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NEWS STREAM

Violence In Ukraine Continues; U.S., EU Threaten Sanctions Against Ukraine; Facebook Buys WhatsApp For $19 Billion; Interview with Organizer of Emergency Care for Maidan Protesters about Rising Death Toll in Kiev; Clashes in Kiev between Protesters and Security Forces; Facebook Acquiring WhatsApp; U.S. Government Issuing New Warning of Terrorism for Air Travelers; Russia Cracking Down on Political Dissent in Sochi

Aired February 20, 2014 - 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 violence breaks out in the heart of Kiev. Over 20 people are reported killed in clashes between protesters and police. We'll be live in Kiev throughout the show.

And our other major story this hour, mobile messaging service WhatsApp is bought by Facebook for $19 billion.

Protesters out in force on the streets of Kiev today in defiance of a shakey truce that never really took hold. At least 20 people are reported dead in violence today. Those numbers from the protesters' medical chief. The mayor of Kiev has just announced his resignation over the bloodshed.

Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure is mounting on Ukraine's president as European Union foreign ministers hold emergency talks in Brussels.

And joining me now live from Kiev is our Nick Paton Walsh.

And Nick, we know that anti-government protesters, they have taken back the square behind you. How do they plan to keep it?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are fortifying barricades now at a fast pace. In fact, remarkable sense of industry you can see behind me in many ways. They're clearing away the burned rubble of the altercations they had with police over the past 48 hours when police moved down the road to my left and into that square trying to clear them out unsuccessfully.

There is perhaps a sense of anticipation, though. Anxiety, fear about what the police may do next.

They've been pushed out of the square back from the positions they adopted 48 hours ago when police pushed through their lines. It's pretty much where we were before the last violence started. The question, I say, is what does come next?

Let me wind back a little bit, Kristie, as to how we got here. Woken this morning, many of us in this hotel, by the sound of gunfire in the street to the left. Bodies being dragged down that road, some into the hotel lobby where a total of 11 lifeless bodies were counted by colleague Todd Baxter (ph) down there. That death toll could well have risen to 20 now, according to opposition activists and medical personnel.

A lot of them shot, a lot of them shot professionally. This is a one medical worker who describes the scene she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLGA BOGOLETS, PROF. BOGOMOLETS NATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY: Right now we have 13 people killed to death. They were shot by very professional snipers and they didn't give any chance to doctors for us to save life of those people.

All those people who were shot, killed for death by guns, professional guns with metal bullets. They were shot directly to their heart, to their brains and to their next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH: So, you can hear in her voice really the kind of horror that was visited upon people here.

We understand that at some point during the morning, police left their positions. They moved back.

Now protesters then say perhaps they were fired upon as they went to adopt the positions that police had left, perhaps according to one witness the stun grenades were used against protesters, that cause protesters to move forward. And some simply say that the act of the police leaving here was a tactic designed to throw confusion and allow violence to occur.

We haven't heard from the police about what they see happen. The president Viktor Yanukovych is blaming the opposition for the violence.

But there are real issues at stake here for his presidency. As you said, the mayor of Kiev, the head of the city administration, has left his ruling party, has distanced himself from the president saying he'll run the seat by himself taking control of that. That's not the secession of Kiev from the rest of the country, but it's a certain sign that there's a lot of division within the higher body politic of this country.

And we bear in mind, too, also Kristie that just yesterday in the height of all this crisis, the head of the army suddenly was replaced and given a different job.

Real questions about who around Viktor Yanukovych is saying what to him right now. And what we can expect in the hours ahead.

LU STOUT: Scenes of chaos, rising casualty count, a lot of division there politically in Ukraine. What is the prospect for talks now? I mean, is there by any chance still a window of opportunity for more talks and another truce, a more lasting truce?

WALSH: Well, the opposition have asked the police to switch sides. The president is not making any reconciliatory noises at all at this moment. We have got EU foreign ministers who have flown in. Who have met with the president, who met with opposition leaders, too, that's the French, Germany, Polish and British foreign ministers. They now apparently go to Brussels to debrief their colleagues there as well. That may be a bid to drag the situation out here somewhat diplomatically.

It's clear that their arrival this morning didn't prevent violence happening hours shortly beforehand at all as many thought may have been the case.

I -- looking at the situation and seeing these strange departures from the circle around Yanukovych that should be increasingly loyal at this point. I think the pressure is certainly rising upon him.

The protesters in the square behind me, they want him gone. And I have to confess that a lot of people around him now I'm sure must be questioning quite what good his position does them right now. It's the singular demand of the opposition that he leaves power. So I think the pressure will increase upon that particular idea. And each time we see bloodshed in the street here historically in Kiev that just brings more people out, it strengthens the resolve of the protests and their numbers as well.

So we're going to have to see what happens in the hours ahead. But all eyes certainly I think are on Viktor Yanukovych, can he stop his security forces from shooting protesters in the future or what can he do to actually given up concessions to protesters, they even begin to think about going home -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: All eyes on Viktor Yanukovych, a lot of pressure on him. You mentioned the EU foreign ministers visiting there in Kiev, but we also know that EU foreign ministers separately are in Brussels discussing sanctions. We'll go there live shortly to get word from our Jim Boulden about the update on that.

There was word that there is a draft that would put tough sanctions against Kiev. Would that force Yanukovych's hand? Would that make a difference?

WALSH: Well, I mean, we heard from the Americans they were preventing 20 Ukrainian officials from getting American visas. I mean, that does help put pressure. But, you know, a trip to America isn't top of their list right now. So you have to bear in mind the thought process of people within the Yanukovych inner circle. They are looking to their sponsors, Moscow, for diplomatic and economic cover here certainly. The money is there.

We haven't heard strong signals today in support of what's happened here. There have been suggestions the foreign ministry blamed opposition protesters at this point for the violence, but not the overwhelming statements from the Kremlin up support that you would necessarily have thought.

That is what is key to Yanukovych. Sanctions may bite, they may hurt, they may cause those people around him to change sides or change their mind or feel under increase pressure, but it's probably not going to by itself change his mind. It may help push him from power, though, if it's adequately enforced on many people inside the country.

We're still looking to see whether Putin feels the Sochi 2014 Olympic games are far enough through that he wants to involve himself personally in this crisis by backing Yanukovych, or whether these scenes of bloodshed behind me frankly mean that Yanukovych is going to be distanced by Moscow. That's the key question now, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, a very key question. How will the Kremlin potentially intervene here. Nick Paton Walsh reporting live from Kiev, thank you.

Now as we've mentioned, tens of thousands of people have filled Kiev's Independence Square since November in this ground swell of anger after the president backpedaled on a trade pact with the EU.

I want to give you a sense of how the demonstrations have changed the city.

Now this is how the square looked before the unrest began. Here's a picture from today.

Now here's a different angle with the monument visible behind the fountain. And today you see smoke filling the sky.

And finally, here is Kiev's famous flower clock. It's set to be the largest in Europe.

Let's take a look at it now.

Now Kiev is caught in this tug of war between east and west. The protests are in large part about whether Ukraine should align more with Russia or the European Union. Right now, European foreign ministers, they are holding an emergency meeting in Brussels to consider sanctions against Kiev.

And a Russian foreign ministry spokesman called the threat of sanctions inappropriate.

Now earlier, EU foreign ministers met President Yanukovych. Let's bring in Jim Boulden from CNN London.

And Jim, first what's happening in Brussels right now? Just how strong is the push for sanctions against Kiev?

JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERANTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, these are the foreign ministers, of course, Kristie. So what they're talking about is matching the U.S. with travel bans. And as Nick said, Washington posed visa bands on 20 government officials who they consider to be responsible for this.

So the EU foreign ministers will be talking about such a travel ban as well, though they will not include Mr. Yanukovych, of course, because if there is any kind of face-to-face negotiations they might want him to come to Brussels.

So we're not talking about economic sanctions yet. We'll have to see whether it comes to that. But what they are trying to do, of course, is show their disdain for what has happened. And we heard Manuel Barroso, the president of the EU, say yesterday that they expect to have targeted sanctions against those responsible for the violence and the use of excessive force, that's his quote from yesterday -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: And also, we know that there are three EU ministers, they've been meeting with Yanukovych in Kiev. What's happening there. What do they hope to achieve?

BOULDEN: Well, once they meet with him face-to-face, the talk is that they will then fly to Brussels and they will then talk to the other foreign ministers. And so you have right now those three foreign ministers doing face-to-face talks and they will be the ones who will bring whatever Mr. Yanukovych tells them back to Brussels. And we'll have to see how that plays out for the rest of the day.

But we should say that of course Ukraine has taken this $15 billion loan from Russia. And that includes Russia buying what are called euro bonds from Ukraine to make sure they can continue to just do the day to day government spending that they need to do for all of Ukraine. And that's -- and you also have the European investment bank who have over time invested in Ukraine very important amount of money they've given to Ukraine, though it's not part of the EU, of course.

And so what we'll have to see is as this goes on, if the violence continues, will there be a decision made by the EU to stop funding some things in Ukraine like extensions of metro lines helping with upgrading the air traffic control systems, things like that, that they have helped spend money on in Ukraine. We'll have to see whether those kind of sanctions also come on the back of what looks like to be a travel ban from the EU following what the U.S. did on Wednesday, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Jim Boulden reporting on the intensifying diplomatic pressure on Yanukovych. Thank you very much indeed for that.

You are watching News Stream. We will continue to watch the situation in Kiev.

Also ahead, tech's big deal -- Facebook buys the mobile messaging service WhatsApp. I'll bring you the details and also look into whether it's worth the billions it costs.

Also ahead, punished on the streets of Sochi. Members of the Russian protest ban Pussy Riot are beaten or whipped on camera.

And a controversial trial in Egypt. Journalists are jailed, accused of being terrorists, but they say it's just the government trying to muzzle the media.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Let's go back to our top story now. Protests turn to violence on the streets of Kiev today.

Now opposition medical personnel say at least 20 people have been killed. The embattled President Viktory Yanukovych announced a truce on Wednesday and opposition leaders pledged to abide by it. But it all fell apart hours later when gunfire broke out in central Kiev.

Now the mayor of Kiev has just announced his resignation over the bloodshed.

Now let's hear from one of the protesters themselves now. A young woman made a video to explain why thousands of Ukrainians are prepared to put their lives at risk. Miguel Marquez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the Ukrainian, the native of Kiev. I want you to know why thousands of people all over my country are on the streets.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This two minute video now an Internet sensation, bringing attention to a violent struggle playing out on an international stage.

BEN MOSES, FILMMAKER: She is a 25-year-old citizen of Kiev, born and raised in Kiev, married, who cares deeply about her country.

MARQUEZ: A 25-year-old whose name we cannot use. She fears retribution.

Ben Moses made the video. He met her when he was making another film, a Whisper to a Roar. In it, Ukraine, one of several struggles for democracies profiled. The award winning and long-time L.A.-based documentarian never saw a reaction like this.

MOSES: I emailed my friends and said, you know, take a look at this. This woman really cares about her country and kind of explains why they're really on the streets. And boom.

MARQUEZ: Ukraine descending into darkness for weeks now, marked by an aggressive government response toward its own citizens demanding the very basics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want these people for here have dignity for brave. We want to be free.

MARQUEZ: Her video highlighting the power of the individual in a social media world, despite how complex, violent and distant the struggle might seem in our data overloaded world, somehow the message breaks through.

How is there room for this sort of video in a cynical world?

MOSES: It's all about this woman. She has -- she has a spirit, a caring, a deep caring about her people, about her country that when you meet her this far away, it just radiates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have this freedom in our minds and now I ask you to (inaudible) this freedom in our country.

MARQUEZ: A call for help for history written in real-time.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And we'll have much more on Ukraine throughout the hour. But let's turn to some other news now.

Now families separated by the Korean War are being reunited at a resort on Mount Kumgang in North Korea. There were very emotional scenes as some 200 relatives were brought together for the first time in more than 60 years.

Now Pyongyang had threatened to back out of the event, calling for South Korea to cancel its annual military drills with the U.S. Both Seoul and Washington refused.

This is the first reunion since 2010. And the gatherings will continue over the next several days.

Now coming up right here on News Stream, the $19 billion question over Facebook's latest buy. We'll break down the numbers behind the mobile messaging service WhatsApp.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're watching News Stream. Let's get more now on our top story this hour, the ongoing violent clashes in Ukraine. And joining me now live from Kiev is blogger and opposition protester Mustafa Nayyem.

Mustafa, thank you so much for joining us here on CNN. Casualties reported in Kiev. Here on CNN, we've been quoting an opposition medical source saying 20 deaths today. Is that in line with what you've learned?

MUSTAFA NAYYEM, UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Yeah, we are now staying in a hotel in Ukraine and here is as I know 13 corpse now staying laying down in the lobby in this hotel. And eight of them, they are moved now to the hospitals. You know that medics, they don't believe the government medicine agencies, because they are betraying people and giving them to the police.

So now we have seen a lot of injuries. And as told us, these people who are now helping people, that there are more than 1,050 people who were injured and wounded today.

LU STOUT: You're reporting 1,050 people wounded as a result of this violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police. What is the situation right now? What is the plan inside the square. We know the anti-government protesters, they have taken back Independence Square. How do they plan to keep it? Are you -- are they fortifying the defenses? What's happening there right now?

NAYYEM: I know the process divided into two parts. First of them are in the parliament when -- where members of parliament, they are gathering to have some sessions and tho solve this problem, because you know the protesters asked to restrict power of Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian presidnet.

And the other side is people on the streets. They captured more and more buildings and they're getting closer to government district.

But government district is very protected, because they are built barricades by government and there is a lot of snipers as we know, because we have seen them on the buildings inside the government district. So now people are there building some barricades on Madan (ph) and they're waiting for next using of brutal forced against them.

LU STOUT: They waiting for the police's next move. Any speculation from the opposition sie, you are a protest figure as well as a blogger. Any specular? What is the thinking about when the police could potentially arm up and move into Independence Square.

NAYYEM: You know, potentially they have this power, because there are a lot of police behind this government district where I've seen it today in the morning. But I think that now and the building of administration of president, they're coming on this negotiation between Yanukovych and head of foreign ministers of France, Poland and Germany told us, some of them representatives.

So, now they're waiting for some orders. And we don't know what they are going to do, because the same situation we had two days before they told us that it's peace and we are waiting for some political decision, but denied they started to attack people.

So now it's -- you know, we can't take anything for granted they are not going to attack now or in some minutes.

LU STOUT: You're absolutely right. There is a lot of hope resting on these talks with EU foreign ministers to somehow convince President Yankukych to restrain security forces and to prevent more bloodshed.

And Mustafa, final question for you. You're a blogger, you're also a protest figure, a member of the opposition. Why do you decide to put your life at risk to protest in the square and to challenge the government of Ukraine. Why are you doing this?

NAYYEM: You know, it started three months ago. Today is the three months ago the 21st of November the first people who went out to the streets there was for signing agreement with the European Union. It was not against government or against Yanukovych, it was just for signing this agreement.

But now when they use the brutal force the first -- in the history of independent Ukraine when the government using police and snipers and guns against people. So now there are people actually protecting themselves. And journalists and activists, they are not on side of one of them. But we are against using of power, against using of brutal force against peaceful demonstration.

Yeah, there are a lot of guns in the hands of protesters, but they are protecting, they didn't do it before government started to attack them and it was at the end of November. So now we are staying just even for freedom, I don't know, some for something for some peaceful decision of this situation, because we know that our president that he don't want to give up. He don't want to bail out. It's the main problem, because you know that president has a lot of problem with the law that after that using this brutal force and using police and guns against his own nation.

So now it's obvious for us that Yanukovych will not give up. And he will do everything to stay on the power. And it's very, you know, scary, because we don't know what he can use next days.

LU STOUT: It is very scary, the world is hoping for a peaceful resolution here. And Mustafa Nayyem, blogger, protest figure, thank you so much for sharing your story with us and do stay safe.

Now we will continue to follow the situation there in Ukraine, but now to our other top story this hour.

As you heard, Facebook has bought the mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock. And if you're not familiar with the app, well let me show it to you. This is what it looks like right here. It's pretty straightforward. It runs on Android, it runs on iOS, BlackBerry and other smartphone platforms and allows people to exchange messages.

Now how many users does WhatsApp have? Well, it's not so simple. One thing to bear in mind about chat apps is that the number of users alone can be misleading, because you can download multiple apps to your phone, meaning that one person can be both a WhatsApp user and a WeChat user.

But, if we look at active users WhatsApp is far ahead. It says it has 450 million monthly active users. And compare that to WeChat with 271 million active users. And then there's Viber, just bought by the Japanese firm Rakuten last week for less than a billion dollars. Viber only has 100 million monthly active users.

Despite the numbers, it's still a pretty incredible price to pay for a company that's just a few years old.

Let's get more now from a Silicon Valley insider, tech writer Om Malik joins me live via Skype from San Francisco. Om, thank you so much for joining us here on CNN International.

And you've got to answer this question, why did Facebook fork up so much money to buy WhatsApp?

OM MALIK, FOUNER, GIGAOM: You know, there are two reasons why they did that. Number one, it's a defensive move. When you, when you look around there's very few companies on the internet which still have a billion people using that service. So you know WhatsApp is getting close to that billion number.

So I think in some way deep down folks like Mark Zuckerberg know that where the competition is going to come from and how it's going to threaten their business. That's the number one reason.

The number two reason is how we are using the internet in the United States is different from what people use the internet for in other countries. For instance, communications through apps like WhatsApp is the killer app of the mobile internet in places like India and in the Middle East, in Asia because that's the way people like to interact with each other is sharing information. And I think from that perspective WhatsApp looked like a big threat to Facebook.

So, you know, what seems like an insane amount of money is not insane when you feel a little worried about your long-term prospects as a company.

LU STOUT: OK, so Facebook bought into WhatsApp, because this is trend in messaging, they've got to go there. And also it's a defensive move. But $19 billion, come on. Is it really worth it?

MALIK: It's funny money, right? Like if you look at where Facebook stock was a year ago and where it is, it's almost up like in triple digits. So it's just -- they're paying a lot of it with stock. The cash they're paying is about $4 billion.

But think about it this way, the $4 billion gets them into a market they've been craving to get into. They get more control over the mobile attention, right. Think about it, things we do on mobile phones are basically defining like the success and failures of companies. So the more we use something on our mobile phone, the more valuable it becomes.

It's the same thing. Facebook, Instagram, and now WhatsApp. About Facebook is engine, they'll do whatever it takes to control as much attention of ours on the mobile platform.

I think yes, it sounds like crazy amount of money to a person who is not in Silicon Valley, but, you know, if you look the (INAUDIBLE) Mark Zuckerberg, this makes like perfect sense to him, right? It may not make sense to you and I, but to his - to him it makes perfect sense.

LU STOUT: Yeah, well, thank you so much (INAUDIBLE). Just trying to explain the logic behind this move from Zuckerberg and the funny money and everything else. We have to live it there. Om Malik, joining me live from Silicon Valley. Thank you so much. Take care.

And you stick around. You're watching NEWS STREAM. Still to come on the program, dramatic pictures coming out of Ukraine today. We'll take you live, back to Kiev for the latest on the escalating crisis there. And spreading the news, but was it false? That question is before the courts in Egypt, as these three journalists face some harsh and controversial accusations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching NEWS STREAM. And these are your world headlines. A crisis grips Ukraine as a shaky truth crumbles and gunfire erupts in central Kiev. Now, according to the protesters' medical chief, at least 20 people are dead in today's violence. And we've also learned Kiev's mayor has resigned. Now, three European foreign ministers met with Ukraine's president today to try to bring an end to the unrest.

Former newspaper editor Rebecca Brooks who is on trial in London has been cleared of one of five charges. A judge instructed the jury to acquit her on a charge related to a photograph of Prince William in the bikini. Now, Brooks still faces charges related to phone hacking.

Emotional reunions today between and South Korean and North Korean families separated by the Korean War. Most are elderly. They haven't seen the loved ones in decades. The reunions there are taking place in a North Korean mountain resort area.

And (INAUDIBLE) to Kiev now. I want to give you another view of what happened in the square. Earlier today, my colleague Manisha Tank, spoke with Olga Bogomolets. She's a doctor who's been treating the protestors, and she told us what she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLGA BOGOMOLETS, PROFESSOR BOGOMOLETS, NATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY: In the last two hours in the Hotel Ukraina where we are located, we made a medical center because the snipers started to shoot. Right now we have 13 people killed to death. They were shooted by very professional snipers, and they didn't give any chance to doctors, for us, to save life of those people. All those people who were shooted, killed for death by guns, professional guns with the metal bullet. They were shooted directly to their heart, their brains and to their neck. So, right now we have a lot of wounded and 13 people who are laying in the lobby. All these people, they didn't - they didn't have any guns, they were just peaceful people who were staying and protecting Maidan. And right now, I'm asking everybody who can hear me, what's going on in Ukraine, it's criminal. It's anti-humane. It's genocide (ph) for Ukrainian nation.

Now, all people, all our politician, it doesn't matter which party you go to, just you have - you are human being. If you have a soul, heart and brain, you have to be here and you have to stop people who are killing Ukrainians. Because from - since last two days, the day before yesterday I worked on Grushevskaya Street to hold - through the whole day we have 1,500 wounded people whom we all helped them (inaudible) medicals. 25 were killed for death, 350 people were sent to the hospital. They were hardly traumatized. Right now 50 of them are in a difficult condition, so we don't know if they will be alive. What is going on, is happening now in Ukraine, not because - not only because someone is giving command to shoot people, it's happening because millions of people are keeping silence and don't react. And we're asking all deputies, all European parliamentaries. You have to be here right now in Ukraine. You have to stop the genocide of Ukrainian nation, which is happening in the 21 century.

MANISHA TANK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Olga, your president, Viktor Yanukovych.

(CROSSTALK)

TANK: ... has said that the truce - the truce gave the opposition time to hand out weapons. What's your response to that as the government blamed the opposition for the escalation in this violence?

BOGOMOLETS: People from Maidan, we are not shooting, we have (INAUDIBLE) people who were killed to death right now and it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who gave the command. Everybody just have to stop shooting. Because we will have hundreds of orphans in Ukraine, children who won't have no fathers and no mothers. We also have volunteer of the medical care who was shooted this day.

TANK: What's the confirm (ph)? You've been describing the type of injuries that you've seen on those bodies that were brought in and also to confirm the number that you've seen.

BOGOMOLETS: Yeah.

TANK: Have you seen snipers or you're saying that you've seen injuries that are evidence? Shot from a sniper, that type of injury?

BOGOMOLETS: I saw all the people who were shot to death with two metal bullets and with guns. These people were shooted directly to their heart, to the neck, to the brain and to their lungs. The snipers, militaries, they didn't give chance for doctors to save life of these people. No one was shooted to arms or legs. No one. They all were shooted for death. Also, the day before yesterday- we have 20 people who were shooted by snipers directly to their eyes. So right now eyes of people are removed, and some of them, they have burns in their other eyes because they were bringing - putting bombs. So, one eye is removed and another eye was burned.

TANK: Olga, talk to me about those who've been injured. Where are they being taken? And what could you say about the care that is being given to those that are injured at this time?

BOGOMOLETS: The care ...

(CROSSTALK)

BOGOMOLETS: People (INAUDIBLE) more your question. We have - we have right now the ambulances cannot come to Maidan because the streets are blocked with militaries. We have ambulances which would like to come from Western Ukraine, but they are not allowed by our police to come into Kiev and to help people. So right now we have a hospital in the lobby of Hotel Ukraina, they have eight surgical tables and we have a lot of volunteers, surgeons, anesthesiologists, traumatologists, cardiologists working there saving life for people and making surgery for wounds and do all intensive care there. Of course, we don't have all the equipment, which usual hospital has, but what we do, we just do in one hour. We didn't have much time. We just bring everything to the lobby and we made a hospital there.

TANK: Olga, clearly right now we're seeing live pictures. We're hearing what's going on. There's an address going on in the square. Can you tell us what's happening out there right now?

BOGOMOLETS: I'm standing turning back to Maidan, and now for every five minutes, the situation is changed. I'm staying with you for last five minutes, so I don't know how many more people who are killed in the last five minutes, and how many were wounded.

We all, I ask all Ukrainian politicians, all members of Party of Regions, if you have your soul, heart and brain, please, you have to be with your people. You have to stop this criminal situation, this genocide of Ukrainian nation. Don't keep silence. Please, do something.

TANK: There are those that are saying that there are some extremists' elements amongst the opposition. What would you say to those people? Are you united as an opposition?

BOGOMOLETS: Sorry. I'm not - I'm not a politician. And on the 18th I was helping also military. I was helping Berkut. I was giving him - they asked me to give them help. So we do help all people who need help and what they do, it's incredible. It's antihuman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And now with Olga Bogomolets, a doctor who's treating the protestors in Kiev. In addition to the 20 reported deaths today, she said there is over 1,000 wounded people. And she called the violence criminal. Let's get the latest now from Kiev. Phil Black is there. He joins me now live. And Phil, I understand that you talked to someone at a triage center, set up at the square. What did you learn about the casualties?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the injuries and the use of gunfire took place in the streets. Surrounding where we are standing now, leading away from Independence Square. This is where the number of casualties first took place, and to this very hotel where we speak, this is where the emergency clinic was set up. You were talking - hearing from Doctor Bogomolets then, and she was talking about the clinical center that she set up here specifically. They received at least 11, possibly 13 people, all of which died in the lobby of this hotel, or already dead before they get here. We've witnessed people carrying people to this hotel. CNN cameraman Todd Baxter (ph) also witnessed an incident which showed that we can talk about specifically and show you the video of one medic, under that doctor's direct reportage who was out there with a group of his colleagues helping people who would fall in. The video shows that he's surrounding a man who is on the street, presumably injured, when that particular medic also suddenly falls to the ground into the arms of one of his colleagues after a shot is fired. And then - he then tries to crawl away before he's then carried away by his colleagues. A shot was fired, he fell. That is all we know. We don't know where the shot came from. Unfortunately, at this stage, we also don't know what became of that particular medic, how serious his injury was, whether he survived or whether he didn't survive. But it is very indicative of the scenes that were taking place in this immediate area earlier this morning.

As a number of protesters from this square behind me pursued retreating security forces who were pulling back from their positions on the square. That was when the gunfire started. And it resulted in a number of situations, injuries and death just like that one we are talking about, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Very, very chilling to see that video - to see that medic fallen by a bullet, and not know the fate of that individual. And I know that the office of President Yanukovych, he is blaming the protesters for the violence and the end of the truce saying that they are the ones on the offensive, that they've been using live rounds, live ammunition. Is any of that true?

BLACK: It is hard to say, Kristie. And it really is. I can tell you that down on the square, earlier this morning, when the protesters on the barricade initially launched the barrage of rocks and Molotov cocktails towards the lines of security forces that was still standing there at that time. We saw one man with a shotgun, firing a shotgun. But we do not know, and this is important to know - we do not know what sort of ammunition he was using in that weapon. We don't know what came of - you know, we don't know what he was shooting at or what the results of that was. So, it is difficult to say. What is clear, though, and this is important as well, is that there is a hardcore element within these protest crowd that are prepared to behave more aggressively than the majority. The majority of the thousands of people we've been seeing regularly filling this square behind me. But in incidents like this morning, the hardcore guys are the ones that we are seeing on the barricades, wearing homemade armor, helmets, shields, lobbying whatever they can towards the security forces. The ones who are very much prepared to take their fight for change directly to the security forces. And crucially, what - these are the people that also, once the order was given for security forces to pull out of this square this morning, these are the people that pursued them and pursued them around this neighborhood, up the neighboring street. And that it was during that pursuit, at some stage for reasons we still don't know, the security forces chose to use live ammunition. And that is what has resulted in this terrible bloodshed that is taking place in Kiev today. We know at least 20 dead, according to the medical teams helping the protesters. But we don't have that officially from the Ukrainian government yet. Because official ambulances and doctors aren't able to actually get to locations like in this hotel. And actually collect the bodies that are currently lying on the marble floor in the lobby of this hotel as we speak, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Very, very grim. So, your reporting, Nick's reporting very, very valuable (ph). We attempt to - the chaos of what's happening there in Kiev. Phil Black reporting live from Ukrainian capital. Thank you. You're watching NEWS STREAM. I'll be back right after the break.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back. Let's get more on our other top stories this hour. Facebook has bought the messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion. That price tag has raised eyebrows and made some wonder, if the Chinese market was a factor? Now, Facebook is blocked in China. WhatsApp is not. So, did they make this deal to get a foothold in China? Well, the "Wall Street Journal's" Paul Mozur told us that was not the case.

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PAUL MOZUR, CHINA TECHNOLOGY REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: It's not really a big play for Facebook in China. This is more about the markets around China, Southeast Asia, other developing markets. And the reason is, that WhatsApp got an early start in China. It was quite popular for a long time here. But WeChat run by Tencent, one of the biggest Internet companies in China, has really taken it over. And another issue that WhatsApp would face, is that where it'd actually become popular. And if it were to start piping in some of the social media offerings, that WeChat offers and currently it doesn't. The stand surge (ph) here and the government would likely get on - get on them about that. And one of the things before it very, very clearly from the WhatsApp founders, is that they don't want to deal with censorship. They don't want to deal with people tacking communications. It's a big no-no for them, and so that - those are the main reasons we're probably not going to see a huge bump in China for Facebook.

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LU STOUT: OK. You just heard Paul mention WhatsApp's resistance to giving up user data. And WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum told Wired, that's because of his upbringing in Communist Ukraine. He says this, quote, "I grew up in a society where everything you did was eavesdropped on. Recorded, snitched on." He goes on to say that WhatsApp leaves all your data on your phone, and he says they don't save any messages on their server and they don't store your chart history.

A controversial trial in Cairo had just been adjourned until March 5th. Three journalists from the news organization Al Jazeera face charges of conspiring with a terror group and broadcasting false information. But some have said, this is nothing but an attempt by Egypt's military-backed government to muzzle the media and clamp down on dissent. The case has drawn strong condemnation from Western leaders and human rights groups.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a warning to every airline to be on the lookout for shoe bombs. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more.

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BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New concern terrorists may target direct flights from overseas heading to the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security is warning airlines that terrorists may attempt to hide explosives in shoes, cosmetics and liquids. According to one industry source, the advisory mentioned more than two dozen cities overseas including Johannesburg, Paris, London, Cairo and some additional cities in the Middle East.

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The DHS warning is non- specific, but the universe of people who have desire and capability is not large. It's al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula.

STARR: This demonstration shows the potential devastation a shoe bomb could cause. Sources say intelligence indicates terror groups had been working on a new shoe bomb design. And it's not the first time they've tried to blow up a plane that way. Shortly after 9-11, passengers on an American Airline's flight from Paris to Miami (inaudible) Richard Reid's attempt to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers. After that, the TSA started asking everyone in the U.S. to take their shoes off while going through the security.

This new warning comes just two weeks after U.S. officials warned airlines terrorists could hide explosives in toothpaste tubes on flight heading to Russia ahead of the Sochi Olympics. Officials say this new threat is unrelated.

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LU STOUT: Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr there now. A law enforcement official says travelers may notice additional searches next time they fly, including swabs to detect explosives.

Now, up next beaten, whipped and masked. Still ahead, right here on NEWS STREAM, members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot are attacked in the Olympic host city.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, a video has been released showing members of the Russian protest band Pussy Riot being beaten in the Olympic host city of Sochi. It happened when the group was filming a music video. Ivan Watson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PUSSY RIOT (chanting in Russian)....

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is not what the Winter Olympic are supposed to look like. Russian Cossacks whipping members of the dissident punk band Pussy Riot. The attack coming as these outspoken Kremlin critics tried to film a music video in the hearts of the Olympic city. Hours later we caught up with members of the band at the gates of a hospital in Sochi. At first, a security officer denies them entry calling them provocateurs.

NADEZHDA TOLOKONNIKOVA, PUSSY RIOT (through translator): In Russia, there is no possibility of speaking out. If you want to say that you don't agree with the current policy you will be chased away, you will be thrown in jail, you will be beaten and possibly even killed.

WATSON: This isn't the first time Pussy Riot have gotten in trouble in Sochi. The band life-tweeted photos of their detention on Tuesday when police brought performers along with at least seven human rights activists and journalists to this police station, just a short drive from the Olympic Park. The police say they were investigating a theft at a hotel. Within hours, the police dropped all charges and let the detainees go. Pussy Riot says this was the third time they've been detained and interrogated over the course of three days in Sochi. The husband of band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, blames Russia's president for the crackdown.

PIOTR VERZILOV, NADEZHDA TOLOKONNIKOVA'S HUSBAND: Basically, we do feel that Vladimir Putin personally sanctions all these forms of harassment.

WATSON: Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina served nearly two years in prison after they performed this song in a Moscow cathedral slamming Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church. They were released just before the Olympics, and the women immediately went back to denouncing Putin in public.

These are not the first people who have been detained and or arrested since the start of the Olympic Games. Within the last week, a prominent environmentalist and a leader of the Circassian ethnic minority, both who have come out publicly criticizing the Winter Olympics have both been arrested. The environmentalist is now reportedly on hunger strike.

Putin has repeatedly said that at the Olympics politics should not mix with sports. Those who tried to challenge that edict, may be in for a beating. Ivan Watson, CNN, Sochi, Russia.

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LU STOUT: There's been a dramatic spike in the reported death toll in Ukraine. Let's return to Kiev for the latest. On the violence there, Nick Peter-Walsh is standing by. Nick, you have an update on the number of lives lost today.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, this is a very alarming rise. We are hearing from the medical coordinator of the protests, the man called Oleg Musiy, telling journalists here that the death toll now from clashes this morning, stands at about 100 people. That's one (INAUDIBLE) precise figures. But he adds that we're talking about, perhaps, 500 people also who've been injured. Now, that's a remarkable rise from the 20 we were hearing early on today. I should say we haven't seen that number of bodies in the area we've been, but there may be other areas where those bodies were taken to. I should also point out we are, of course, in the middle of a battle for public opinion here inside Ukraine and across the world as well. So, with those caveats, we report those figures to you, but the fact that protesters willing to make that statement and their medical coordinators normally reliable sources of information for this kind of things will certainly inflame tensions here, and it gives you, more importantly, a pretty dramatic window on quite how ghastly this morning's events were. Kristie.

LU STOUT: A dramatic rise in the death toll, according to an opposition medical source. It's risen now to about 100. And those are live rounds we heard earlier today. Live ammunition. What was the cause of all these death, Nick?

PATON WALSH: It's been very hard to tell from the chaos down here. We've seen bodies moved quite regularly. Whether those people we see (INAUDIBLE) or they are alive is being hard to tell. But it has been a very dramatic morning here. We saw our own cameraman Todd Baxter (ph) counting 11 bodies in just the hotel lobby alone here at one moment. More (INAUDIBLE) were brought in later. And had been brought in earlier as well. So, a constantly fluid situation here. When you hear a rise in the death toll like this, of course, one should be cautious because people themselves gathering those numbers around the great pressure working in very difficult circumstances, but the fact this numbers have been circulated now to the media, of course, will itself inflame tensions and that, of course, will make those watching this from abroad deeply concerned about what may lie ahead, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Nick Paton Walsh reporting live from Kiev. Thank you very much, indeed for that update. You've been watching CNN NEWS STREAM. Let's go straight to "World Business Today."

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