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Pope Visits Brazilian Slums; Thousands In Streets Of Cairo; Digg Founder Hurls Raccoon, Saves Dog; Reports Say Excessive Speed To Blame For Derailment; Protests In Tunisia; Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning Cases Compared

Aired July 26, 2013 - 08:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now Egypt prepares for a day of protest as a prosecutor calls for the continued detention of ousted President Mohamed Morsy.

The pope of the poor lives up to his name as he visits one of Rio de Janeiro's roughest neighborhoods.

And what would you do if your dog was attacked by a raccoon? Well, here is what one internet entrepreneur did.

Now, they have been summoned onto the streets en masse by leaders on opposite ends of Egypt's political spectrum. Now the military is calling on supporters to give it a mandate to end weeks of deadly violence, violence that the army blames on supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy.

But Morsy's group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has issued its own call for protests to demand that he be returned to power. And that looks unlikely to happen because just a few hours ago Egypt's top prosecutor ordered Morsy to be imprisoned for 15 days over charges that he collaborated with Hamas in the storming of prisons back in 2011.

Now, Morsy, he's been held in detention since he was stripped of his powers three-and-a-half weeks ago. And our senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman is in Cairo. He joins us now live. And Ben, a lot happening this day, but what is the situation on the streets right now?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're seeing is, as you said, these two dueling demonstrations, this one behind me in Tahrir Square, sort of just beginning. Meanwhile, there were large crowds in the (inaudible) which is where the supporters of the deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsy have been holding this open-ended sit-in. They are planning marches throughout Cairo in support of the deposed president, while those who support the defense minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are doing the same thing as well.

And we're watching as Apache helicopters are flying over Tahrir Square for the last hour or so. Every time they fly over, the crowd cheers in support of them.

Now we are seeing some live pictures on one of the Egyptian television channels of clashes between supporters and opponents of Mohamed Morsy in the northern Cairo suburb of Shubra (ph).

So certainly we are expecting some sort of street violence between the two camps today, violence that the defense minister says he is determined to put an end to - Kristie.

LU STOUT: And news about these new charges against Mohamed Morsy perhaps galvanizing his supporters. Tell us more about the ousted Egyptian president. What is the latest on his status?

WEDEMAN: Well, he's being held somewhere. We don't know where. Diplomatic sources saying they think he's being moved from one military installation to another. Last week we heard from a spokesman for the army saying that he's being held for his own safety, but of course now he's facing time behind bars, charged with - with basically plotting with Hamas, of all organizations, to break him out of prison during the revolution in January and February 2011.

So his whereabouts unknown. And it doesn't look like he's going to be a free man any time soon - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, today we have these rival protests taking place there at Cairo. You just reported clashes in the northern suburb of the Egyptian capital.

Can you take us back and tell us why, why did General Sisi call for these demonstrations to take place today?

WEDEMAN: Well, what he said is that he wanted a mandate from the people to confront what he called terrorism and violence.

Now speaking to analysts here in Cairo, they have various interpretations. They - some of them say it was really just a thinly veiled threat to crush the Muslim Brotherhood, others say that he wants to show the world and Egypt as well that he has a large following, that he has the backing of the people. One analyst telling me that this is really a way to distract people's attention from the whole question of how is Egypt going to transition from this current interim government to some sort of lasting democratically elected government. And that certainly is on the back burner right now with all the attention on his call for a mandate and all these people - these demonstrations in the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities - Kristie.

LU STOUT: So General al-Sisi, he wants to shore up his mandate with these protests today. And meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, they want to shore up their support that they have. So what does it look like out there? I mean how many supporters of Morsy and the Brotherhood are out in force today?

WEDEMAN: Well, we don't have any specific numbers, but we know that the Muslim Brotherhood supporters planned a large number of people to be out there during the midday prayers, which have just ended. The main prayers, the Friday prayers.

Here in Tahrir Square, we're expecting the numbers to grow larger as the day goes on. Keep in mind that it's Ramadan, it's very hot. So I think we will see huge numbers, massive numbers, in Tahrir Square and other Egyptian cities, other parts of Cairo, but probably not until after the sun goes down - Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Ben Wedeman joining us live from Cairo. Thank you.

Now, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has become a major player in Egypt's most recent political turmoil. His intervention against Mohamed Morsy has made him increasingly popular among many Egyptians, but as Reza Sayah reports, others are wary of General al-Sisi because of what they have seen in the past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Who is the most adored man in Egypt these days? Ask around and many will tell you the general, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the head of Egypt's armed forces.

"Sisi is a hero," says Mohammed (ph).

"He's a man of respect," says Hassan (ph), "a military man."

"I love him," says Mahmoud (ph). "If he could be my father, that would be great."

Not every Egyptian is enamored with Sisi. Some call him a traitor for toppling a democratically elected president. But for many, Sisi has gone from relative unknown to a national hero who has put the army back into Egyptian politics.

It was Sisi who announced the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsy, sparking wild celebrations among millions who wanted Morsy gone. It was Sisi who oversaw the appointment of Egypt's interim leaders. And this week, it was Sisi who called for mass demonstrations in support of the armed forces, setting off more applause for the Egyptian military.

(on camera): Indeed, there's a lot of praise these days for General al-Sisi and the military. But many rights groups and analysts say that's not exactly cause for celebration, that's reason to worry.

SARAH ELTANTAWI, POLITICAL ANALYST: One has to be a little more weary of a return of a military dictatorship.

SAYAH: Analyst Sarah ElTantawi says recent events in Egypt signal a bigger role for an army that's long been marred by allegations of abusing its power.

ELTANTAWI: This country has been under military dictatorships since 1952. Anyone during that period who tried to organize politically, democratically was jailed and stymied in one way or another.

SAYAH: This is the same military rights groups blame for using excessive force in clashes this month that killed dozens of peaceful supporters of former President Morsy. Its the same military Egyptians protested against in 2011 for allegedly killing, arresting and beating innocent protesters, including the infamous thrashing of the woman in the blue bra.

And Sisi is the same general who defended the army's use of virginity tests in 2011 one women detainees. They were done to protect girls from rape and soldiers from false accusations, he told state media.

But for many Egyptians, the grievances are gone.

"The army is for the people," says Mahmoud (ph). "My brother is a part of it, so it will never harm us."

ELTANTAWI: People's livelihoods have really plummeted in the past year or two years. They want stability. And the only form of stability that several generations of Egyptians have had has been in the form of the military.

SAYAH: For now, like it or not, the military seems to be playing a central role in post-revolution Egypt where establishing democracy is still the stated goal. But the path to getting there isn't always democratic.

Reza Sayah, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And the country where the Arab Spring began is seeing new unrest as well. Now shops and banks in Tunisia are closed and flights have been canceled in and out of the capital ahead of a major protest there. Now Tunisia's state run news agency says a labor union has called for a strike to protest the assassination of this opposition figure. Mohamed al- Brahmi, he was gunned down outside his home on Thursday. Now he was a member of parliament and a vocal critic of Tunisia's Islamist leadership.

Mohammed Jamjoom has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A rising tide of anger in Tunisia as angry demonstrators took to the streets of Tunis protesting the slaying of an opposition leader. Mohamed al-Brahmi, a member of parliament and leader of the Liberal Popular Movement was shot and killed on Thursday as he tried to drive away from his home, which was close to the Tunisian capital.

Colleagues of Mr. al-Brahmi were distraught at the news. And crowds were quick to gather outside the hospital where he was being taken.

Here you see throngs of people surrounding the ambulance that was carrying Mr. al-Brahmi, whose body, according to the Interior Ministry, had at least 11 gunshot wounds.

Emotions in Tunisia, which is the birthplace of the Arab Spring, are still raw since the assassination of another leftist politician this past February Chokri Belaid. His killing was the first time since Tunisia's independence in 1956 that a politician has been targeted in that country. That killing set off massive protests across the country, led to a lot of anger, and also led to the resignation of Tunisia's prime minister.

Analysts are warning that this killing may also set off more angry demonstrations across the country.

Now both politicians opposed the Islamist med Ennahda Party, which swept into power in Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution there.

Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, stay with us here on News Stream as we take you to the scene of this week's deadly train derailment in Spain for the latest on the recovery efforts and the investigation.

And on his first international trip, Pope Francis tries out a new language. And it's not the one you might expect.

Plus, Barbara Starr looks at a tale of two American leakers, one civilian, one military, both facing some serious consequences.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got in the show today.

Now we started with the massive protests called in Egypt. And a little later in the show, we'll look at the case against Bradley Manning has his trial comes to a close.

But now, to the aftermath of a deadly train crash in Spain. Now the wreckage of that train has now been removed from the tracks. And the task of identifying the victims of this deadly crash continues.

Now DNA tests will be used to identify the bodies of 13 of the 80 people who were killed in the incident. About 90 people remain in hospital. And police continue to question the driver.

Now Spain's national railway says that he had more than a decade of train driving experience.

And according to Spain's national broadcaster TVE, the driver told police that the train entered the curve where it crashed too fast.

Now other Spanish media are citing sources as saying that the driver claimed that the train was going at about 190 kilometers per hour. Now the speed limit on the curve was less than half that, 80 kilometers per hour.

Now state railway spokesman says that the train was capable of going up to 250 kilometers an hour.

Now let's cross over to the scene of the crash near Santiago de Compostela. Karl Penhaul is standing by.

And Karl, investigators, they have been there working the crash site. Give us the latest.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Certainly following a lot of leads this morning for you, Kristie. Down here at the crash site, as you mentioned, the rail cars themselves have all now been lifted away, lifted off the tracks by cranes, put on low loaders, and taken away for further forensic examination by experts.

What is still down there on the track is the locomotive itself, although the black boxes have been removed from the train itself. And those are now being examined by a judge to see what light any voice recordings or technical data will give about clues to why this accident occurred.

But then there was a press conference this morning. And at that press conference was Jaime Iglesias. He's the chief of police for the Galicia (ph) region. And he says that the train driver, a man who we saw being away, bloodied and bruised just after that train crash, well the driver has now been formally detained, according to chief of police. And he is being accused, now, of crimes relating to the accident.

When the police chief was asked what crimes specifically, he declined to answer directly, but did refer, in his words, to the recklessness of the train driver as to possibly having caused the accident. That could then tally with comments that we heard from government officials yesterday suggesting that excessive speed may have had a part to play in this terrible tragedy - Kristie.

LU STOUT: So the driver has been formally detained. What more do we know about him - his background and his experience?

PENHAUL: Well, we understand from RENFE, the state rail service, that he's a man that has been working for around 30 years with the rail company in different functions. We understand that probably since about the year 2000 or early 2000s that is when he began his work as a train driver's assistant and then progressed to train driver himself.

But certainly a man, according to state rail company, who has a good deal of experience. And coupled with that as well, another statement by the president of RENFE who says the train itself, well that was checked as part of a routine check, on the same morning that that crash took place, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And the survivors, a number of survivors, they are still in hospital. Karl, do you have any update on their condition?

PENHAUL: Yeah, I mean, this is - this really is what it comes down to, doesn't it? We can't, amid all the technical investigations amongst all the legal investigations, we can't forget what this is all about, the victims themselves. And medical personnel have told us this morning that 85 people remain in hospital receiving treatment, about a third of those are still listed as critical. Three of those are children.

Yesterday, we understand though, that one of the children who had been in danger because of his medical condition has now recovered somewhat and is on normal ward treatment, not on critical treatment. So that, if anything, is a little bit of good news.

Down at the morgue it's a bit of a different story. The forensic experts have now told us that 78 people have been formally identified, but are still working on body parts from some other victims and believe that there could be as many as two more bodies there to take the final toll to 80, but not all the families have been informed yet, because of these problems of identification. That, again, anguishing times for loved ones who had passengers traveling on this train, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, such a grim and tragic story.

Karl Penhaul reporting. Thank you.

So, just how safe are Europe's railways? Now according to the European Railway Agency, or ERA, a derailment or collision is reported about every other day in the 27 nation EU bloc. More than 2,300 significant railway accidents were reported in 2011. Now that sounds like a lot, but it is an improvement on previous years.

Now derailments accounted for 4 percent of those accidents. 97 were reported across the EU in 2011. There were also 83 collisions and 44 accidents were classified as serious. That means, they killed at least one person and seriously injured at least five people or caused more than $2.6 million in damage to rolling stock infrastructure or the environment.

Now coming up next right here on News Stream, from Old Latin to Brazilian street slang, the pope reaches out to young Catholics by speaking their language.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now Latin may be his language of choice in Vatican City, but in Rio de Janeiro a little street slang can be helpful. In his efforts to reach out and to connect with young people, Pope Francis used some jargon while addressing followers at Copa Cabana Beach. And he used the expression Bodafe (ph), which means put on faith.

Now over a million people turned up for the event on Thursday night.

Now Miguel Marquez has been tracking the pope's journey since day one. He joins us live from Rio de Janeiro. And Miguel, again, some 1 million people attended the ceremony there at Copa Cabana Beach. What was it like there?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a bit of a mad house, but I think it's sort of a loving mad house for a pope that the people here seemed to absolutely love and around the world certainly as well. We're looking at live pictures now of the pope on the move here in Rio headed to take confession from five young people. We don't know who they are. That's going to be a private event.

Can you imagine being a young kid and giving your confession to the pope?

Then he'll move on later in the day to speak to some prisoners, which is something that he has done. Just watching these pictures here live of the pope. A lot of his way has been lined with people, you know, reaching out to him, wanting to touch him. And that's the same thing that we saw here at Copa Cabana Beach last night.

Just hundreds of thousands of people lining his procession into Copa Cabana and up onto this elaborate stage they've set up here. Everybody wanting to touch him. Most people couldn't even get close. The crowds were, you know, 30, 40, 50 people deep. But the number of cameras being raised trying to get just a glimpse of the guy, incredible - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now earlier on Thursday, you know, before that big en masse ceremony in Copa Cabana Beach, we know that the pope visited a favela in Brazil. How has the pontiff highlighted the needs of the poor during this visit in Brazil?

MARQUEZ: This has been the running theme. Two themes that he's really been hitting on - intergenerational themes, and allowing the elderly to be the experience for the young, but also urging the youth at every turn to not look to money and power and the things of modern life, but to be activists and to not lose hope and to work hard.

I mean, to watch him come out of that little chapel yesterday in Barjinha (ph), this favela that he was in, and to shush these little boys that were sort of being rambunctious and they were trying to give him banners. And they were being kind of naughty. He shushed them. They quieted down. They prayed together. And then he blessed them. It was really touching. And he - everybody he speaks to he tries to - clearly he tries to touch. He tries to get to. And to hope that they will be, you know, carry the message and - you know, as they want out of this youth day to be disciples for the church - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, that's why he's come to be known the pope of the people. And also, Miguel, again this is the first international trip for Pope Francis, a high profile visit. Do you think he succeeded in what's believed to be his mission in invigorating the church, especially in the Latin American region these last few days?

MARQUEZ: He has - he has certainly excited people here. Whether or not this has lasting effect beyond this is still a question, but boy, he has laid down a marker that will be hard to beat and clearly set the church off in a new, more activist direction. A lot of energy and invigoration. Whether or not it changes the church permanently, because it is an unwieldy and old organization. And I think that there will be - there will be a fight in the middle of it, but it clearly seems that he has the people on his side. And the question will be whether or not he can turn this into real change and whether or not the expectations that he is raising can be met - Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Miguel Marquez joining us live from Rio. And again, next to him are live pictures there of the pope himself on the move on his visit there in Brazil. Thank you, Miguel.

Now before his speech at Copa Cabana Beach, the pope, he lived up to his new nickname as the pope of the poor with a visit to one of Brazil's most notorious slums. Now Shasta Darlington has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The man widely revered as the slum pope wades into the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Shrugging off security concerns, he kisses babies and walks down the main street of Barjihna (ph) a notorious slum run by drug lords until last year when police seized control.

Residents pack into the football field ahead of his speech.

(on camera): This community used to be known as the Gaza Strip because of the violent drug factions here. So today people say they feel blessed.

(voice-over): "He's a humble man who is praying for us, and we need it," she says.

"Our community has been forgotten by everyone but him," says another resident.

Security was beefred up. Hundreds of police lined his route. But that doesn't hold back the pope. You can see the joy on this little boy's face when Pope Francis gives him a hug.

He visits a chapel. People shout out as he walks to the football field.

(on camera): People are going absolutely crazy. The pope has just passed by right behind me. People are trying to call him, getting - trying to get him to come over and bless their children as see if they can somehow catch his attention.

(voice-over): During his speech, the pope tells the crowds those in power must stop pushing the poor aside.

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world.

DARLINGTON: Also, words of support for the thousands of Brazilians who recently took to the streets in anti-government protests.

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): You are often disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of people who put their own interests before the common good. To you and to all, I repeat never yield to discouragement, do not lose trust, do not allow your hope to be extinguished.

DARLINGTON: A message cheered in the muddy streets of Barjihna (ph).

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now hundreds of thousands of young Catholics are currently in Brazil for World Youth Day. And organizers say that that figure will rise to millions for the weekend masses lead by Pope Francis. And with that many pilgrims, comes the question where can they all confess? Well, this is the answer. These are all portable confessionals set up in a park in Rio de Janeiro.

Now Egypt is poised for another day of protests. And coming up next on News Stream, we'll take you live to the streets in Cairo for the very latest.

Plus, they both admitted to leaking classified information about the U.S. government, but how do the Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden cases compare? We'll take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now Egypt is bracing itself for protests today by both supporters and critics of deposed president Mohamed Morsy. Now Egyptian state media says that he will remain in detention for the next 15 days while the military decides whether to bring criminal charges against him. Instead, he'll be considering accusations that Morsy collaborated with Hamas in the killing of prison officers and inmates back in 2011.

Now police in Spain say that they have placed the driver of the train that crashed on Wednesday under formal investigation. Authorities say it is too soon to tell what caused the derailment, but the train could have been going too fast. Now at least 80 people were killed and more than 90 are still in hospital.

The United Nations refugee agency says it is troubled by Australia's new policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat and says Australia's decision to house arrivals in offshore detention centers while their applications are processed raises some serious questions. It says not enough protection is provided for them. And the system has major legal shortcomings.

Now let's take you back to Cairo now and get the latest on the situation there. Now Reza Sayah joins us from the streets. And Reza, what are you seeing out there?

SAYAH: Well, people are starting to gather, Kristie, several thousand people in Tahrir Square. This is the home base of opponents of the ousted president Mohamed Morsy. And then there are several thousand people in front of a mosque in east Cairo, that's the home base for supporters of the ousted president Mohamed Morsy.

We're already seen reports of clashes in suburban Cairo, but it's much too early. We expect crowds to really start going in the coming hours, especially after the traditional daily breaking of the fast here during this holy month of Ramadan. This is going to be another day of dueling demonstrations between these two sides. But two important factors could make this day different, possibly more violent.

One is this unusual call by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the head of the armed forces for mass demonstrations today. He said he wants Egyptians to come out to show their support and give their mandate for the military to fight terrorism. He wasn't clear who he meant when he said terrorist, but many view this as a veiled threat against Morsy backers and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The second factor is that we're seeing more unsavory elements in these demonstrations, more guns, more people killed. And there's certainly the potential in these mass demonstrations today for those elements to come out and sow chaos.

So a lot of anticipation here in the coming hours in another day of demonstrations in this conflict that keeps going on and on - Kristie.

LU STOUT: You know, in anticipation of potentially violent clashes, what kind of secuirty presence are you seeing on the streets?

SAYAH: Well, Cairo is on high alert. The security presence is visible on key areas. And what's interesting is that the military has made a point of securing these areas, but it's still not clear if this call by the general is a signal for a wider crackdown. Many say that they believe that Mr. Sisi, General Sisi's call for these demonstrations could, could signal a plan for the military and security forces to crack down on these demonstrators who have been protesting for three weeks now, but that's still no clear at this point, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Well, the tension is growing this day, this Friday in Egypt. Reza Sayah reporting for us live on the streets of Cairo. Thank you.

Now it has become a daily preoccupation of the international media and diplomatic corps. I'm talking about the movements of the U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. And for now he remains in that Moscow airport hoping to get at least temporary asylum in Russia. And the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said to have contacted his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, asking that Snowden's request be denied.

Now the former government contractor exposed an extensive U.S. surveillance program and faces espionage charges in the U.S.

Now meanwhile, as we told you last night, U.S. soldier Bradley Manning is close to finding out whether a military court will find him guilty of aiding the enemy. Now Manning has already admitted to having leaked classified documents more than three years ago.

And CNN's Barbara Starr looks at the case against him and compares it to what Edward Snowden has done.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Two young men, both computer geeks, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden found themselves in jobs with access to critical national security secrets of the U.S. government. Both would leak classified documents, both accused of harming national security.

After Manning's leaks.

HILLARY CLINTON, FRM. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It puts people's lives in danger, threatens our national security, and undermines our efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems.

STARR: The same dire warnings when Snowden went public.

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: People may die as a consequence of what this man did.

STARR: They seem to be two similar cases with the same question: how much damage was really caused?

Private First Class Bradley Manning downloaded thousands of classified documents with battlefield details about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and State Department activities around the world, all of it ending up on WikiLeaks.

Kevin Zeese is raising money for Manning's defense. He says the government hyped the threat Manning's leaks posed.

KEVIN ZEESE, BRADLEY MANNING SUPPORTER: They really have not reported any great impact. I think the - what they really - more embarrassment than anything else.

STARR: The information from Manning's leaks was rapidly outdated.

Snowden's case is different, officials say, because he disclosed how the government actually collects telephone and online information, leaving the NSA to try to reassemble its surveillance networks. The NSA also says there's concrete proof terrorists are now changing their communications because of Snowden's leaks, but to what extent is unclear.

CHRIS INGLIS, NSA DEPUTY DIRECTOR: It's too soon to tell whether, in fact, adversaries will take great note of the things that he's disclosed.

JIM LEWIS, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I think this is going to follow the same trajectory as WikiLeaks, a lot of noise up front and six months later the only thing that's left is the embarrassment.

STARR: Perhaps the bigger impact will be on U.S. intelligence gathering itself. There is a growing effort in congress to either limit or at least change how the government monitors communications.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, the defense will make their closing arguments in the case against Manning later this Friday. And on Thursday, the prosecution made theirs.

And according to the New York Times, reporters watching Thursday court proceedings on a closed caption feed, they noticed something strange. Now the paper says that during the prosecution's closing arguments, two armed, military police officers lurked over journalist shoulders at the back of the court.

Now the newspaper says that this was the first time such an event occurred and no explanation was given.

Now stay with us right here on News Stream. Up ahead, a U.S. war veteran seeks the help of former foes to recover the body of an old friend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream.

And let's go back to our visual rundown now. Now earlier, we updated you on the massive protests called in Egypt today. And in a few minutes, we'll show you the rest of this video, it's how one dog owner protected his pet from a raccoon.

But first, let's mark a key anniversary. Now this Saturday, it marks 60 years since the armistice that ended the Korean War. Now the occasion has given an American veteran the chance to return to Pyongyang not as a tourist, but as part of a decades long search for the remains of a comrade he had left behind. Paula Hancocks has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The last time Captain Thomas Hudner was in North Korea he was fighting. 63 years later, he's on a mission of peace, an invited guest to watch North Korean leader Kim Jong un inaugurate the Korean War cemetery in Pyongyang, the final resting place of those he and fellow American veterans fought against.

THOMAS HUDNER, KOREAN WAR VETERAN: It's an opportunity I never thought that I'd have. Very impressive. And to see the turnout on the part of the civilian population is quite inspiring. It's wonderful - it's a wonderful experience for them, too. You know, I'm glad that we had an opportunity to be a part of it.

HANCOCKS: Hudner and a second Korean War veteran, Dick Bernelli (ph), are here to search for the remains of a fallen comrade, Jessie Brown. But the region where his plane crashed is flooded and access is impossible.

Representatives of the North Korean military met the veterans this week and promised to help in the search, inviting them back in September. The military asked Hudner to tell the U.S. government they want the joint recovery work to resume.

Around 8,000 Americans are still missing in action in North Korea from the 1950 to 1953 war. Official U.S. efforts to find them were stalled in 2005 when relations soured.

Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 4, 1950. He crashed his plane near Brown's to try to save him, but Brown was trapped in his cockpit and died.

With the search on hold due to the weather, Hudner and Bernelli (ph) have effectively been tourists in and around Pyongyang this week.

The first day, they were taken to the Palace of the Sun to pay their respects to the embalmed bodies of the two former leaders Kim il-Song and Kim Jong-il, which we were not allowed to film.

(on camera): Captain Hudner did not come here to North Korea just so that he could attend these kind of ceremonies and also so he could be taken around the country as a tourist. But he does believe that even though he was not able to get to the northeastern part of the country in search of the remains of his fallen comrade Jesse Brown it is not a wasted trip. Captain Hudner truly believes that this could help improve relations between the United States and the DPRK.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: A moving story there.

Now time now for your global weather forecast. And there has been a heat wave in parts of eastern China. And details with Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center - Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kristie. It's that time of year. You know, this is when we really see the temperatures rise wherever it's not raining really, because we are in the peak of the summer. And that will include places like - let's see, like Shanghai and Chongqing and also for you in Nanjing. Even in Beijing we've seen temperatures that have been extremely high.

We have some pictures to show you, people trying to stay cool however they can. Of course with the umbrellas, drinking the water, you know, putting a cool towel over your head. Yeah, that's my towel, give it back. There you see it.

You know, it's hard to show heat and the dangers of heat just (inaudible) just like this. But you've got to remember that heat is one of the biggest killers when it come sto weather related activities.

42 degrees - I think these pictures are from the Shanghai area. They - you know, you've got to remember the official temperature reading in Shanghai was 40.6. And that is an all-time record.

Come back over to the weather map. Let me show you over here this heat wave in Shanghai, what we're dealing with. It's an all-time record on this Friday. The temperature, the hottest temperature ever recorded there. So that's pretty significant right there.

Now we've had already 20 days in July where the temperature has been over 35 degrees Celsius. Now the all-time record for temperature being this hot for so many days is 23 days and that was back in 1934. And I think we're going to pass it this month, because when we look at the forecast for the next couple of days, for Shanghai, we're going to see those temperatures again that will be easily over 35 degrees Celsius, so we have still these few days in July and that will put us over 23 days. So at least we'll tie it.

And then as we head into the beginning of the week, we're also going to be dealing with temperatures that will be above that 35 degree threshold.

Even though we've had a little bit more on the way of moisture and a little bit more in the way of clouds, they're coming in later in the day, once that heating of the day has already passed. So it cools you down a little bit at night, but during the day it's going to remain very, very warm. And I know as we head into areas to the south, western parts of Wendong, Hong Kong, parts of Fujian.

And then we're still seeing some very heavy rainfall across those areas. It seems like these rainy days are never over for you.

And Kristie if it's been feeling like it's been raining more than usual, but you know what it has. So far we've had over 1,600 millimeters of rain in Hong Kong since the beginning of the year. And that's about 270 millimeters above average for this time of year. So that is pretty significant and it hasn't happened in a long time. We usually kind of stay pretty even. But now we're going to see more of those rain showers, very hazy, hot and humid where it's not rainy. And then more heavy rain across the Korean peninsula.

That's significant, because remember earlier this week the government of North Korea issued a statement saying that they had some 27,000 people that have been left homeless because of heavy rain. There has been so much rain across that area as well. So that's going to be something to monitor.

As we head to Europe, we do have a lot to talk about here. Again, temperatures remain very high. We went ahead and put Hong - excuse me, London there, because it's still above the average, but nothing like before. The hotter temperatures now across central and also eastern Europe. With those hot temperatures come the strong thunderstorms. We had some of those roll through parts of France in through the low countries and then moving over Germany.

Now as intense, but watch out for the possibility of not just very heavy rain, but lightning and also the potential for flooding with this - even some of those storms can even have hail.

Notice how dry it is in areas farther to the south. So as we head across this entire southern tier of Europe, Kristie, the concern there as we head into the weekend is the risk for wildfires because it's so warm and because it has been so dry across this entire region. So we'll continue to watch that. Very hot, very humid here to the south and then some scattered thunderstorms as we head into the north and west. Back to you.

LU STOUT: All right, a very, very comprehensive forecast. Mari Ramos there, thank you. Take care.

Now they say don't believe everything you read, see, or hear. And now it seems even museums are suspect in that fine line between fact and fiction. As Rafael Romo reports from Ecuador, one of Quito's most famous monuments has drawn the equator in the wrong place.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): The sign says "equator, latitude zero." It's a magnet for tourists from all over the world.

JESSICA REDDICK, LOS ANGELES TOURIST: Just to put one foot in winter and one foot in summer.

ROMO: Welcome to the Middle of the Earth Museum in Quito, Ecuador. It features a 30 meter tall monument, almost 100 feet, with a globe on top. There's also a village with shops, restaurants and exhibit halls. But the main attraction is a yellow line that runs through the facility. It marks the equatorial line that divides the earth between the northern and southern hemispheres, or does it?

ROMO (on camera): You know already that it's not the actual line?

DIANA VANZUYEN, LOS ANGELES TOURIST: Yes, I do know that.

ROMO: Does that -- is that a spoiler for you?

VANZUYEN: No. No. No, it's -- got to pick a place, right? It's practical.

ROMO (voice-over): Museum authorities do not dispute the fact that this is not the actual equatorial line. A French expedition drew the line in the 18th century.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a symbolic place that we have that was settled here according with the meditiaonals (ph) that we had 200 years ago in 1736.

ROMO: The error was discovered only a few years ago thanks to Global Positioning Technology.

(on camera): In fact, we can talk about three different equatorial lines. The symbolic one here at the Middle of the Earth Museum is this yellow line where most tourists take their pictures. The second one is where those two mountains intersect and a v shape is formed, that's where the ancient people of this area believed was the center of the world. The third one is located about 200 meters in that location. That's where most modern GPS systems indicate latitude zero is located.

(voice-over): For this American tourist, the current line is just fine.

REDDICK: If you stand on a state line in the United States, one foot in California, one foot in Arizona, you know, -- I mean it doesn't really matter, but it's just a little - a symbol of being two places at once.

ROMO: And so the tourists keep coming, about 400,000 a year, to have their pictures taken at a symbol that remains more powerful than the truth.

Rafael Romo, CNN...

(on camera): Should we then just keep it a secret among us?

VANZUYEN: Just among you and I, yes, I think that's a good idea.

ROMO (voice-over): ...not exactly at the equator.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Nice one Rafael. Now, this is a video that has over 6.5 million hits on YouTube, but in case you haven't seen it we will tell you what that man is throwing down the stairs and why on this riveting story coming up next on News Stream.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: And as you heard there, Hugh Jackman, he reprises his role as super hero The Wolverine as cinemas worldwide this weekend, but watching himself in action, it does not come easy for the Australian actor. Now he sat down with Chris Cuomo on CNN's New Day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: I'm laughing at myself, because even when I'm watching I'm going...

It's quite embarrassing on set, because even after six times playing the role, as I'm doing I'm going and they're like we've got the sound effects covered, man, you don't have to worry about the bang, pop, pow stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: So he likes to generate his own sound effects. Nice.

Now Jackman, he went to say that he has been looking forward to bringing this particular Wolverine storyline set in Japan to the silver screen.

Now meanwhile, it has been a wrap for another blockbuster film franchise. Filming on The Hobbit, it came to a close today. And director Peter Jackson, he live blogged the last hours of shooting right here on his Facebook page.

And posting a picture of the final shot. He wrote, quote, "smiles and happiness and sadness, yikes, very sad."

Now it's something of an end of an era for New Zealand. Now The Hobbit plus the Lord of the Rings trilogy before it, have meant some 14 years of moviemaking there.

Now, you may know Kevin Rose as the co-founder of the social media site Digg, but now he's getting attention for saving his dog with a heroic hurl of a raccoon. And it was all caught on video.

Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This labradoodle could have been toast if his owner hadn't saved him. Kevin Rose (ph) let his dog out of the San Francisco home then heard frantic yelping as a raccoon tangled with Toaster. Kevin sprinted down the stairs, grabbed the raccoon, and hurled it.

KEVIN ROSE, TOASTER'S OWNER: I was just scared that he was getting shredded up, because yes, I freaked out.

MOOS: Here's a replay from another security camera. Check out those eerie flying raccoon eyes. Kevin said he had no choice.

ROSE: I wanted to get them separated. I didn't want to kick because I'd probably kick my own dog.

MOOS: Kevin is the founder of DIG, a social news website that spawns viral videos. And he found his own video going viral, but what did he find when he went wearily down those stairs?

(on-camera) Kevin says the raccoon definitely survived the toss, but he saw it get up and take off.

ROSE: It actually fit through those gate bars there.

MOOS: Now it's even got its own fake Twitter account. F (ph) tossed raccoon. Toaster the Labradoodle came out of it with some scratches and Kevin came away looking like a major league pitcher. Admirers have put the toss to music.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MOOS: Kevin told Twit TV the raccoon weighed about 25 pounds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It felt very greasy.

MOOS: The last time we saw a toss like this was when a raccoon stumbled into the chimp enclosure at the St. Louis Zoo. What a wind up. And how did this raccoon wind up? Mad at the drainage pipe. We're told it eventually got out alive. Kevin Rose came out of his encounter smelling like a rose.

(on-camera) Believe it or not, even PETA gave Kevin a pass for hurling a racoon.

(voice-over) PETA said it was a crazy move that could have gone very wrong for man, dog, and raccoon, but you can't fault a man for reacting to save his dog.

ROSE: It was just kind of one of those things where you care so much about an animal like a family member.

MOOS: Strike three raccoon, you're out.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Wow that was amazing. Wow.

And finally, his, it was the cry heard around the world on Monday. Can't forget this guy. Tony Appleton, he was the town crier who announced the birth of the newest member of Britain's royal family who we now know as Prince George.

Now many people thought that he was part of the palace's official plan, following tradition, but as it turns out he was not. Now Appleton, he describes himself as a royalist who was tipped off from a journalist about the prince's impending birth and he just took the role of town crier upon himself.

That takes guts.

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

END