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Remembering Gallipoli; King Jacob Returns To Port After Attempted Rescue of 800 Migrants; Chile's Mount Calbuco Erupts. Aired 8:00-9:00A ET

Aired April 24, 2015 - 8:00   ET

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

[08:00:21] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now awaiting answers about a tragedy at sea, that cargo ship that tried to help migrants in the Mediterranean has just arrived in port in

Sicily.

Plus, the death of two al Qaeda hostages reignites a debate over the use of drones.

And in remembrance: leaders gathered to mark 100 years since the mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Armenians.

Joy, relief and hope overwhelming emotions among the lucky migrants who make it safely to shore in Europe. And the King Jacob has just arrived

in Palermo, Sicily. That is the cargo ship that tried to help migrants on board a capsized boat in the Mediterranean last weekend. It is believed

more than 800 people drowned in that disaster. The captain of the King Jacob will likely be under pressure to help clarify what happened.

Now meanwhile, leaders from the European Union say that they planned to triple the size of their naval search and rescue operation in the area.

And more migrants arrived a short time ago in the Sicilian Port of Catania has hundreds continue to risk their lives crossing the

Mediterranean Sea.

Now let's head straight to Palermo now where the King Jacob has just arrived. Karl Penhaul is there. He joins me now live.

And Karl, as we look at the King Jacob and we know that it's just arrived at port there, what do we know about the investigation into the

ship about the role it played in last weekend's tragic shipwreck?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that cargo ship, the container vessel, King Jacob arrived here in port just a few minutes

ago now, Kristie. I think what is important to note is that Italian prosecutors are already saying very clearly that they don't believe that

the King Jacob had any role in the actual capsize of the migrant fishing vessel -- after all the King Jacob went to help those survivors try to

rescue that ship. And in fact, the crew do already have some experience of that, because the shipping lines says that they've already helped rescue

300 migrants in the past.

But really what the Italian prosecutor's investigation is centering on right now is how did that ship come to capsize? And already some of the

witnesses that the Italian prosecutors managed to debrief suggests that the people driving the fishing boat, the migrant boat, collided that boat into

the container ship and that is what prompted the capsize there.

What investigators also going to want to know off the container ship captain is if he has any clear idea of how many passengers, how many

migrants may have been on that fishing boat, because remember only 28 survivors were found. The 24 dead that were picked out of the sea, well

they were buried yesterday in a pretty anonymous service, it has to be said. Only one of those was identified.

And also remember, that within those 28 survivors that were picked up, now two men under arrest, one Syrian, and one Tunisian, because those are

the two men that prosecutors believe could have been part of the people trafficking ring responsible for bringing those migrants from the coast of

Libya to Italy, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And Karl, as we see the King Jacob cargo ship right behind you, tell us more about the role of commercial vessels at sea in rescuing

migrants. By law, what are they required to do? And what kind of protections did they have if something goes horribly wrong?

PENHAUL: Well, that is a very important point, Kristie, because all the focus right now has been what is the European Union going to do? What

are the Italian authorities going to do to beef up their search and rescue operations to stop these migrants drowning at sea.

But it is commercial shipping, both fishing vessels and cargo ships that have played an enormous role. I believe the figure last year was that

commercial shipping, picked up 40,000 migrants from the sea.

It is law that they have to help any vessel in distress. And practically, these people smugglers are setting these rust bucket vessels

adrift from the coast of Libya and almost immediately putting out distress calls to the Italian authorities.

So, commercial ships are also diverted from their normal routes, from their commercial activities and have to pull migrants ashore, try to help

the survivors, try to pull the dead from the sea. And then progressively, they are offloaded to the Italian navy vessels, to the Maltese coast guard

vessels, which is why more often than not you see those migrants come ashore on some kind of official vessel rather than a cargo vessel like

this.

But those guys are playing a huge role, that's to say the King Jacob itself has already in the past picked up 300 migrants from the sea,

Kristie.

[08:05:27] LU STOUT: Many thanks indeed for your reporting and your insight there. Karl Penhaul reporting live from Palermo, Sicily, many

thanks indeed.

Now Italian police have launched what they call a vast anti-terror operation against what is described as an international group tied to al

Qaeda. Now there were raids in seven provinces, including at the group's alleged headquarters on the Island of Sardinia. And for more on this

story, let's bring in our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. He joins me now live from London.

And Nic, let's tell us more about these arrests in Italy. Who were arrested and what were they planning to do?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are all Pakistanis, we're told. They're a group that the Italian authorities say

they had under surveillance since 2005. So they'd been watching them for a long time. They've had wiretaps on some of their telephones for a number

of years. That had stopped a couple of year ago.

But what they are saying, what the police are saying is very shocking, indeed. They say that this group was planning attacks in Italy potentially

to target The Vatican. And they indicate in the months before that potential planned attack back in 2010 that they brought in to the country

someone who could best be described as a suicide bomber.

This is an organization, 18 men being rounded up here, 18 people being rounded up in various parts of Italy -- central Italy, northern Italy,

Sardinia who have weapons, who have money, who ship money to Pakistan and Afghanistan to support Terrorist networks there. And indeed, the Italian

police say that while they were in Italy, these men plotted and planned attacks inside Pakistan, one of the most deadly, an attack on a market in

Peshawar in 2009 where more than 100 people were killed.

So this group plans to have plans to attack in Italy, potentially The Vatican, possibly other sites as well. And we're continuing to support the

terrorist groups inside Afghanistan and Pakistan. And Critically, two of these men were former guards to Osama bin Laden, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Very alarming to hear that the Vatican was a target in these arrests.

Now separately I have to ask you about that deadly drone strike that accidentally killed two hostages. Barack Obama is apologizing. the

families of the hostages, they're demanding answers. Nic, what went wrong here?

ROBERTSON: The principle thing that went wrong, according to the White House is that it wasn't clear to the U.S. surveillance drones that

were apparently surveying this particular building, which was believed to be an al Qaeda compound, it wasn't clear to them that the hostages were

being held there.

What we have learned is that Warren Weinstein, the American hostage there, who was killed, his family had actually paid money in 2012 to a

group hoping to win his release. According to a source I talked to a number of years ago about this, that the family subsequently realized that

perhaps the money was given to the wrong group because the demands that continued for the release of al Qaeda prisoners, one of whom was being held

in the United States.

But, the family were also able to communicate at times directly with Warren Weinstein himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARREN WEINSTEIN, HOSTAGE HELD BY AL QAEDA: I came to Pakistan to help my government.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Overnight new details emerging about the last time American hostage Warren Weinstein was heard from, before being

inadvertently killed by a U.S. drone strike.

According to a source involved in the negotiations for his release, Weinstein called his wife in June of 2014. The family hoping for another

call, but just seven months later he and another Western hostage were dead, casualties of a U.S. drone strike targeting an al Qaeda compound where they

were held on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

OBAMA: It is a cruel and bitter truth that, in the fog of war generally, and our fight against terrorists specifically, mistakes,

sometimes deadly mistakes, can occur.

ROBERTSON: The death of Weinstein, a U.S. government contractor abducted in Pakistan in 2011, and Italian aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto,

renewing the debate over the controversial use of technology.

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We can't use Special Operations troops to go after every terrorist in the world. We can't

conduct an Osama bin Laden-style raid against every terrorist.

ROBERTSON: A former hostage kidnapped by the Taliban says they work.

[08:10:01] DAVID RONDE, FORMER HOSTAGE: They were killing senior commanders. My guards hated the drone strikes because they were effective.

ROBERTSON: Drones also killing two American terrorists: Ahmed Farouq, a leader from al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent; and Adam Gadahn, a

spokesman for al Qaeda.

ADAM GADAHN, SPOKESMAN FOR AL QAEDA: If this is not the time to act, then when will the time be right?

ROBERTSON: In this latest video, Gadahn urges Muslims in Pakistan to attack the U.S. four months before he was killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: Another thing that's interesting here about those two al Qaeda -- American al Qaeda people killed in the drone strike, Ahmed Farouq

al Qaeda has announced about two weeks ago now that he was killed in the previous months going back to January, they say. But, Gadahn has not yet

been identified by al Qaeda as having been killed. Possibly that will happen in the coming days. They generally don't immediately initiate these

types of communications to say, hey, this person is dead or not.

But so far they haven't announced that Gadahn is dead, according to al Qaeda -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, this deadly drone strike certainly raises more and troubling new questions about Obama's drone war. Nic Robertson reporting

live from London, thank you.

Now some say drone warfare has become normal under the Obama administration. The New America Foundation compiled this data on the

number of drone strikes in Pakistan.

First, are the George W. Bush administration and later under President Obama.

The numbers seem to speak for themselves. There has been this dramatic spike in the number of strikes since 2009.

Now the architect of the Obama administration's drone program John Brennan now runs the CIA.

Now huge plumes of ash and smoke over southern Chile forced thousands to leave the foothills of the Calbuco volcano. We go to Chile for the

latest.

Also ahead, Armenia honors the hundreds of thousands killed by the Ottoman forces a century ago. We'll have more on the memorial service.

Also, another painful anniversary, one of the most brutal battles in history, we'll take a look back at Gallipoli.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: A painful anniversary: Saturday marks 100 years since the battle of Gallipoli, one of the bloodiest battles in the First World War.

A commemoration ceremony began in Turkey just a short time ago.

Now the Turkish president Recept Tayyip Erdogan is being joined by British royals Prince Charles and Prince Harry. And while the battle was

seen as a victory for Turkey, thousands of allied, Anzac and Turkish troops were killed.

Now here's Anna Coren with a look at the battle of Gallipoli.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The last post rings out at dawn on a hillside in Turkey. In a haunting memorial to the fallen

soldiers lost in the Gallipoli campaign.

The key battle in World War I began 100 years ago when the allies led by Britain and France along with troops from Australia, New Zealand and

India landed on the Gallipoli peninsula.

The invasion was meant to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war by gaining control of Constantinople, now modern-day Istanbul, in Turkey.

But what was supposed to be a swift victory turned into a catastrophic eight month operation.

The allies faced fierce resistance from the Turks along with searing heat and grim conditions that lead to rampant spreading of disease.

It became one of the bloodiest battles in history with hundreds of thousands killed and wounded on both sides.

Now, Anzac Day is one of the most important annual events for Australia and New Zealand. Thousands of people traveled to join the

memorial in Turkey and many more mark the occasion at home, a moment of reflection, sadness and pride as they pay tribute to the sacrifice of their

ancestors who displayed courage, endurance and mateship, the essence of the Anzac spirit.

[08:15:53] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They shall grow not old as we that are left are old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the

going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.

COREN: Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now a very different centennial for neighboring Armenia as the country remembers the lives lost and mass killings by Turkish forces.

A memorial wrapped up in the capital a short time ago. The Russian and French presidents were among the foreign leaders paying tribute to the

up to 1.5 million Armenians massacred during the First World War.

Now descendants of the Armenians killed during the war call it a genocide, but Turkey rejects that term.

And for more on the dual anniversaries underway in Turkey and Armenia our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon joins us from Istanbul.

And Arwa, what is the mood in Turkey as Armenians mark 100 years since the mass killing?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, when you speak to the Armenia community those that the descendants of whom remained

here in Turkey and are part of the culture and fabric of society of this nation and those who ended up growing up overseas very far away, it is

understandably a very difficult and emotional time. The diaspora who have come back, many of them trying to retrace their roots, get answers to the

many questions they have about what actually happened to their ancestors.

But there is a sense that the debate is changing. Just a decade ago, one would not be seeing the public type of events that we're seeing taking

place here, whether it's art exhibits or concerts or the conversations that are taking place in open spaces.

But what the Armenians will tell you is that at the end of the day they do want to see the Turkish government acknowledge the mass killings of

1915 as a genocide. They believe that that is the only way that justice can truly be served from their perspective.

Turkey has in the last few years softened its stance, yes, when it comes to addressing 1915. And the Turkish president and other senior

government officials have expressed their condolences to the descendants of the Armenians whose ancestors were killed, but also to all those who were

killed -- Turkish position has always been that this was not a genocide, that hundreds and thousands of lives were lost, Christian and Muslim during

that bloody post-World War I era as the Ottoman empire itself was crumbling.

But it most certainly is a very difficult day, too, for Armenians who are quite aggravated by the fact that Turkey decided to hold the first day

the commemorations of the Gallipoli battles on the 24th. Traditionally that was held on the 25th. And the Armenian president himself was saying

earlier beforehand that he felt as if this was the Turkish government's deliberate attempt to try to distract the world's attention from the 100th

year anniversary of the 1915 Armenian mass killings, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Arwa Damon reporting on two dueling anniversaries this day. Many thanks indeed, Arwa.

You're watching News Stream. We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:11] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now in southern Chile, thousands are being evacuated as the Calbuco volcano erupts for the first time in more than 40 years. For many people

living there, it is the first time they've witnessed a volcano explode so violently.

And to give you a sense of what that's like, let's bring up a satellite image from the area before the eruption started.

And then this what the area looked like on Thursday. And you can see a massive just ash cloud covering the entire area.

Now here's more from Shasta Darlington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely apocalyptic images. The first eruption lasted a full 90 minutes, sending a

huge mushroom-shaped cloud of ash up int other sky. There was lightning, multicolored clouds, really cinematic pictures for those looking at them

around the globe, but terrifying for the people on the ground.

Many families rushed to gas stations filling up their tanks, trying to get as far as possible from the volcano. They stocked up on food and

water. Officials have evacuated around 4,400 people. They've set up an exclusion zone trying to keep people safe.

Luckily, no one was hurt. One hiker who was initially reported missing turned out he sought shelter in a forest until he could get out of

there. He's safe.

Now the big problem is the ash. It's been blanketing the entire region in some areas. It's 60 centimeters thick, or about 23 inches. And

huge clouds are headed over the Andes into Argentina. The flights into Barilochi (ph) have been canceled.

And now we're hearing that another eruption could be on its way. This is the first time we've had a major eruption in more than 50 years. And we

haven't had any volcanic activity at Calbuco since 1972.

But the national geological service says it appears a second crater inside the volcano is opening up, which could lead to an even bigger

eruption. That means more Ash, which is already affecting the health, the agriculture, the airports in the region, and possibly more lava, which is

important because if that lava starts to melt the snow on the mountaintops, we could even see flooding.

All of this keeping Chile on high alert.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Santiago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now there are new fears about North Korea's nuclear weapons program. And the government sounding the alert is actually one of the few

governments friendly to Pyongyang.

Now, meanwhile the United States is becoming increasingly fearful that the North Koreans are closer to developing a missile that could hit

American territory.

Elise Labott has more from that by the end of next .

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a frightening new assessment from North Korea's neighbor and closest ally.

China warning Kim Jong-un has a nuclear arsenal well beyond current U.S. figures.

In a closed door meeting with U.S. nuclear experts, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, China's top nuclear experts warn the erratic and

unpredictable leader has as many as 20 nuclear weapons and is racing to double that by the end of next year.

[08:25:15] JOEL WITT, U.S.-KOREA INSTITUTE: They are noticing the same things we noticed in our report, which is that the North Koreans are

preparing to expand their nuclear arsenal and have been doing that for five years.

LABOTT: Joel Witt of the U.S.-Korea institute made a similar assessment in February, along with the Institute for Science and

International Security headed by former weapons inspector David Albright. Their alarming report warned Kim Jong-un is beefing up his nuclear weapons

stockpile at warp speed.

DAVID ALBRIGHT, INTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: The worst case is that they could end up with 100 nuclear weapons by the end of

2020.

LABOTT: But now China, North Korea's chief benefactor is offering its highest estimates to date after downplaying the threat for years,

reflecting growing concern in Beijing over the North Korean nuclear threat.

WITT: The Chinese are being realistic and understand that a growing North Korean nuclear threat not only has implications for the United States

and its allies, but also has implications for China.

LABOTT: The frightening new Chinese estimates are even more concerning given this warning by a top U.S. military official this month.

North Korea, he says, is now capable of launching a nuclear tipped missile that could potentially reach the U.S. West Coast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our assessment is, is that they have the ability to put it on a nuclear weapon on a (inaudible) and shoot it at the

homeland. It doesn't necessarily mean that they will fly it before they test it.

LABOTT: A nightmare scenario that raises concerns that a nuclear deal with Iran could provide Tehran with diplomatic cover to build a nuclear

weapon just like the 1994 agreed framework with North Korea did.

The U.S. says it learned its lesson with North Korea, which is why the nuclear deal they're negotiating with Iran would have much tougher

inspections of their nuclear facilities to ensure the Iranians don't cheat like the North Koreans did.

Elise Labott, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And a reminder to tune in to CNN later today to see a groundbreaking debate hosted by CNN's chief international correspondent

Christiane Amanpour. She is bringing together a panel of senior UK politicians ahead of what's shaping up to be the closest election in

decades.

And what makes this pretty distinct is that you will see reaction from the studio audience flash up instantly around the studio.

That's happening at 7:00 p.m. in London only on CNN.

Now all week right here on News Stream we've been looking at how wearable technology is changing our lives. And coming up, we focus on a

device you may already be wearing: fitness trackers, and hear from a CEO what he thinks the next generation of werables will be.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:26] LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

Now the King Jacob has just arrived in Palermo, Sicily. That's the cargo ship that tried to help migrants on board a capsized boat in the

Mediterranean last weekend. It is believed more than 800 people drowned in that disaster. Now the captain of the King Jacob would likely be under

pressure to help clarify what happened.

Now police in Italy have launched what they called a vast anti- terrorism operation against an international group tied to al Qaeda. Authorities say the group is suspected of plotting terror attack in

Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Italy. And they say evidence suggests that the Vatican was among the potential targets.

The U.S. President has apologized for the death of two hostages killed in a drone strike on an al Qaeda compound in Pakistan. And a source tells

CNN the family of the American hostage transferred money to the captors and his release hinged on a prisoner exchange.

A ceremony to mark 100 years since the battle of Gallipoli in Turkey, one of the bloodiest battles in the First World War. Armenia is also

holding a memorial.

Now this one honors the victims of mass killings during the same period. Descendants blame Turkish Ottoman forces for genocide. Turkey

rejects the term.

Now if you couldn't wait to get an Apple Watch on your wrist, you no longer have to. Apple's first new product in five years goes on sale. But

here's the caveat, there are actually only two ways you can get the watch today.

First option, well, you preordered it two weeks ago, then you hit the buy button quicker than other people. But due to an apparent shortage,

some who placed orders have been told to wait until June.

And what about the second option? Well, lineup outside a handful of selected boutiques like this one in Tokyo.

Now don't try to buy it at an Apple Store, though, because it is not sold there.

OK, so maybe you didn't get an Apple Watch today, but you might have a different wearable on right now. For example, a fitness tracker. As the

name implies, these devices, they monitor your activity level and sync that data to your smartphone or computer.

Now some can read your heart rate or chart your sleep patterns.

Now the American Council on Exercise says an estimated 19 million people used it in the United States alone last year. And a recent report

predicts that that number will triple by 2018.

Now Nike, that's the fuel band right over here, it helped kick off the craze when it teamed up with Apple, but the Nike+ iPod, that's a thing of

the past as is the FuelBand right here.

Now, FitBit, Jawbone and Misfit, they are the top names today. And I spoke to the CEO of misfit and I asked him where he thinks wearable

technology is heading.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SONNY VU, CEO, MISFIT: I think the best wearable is going to be something that you can wear all of the time for a long time. And so you

really need something that will actually get worn. Just because something can be worn, doesn't it mean it should or people will actually want to do

it.

And I think what we're looking at is a transition right now from tracking, very basic features, alerts and notifications, to much more

advanced features. So I really what we're going to be seeing in the next few years is this -- another wave of functionality. And it's probably

going to be around identity controls -- you know, Apple Pay I think is one of the coolest features for Apple Watch, you know. And if it can replace

my wallet, how cool is that? That's an convenience.

So I think we're going to see more compelling functionality in the years to come.

LU STOUT: Yeah, there has to be compelling functionality in order to get people to want to wear wearable devices. But also, as you said, people

need to wear it and want to wear it.

So from what you've learned through your design process, through talking to customers, what do people like to wear? And what do they not

like to wear?

VU: You know, it's got to be comfortable. It's got to be physically comfortable to wear. So it's got to be thin, flexible, but it's also I

think got to be either beautiful or invisible. I've always felt that for a wearable to be successful you need to be one or the other. You really --

there's not much space in between, because if it's ugly even if it's really useful I don't know if people would wear it. You know, my wife she's not

going to wear something ugly. Or if it's really useful at least be invisible.

LU STOUT: Let's talk about your products. And first the one on your wrist. If you look at the design, it looks like a watch, but there is no

screen. So why did you make that decision to design it that way?

VU: You know, not everybody wants a screen on their wrist. Some folks just want a very discrete experience, something that's very simple.

So had 12 dots around the dial that just tell you how well you're doing. You know, you can wear it on your -- as a necklace. I'm wearing one as a

sport necklace or on your wrist. And so that was the philosophy behind it --- simple and elegant.

LU STOUT: You recently partnered with Swarovsky, Swarovsky crystals. What is your thinking about making wearables for women design aesthetics.

How important is just the shiny stuff for wearables for women?

[08:35:09] VU: You know, I think women have largely been overlooked as a segment in the wearable technology space. And so by partnering with

Swarovsky I think we're able to have a design language that really speaks to women and be appealing to them, something that's beautiful and something

you might wear even if it didn't do anything.

LU STOUT: What percentage of your customer base right now are women?

VU: Probably 60, 70 percent.

LU STOUT: Wow.

VU: Yeah.

LU STOUT: Why do you think that is?

VU: You know, I think the elegant and simple design is something that a lot of our female users enjoy and want to have.

LU STOUT: I just wanted to ask you about what was announced overnight, the misfit minute, an app that you've developed for the Apple

Watch, which is out today.

Tell me, why did you launch an app? Because for the misfit we know -- we know your name, because of your wearable devices. So why are you going

into apps in addition to wearable devices?

VU: You know, if you're going to buy a smartwatch, you're probably not going to buy a standalone activity tracker. And so we made the misfit

minute app for the Apple Watch so that we can give the misfit experience to just about anybody out there, you know, if you're an Apple Watch buyer.

It's an app that you can take with you and have a quick workout anywhere you go.

LU STOUT: Now Nike was able to survive without the FuelBand. Do you think Misfit could survive without your wearables?

VU: You know, the folks who would buy a $400, $500 Apple Watch is a different segment from the folks who would buy a $50 Misfit flash product.

So I think they're different segments. It depends on the experience that you want.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that's Sonny Vu, the CEO of the wearables maker Misfit. And he also tells me that China is a major market for his company. In

December, it raised $40 million from Chinese companies, including big names like the smartphone marker Xiaomi and the ecommerce giant JD.com.

Now, if you missed any of our weeklong look at wearable technology segments, just go online. All of our interviews and special segments can

be found on our website. Just go to CNN.com/NewsStream.

Now they are popping up at businesses around Japan greeting customers and performing routine services. But as you can see , they are not your

typical workers. More on the robot revolution coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: And that is Hong Kong on a Friday night. Welcome back. You're watching News Stream.

Now the future is here in Japan where lifelife robots are starting to pop up at some businesses. And it's not just for the wow factor. Will

Ripley takes a look at how the robot revolution could be Japan's solution for a shrinking workforce.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Customers at this high-end Tokyo department store may wonder at first why all the fuss? Why is everyone

taking pictures of the women in the Kimono?

Until they realize it's not a woman, it's a robot. Aiko Tahira (ph), the store's new temporary greeter.

The regular greeters says she's not worried about a robot replacing her, even one made to look like a real 32-year-old woman.

"Communication is important," she says. "My strength is I can actually talk to people."

Manufacturer Toshiba says Aiko (ph) can sing and use sign language, but can't have a conversation yet. The technology is evolving quickly.

Is the goal to eventually replace humans for some jobs?

[08:40:09] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe.

RIPLEY: This Tokyo bank is trying out Nao (ph), a customer service robot that answers basic questions and is designed to speak 19 languages.

ROBOT: Welcome. Which language do you speak?

RIPLEY: A polyglot that could prove useful serving foreign customers during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. By then the bank hopes to have even more

robots on staff.

Pepper (ph), a robot that chats with customers first began appearing in Tokyo stores last year. Manufacturer Softbank hopes it will eventually

be a family robot, like a sleeker version of Rosy on the Jetsons.

A hotel scheduled to open in Nagasaki this summer plans to have 10 robot staff members and eventually aims for more than 90 percent of hotel

services operated by robots.

Today's novelty could be tomorrow's necessity. Japan has an aging population and so there is serious talk right now about how to incorporate

robots like this into the ever-shrinking workforce here.

One group that seems willing to embrace robots, Japan's senior citizens. A survey by nursing home operator Oryx Living (ph) found more

seniors would feel comfortable being cared for by a robot than a foreign nurse.

"Some day I'll be living alone. I'd like to have a robot to stay with me," she says.

In a nation with a dwindling population, waning workforce and deep resistance to immigration, it seems robots will only play a larger role in

Japan's future. Today's curiosity, tomorrow's co-worker.

Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: I'd prefer my robots to be not quite so humanlike.

And finally NASA is sharing some celestrial fireworks to celebrate the Hubble telescope. It was launched 25 years ago.

Now you're looking at a cluster of stars located some 20,000 lightyears away. It contains some of our galaxy's hottest, brightest and

most massive stars.

And that is just one of many impressive images beamed back to Earth by Hubbel. And you can't help but feel small when you look at this hypnotic

shot at the center of a globular cluster.

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

END