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NEWS STREAM

At Least 232 Dead In Mine Explosion In Soma, Turkey; Interview with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad; Interview with Thai Opposition Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva; Families of Nigerian Kidnapping Victims Speak Out; Praying for Peace, Unity In Ukraine

Aired May 14, 2014 - 8:00   ET

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

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

Now a difficult and dangerous rescue operation is underway in Turkey as hopes fade for hundreds of miners trapped underground.

Plus, what can break Thailand's cycle of political turmoil? We'll be speaking live to the leader of the opposition party.

And all they wanted was an education. Now residents of Chibok, Nigeria share their fears one month after militants kidnapped their girls. We have an exclusive report.

In western Turkey, officials now say more than 230 people are dead after a coal mine explosion and fire. And hopes are fading for hundreds of miners who are still trapped inside.

Let's bring up live pictures of the scene of this mining disaster in Soma, Turkey.

Now rescuers there, they are trying to reach one group of miners stranded about 1 kilometer underground. Now we don't know exactly how many workers are stranded throughout the mine, though total numbers could be more than 400.

Now Turkey's government says that the fire started when a transformer exploded. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at the sight right now and he is expected to speak soon.

Now this accident happened in the town of Soma in western Turkey's Manisa Province. It is a mining district. And the coal mine is owned by one of Turkey's largest mine operators.

Now a government delegation, including Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been in Soma to get a look at the disaster. Ivan Watson is at the site.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The electrical fire that is at the source of this disaster, it took place on Tuesday reportedly during a shift change when there could have been, according to different accounts, 600 to 800 coal miners at depths of 1 to 2 kilometers beneath the surface here in this coal mine.

So that is part of what has complicated the rescue efforts here. Most of the deaths we're hearing have been a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Of course you're in an enclosed space deep below the surface with a raging fire. And that, of course, uses up the oxygen supply in that area.

The -- this is a mining district. The surrounding mountains have been completely razed and pulled down by the substantial mining operations in this district of Turkey. And we drove through the nearest town, Soma, and there you have probably more than 1,000 Turkish security forces deployed, barriers along the main road through town, and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of residents who have gathered outside the heavily guarded entrance to the hospital there lining the streets.

It's clear that this disaster is hitting this community in western Turkey very, very hard. And it has raised fears among some senior Turkish politicians that this could -- when the operations come to an end, this could turn into one of the deadliest mining disasters in Turkish history.

But for now, people hoping, praying -- you can see the anxiety on their faces -- that their loved ones will emerge from this shaft and this terrible disaster that has taken place deep beneath the mountain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Ivan Watson reporting. We'll be talking to Ivan live from the mine site later on in the program.

Now exactly one month to the day after nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan is calling for an extension of a state of emergency in three northeastern states where Boko Haram is active.

Now the government has deployed troops there.

The search for the girls, but its initial response has been heavily criticized.

In an interview with CNN's Isha Sesay, a military spokesman hit back at claims that Nigerian forces failed to act on a warning before the Chibok attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. CHRIS OLUKOLADE, NIGERIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN: There is no village or town -- in the whole area we have state of emergency -- where we don't have information of likely attack almost on a regular basis. In a day, you can have up to 1,000 of such claims. More than three-quarter of it turns out to be frivolous.

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But did you get an...

OLUKOLADE: Allow me to get that far, you see.

It is not out of place to hear several, you know, insinuations of likely attack, but none has been ever ignored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now recent attacks by Boko Haram have shaken Chibok. And residents say that they are living in fear of one girl who escaped who Boko Haram captors now faces a very uncertain future.

Nima Elbagir talked with her in this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A burned- out dormitory, broken windows, what's left of the Chibok Girls Secondary School where a month ago the student's dreams were stolen along with hundreds of girls abducted from their beds.

(on camera): If the attack hadn't happened right here is where now the girls would have been taking their school exams. This school, these exams were supposed to be a gate way into a bright future that would take them beyond the boundaries of Chibok and out of the shadow of Boko Haram. For many girls now, even the thought of such a future is pretty much incomprehensible.

(voice-over): Educating girls is a sin in the eyes of Boko Haram, the terror group claiming responsibility for this devastation.

For one of the girls lucky enough to escape her abductors, it's a message she's received loud and clear.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: In Chibok, never go again.

ELBAGIR (on camera): You'll never go back to school?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.

ELBAGIR: Because they made you afraid?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.

ELBAGIR: What did you want to be?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Doctor.

ELBAGIR: You wanted to be a doctor?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Now that seems far out of reach.

Daniel Movia (ph) and his family fled into the Bush the night of the attack. Luckily, altogether and all safe. But what he witnessed that night still has him shaken. This area has been under siege for years.

DANIEL MOVIA (ph), FATHER: Fear is all other. Fear is everywhere. Presently what we are seeing that has happened to our girls here now, for those that escaped and for those that are yet to be taken to school, now there's a big question mark for every parent about what to do about the lives of our children. Of course, no one can afford losing their daughter.

ELBAGIR: But he's not giving up hope completely. He prays a day will come when his daughters will be free to pursue their futures.

(on camera): What will you like your daughters to be when they grow up?

MOVIA (ph): Things like lawyers, doctors, engineers. Because when I see one of these people doing their jobs, I have the zeal or the hope I want my children to be like them.

ELBAGIR: You have high hopes for them?

MOVIA (ph): Very high hopes for them, yes.

ELBAGIR: Nima Elbagir, CNN, Chibok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now coming up on News Stream, as more violence is reported in Syria, we take a look at the worrying rise of Islamic extremism. Plus, we'll bring you an exclusive interview with the country's deputy foreign minister.

A new ruling in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. The case could be set for suspension. We'll be live in Pretoria with the latest.

And as U.S. lawmakers prepare for a vote on a fiber optic fast lane, we'll tell you how Internet service could change if the plan goes ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

And now to dramatic decision in South Africa. Oscar Pistorius will spend one month undergoing psychiatric testing. Now the judge presiding over the Olympic sprinter's murder case has called for the evaluation. And that means the trial will be suspended indefinitely while Pistorius is examined.

Now Robyn Curnow is in Pretoria. She's been covering the trial for us. She joins us now -- Robyn.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there.

Well, this total different direction for this trial as Pistorius now faces, like you said, a month of observation, what is key about the judge's decision today is that he will not be institutionalized effectively during this period, that he'll be viewed upon as an outpatient.

So what is this judgment mean? How crucial is it to the whole murder charge? I have with my Kelly Phelps from the University of Capetown. Specifically the judge today, giving her view, her perceptions of the defense witness psychiatrist.

KELLY PHELPS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Absolutely.

What became clear today is the centrality of Meryl Foster's evidence. The judge made reference to its importance in determining the defense, but also she made reference to the fact that it is actually in line with Pistorius's testimony. So in other words, if it remains on the record, we know that it will have a high persuasive value and that it will bolster the reliability of Pistorius's own testimony.

CURNOW: Just thresh that our for me specifically. There are three different scenarios you've suggested as the possible outcome after this one month period of observation and a report.

PHELPS: Yes, in a certain respect, Mr. Nel may have won the application, but this could still backfire for the state, because two of the three potential outcomes are actually in the defenses favor. the first would be that the panel finds that he was, in fact, incapacitated at the time that he committed the conduct. That would lead to an automatic verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness. So essentially a prosecutor would have won the case for the accused, which is highly unusual.

A second potential would be that the evidence is in line with Meryl Foster's evidence, that they agree with her findings and therefore that it would bolster the persuasive value of Meryl Foster's evidence, which would also help the defense.

And lastly would be what Gerrie Nel would hope for, is that the panel's views contradict Meryl Foster's views and therefore the persuasive value of her evidence will drop and the court will essentially dismiss it.

CURNOW: OK. Now that obviously, all of this though means basically there is a delay, unclear how long this is all going to take.

We heard from the Pistorius family today, not often they make a public statement. They thanked the judge for being thorough, also saying this, in the end, is about a fair trial.

The judge also echoing that statement as well.

PHELPS: Absolutely. We heard exactly what we expect to hear from a judge of her standing and experience, and that was an absolute focus on the trial, the fair trial rights and the process of justice being seen through.

So she spoke about -- she knows this is an inconvenience, but the convenience factor cannot take precedence over the principle of a fair trial. And she is absolutely determined to see justice done in this case.

CURNOW: OK, thanks a lot. Kelly Phelps from the University of Capetown.

So, really, the big question for this panel of experts is can Oscar Pistorius be held criminally responsible for his actions?

LU STOUT: All right, Robyn Curnow, Kelly Phelps joining us live from Pretoria. Thank you.

Now authorities in Ukraine, they're sitting down with regional officials today to try to ease the crisis in the country's east.

Now decentralization and constitutional reform will all be on the table, but at this stage it appears pro-Russian separatists are at the center of the turmoil and they are not taking part.

Now there has been escalating violence in the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk where controversial independence votes were held last weekend.

Now Kiev and the west have dismissed those votes as illegitimate.

Now the threat of violence in the east is not stopping some pro-Kiev demonstrators there from praying for peace and praying for unity. Atika Shubert has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They come here every day to sing and pray, rain or shine. They have been shot at, some of them beaten, but they still pull out their blue and yellow ribbons from their handbags and pin them to their chests.

(SINGING)

SHUBERT: An act of peaceful defiance one day after the Donetsk declaration of independence.

These are Ukraine's faithful. They have been meeting here every day for more than two months since the fighting began.

"Donetsk has not suddenly become the Donetsk People's Republic. We do not recognize this referendum," this woman tells us. "They have tried to destroy us, but together we are strong. And if we back off now, only then will we lose."

There aren't many places on the streets of Donetsk where you can really show your support for Ukraine anymore. So this is one of them. And every now and then a car comes by, honks their support, or a jogger jogs past and says glory to Ukraine. And every single day these people come out to appeal for peace and unity.

How worried are you that...

Sergei Garmosh's (ph) office is another place you can still see the Ukrainian flag in Donetsk, one of the few places, he tells us. "Unfortunately, the office is abandoned now. After I was shot at, I ordered everyone to leave," he says."

These are photos immediately after the attack. After this incident, Sergei (ph) now moves in secret, never sleeping in the same place.

It also turned Sergei from a journalist into an activist, now one of the leaders of the group known as the Patriotic Forces of Ukraine.

He admits that the turnout for the referendum on Donetsk's independence has shaken him.

"I was really shocked when I saw the number of people going to vote," he says. "The separatists are winning tactically," he admits, "but they will lose strategically, because they have no picture of tomorrow. People will quickly become disappointed with them."

For Ukraine's faithful, Donetsk is now an even more dangerous place, but they refuse to leave or lose their faith. They say they will come tomorrow, the next day and the day after until peace returns to Ukraine.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Donetsk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And up next, is there any end in sight to the political deadlock in Thailand? Months of protests and a prime minister forced out of office. Coming up, we'll be talking to Democratic Party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva. What does he propose to end the crisis?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Anti-China protesters have set fire to several factories in southern Vietnam. Now some reports suggest that the buildings were owned by Chinese companies, but others say that the arson was indiscriminate.

Now it comes after China began drilling for oil near a group of disputed islands controlled by Beijing, but claimed by Hanoi.

Now China has declared a three mile exclusion zone around the rig. And Vietnamese officials say Chinese ships have been harassing their vessels in the region for several days, even ramming them and firing water cannon.

Now to the ongoing political turmoil in Thailand. Now protests have been running for six months now in Bangkok. Remember, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was forced out of office, but her party is still in charge. And now the senate has been meeting to find a way out of the long running deadlock.

Now the protesters, they are still camped outside government house.

Now talks on a planned election for July have stalled and the opposition Democrat Party was out to protest the last election held in February and it was declared invalid. So where do we go from here?

I'm joined now by Democratic Party leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. And sir, thank you very much for joining us here on CNN. The ouster of Yingluck Shinawatra has not resolved the political crisis in your country. This is a crisis that's been dragging on for a decade now. So please tell us what do you believe is the solution here?

ABHISIT VEJJAJIVA, FORMER THAI PRIME MINISTER: Well, I had anticipated the situation and told everybody that the court case would not resolve anything. I think more than anything else, the Thai people want the country to move on. They want us to see the deadlock broken and that we move on to the next stage of reforms, which will help create new opportunities for the country, rid the country of the corruption and the failed politics of the past, but we need to have some kind of dialogue taking place.

The senate is now trying to do its job. And I hope that the government would somehow respond to the senate's efforts, because at the moment I think the senate is talking to all parties, to civil society, to various groups. But the government is refusing to talk to the senate.

LU STOUT: Now in the senate, you've been exploring how best to create a reform council. But is that the answer when an unelected reform council is not democracy?

VEJJAJIVA: No, it's not my -- it's not proposal to have an unelected reform council. My proposal is we find a road map to get us back to elections which are free, fair and accepted by all sides. And to do that, what we need is a legitimacy and commitment to reforms, which is why I have suggested a road map that would include a referendum on reforms. And to actually return the country to elections within five or six months.

LU STOUT: OK, you want to open up the process, calling for a referendum to come up with this road map for reform.

Now let's talk about these potential elections due to happen in July. If these elections happen, will your party, the Democratic Party, will it take part in this election, yes or no?

VEJJAJIVA: We haven't considered the matter, but the fact of the matter is the election commission itself is not convinced that they will be able to hold free and fair elections in July because they have seen what has been happening since the end of last year. And what we are proposing is we should create the conditions where elections are free and fair, that we can all campaign safely. And whether it's a cooling down period where all sides can actually find some common ground and emphasize that common ground rather than actually...

LU STOUT: I understand that. I understand that, sir. But at some point you will have to have elections. When those elections take place...

VEJJAJIVA: Indeed, that...

LU STOUT: ...will your party take part?

VEJJAJIVA: ...that is an integral part of my plan. We will take part in free and fair elections accepted by all sides, but we will not take part in elections where there will be violence against us, intimidation against us. We will not take part in elections where the people feel they will not gain anything from elections, just as they shown on the February 2 where over 20 million people refused to go to the poll or vote for a single party.

LU STOUT: OK, so once conditions are set for free and fair elections in Thailand, do you believe that your party has a leader who can win elections in Thailand, a leader who could beat fundamentally Thaksin Shinawatra at the polls?

VEJJAJIVA: We will certainly do our best. And our issue is not about whether we win or we lose, we want free, fair elections and we want government that comes from elections to respect the law. After all, we accepted the election results last time, that's why Yingluck had a relatively easy two years, despite huge mismanagement as far as flooding is concerned, as far as the economy is concerned with high prices and the failure of the rice pricing scheme.

But we supported the process until, of course, they decided to pass an amnesty law, which has brought the country to where it is today.

The people want to make sure that the people who come from elections do not again abuse their power and try to put themselves above the law, that's what the issue is about. It's not about who wins the elections.

LU STOUT: And a final question for you, sir, about the fate of Yingluck Shinawatra. She has been ousted from power, but technically as of today she can still run again. So do you think the senate will...

VEJJAJIVA: Indeed, and we have no problems with that.

LU STOUT: And that will take place.

VEJJAJIVA: Well, that's up to the senate. And I cannot make any prediction, but it has been extremely difficult to put together a three- fifth majority in the past to impeach anybody. But, you know, everyone has to be under the law. And the senate will have to consider this issue.

LU STOUT: All right, Thai opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, thank you so much for sharing your time and your insights with us here on CNN International. Thank you, take care.

Now, Malaysia's prime minister is admitting that his government made mistakes in a search for missing flight 370. Now in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Najib Razak wrote that he believe that in time Malaysia will be credited for doing its best under near impossible circumstances, but he also confessed that, quote, "we didn't get everything right." Mr. Razak acknowledged communication wasn't enough of a priority.

Now you're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, international teams are aiding the search for more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria. We'll take you live to the capital Abuja next.

Also ahead, Syria's government says it is winning the war against extremists, but the opposition leader warns the country is in grave danger of falling into the hands of al Qaeda linked fighters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now Turkey's prime minister has visited the site of a deadly mine disaster in the country's west. Mr. Erdogan confirms 232 people are dead after an explosion and fire there. Now rescuers are trying to reach hundreds of workers who are still trapped inside.

Nigeria's president has asked parliament to extend a state of emergency in three northeastern states where the militant group Boko Haram is active. Now troops have been deployed to the region to search for nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted by the extremist group exactly one month ago today.

Oscar Pistorius has been ordered to spend a month undergoing psychiatric testing. Now the judge presiding over the Olympic sprinter's murder case has called for the evaluation. Psychiatrists called by the defense had testified that Pistorius suffered from anxiety since he was a child. His trial will be suspended until the examination is complete.

Now U.S. Ambassador to Japan Carolyn Kennedy has visited the Fukushima reactor site for the first time. Now her visit Wednesday comes as a new report claims that radioactivity levels may be much higher than previously thought.

Now as a desperate search continues at a mine in western Turkey, let's go to Ivan Watson. He is live at the mine site. And Ivan, hundreds of people are still trapped underground, what is the latest on the rescue operation?

WATSON: It is continuing. It is a desperate race against time here. This is the Soma coal mine behind me. It is a massive operation in the surrounding mountains, some of them -- their entire tops taken off by the mining operation that's been underway here for clearly years, if not decades.

The big problem is that it's not entirely clear how many workers were down in the mind shaft when the fire, the electrical fire, first broke out on Tuesday, because there was reportedly a shift change that was underway. So there are believed to have been hundreds and hundreds of workers down at the bottom of the mine shaft.

Now the Turkish prime minister, who canceled an international trip and who his government has declared three days of mourning as a result of this disaster, he told journalists that the death toll had risen tragically to 232 dead.

I've just been speaking with some of the rescue workers who were down there working throughout the night. They're describing massive amounts of smoke down there. They can only operate using basically oxygen tanks, because the air is so bad.

We're hearing from Turkish authorities that most of the dead have passed away as a result of smoke inhalation, of carbon monoxide poisoning. Turkish authorities say they are pumping some kind of clean air down there. But the rescue workers we've talked to say they need to go down with tanks. And they say there's a massive amount of basically smoke down there.

And two men that I've just been speaking to say that they actually recovered the body -- bodies of six of the victims there.

Now as you approach this mine, through surrounding mining towns, you see flags flying already -- Turkish flags flying at half mast, Kristie.

And in the nearby town of Soma, hundreds and hundreds of residents are gathered lining the main street there behind police barriers in front of the main hospital where there are enormous amounts of Turkish security forces already, people in this -- just grueling vigil, waiting desperately to learn about their loved ones, loved ones who may have earned perhaps 400, 500, the equivalent for 400, 500 dollars a month working down at depths of several kilometers here.

Just a really desperate situation and what could become -- some lawmakers I've spoken to say -- could become one of the deadliest mining disasters in Turkish history -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: You know, Ivan, just a moment ago, we heard the sound of a siren. And we've been looking at video of the frantic rescue operation underway there at the site behind you, but also the investigation is underway as well. What we know more about the cause of the disaster and also the overall safety of the Soma mine?

WATSON: Well, Turkish authorities, the national emergency -- chief national emergency agency has said this has been a result of an electrical fire, a transformer that was overloaded. And it resulted in these disastrous results.

The labor ministry has come out with a statement saying that this mine actually was being regularly inspected and that everything was above board here.

However, one of the opposition party lawmakers from this district just about two-and-a-half weeks ago on April 29 had submitted a motion in the Turkish parliament to investigate reports of safety hazards at this very mine. His motion got the support of dozens of lawmakers from different political parties, but it was ultimately voted down, Kristie, by the ruling party in office.

Who know what would have happened if an investigation was allowed to move forward.

The questions about the safety of this mine, the questions of who is responsible -- perhaps the private holding company, Soma Holding Company, which has posted a message of condolence on its corporate website, those questions will clearly be asked in the days and weeks ahead right now.

The main priority, of course, is try to save as many coal miners as possible. Perhaps hundreds of workers that are still believed to be trapped still at depths of several kilometers beneath the mountain here behind me -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: CNN"s Ivan Watson reporting live from Soma, Turkey. Thank you.

Now in Nigeria, it has been exactly one month since nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted. Our Nima Elbagir is in the capital Abuja with the very latest. She joins us now.

And Nima, the latest on the rescue there, any solid updates from the Nigerian government?

ELBAGIR: Well, the Nigerian government had said that it is looking very closely at the Boko Haram video, the video we believe to be issued by Boko Haram that came out on Monday. They won't talk about what their gleaning from it, but they do say that they are learning a lot from that video.

The governor of Borno State has come out and said that 77 of the girls in that video have been identified.

We reached out to some of the parents that we met when we were in Chibok when we went up to the north a few days ago. They tell us a slightly different story. They say that only a few parents have been able to identify their daughters from scanning that video and they're now really concerned about continuing conflicting information that they're receiving from the government.

This, of course, comes on the back of all the criticism about how long the rescue effort has taken to really get into gear, and that even with the inclusion of the six or so international partners that have come in, including the U.S., UK and Israel, they still don't feel that this is moving fast enough, Kristie.

LU STOUT: The U.S. and UK, they have stepped up the military effort to find the girls. Can you tell us more about what they're doing, their focus to find them?

ELBAGIR: Well, the UK has sent in military advisers. And the UK for the last year has been working very hard on this issue of violence against women in conflict zones. And they've been training up a lot of their military personnel to deal with that and to look for the signs and in the response to that, so this is something that the UK has a lot of experience in and they're bringing that experience here to Nigeria.

One of the UK ministers, the minister for Africa, is on his way to speak directly with the Nigerians and offer more help.

But crucially, what is providing some crack of light in this dark situation here is that the use of U.S. spy planes. A lot of parents have heard about that, and it's giving them hope, because this could potentially cut a lot of time out of this rescue effort, because these spy planes are able to fly overhead into some of the areas where these militants are known to be based and really put eyes on it, look into those burrows, those hiding places. And it's very difficult to move that many girls across country without somebody knowing something -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: And Nima, you've been reporting this story on the ground there in Abuja in Chibok where the hundreds of girls were abducted. Outside of Nigeria, this case, it has become an international cause that's gone viral big-time on social media. Has the international attention translated at all into a sense of greater urgency on the ground to finally find these girls?

ELBAGIR: Well, it's been a month now, a month exactly today. And the Nigerian government only a day or two ago finally deployed a -- finally deployed permanent reinforcements inside Chibok town. So that gives you a sense of the slowness of this response.

But, the families that we've been speaking to say that they do believe that that international pressure has forced the Nigerians to come out of a state of what the families are calling of denial. They say that that in the beginning they were faced with suspicion, that there was a lot of disbelief that this many girls could have been taken from the heart of their -- of this town and with their families so close by. But now slowly, the government seems to be putting together a response of some sort.

One of the girls that we spoke to who'd escaped the abductors, who you would imagine would have a lot of very useful information to give the government, she is only now in the last day or so being questioned, Kristie. And the families, of course, they're all aware of this. And the only -- it adds to that sense of neglect, it adds to that sense of despair.

But they are hoping against hope that now that the international community is going to base itself here on the ground, that this will perhaps force the Nigerians to move a little quicker -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Nima Elgabir, we thank you for your reporting. Take care.

Now let's turn to Syria. And Syria's deputy foreign minister says that the government is winning the civil war. He sat down with Frederik Pleitgen for this exclusive interview in Damascus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The truce in Homs is something that's on the one hand been hailed, but there are also critics who say that those who were in those neighborhoods were essentially starved into giving up.

FAISAL MEKDAD, SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: We are not starving anybody. We are trying to reach all those civilians under the control. And on different occasions, many convoys carrying humanitarian aid have gone, but were turned back by the terrorist groups.

If they are speaking about starving of terrorism and terrorists, yes we have to do our best. And I think this is our right to do it.

PLEITGEN: There are people who say there is a policy of starvation to lead people to...

MEKDAD: It is absolutely untrue.

We have been fighting with these people for two or three years now. How can they continue fighting all this time with all weapons of all kinds are in their hands except food? I mean, this is absolutely absurd.

PLEITGEN: But are you using too much ordinance? Are the weapons too heavy? Because there is that widespread criticism of the use of barrel bombs. And now there's the new ones of the barrel bombs with chlorine gas.

MEKDAD: My friend, we shall not -- I mean, attack them with the flowers, because they not attacking us with flowers. They are attacking with more sophisticated weapons given to them by the United States, given to them by Europe, given to them by Turkey, given to them by the Saudis and others.

But I assure you 100 percent that chlorine gas has never been used by the government. We have now the investigating group from the OPCW, the Organization on the Prevention of Chemical Weapons. They are here. We are cooperating with them. We are ready to send them everywhere under our control to investigate and find the reality. I assure you 100 percent that these criminal weapons have never, ever been used by the government.

PLEITGEN: We talk about the situating situation. Is it possible to hold a presidential election in the current situation?

MEKDAD: Absolutely.

If you remember...

PLEITGEN: How are people in Aleppo, how are they going to vote?

MEKDAD: This double standard policy by certain European, American countries and the United States among others, they don't want anything to move in Syria. They don't want legitimacy in Syria. They want the disintegration of this country, or in fact if we have to take into full consideration what they want, they don't want Syria to exist. Or they want to hand over Syria to terrorist groups...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And this note for you, the UN Arab League envoy to Syria is resigning. Now Lakhdar Brahimi reasons are similar to those of his predecessor Kofi Annan, both try to find a diplomatic solution to Syria's civil war, but were faced with international deadlock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, UN-ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY TO SYRIA: The question is how many more dead, how much more destruction there is going to be before Syria becomes again the Syria we had known

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: UN chief Ban Ki-moon has accepted Brahimi's resignation. It takes affect at the end of the month.

Now you're watching News Stream. And coming up next on the program, net neutrality -- now U.S. regulators are set to vote on new rules that could threaten one of the Internet's basic principles. Stick around.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back.

And here on News Stream, we've been highlighting the issue of net neutrality. Now that's because the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, is set to vote on a proposal that could give some companies priority access, but the FCC chairman is set to revise the original proposal.

Now remember, if you think of the Internet as the information superhighway, then priority access is frequently compared to a fast lane.

Let's bring in our regular tech contributor Nicholas Thompson. He's the editor of The New Yorker.com. He joins us live from New York.

Nick, welcome back to News Stream. Let's walk through first of all what happened yesterday. The FCC Twitter chat. This is a tweet from the FCC special counsel Gigi Sohn who writes this, "chairman knows free market, won't protect the open Internet. That's why he's proposing new FCC net neutrality rules. None exist today."

Now Nick, what is she trying to say here?

NICHOLAS THOMPSON, NEW YORKER.COM: Well, what she's trying to say right now -- what people got from this chat that happened yesterday is that the FCC is very much moving in the direction of net neutrality. There were set of rules that were leaked a month ago. And everybody was like, oh my gosh, this is terrible. This is a disaster. There will be fast lanes, there will be slow lanes. The Internet will be killed. If you have a startup, you won't be able to get your information to consumers. It's a nightmare.

And there was outrage. There were protests. And then we've heard all these signals over the last month that actually maybe the FCC is reconsidering what it had in the first proposal. And there's a redraft proposal. So what Gigi Sohn was saying in that and a couple of other tweets is that, look, the FCC is going to put out a proposal tomorrow. There will then be a period of public comment. The proposal is not what everybody thinks it is. It's not going to be the end of end neutrality. It's going to be complex. And they do understand that the telecom companies do need to be regulated.

LU STOUT: All right.

Now another interesting tweet that you pointed out, this one from the FCC chairman Tom Wheeler. He says, "yes, title II is a viable option we're considering. We are listening. And we welcome continued discussion #FCCnetneutrality."

Now Nick, what is title II?

THOMPSON: OK. This is complex, but it's really important. What title II is regulatory authority that allows the FCC to regulate the telecom companies as public utilities, which means that they have lots and lots of power over the telecom companies. That's the way broadband Internet was regulated up until, you know, 10, 12 years ago.

Since then, the FCC has not regulated broadband companies with the strong title II, it's regulated them with weak rules. And so what a lot of net neutrality advocates have been saying is, look, stop trying to protect net neutrality with these weak rules that keep being thrown out by courts, instead use title II, use the strong authority that you're granted over public utilities that you've had since the 1930s but that you haven't used in quite some time.

So Wheeler's tweet says, you know what, I'm actually thinking of using the strong stuff instead of the weak stuff. And that's going to be very scary to the broadband companies.

LU STOUT: So, you know, from this Twitter chat, we hear from the FCC chairman himself that they're listening to the concern out there, that they're considering title II as a viable option, to reclassify broadband companies as public utility companies. What is the mood now among net neutrality advocates after hearing all that?

THOMPSON: Well, net neutrality advocates are still very wary. They're still -- they're still outraged, they're still apprehensive. But I think they're much more encouraged than they were two weeks ago. And, you know, there's been a -- there's been a real movement, right, of technology advocates, public interest groups, and then technology companies which see themselves threatened. It's been very interesting.

Normally the way lobbying on these issues works is totally asymmetric in the opposite direction. So, the broadband companies -- and they have lots of lobbyists, and they know the FCC really well and they work very closely with the FCC and they usually get their way. And usually the public interest groups, the Internet users, the Silicon Valley companies are off doing their own thing, not paying attention. And then occasionally the community -- that larger community gets completely outraged and it kind of overwhelms the telecom companies.

So there's kind of a reversal of power in Washington over the last week.

LU STOUT: Yeah, I want to hear more about this reversal of power and power -- people power, the protests over net neutrality. I mean, do you think at the end of the day, they have been affective in getting people to just rally around the issue, to get word out there and to get the attention of the FCC?

THOMPSON: Oh, absolutely. I mean, there's no question that the protests have been very effective and that the lobbying by the very rich tech companies has been very effective.

The FCC is a regulatory agency, but it ultimately answers to congress. So what matters a lot is how congress feels. And congress, powerful congressman of course get lots of contributions from the telecom companies, which are very powerful monopolies, which have a lot of influence, but they also have to respond to voters. And they have to respond if there's, you know, thousands of people sending them emails.

So, it has, I think, been an effective policy action by this community.

LU STOUT: Well, Nick, thanks as always for like breaking this down. Very complicated issue of these proposed new rules about the broadband Internet in the U.S. Thank you, and take care. Nick Thompson, New Yorker.com. All the best.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now Google is at the center of another heated debate over Internet freedom. A European Union court ruled the search giant must comply with requests from individuals to take down search page results, which linked to content that might cause embarrassment.

In an editorial on Tuesday, the New York Times warned that the ruling could jeopardize press freedom and free speech. Now the newspaper argues the ruling is too vague and could, quote, "open the floodgates for the removal of too much data." And says that could threaten freedom of information.

But advocates say that an individual's right to privacy is at stake here.

Now up next, a play date in New York goes horribly wrong. This inflatable bounce house, it was carried away with children inside. I'll bring you the details after the break.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now two young boys were seriously injured in New York after an inflating bounce house, or bouncy castle they were playing in was lifted straight into the air.

Now witnesses say a wind gust sent it shooting up about six meters while the boys were still inside. Both fell out.

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TAYLOR SEYMOUR, SISTER: I walk out and I see the bouncy house go up. And then it started -- it spun and the first little boy came out, landed in the middle of the road right there and then the other little boy is the one I saw, came down, hit his head off the back of my car right there.

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LU STOUT: OK, let's take you straight now to Soma, Turkey where more than 230 people have been killed in a mining accident there. Officials say hundreds of miners still trapped underground. The prime minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited the site. He's speaking now. Let's listen in.

(RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN PRESS CONFERENCE)

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