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Migrants Share Their Stories Of Crossing Mediterranean Sea; Saudi Arabia Ends Air Campaign In Yemen; Flooding in Australia Kill Four; The Electronic Recycling Centers of China; Activists Raise Awareness of Delhi Air Pollution. Aired 8:00-9:00a ET

Aired April 22, 2015 - 8:00   ET

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


[08:00:12] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now airstrikes do not stop in Yemen even after Saudi Arabia announces an end to its bombing campaign against Houthi rebels.

Plus, hundreds of migrants arrived to safety in Sicily. We'll share some of their harrowing stories of survival at sea. And what happens to

your old electronics? We'll show you on this Earth Day.

After a brief pause, Saudi Arabia is again carrying out airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. Less than 24 hours ago, we had announced an

end to the Arab coalition's military campaign saying a new initiative was underway.

But security sources say a rebel attack on a government target in Ta'izz led to swift retaliation in the form of seven airstrikes.

Now earlier, the foreign minister of Iran welcomed Saudi Arabia's decision to end the air campaign and called for humanitarian aid and

political dialogue.

Now Fred Pleitgen is in the Iranian capital. He joins me now with the view from Tehran.

And Fred, Saudi Arabia announced an end to this airstrike campaign, but it appears that military action is still underway. What is the view

there in Tehran? What does Iran make of the situation?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Iranians for a very long time, Kristie, have been criticizing the Saudi-led

campaign. They've, in fact, been blasting it, accusing the Saudis of what they call genocide.

The Saudis, of course, for their part, have been firing back as well. And it's no secret that the Iranians support the Houthi rebels. However,

on the other hand, they say that they haven't provided any military support at this point in time.

They say all they want to do is provide humanitarian aid to Yemen. That of course is something that the U.S. is very skeptical of. We know

that those additional U.S. warships have been brought into the area around the waters of Yemen to try and intercept any vessels that might to make a

run for the Yemeni coast, especially if they have a weapons loaded on them.

And this is something, of course, that really is an issue between the United States and Iran and these two nations are trying to redefine their

relationship.

And President Obama was asked about all of this. And he said that the U.S. is sending their direct messages to Iran. Let's have a listen to what

he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we've said to them is, is that if there are weapons delivered to factions within Yemen, they

could threaten navigation. That's a problem. And we're not sending them obscure messages, we send them very direct messages about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So very direct messages there as the president was saying.

Now, the Iranians for their part are saying that they have no desire to try and move their military ships near to the coast of Yemen. They say

their ships are there for anti-piracy operations. But of course all of this plays into the relationship between the U.S. and Iran. And I was

actually able to speak to the commander of Iran's ground forces. And this is someone who very rarely speaks to western television. And he said that

there is the potential for the relations to get better, but he thinks that things are not there at this point in time yet. Let's just have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. AHMAD REZA POURD: At the moment we consider the United States to be a threat to us, because its policies and actions are threatening to us.

We would like the U.S. to change its rhetoric and tone of voice so that our nation could have more trust in U.S. military leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So the issue there with the Yemen conflict was something that was a problem, but of course the Iranians were said that they were

very happy when the bombing campaign ended. And we'll have to see how things evolve after we've heard of those airstrikes that happened there in

Yemen today, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, the conflict in Yemen certainly furthers -- further complicates the already complicated relationship between U.S. and Iran.

And then we have the issue and the fate of the reporter Jason Rezaian. And during this time of high tension between these two countries, this

Washington Post reporter he has been charged with espionage there in Iran. What can you tell us about him and his case?

PLEITGEN: Well, it is certainly something as you say that is a major issue in relations between Iran and the United States, is something where

the State Department has taken a very strong stance on. They have called the charges against Jason Rezaian, which have not been made official

publicly or publicly official yet, and they say that if those charges are true that they would be absurd.

Now the Iranians, for their part, they have said very little about the case. There were some media reports that said that he was being charged

with espionage. Of course his lawyer has come out as well.

I was actually able to speak to the vice president of this country about that issue and she told me that it's not necessarily the position of

the government to have Jason Rezaian in prison the way that he is, but she says this is a judicial matter, this is not something that politicians can

influence. She also says that she believes he will get a fair trial here. We're going to have to wait and see how those things play out.

But it certainly is a major issue between these two countries.

[08:05:28] LU STOUT: All right. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reporting from inside Tehran. Many thanks indeed, Fred.

Now in France, police say that they have prevented a plan to attack churches in Paris. They arrested a 24-year-old IT student after finding

weapons and ammunition in his car.

Now police say that he planned to travel to Syria and that he is also linked to a woman's death in Paris.

Now for more, our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins me now from London. And Nic, any more details on the arrest, on the

terror plot, and how it was all uncovered?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was uncovered on Sunday. Apparently, the man in question, the 24-year-old IT

student, had called needing an ambulance. It appears that he may have shot himself. The police believed that he was responsible for killing this 32-

year-old woman. They're not sure why. That's being investigated at the moment.

But when they found that this young man -- the vehicle he had with him, they discovered a lot of weapons. They say war weapons handguns,

ammunition, flak jackets, communications equipment, computer equipment in it. And they say that within that vehicle it was very clear that he

intended to attack one, maybe two churches on Sunday. That's what we're learning at the moment.

And it appears that he had plans to go to Syria.

The interior ministry in France has said this was a man who was known to the police there. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD CAZENEUVE, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): On Sunday morning, the attack was foiled. The individual had been signaled to

the police as having a desire to leave for Syria. Checks had been made twice in 2014 and 2015 on this 24 year old IT students environment without

showing any element that could justify the opening of a judicial investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now the prime minister, however, has also said that because France is facing an unprecedented terror threat like other

countries, that their security services were on a heightened state of alert, particularly following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January. And

because they were on a heightened level of alert, this allowed them to respond to and deal with this situation much more quickly, led to the

preventing of a terror attack.

So between what the -- what we've heard from the interior minister saying that he was known to the police even this year, but didn't recognize

that he was about to perpetrate an attack. And the prime minister saying it's because of a heightened state of security they were able to stop the

attack, this is what -- you know, this is where things stand at the moment, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Nic Robertson, reporting on that foiled terror plot in France. Many thanks indeed for that, Nic.

And turning now to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. And these are the faces of just some of the more than 400 migrants rescued this day

by the Italian navy. They disembarked at a port in Sicily a few hours ago. We're told most of them are from Syria

Now this group, it includes about 150 women and children. You see some of them on your screen walking down the stairs. And their rescue

comes just days after more than 800 migrants are believed to have died when their boat capsized.

Now several men who survived their own trips across Mediterranean describe their harrowing journey to Karl Penhaul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: On their way to a new life they've had to cheat death. Beaten, robbed, shot at, that's the price

of their passage.

Syrian Mahmoud Shubat (ph) fled his hometown Homs two-and-a-half months ago, leaving his family behind.

"In Syria, I would have to be part of one party or of ISIS. I'd have to take up arms and kill people. But I don't want that. I only want to

take care of my children," he says.

This construction worker says he paid $5,800 for smugglers to take him by car to Turkey, then boat to Libya. In Libya, another gang of migrant

traffickers charged him $1,800 to sail to Italy.

Just before they set sail, Mahmoud (ph) says Libyan militia fighters stormed aboard.

"Other men came aboard. They were wearing masks and they had guns. They searched us one by one looking for money and gold," he says.

These teenagers from Eritrea say they've been sleeping rough in this park since they landed three weeks ago.

Grymay Teslamical speaks a little English, his gestures need no translation.

[08:10:18]GRYMAY TESLAMICAL, ERITREAN TEENAGER: Very, very danger.

PENHAUL: Why?

TESLAMICAL: This (inaudible) this.

PENHAUL: Grymay, who is Christian, was traveling with other migrants through Libya in two buses when he says 10 ISIS gunmen intercepted them.

TESLAMICAL: Christian, Muslim?

PENHAUL: He says 20 migrants were beheaded. He ran, then he turns to show me the scar where he says a bullet grazed him.

His friend, Esayas Niquse, now 18, left his village in Eritrea six years ago. He first lived in an Ethiopian refuge camp, then a journey on

foot and by bus through Sudan and Libya. He stayed a year in Libya, crammed into an overcrowded house before sailing for Italy.

He says men he describes as Libyan soldiers guarded them and applied electric shocks if they refused to sleep on time or ate too much.

Esayas says his boat, loaded with more than 500 migrants, almost capsized en route from Libya.

ESAYAS NIQUSE, ERITREAN TEENAGER: Journey not good. The boat opening, opening (ph). And we are shocked (ph) for Italy. Then helicopter

come -- came to us.

PENHAUL: Their stories sound like hell, but these are the lucky ones. Survivors washed up on the shores of their promised land.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Catania, Sicily.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: A harrowing testimony there. And we'll try to speak to Karl Penhaul later in the program.

You're watching News Stream. And still ahead, nonsense and a fake. Dozens of Hong Kong lawmakers stormed out of legislative chamber angered by

a government proposal for electoral reform.

And, we mark this year's Earth Day by turning our attention to one of the world's top emitters of carbon -- dirty air takes its toll on people's

lungs in India.

Plus, we continue our weeklong focus on wearable technology. For now, all the hype seems to be centered on the wrist, but what are the other

options? We take some queues from Hollywood.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: All right. Broadcasting live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now after months of pro-democracy protests here in Hong Kong last year, this is what the city's leadership has announced. It says Hong

Kongers can vote for their next leader, but only among candidates approved by mostly pro-Beijing committee.

Some lawmakers marched out of the legislative chamber in protest, holding yellow umbrellas, a symbol of the Occupy Protest movement.

Now for months, demonstrators, they camped out on major roads calling for an open election without influence from Beijing.

Now some lawmakers have sworn to veto the proposal. And one of them tells CNN this, quote, "to say the majority of Hong Kongers want to support

this nonsensical package is a blatant lie. If nothing is changed, we will definitely vote it down."

Now the proposal must receive support from at least two-thirds of Hong Kong's 70 legislators to pass. And the government has warned against a

veto, saying it will ruin the opportunity for electoral reform.

Now it is widely anticipated that this year India could outpace China in terms of economic growth. But is India already surpassing China in

space? Now that is up for debate in this month's On China.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: When we're having a conversation about India and China, we have to address the space race. It was in October of 2014, that was when

China successfully launched an unmanned mission, which paved the way to a lunar mission. That happened a month after India already successfully

reached its destination for its Mars mission.

It seems to me, is India surpassing China when it comes to space?

RANGARAJAN R. VELLAMORE, CHINA CEO, INFOSYS: Of course, if you look from a distance perspective Indian space has surpassed the Chinese reach.

I think it's not about reaching somewhere. What these two countries are being able to leverage, these research in terms of addressing a lot of

manufacturing needs. For example, what have I heard? The precision technologies that has been used in China's space industry is accessible to

many of the industries around, which that's why Chinese machinery manufacturing is making progress.

The same way if you take Indian space research, you just added a lot of value to the industry around as well as certain, you know, achievements

that are in terms of people using for day-to-day use as well.

HAIYAN WANG, MANAGING PARTNER, THE CHINA-INDIA: I don't see that truly as a measurement of technology advancement. And I think a lot of

that is building a country image. And...

LU STOUT: Nationalism.

WANG: Nationalism, national image of being -- projecting the country as the superpower or the future -- future superpower. And there isn't a

military angle to it, because of a lot of the technology used in this space race have military applications as well.

ANATH KRISHNAN, CHINA CORRESPONDENT INDIA TODAY: I feel (inaudible) actually. I don't think it's about face, about nationalism. Of course

it's one part of it. But I think it's a huge credit to India, to China as well that they've been able to do this and develop these technologies at a

time when both weren't getting all that much support from the west in terms of high-end technology.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: So, is India surpassing China in space? Well, in terms of distance, perhaps. And can India overtake China in terms of economic

might? The debate is on.

Don't miss On China. It premieres Thursday at 4:30 p.m. right here Hong Kong time.

Now a rather bizarre discovery has been made at the Japanese prime minister's office: a small drone was found on the roof. Now Japanese media

report that it was carrying a plastic bottle. And inside it, traces of a radioactive material. Investigators say it is likely cesium, harmless to

humans.

Now Shinzo Abe is currently out of time. He is attending the Asian- African conference in Indonesia.

Now today is Earth Day. And we're turning our attention to tech products and what happens after we ditch them. We hear from one

photographer about what he saw piled up in one Chinese town.

And devastation in Australia's New South Wales, a powerful storm rips through the region. We'll have an update on the damage left behind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:24] LU STOUT: Now more than 400 migrants are in Sicily. They were rescued by the Italian navy. And CNN's Karl Penhaul has been

following the story from Augusta, Sicily where those rescued migrants are now safely on shore. And Karl joins us now live.

And Karl, we've been seeing the hundreds of migrants, including women, including children. They've arrived there. They're all looking for a safe

place to live. Tell us more about who they are and where they're from.

PENHAUL: Yeah, when you look at those migrants getting off that Italian navy vessel, Kristie, you really have some kind of sense of how

terrible things must have been at home that they gambled everything that they have, and at this stage the most precious thing they have is their

lives themselves, to try and reach some kind of safe haven here in Europe. We saw women coming down the gang plank with babes in arms. We saw

children so small they couldn't really walk. It was all they could do to totter on their way to taking the first steps towards this new life.

But now, the charity workers, the health workers have been interviewing some of these migrants, finding out their stories.

So now we know that there were Syrians on board obviously fleeing the civil conflict there. There were Egyptians on board fleeing, of course,

the consequences of democratic breakdown in Egypt. There are Somalians on board there fleeing their failed state, Eritreans, Sudanese as well trying

to escape rampant poverty.

They come from all walks of life trying to look for this safe haven.

The other thing, of course, right now as they're processed in some of those tents behind us, receiving medical checks and also an identification

process, the Italian police is there as well. They're looking through, they're talking to migrants one by one, to find out if there is any sign of

the people smugglers that have brought these migrants here.

Because what the authorities want to try and do now, is to try and crack down on these trafficking rings, who are setting these migrants

afloat in the Mediterranean with really very little care if they reach the shores of Europe dead or alive.

And these survivors in particular in their earlier accounts of what went on, some speak that they were on a boat for more than 20 days,

floating off the shores of Egypt. And then that boat was gradually loaded over a period of days on the high seas, and then as that boat came close to

the shores of Libya the migrants, 446 of them, had to move across onto another boat. And then finally that headed towards Italy.

Really, terrible, long journeys without adequate food and water. They're lucky to be here at all, Kristie.

[08:25:05] LU STOUT: Very lucky indeed. These hundreds of migrants, they have survived this nightmare at sea. And as you put it, they want

safe haven. They want a home. So what's next for them there in Italy?

PENHAUL: Well, I put that question to one of the representatives of the save the children fund who is obviously keeping a very close eye on

what is going on here. And yes, they are lucky to have arrived here, but that is not the end of their journey, she says. You know, now these people

will be processed. They'll be identified. They'll have to go to a migration processing center.

They could spend weeks, months or possibly even years there before they're given some sort of asylum in Europe. Some of them, in fact, don't

want asylum here in Italy because of economic slowdown, of slow growth, of lack of jobs. They want to try and make it north towards some of the more

prosperous countries in Europe to really give themselves and their children some chance of a better life. Some of them are coming here solo as well.

So their thoughts, even though they land in the safer lands they're though of with their families back in the country of origin.

A man that I talked to yesterday, for example, he's been here for 10 days, but his thoughts are with his wife and kids still in Syria, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, so even for these hundreds of survivors, the journey and the uncertainty is still not over yet. Karl Penhaul reporting for us

live from Sicily, thank you, Karl.

Now people in Australia, they are assessing the damage from one of the worst storms to hit the country in some time.

Now authorities have just recovered the body of a woman whose car was swept away by the flood waters, bringing the total death toll from those

storms to four.

Now 7 Network spoke to residents about the impact of the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIIFED MALE: Dunbalk (ph) has been devastated. Up to 80 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the deluge. It's the aftermath of raging

flood waters that caused this. Houses ripped from their foundations and washed away in the town's worst downpour in 100 years.

About the time this was happening, five elderly residents were clinging to the gutter of these flats, their lives saved by Matt Finney.

UNIDENIFIED MALE: Had to swim up the driveway, and actually grabbed a wheely on my way past, and swam around into the flat's driveway and

(inaudible) them out one at a time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mark Winters couldn't wait and swam to safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because staying inside you would have drowned, as you can see that water came up to here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His neighbor, Brian Wilson didn't make it.

UNIDENITIFIED MALE: I had him swim out and I swam back to him. And that's when he died.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Collin Webb (ph), described as a tough but kind country man didn't get out either. He died trapped inside his unit.

Robin McDonald (ph) in her 70s was last heard saying she couldn't swim. She wouldn't leave her dog Pip now being cared for by a friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The water came up to that mark there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their neighbors managed to escape and return today to assess the damage.

Some locals don't even know where to begin the cleanup, or even start to look for their lost belongings. And you can see why. Here is what's

left of a bathroom, wedged underneath are two cars.

A once in a century event that will take many years for residents to get over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Yeah, and although the storm has eased somewhat, authorities say there is another storm cell gathering north of Sydney.

Now parts of New South Wales have been declared disaster zones.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, in honor of Earth Day, we are shining a light on the areas of our planet that need extra

care, starting in China on what is said to be one of the world's largest electronic waste sites.

And then we head to India where there are concerns that the poor air quality in New Delhi could actually be limiting the life spans of residents

there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:36] LU STOUT: Now all this week we've been talking about the future of wearables, but what happens to our old gadgets after we're done

with them? Now quite a lot end up in the Chinese down of Guayu (ph). It is one of the largest e-waste dumping sites in the world. And residents

have the tedious and sometimes dangerous task of recycling our high tech garbage.

Now photographer Albert Bonfils recently documented life in the world's e-waste capital. And on this Earth Day, he spoke to me about the

images he captured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERT BONFILS, PHOTOGRAPHER: So in this image we can see these two women. And they are choosing through the kind of microchip, color, et

cetera. And they are putting in the different kind of boxes, and then the box will resend to some electronic companies.

LU STOUT: So they're extracting the chips, also precious metals -- you could find gold or copper there. It's very painstaking work. Is it

also dangerous work? Because I notice that they're not wearing any protective gear.

BONFILS: No. I this case I think it's not dangerous, I'm sure, because they are touching just microchips. The most dangerous part is

before this part, before this moment when they have the electronic board and they burn with acid to get the gold and separate the microchip.

LU STOUT: And it's the toxic fumes that becomes...

BONFILS: Yeah. They don't use. Most of the time they don't use masks and they don't use gloves.

LU STOUT: Yeah.

In your photos, we see them -- we'll walk this way -- in your photos we see the reality of electronic waste recycling. What was it like for you

to photograph the electronic waste recyclers. Were they open to you being there taking pictures of them?

BONFILS: You -- the people you can see on my photos, in my image, they were the only people that they agree, you know. They say hi to me,

how are you. I can get in touch with them. But I received so many nos, you know. A lot of people close the door that I don't want to show this.

LU STOUT: And why is there that sensitivity? Why is it that some workers, unlike this man here, don't want you to take their photograph?

BONFILS: In this case, this guy he wants because he allowed me. He gave me permission. But some bosses, they don't want to show that's why

they force me to leave the city, because they don't want to let the people know what is happening in this place, because actually it's changing and

exporting waste from western countries, also from China to this place using this methodology is not legal. So they don't want you -- if someone show

what is happening, maybe the government will cut everything.

LU STOUT: Let's take a look at one of these boxes behind these recyclers right over here.

BONFILS: Yeah, let's go.

LU STOUT: In the city of Guayu (ph) there are thousands of recyclers, and they're mainly family owned businesses. And I can gather this is the

boss right over here?

BONFILS: Yeah. Most of the workshops in this place, they are from each family. You know, they have their own plastic bags with the computers

inside outside home and normally the boss is the father of the family. And he's controlling always what is happening inside outside.

LU STOUT: We're screening your photos of Guayu (ph), the waste capital of the world to our viewers on this Earth Day. What do you hope to

be the impact of your photos on your viewers and to consumers all over the world who see your photographs?

[08:35:06] BONFILS: I mean I take these photos because I want to explore what's happening behind the waste in this place, because there are

more countries in the world that -- with the same situation, like Ghana, for example, and India.

But I want to show to the people what's happening there so they can decide if they buy a new cellphone, if they buy a new laptop, and the most

important what they do with the old one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now some arresting images there. That was photographer Albert Bonfils speaking with me earlier.

Now the United Nations says the world's e-waste output hit a record high last year at nearly 42 million tons.

Now air pollution is at the top of the list for many environmentalists on this Earth Day. And India is the world's third largest emitter of

carbon dioxide. It is so bad that the World Health Organization says that in the worst affected cities, the average life span is cut short by three

years.

Now CNN's Sumnima Udas spoke with a local activist in India, some of whom are literally sick from the smog.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A small initiative with a big message. Students from various Delhi universities formed a group

to raise awareness about just how toxic Delhi's air has become.

RANUKA SAROHA, STUDENT ACTIVIST: When I wake up 6:00 or 7:00 and look around, I can see a layer of dust.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know my life is at risk. I cannot even breathe properly. My lungs are working at 40, 50 percent capacity.

UDAS: Sartuk (ph) is suffering from some severe asthma. His doctor's prognosis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To leave Delhi, just stay out of Delhi. Simple as that.

UDAS: A World Health Organization study of 1,500 cities, found India's capital has the dirtiest air in the world largely due to the

highest concentrations of microscopic particles known as PM2.5.

Take a look at this board in the middle of Delhi. PM2.5 levels of 212, that's 20 times more than the WHO safety limit and 30 percent worse

than it is in Beijing today.

Their numbers change daily, but Delhi consistently outpaces Beijing. And the awareness is only just beginning.

DR. SK CHHABRA: Somehow it doesn't click with the ordinary person. It doesn't seem to realize that a major problem affecting his health. Less

people know about the harmful effects of smoking, but awareness about the harmful affects of air pollution, it is miserably low.

UDAS: At India's only hospital dedicated to treating respiratory diseases, doctors say the number of patients has doubled in the past

decade.

What makes the fight against pollution so challenging here, the majority of the population is poor and perhaps more concerned about things

like food, shelter and jobs, air quality is really not a priority for them. And for the wealthier, they mostly drive around in air conditioned cars and

don't have to deal with pollution on a day-to-day basis.

The issue is beginning to make headlines. The government launched India's first comprehensive air quality index earlier this month.

UNIDENTIFEID FEMALE: Government woke up to the issue of corruption, government woke up to the issue of gender equality, now it's time

government wakes up to the issue of environmental.

UDAS: For now, though, it's a silent protest, one these students hope will resonate.

Sumnima Udas, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And scientists predict that we will increase the odds of natural disasters if the planet's climate rises more than 2 degrees

Celsius. Now CNN is launching a long-term project looking into that sobering assessment. You can learn more about it at CNN.com.

More News Stream after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:28] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now the Apple Watch is expected to usher in a new era for wearables, but there is one place where they're already common: on the big screen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: move in and take your positions.

LU STOUT: Comicbook hero Dick Tracy talks to his famous two-way wrist radio, one of the most famous pieces of wearable technology in fiction. It

was introduced all the way back in 1946, and thanks to smartwatches it is now a reality.

TIM COOK, CEO, APPLE: with a built in speaker and microphone, you can receive calls on your watch. I have been wanting to do this since I was 5-

years-old.

LU STOUT: But the Apple Watch isn't the only example of life imitating art.

This scene from the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day shows 007 using augmented reality where the virtual world and the real world collide

thanks to special glasses.

It's similar to Microsoft's HoloLens, a special headset that promises to show computer generated objects in the real world. But not all

wearables are as small as a headset or a watch.

Even Ellen Ripley's powerful suit from Aliens isn't too far from reality. Wearable exoskeletons that allow people to carry more weight and

move faster have been in development for years. It probably need s a little more work before you can use one to battle the alien queen.

But at the pace we're progressing, who knows what sort of technology we might be able to wear next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now of course one issue with wearable technology is that people have to want to wear it, that's something Google learned the hard

way with Glass, which is currently undergoing redevelopment.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere, World Sport with Christina Macfarlane is next.

END