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North Korea Threatens Action Against U.S. Military In Pacific; U.S. Packs Up In Preparation For Withdrawal From Afghanistan; Italian Court To Retry Amanda Knox; U.S. Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage; Yahoo! Buys Summly; Leading Women: Oprah Winfrey
Aired March 26, 2013 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULINE CHIOU, HOST: Hello, I'm Pauline Chiou in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.
Pyongyang threatens to target U.S. bases shortly after Washington and Seoul sign a new defense pact. We'll examine the latest escalation on the Korean peninsula.
Plus, a day of reckoning for supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage in the United States. We check in on a case that could have a profound impact on the definition of family in America.
And meet a teenage multimillionaire. Nick D'Aloisio developed an app called Summly. Now Yahoo! is paying a large sum to acquire it.
On a somber anniversary for South Korea, North Korea is once again stepping up the threatening rhetoric while the United States lowers the threshold for its military involvement. The North's military says it plans to put units on combat ready status to prepare for possible strikes on U.S. bases in Guam, Hawaii and the American mainland as well as potential targets in South Korea.
The latest warning comes as South Korea marks the third anniversary of the 2010 sinking of its warship the Cheonan. 46 sailors died in that incident.
In a speech, President Park Geun-hye had stern words for the north.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARK GEUN-HYE, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (through translator): North Korea should drop its nuclear weapons, missiles provocations and threats and become a responsible member of the international society. This is the only way the north can survive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHIOU: Also, three years ago, hostilities between North and South Korea flared on the tiny Yeonpyeong island group in the Yellow Sea just 12 kilometers from the North Korean coast. For about an hour in November of 2010, North Korea dropped shells on Yeonpyeong killing four people there. And South Korea turned live fire. The islands are home to just a couple of thousands of residents and a South Korean military base.
Now earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong un visited military units on the coast which faces Yeonpyeong.
Matthew Chance joins me now live from the island. And Matthew, first of all what is the level of tension like there?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm -- it's quite strikingly high, actually, particularly compared to the rest of South Korea that sees this bluster coming from the north as pretty much empty threats, that are not ever going to be carried out. You get a very different perspective when you speak to people on this island just a short distance from the very tense maritime border with North Korea.
Just three years ago, as you mentioned, they suffered a heavy artillery bombardment at the hands of northern artillery installations. Four South Koreans were killed, two of them civilians. And there's a part of the town here which is still dedicated to the people who lost their lives and the threat that North Korea still poses. They haven't rebuilt all of the houses, some of them are left in ruins as a sort of -- sort of museum if you will to the fact that this attack took place. And there's a sort of warning to the fact that something similar could take place in the future.
So it's a relatively tense place, particularly given the recent threats being made against the island by the regime in Pyongyang.
CHIOU: Matthew, the U.S. and South Korea have signed an agreement just recently where the U.S. can come to South Korea's aid in the event of certain types of provocation. In the past the way it was written it was really only in the event of an invasion. So this lowers the bar for the U.S. military to come in and act.
Now this is in essence telling North Korea to think twice before acting. Tell us a little bit more about this agreement.
CHANCE: Yeah, I mean, I think that's exactly what it is. It's not I don't think really intended to get -- to draw the United States to a war on the Korean peninsula, it's more intended to show the North Koreans that if they act against South Korea like they did in Yeongpyeong, then there's a possibility that the United States could get involved. So it's meant to serve a deterrent effect. It will be up to the South Koreans to request assistance from the United States. It's not an automatic response. But, again, hopefully that will have a deterrent effect.
At the moment it seems to have had the effect of increasing the rhetoric, increasing the threats that are coming out of Pyongyang. You had this announcement come a few hours ago that all of its combat units, particularly its long range artillery and its strategic missile forces in North Korea have been placed on a combat footing in preparedness to strike against U.S. bases on the mainland in the United States, in Hawaii, and on the Pacific island of Guam. Very strong language being used by the regime in Pyongyang. Take a listen to North Korean television and the language they used when this announcement was made a few hours ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): From this moment, the KPA supreme command will put on the highest alert. All the field artillery units, including strategic rocket units and long range artillery units which are assigned to strike bases of the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops and the U.S. mainland and on Hawaii and Guam and other operational zones in the Pacific as well as all the enemy targets in South Korea and its vicinity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: That's all just seems to be quite a lot of bluster, although of course it's not just threats we have to remember that North Korea is making. It has also carried out very serious actions as well, not least its long range rocket test, or what was believed to be a long range rocket test back in December. And of course its third nuclear detonation back in February as well.
So obviously a very serious context out of which these threats are coming -- Pauline.
CHIOU: Matthew, thank you very much. Matthew Chance there on the escalating tensions between North and South Korea. Reporting live from Yeongpyeong Island.
And that new agreement that Matthew was talking about between South Korea and the United States actually took years of negotiations. Chris Lawrence explains the far reaching implications.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE (voice-over): North Korea is suspected of torpedoing a South Korean warship in 2010, killing 46 sailors. They also shelled a border island and killed civilians. Now, because of a new agreement with South Korea, similar attacks could bring the U.S. military and nearly 30,000 Americans into the fight
RICHARD BUSH, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: It's lowering the bar in that it raises the possibility of a new kind of conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
LAWRENCE: New meaning a limited, localized fight. The U.S. has always been obligated to help South Korea in an all-out war. But this agreement formalizes a joint response to even small scale attacks. A Defense official says examples include the North sending ships into South Korean waters, flying fighter jets into restricted airspace or shelling those islands, like it did three years ago.
The official says South Korea would still conduct any initial response.
BUSH: The problem comes if North Korea then retaliates in turn and you have a spiral of escalation. There is the possibility, hypothetically, that things could get so serious, that we would become involved.
LAWRENCE: Retired General Walter Sharp commanded U.S. Forces Korea when the talks started on this new agreement.
GEN. WALTER "SKIP" SHARP (RET.), FORMER COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES KOREA: There's been, you know, a lot of work done between the Republican of Korea and the United States on provocation responses, what should we do if North Korea does another kinetic attack?
LAWRENCE: Sharp says there has been intense planning for the right response to North Korea's next provocation.
SHARP: That holds something at risk for Kim Jong Un so that he'll think twice before doing another attack.
LAWRENCE: In fact, North Korea's leader recently threatened to wipe out some South Korean military units on another one of those border island. U.S. officials say they normally don't even talk about agreements like this, but one of the reasons they are this time is to send a direct message to North Korea.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, The Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHIOU: The Taliban are claiming responsibility for a suicide attack on a police station in eastern Afghanistan. It happened earlier this morning in the city of Jalalabad. Police say at least eight attackers stormed the station, shooting at officers and setting off two different car bombs. Five police officers were killed along with five of the attackers. At least six civilians were also injured.
The attack comes as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visit Afghanistan. He met President Hamid Karzai for a second round of talks today. Most U.S. troops are scheduled to leave the country next year. And as Anna Coren shows us, they are already starting to pack up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With the end in sight for America's longest war, this is what packing up looks like in Afghanistan. Row after row of U.S. military vehicles sit in the yard at Bagram waiting to be transported back to the United States.
BRIG. GEN. STEVEN SHAPIRO, THEATER SUSTAINMENT COMMAND, U.S. ARMY: We've got tens of thousands of vehicles that need to go back to the depots in the United States, be reset and issued back to the army.
COREN: And this is where it's happening in giant warehouses in eight locations across the country. Weapons, communications and equipment systems are stripped from each vehicle, with another team going through every nook and cranny looking for stray ammunition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes you've got to think creatively.
COREN: Such as?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spots like this in the wires. Just places you wouldn't normally look.
COREN: Up to 1,500 vehicles will be retrograded each month as more and more U.S. bases close down. So far, already 400 have shut up shop.
This process will continue until the remaining 28,000 vehicles are sent back home along with 20,000 shipping containers filled with equipment, all U.S. property, an exercise that will cost $6 billion.
Brigadier General Steven Shapiro was in charge of closing down U.S. operations in Iraq and says this hand-off is part of the natural progression of war.
SHAPIRO: The general feeling is, is a good feeling. It is time to go home, but it's time to go home because most of us think the Afghans have it. So it's a very good feeling. It's about going home, but it's -- frankly it's about winning.
COREN: And while many question whether this war has actually been won, the U.S. believes its job here is done. Handing over control to the Afghans and their security force of 350,000 troops.
America's war in Afghanistan began here in Bagram back in 2001. And while U.S. and international forces are already packing up and pulling out, this base will be an enduring presence post-2014.
The general believes whatever U.S. forces are left here, some will operate out of Bagram. But the focus now is getting these vehicles out of Afghanistan. 60 percent will go by road to Karachi in neighboring Pakistan where they'll be shipped out to the United States. The remaining 40 percent will be flown to the Middle East and transported out of ports in either Dubai or Jordan.
This is America's end game. And as the vehicles leave, so too do the troops.
Anna Coren, CNN, Bagram.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHIOU: And still to come on News Stream, banks in Cyprus remain closed for now. We'll look at how people are coping.
Could Amanda Knox lose her freedom once again? Italian judges order a retrial in the death of her roommate Meredith Kercher. The question is will Amanda Knox turn up in Italy? We'll look at her options.
And we dive beneath the waves on the Great Barrier Reef. We're going green with some cutting edge technology.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHIOU: Welcome back to News Stream.
Banks in Cyprus will stay closed until at least Thursday. Most had planned to reopen today. Big savers at leading banks have been told to expect big losses on their deposits as part of a European bailout. And that is sparking fears of a run on the nation's banks.
Regulators will now have more time to prepare for that. And it's been a testing past few days for everyone involved, but Cypriots are looking forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIO DROUSSIOTIS, CYPRUS RESIDENT: The fight was to keep our country alive, not to go bankrupt. And I think we succeeded in that. And I hope that in the future we're better, but everybody lost a lot of money overnight.
IOANNIS KASOULIDES, CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER: Cannot say that we rejoice about the agreement, but if this is the only possible way, then I want to assure you that the Cypriots are a very resilient. And we will restart our economy. We will rebuild again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHIOU: And let's take a quick look at how this is all playing out on the European stock market. We are seeing a lot of caution here. The indexes that are in the positive territory are pretty much flatlining, especially this Xetra DAX. The Paris CAC 40 is up by more than .4 percent. The FTSE 100 pretty much even there. The Athens Composite down by more than 4 percent. And keep in mind that many Greek investors are heavily exposed to what's going on in Cyprus and vice versa.
Now Asian markets were also mixed earlier today with Cyprus and the EuroZone worry still hovering overhead. And on Wall Street, the major indexes lost ground on Monday on those same fears.
World Business Today will bring you Wall Street's opening bell and more on the situation in Cyprus. That starts at the top of the hour.
In other news now, a dramatic turn of events in a murder case that made international headlines. Italy's Supreme Court has ruled that Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito should be tried again in the 2007 death of the British student Meredith Kercher. Knox was an American exchange student in Italy. And she and Kercher were roommates at the time of the killing.
Knox and Sollecito both served four years in an Italian prison before their convictions were overturned by an appellate court in 2011 and then Knox went home to the United States.
Now she was not in Italy for today's decision, but our senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman is. And he joins us now live from Rome.
Ben, presumably Amanda Knox won't come back to Italy for this retrial. So can she even be tried?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, she can be tried. They can try her in absentia. And the Italian lawyers understand that this is the case.
Now in theory, she can be extradited. The Italian government needs to put in an official request to U.S. authorities, but at this point there won't be this retrial will not take place until at the earliest in the earlier mid-summer.
Now we did get a statement from a spokesman for Amanda Knox from her. It says, "no matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."
And certainly we do know that her lawyers have been very unhappy with how the evidence was handled during the original trial.
We also had an opportunity this morning just outside the Italian supreme court to speak to Carlo Dalla Vedova who is Amanda Knox's lawyer. This is what he said about her next moves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLO DALLA VEDOVA, AMANDA KNOX'S LAWYER: I don't think she will come back for many reasons. First of all, she's a very young girl and she's busy to have her life. And this has a psychological impact on her. So she can come, of course. She's a free person with no limitations (inaudible), but for the time being I think she's looking forward to have her life back in Seattle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: Now we did hear from a lawyer for the family of Meredith Kercher, the woman who was killed back in 2007. They say they are pleased with this ruling. Their feeling has always been that there was more than one person in the room in addition to Meredith Kercher when she was murdered. There is currently a man, Rudy Guede, a man from the Ivory Coast who is serving a 16 year prison sentence for the murder of Meredith Kercher.
Kercher's family believes that Raffaele Sollecito, the former boyfriend of Amanda Knox, and Amanda Knox were also in that room -- Pauline.
CHIOU: All right. Thank you very much, Ben. That's Ben Wedeman live from Rome with the latest update on the Amanda Knox case.
Now South Africa is the latest stop for Chinese president Xi Jinping in his first trip aboard since taking office. Xi and his wife landed in Johannesburg and then went on to meet South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. Xi has been trying to address concerns by some African leaders of an unequal relationship between the continent and China. Both presidents Xi and Zuma will be flying to Durbin later on today to attend a meeting of the emerging economies known as the BRICs which also includes Brazil, Russia, and India.
Well, diving deep into the ocean to document coral reefs requires some very special equipment. Coming up on News Stream, we look at the high tech camera being used to do the job in our special segment Going Green.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHIOU: Late last year, Google added the very first underwater panoramic pictures to Google Maps and they let you virtually explore the Great Barrier Reef here. It's really amazing, these photos. Well, Google teamed up with the Catlin Seaview Survey to make these images available. And all this week, CNN is taking you below the sea's surface.
CNN's special correspondent Philippe Cousteau traveled with a Catlin Seaview Survey team of scientists. And today we get a glimpse at the high tech underwater camera that they used to capture those panoramic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANJANI GANASE, MARINE BIOLOGIST: This is what we use. We use an intervalometer to take a picture every three seconds and that we do for the scientific (inaudible).
OVE HOEGH-GULDBERG, HEAD SCIENTIST, CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY: I think the SE2 is a gamechanger, because it's automating high definition images at a scale which has not been done before.
PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Lead scientist Ove Hoegh-Guldberg was one of the first marine biologists to link coral damage to climate change. And while Guldberg and others have been monitoring the effects of climate change on reefs for decades, they've never been able to do it on such a large scale.
For each 360 degree image the camera captures, a GPS will also record the exact location and camera direction. And it's that information that makes this one of a kind device so crucial to scientists.
HOEGH-GULDBERG: I mean, so far we're only halfway through the Catlin Seaview Survey expeditions, but we've collected almost 100 kilometers of transix (ph). This is -- you just can't do that normally. You'd be taking 100 years to do this with normal divers out there with normal cameras. So getting that technology right has been incredibly important.
We don't have that global baseline for how reefs are doing across the planet. I mean, coral reefs exist in over 50 countries. And they stretch across, you know, most of the tropics and subtropics. There's 375,000 square kilometers of reef around the world. At the end of the three years of the project, I think we will have boosted the resources by conservatively ten-fold. We'll understand reefs in corners of the planet where they're currently not being monitored.
COUSTEAU: They will be able to answer when, where, and more importantly why coral reefs around the world are declining.
HEOGH-GULDBERG: One of the parts of the project is to create essentially a databank called the global reef record. And this is where we will be taking the huge amounts of digital video, physical measurements and so on and putting it into this high speed computer storage system and then making it available to scientists across the world, because one of the legacies of the Catlin Seaview Survey is to create essentially that baseline information that everyone has the right to use and then to develop this complex picture of how the world is changing, because it's -- you know, we're a small group of something like 15 scientists. This is a job that will involve hundreds of scientists. This is the sort of science we need to do right now to get a real picture on the risk and vulnerability of things like global change to coral reefs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHIOU: And all this week we'll bring you more of these fascinating reports. The entire program called Going Green: Oceans airs on Friday. You can go to CNN.com/goinggreen to find the times of the show and also more information.
And staying with the ocean theme, another large piece of suspected Japanese tsunami debris washes up on the shores of the U.S. Mari Ramos is live at the world weather center with more.
And Mari, it's astounding that we're still seeing these pieces of debris.
MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: You know, and the most amazing thing is it could be years, years to come that we'll still see these pieces of debris moving along the ocean -- across the ocean, I should say and along the shores here of North America.
I want to show you, first of all, the pictures of this last piece of tsunami debris. And you know you said suspected and that's a key word. They believe it is part of the tsunami debris. This is from the U.S. coast of the state of Oregon. And they think it's a piece from a shrine or a temple. They're not 100 percent sure yet. They're still trying to confirm what the writings that are on it actually say so they can pinpoint where it exactly came from.
But this is a fairly large piece. And, you know, we hear over and over about all of these pieces of debris that continue to wash up. But the interesting thing -- or very interesting thing is that only a handful -- if you think about it -- a handful of pieces have actually been confirmed to be from Japan. And as a result -- or traveling here as a result of a very large tsunami.
Come back over to the weather map. Let me show you. This is the marine tsunami debris page from NOAA. And here you can see where the confirmed sightings are. They said they have thousands of reports, but only like I said a handful of them have actually been traced back to the tsunami.
So I want to go ahead and show you. Here's the coast of Canada and the U.S. Here's, for example, this vessel right over here that was found. They know for sure that that one came from Japan. We can zoom out and see at other places, for example. And let's go ahead and pick that one right there in the middle of the ocean right there.
This is another vessel that was found. This was in the middle of the atoll in Eastern Island there in the Midway Island -- near the Midway Islands. So Hawaii has also had quite a few pieces, including this boat that you see right there. So this just gives you another example of all of the pieces that are have been found that have -- that are related to the tsunami.
I want to show you something else. And, you know, when you talk about how this can happen for a long, long time. It really can. And it's definitely something we will continue to monitor.
This week is tsunami awareness week, by the way, across the U.S. and they'll be monitoring it and see what happens. They want cities, coastal areas to be prepared in case of a tsunami in part of the world, of course, but anyone -- everyone around the world should really be monitoring closely what's happening.
Let's go ahead and head back to you.
CHIOU: All right. And we have to keep in mind we just passed that two year anniversary of the Japanese tsunami.
All right, Mari, thank you so much.
Well, coming up next on News Stream, the future of same sex marriage in America. We will go live to Washington, D.C. where the supreme court is about to hear crucial oral arguments in the ongoing debate.
And the London schoolboy who sold his app for millions of dollars, but still needs to finish school. We'll talk to Nick D'Aloisio right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAULINE CHIOU, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Pauline Chiou in Hong Kong. You're watching NEWS STREAM, and these are your world headlines. North Korea is emptying up the rhetoric once again. Pyongyang says it's placing the military on high alert and says units are being ordered to be ready for combat and to prepare for possible strikes on U.S. bases.
Banks across Cyprus will remain closed until at least Thursday, as the government tries to deal with the aftermath of the deal for a $13 billion bailout package. Protests are growing as Cypriots and foreign savers demand access to their deposits, but leaders fear a run on the banks. Lenders had been expected to reopen their doors today.
British investigators say the death of a Russian tycoon in England was consistent with hanging. They say there is no evidence of a violent struggle or of an intruder at the home of Boris Berezovsky. The 67-year old is believed to have been in financial difficulties.
A polarizing argument goes before the U.S. Supreme Court later on Tuesday today on the meaning of marriage and the implications of expanding that right to gays and lesbians. The justices will hear appeals against laws restricting same sex marriage.
Well, the Supreme Court's decision could have a profound effect on the definition of families in America. For the very latest now, I'm joined live by Joe Johns, who is on the courthouse steps in the nation's capital. Joe, explain to our international viewers what the U.S. Supreme Court is actually deciding on, and the implications for gay marriage in the U.S.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pauline, it's sort of gay marriage week here at the United States Supreme Court. Today the court is looking into the question of Proposition 8. This is a referendum passed by the voters in the state of California. And a challenge to that referendum, which was essentially a ban on gay marriage. Tomorrow, the court will take up the issue of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. This is a law passed in 1996 by the Congress, signed by then President Clinton who has since removed his support for the Defense of Marriage Act that also was a law that defined marriage as between a man and a woman for the purposes of federal benefits. So, there are a lot of legal issues that go into all of this. But the simple questions, the thread that runs through all of it, is whether the government can discriminate, whether the government can treat same sex couples and straight couples differently. It's a question that goes right to the heart of the culture wars here in the United States. Probably it will not be decided until sometime in June, Pauline.
CHIOU: The culture wars and a very controversial debate. Joe Johns, thank you very much, that's Joe Johns live from Washington, D.C. on the first of two days of oral arguments.
So how do other countries view homosexuality and same sex marriage? Well, let's take a look at this map here. It will give you an idea of the issue. A dozen countries have laws allowing same sex marriages and domestic partnerships. They are highlighted here in the color green. They include Argentina, Brazil, Canada and South Africa. Also, Belgium, Holland, Spain and a handful of others in Europe. There are nearly 20 others shown here in yellow that are for some rights to same sex couples including France, Germany and the U.K. Also, parts of the U.S. and Mexico as well, but some 80 countries consider homosexuality illegal. And according to Amnesty International, there are seven countries where same sex relations are sometimes punishable with the death penalty. Shown here in red, they include Iran, Mauritania, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and also, parts of Nigeria.
Well, Boeing's Dreamliner is the step closer to getting back off the ground. The company has just finished the first of two crucial tests. It's hoping to prove that the 787's newly redesigned battery system is up to safety standards. And the company says all went according to plan. The entire worldwide fleet of Dreamliners was grounded back in January after batteries overheated in two separate planes.
Now, we've got some very exciting tech news to tell you about. Yahoo! is turning to a teenager to boost its mobile development. The Silicon Valley giant has snapped up 17-year old Nick D'Aloisio's start-up in a deal reportedly worth as much as $30 million. His app called Summly delivers 400 characters snapshots of news stories to iPhone users and it has the backing of the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Stephen Fry and Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing. So, let's talk to the founder himself. Nick D'Aloisio joins me now live from our London bureau. And congratulations, Nick, on this Yahoo! acquisition. First of all, tell us what does this mean to you.
NICK D'ALOISIO, FOUNDER, SUMMLY: Yeah, it's been a fascinating 18-month journey, and I'm really proud to see that our technology will now be integrated into one of this classic Internet companies. And there is so much opportunity for what we can do here at Yahoo!, and I'm really excited to kind of see what we can do in the future.
CHIOU: It's amazing. It's been only 18 months, and here you are, being acquired by Yahoo! And you're also going to be working in Yahoo's London office while finishing up school. Are you going to work on Summly and try to improve on it, or are you going to focus on other projects?
D'ALOISIO: I'll be focusing on other projects kind of on the side, as well as completing my A-level exams. But I'm really going to be focusing on integrating summarization technology at the heart of Yahoo's mobile solution. These summaries that we provide make it a lot easier for users to consume content and information when they are on their mobile screen, and so it's really exciting to be working with Yahoo! and Marissa Mayer on this.
CHIOU: Now, Nick, I read that you started writing code at the age of 12. Did you teach yourself, and are you going to just continue with this and try to develop more apps?
D'ALOISIO: So, I taught myself to program using books and some video tutorials. And in the long term, I would love to, you know, start up another company one day if I'm fortunate enough to, but for the foreseeable future, I'm really excited about working with Yahoo! to integrate our technology and also look at other opportunities in the mobile ecosystem.
CHIOU: Now, Marissa Mayer is certainly shaking things up at Yahoo! since she's taken the helm of it just six, seven, eight months ago. Now, she has said, it's all about mobile now. Did you have direct conversations with her, and if so, what kinds of things did you talk about?
D'ALOISIO: I was fortunate enough to have had a few conversations with Marissa. I mean the main thing we were focusing on, and the thing that really excites me and the reason why, you know, I want to join Yahoo! is this is such scale on opportunity here, now Yahoo! has hundreds of millions of people visiting their content every month. And so, for a technology like ours, or indeed any others, it's such a big platform to leverage and again, with the focus on mobile and beautiful design I think there is a ton of consumers who are going to love these products.
CHIOU: Now, Nick, I'm here based in Hong Kong, and everyone here in Hong Kong knows Lee Ka-shing, and to our international viewers, he is Asia's richest man. Now, Lee Ka-shing was one of your initial backers for Summly. How did his involvement come about?
D'ALOISIO: So, I released a demo of the application when I was 15 years old, and it was called Trimit. And I've been told that the investors read about this on a few technology blogs and it was actually featured by Apple as one of the apps of the week, in their (inaudible) section.. So, they just called, they emailed me, and after a few conversations, I ended up flying out to London, and they invested $300,000 when I was 15 in 2011.
CHIOU: Wow! What a story, you've got a great story, a great future ahead. Nick, congratulations and thanks again for joining us.
D'ALOISIO: Thank you so much.
CHIOU: That's Nick D'Aloisio, the founder of Summly. Now, the deal with Nick and Summly may also hold some clues about Yahoo!'s direction under Marissa Mayer. CNN Christine Romans joins us now live from our New York bureau. And Christine, Marissa Mayer has said she is going to bring innovation back to Yahoo!. She says it's all about mobile now. So, what does this move say about her mobile strategy?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, we can glean a little bit from this, what he talked about summarization technology to bring it to the mobile space. I mean, that shows where there's a keen interest from Marissa Mayer. And, you know, we know so far, Marissa Mayer and her strategy has been acqui-hires, buying, you know, small companies, acquisitions so that she could get the technical and engineering talent from those places. So here is someone who is trying to define what it is that Yahoo! does and make it relevant for the mobile world.
So when you hear people talk about Yahoo!, they say, well, the stock is up so much under Marissa Mayer. We like the direction she's taking the country - -company in. But what is the strategy? There are a lot of rumors about the kinds of things that she might be interested in, and the kinds of companies she might be in talks, and all kinds of different, mobile type companies, rumors of the like -- but so far, we've just had about a year to try to get a sense of where this company's going. And look at the stock. The stock is up, investors are saying, they think after a kind of a disastrous run for Yahoo! shareholders, that she is going to have some sort of solution for them. Yahoo! is reportedly in talks about buying a controlling stake in "DailyMotion," that's dubbed the French Youtube, there is also Zynga Open Table, Yelp, Millennium Media, a whole bunch of other companies, you always hear about them perhaps being in talks with Yahoo! But Yahoo! hasn't really said exactly what its acquisition strategy is. In fact, even on this -- this company that you were just talking about, this Summly company, you know, they haven't really released how -- the terms of that and how that's going to fit into their overall strategy as well. So, she is still playing it pretty close to the vest.
Amazing that he's 15 and he had a big investor, one of the biggest investors in the world, and now, well, he's really on the fast track, isn't he?
CHIOU: Yeah, no kidding. Just to make us feel a little bit older, Christine, he was born after Yahoo! was founded. So, my goodness. Now, talking about the strategy and what exactly is the strategy for Yahoo! They haven't quite specified, and you know, maybe that's something they hold close to the vest. But certainly, Marissa Mayer has left her hand prints so far. I mean, Yahoo! has changed its home page, they've sort of jazzed it up. She's also said no more telecommuting, ordering all the employees back to the office. So, what do you think we can expect next? What other kinds of companies could they acquire? You had mentioned some smaller companies ....
ROMANS: Right.
CHIOU: But what do you think the bigger picture is?
ROMANS: Well, so far all of the changes have been sort of these internal changes, where it appears as though she's recalibrating the company from the inside. You know, this is a company that was, quite frankly, on the ropes, where successive CEOs have tried to figure out what is it that Yahoo! does. It was a first mover in the space, but had it fallen behind? And how are we going to make it relevant again? It's such an important brand name, but, you know, even people who cover the company couldn't quite figure out what it is that Yahoo! stands for as doing again.
So, on the inside, you know, putting -- clamping down on telecommuting, getting your talent back in the workforce, hiring -- buying some of these smaller companies so she can acquire some of this top talent. You know, giving people Smartphones, and, you know, changing kind of the work -- making it more nimble and fresh inside. Now, we have to look and see what she does on the outside to make this company more nimble, relevant and fresh. And that's what this particular acquisition gives a bit of a hint into where she's going. Her strategy is mobile, making Yahoo! relevant for mobile, easy and relevant for mobile. That's where this particular acquisition fits in.
CHIOU: Yes, she's certainly shaking things up. That's for sure. Christine, thanks so much, great to see you.
ROMANS: You're welcome. I love your interview, Pauline. That kid -- oh, my gosh! It's amazing.
CHIOU: Yeah, he's got a bright future ahead of him. Only 17 years old and studying for his A-levels.
(LAUGHTER)
CHIOU: OK. Coming up next, most of the world knows her by her first name -- Oprah . Next on NEWS STREAM, we'll tell you how Oprah is using her success to help inspire women around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHIOU: You all know her. She is known as the queen of media. Last week on "Leading Women," we told you about how Oprah Winfrey started her own cable network after leaving her long running TV talk show. Now, Felicia Taylor shows us how Oprah mentors and inspires.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She's a global celebrity and a media mogul. Embracing her fame and the opportunities and responsibilities it brings.
OPRAH WINFREY, CHAIRWOMAN AND CEO, OWN: When you people say, you're a brand, I would say no, I'm just Oprah. What I recognize now is that my choice to do the right thing and the excellent thing is what has created the brand.
But Oprah Winfrey has found that being a brand comes with its own set of challenges.
WINFREY: It all begins here!
TAYLOR: Her name and association were not enough to propel OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, to instant success. After its launch in 2011, it struggled to find an audience, a voice and a proper role for Oprah herself.
PATTIE SELLERS, SENIOR EDITOR AT LARGE, FORTUNE: Originally, she picked a lot of the wrong people to build this cable network from the ground up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Magazine called you the anti-Oprah. What did you think that meant?
SELLERS: Now, she has a much more stable crew, and she's running it. And I think she realized at a certain point, that she had to step up, she had to own it. So to speak.
TAYLOR: With OWN now gaining in viewers and influence, it's given Oprah a platform to spread her message.
DR. MEHMET OZ, HOST, "THE DR. OZ SHOW": Number one thing people ask me about is dieting.
TAYLOR: Many of those who have worked with her see Oprah as an inspiration and a mentor.
OZ: From the very moment I started playing with Oprah on television, it's been an inspiration to me. It's --what -- I liken it to going to Oprah University. Where you literally spend hours and hours with a professor who understands how to communicate with people.
TAYLOR: That desire to lift up and inspire others led Oprah to found her real life Oprah university of sorts. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for girls in South Africa. Though recently touched by a scandal when a school matron was accused of sexual abuse charges, which the woman has denied, the school has gone on to win praise, providing opportunities for gifted, but disadvantaged students.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRLS: Hey!
TAYLOR: It also allows Oprah to put into practice her recipe for success.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
WINFREY: The ingredient for creating success is building a strong support team. A strong leadership team and a support team that can family them, literally, nurture and family them in such a way that they are emboldened to learn. And that's how you change the world.
TAYLOR: From media to mentoring, Oprah's influence is far-reaching and, she hopes, long lasting.
SELLERS: Oprah Winfrey will be remembered as one of the most influential women who has ever lived. No one in media, man or woman has ever done what she did.
TAYLOR: An impact she hopes to make on the next generation of leading women.
WINFREY: But just these three things will carry you if you let them. Knowing who you really are, that's number one. Service and significance equals success. That's number two. Number three, it's so simple, but so hard to do -- always do the right thing.
(APPLAUSE)
WINFREY: Always.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHIOU: Oprah, in her own words, and you can get more leading women coverage on our Web site, find it at cnn.com/leadingwomen. And next week, tune in for Facebook chief operating officer and author of her new book on women in the workplace, Sheryl Sandberg. And we'll be right back, with more of NEWS STREAM after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHIOU: He is back! Tiger Woods has fought his way back to number one in the golf world rankings. It has been a while, two and a half years, to be precise. For more, let's head over to London where we find our Pedro Pinto. So, he finally got back up there, Pedro.
PEDRO PINTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He did, Pauline. You know, there used to be a time, of course, when all Tiger Woods had to do to be world number one was wake up, but, of course, those were the good old days when he won majors on the regular basis. Woods then saw his personal and professional lives collapse at the end of 2010, and had to work hard over the last couple of years to regain his top form. And the top ranking. He finally secured a return to number one with this third title of the season on Monday. Woods headed into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the lead, and he didn't relinquish it. A long birdie at the 12th hole helped him stay out and front, and he wasn't at all fazed by a tricky bunker shot on the 16th, he knocked it over the trees, landing it squarely in the middle of the green. Tiger is showing why he's been in such great form on the PGA tour this season. Things weren't going quite so well for Tiger's playing partner Rickie Fowler. Any hopes of a challenge evaporated on the 16th, where he found the water not once, but twice. An eight for the hole -- game over for Rickie.
Tiger ended up with a three put to win, and he almost did it in one on the 18th green. Check out this terrific effort, just short of going into the cup. Good enough, though, for a two-shot victory. It was Woods' eighth win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying him with Stan Sneed (ph) for the record of victories at the same PGA tour event. (inaudible), good enough for him to Rory -- to overtake Rory McIlroy at the top of the golf world rankings.
TIGER WOODS, RECLAIMS WORLD #1 RANKING: I had to look at it. If I get healthier, I know I can play this game at -- at a higher level. And I know I can be where I'm contending in every event, contending in major championships, and being consistent day in and day out. If I am healthy. And that was the first stop in the process. Once I got there, then my game turned, and, you know, I've won what -- six times on the tour in the last couple of years, so that's -- that's not bad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PINTO: Not bad at all. Tiger is back to number one in the world of golf, and when it comes to basketball, there's been one team who's dominated the NBA for a while. That's the Miami Heat, who on Monday won their 27th game in a row. LeBron James and company kept the streak going in Orlando. They were without Dwayne Wade, who missed the second straight game with a knee injury, but you know what - they really didn't miss him too much. LeBron picking up the slack, as you would expect him to, big slam there, in transition. Moments later LeBron again driving, getting (ph) the bucket and the fowl, the Heat pulling away. And they really extended their lead in the fourth quarter. Check out this fast (inaudible) call to LeBron James for this huge allez-oop (ph) dunk. The show was on Disney World's hometown. James later turning provider to Christ Anderson for another allez-oop slam. Heat winning their 27th game in a row. That's seven shy of breaking the all-time record.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT FORWARD: We are not taking our team for granted. I continue to always say in professional sports, wins are hard to come by, and teams like these are really rare. So you know, to be a part of a team like this, we don't take it for granted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PINTO: Next up for the Heat, two tough games against the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. We'll see if they can keep that streak alive. Pauline, back to you.
CHIOU: They're certainly on a roll. OK, thank you, Pedro. Well, if you travel a lot, here is a controversial question for you: should fat fliers have to pay more for their tickets? Well, Nina Dos Santos tells about who's pushing for it and how it might work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An academic says that airlines should make overweight people pay more to fly. The idea is being (inaudible) by a professor in Norway who says that weight and space should be factored into the ticket price. All of this to cover the costs of the extra fuel that a person uses.
We came up with a hypothetical model of how this might work using two rather well known athletes. On my right here, you can see the Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis, who weighs in at a svelte 57 kilos, and on the other side, we have the Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko, who's nearly twice Jessica Ennis's total weight. So, based on a flight from London to New York, on today's prices, well, Jessica Ennis would pay the standard fare. That works out to around about $1,063. But take a look at this. Klitschko would be paying quite a bit more. Considering his additional weight, the fare would skyrocket to $2,000. That represents an 86 percent difference. And I should mention that these weights also include luggage as well. So, if you want to add luggage to all of this, well, you'd have to pay extra on top of these prices. Mind you, what will this mean? Well, people will have to weigh in on check-in as well as their bags. That could get pretty embarrassing, unless, of course you have a figure like these two guys.
Nina Dos Santos, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHIOU: So, some food for though there. And that is NEWS STREAM, but the news continue right here at CNN. "World Business Today" is coming up next.
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