this city functioning or is not functioning at this point. Still, there's commerce, you've got people living there? Are they able amazing --

GORANI: We're talking is millions of residents. This isn't a small town. This is probably more populous than Damascus by some measures.

So, what people are doing is essentially in the neighborhoods not affected, hunkering down and hoping that it is not going reach them.

In the neighborhoods where there is fighting, you are seeing a familiar pattern of civilians, the women and the kids and the children, and those who don't want to take part in the fighting are fleeing. You are seeing ordinary bus links where it's completely deserted by the streets desolate of Syrians and they are waiting for what's going to come next, which is the onslaught of the Syrian regime army.

WHITFIELD: By any measure, does it appear as though Bashar al- Assad's regime is being compromise, weakened?

GORANI: Certainly weakened. I mean, the idea -- a few months, if you had told me a few weeks ago that free Syrian rebels were going to control streets in the very center of Aleppo, I probably would have said, I don't think that is going to happen. It has happened now, and this could only be weakening the regime.

And the fact that they are using fighter jets, and fighter jets, these are not attack helicopters. These are fighter jet planes to bomb according to so many reports we have received from Aleppo, these rebel strongholds mean they are frightened and some say desperate, and frightened, but at the very least frightened, because if you lose control of Aleppo, you will lose control of a very important strategic part of Syria.

WHITFIELD: Wow, fascinating stuff. All right. Keep us posted on this. Appreciate it. Good to see you.

All right. There are also reports that al Qaeda may be taking on a new role in that conflict in Syria. In a video posted on YouTube, a group of armed men pose in front of two flags of al Qaeda.

In it one militant explains they will fight the Assad regime and the military. U.S. intelligence officials believe that al Qaeda was probably responsible for the suicide bombings inside of Syria.

Rebel forces are outgunned and underequipped, but that's not stopping them, as Ivan Watson shows us that even as the free Syrian army loses friends and family in the battles, it is vowing to fight on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A father stained with the blood of his son. "This is the blood of a martyr," he yells, "of a hero, a lion. His blood is pure."

Mad grief and pride from a man who just learned that his son died in battle. Abdul Rashid was only 22 years old and a defector from the Syrian military. He died as a rebel of the free Syrian army.

Rashid

A fellow fighter named Korshid (ph) brought Rashid home to be buried. He says Rashid was shot in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A helicopter told your plane, on top, on top of the building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What village and the fourth to be killed in battling the battle. And a fellow man brought him home to be buried. He says that Rashid was shot in the Syrian city of Aleppo. A helicopter killed your friend today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATSON: What began 17 months ago as a peaceful protest movement has morphed into a full-forced armed insurgency and composed of defector soldiers, as well as students, shopkeepers, real estate agencies and even Bashar al Assad's ruling Baath Party.

(on camera): You were in the Baath party before?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATSON: For a long time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 10 years.

WATSON (voice-over): Te commander of a rebel group who calls itself the Syrian Falcons says he is fighting to free Syria from more than 40 years of dictatorship of the Assad family and new recruits are coming everyday.

(on camera): Do you want to fight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATSON: Against the government?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATSON: That is why you came back to Syria?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, because he has killed everyone. He has killed my cousin. He's destroyed my village. He's destroyed my home.

WATSON (voice-over): Twenty-three-year-old (INAUDIBLE) came home from a job in Dubai to start his own brigade of rebels. He brought a bag of radios and cameras and sniper scopes he bought with his own money.

(on camera): And this is for war. You are going to fight with it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, but go to war for my family, my country.

UNIDENTIFIED CHASTE: This brave talk from a young man who has yet to step foot on the battlefield. This rebel veteran Korsid chokes back tears while he talks about his friend killed in Aleppo just a few hours ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must fight Bashar al Assad.

WATSON (voice-over): After burying his friend, it is back to the battle. You will go back to fight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tonight, Tonight.

WATSON (on camera): Tonight to Aleppo?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To Aleppo.

WATSON (voice-over): Ivan Watson, CNN, reporting from northern Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And people have been wondering, who is that woman there in north Korea? This mystery lady. She has always been right next to the country's new leader at public events, but the mystery is apparently now over. We will take you live to South Korea for answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

This just in, and we understand two days now before the opening ceremony in Olympics in London. Now, nine Olympians have been suspended for doping according to the International Association of athletics federations, those athletes three Russians, and two Ukranians, and one Bulgarian and one Moroccan and one Greek and one Turkish national and apparently the tests conducted measured changes of the blood profile which intimates that sophisticated doping may have been used, including human growth hormones.

And all of this taking place on the same day just moments after we learned that one Greek Olympian has been removed from the team because of offensive remarks she made on Twitter about African athletes.

So, all these developments just two days shy of the opening ceremonies in London.

All right. Meantime, the mystery lady is a mystery no more.

Turns out the woman who has been beside North Korea's new leader at public events is his wife. That is according to reports from the neighboring South Korea based on an announcement heard on North Korean state television.

Paula Hancocks joins us live now from poll.

So, Paula, we know North Korea is a very secretive nation.

Well, Frederica we know that North Korea does officially have a first lady. So, it was a news reader saying that North Korean had just open an amusement park, accompanied by his wife. So, this is how they announced to the world that it was in fact this wife and she has to be television early this evening that it was a very secretive nation, and what have we learned about the country's new first lady and now that we are finally hearing about her?

HANCOCKS: Well, Fredricka, we now know that North Korea does officially have a first lady. It was on North Korean television earlier this Wednesday evening when it was announced but it was a very low-key and subtle announcement, if you blinked, you would have missed it.

All it was a news reader saying that Kim Jong-Un had just opened an amusement park accompanied by his wife. So, this is how they announced to the world that it was in fact his wife, and she has been named Ri Sol-ju.

Now, that is effectively the only hard facts we, obviously is very heavily choreographed out of North Korea. They are giving this information now for a reason. They know the kind of reaction around the world. There is going to be continued speculation on who exactly she is.

The South Korean media speculating on whether or not she is a singer as they had speculated before. But what it does do is to show a sharp departure from what we have seen from the previous North Korean leaders. The father and the grandfather, and you didn't hear very much about their wives. You barely saw them on camera.

And so this is really showing that Kim Jong-un has his own leadership style, and he is very different and the fact that she is so high profile, and so visible over the past few weeks is quite significant. And some experts say that maybe he is trying to build a persona of being more approachable.

WHITFIELD: And do we know, Paula, when they may have married?

HANCOCKS: We haven't gotten that information at all. Literally all we know is that he is married and this is the name of the lady. It is unlikely that we will get much more information from the official state media anyway.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fascinating stuff. Paula Hancocks, thank so much for bringing that to us from Seoul.

All right in the Mexican town of Tequila, the drink is their lifeblood, but a fierce battle is raging over marketing rights for the central ingredient, the agave plant.

NICK PARKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The consumer is mistaken, Partita (ph) says, because instead of buying a bottle for $15, they buy a bottle for $8, but in reality, it is not tequila, it's just based on the image it has.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. This hour we want to let you hear some of the music that people are listening to around the world. In Italy the number one song on iTunes is from 22-year-old Brazilian Gusttavo Lima.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: This is his hit song, "Balada Boa," which means "a good party" in English. And it is considered Brazilian country music. The song is a hit all across Europe.

In the Mexican state of Jalisco, a small town is clinging to its lifeblood. The town is Tequila and a battle is raging over its native blue agave plant and the future of the tequila industry. The story now from Nick Parker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER (voice-over): The lifeblood of a national champion, Mexico's tequila industry generates annual sales of $1.6 billion. Its biggest export market, the United States, which guzzles more than 120 million liters every year.

PARKER: This is the heart of tequila country, feels like this in the state of Jalisco. The spirit has been grown here for around 400 years, but now a battle is being waged over this, the agave plant.

PARKER (voice-over): In the traditional process of making tequila, the agave is cut down, uprooted and carried to a distillery. There it is roasted, and the juices drained to be fermented. Dadi Partita (ph) has been making tequila for 40 years.

He says the explosion in popularity is down to one thing: it's a plant exclusive to this region, called blue agave, he says. This is why the international consumers increasingly opt for this products. Tequila consumption is changing. Once mostly popular as an ingredient in margaritas, the spirit now is increasingly sipped neat.

Like champagne, tequila is a trademark brand related to a geographic region, in this case, originating from the town of Tequila. Now its powerful lobby is trying to extend its legal trademark protection to include the word agave to head off a challenge from low- cost competitors who distill agave outside of the official zone.

FRANCISCO SOLTERO, NATIONAL CHAMBER FOR THE TEQUILA INDUSTRY: We have demonstrated to the government with studies, with market research that when people know -- hears agave, they think in tequila, that there is a strong link between these two terms.

PARKER (voice-over): But critics say the industry is trying to undermine the traditional role of distillers around the country, who, outside of the regions of Tequila and Mescal, another protected agave brand.

ALEJANDRO CALVILLO UNNA, THE POWER OF THE CONSUMER: It is a violation of human rights. It's a violation of cultural rights, of the people that are full, and the evolution on this country for it -- a possibility to survive and have a great potential in the future for the national market and the international market.

PARKER (voice-over): Tequila makers insist the move is to provide better regulation for shoppers.

Consumer mistake, Partita (ph) says, because instead of buying a bottle for $15, they buy a bottle for $8, but in reality it is not tequila, it's just based on the image it has.

Control of that image will be critical as the industry tries to rebrand tequila as a luxury product and extend the market east to Russia and China. The government ruling when it comes will have an impact well beyond the agave fields of Jalisco -- Nick Parker, CNN, Tequila, Mexico.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a case of wanderlust for an 11-year-old boy. He didn't let not having a passport or a ticket stop him from flying from England to Rome. We will tell you how he did it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL, where we are taking you around the world in 60 minutes.

No passport, no ticket, no boarding pass, but an 11-year-old managed to get all the way from England to Rome. He had been shopping with his mother at a mall close to Manchester Airport when he ran away. He was not detected until the cabin crew noticed him midair. The airline insists this was not a security breach.

The West African nation of Ghana has a new leader. Vice President John Mahama was sworn in as president last night just hours after the sudden death of the country's former leader. It was a peaceful change of power in a region where political transitions are often violent.

Now to Argentina, where six police officers are under arrest, accused of torture. It is a sensitive issue in the South American country, where, from 1976 to '83, a military dictatorship killed and tortured thousands, often in secret jails. Our Rafael Romo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL ROMO, SR. LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): The video posted anonymously online shows two young male suspects completely wet and wearing only their underwear; several interrogators surround the suspects.

"I swear to you that I don't know anything about it," says one suspect several times in a fearful voice. His interrogator ties a plastic bag around his neck and grabs the suspect by the head. The suspect starts yelling, then shaking and finally drops to the floor.

The officer takes the bag off his head, and the suspect is seen gasping for air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

ROMO (voice-over): It allegedly happened last fall in the town of General Guemes, located in the northwestern Argentine province of Salta. Authorities say the two suspects were detained for misdemeanors and were freed a short time later. The video prompted a swift reaction. Six police officers were arrested after provincial security minister, Eduardo Silvester, opened an investigation.

EDUARDO SILVESTER, SALDA SECURITY MINISTER (through translator): We did it because we, the government of Salta province, are strongly convinced that these police officers are not representative of who we truly are. And we are not going to tolerate, under any circumstances, that officers commit this kind of crime.

ROMO (voice-over): The officers face trial, and the victims are expected to testify against them. An organization that monitors police brutality in Argentina says such incidents are a common occurrence at police stations and jails in the South American country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Torture is a common tool, which is applied constantly in many detention centers, and even to suspects held at police station cells before their courts appearance. We have been able to prove in multiple times in court, through oral testimonies of the victims.

ROMO (voice-over): A police spokesman in Salta province, who asked not to be named, denied such brutality as a common occurrence, but added, quote, "I can't deny that it happens, either."

Argentines have been especially sensitive to police and military brutality since crackdowns against leftist dissidents and others during the dirty war under the country's military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983 . It's estimated up to 30,000 people were kidnapped and killed or simply disappeared, often after torture in secret jails.

ROMO: Argentines have been especially sensitive to police and military brutality since crackdowns against leftist dissidents and others during the dirty war under the country's military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983. It's estimated up to 30,000 people were kidnapped and killed or simply disappeared, often after torture in secret jails -- Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: South Africa's coast is known for its great surfing. But lately surfers have had too many close encounters with sharks. We'll show you what's being done about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Put in a cage, lowered into shark-infested waters and then covered in fish guts and blood. Believe it or not, thrill-seeking tourists actually pay to do this. In the tourism hot space off of the cape of South Africa, shark attacks are on the rise and some believe cage diving could be to blame. Nkepile Mabuse brings us this story of a team of shark wranglers and speaks to one of the lucky survivors of at great white attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACQUES MOSTERT, SHARK ATTACK VICTIM: So this is the top bite mark and then the bottom bite mark is there.

NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two weeks ago, Jacques Mostert came face to face with the ocean's most feared predator. He was 15 meters from the shoreline in South Africa's western cape when the unexpected happened.

MOSTERT: Something swam past me. And I actually thought it was a dolphin. And then I had a look at its tail and I saw that it was definitely not a dolphin. It was a shark. And I got quite a big fight (ph) at that stage and I pulled by board closer towards me to get between me and the shark. And as I pulled my board closer, something hit me, quite odd, and it started shaking me. And as I looked down, I realized that I was in a shark attack (ph).

MABUSE: From the marks on his surf board, experts suspect the shark tried to bite him twice.

MABUSE (on camera): Did you think you were going to die?

MOSTERT: I think, for me, as it circled me the second time, and the realization came that no one was going to come help me, I just prayed. You know, I'm a Christian. And in that moment I just -- I mean, like, OK, God, if this is the way I need to go, then I can go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not even moving.

MABUSE: Increased shark activity close to shore has many worried about safety in the seas of Africa's top tourist destination.

MABUSE (on camera): This is one of the cape's most popular surfing spots. It's called a cave (ph). And it's less than an hour's drive from the city of Capetown (ph). In April, a man was killed be a great white shark in these very waters.

MABUSE (voice-over): According to official statistics, more than 130 people have been attacked since the 1990s along South African's 200-kilometer coastline. And practically all of the 22 fatalities were in the cape area. That's been (ph) a minuscule number of deaths given that millions take to the waters. But the fear is very real among those venturing out for fishing or water sports. Among the big attractions here, cage diving, which some believe may be contributing to the increased attacks, although there's no conclusive proof.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is put on bigger sharks.

MABUSE: Non-profit organization OCEARCH has been tagging the cape's great white sharks to try to come up with answers. American documentary maker Chris Fischer is filming and funding the research. CHRIS FISCHER, OCEARCH FOUNDER: I am trying to help the thought leaders around the world, the researchers around the world, solve their great white shark puzzles.

MABUSE: The expedition is hoping to save sharks, as well as humans.

FISCHER: We're collecting all the bacteria off their teeth and tongues so the scientists can develop an antibiotic for secondary infection of shark attack victims.

MABUSE: Crucial findings could be known before the end of the year. By then, Mostert may be ready to go back into the water again.

MOSTERT: For me to stay out of the ocean is going to be difficult. But I do think if I go back to surfing, it's going to take some time for me to actually deal with the whole situation and getting through that.

MABUSE: A situation that has once again highlighted an ongoing battle pitting man against nature.

Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Just this week, a shark killed a surfer off the French island of La Reunion, east of South Africa. The 22-year-old man died after the shark bit off his leg. It's the sixth shark attack in this area in just the past year.

All right, there's a name trending in India right now. We'll show you who this person is and why tweeters in India are all abuzz.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Let's take a look at what's trending globally right now.

In India, the name Prenab is trending. Why? Prenab Mukherjee is the name of India's new leader. He was sworn in today as the country's 13th president in an elaborate ceremony. The event took place at the historic hall of parliament in New Delhi. He arrived in a horse-drawn carriage waving to the crowds of people there. And in his speech to the country, the new president vowed to preserve, protect the defend the constitution.

China's capital city is still mopping up four days after the heaviest rainfall in 60 years. The downpour overwhelmed Beijing's drainage system, submerging cars and houses. Thirty-seven people died in the city and more than 100 across the country. Now people trying to recover say much of the destruction could have been avoided. Eunice Yoon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Emotions are running high here in Fanshan (ph), a district in southwestern Beijing. This is the worst hit part of the city. It saw 18 inches of rain. And 800,000 people in this district alone were affected by the floodwaters. The economic damage is already racking up. It's reached $1 billion again just for this area.

The villagers have told us that they have lost everything. They said that they've been very upset because there was no warning from the government. They said that the waters rushed in, rose about a meter and destroyed everything in its path. They said they lost clothes, electronics, furniture.

The government officials had been coming in here during our visit. Government officials did hand out some relief, like water, as well as blankets. But the people here say that the authorities really should be doing more. They say that this isn't only a natural disaster, but also was caused by a manmade problem. They said that another cause is the poorly made infrastructure.

Now the cleanup effort is already well underway, but it's going the take a lot more for the government to rebuild its credibility with the people here.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Beijing.

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WHITFIELD: In Hong Kong, an amazing moment. This kid, right there, doing a limbo on roller skates, just inches, as you see, off of the ground. We'll tell you why he's doing this stunt.

WHITFIELD: All right, several stories caught our attention today and photos as well. Take a look.

Olympians are going for gold in London. But before the games start, these German swimmers steal a kiss poolside during a training session at the Olympic Park. If they win, they could become Germany's golden couple.

And this 11-year-old is already in the Guinness Book of World Records for limbo skating. His name is Rohan Ajit Kokane. Here he is encouraging the elderly in Hong Kong to actually exercise.