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Myanmar Assists Migrants Stranded at Sea. Polls Open in Ireland for Same-Sex Constitutional Referendum; ISIS Overtakes Last Syrian-controlled Border Crossing with Iraq; Invader Invades Hong Kong; PATRIOT Act Reauthorization in Danger in U.S. Senate. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET

Aired May 22, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:01:25] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now, change of heart -- Myanmar assists migrant stranded at sea, but will the new policy go far enough?

Plus, a world first in Ireland. Right now, voters are deciding whether gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry. We are live in

Dublin.

And art invades Hong Kong. Hear from the artist whose pixelated pieces make city streets look like a video game.

In a significant change of course, Myanmar's navy has now carried out its first migrant mission, boarding a boat with 208 people early on Friday.

Myanmar's minister of information released these photos of officers helping people out of the ship's hold and giving them food and water.

Now it was only Thursday that the country agreed to join search efforts for thousands of migrants stranded on unstable boats.

Now Myanmar had previously refused until holding talks with a U.S. delegation.

And for more on efforts to address Asia's migrant crisis, Saima Mohsin joins me now live from Bangkok. And Saima, Myanmar has not pushed away,

but in fact picked up a boat carrying over 200 migrants today. What more have you learned about this mission?

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, we believe that this happened overnight. It's one boat that's carrying around

about 200 men. No women and children on this particular boat, all men, the youngest just 14 years old, going up to 40 years old.

And these incredible photos that we got from the ministry of information just show how they were crammed in into the hold of this boat,

presumably hiding as they tried to make it out of Myanmar waters.

Now the marine police and the navy boarded that boat and found them on board. And we're told that they arrested all 200 of these males. They are

saying they are Bengali males, now that is in particular how they've referred to them specifically, of course.

We can't independently verify who they are, or where they are from. And we, of course, also must remember that the Myanmar government doesn't

recognize the term or the people Rohingya. And so they are referring to them a Bengali.

But they also did say that these are migrants that have actually made their way all the way from Chittagong in Bangladesh, made it to Myanmar

waters, and they believe they were trying to make it towards Thailand, Indonesia or Malaysia as we've seen, of course, over the last few weeks,

haven't we, covering this on News Stream with you, Kristie.

Now, they took them off of this particular boat, and then they have taken them to a temporary shelter where they say they're being taken care

of. It's a school building of some sort where they are being held.

There's not much more information about the arrests and whether that would entail any kind of charges, of course. As you say, it was a huge

change of heart, effectively, when Myanmar said they'd offer them humanitarian assistance and stopped them leaving their waters -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: You know, we have to keep tabs on these migrants and their fate. And we also have to keep tabs on the officials of Myanmar, the Nobel

Peace Prize Laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Saima, why has she been silent on the plight of the Rohingya?

[08:05:11] MOHSIN: That's a big question, Kristie, that everybody is asking not just in this region, but right around the world, of course.

She's a woman that people look to the world over. She's a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a defender of human rights.

And the word that's being used in abundance by human rights activists now is disappointing, or disappointment as far as her response, or lack

thereof, is concerned.

Now of course she has all the while -- this hasn't just started as far as the persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar is concerned, this has

been going on for years and years. All the while she has tread a very delicate path, effectively sitting on the fence.

She has always said that the rule of law should be upheld, but she's never outright condemned this communal violence, refuses to, and says that

she can't look at this one way or the other.

Now we've got to remember that she's balancing international expectations of a woman of her stature against domestic demands. And this

is a year, in particular, she's going to be very mindful of that. An election is coming up later this year in 2015. She wants to be the next

president of Myanmar. She certainly does not want to upset any of her domestic voters. And that is perhaps why she's playing politics

effectively.

But a lot of disappointment for those that look to someone who has been a victim of human rights abuses to defend others -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: So at this moment, it doesn't look very likely that Aung Sung Suu Kyi will break her silence on the Rohingya issue.

And Saima, meanwhile, the situation in Indonesia where hundreds of Rohingya were rescued earlier this week. They made it to shore. But what

are their lives like now? What kind of conditions are they living int?

MOHSIN: Not comfortable, not entirely perhaps what they were hoping for in terms of a better life, but certainly at least they are safe for the

time being, Kristie. They are in temporary shelters. We know of course over the last few days that they were met with a bit of a disorganized

arrival. People didn't really know what to do with them or where to put them.

Men have been put in tents, women in temporary shelters. There still aren't washing facilities, bathrooms, even, showers. So, that still has to

be organized.

But we are told that that will happen soon.

And of course, Indonesia and Malaysia both who have accepted taking them on board and bringing them to land at least a year until they are

resettled, they say, are repeatedly calling for the support of the international community. And that is what we see them emphasizing time and

again. The foreign minister speaking to CNN reiterating that they really need the international community to step up, step in and help support these

people as they have decided to be the primary supporters, but they want more people to weigh in and more countries to weigh in -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, and absolutely heartbreaking to hear of the deplorable conditions they have to deal with not just on these boats, but

even after rescue on land as well.

Saima Mohsin reporting for us live from Bangkok. Thank you so much, Saima.

Now Europe is dealing with its own migrant crisis. And thousands of people are making this risky journey for North Africa across the

Mediterranean. Many of them end up in Italy.

And CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour just spent 24 hours on board an Italian navy ship and witnessed the challenges

involved in saving these refugees. Here is her exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a sunny day, so the pilots of this navy helicopter expect it to be a busy day in

the central Mediterranean, not far from the Libyan coast. And barely 30 minutes into our flight, the pilots tell us they've spotted a boat,

possibly full of migrants.

And there it is miles away steaming towards Italy, they hope.

The warship Sphinx takes off to rescue them. Now they've all been given those distinctive orange life vests.

We return to the task force frigate Virginia Frizane (ph) and join the crews there preparing to assist this seaborne rescue underway.

The crews are dressed in masks and hazard suits in case of infectious disease.

It is incredible to see with your own eyes a boat like that, not big. It's been crammed with 290 people. And of them 21 are children.

Now, the Italian navy has offloaded them all. And now the last batch that's been unloaded by the Italian navy is ready to get on one of these

warships and safety.

But this human drama also includes one death and three very sick migrants are transported to be choppered to hospital on land. The very

lucky ones make it up the stairs. They are all sat in rows on the top deck under the broiling sun. Most are from Eritrea, East Africa, escaping a

dictatorial regime and military service that doesn't pay a penny. Almost no one speaks English. But this man tells me they all fled what amounts to

slavery back home.

[08:10:46] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know at lot of time, a lot of people they are (inaudible in here (inaudible). He knows that.

AMANPOUR: And yet you take the risk even though you know a lot of people died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

AMANPOUR: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have any (inaudible), because I would tell you, but for myself I came from Eritrea.

AMANPOUR: What do you think of the Italians who saved you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is very what we have is nice. We've been a nice country. We know that before when we are coming. We know that.

AMANPOUR: And then we walk over to the other side where women and children were separated, seeking shade and sleep where they could.

25-year-old Juri (ph) fetches water for her travel companions and their kids. She says they all spent a long time waiting for this in cruel

conditions in Libya.

Were you afraid on the sea?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. I really am. We are afraid, but we (inaudible) also. (inaudible).

AMANPOUR: So, god came in the form of the Italian navy?

UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, yeah. Like. Yes. I'm happy.

AMANPOUR: Back on the busy bridge of the Fizane (ph) commander Marco Banni (ph) directs this and other operations. And every rescue takes hours

to accomplish even on calm waters. There are up to 1,000 crew at sea all the time.

Task for commander Admiral Ribuffo has one special mission aside from saving lives: stopping these merchants of death by keeping empty fishing

boats out of the traffickers hands.

You have called these boats weapons of mass destruction.

ADM. PIERPAOLO RIBUFFO, DEPUTY COMMANDER, ITALIAN NAVY: Yeah.

AMANPOUR: What do you mean by that?

RIBUFFO: They are, because of course it's quite provocative. But in terms of human losses they have been causing, just one journey is extremely

fruitful for a criminal organization. We're talking about one million euro per journey.

AMANPOUR: Really?

RIBUFFO: Yes.

AMANPOUR: One million euros per journey?

RIBUFFO: Yeah.

AMANPOUR: Indeed, heavily armed special forces and marines take off at top speed., soaking us, but making sure no trafficker was coming back

for this wooden boat.

And while they all await further orders under a new EU military mission, the human toll on young crews and even experienced naval

commanders is immense.

RIBUFFO: I think that Italy and Europe in the next future will do the right thing. So I'm proud of that.

AMANPOUR: I can see it makes you emotional.

RIBUFFO: I would say yes, because confronting yourself with people is quite heartbreaking sometimes.

AMANPOUR: And rewarding at times, too, afterall on just this mission they have saved 289 lives.

These migrants are safe and they are free at last, but still they sail on into an uncertain future.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, aboard the Virginio Fizane (ph), in the Mediterranean Sea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And in just the past couple of hours we have learned of an explosion at a mosque in Saudi Arabia. Now reports say that there were

several deaths in the suicide attack. The explosion ripped through a Shiite mosque in the eastern part of the country during Friday prayers.

Images show shattered glass and several bodies.

ISIS, one step closer to erasing the border between Iraq and Syria. A key victory in the last 24 hours is now helping the extremists in their bid

to redraw the map of the Middle East.

And a report from Dublin where voters are casting ballots in a historic vote on same-sex marriage.

Plus, a reversal in the Korean Air nut rage trial. It started with macadamia nuts. And now it's ending with an overturned prison sentence.

We've got the details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:16:37] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has now captured the last government controlled border crossing between the two nations along

with a natural gas field and a military station.

Now the victories erode the boundary separating Iraq from Syria, a symbolic coup for the group's campaign to form a caliphate.

And in Iraq, the extremists are tightening their grip over Ramadi and pushing east on the road to Baghdad.

Now Arwa Damon was just at the bridge leading out of Ramadi, the only safe route from Anbar province to the capital of Iraq. And residents of

Ramadi have been crossing that bridge in recent days.

Arwa joins us on the phone from Baghdad. And Arwa, you were just there at that bridge to Ramadi and out of Ramadi. What did you see?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, resident had been crossing that bridge yesterday, but today for reasons that were

not quite clearly explained to us the bridge was closed. And all those refugees were stuck on the Anbar Province side of the bridge under what can

only be described as unbearable conditions, a massive sand storm was underway, relentless wind blowing harsh sand across the terrain. And there

was little, if any, shelter at all for these people. Among them were the elderly, babies, one as young as 3-months-old that we met, a pregnant woman

whose family was concerned that she would perhaps give birth under these conditions.

People begging for help, and people absolutely livid, furious at the government, saying that it abandoned the fight against ISIS in Anbar and

allowed the organization, the terrorist organization to drive them from their homes and now it is preventing them from entering Baghdad, from

reaching safer ground and proper shelter.

They need food. They need water. They say that there isn't enough of that out there.

Now part of why the situation is the way it is, is because the Iraqi government requires anyone who is not from Baghdad Province who is coming

in from Anbar to have a sponsor in Baghdad. They say that this is a security measure they need to take.

We did, however, see some of those restrictions lifted over the last few days. People were allowed to cross. But today, even though these

refugees who we spoke to said that they have sponsors in Baghdad they were not being allowed through, Kristie. And the conditions are absolutely

miserable.

LU STOUT: And, Arwa, we're looking at the video, the situation there at the Ramadi bridge, of these just desperate residents of Ramadi braving a

sand storm. They are so desperate to get out. Men, women, children, the elderly, braving a sand storm just to get out of Ramadi.

They are trying to find shelter. We don't know where they are going to go next. What did they tell you about what they escaped from? How much

fighting there still is inside Ramadi. What kind of control ISIS is exerting on the city?

DAMON: They had so many stories, Kristie, all of them slightly the same, but still very different. Many of them saying that they fled with

just the clothes they had, others deciding just to pack suitcases knowing that they wouldn't be able to go back home, but still not having enough

time, they say, to grab any sort of mementos, something to remind them of the lives that they had left behind.

Many of them, especially those that fled during the final ISIS push into Ramadi that took place some four or five days ago, they came with

absolutely nothing. We met with one family that was sitting in the dirt surrounded by garbage. And they just had the clothes on their backs.

One man who we spoke to was describing how in his particular neighborhood he claimed that ISIS -- and we had heard this from other

individuals as well -- was going door to door looking for anyone who may have cooperated with the Iraqi security forces and the government, or may

have been a member of them. And he says he saw ISIS summarily executing people accused of fighting against them in the streets.

Some of these people who we met, Kristie, had actually fled months ago when ISIS began pushing and attempting to push further into Ramadi.

Remember, the battle for Ramadi effectively initially began arguably as far back as November when ISIS began to try to begin taking over that city. So

people have been fleeing since then, moving to safer areas in Ramadi, then moving out of the city. Many of them have already been displaced three or

four times.

What they cannot fathom at this stage is why it is that the Iraqi government just won't open the bridge. The government says security

measures, but the families don't seem to be able to understand how the government, despite its security concerns, can allow them to languish like

this.

One man said I have a message for my government in Baghdad. I don't want to come to the capital. I don't want to come to this city. I don't

want anyone to pay for me to get there. Just send us a bus, send us transport to pick us up on the other side and we will leave.

One man was so upset at the whole situation. He said if I die, I don't want to be buried in Iraq, because I cannot consider a country that

treats me like this to be my own.

[08:21:46] LU STOUT: Arwa Damon reporting live on the line for us just describing to us just a horrific situation these stories inside

Ramadi, a testimony of executions taking place inside the city. And we're looking at these scenes, desperate scenes of the residents of Ramadi trying

to leave the city, now taken over by ISIS, braving a sand storm to leave and the bridge is closed, their future uncertain.

Arwa Damon, thank you so much for your reporting.

Now and to further understand just what's happening here as ISIS makes its advance across Iraq and Syria we have this feature that just came up on

our website CNN.com. And it's an interactive map that tracks the advance and the rise of ISIS. And you can see how rapidly its influence has grown

in just the last year.

And of course ISIS isn't the only militant group fighting in Syria. Hezbollah took CNN on a rare tour of recaptured territory on the border

with Lebanon. And you could also learn more about this very complicated battle right here on our website.

Now you're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, in the United States the authority to collect the phone records of millions of

Americans may be coming to an end. We are closely monitoring the Senate's critical vote next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:43] LU STOUT: That is Hong Kong on a Friday night. Welcome back. You're watching News Stream.

Now U.S. lawmakers have just hours left to decide if they're going to renew key portions of the PATRIOT Act or kill it. Now the authority to

collect millions of phone records without a warrant expires on June 1. And Friday is one of the last days for the Senate to renew it.

Now the Senate, they have to hold a rare weekend session. And for more on the future of the PATRIOT Act and U.S. surveillance programs, we're

joined now by our chief U.S. congressional correspondent Dana Bash.

And Dana, is the Senate any closer to renewing the surveillance clause of the PATRIOT Act?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They're closer to voting, but they're not necessarily closer to renewing it. And the reason is

because, Kristie, we believe that it's going to be a vote either today or maybe more likely tomorrow, Saturday, which is a holiday weekend here in

the United States.

And it's about a bill that the House of Representatives passed that makes some changes to this program, reforms to those changes that even a

U.S. court says was needed.

The problem is that the House is controlled by Republicans so is the Senate. And the Senate, many of the leaders there, believe that these

reforms went way too far and that they actually render the program inadequate.

So, it's entirely possible -- and Republican sources in the Senate are telling us probable -- that that House bill is likely to fail and then

they're going to try to pass a short-term extension. But here's another problem, the calendar. We are just a little over a week away from June 1,

which is when the deadline is for this -- these programs. They expire on that day. The House of Representatives, they're gone already for Memorial

Day recess. They're going to be gone all next week. They don't come back until that day, June 1. So it's going to go literally up until deadline

day.

LU STOUT: And what happens if there is no agreement and the PATRIOT Act expires?

BASH: It depends who you ask. And that really -- therein lies the crux of this major, major debate here in the United States. There are

people inside the administration, the attorney general, for example, the newly confirmed attorney general Loretta Lynch who says that this is a

crucial, crucial tool, a vital tool in our national security arsenal. And that it's necessary to go after the lone wolf terror suspects and the

people who national security experts and officials in the United States say that they are incredibly concerned about.

On the flip side, you have the Rand Pauls of the world, the U.S. Senator who is also running for president, who had a talkathon on the

Senate floor a couple of days ago. He thinks that these programs are simply unnecessary, that they infringe on civil liberties. They're

unconstitutional. And that the way that the U.S. legal system already is without those tools, without the bulk data collection, is just fine and

that there's no need to collect everybody's data that you can go. If somebody is concerned about a potential suspect, there -- the programs and

the process already exist through the regular courts.

So that's why you have a very different view from different kinds of people even within the own party -- their own party.

This does not necessarily follow along traditional U.S. Party lines. There are splits among Democrats and splits among Republicans.

LU STOUT: Yeah. Big ramifications this vote indeed in terms of data privacy and surveillance as well. Dana Bash, thank you so much. Take

care.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, it is in fact decision day for Ireland. The traditionally Catholic country could approve

same-sex marriage. And we are live in Dublin with more on this historic vote.

Also ahead, the former South Korean airline executive who ordered a passenger jet back to the gate, well she's out of jail. We'll have the

latest on the infamous nut rage incident.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:58] LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

In Iraq, residents of the city of Ramadi are trying to get to Baghdad after ISIS captured the capital of Anbar Province. These are new CNN

video. It's taken at the bridge that leads from Ramadi into Baghdad. Now meanwhile, ISIS has captured a major natural gas field in Syria as well as

the last border crossing into Iraq. And a report just out from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the militants now control more than half

of Syria.

Now these images show the cleanup underway in California after 2,400 barrels of oil spilled. Now the crude has blackened the state's coastline

and hit its wildlife. And the company that operates the pipeline has a history of safety failures.

Now right now voters in Ireland are deciding whether to change the country's constitution so that same-sex couples can wed. Civil

partnerships already exist there, but activists say it does not provide the same level of protection. Ireland is a traditionally Catholic country.

Now Phil Black joins us now from outside a polling station in Dublin. And Phil, the polls have been open for a few hours already. So

how is the vote proceeding?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, more than six hours now, Kristie. And it's proceeding steadily. It's 1:30 in the

afternoon here, so the middle of the day. There's been constant traffic through the polling stations that we visited across Dublin today.

But I think most people are expecting that the peak period will be after work, these ballot stations will be open until 10:00 p.m. tonight, so

plenty of people -- plenty of time there, I should say, for people to get in and cast their vote.

And there's a lot of emphasis on turnout. This is expected to be a close vote, and turnout will be key. While the opinion polls have pointed

pretty consistently to a convincing win for the yes camp, people on the ground here don't really buy that. They believe that there is a large

number of people who are likely to vote no who simply haven't been willing to declare that publicly up until now.

As I said, polling closes tonight at 10:00 p.m. The votes will be counted through the day tomorrow. So it won't be a until tomorrow evening

that Ireland, the rest of the world, finds out if this is the latest country to adopt gay marriage, but the first potentially to do so via

popular referendum.

LU STOUT: This is expected to be a very close vote. You've been reporting a pretty steady turnout so far -- six hours in. We know Ireland

is a historically conservative country, so just how polarizing, just how divisive is this vote?

BLACK: Yeah, historically conservative where once the Catholic church had a monopoly on moral authority, but that is no longer the case, because

of the various scandals, many of them involving the abuse of children that have been revealed here in more recent years.

It is certainly divisive.

The Catholic church has played a role in calling for a no vote, but not leading the campaign by any means, leaving the heavy lifting to other

activist groups, some of the affiliated with the church. And these groups have been maintaining an argument that this is about parenthood and

procreation and other issues like surrogacy and generally questioning the right and abilities of gay couples to be as effective parents as

heterosexual couples.

Now the yes camp, even the Irish government, says that that is largely irrelevant, that this is simply about equality, about fairness. That's the

more simple, I guess, yes message throughout this campaign. As you can see, they're both very stark. So it's been a very strong, difficult

conservation that this country has endured for many months now. And today, we're going to get the resolution, Kristie.

[ 08:35:40] LU STOUT: Yeah, a difficult conservation for a landmark vote.

Phil Black reporting live from Dublin. Thank you, Phil.

Now close to 20 countries have laws allowing same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships. And we've highlighted them in green on this map.

And they include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, also France, Belgium, Holland, Spain and a handful of others.

Now the U.S. and Mexico offer such rights to same-sex couples only in some jurisdictions.

And now to the so-called nut rage incident heard around the world. Now an airline executive, she threw a tantrum about how her nuts were

served. She ordered the plane back to the gate and then got sent to jail.

Now today she walked out of jail on what may be the final chapter of this story.

Kathy Novak has more from Seoul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHY NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's been in custody since December. And now Heather Cho is a free woman. The daughter of Korean

Air's chairman was so angry about the way her nuts were served in first class that she forced the taxiing plane back to the gate at New York's JFK

Airport so the head flight attendant could be kicked off.

The incident sparked widespread public anger. And it landed Cho with a one year prison sentence.

Earlier this year a court found that Cho had, among other things, violated aviation law and changed the flight's path.

Well, on appeal the high court disagreed. It handed Cho a ten month sentence for assaulting the flight attendants involved. Then it released

her with two years probation.

The head judge said Cho had shown genuine remorse and took into account her clean record and the fact that she has two small children.

Cho said nothing as she left court, but has publicly apologized in the past. Prosecutors have one week to decide if they'll appeal.

Kathy Novak, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now this case is provoking some outrage online. People in South Korea have been taking to Twitter to express their anger. One user

seems to have expected this saying this, "Heather Cho was released? Of course she is."

Another makes a more damning statement calling it an escape from jail, not a release.

And one was more philosophical saying this shows that the law around the rich's neck is a necklace, but around the poor's neck it's a rope.

You're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, art invades Hong Kong. We'll hear from the elusive artist who is splashing

retro video game characters across cities around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:44:58] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now works by the French artist Invader can sell for big bucks. His pixelated mosaic masterpieces recently showed up around the streets of Hong

Kong. And Invader, who keeps his identity secret, tell us what inspires him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

INVADER, ARTIST (through translator): The context to my work is to invade the world. The idea is to push the limits and always go a bit

further.

I have made dragons, for example, Bruce Lees, Hong Kong dollar signs and many other things, but it is true that in the beginning I took my

inspiration from the video game Space Invaders. But now I've added many other things to my pallet, which I was able to place in Hong Kong.

I consider my street art a gift that I make to a city and to its residents. I thought they could be happy to have the works that I placed

there, because I tried very hard to do a very good job, a beautiful invasion and I was very sad to see that the government, or at least those

in charge of the streets and highways, had taken the decision to destroy all of my work.

I am always hiding. I work by night to be undisturbed. When I do interviews I wear a mask. And then little by little as I became recognized

as an important artist I continued to stay anonymous, because I find that adds something to the project, something interesting, a little like a super

hero who always wears a mask so you cannot see their real identity.

I like the idea that people can imagine what I look like and who I am.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: A beautiful invasion, that was the French street artist Invader speaking to us earlier.

Now the Hong Kong government may have wiped out Invader's creations, but the artist still got to show off his work at an exhibition space in the

city earlier this month. Invader never really reveals where he's heading next. And so far he has left his mark on more than 60 cities around the

world.

Now Pac Man is often seen in Invader's art. And the iconic video game turns 35 today.

Now born in Tokyo in 1980, he was originally named Puck Man, but fears that it might resemble swear word meant that they had to change it to Pac

Man after the Japanese term Pacu Pacu (ph), which means to chomp.

And the game, it became a global hit. Pac Man can be found on virtually every video game system ever made and his face adorns countless

pieces of merchandise.

And today Pac Man remains as relevant as ever with its own Google doodle from 2010.

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

END