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NEWS STREAM
Interview with Barry Sheerman; Interview with Jimmy Wales; Interview with Rory McIlroy; Gay Athletes Say No To Olympics Boycott; Ask.fm Will Cooperate With Investigation, Say Executives; Drone Attacks Unpopular In Yemen
Aired August 09, 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 this is News Stream.
Now several advertises ditched Ask.fm after abuse posted online is blamed for a British girl's suicide.
We'll hear from Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales. And he speaks out about the Edward Snowden affair.
And Rory McIlroy speaks to CNN as the second round of golf's final major gets underway.
Anonymous Internet users who are being blamed for bullying a British teen to suicide couple possibly find themselves unmasked. Now the owners of the European social network Ask.fm say that they have offered to cooperate with the police investigation.
And if you read an open letter from the website, they point out, quote, "although it is possible to post anonymously to the site, we'd like to reassure parents that in almost all cases it is possible for Ask.fm to identify users."
Now 14-year-old Hannah Smith killed herself last week after receiving abusive messages on Ask.fm. Now a number of big companies and charities have since pulled their ads from the site.
Now cyberbullying, it appears to be a widespread problem that is on the rise. In a survey by a British child protection charity, 38 percent of children reported that they had been bullied online.
Now Dan Rivers spoke to teens in Winchester, England about the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIVERS (on camera): So, what's your experience of being bullied online?
ELLA DIXON, STUDENT: Well, it upset me, of course, like it would with anyone. But at the start, you kind of just dismiss it and hope it will stop.
RIVERS: Some people would say, why don't you just log off?
KATIE STEEL, STUDENT: You should log off, but people -- if people found out you logged off, they could think that that's more way to abuse you because then you've backed away.
DIXON: It's quite hard to log off and -- because you know it's still there.
HOLLY BRANSON, STUDENT: I think sometimes with that sort of thing, it can start off with a joke, but then people just don't realize how serious it can get.
ETHAN MULSHAW-BARKER, STUDENT: They feel bigger and more empowered when they're behind a computer screen.
UNIDENTIFEID FEMALE: Yes.
MULSHAW-BARKER: And it makes them -- they'll say stuff that they wouldn't say to you face to face.
RIVERS: What would be your advice to teenagers who do get a lot of abuse on something like ask.fm? How -- what would you tell them?
STEEL: You need to make sure you tell your parents, because they will always be there for you and they will stop it. Because if you don't tell anyone, then it will just get progressively worse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now that's what the teens have to say. Let's hear from a member of parliament.
Now Barry Sheerman has called for a cross-party commission on cyberbullying. He joins us live from CNN London. And first, could you tell us, sir, why is this happening? Why has there been this outbreak of online threats and bullying there in the UK?
BARRY SHEERMAN, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Well, I think it's worldwide. I think a man called Marshall McClure (ph), a famous Canadian, said we live in a global village and it's the medium not the message. And we live in this world of the social media. And of course we've in parallel -- last week the big story was people sending messages on Twitter threatening women of rape, murder and bombing. This week it's cyberbullying of children and this tragic death of a young student of 14.
So, you know, there has got to be some serious answers. And what we call in Britain, the summer silly season, a lot of politicians, including our own prime minister have jumped up and said he's got the answer, you know off-the-cuff.
When I used to chair the Children's, Schools and Families select committee, and I looked at cyberbullying -- you know, you can do something about it, but it needs proper policies, you know, and I've called for a commission, all-party commission -- this isn't political -- and we can sort this out.
But you don't do it by knee jerk in the middle of August.
LU STOUT: That's right. You have called for the creation of a commission on cyberbullying. Where do you start? Who do you talk to to understand the immensity of this problem?
SHEERMAN: Well, let me give you a parallel. A year ago, I joined a commission on stalking. And in the UK, we had no laws and no penalties for people who did horrific stalking, usually of women -- not only women. We had a commission of members of the House of Lords and House of Commons. We took grueling evidence. We came up with some very serious recommendations. The prime minister in the government liked them. So did the opposition. And they are now law. There are severe penalties for people who stalk, whether it's on the Internet or physically stalk.
So, you know, you can get good policy if you consider, take the evidence, and then take the steps.
So I do three things. I would set up the commission. I would look at the responsibilities of the people who own and manage these sites, like Twitter, like Ask.fm, because they have responsibilities. Look at a range of options like, you know, the red button when you've been bullied so that immediately it flags you up to a counselor if you're a child who can give you information and guidance and advice.
And I think also what we need to do is prosecute these people that do cause enormous disturbance to people and hurt them as much -- almost as much mentally as physically.
So we need a range of measures.
I don't know the right package. That's why I'm calling for a commission.
LU STOUT: Now you just mentioned Ask.fm. We know that a number of companies have pulled their ads from the website. Again, this is the website where Hannah Smith, the teenage girl, was bullied before she took her own life. Do you think an advertiser boycott makes a difference at all?
SHEERMAN: It's part of the answer, part of the answer. I mean, the site we're talking about is based in Latvia. But, you know -- and that's part of the European Union. And, you know, we must control these sites in the sense that they'd conform to a set of rules.
But you can't do that in the middle of August by saying, look -- prime minister saying, you know, calling on commercial organizations to boycott the advertising. That could be part of it. But it's not a complete part. If 40 percent, 50 percent of kids are being cyberbullied, we need a more thoughtful approach to this.
Bullying is wrong whether it's traditional bullying that perhaps you and I remember from school. Bullying is a ghastly thing wherever. And every school, every school environment will have bullying. And what you know, in a good school, in a good environment, you protect children as best you can. And that needs a very thoughtful process. And, you know, just thinking that on a summer's day you can come up with the answer, it's not going to happen.
We need some thoughtful responses. We need some good policies. And we need to adopt them in the United States, in Canada, and across the world.
LU STOUT: That's right. You mentioned David Cameron mentioning and suggesting a boycott. He also said that website operators, they need to step up to the plate, show some responsibility. How can a website show more responsibility and better manage and mitigate online bullying?
How much responsibility lies on their shoulders?
SHEERMAN: Quite a lot. Anonymity, of course, is at the heart of this. And I've talked to a lot of people involved in that world, mainly in Twitter, but I haven't talked to Ask.fm. But there's no doubt that anonymity makes people brazen, makes them more ruthless on the Internet. But if they are likely to be revealed who they are, that makes a very great difference. So getting rid of anonymity, knowing that you're going to find out who has been sending these ghastly bullying tweets or these horrible messages on Facebook or Ask.fm, that's one way, that's one step. But it's not the only one.
And the red button idea that you immediately press a button on Twitter, it takes you through to a whole group of people who pick up your complaint easily and smoothly and put you through to people who can give you counseling, if you're a child. A lot of these ideas are very good.
What I'm saying is good policy isn't made on the hoof, it's made by thoughtful bringing together a lot of these things, responsibility of the platforms and the sites, but also a proper investigation by -- by the criminal -- the police and the criminal activities people who can prosecute people.
Last week when we had these dreadful threats to women of rape and murder, there is a law against that whether it's on the Internet or not. So we need a considered response, you know, threats to women and other people as well as children.
LU STOUT: Well, here's wishing you the very best of setting up the commission. I mean, the world wants to have some answers to better understand why this is happening and how to deal with cyberbullying.
Barry Sheerman, labor MP, joining us live from London, thank you so much and take care.
SHEERMAN: Thank you. Thank you so much.
LU STOUT: Now in Canada -- now authorities have filed child pornography charges against two men in connection with the case of 17-year- old Rehtaeh Parsons. Now her family says that she hanged herself after she was gang raped and then bullied online.
Now the men are due in court next week.
Now Caroline Ray from CBC News spoke to the victim's father on Thursday. Here's her report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLYN RAY, CBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It was the case that made headlines around the world, a Halifax teen dead after telling her parents she had been sexually assaulted at a party by several boys.
Rehtaeh Parsons was just 16 when the alleged incident occurred. She told her family a photo of that day was being spread online and she was being tormented by bullies.
GLEN CANNING, VICTIM'S FATHER: How fast this destroyed my daughter was just unbelievable. She never recovered from it.
RAY: Then this morning, a phone call: two males in custody.
CANNING: I felt like crying. I felt like running. I just felt like -- and at the same time, you know, you feel -- you feel sad, because my daughter is never going to know that sense of justice. She'll never know that.
RAY: Initially the RCMP and Halifax Police closed the case. Her family, heartbroken, were vocal in their campaign for justice. Her mother said at the time that police failed her daughter.
LEAH PARSONS, VICTIM'S MOTHER: She just wanted someone to believe her and nobody did.
RAY: It sparked protests, vigils, and threats of vigilantism. The province calls for investigations into the school board and the local hospital where Rehtaeh was treated in the mental health unit. As the furor grew, a tip came in. Police reopened the file.
CPL. SCOTT MACRAE, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: The investigators are certainly going to want to take as much time as necessary. And that would go for any investigation, let alone Rehtaeh Parsons, because this was a tragic event. Police -- this has been played out in the public.
STEPHEN HARPER, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I just want to say how pleased we are to see that progress is being made. I hope this will provide some measure of comfort to the family.
RAY (on camera): Police say they don't know yet if any more arrests will be made, but with intense scrutiny around the world, they're trying to keep every detail possible under wraps.
Carolyn Ray, CBC News, Halifax.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now you're watching News Stream. And still ahead, this couple say that their newborns were taken away by a doctor and he never saw them again. We'll have the latest on China's baby trafficking scandal.
And vaccine trials offer new hope in the battle against malaria.
Also ahead, stay with us for a very revealing discussion I have with Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales on Edward Snowden and surveillance.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: 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 social media site Afk.fm saying it will cooperate with police after online abuse was blamed for a teenage girl's suicide. A little later, we'll look at an email service that is suggesting it would rather shut down than cooperate with the U.S. government.
But now to an alleged baby trafficking ring in China. Now authorities have recovered two more babies who were allegedly sold. And according to the state run People's Daily newspaper, one of the twin girls was found in Shandong Province, more than 500 kilometers from her birthplace in Fuping county. Her sister was found about 160 kilometers away in Shanxi Province.
Now David McKenzie spoke to another couple in Fuping county who also says that a doctor stole their newborns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The picture of a happy couple. But for months, Qi Kunfeng and his wife have known only despair.
QI KUNFENG, FATHER (through translator): Every night, my wife cries at midnight. She's too sad to even eat.
MCKENZIE: In May, Wang Yan Yan gave birth to twins. She says her doctor insisted that the newborns were ill, could become paralyzed or brain damaged. So, the doctor took her babies away. "We've never even seen our children," they say. "Not even for one second."
WANG YAN YAN, MOTHER (through translator): I just wanted to look at them, but the doctor wouldn't let me.
MCKENZIE: Now in a scandal that shocked China, the doctor has been arrested, her interrogation shown on state TV. She worked at this maternity hospital in Fuping, accused of betraying the trust of mothers in the most horrible way.
MCKENZIE (on camera): The scam worked by the doctor telling the parents that their child had a congenital disease and then taking the child away and sending it onto traffickers for around $3,000.
(voice-over): Police say the ring was exposed when they got a tip off, rescued a newborn from a neighboring state, his mother overcome with emotion, the doctor and five others being held and scores of cases being investigated. And in the village near where the doctor lived, more families are coming forward.
(on camera): So, they're telling us that there could be families scattered throughout this area that gave their young babies to this doctor, and now these families are wondering where are their children?
(voice-over): "The doctor told us that the baby died," said this woman. "But they never showed us the body."
QI (through translator): We trusted her so much. How could she be so cruel to our babies?
MCKENZIE: And like many in this village, they're now left wondering, are their children alive? Will they ever come home?
David McKenzie, CNN, Shanxi, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now, according to the Xinhua News Agency, five officials have now been sacked in Fuping County. They include the director of the country's health department and the head of the hospital where the children were born.
Now the U.S. State Department has evacuated most of its diplomats from Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city. And the order was made on Thursday after the State Department picked up on what it called specific threats.
Now it's not clear if the evacuation is related to an ongoing terror threat that shut other U.S. missions in the Middle East.
Now that threat appears to be centered in Yemen where the U.S. is stepping up drone attacks. Three separate strikes were reported on Thursday killing 13 people. And most allegedly had links to al Qaeda. Over the past two weeks, there have been eight suspected U.S. drone strikes with a total of 34 people killed, that's according to Yemeni officials.
Now Mohammed Jamjoom is following developments there. He joins me now live from our bureau in Beirut. And Mohammed, it seems that these drone strikes in Yemen are intensifying. What can you tell us?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, really what's happened the last three, four days is just unprecedented. Even at a time when the U.S. and Yemen have stepped up their counterterrorism measures and drone strikes have been increasing incrementally over the last couple of years, we're talking about over the last three successive days there were drones strike.
Yesterday along, three separate U.S. drone strikes as we're told by Yemeni officials.
And let's look at this map here to show you some of the provinces we're talking about.
Now there was a drone strike that happened in Mareb Province. Mareb Province houses the country's main oil pipeline. It's the part of the country where just two nights ago there was a Yemeni military helicopter that was shot down. Officials told us they believed AQAP was behind that attack.
Also yesterday, two separate drone strikes at different times in Hadhramout Province.
Now both these provinces have always been hotbeds for militants. And Yemen is a country where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is the most dangerous wing of al Qaeda, has really been able to thrive. It's a country where there are porous borders, with rough, mountainous terrain where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula can very easily hide out. And this is a country with a very weak central government.
But what's happening now more than ever, really highlighting the threat level in Yemen, the concerns by the U.S., by the Britains, by the Saudis, and by the Yemenis as to how much they believe al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula will be able to possibly carry out an attack -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: This is an intense and ongoing drone campaign in Yemen. What do the people of Yemen think about what's happening inside their own country?
JAMJOOM: Quite simply they're angry, Kristie. I'm hearing a lot more anti-American sentiment from activists in Yemen. They're angry with the Yemeni government for allowing the Americans to carry out these strikes without any kind of oversight.
They tell me again and again that they believe that most of the people that are killed in these strikes aren't high level terrorist targets, they believe that they're mostly civilians. They believe that the Yemeni government and the U.S. government aren't exactly honest about who exactly is killed and how much collateral damage happens in Yemen.
I spoke last night with Yemeni Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Karman. She issued a statement yesterday. And told me that she believes the drone attacks there are not legal. She says they're extra-judicial. She says this is a human rights violation for Yemenis. That Yemenis are afraid now. They're living in fear. And that this is something that is undignified for them and that this is something that really puts them in danger.
So there's a lot more concern being voiced right now, not just by your average run-of-the-mill activists, but by very prominent activists like Tawakkol Karman. And this is worrying for the U.S. there and for the other western powers, because if anti-American sentiment if fueled in a country like Yemen where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has such a strong presence, will that, or could that possibly be used as a recruitment tool for more AQAP members to join an organization that many analysts say, despite these drone attacks, that they could possibly be stronger than ever -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: A lot of questions about the legality of these drone strikes, about the human toll, and also about the group that its meant to be targeting. I mean, what kind of threat does AQAP really pose today? How capable are they to launch a successful attack either inside Yemen or overseas?
JAMJOOM: Well, Kristie, they've proven themselves to be more and more capable since 2009. 2009 is when Saudi al Qaeda and Yemeni al Qaeda merged. They became al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In the subsequent years to that, we've seen them plot very sophisticated types of attacks.
Now some of these attacks have been thwarted like the planned attack to bring down an American Northwest Airlines plane over Detroit, Christmas Day 2009, a cartridge bomb attack. But the top bomb maker for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and for what many believe for al Qaeda itself, Ibrahim al Asiri, he lives in Yemen. He's able to make more and more sophisticated type of devices.
And now we're in a situation where we're hearing from terrorism experts that they believe that Nasir al-Wuhayshi, who is the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who is based in Yemen, that they think that he's been promoted by Aymen al-Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda worldwide, to become the number two in that network, which really gives a lot more clout to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, really highlights just how valued in the al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is to the al Qaeda organization and really shows just how strong they are, that they've been elevated to this position. And many, many terrorism analyst say despite their surroundings, despite the fact that they're continually -- that many countries continue to try to go after them, that there are drone strikes, they believe they are resurgent, that they are resilient, and they think that right now they're about as strong as they ever have been -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Valuable insight and reporting there from CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom. Thank you.
Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, new hope in the battle against a deadly disease. Now scientists test an experimental malaria vaccine with encouraging results. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you are back watching News Stream.
Now it is a mosquito-born disease and it kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, many of them children. But today there are promising developments in the fight against malaria. U.S. researchers conducted a vaccine trial involving 57 volunteers. Now 40 were given intravenous doses of a vaccine made from a weakened form of the disease. And later, they were exposed to mosquitoes infected with malaria. And those who received the highest vaccine dose remained disease free.
Now it is a major step forward, but as one doctor put it, it's not ready yet for prime time.
Just a few moments ago, I reached out to CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, to get his thoughts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE))
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, there is a lot of optimism around this, as you might imagine. Those numbers that you just cited, one reason. Nearly a million people a year dying. But also because you have this idea that for the first time ever you might have a vaccine against a parasite. Very much in the early stages of testing here. And we've got to be careful. But there's only been about three dozen or so people who have actually received the vaccine.
But what they found was that in people who got a series of five shots over five months, they nearly -- they had 100 percent effectiveness. They did not contract malaria when exposed. And that's part of the reason this has become so exciting.
Now you'll know -- you know, Kristie, people who travel, the people who live in these malaria endemic areas, they have to take a series of pills every day to sort of protect themselves, and this would take the place of that. This would be a vaccine that once fully given, could replace those pills.
And those pills, you know, like Lariam for example, they come with some side effects. The FDA just reporting this week that it could cause a long-term neurological damage, these pills.
So, again, a lot of excitement about this vaccine. But it is still many years ago, maybe up to a decade away before they get through all the testing.
Kristie, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta there.
Now turning now to a row involving the U.S. media mogul Oprah Winfrey as she says a recent encounter she had a luxury handbag store in Zurich, Switzerland is just more proof that racial discrimination still exists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA MOGUL: And I go into a store, shall remain unnamed, and I say to the woman. Excuse me, may I see that bag right above your head? And she says to me, no. It's too expensive.
And I said, no, no, no. See, the black one, the one that's folded of the...
And she said, No, no, no. You don't want to see that one, you want to see this one. Because that will cost too much. You'll not be able to afford that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now the store's name is Trois Pommes. The manager of the store says the incident was, quote, "a 200 percent misunderstanding. She says that the sales woman didn't take down the bag, because Winfrey said that she only wanted to look at it. And she says the saleswoman proposed less expensive alternatives, because the bag's $38,000 pricetag embarrassed her."
Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, it is the world's largest encyclopedia, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales speaks to News Stream about the site and much more. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.
Now Pakistan says it did not know of any threat to the U.S. consulate in Lahore until most of the mission was evacuated. The U.S. State Department has moved its people to the capital Islamabad. Because of what it says are specific threats. Now just a handful of emergency staff now remain in Lahore. Now a senior official told CNN that they had picked up what they regard as a threat worthy of taking this action.
The two female victims of an acid attack in Zanzibar are making their way back to the UK. Now the women, both 18-years-old, were in a popular tourist area on the Tanzanian island when they were attacked by two men on a motorbike. Authorities in Zanzibar are offering a reward for information that leads to the attackers.
An Ethiopian military cargo plane crashed earlier on Friday at an airport in Somalia's capital. On Twitter, the African Union mission to Somalia said four crew members were killed.
U.S. researchers report promising results in an early stage human trial of a possible vaccine. Now scientists gave 40 volunteers intravenous doses of the vaccine and later exposed them to mosquitoes infected with malaria. And those who received the highest vaccine dose remained disease free.
Now the U.S. embassy closures across the Middle East and Africa were prompted by heightened terror concerns. In at least one case, U.S. officials intercepted a message from al Qaeda's leader to operatives in Yemen. As Tom Foreman shows us, intercepting terror communication is not easy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When al Qaeda leaders in far flung corners of the earth need to talk with each other they don't pick up the phone. Security analysts say they jump on the internet using a complicated chain of computer connections.
(on camera): Although no one knows for sure, this is how they believe it works. The parties meet in a private internet chat room where they are extremely cautious. Even shrouding their written communications with each other in encryption software making it difficult to read what anyone is saying in one of the short meetings.
Beyond that, they may even send deputies in a sense to conduct the conversations so at any given moment none of the leaders can be connected to each other or to whatever is being orchestrated. It goes even further. Instructions from top al Qaeda operatives are believed to sometimes be sent by trusted couriers to internet cafes where they log on to public computers where they encrypt the message and send it through an e-mail account set up specifically for that one message and no other. Minutes later the whole trail disappears.
(voice-over): Some security analysts say this combination of technology, social media sites and internet anonymity is the backbone of terrorist communications, Laith Alkhouri, Flashpoint Global Partners says it works well.
LAITH ALKHOURI, SENIOR ANALYST, FLASHPOINT GLOBAL PARTNERS: I think they allow such groups to flourish. They certainly give the means for possible lone wolves to communicate with actual group. Offer themselves as potential terrorists.
FOREMAN: Need proof? Prosecutors say the men accused of the Boston bombings used Jihadi web sites for inspiration and bomb building advice. Security analysts say Anwar Al-Awlawki exchanged e- mails with the accused Fort Hood shooting, Nidal Hasan and Khalid Sheikh Mohamed is believed to have used a Hotmail account.
ALKHOURI: Al Qaeda started with one web site a decade ago. Today, we have at least a dozen al Qaeda web forums that host thousands of individuals.
FOREMAN: A few years back when the hunt for Osama Bin laden was still raging, some intelligence forces believed al Qaeda was even developing its own intranet that was electronically hidden behind Jihadi web sites and accessible to only a few people. Whether they succeed or such a system still exists like much of the communication structure remains shrouded in mystery.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now as you heard, potential terrorists use the same devices and communication methods as other people. And the director of the U.S. National Security Agency says that fact is what makes monitoring difficult.
But General Keith Alexander says the agency has not willfully broken the law. Now he addressed the controversial NSA surveillance programs while speaking at a cybersecurity conference.
General Alexander was asked how the intelligence community is working to address vulnerabilities from inside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. KEITH ALEXANDER, NSA DIRECTOR: What we're in the process of doing, not fast enough, is reducing our system administrators by about 90 percent for the first reason which was to make our networks more defensible and more secure.
But it also now leads us into this second issue, because we trust people with data. At the end of the day, it's all about trust. And people who have access to data as part of their mission, if they misuse that trust, can cause huge damage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: So, Edward Snowden was not mentioned by name there. Now Snowden was, of course, working as an NSA contractor when he collected data about secret NSA programs. And now a secure e-mail service that he has said to have used in Russia has shut down.
Now it's called LavaBit. And the homepage now shows a letter from the site's owner and operator. Now it's very vague, but it suggests that LavaBit may be the subject of a U.S. federal subpoena for its data.
Now Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales has been vocal in his support for Snowden. I spoke with Wales a short time ago. And I started by asking about the NSA leaker.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIMMY WALES, WIKIPEDIA COFOUNDER: My view is very similar to most librarians, actually, which is that what you read is very personal. It's a big part of the right of freedom expression is also the freedom to read. And what people are reading is really their own business. And that's very important to us.
LU STOUT: Now let's talk about LavaBit. Now this is the website that allegedly is used by Edward Snowden as his email site. And the site chose to shut itself down rather than comply with the U.S. government. So you have a site like LavaBit, but then you also have sites like Google that have complied with the U.S. government, they handed over data to the NSA.
Where does Wikipedia stand in all this?
WALES: Well, we're not going to shut down over one request from the government. We can't do that. We've been very fortunate in that we have to date not been served with any of these kinds of secret orders or whatever. I've said personally if I'm ever served with one, I will have to exercise my freedom of speech as my conscious dictates. I think these things are really unconstitutional and aren't going to stand for very long.
But in the meantime, I think it's very interesting to watch something like LavaBit. There's too little known right now to really judge the situation. But I think as far as I can see so far it seems like quite an admirable thing for them to have done.
LU STOUT: Now you've been very critical about mainstream media reporting of the Snowden affair, of the NSA leaks, and in fact you want to kickstart a new discussion about shaking up journalism. What are you proposing?
WALES: Well, I think it's really interesting how we see even very respected outlets unfortunately chasing after clicks, chasing after, you know, very short-term viewership goals and things like that. And I think what's getting lost in the current market state is real, serious, long form journalism, which I think there is a hunger on the part of the public for that.
So I have a lot of ideas about how we might change things. I think it's important that we realize what online communities can and can't do. We see a lot of exciting potential. And I want to really think about how we can harness that and build something new.
LU STOUT: Now on the record, here at News Stream, we have never aired any sort of tabloid type reporting on Edward Snowden. No Edward Snowden girlfriend stories, OK. We believe in responsible journalism.
But you also mentioned earlier today about this hybrid model, right. That you can continue work as a journalist, but to somehow crowdsource that and work with the crowd. I mean, how would that work?
WALES: Well, I don't know, that's part of the opening conversation I want to have. You know, when we look at discussions at Wikipedia, you'll often see very intellectual, very thorough discussions trying to get at the truth, whereas usually the way newspaper comments work at the bottom of any news story online, you read the comments and you sort of weep for the future of humanity. It's really not very well done and there's a lot of real sort of bile and angry people. And it's just useless.
So I want to think about is how do we harness all the good people out there to bring out good commentary on the news, good participation on the news, and actually help journalists.
You know, we live in an era when people who have information can come to journalists much more easily than ever before. We're seeing this in dramatic ways, whether for good or for bad, depending on your perspective with things like Snowden. I think it can happen in a lot of smaller ways, as well, to really engage the public in the process of journalism.
LU STOUT: Now Wikipedia is only as good, is only as strong as its community, as the editors and the contributors that build it. I learned that 90 percent of your editors are male.
WALES: 87 percent.
LU STOUT: Or 87 percent -- let's round it up -- we're just 87 percent. What do you plan to do about that?
WALE: Well, there's a lot of things that we want to do about it.
So, one of the first things that we're doing is letting people know that, say, look we really want more women editing. We want more diversity in our editing community and that's something we really welcome. So we're trying to do a lot of outreach programs, things like this. In the UK, they just recently did a weekened event to improve the entries about famous women scientists. And we got some famous women scientists in the UK to help chip in and help us do that.
But then another thing we want to do is diversify the editing base is right now we have in live beta, you can go on the site right now and try it, is our new editing environment, which is a much more -- like a word process environment.
For a long time, it's been a bit tech geeky to be able to edit Wikipedia. And it's not -- I'm not saying that women aren't good at computers, absolutely not, but I am saying the kinds of people who are really tech geeks tend to overwhelmingly be tech geek men. And so people like my father feel excluded from editing Wikipedia.
You shouldn't have to learn markup language to contribute what you know to the world.
So we really want to focus on that editing interface, making it easier for more people to participate.
LU STOUT: And become a more welcoming community to newbies, to not just women, but newbies...
WALES: So that's what I would call the third pillar of our approach is really to take a good look.
One thing the Wikipedia community has been well-known for over the years is that we are a nice community. We try to be friendly, we try to be welcoming. But we want to always take another look at that and say well in what way might we be turning off people are -- who don't fit our profile of tech geek men, and how can we be more welcoming?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Jimmy Wales there.
Now this week, Wikipedia is also highlighting a feature it's rolling out in the developing world. It's called Wikipedia Zero, it's a partnership with mobile carriers that allows people to browse Wikipedia on their phones in certain countries without paying for data charges.
Now Wikimedia's Kul Wadhwa told us about the impact he hopes it will have.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KUL WADHWA, WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION: Education is the primary way to get people out of poverty and to empower them. And the way to do that is really you need to give them access to knowledge.
I mean, asymmetric information is kind of the one main thing that, you know, puts people in different positions of power, you know, and if we can actually level that playing field, we definitely feel like it's going to improve people's lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now Wikimedia says that Wikipedia Zero is available in India, Russia, as well as certain countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.
Now time now for your global weather forecast, more on the record heat not just in China, but also in Eastern Europe. Let's get details with Mari Ramos. She joins us from the World Weather Center -- Mari.
MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, the never ending story of the heat. This summer has been really tremendous when it comes to these record high temperatures that have been affecting -- plaguing, I should say, different parts of the world.
Let's go ahead and start in Europe -- not just Eastern Europe, central Europe also experiencing record high temperatures.
These are some of the highs recorded on Thursday. We haven't reached our daytime highs in many of our places just yet. They're probably happening about right now. So as soon as we get that information we'll bring it to you. Very close values, again, to what we saw today.
In Austria, for example, and we have some pictures to show you from that region, they have had for the first time ever, since records have been kept, for the first time ever, they have reached 40 degrees in several places. At least three cities in Austria reached that 40 degree mark for the first time ever. That is very significant. And it just kind of shows you how intense this heat wave actually is.
So people flocking, of course, to the rivers and the lakes to try to stay cool. But those that are stuck in the cities are the ones that are really facing the problems.
You know, while some people do like the hot weather, there are problems in many cases with just trying to stay cool.
When the temperature gets this hot, using a fan just to blow more hot air on you, it really does not cool you down. What you really need to do is go to a place that actually does have air conditioning, where your body can cool down. And that is why this is such a huge concern.
Come back over to the weather map over here.
In Slovenia, the capital there, reached its all-time record high temperature right at 41 degrees as well. That is very significant. You've got to remember that many of these places do not have air conditioning.
When you look at the map over here, you have quite the dividing line. You can see it right over here. From Central Europe that way to the west, relatively cooler temperatures. And then from here to the east, you see the warmer temperatures. That's the dividing line of our cold front that's making its way across the region. And you can really see these temperatures -- again in Budapest, 36. 38 in Belgrade right now. And these are temperatures in the shade.
So beyond this, what's going to happen is as the front continues to make its way through here, we're going to get some very strong storms in between. And then, cooling back to average temperatures, it's not a big cooldown, it's not going to be chilly weather, but it's going to be closer to where you should be this time of year.
Meanwhile, areeas farther to the south, though, will remain quite hot even as we head into the weekend.
So, keep an eye out for those strong storms. And you can already see them developing right over here across eastern parts of Germany, moving into Poland and even into parts of Austria.
So a little bit of a cooldown finally coming your way.
Let's turn to Asia now. And a couple of things I want to tell you about here in my last minute. Notice how very quiet it is. Again, that dome of high pressure kind of holding on, keeping things very hot and very dry. We do have a tropical depression that has formed east of the Philippines. This is going to be something to watch over the weekend.
It's still pretty far away from land, yeah, but that track we don't like it too much.
Remember, we have that big area of high pressure that we've been telling you keeps storms kind of rolling here across the south, that's precisely what we have over here. So this one will be moving across the Philippines, and then we think by early next week into the portions of the South China Sea.
Keeping cool is still going to be a challenge for people across China. I want to leave you with these pictures, Kristie. No significant relief in site. You've got to be creative, right? This is in an IKEA story in Beijing. And we laugh about these pictures. It is funny. People are trying to stay cool and maybe take a nap in places that have air conditioning. And this is why you don't buy floor samples, by the way.
But it's great pictures.
But you've got to do what you've got to do, right, when it gets this hot? You konw. And I love the pictures. And I guess it's nice that IKEA is letting them do that. But in a mall that's filled with people just trying to catch a break from the heat.
That guy looks comfortable.
LU STOUT: You know, yeah, he's situated in a very good place on that IKEA sofa. And aftwards, he can have an ice cream, maybe some Swedish meatballs, make an outing of it.
Thank you IKEA. I love those photos.
Mari Ramos there, thank you. Take care. Have a great weekend.
Now you're watching News Stream. And up next, we've got a sports update for you. Gay athletes, like Johnny Weir, say no to a boycott of Russia's winter Olympics next year.
And in pro golf, PGA defending champ Rory McIlroy speaks to CNN about the latest major. We have that interview coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now some people protesting Russia's new anti-gay legislation want athletes to boycott next year's Winter Olympic games in Sochi. But others say competing is a more effective means of protest.
Now CNN's Don Riddell has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It's 25 years since a country boycotted an Olympic Games. And it's unlikely that any athletes will skip the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. But that doesn't mean they're indifferent to the host country's new law which effectively bans the campaign for gay rights.
Some athletes say they can do more for the cause by competing.
BLAKE SKJELLERUP, SPEED SKATER, NEW ZEALAND: Fully against a boycott. The Olympics have been very important to me. And I know that a lot of people like myself have worked very, very hard for these Olympic Games. And I think it's important for the world to show up and to be united on this issue, to bring light to it and to bring about a conversation and an education about what is actually going on.
JOHNNY WEIR, FIGURE SKATER: My mere presence is already propaganda. First of all, I'm a figure skater. We wear very elaborate, crazy costumes, which has been eluded to in Elton John's case in Russia as of late as being propaganda. And I'm married to a Russian-American man. I'm a figure skater. I'm very well-known in Russia. So just my sheer presence is a big statement going against this anti-propaganda law.
RIDDELL: The International Olympic committee forbids any kind of political statement or protest.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the World Athletic's Championships get underway in Moscow. Earlier this week, the IAAF, athletic's governing body called on Russia to reconsider its views on homosexuality, but said, like the IOC, that it does not want to raise political issues during its events.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Don Riddell reporting there.
Now it is day two of the PGA . And Tiger Woods didn't do so well after his opening round yesterday. The World Number One, he ended the day with one over par, six strokes off the lead.
Now Jim Furyk and Adam Scott were at the top of the scorecard with five under 65. And the defending champion, Rory McIlroy, had a good start with birdies in three of his first four holes. He ended up tying for 22nd place.
Now Rory is one of the favorites to win the PGA. And CNN's Shane O'Donoghue spoke to him about his game.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHANE O'DONOGHUE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: With Rory McIlroy after a good first round. And good to see you back playing well and swinging freely.
How did you feel out there?
RORY MCILROY, 2012 PGA CHAMPION: It felt good. You know, I played a really good front nine, 3 under par. You know, a couple of early bogies in the back nine halted that momentum, but made a good birdie again on 12. And then the rain delay came and I didn't -- I played OK. I gave myself a couple of chances and didn't quite take them. And, you know, bad bogey on 17.
But you know, to shoot a 1 under 69, you know, first round here is definitely not a bad start.
O'DONOGHUE: And the omens, I presume, are pretty good because 12 months ago you kind of flicked the switch on the season around this time. What's happened this time now with regard to your confidence with your swing and everything?
MCILROY: I don't know. I'm just trying to play golf again. I'm not thinking about it too much. You know, trying to I guess focus on each and every shot and just focus on that and not think about swings or bad misses that I've had in the past or whatever it is, just completely focused on that shot and trying to hit the best shot I can and try and remove all those technical thoughts that I've had in my head and just go and play golf.
O'DONOGHUE: Kind of celebrate your practice in other words?
MCILROY: Exactly.
O'DONOGHUE: There you go. Rory McIlroy, first good round here at the PGA. Thanks, Rory.
MCILROY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: All right, Shane O'Donoghue there. Thank you.
Now in the world of water cooler conversation, her haircut is generating buzz. Up next, Jeanne Moos has her take on Beyonce's new do, or don't.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now, Beyonce is known for hitting the high notes of fashion, but her latest do has some wondering why the diva with the main has turned into a pixie chick.
Jeanne Moos has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not since Michelle Obama sprouted bangs has hair style cause so many to flip out. Beyonce before, Beyonce after.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did she do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She looks horrible. Like a boy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's always gorgeous.
MOOS: Put out an all points bulletin. Issue an amber alert .
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where has Beyonce's long voluminous looks gone ?
MOOS: Some folks didn't even recognize here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rihanna?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shakira?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rihanna?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miley Cyrus?
MOOS: Now Beyonce will find out what it's like to walk a mile in Miley Cyrus' hair do.
The news raised existential hair questions. Did Beyonce actually have hair to cut? After all, she's known for wearing wigs and weaves. So, her short hair cut was dubbed weavepocalypse. A poster on Jezebel declared it's unbeweaveable.
But despite all the weaves, Boyonce's long-time stylist told "People" magazine, she had great, thick, long hair. Everyone wondered if Beyonce's hair getting tangled in a fan during a concert last month pushed her over the edge. But she managed to sing right through that and she managed to sing in short hair when she played Etta James in "Cadillac records." Men in particular seem blindsided by the short hair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't have the same sexy appeal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Too short. Women should have long hair. MOOS: A colorist said she colored Beyonce's hair after the cut and told "USA Today" the deed was done at a salon in Brooklyn after Beyonce had a moment. In a tribute to her former hair, (INAUDIBLE) will assemble 25 hair raising gifts in which she flipped the mane and toed it, lifted it, whipped it around and let it blow. Beyonce's hair has split the nation, 49 percent said love it, 51 percent said, leave it. These kids changed their mind.
Beyonce with long hair or short hair.
CROWD: Long hair.
MOOS: Two minutes later, thumbs up or thumbs down on the new hair?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it.
MOOS: No more Beyonce on hands and knees flinging her hair. We are a nation parted by Beyonce's hair.
Jeanne Moos, CNN.
You know her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is married to Jay-Z.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beyonce? Wow.
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: It's a new look. I like it.
Anyhow, that is News Stream, but the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.
And we're going to leave you with those pictures from an IKEA store in Beijing. You can find the whole gallery on our web site. CNN.com/international. Enjoy
END
