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Anti-U.S. Protests In Pakistan Turn Violent; Libyan Government Confident In Bringing U.S. Embassy Attackers To Justice; iPhone 5 Released In U.S. To Same Fervor As Always; Tiger Woods Joint Leader With England's Justin Rose for FedEx Cup

Aired September 21, 2012 - 8:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet. And we begin in Pakistan where protests over an anti-Islam film have turned deadly. The very latest straight ahead.

Also ahead, clearly organized and planned in advance: the words of Libya's prime minister to CNN on last week's attack on a U.S. consulate.

And later in the show, the wait is over, so what is the verdict? Can Apple's new iPhone live up to its own hype?

Now all eyes are on the Middle East on this Friday, the day of prayer in the Muslim world. It's also a day of protest even as Muslim leaders urged calm and some western embassies remained closed for security.

Now in parts of Pakistan, demonstrations have turned violent. At least one person has been killed in protest in Peshawar, 25 other people have been injured. A fire official says rioters set fire to do movie theaters in the northwestern city. And Pakistan's interior minister says that the army is on alert and will be called in to help police if things get worse.

And fueling the fury in Pakistan's streets, continuing anger over an amateur film on the internet that denigrated Islam's Prophet Mohammed and cartoons of the prophet that appeared in a French magazine this week.

Now Reza Sayah is following develops for us in Islamabad. He joins us now live. And Reza, violent protests across Pakistan today, what have you seen?

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, by any measure, it's been an ugly day for Pakistan, Kristie. We certainly expected to see demonstrations today. We didn't expect them to start early in the morning, but that's exactly what we saw. And frankly, we're having a very difficult time keeping track of all the demonstrations in cities like Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Karachi, dozens of people reportedly injured, a hospital official telling us the driver of a news van shot and killed in Peshawar.

And the day is not over yet. It's 5:00 pm local time. More demonstrations are expected throughout the rest of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH: In Pakistan, deepening concern for an explosive day of protests. For the second Friday in a row, hardline religious groups have called for anti-western demonstrations on a day declare by Islamabad as a national day of love for Islam's Prophet Mohammed. By 9:00 am local time, small groups of protesters hit already torched toll booths, looted stores, and clashed with police in several cities.

Friday's demonstrations come a day after hundreds of protesters, many young men in their teens and 20s, try to storm the capital's diplomatic enclave, a secured compound that houses foreign embassies.

In Karachi, Pakistan, several teachers lead roughly 100 elementary school children on an anti-American demonstration. The teachers chanted slogans against the west. The students chanted back.

The demonstrations have been small, but growing in number and intensity. Both Islamabad and Washington taking extra steps to ease the rising anger. On Friday, morning, cellphone service in parts of Pakistan was cutoff, an apparent effort to hamper the rallies.

On Pakistan's radio and television airwaves, in ads paid for by Washington, featured President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for calm.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence.

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States government had absolutely nothing to do with this video. We absolutely reject its content and message. America's commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation.

SAYAH: Elsewhere, in Iran a senior cleric reportedly upped the bounty for the killing of author Salman Rushdie whose book the Satanic Verses sparked global protests more than two decades ago after the late Imam Khomeini declared it an insult to Islam.

SALMAN RUSHDIE, AUTHOR: Yes, there's this stupid film, you know. And the correct response to a stupid film on YouTube is to say it's a stupid film on YouTube and you get on with the rest of your life. So to take that and to deliberately use it to inflame your troops, you know, is a political act. That's not about religious, that's about power.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH: When asked why the Pakistani government decided to declare this Friday a national holiday, in many ways this is inviting people to come out in protest, the foreign minister here in Pakistan told CNN that the government had to address public sentiment, Kristie. I think this is a decision that many will criticize in the days to come.

LU STOUT: And Reza, where you able to see or understand the situation outside the U.S. embassy in Islamabad? What is the security like there?

SAYAH: The U.S. embassy and other foreign ministries are safe. They are positioned inside a highly secured enclave. This is a compound that's surrounded by high walls and security check posts. There are demonstrations several blocks away from there. They're still going on. We just got back from the Islamabad streets back into the bureau. There's pockets of violence. But for the most part police have things under control, but they took a lot of damage today throughout the country, a lot of police vehicles, a lot of police buildings vandalized, damaged, even set on fire, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Reza Sayah joining us live from Islamabad, thank you.

Now while some protests in Pakistan today have been violent, others were more peaceful.

Now take a look at this demonstration, it took place in Lahore where hundreds turned out to march apparently without incident. And also hundreds of Hezbollah supporters have also taken to the streets in the Lebanese city of Balbek. You're looking at live pictures of that protest underway. And some are waving Hezbollah flags, others have held up signs saying loyalty in victory of the Prophet Mohammed.

Now the spokeswoman for the Israel defense forces says troops have, quote, neutralized three terrorists near the Egyptian border. Now Avitale Livovic says Israeli soldiers thwarted a big terror attack, but few details have been provided.

Now the three alleged terrorists crossed from Sinai into Israel. They are described as well armed and wearing explosive belts. Now it is unclear if any Israeli troops were injured. And we will continue monitor this story and bring you any new developments.

Now the White House is calling the September 11 assault on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya a terrorist attack. A memorial service was held in Tripoli on Thursday for U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans killed in that attack. Now both U.S. and Libyan officials attended the ceremony and vowed to seek justice.

And a source tells CNN that in the months before he died, Ambassador Stevens had mentioned that he was on an al Qaeda hit list, but U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there is no information to suggest that.

Now since the attack, the U.S. has moved two naval warships to the Libyan coast and drone activity has increased.

Now earlier, CNN senior international correspondent Arwa Damon sat down with Libyan prime minister Mustafa Abushagur. And she asked him whether there has been any discussion about a possible U.S. military strike and his government's position on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUSTAFA ABUSHAGUR, LIBYAN PRIME MINISTER: We are against any (inaudible) by any foreign country in Libya, because this is - will cross our sovereignty. And we are prepared to really to handle the situation and I think the administration they know very well what they can do and our effort. And they are very grateful, I think, for what we have done so far. And so I think we might need help in the investigation itself, but clearly for having a strike in Libya, that will really throw this country in chaos if that ever happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now prime minister Abushagur says that he believes the attack on the U.S. consulate was planned before violent anti-American demonstrations broke out there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABUSHAGUR: So far we have detained about eight people who has been part of the attack on that night. And we have identified some of the leaders. Right now we are pursuing.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And these individuals, which group are they affiliated with?

ABUSHAGUR: The ones which we are looking for are within the (inaudible). Most of the mare from splinter group, or they were part of (inaudible) in one point in time, but really they are far extremist of their own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now Arwa Damon is following the latest developments. She joins us now live from Benghazi. And Arwa, you were trying to draw more information during that interview with the Libyan PM, the prime minister there, what else did he tell you?

DAMON: Well, he was also saying as he was mentioning there that no one group is responsible for this, rather this is something of a loose coalition of individuals who have an extremist mindset, but who each have affiliations to different entities. He says that they're estimated the group that attacked the consulate itself to be numbering around 30 to 50, saying that they will be going after these individuals, they will be going after the leadership as well.

And in the long-term, of course, the concern and the challenge for the government is trying to convince some of these extremist entities to lay down their weapons, to come into the mainstream fold. He also was very careful to highlight just how important bringing those who carried out this attack to justice was not just for the Libyan government and for its own standing, its own credibility amongst this population, but also its credibility and its standing within the international community.

When it comes to requesting U.S. assistance, he said that they most certainly would be, but only when it comes to things like logistics, technical capabilities and further down the line some training and equipping capacities as well, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now Arwa, a peace march against last week's attack on the U.S. consulate is being planned later today there in Benghazi. Again, this is now an anti-U.S. march, this is a peace march. Arwa, what have you heard about this event?

DAMON: This march is being called Save Benghazi. And those who are organizing it really trying to rally and saying that they're expecting tens of thousands to attend, are saying that this is a march to honor the U.S. ambassador and the others who were killed in the attack, also to condemn what took place.

But at the same time, they're calling for the disarmament of militias, they're calling for a credible police and army to be established, and they are also calling for freedom of speech and for religious moderation.

That being said, there is another demonstration being organized as well by Ungsara Sharia . If you'll remember you just heard the prime minister referring it there that members, individuals within Ungsara Sharia are behind this attack, or at least some of them are behind this attack.

The group in and of itself has been saying since the onset that it as an organization is not involved, but it is organizing a second demonstration, both of them expected to end up at the very same location, causing some concern here that perhaps this was a provactive move by Ungsara Sharia that there could potentially be some sort of clashes.

So people are very concerned about that at this point, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now you were able to get some more information about the investigation into last week's attack there in Benghazi, a number of arrests, eight people have been arrested, but how closely is the Libyan prime minister and Libyan authorities are working with the Americans there inside Libya to bring these attackers to justice?

DAMON: We do know that there is close cooperation when it comes to the sharing of information vis-a-vis what could have taken place. We do know that a team from the U.S. has been on the ground trying to look into this. We did hear earlier, though, that a team from the FBI would not be traveling to Benghazi. This was a few days ago deeming the situation here too dangerous at that point in time.

The Libyan authorities are determined, as they have been saying, to bring these individuals to justice. They do want to see them sit trial here in Benghazi. That of course is a process that is going to be fraught with complications given just how chaotic to say the least the current judicial system here is at this point in time.

But in the long-term, the government is also saying that it does realize that it has to tackle the issue of these extremist militias, because its attack on the U.S. consulate was not an isolated incident. There have been numerous attacks against western interests in Benghazi over the last few months, the U.S. as well had been monitoring activities at various militant camps to the east as well.

The government saying, though, it initially wants to try to pursue a political tract to try to politically convince these various entities to move into the mainstream fold before putting any sort of military option on the table, because as the prime minister was saying that would potentially lead to a bloodbath. And that most certainly is not what this nation can afford at this point, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Arwa Damon, reporting live from Benghazi, Libya. Thank you, Arwa.

Now you're watching News Stream. And coming up next, the last U.S. surge troops have left Afghanistan, but are Afghan forces ready to fill the gap?

And making a difference, CNN Heroes. We'll take a look at some extraordinary people who are changing the world.

And it's the day that iPhone fans have been waiting for and lining up for in cities around the world. These are live pictures from New York. And we'll take you live to Apple's flagship store next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, consumers around the world are finally getting their hands on this: Apple's iPhone 5. Now stores in the U.S. just started selling the phone after launches in Australia, Japan, the UK, Hong Kong, and a few other countries.

Now many lined up for hours to get their hands on the new phone which has a bigger screen, but is lighter. And if you're thinking that this reception may be a little excessive for what is basically just a phone launch, it is worth noting that Apple's iPhone business alone makes more money than Microsoft. And yes I mean the whole company.

But it's not all good news for Apple. On Wednesday, they released a software upgrade for the iPhone that replaces Google Maps with Apple's own maps. And the reviews have been pretty brutal.

Now just take a look at this, this map of Dublin, it shows what is apparently an airfield, but lets look at the exact same spot using a satellite image and what the map says is an airfield is as you can see it's just a field. Now this is one of many examples of people are sharing online.

Now Friday, it marks the release of the new iPhone around the world, so let's go to Maggie Lake who is outside the flagship Apple store in New York. And Maggie, the wait is over, describe the scene there in New York.

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, it's hard to imagine that on the fifth release of this phone, really six if you count the last one, which wasn't a full upgrade. It's still a frenzy, it's still a party atmosphere. And I can't think of another brand you'd say that about.

They opened the doors a short time ago. People are making their way in. You've got - there are spectators watching the whole thing. And you also now have people who are first in are coming out with their phones and people are crowding around them to try to get a peak at it.

As you mentioned, a little bit of disappointment about that one app, but that is not deterring the people here. And in fact the phone overall has gotten pretty good reviews from the tech community, sold out in pre- orders, which means that a lot of the folks that would not normally turn out to this event are actually not having to come. They weren't able to buy it online, they actually have to come physically in person to try to get one from the store.

They're here as well as the rest of the Apple universe, so people who are making apps. Small business people are trying to pitch their ideas. And other just guerrilla marketers who know there are going to be a lot of people here and a lot of cameras who are hitching their wagon to this event.

So having covered them all, I have to say, I'm always surprised at the turnout. There were several hundred people here, the diehards who have been here for a few days. But by the time the store opened, once again, the line wrapped around the block, Kristie.

LU STOUT: It's funny to hear the marketers who are out there exploiting the press coverage of the lines. Beware of them, Maggie.

Now you mentioned the reviews. And there are a number of some positive reviews, but also a number of influential tech writers that were not impressed with the specs of the new iPhone. But as we can see from the scene behind you, it doesn't seem to affect consumer interest in the phone at all. So why is that? Why is this phone so popular?

LAKE: You know, Kristie, a lot of it - I think we've talked about this before - has to do with the ecosystem, right? They love their iPod. They have a Mac at home. That halo effect means people love the original Apple products, the consumer products. And they've actually sort of expanded into that universe. And it syncs so nicely with all of that. So people love that.

Also remember there is more competition out there from the Android phones, specifically from Samsung, but a lot of people are operating - they're not just doing this incremental from the 4S, they're actually some of them walking around with a 3, or the first 4 and they're ready to make that leap. And compared to that phone in their hand, this one is much better.

And you're right, every time the tech reviewers come out, expectations of Apple are so high. But in terms of what the consumers want, they seem very happy with it. And here, especially in the U.S., Kristie, the ability to jump on to that 4G faster network, which is not global yet, but the ability to do that especially in crowded urban areas makes for a much different experience when you're using their smart phones. So Apple consumers have been waiting for that. So that's a big draw for this phone as well.

LU STOUT: That's right. Finally 4G for the iPhone. Maggie Lake joining us live from New York, take care.

Now you're watching News Stream. And they are everyday people changing the world. Ahead, meet the finalists of this year's CNN Heroes and find out how you can cast your vote for the hero of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

And we want to tell you now about everyday people who are doing incredible things to fix some of the world's most serious problems. Now from Nepal to Colombia, South Africa to Afghanistan, our CNN Heroes are helping people rebuild their lives and recover from post-traumatic stress, drug addiction and rape. Anderson Cooper shows us this year's finalists.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: I'm Anderson Cooper. All year we've been introducing you to some truly remarkable people. We call them CNN Heroes, everyday people changing the world.

Well, now it's time to announce the top 10 CNN Heroes for 2012. Each year we receive thousands of nominations from you, our global audience, now we're here to announce the 10 individuals who have been selected to receive $50,000 and a shot at the time honor: 2012 CNN Hero of the Year. That person will get an additional $250,000 to continue their work.

And you can help decide who that deserving person will be by voting now online at CNNHeroes.com and on your mobile device.

So with that, let's get to the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012 in random order.

From Boca Raton, Florida Connie Siskowski. He's bringing a hidden population of kids who care for ill or aging loved ones out of the shadows, helping them stay in school and hold on to childhood.

From Katmandu, Nepal Pushpa Basnet. Still in her 20s, she's dedicated her life to saving children forced to live behind bars with their incarcerated parents.

From Kliptown, South Africa, Thulani Madondo. Tired of waiting for post-apartheid equality to reach the slums, he's organized his community to educate hundreds of their own.

From Gilroy, California Mary Cortani. Enlisting the help of man's best friend, she gives fellow veterans a way to move beyond PTSD and into life again.

From Port au Prince, Haiti Malya Villard-Appolon. She's a single mother who has turned personal trauma into a fight for justice for thousands of rape survivors in her homeland.

From Boulder, Colorado Scott Strode. In fighting his drug addiction he found support through sports. Now he's built a sober community that's helping hundreds of former addicts stay clean and fit.

From Toledo, Ohio Wanda Butts. The drowning of her teenage son sparked her lifesaving program, bringing water safety and swimming lessons to those most vulnerable: black and Latino children.

From Bogota, Colombia Catalina Escobar where nearly one in five teenage girls already has a child, she gives young monthers support to ensure healthy deliveries and solid futures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I promise not to drink until I am 21.

ANDERSON: From Butte, Montana Leo McCarthy. After his young daughter was killed by a drunk driver, he challened his loss into a mission to end the pervasive culture of underaged drinking.

And from Kabul, Afghanistan Razia Jan. Where terrorists stop at nothing to keep girls from receiving an education, she fearlessly opens her school and hundreds of young minds each and every day.

Join me in congratulating the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012, a truly extraordinary group of people. Now you can help choose with one will be the CNN Hero of the Year. Go to CNN CNNheroes.com online or on your mobile device to learn more about each of our heroes and to vote up to 10 times a day every day for the one who inspires you the most. And don't forget to tune in to our live event, CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute when we honor all of these remarkable people in a CNN tradition that promises to inspire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: An incredible line-up of heroes. You are watching News Stream. And still ahead the surge is over. 30,000 additional U.S. troops who were sent to Afghanistan are now gone. What does this mean for the country's future?

And they left their homes in hope of a better life, instead they became trapped in a web of torture and slavery. Up next, a brutal account of the plight of African refugees crossing the Sinai.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now protests against an amateur anti-Islam film on the internet have turned violent in Pakistan. Now these are live pictures from Islamabad. You can see there's smoke in the air, perhaps from tear gas was fired earlier. Officials there in Pakistan, they say at least one person has been killed in demonstrations taking place in Peshawar.

Now four police officers are among dozens of people hurt when rioters set fire to two movie theaters. Again, that's taking place in Peshawar. And some demonstrations in other parts of the country were said to be more peaceful.

Live pictures there. We just heard the firing of something taking place there. The scene there in Islamabad. The Pakistani city, the capital, as the anti-U.S. made film protests continue underway.

Now let's bring up more pictures of an anti-government protest taking place in Syria's capital. Our CNN correspondent in Damascus says that the day started unusually calm, but with a few heavy explosions. Now President Bashar al Assad tells an Egyptian magazine that the rebels will fail, but he says that he is open to dialogue with the opposition.

One activist group says that 250 people were killed on Thursday.

And Israel says it has stopped a big terrorist attack. The spokeswoman for the Israel defense forces says troops have been, quote, neutralized - or rather they've neutralized three terrorists near the Egyptian border. Now the three alleged terrorists were stopped after crossing from Sinai into Israel. And they're described as well armed. It is unclear if any Israeli troops were injured.

And the iPhone 5, it goes on sale today and around the world. Diehard fans lined up through the night to be among the first to get their hands on one. Now the newest version of Apple's smart phone has a bigger screen, a lighter frame, a faster processor, and for the very first time 4G LTE wireless connection. Now Apple took 2 million pre-orders on the phone in the first 24 hours that they became available.

Now the U.S. plan to pull out of Afghanistan is going according to schedule. Now a senior U.S. defense official says that the last of the so- called surge troops have left the country. And that leaves about 68,000 American forces in Afghanistan.

Now all international forces are due to withdraw by the end of 2014. But recent violence has raised questions about the readiness of Afghan forces. Now Anna Coren joins us now live from CNN Kabul with more. And Anna, the last of America's surge troops have left the country. Are Afghan forces ready to fill the security gap?

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the big question here, Kristie. You know it was always part of the plan when President Barack Obama made that commitment in December of 2009 to send an extra 30,000 surge troops as they were known to help with the stability of the country, to ensure that the training of Afghan armed forces could be done and hopefully successfully he always said that come September 2012 they would be pulled out. So that is what we have seen.

Are they ready? The Afghan armed forces, are they ready? Well, it depends on who you speak to. Certainly ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force will tell you that they're on the way. They're not there quite yet. But by 2014 when obviously foreign combat troops leave, they will be ready. Others say it doesn't matter whether it's in two years time, in four years time, in 10 years time, the Afghan armed forces will never be ready to look after the security of their country. We just need to look at what happened last Friday night down at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province when 15 insurgents were able to infiltrate the perimeter of one of the most heavily fortified compounds here, 20,000 coalition troops there. They killed two U.S. marines, caused a great deal of damage, about $200 million worth of damage. And if that what happens when the coalition troops are in charge, I guess the question is what's going to happen when it's the Afghan armed forces when they are on their own - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now Leon Panetta, he says that the surge has succeeded. It has driven back the Taliban on the battlefield, but on the streets in Afghanistan, Anna, how have the Afghan people rebuilt their culture after the fall of the Taliban?

COREN: Yeah, well certainly I think here in Kabul we're in a bit of a bubble. You know, this is meant to be the ring of steel where security is definitely very high, although earlier in the week we did see that suicide bombing where that woman was able to ram a car full of explosives into a minivan and killed 12 people including eight South Africans. But certainly the Afghans here, because they have been provided a certain level of security, have been able to get on with their lives, they have been able to create an economy and they've also been able to bring back culture to this society.

Well, we went to the Afghan institute of music here in Kabul and this is what we found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: The sound of a budding pianist who two-and-a-half years ago was living a very different life.

(MUSIC)

"I was working on the street selling plastic bags and chewing gum. Now I go to school and study music."

16 year old Wahidula Amiri had never touched a piano until he met Ahmad Samarst, the man responsible for creating the Afghanistan National Institute of Music who believes through music the wounds of war can be healed.

AHMAD SAMARST, AFGHANISTAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUSIC: That region was based on a very strong belief in the power of music.

COREN: With 141 students of which 41 are girls, the institute not only teaches music, but gives these kids an education thanks to international funding led by the World Bank. And as part of the school's policy, 50 percent of placements go to orphans and disadvantaged students like Neegan Kapowa .

"Music is very important to me, because it's my future," she explains. "I want to teach other students, especially young girls."

10 year old Sepna Rihamati and her friend Aziza both live at an orphanage. They're playing a traditional Aghan song on one of the only pianos to survive the Taliban's brutal five year rule.

Most instruments were destroyed and used for fire wood. If they were too big, like a piano, the Taliban would blow it up with a grenade.

"The Taliban is bad," says Sepna , "every child, every human being should have the right to study music. Nobody should interfere with their lives."

It's hard to imagine music not being a part of Afghanistan's rich and vibrant culture, but in 1996 when the Taliban took over power they banned all musical activity. So if you were caught with an instrument or anyone playing with one you risked be punished by getting your hand cut off.

The institute has just found out it's youth orchestra will be performing in the United States eary next year to sell out concerts in Washington's Kennedy Center and New York Carnegie Hall.

WILLIAM HARVEY, AFGHANISTAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUSIC CONDUCTOR: When people of the world see that there are Afghan girl and boys performing side by side, that means to a certain extent that we won and that really Afghanistan has won.

COREN: As this country fast approaches an uncertain future with international forces leaving in 2014 it's these children that will remain a beacon of hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: It certainly is one of the good news stories to come out of Afghanistan. They are few and far between as we know Kristie.

You mentioned U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta a little bit earlier. And yes the Taliban has certainly been pushed out of populated areas, but the level of violence here has certainly increased. And this is the big problem, this is a huge problem for U.S. and NATO forces who are obviously withdrawing from Afghanistan. They'll be leaving here in 2014, because the Taliban is resilient. They are still coming back. They are still fighting. And they are still killing coalition troops - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Anna Coren reporting live in Kabul for us. Thank you.

Now let's update you on a breaking news story. Let's once again return to Islamabad and bring you the live pictures of the Pakistani capital. Fury on the streets of the Pakistani capital there.

Now the government has called a national holiday to allow these protesters and thousands of others to take to the streets. And they are protesting an amateur anti-Islam film that appeared on the internet. These are live pictures from Islamabad. As you can see, the smoke in the air perhaps from tear gas fired earlier. We just heard the sound of something being fired, perhaps tear gas that still - we don't know, but you could see sort of the aftermath of violent protests taking place earlier today, but still the protesters are milling about on the streets there in Islamabad.

And while we look at these pictures, just an update of what's happening elsewhere in the country, we know that the protests have been deadly in Peshawar - there we're hearing more firing there in Islamabad, but these protests have been very violent to the extent of killing at least one person of Peshawar. Also, we know that four police officers were among dozens of people hurt when rioters set fire to two movie theaters.

Again, so these are protests taking place across the country in Islamabad as you're seeing on your screen right here and live pictures there from the Pakistani capital in Peshawar, Karachi and elsewhere.

And as we continue to look at the scene here in Islamabad just a note, protests elsewhere in the country in addition to being deadly in Peshawar have also been peaceful.

We'll continue to keep an eye on the situation there for you.

Now you're watching News Stream, and coming up next, African refugees they make this dangerous journey across the Sinai, but the biggest danger they face is smugglers and gangs. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now a new tropical storm is brewing in the Philippines. Let's get the very latest now with Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center - Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Kristie, it had been quiet for so long. But now here we are again looking at another tropical cyclone in that same area where they all seem to have formed this year just offshore the Philippines near the Philippine Sea.

Now this is Tropical Storm Jelawat. And it has intensified in the last few hours. Winds now up to 80 kilometers per hour. You can see the Philippines are far away, but you're getting a little bit of the kind of outer bands of the storm, so to speak, a lot of - a little bit of the convection from it.

And the other thing to remember on the back side of this, you still could get some moisture coming in off the South China Sea, so that's still a concern.

This is the forecast. And as you can see it looks like, at least for the next two to three days, the storm should remain offshore, but it does get a little bit healthier, a little bit more organized, and then you can also see some of those rain bands coming in here off from the other side, because of that flow.

Expect high seas across these areas. And there's still the off chance some of those outer bands like I said could be affecting you over the weekend. So watch out for that, some locally heavy rain as those move on through.

This is another perspective, the tropical storm force winds in yellow, the typhoon winds in the red. As you can see, we're expecting these to remain offshore of the Philippines, but this could change. Any little wobble or this speeds up a little bit more toward the west here, it could reach some of those tropical storm force winds over these ares. So watch out for that between now and Sunday.

Looking a lot better weather wise for Afghanistan and Pakistan after all of that heavy rain that we had in the last week or so. But there are still areas that are flooded. Notice the monsoon continuing to retreat. Most of the rain now back over here as we head into this eastern half of India, Bangladesh, back over toward Myanmar. Still some heavy rain, though, as we head into Southeast Asia. That hasn't changed much, unfortunately, for you guys across Thailand. A lot of flooded areas here in the north. That runoff continuing to make it to the south. We'll see the heaviest downpours, though, across this southeastern tip of Southeast Asia, that's going to continue like that over the next 24 to 48 hours.

And then finally across east Asia, here we're looking at a weekend that is going to see the return of some rain showers for you. I know you probably don't want to hear that. That's going to happen here across East Asia. Notice all that moisture still coming back here across western Japan.

So the quiet weather that you've had is going to begin changing just a little bit as the trail end - the tail end, I should say, of this weather system starts to move in here across the west.

Still dry, though, as we head through the Korean peninsula back over toward Beijing. But, yes, we'll need the umbrella probably this weekend. Not a good pool day as we head into eastern - or southeastern China.

Kristie, one really cool thing, you know, this weekend we're headed into a change of seasons already with the beginning of autumn here for us in the northern hemisphere or spring in the southern hemisphere. And I know - I know you're competitive, I'm competitive too, and everybody likes a challenge right? Well, this is for all of our viewers, not necessarily for me and you, Kristie, but iReport challenge. Get ready.

You know, this is CNN, so wherever you are in the world take your mobile phone outside this weekend and snap a horizontal picture of your surroundings. Now we don't want you to use your filters. Upload it to iReport.com or post it on Twitter or Instagram. Use the hashtag #hellofall, or #hellospring, depending on where you are and post it. And it maybe pictured and showcased right here online or on TV as part of CNN's look at our mobile society. Go to CNN.com if you want more info. But it sounds like fun. I'm going to be taking some pictures maybe with my new iPhone. No, I don't have one yet, but anyway.

Back to you.

LU STOUT: But as you said no filter, a nice clean photo that's all we're asking for.

RAMOS: Horizontal.

LU STOUT: Mari Ramos there. That's right. Thank you. Take care, have a good weekend.

Now all week we have been following these harrowing stories of torture in the Sinai region. And for many African refugees trying to get to Israel and to get to a better life, the passage to the Sinai is fraught with danger and unimaginable suffering at the hands of Bedouin gangs.

Now Fred Pleitgen shows us their plight in the new CNN documentary "A Stand in the Sinai."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's impossible to know how many would-be refugees have perished in the Sinai in their quest for a better life. One aid group believes more than 4,000 Eritreans alone have died. For every refugee that finally crosses through the fortified border into Israel, many others don't.

This man had a lucky escape from the traffickers, scrambling over a wall at the camp where he was held. He asked us to hide his identity even though he's now safe in Cairo and registered as a refugee with the UN. He says Bedouin smugglers threatened to steal his organs if he didn't come up with the money they demanded for his release.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Because I am an orphan and they could not ask anyone for ransom a dealer threatened me to sell one or two of my kidneys for $50,000 each.

PLEITGEN: The Bedouin gangs run a worldwide extortion racket while the kingpins operate in Sinai, they have associates in many countries who serve as middlemen and funnel ransom money to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Scenes there from Fred Pleitgen's new documentary "A Stand in the Sinai." And Fred joins us now live from Berlin. And Fred, the focus of your followup documentary is about the tribal leaders. What are they doing to stop the trafficking of African refugees there in the Sinai?

PLEITGEN: Yeah, you're certainly right, Kristie, what we're taking a look at is of course last year we uncovered the fact that these African refugees were being tortured at the hands of Bedouin gangs in Sinai. And so we went back a year later to see what was going on. And you're absolutely right, we found several tribal leaders in Sinai from different tribes who were banding together to form an alliance against human trafficking. And they say they've already made a lot of headway. They pressure the human traffickers into stopping it sometimes through violence, sometimes also through other means. And they say that they've already decreased the number of trafficking kingpins from about 150 to about 25. So that's a huge decrease that we've seen there in Sinai.

And the other thing that they've done is they've actually set up a safe house for African refugees who escape these torture compounds in Sinai. They take them in, they give them food, they give them shelter. And in the end, they give them to the UNHCR in Cairo so that they can get proper refugee status in Egypt - Kristie.

LU STOUT: An incredible achievement there.

Now you're latest documentary, it still, though, covers the stories of abuse, including one - and we did air it earlier this week on News Stream. It's a horrifying story about what happened to Baby Ceclia. Now this was a baby born in the torture camps and the baby was tortured herself. Could you tell us more about Baby Cecilia. Where is she and what is she doing now. How is she doing?

PLEITGEN: Well, you're absolutely right. And this is a phenomenon that has been going on for years in these torture camps is that obviously the women who go through there are subject to rape in many cases. They have no one who will stand up for them. And in some cases they're held in these compounds so long that babies are actually born inside the compound.

And just on a side note here, we've heard reported cases where women have been raped, they've become pregnant, they've given birth in the compound and the traffickers have then demanded double the ransom money because they say they now have two people in their custody.

But Baby Cecilia, as you said, was five months old when she came out of a torture compound. And what had happened to her is that the Bedouin who had fathered her had gotten so angry at her mother that he burned the baby's head all the way down to the skull.

Now what happened later is that she was brought to the El Arish hospital in northern Sinai. Their treatment was very difficult for her. She was then brought to a hospital in Cairo where she was then recovering. And she was later returned to Eritrea and that's where we have sort of lost her trace.

So we don't know how she's doing right now. We do know that she has received professional treatment thanks to an aid group that operates in northern Sinai, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Well, Fred, thank you for sharing her story and many others who are global audience. Excellent reporting there. Fred Pleitgen joining us live from Berlin.

And do join us for the premiere of Fred's documentary. Again, it's called A Stand in the Sinai. It debuts just a few hours from now at 11:30 Friday night here in Hong Kong. That's 7:30 in Abu Dhabi.

Now you're watching News Stream. We'll be back right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now Tiger Woods is joint top of the leaderboard after the opening day of golf's FedEx Cup finale, the tour championship. Let's join Alex Thomas in London for more - Alex.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, hi Kristie. The question of whether or not Rory McIlroy intimidates Tiger Woods was laughed off by both golfers before they played their opening rounds at the tour championship together. And it looks as if they're right. McIlroy's joint 12th after a one under par score of 69, a decent start. And Tiger went three strokes better with an opening round of 66. This birdie one of six as he joined England's Justin Rose at the top of the leaderboard.

He was also recovered from a dropped shot at the 14th to pick up two successive birdies, including here at the 16th.

Woods and Rose then a stroke clear of the field. And this is how the final FedEx Cup standing will look if the golfers finished the tournament in their current positions. Tiger would snap up to $10 million bonus prize on offer ahead of McIlroy, Rose, Nick Watney, and Phil Mickilson.

Still three rounds to go, of course, and our own Patrick Snell will be watching.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: If Tiger Woods is indeed intimidated by Rory McIlroy as Greg Norman claims, then it certainly didn't show. America's former world number one shot a 33 on the front side and then a 33 on the back nine to leave him a 66 for the first round, three shots clear of his playing partner from Northern Ireland.

TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: I enjoy playing, you know, with Rory. He's a great kid. And, you know, there's - there's - I guess over the years there are certain pairing that for me that I've enjoyed. And you know Rory is one of them.

SNELL: Last year Bill Haas entered this tournament 25th in the FedEx standings. At 3 under par, Scott Piercy finds himself just one shot back, but needing a whole bunch of permutations and scenarios to go his way before he can claim the $10 million jackpot. And Piercy who is 30th in the point standings right now just doesn't see things working out in his favor.

SCOTT PIERCY, GOLFER: My changes are slim to none. I think slim is about to leave the building. So it's - even if I win, you know, that's why I'm trying to take the positive. If I win, I finish second. You know, that's still like $1.5 for first place and you know another $3 million for the FedEx, so I'll take $4.5 million. That would be sweet.

SNELL: Woods is tied for the lead right now at 4 under par alongside England's Justin Rose, a big step to what he hopes to become a third FedEx Cup title and the $10 million jackpot that goes with it.

Patrick Snell, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS: And Patrick will be live in World Sport in just over three hours time, Kristie. When we'll also bring you some of the latest football and Formula 1 news. Back to you in Hong Kong.

LU STOUT: All right. Good to hear. Alex Thomas there, thank you.

Now the 2012 Ig Nobel Prizes have been handed out. And they are the awards that honor absurd accomplishments in science, medicine and technology. And the purpose is written right here on the website, "it is research that makes people laugh and then think."

So who won this year? Well, the psychology prize, it went to a team that studied why leaning to the left makes the Eiffel tower seem smaller. And then U.S. government's General Accountability Office won the literature prize for, and this a quote, "issuing a report about reports about reports that recommends the preparation of a report about the report about reports about reports."

And the physics prize, it went to scientists who calculated how and why pony tails bounce.

And anyone who has walked while holding a hot cup of coffee can appreciate the winners of the fluid dynamics prize, they studied why the drink, it seems to slosh so much as its carried.

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

END