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Capturing Hong Kong's Protests, an Interview with Photojournalist Alex Ogle; Boko Haram Suspected of Kidnapping More Girls; Doctor Diagnosed with Ebola in New York City; South Korean Activist Uses Balloons To Criticize North Korean Government

Aired October 24, 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 doctor becomes New York's first confirmed case of Ebola, prompting calls for calm from city officials.

Boko Haram may have abducted more girls in Nigeria, casting doubts on Nigerian government claims of a cease-fire.

And, as protests in Hong Kong stretch into yet another week, we go through some of the most striking images with the photographer who took

them.

We begin in New York where officials are trying to reassure residents after the city's first confirmed case of Ebola.

Now 33-year-old Dr. Craig Spencer is now in isolation at Bellevue, one of several hospitals across New York State designated to care for Ebola

patients.

Now Spender developed a high fever and other symptoms early on Thursday, six days after he had returned from treating Ebola patients in

the West African nation of Guinea.

His fiancee and two friends have been placed in quarantine.

Now in West Africa, the World Health Organization says Sierra Leone has at least one case of Ebola in every administrative district. And more

than 1,200 people have died from virus there.

Now the president of Sierra Leone is facing questions about the country's response to the outbreak. ITV's Dan Rivers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, ITV NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Listless with fever, the sick of Sierra Leone have few options. These people might have Ebola, but they're

chances of getting decent care are slim.

Just this morning, four cases arrived, most days seem more than 10 people turning up with Ebola symptoms.

They're forced to wait in a tent outside the main hospital in Freetown, the isolation unit inside is completely full.

In a rare interview since the outbreak, Sierra Leone's president defended his government's response.

It took you five weeks to speak after the outbreak, 10 weeks to visit the epicenter, 15 weeks to declare an emergency, do you accept the -- your

personal reaction was slow?

ERNEST BAI KOROMA, PRESIDENT OF SIERRA LEONE: The Ebola outbreak was announced in May. And it was new to all of us. We are not alone in the

fight, we also had the WHO, who had principally advised and also on what to do. And at every step of the way, we have had consultations with them and

I believe that we have been reacting appropriately.

RIVERS: The World Health Organization has launched an internal investigation into its botched initial reaction, but the man recently

appointed to supercharge the UN's Ebola response says help is on its way.

ANTHONY BANBURY, UN MISSION FOR EBOLA EMERGENCY RESPONSE: The United Nations is doing everything we can now. So far, the crisis is still ahead

of us. You know, the crisis got way out ahead of the international community, but now we are throwing everything we have at it.

RIVERS: The president recently put his defense rather than health minister in charge of the crisis, insisting that will make a difference.

KOROMA: I am of the view that by the end of the year we'll be in a position of not eliminating, but containing the Ebola virus.

RIVERS: But for those waiting outside Freetown's Connault Hospital (ph), that will be too late.

Dan Rivers, ITV News, Freetown.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now right now, the World Health Organization's assistant director-general is speaking in Geneva on how to access and to finance

Ebola vaccines. Let's listen in.

(WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION EBOLA VACCINE NEWS CONFERENCE)

LU STOUT: And you've been listening to a very bold and critical announcement from the World Health Organization there in Geneva. You heard

from the assistant director-general saying that a few hundred thousand Ebola vaccines will be made available by the first half of 2015.

She also said that five additional experimental Ebola vaccines are in development. They will begin trials shortly.

Just then we heard from the assistant director-general speaking live in Geneva saying this, "the vaccine is not a magic bullet, but it plays a

good part to help turn the tide in this epidemic."

Now the fight against Ebola, it's also getting a major financial boost. The Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is upping his philanthropic

efforts. He is increasing his commitment to $100 million. And Allen is encouraging you to get involved. On this website, it's called

TackleEbola.com, every donation will be matched up to $2.5 million. And that fund will help evacuate infected health care workers for treatment

outside the most affected regions.

And CNN is also helping you to get involved. For a list of aid organizations you can donate to or information on volunteer opportunities,

just go to this website, CNN.com/impactyourworld.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come right here on the program, Canada's capital city was terrorized by a lone gunman on

Wednesday. And after the break, what we know about the man who carried out the attack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: At least 60 women and girls have been taken from their homes in Nigeria. And once again, local residents blame the Boko Haram

terror group. Now they tell CNN that heavily armed fighters left (inaudible) and the equivalent of nine U.S. dollars as a bride price for

each female taken.

Now the villagers -- the villages are near the border with Cameroon, not far from the one where more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped back in

April.

Now keep in mind it was just last week that the Nigerian government raised hopes of their release, saying a ceasefire deal with Boko Haram had

been reached.

Let's get the latest now from Nigeria. CNN's Isha Sesay is in Abuja. She joins us live with the latest.

And Isha, with these reports of more women and girls abducted, what does that mean for that reported ceasefire?

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kristie, that is the question that many are contemplating here on the ground in Nigeria.

These recent attacks on Friday and Saturday on the villages of Wagga and Garta, raising serious question marks about the government's statements

about a deal to bring about the end in fighting, or the deal that they said was a ceasefire and would lead to the girl's release.

Listen, we've spoken to local journalists, and as you rightly pointed out local residents telling this individual that these were indeed Boko

Haram militants that stormed these two villages and made off with these 60 women and girls.

However, we are just off the phone with Michael Murray (ph) who is a coordinator of the National Information Center. And he points forth a

different line, saying in fact, that the has been told that Boko Haram is denying responsibility for these attacks.

Michael Murray (ph) going as far as to say that the talks underway in Chad are on course and are progressing as -- but without providing a

timeline.

But when we would actually see the release of these girls. It's all very complicated, it's all very murky. People asking questions with the

words, well, why would Boko Haram deny responsibility for these attacks if they are responsible? Who could be responsible for these attacks? Many,

many unanswered questions, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, serious questions being raised as hundreds of girls and women remain abducted, at-large. Thank you very much indeed for your

reporting. Isha Sesay reporting live for us from Abuja.

Now Canadian police, they are learning more about the gunman in Wednesday's attack on Parliament Hill. And sources say Michael Zehaf-

Bibeau converted to Islam years ago, but recently became radicalized. Investigators believe he had contact online with other jihadists in Canada.

His mother told police he wanted to go to Syria.

Now the effort to keep ISIS militants from taking a key Syrian town could hinge on what it happening right now inside Kobani. Now a CNN team

on the Turkish-Syrian border can hear intense fighting in eastern Kobani. And more specifically, it appears to be coming from ISIS positions, as the

militants try to move into the city center.

Now Kurdish fighters say on Thursday they managed to repel and ISIS attack on a strategic hill to the west. In the coming days, when Iraqi

Peshmerga fighters are due to arrive in the town with heavy weaponry after passing through Turkey.

You're watching News Stream. And still ahead, message in a balloon. Now South Korean activists, they plan for another launch that is likely be

met by gunfire.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now the king of the animal world is facing down extinction, but this week's CNN Hero Leela Hazzah is making it her mission to protect the

African lion. Here's more on how she's managed to transform hunters into guardians.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEELA HAZZAH, CNN HERO: Sixty years ago there are probably half a million lions in Africa. Today there's less than 30,000. If we don't do

something soon, there are going to be no lions left maybe in 10, 15 years, who knows.??

I spent a year living in the Masai (ph) community to understand why people were killing lions. It brings a huge amount of prestige to the

warrior and they were kill lions in retaliation for livestock that were killed. ??They started opening up and telling me stories. That's when it

clicked. If we want to conserve wildlife, we have to integrate communities. Our organization Kirs (ph) Masai (ph) warriors and it converts lion killers

into lion guardians. ??

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Here are two letters.

HAZZAH: When we first hire lion guardians, they don't know how to read or write. We provide all of that literacy training and technical training.

They track lions so they can keep very accurate ecological data on lion movements. We never really even imagined that we could transform these lion

killer to the point where they would risk their own lives to stop other people from killing lions. ??

When I first moved here, I never heard lions roaring, but now I hear lions roaring all the time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: What a beautiful report.

Now you're watching CNN News Stream. And up next, a Korean defector says threats and gunfire will not stop him from releasing tens of thousands

of anti-Pyongyang leaflets in balloons. That story straight ahead.

Now coming up next, they say a photo is worth a thousands words. Well, coming up, we hear from the photographer who took these dramatic Hong

Kong protest shots.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now the World Health organization says it hopes to have a few hundred thousand doses of Ebola vaccines ready for distribution by the middle of

next year. The WHO also says clinical trials are set to start soon for five more potential Ebola vaccines.

New York has its first confirmed Ebola case. A doctor who returned to the city after treating Ebola patients in Guinea has tested positive for

the virus. Craig Spencer is in isolation at a New York hospital. Officials say he immediately contacted authorities after developing a high

fever Thursday morning. And they are reassuring the public that there is no cause for alarm.

The Swedish military has called off its search near Stockholm for a mystery vessel. Now reports say that the search began last week after an

emergency radio call in Russian was picked up. Russia denies having any vessel in Swedish waters, but a Swedish rear admiral insists at least one

foreign vessel was operating in waters near Stockholm.

Activists in South Korea are planning to send more balloons northward this weekend. They expect them to be shot down, because each one is

carrying exactly the kind of message that North Korean leaders do not want the public to see.

Paula Hancocks reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Park Sung-hak (ph) is well aware he's on a North Korean hit list, but refuses to stop what

he's doing, renowned in South Korea for sending anti-regime propaganda leaflets, across the border in balloons.

Two weeks ago, his balloons were fired upon by the north, sparking an exchange of fire between the two countries.

"We are criticizing Kim Jong un," Park says. "The third generation dictator who ruthlessly abuses the human rights of 20 million North Korean.

We're outraged they are shooting at letters."

Letters which denounce the North Korean leader, sent along with cash, DVDs with documentaries on the regime, and sometimes food.

Other defectors have sent balloons containing material, which also questions Kim Jong un's legitimacy.

Judging this book by its cover, it looks like any other book you'd see on a North Korean book shelf praising the regime, but once you look inside

it's actually criticizing the leader and questioning his claim to the throne. It's likely this book that has annoyed Pyongyang the most,

according to defectors.

Park Sung-hak (ph) was almost assassinated by a North Korean a few years ago. When South Korean police arrested the man, these weapons were

found on him, including a ballpoint pen that fires bullets filled with poison. The intelligence agency tells us this would cause muscle paralysis

followed by suffocation and death.

"Just this April," says Park, "somebody sent me a dead pigeon with its head cut off saying they would kill me the same way. In June, they sent me

three dead mice saying I would suffer the same fate."

And yet he continues with around the clock police protection. He's convinced it makes a difference, spreading just a little information in the

most isolated country on Earth.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU SOTUT: Now China's Communist Party has just wrapped up its biggest planning meeting of the year, but the directive that seems to be getting

the most attention this week is Chinese President Xi Jinping's appeal to the country's architects.

Beijing is calling for less weird architecture. And these are just a few of the buildings that have been designed in recent years. And we're

featuring a gallery of all these images and more on our website CNN.com -- yep, you just saw that.

Now the worry here is that these structures are a bit too strange, a bit too ostentatious for China's skylines.

Now Xi's request has sparked debate on whether the mandate marks an end to ambitious architectural design in Mainland China.

You're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, the stories behind some of the most dramatic images of Hong Kong's Occupy

movement. I talk to one photographer whose work has earned him tens of thousands of followers on social media.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now here in Hong Kong, it has been four weeks since the Umbrella Movement began. In their latest attempt to end the deadlock, reports say

student protest leaders will hold a referendum at the main protest site this weekend to gauge if protesters want to accept recent concessions made

by the government.

Now officials have proposed sending a report to Beijing to reflect the views of the protesters in exchange for them to go home.

Now regardless of the outcome this weekend, the Occupy movement has captured the world's attention. And documenting the protests right from

the beginning is photojournalist Alex Ogle.

Now his riveting images have been featured in major international publications. Earlier, he took me back to the moment that launched the

Umbrella Movement nearly one month ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX OGLE, PHOTOJOURNALIST: This is from a bridge overlooking the main protest site in Admiralty. And it was just kind of clashes going back

and forth maybe calm for maybe five minutes and then everyone kind of pushed the police line. And it was just before the used the tear gas and

they were just using the pepper spray and this is kind of the big pepper spray with the -- from a backpack and you're just kind of pumping it kind

of crowd wide, that's why the umbrella's come handy for the protesters.

LU STOUT: You know, this is also an issue for CNN photojournalists is the issue of safety, right. I mean, with the use of pepper spray, tear

gas, et cetera, sometimes sporadic acts of violence would break out, how do you protect yourself as a photojournalist while being on the story and

capturing it?

OGLE: I mean, goggles is the main thing, because I think getting in your eye would be -- I've had it on my arms or on my legs before this, it

kind of splattered, but I think in your eyes or in your mouth would be the most painful and kind of debilitating.

LU STOUT: So you're holding the camera wearing goggles.

OGLE: Exactly. I mean, the first night when they had the tear gas it was pretty tough because you have these kind of gas masks, the kind of a

full face thing and it's kind of tough to focus and kind of tough to see.

LU STOUT: Now let's bring in the next image. And it's of the bamboo barricades -- bamboo in this kind of scaffolding, quintessentially Hong

Kong. And you captured it so it looks like a grid. And in the background, the famous cityscape of Hong Kong.

OGLE: Right. I mean, this kind of speaks to the kind of quintessential Hong Kong -- the nature of the protests here with the

barricades that kind of spring up and they just had all these materials. And so these guys come and just spring it up in maybe about an hour.

This was taken down the next day by the police. The amount effort that went into building all of these elaborate things, and everybody -- all

the protesters getting involved. And the protesters are not particularly - - they're not defending it. And maybe a protest in other countries there would be more be more of a violent response to them -- to police coming and

taking their stuff away, but they kind of put their hands up and just kind of let the police take them.

LU STOUT: And while documenting the umbrella movement, you also documented the human drama on the streets. And for example this moment.

And you see an older man using his fingers, stabbing it in the throat of this young student protesters. His reaction, his still reaction is

remarkable.

OGLE: Yeah, it's very stoic. This guy had been shouting -- screaming at him for maybe five, 10 minutes before this. And he had kind of a -- one

of the yellow ribbons, which is kind of a symbol of -- for the Hong Kong protesters. He ripped it off his shirt, and the guy, this student hadn't

really reacted. And he was just coming at him. And he's got the kind of martial arts jabbing thing his throat. And the guy was just kind of

standing his ground, which I mean, it kind of shows the kind of generational gap -- the kind of the old guy just going after this -- the

young student. And he's just taking it.

LU STOUT: Here we see just the raw agony of a journalist reacting to just being hit in the face with pepper spray. I mean, just -- you were

standing right next to him before this happened.

OGLE: Yeah, five minutes before. And we were together at the barricade. This is in Mong Kok area of Hong Kong about a week ago this

time last week. And he was -- we were both at the barricade. Police were trying to push people back. He was kind of pushing back trying to keep his

position, he's a journalist. He was showing his company -- his credentials.

And the policeman who kind of pushed a female colleague he was with, and he was pushing back at the policeman saying, oh you shouldn't be doing

that. And he got pepper sprayed in the face. And he fell to the ground. I just happened to be right next to him. And I think -- I tried to

captured kind of the pain he's going through.

LU STOUT: And one final question for you, because I know you are a very avid social media user, when you share all your photographs on social

media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, do you find that your audience is more interested in some images over the others? And which ones?

OGLE: Definitely.

Some -- ones like this one kind of took off immediately. Just, they take--

LU STOUT: Because of the news value or the emotion?

OGLE: The emotional kind of resonance that people can share saying like this is happening right now, just kind of a classic Hong Kong imagery,

which people who have never been to Hong Kong, but they kind of have an idea of it in their head and maybe they're following the protests, but not

so closely they'd get some kind of classic images, which they can -- oh, that's Hong Kong. And this is what's happening. And sometimes it just

spreads really quickly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was photojournalist Alex Ogle speaking to me a little earlier.

Now I wanted to end the show now with some work from our own photojournalists. Now CNN's Tom Booth (ph) and Scott Clautworthy (ph) went

down to the protest site two weeks ago to capture the scene. And you can see it here.

It is a stunning view of the art of the Umbrella Movement.

I'm Kristie Lu Stout. And that is News Stream for today. And let's leave you now with this unique look at the Hong Kong protests.

END