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Why Japanese Whiskey Has Reached Pinnacle; Leading Women: Stella McCartney; Occupy Central Movement Creators Urge Students To Retreat; Al Shabaab Claims Killing Of 39 At Kenyan Quarry; U.S. Attorney General Addresses Ferguson At Rally; Japanese Prime Minister Calls Snap Election Referendum on Economic Policy

Aired December 02, 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, CNN HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream, where news and technology meet.

Now pressure on Hong Kong protesters to leave the streets as the founders of the Occupy movement say they will turn themselves in to police.

The terror group al Shabaab claims responsibility for a massacre in Kenya and religious leaders from different faiths join forces to fight slavery.

Here in Hong Kong, the three founding members of the Occupy Central movement say they plan to turn themselves in to police. Now in the wake of

violent clashes between police and pro-Democracy protesters the trio say that they don't want to see people put any more danger. And, after more

than two months of demonstrations, they have urged student protesters to leave the streets.

But it is unclear whether the movement's younger leaders will do as they urge. 18-year-old Joshua Wong and two other students activists are now on

a hunger strike pushing for talks with the government.

Now the thing is, there doesn't appear to be any one person or faction in charge. There are three main groups involved and although they're all

broadly aligned, they do have their differences. Benny Tai is one of three Occupy Central leaders who will turn himself in to police in just a few

hours.

Joshua Wong is one of the most visible youth protesters. He founded the pro-democracy student group Scholarism.

And as for the university students, they're led by Alex Chow.

Now, we've also seen some more radical activists involved as well. And they have largely been shunned by the majority of protesters, but as you

can see it is diverse and it is a very complicated movement.

Now, our Ivan Watson is standing by in the heart of the main protest site in Admiralty. And he joins us now live. And Ivan, you spoke earlier today

to the student protest leader Joshua Wong. What is he saying about the aim of his hunger strike?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can't help but feel that the movement is at a bit of a crossroads right now and its future

is being vigorously debated right now here at this -- well, you could describe it as a speaker's corner where people meet every night.

But, of course, one of the key leaders here, Joshua Wong, the 18-year-old student and firebrand, who has now taken this very drastic measure along

with two other teenaged high school student, female activists to adopt a hunger strike. They are now more than 20 hours into it. And we spoke to

him earlier today to ask him about the future of his protest movement. Take a listen to an excerpt from that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: First question to you, why have you decided to go on hunger strike? And what would you like -- what will stop you from doing the

hunger strike?

JOSHUA WONG, HONG KONG YOUTH PROTEST LEADER: If the government can have a proper meeting with Scholarism to discuss on whether the political reform

will be launched immediately, we will stop the hunger strike.

WATSON: So, basically a meeting with the government and then you'll suspend your hunger strike.

WONG: Yeah.

WATSON: Now, are you aware of how painful and destructive for your health this could be? And do your parents know about what you're doing?

WONG: My parents know and I know it will be really harmful to my body. However, it is the only way to give the pressure to the government to get a

meeting with us. We hope to solve the problem and erase the general awareness on the issue. As we have said that we hope to get everything to

(inaudible) on the topic of on whether the government should relaunch the political reform or not. I think it shows the attitude of the citizens

that we have to solve the confrontation.

WATSON: Now, just an hour or two ago, the founders of Occupy Central, not only did they say they want to hand themselves over to the police, even

though there's no arrest warrant out for them, but they also issued an appeal to students like you saying retreat. It's time to use other

tactics. What is your response?

WONG: I hope that -- and I wildly hope student to retreat, they should also urge that the government to get a discussion with the students.

WATSON: So, are you going to listen to what men like Benny Tai have said? Are you going to end the sit-in?

WONG: We (inaudible) discussion with our group members. But we just hope to get a meeting as soon as possible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Well, Kristie, I asked also Joshua Wong what about the Hong Kongers who want this protest movement, the sit-in, to pack up its tents

and leave, especially because according to two recent polls, the majority of Hong Kong residents surveyed said that they do think that it's time for

the Occupy Movement to leave -- well, he said, yes, he conceded that quite a lot of people would like us to stop the Occupy action, but he argues that

if they do pack up and leave they won't be able to convince the government to sit down and talk to them. So he doesn't seem to see any point in

leaving right now.

And if you look at the students who still gather here in the study corner night after night, they don't seem to be planning to leave any time soon

either. And that's also despite the appeal from the elders of this movement, Occupy Central and Benny Tai telling the students to go home --

Kristie.

LU STOUT: The student leaders, the protesters, they're behind you. They remain watching that interview just now from Joshua Wong you can't help but

just observe that he seems so drained, so tired, but nevertheless very determined to carry on with this protest action.

Now Ivan, what is the latest, meanwhile, on this diplomatic row between China and the UK over the Umbrella Movement protest?

WATSON: Well, the decision by China to basically deny visas and access for a committee of British lawmakers from a foreign relations committee to come

and visit here to visit this very phenomenon, has been met, of course, with frustration. It's quite a slap in the face to British lawmakers who, of

course, Britain was the colonial ruler of Hong Kong until the 1990s.

The Chinese foreign ministry is still standing by its decision saying that the visit of those lawmakers would be bad for British-Sino relations.

Meanwhile, that decision by Beijing is being debated, it's planned to be debated today in an emergency debate in parliament.

But what measures Britain may take to respond to that we don't yet know. That's still in the debating stage right now. And it does come back to the

question of the relations between Mainland China, the ruling Communist Party and Hong Kong, that is at the crux of this protest movement where the

critics here would argue that the government, the central government is not organizing democratic enough procedures for elections in 2017, a lot of the

protest banners that you'll see here are critical of the central government in China and clearly the Chinese government does not want Britain, the

former colonial ruler, to be playing a part in the drama that has been taking place on the streets of Hong Kong day after day now for more than

two months -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, CNN's Ivan Watson covering all angles of the Umbrella Movement on the street and in diplomatic spheres as well. Thank you so

much for that update, Ivan.

Now one of the wives of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been detained. She's being held by the Lebanese military. And we're getting varying

reports as to exactly what happened, but it appears she was trying to enter Lebanon from Syria several days ago. Now some reports say that she was

traveling with a son who has also been detained.

Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the massacre of 36 people in Kenya. Now the Red Cross says it found the bodies in a quarry in Kormey

village near the Somali border. And Kenya's KTN news says about 20 gunmen attacked workers at the site. The militants spared the Muslims, but

murdered the others. The Islamist group says the attack was in retaliation for raids on Mosques by Kenyan security forces looking for extremists.

Now for more on the latest violence, Nima Elbagir joins us now live from London. And Nima, Kenya's president just spoke, he just addressed the

attack. And he framed it as a war we must win. What else did he say?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kenya's president has been coming under increasing pressure since the Westgate attacks, the

Westgate Mall attacks last year in September. The sense has been that not enough has been done, that if al Shabaab are able to continue to cross the

border into Kenya and carry out attacks like Westgate, like the attack on the quarry, like the attack on a bus not far from the site of this quarry

last month, on people going home for the Christmas holidays, then clearly Kenya's government is not able to get a real handle on the security

situation.

So Ohuru Kenyatta there acknowledging that perhaps not enough had been done. Take a listen to this, Kristie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OHURU KENYATTA, KENYAN PRESIDENT: We also acknowledge some weakness in our security architecture. In light of this, last week I directed my

government security actors to engage with members of the relevant committees of the legislature with a view to rectify administrative and

legal hurdles that limit our ability to deal with this very real and existential threat that we face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: President Kenyatta also said that he had accepted the retirement of Kenya's inspector general David Kimaiyo. This is the first, the most

senior I should say, Kenyan official to step aside since the security crisis began, Kristie.

LU STOUT: So with this resignation and Kenya trying to take action after a string of attacks by al Shabaab. And remind us why is this jihadist group

targeting a quarry in Kenya?

ELBAGIR: Well, al Shabaab claims that not only is this in revenge for the mosque killings, but they have maintained all along that these attacks were

to try and force the Kenyan government out of Somalia. Kenya is part of the African Union alliance that has been fighting al Shabaab in Somalia

with pretty successful results. They've pushed them out of the capital, they've pushed them out of one of their main cities. They're currently

mainly in the rural areas.

So they're trying to use the Kenyan public opinion, really, to convince the government to come out. And it was interesting, President Kenyatta at the

beginning of this speech recapped recent history, almost, outlining again why he believes it's so important that Kenya remain in Somalia.

But while they are on the run in Somalia, they definitely -- they don't seem to be on the run in Kenya. And that is the problem that they have

regrouped and restrategized. And what they seem to be going for now that they've lost that territorial footprint is for these high impact attacks

that don't really need that much outlay, but have such devastating results, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Nima Elbagir reporting for us, thank you Nima.

Now turning now to the United States and President Barack Obama is pushing to monitor police on the job. He says he was to address the simmering

distrust between racial minorities and police. And he wants 50,000 body cameras for police officers.

Now this comes on the heels of the controversial shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

There was no video footage of that shooting.

Now the grand jury that decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson had to rely on witness accounts.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, campaigning for Japan's snap election kicks off. Will voters give the prime minister and

his economic revival plan more time? We'll take a closer look.

Also ahead, religious leaders from several faiths in the same room at the Vatican. We'll tell you about the declaration they've just signed next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Now campaigning is underway in Japan for an election that no one saw coming when it was announced last month.

Now Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caught many off-guard when he called for snap elections for parliament with two years left in his term. He says the

December 14 poll will be a referendum on his Abenomics strategy for reviving the economy, which is officially back in recession.

Still, the timing of this has left observers rather puzzled.

Now for more, let's got live to Andrew Stevens in Tokyo. And Andrew, what is the view among voters there? I mean, do they see this as an election --

as a referendum on Abenomics?

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think they do, Kristie. I think clearly the prime minister is going to the people early because he

says he needs four years to complete his task to get reforms in place to get the Japanese economy powering away.

And he is telling the story about how employment is improving, how corporate profits are improving and how the first two arrows of this so-

called three arrow strategy found their mark in a way and things are moving forward.

And remember, too, that he has a decent majority in the lower house. So he -- even though his popularity would have fallen given the fact that

Abenomics hasn't been the resounding success that he hoped it would be, he still got quite a cushion there when he does go to the polls.

LU STOUT: And Andrew, I want to get your thoughts on Abenomics. Do you think Prime Minister Abe's economic plan for economic revival, does it need

more time to work and end deflation in Japan, or is it fundamentally flawed?

STEVENS: I think it definitely needs more time. And if you think about deflation, as you said, Kristie, this was front and center the key target,

if you like, for Abenomics. Japan has been in the grip of deflation, falling prices for so long now. And what falling prices mean is that

people tend to put off their spending because they think prices are going to get cheaper. So you get this sort of vicious circle that people are

holding back on purchases, that hurts companies, obviously.

And what Abe has done with these first two arrows and by washing the financial system with money, by keeping interest rates very low, by

weakening the yen, is that he actually has created inflation here in Japan.

Now the critics will say, well, hang on, there is a recession here. The government will counter that by saying that and consumption tax was

introduced which was actually part of a previous government's plan, which the LDP, the ruling LDP now in charge did also support, but they point that

particular consumption tax is being the problem for the recession. And what they will say is that behind that headline number it is working, but

it needs more time.

And this third arrow is being described, less of an arrow and more of 1,000 needles, many, many different types of reforms need to go into place, which

will take time, Kristie.

Speaking to analysts here, a lot of people will say if he is given the time he can achieve to a degree what he set out to achieve, if you like. I

mean, he has been decisive, which has been very unusual for Japanese Prime Ministers in the recent past, the revolving door, we've seen really has led

nowhere.

Abe came to power with a plan, with a vision. He is enacting it. He's pushing forward. He's going to the people and saying give me more time.

And if he gets that time, people here say well he's got at least a reasonable chance of turning things around in Japan.

Let's face it, things do need to turn around in Japan. There has to be decisive action, there has to be this new way. And the Abenomics really is

the only card on the table.

The opposition hasn't come out with anything, any other plan. And it's interesting, if you look at the main opposition, their approval ratings is

in the single digits, Kristie. So Abe's approval is around about 40, 45 percent mark. So there is still a groundswell of support for him.

LU STOUT: And no wonder the prime minister is confident ahead of this general election call on December 14

Andrew Stevens reporting live from Tokyo, thank you.

Now you're watching News Stream and still to come, Pope Francis and faith leaders from various religions have come together to help eradicate slavery

and human trafficking. We'll have the details on this bold new initiative.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now, Stella McCartney may have a famous last name, but the British designer had to prove herself in the fashion world. McCartney opens up to CNN's

Maggie Lake about finding confidence and sticking to her principles?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STELLA MCCARTNEY, FASHION DESIGNER: You're allowed to be yourself. We're constantly made to feel like we have to be something else. I think it

served me well to just be true to myself.

I'm Stella McCartney. I'm a fashion designer. And I'm committed to approaching it with responsibility and...

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN INTENATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Britain's Stella McCartney has made a career out of sticking to her beliefs in business and in

fashion. Her designs rocked the red carpet. They're worn by royalty and the working woman all over the world.

MCCARTNEY: I see women wearing my stuff in the streets and like can I get such sort of wonderful heartfelt responses.

LAKE: But Stella McCartney has blazed a trail in fashion for another reason.

MCCARTNEY: From day one, I've never worked with leather or fur or you know I don't work with PVC. I'm very conscious.

LAKE: In a way, it's being a disrupter. Has that been difficult?

MCCARTNEY: Yes. It has been difficult. It continues to be difficult. But I -- I'm OK with difficult, like it's what keeps me on my toes. It

keeps me really excited as a designer.

But you know I've had people say to me you'll never sell handbags, you don't work with leather and leather is luxury to people.

I mean, 90 percent of the people that come to my stores have no idea I don't work with leather. They want to know that it will last them their

lifetime, their children's lifetime. They can pass it down.

I mean, to me that's luxury. It's not leather.

LAKE: McCartney had a vision even as a young designer. In 1997 while in her mid-20s, she was named creative director of the famous Parisian fashion

house Chloe. In 2001, she launched her own label and quickly learned a valuable lesson, the power of believing in yourself.

You get very steely when you talk about people telling you you can't do something.

MCCARTNEY: Doesn't everyone? Who likes being told they can't do something?

I remember somebody and a very sort of well thought of executive in the industry when I said that I wanted to go back to London and start my own

house and said, you know, look, you know, name me one female designer that's come from Great Britain that has any kind of global success. And

you know that really stuck with me. And that kind of fired me up. I was like, you know, I'm going to prove you wrong.

LAKE: Prove him wrong, she did.

Her fashion empire now includes 40 stores around the world. Her collections are distributed in 70 countries. And while McCartney has stood

firm on her ethics and design ideas, she says finding the confidence on the business side is something she's grown into.

MCCARTNEY: I mean, I'm learning as I get older. As a women you don't have to try and sort of fight it from a man's place. You know I did when I was

younger I'd come into board meetings and I'd be a bit kind of like, you know, I can do this like you do this. And actually I don't know it serves

one very well. You know, I think again it comes back to just allowing yourself to feel comfortable with who you are.

LAKE: Good advice there from Stella McCartney.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, religious leaders from different faiths come together to fight slavery. And CNN is at the

forefront of the session.

(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 president of Kenya says his government will intensify its war on terror after 36 people were massacred near the border with Somalia. Now

the militants separated Muslims from the ground then killed the others. al Shabaab has claimed responsibility saying it was retaliation for Kenyan

attacks on Mosques.

A source confirmed to CNN that a wife of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is now being held by authorities in Lebanon. At least two other news

outlets say the woman and one of al-Baghdadi's children were detained several days ago as they tried to enter Lebanon from Syria. It's not clear

what her intentions were.

In Hong Kong, the three founding members of the Occupy Central movement say they plan to turn themselves in to police on Wednesday. In a statement,

they urged student protesters to retreat and transform the movement calling for greater democracy.

NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels. Now Russia and Ukraine are high on the agenda. And Russia's relations with the west have been

strained by the Ukraine crisis.

Religious leaders from several faiths have just signed a declaration to end modern-day slavery. Now Pope Francis calls it an international crime

against humanity and says every human's liberty and dignity must be respected.

Now our Christiane Amanpour has been moderating the interfaith event, hosted by the global freedom network.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Holy Father, you played a key role in establishing the global freedom network. You were the

first person to call modern slavery and human trafficking a crime against humanity. As you appeal for this scourge to be eradicated once and for all,

tell us what exactly motivated your passion about this particular scourge?

POPE FRANCIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): On behalf of all of us and our beliefs and (inaudible), we declare that human slavery in

terms of prostitution, organ exploitation and also human trafficking is a crime against humanity. The victims come from all walks of life but most

times they are the poorest and the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters.

This situation is unfortunately becoming worse and worse everyday. I call upon all people in faith and their leaders and the governments and the

companies. I call all men and women of good will to provide their strong support and join this movement against modern slavery in all its forms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Pope Francis there. And don't miss a special edition of Amanpour from Rome. Hear more of what the pontiff has to say about the

fight against human trafficking. It starts Tuesday 7:00 p.m. in London, 8:00 p.m. Central European Time only on CNN.

Now a week after a grand jury decided not to indict a Ferguson, Missouri police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black teen, many

students around the U.S. walked out of classes out of major universities to protest police violence and to show solidarity for demonstrators in

Ferguson.

And President Obama is working to ease tensions, announcing a new task force to work on trust between communities and police as well as new

community policing initiatives.

But will this lead to actual change? Ed Lavandera reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: While the grand jury proceeding in St. Louis County has concluded, I can report this evening that the Justice

Department's investigation into the shooting death of Michael Brown, as well as our investigation into allegations of unconstitutional policing

patterns, or practices by the Ferguson Police Department remain ongoing and remain active.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the

country. At times his words were stifled by the chants of protests.

The attorney general paused to insure their voices could be heard.

HOLDER: What we saw there was a genuine expression of concern and involvement. Let me be clear: I ain't mad at you, all right?

LAVANDERA: Late Monday night, the St. Louis Rams finally addressed the controversy surrounding this public show of solidarity by five of its

players, their "hands up, don't shoot" message.

HOLDER: Let me be clear -- I ain't mad at you, all right?

LAVANDERA: Late Monday night, the St. Louis Rams finally addressed the controversy surrounding this public show of solidarity by five of its

players, their "hands up, don't shoot" message. A local police association said it implied that Michael Brown was shot while attempting to surrender.

The Rams chief operating officer called the angered officers and released a statement saying in part, "We expressed our respect for their concern

surrounding yesterday's game. The Rams will continue to build on what have always been strong and valued relationships with local law enforcement and

the greater St. Louis community as we come together to help heal our region."

But the Rams spokesman followed up with CNN, making clear they did not apologize. The NFL is also not apologizing. Its spokesman says, "We respect

and understand the concerns of all individuals who have expressed views on this tragic situation."

Back in Missouri at the first community meeting of the Ferguson commission, more frustration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should understand that. We understand this. We're getting killed out here.

LAVANDERA: For his part, President Obama promised to follow through.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And part of the reason this time will be different is because the president of the United States is

deeply invested in making sure that this time it's different.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up! Don't shoot!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hands up! Don't shoot!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up! Don't shoot!

LAVANDERA: Nationwide, demonstrators simply walked out on Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To walk out of school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To walk out of school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To walk out of school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To walk out of work.

LAVANDERA: Encouraged by the movement to flood the streets in protest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Ed Lavandera reporting. And despite the protests around the country, the streets of Ferguson, Missouri where the initial shooting of

protests began remain relatively quiet.

You're watching News Stream. Coming up next, sushi, sake, ramen, Japanese cuisine all well known, but now one blended malt whiskey has been voted the

world's best. We'll have more on the rise of Japan's whiskey industry next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: From sushi to sake, yakitori to ramen, Japanese cuisine is savored around the world. And now, you have add whiskey to the most

coveted list.

Now this year, a Japanese distiller took home the prize for best blended malt whiskey, beating Scottish rivals. Our Paula Newton finds out what

makes Japan's whiskey industry so special.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: If only you could take in the smell of this place, too -- fine Japanese whiskey in every cask and the

smell strong, refined and distinctive just like the spirits within.

SHINJI FUKUYO, CHIEF BLENDER, YAMAZUKI: Cask has a lot of influence on that maturation quality. In the case of white oak, it's quite spicy,

vanilla, very crispy.

NEWTON: That description as sharp and precise as chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. We've come to Santori's Yamazaki distillery near Kyoto. Its

Japan's oldest. And whiskey has been crafted here for nearly 90 years.

But this year is a first: whiskey distilled here has been voted the best by the world's Whiskey Bible, labeled a work of genius.

This man has unseated the Scottish throne. But how?

FUKUYO: Flavors and aroma with balance, even after diluting keeps a good flavor.

NEWTON: Wow the smell in here is so strong.

The fruition starts here with fermentation.

Can we take a look?

FUKUYO: Oh, yes. All right.

NEWTON: Oh, wow.

There is one confidence Mr. Fukuyo will divulge: Japanese whiskey is one of the world's best, he says, because of the purity of the water here.

As for any other secrets, forget about it. We weren't even allowed to see the blending process, a complicated choreography from more than a dozen

different casks leading to this.

I'm still picking up a spice and it's...

FUKUYO: Spicy, yeah.

NEWTON: Sweeter...

FUKUYO: Yeah, spicy, like a -- cinnamon.

NEWTON: Cinnamon, that's what it is. Like a cold cinnamon almost.

It takes very little expertise, as you can see from me, to understand why Japanese whiskey has come of age. The taste is smooth and complex and this

master blender tells me uniquely Japanese.

Now before I get carried away, there's one thing missing. And for that, we venture to the Japanese capital and to a decade old whiskey institution,

the society at the Park Hotel Tokyo.

Tending bar is concept creator Takayuki Suzuki. He doesn't discriminate. Scottish whiskeys are poured here, too, but Japanese whiskey is now so

coveted international buyers are snapping up the best bottles.

TAKAYUKI SUZUKI, COCKTAIL DESIGNER, PARK HOTEL TOKYO (through translator): Because Japanese whiskey got the world number one title, its recognition

has increased greatly. Many foreigners come here asking for Japanese whiskey without even looking at the menu.

NEWTON: As for the best way to drink it? Take a look, he says. Start with a perfect ice ball, hand-carved of course, 12 year Yamazaki single-

malt, of course, and drink up, of course.

Whiskey production here is still quite small a fraction of what's produced in Scotland and elsewhere, but its exclusivity and its bragging rights, are

challenging the modest bespoke approach distilled with every bottle here.

Paula Newton, CNN, Yamazaki, Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. World Sport with Laura Rutledge is up next.

END