Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Possible Grexit Looms As Euro Negotiators Prepare for Summit; UK Remembers 10th Anniversary of 7/7; Japanese Cat Game Gaining Popularity; Pope Francis Delivers Mass to Millions in Quito, Ecuador. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET

Aired July 07, 2015 - 8:00   ET

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


[08:00:14] MANISHA TANK, HOST: Hi, I'm Manisha Tank in Hong Kong. A warm welcome to News Stream.

It's a make or break moment for Greece and the euro zone as Athens lays out its proposal for another bailout.

Plus, a revealing admission in court. Comedian Bill Cosby says he obtained powerful sedatives intending to drug young women.

And 10 years since explosions ripped through London, we'll show you how victims of the 7/7 terror attack are being remembered.

Euro zone finance ministers are meeting in Brussels this hour to try to figure out a way to pull Greece out of its cash crisis. they're looking

to find common ground on a third bailout deal for Athens after Greeks voted no to the latest terms of an offer.

But in the meantime, Greek banks will remain shut until at least Thursday, this after the European Central Bank refused to increase its cash

lifeline to Athens.

There were grim queues at ATMs yet again today now a familiar scene across the country.

A second key meeting of European heads of state is set for later today in Brussels, that's when Greece's prime minister is expected to leverage

that resounding no vote from the Greek public for more bailout cash from its creditors.

Well, CNN's Isa Soares is tracking developments from Athens and she joins us -- well, I was hoping that she would join us, but right now we

can't speak to her. Hopefully, we will later.

But in the meantime, I would like to show you a photo that's been taken today in the Greek capital. This is a sign outside the bank of

Greece, which has been defaced with graffiti that reads, "bank of Merkel."

It's a tangible display of the frustration over the austerity measures imposed by Greece's so-called troika of creditors.

Of those lenders, Germany holds the lion's share of Greek debt.

Well, the Greek debt crisis is one that has had us all gripped. Let's take us now -- I'll take you now to Athens. Isa Soares hopefully we can

talk to her this time

Isa, if you are there, you know, we were just looking at this image, someone who put bank of Merkel, but that's -- well, hopefully Isa can hear

us, I think they're checking her sound right now.

Can Isa Soares hear us, guys?

I don't think Isa can hear us at this moment. So perhaps we'll come back to her in a little bit.

These sorts of things happen. It's live TV.

But we can speak to someone who can see other sides of this particular debate that's been going on in Europe. Pierre Vimont is a senior associate

at Carnegie Europe. And he joins us hopefully live from Brussels.

Hello, Mr. Vimont. Hopefully, you can hear us. Excellent.

Now the first thing I wanted to ask you about was, you know, we had just seen this image, Bank of Merkel, put on this, you know, basically some

graffiti on the bank there in Athens. But what is interesting about that is it very much reflects frustration in Greece.

But in Germany, what is Merkel up against, Chancellor Merkel up against when it comes to those who think she should just let -- accept some

sort of a bailout deal on Greek terms?

PIERRE VIMONT, CARNEGIE EUROPE: Well, you know, Chancellor Merkel is facing in Germany a domestic political situation that she has to take into

account. She has a parliamentary majority that has strong reservation about Greek policies so far. And she has to find a difficult line between

her parliamentary group that doesn't want to do anything anymore for Greece and a compromise that could be found out among leaders tonight in Brussels.

This is the very difficult line -- very fine line that she has to find out.

TANK: Staying with the politics of matters, of course there will be this meeting of these euro group leaders. Alex Tsipras will go there with

possible proposals, although no one seems particularly hopeful yet that there will be any finalization of any deal any time soon.

What can we expect from that meeting? And what do you think the mood will be like?

VIMONT: I think what we can expect from the meeting is at least a very solid, a substantial discussion among the leaders now that we have had

this referendum in Greece, the situation is very clear. (inaudible) the political leaders tonight in Brussels gave very clear political guidelines

to the finance ministers and we try to find a way out of this crisis, or we can fall down even further.

So, I think the heads of state and governments as they're coming this evening in Brussels are ready to listen to what Prime Minister Tsipras will

tell them what is the kind of proposals he's ready to put on the table for short-term measures and also for long-term measures. And I think more than

anything else what we need tonight is to rebuild some trust and some confidence between all these leaders, because this trust and this

confidence has been somewhat eroded by different weeks, long weeks of negotiation, and the referendum that has taken place and that has taken a

lot of people by surprise.

So, I think this is really what it's all about. And I don't expect a final agreement. We all know this will go on and there are much more

decisions to be taken. But at least something that would look like rebuilding some kind of trust on all the leaders, and all together trying

to find the political path to bring us back from the brink of disaster and start really discussing possible solutions.

[08:06:23] TANK: OK. Well, great to finish that with a positive comment. Hopefully there will be solutions.

We have to leave it there for now, though, and thank you so much for making sure that our line to you was open. Pierre Vimont there of Carnegie

Europe.

So, let's try and take you to Athens now. CNN's Isa Soares, I hope you are there and we can talk to you about the latest from there.

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I am, indeed.

TANK: One would have thought -- now one would have thought that, you know, there's a lot of frustration in Greece, but so far how are local

people taking all of this, everything that's been happening in the last week or so?

SOARES: Huge concerns without a doubt, Manisha, but there is definitely -- there isn't yet a sense of panic. I think people will have -

- are supporting Alexis Tsipras in a new finance minister. They -- he seems to gain the backing of the people in terms of negotiating a deal. We

know there was a resounding no on Sunday.

Now -- excuse me, people are just trying to wait to see where the negotiations leave in the next couple of days. They know that time is

running out. They know that they're concerned about the banks, the 60 euros, will that be reduced to 20, Manisha? And I think now is really

letting them do some of the talking, more than just ideas I think today. I think they were hoping there will be some credible proposals, serious and

credible proposals, which was exactly what euro group has been calling for.

And I think the tone today, what we heard from Juncker, the European commission president today, basically say -- and I'm going to quote him

here -- it is time for those with common sense and reason to negotiate. He said he didn't expect any sort of deal today, but just to sit him around

the table and to exchange some of those proposals to hear the proposals from the Greek side.

And I think the Greeks are going into this meeting, Manisha, knowing pretty well that this is it, this is their last chance, because if they

don't reach any sort of deal, if they don't make any sort of concessions than the ECB will not add liquidity into the banking system, and that I

think is when we'll see the triumph turn very nasty.

TANK: OK. Isa, good to talk to you. Thanks very much for that with the latest perspective from Greece itself. Isa Soares and team, thank you.

Well, this Greek debt drama has dragged on for years. CNN.com traces key events back to 2001, that was when Greece joined the euro. Find out

how the 2004 Athens Olympics played a role in the nation's economic nose dive. It's all at CNN.com.

Now to a stunning admission by American comedian Bill Cosby. Newly unsealed court documents from 2005 show Cosby admitted that he obtained

drugs to give to women he wanted to seduce. But his lawyer stopped him from answering whether he ever gave drugs to women without their knowledge.

Cosby has denied the sexual assault allegations against him and has not been criminally charged.

Well, CNN's Sara Ganim has been following the story from our New York bureau and she joins us now.

And of course, this has taken such a long time to come to light. And now these documents being unsealed, where does it leave us on this?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is truly a fascinating admission by Bill Cosby, because many of these women who have come forward have not

only accused him of sexual assault, but they've also said that they believe that they were drugged, that they remembered Cosby fixing them a drink and

giving it to them before they felt that they were incapacitated.

Now, in these newly released court documents, Cosby is very specific and careful about his answers, but given that for years he denied

everything, this is the first time we're hearing him admit to anything at all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:10:08] SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A bombshell in the ongoing Cosby sexual assault controversy, shockingly revealed in his

own words. The admission surfacing in newly unsealed court documents. The embattled comedian testifying under oath that in 2005 he had obtained seven

prescriptions of Quaaludes, a powerful hypnotic and sedative, admitting his intent to drug young women he wanted to have sex with.

His confession, testimony from a civil lawsuit filed by Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, that was settled in 2006. In

the deposition obtained and made public by the Associated Press, the plaintiff's attorney questioning the now 77-year-old Cosby. Question, "when

you got the Quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these Quaaludes for young women that you wanted to have sex with?" Cosby

answering, "yes." "You gave them to other people?" "Yes."

When the attorney goes on to ask him, "did you ever give any of those women Quaaludes without their knowledge," Cosby's lawyer objects, telling

him not to answer the question. The woman in that case accusing Cosby of drugging and molesting her, giving her three blue pills.

The documents also include Cosby's recollection of a 1970s encounter with a woman in Las Vegas. "She meets me backstage," he says. "I give her

Quaaludes. We then have sex."

According to the newly released court documents, Cosby's lawyers insisting that two of the accusers were aware that they were taking

Quaaludes from the comedian. Over the past 40 years, more than 25 women have publicly alleged that Cosby raped or assaulted them.

BEVERLY JOHNSON, COSBY ACCUSER: It was very powerful. It came on very quickly. The room started to spin. At that point I knew he had drugged me.

GANIM: But Cosby, who starred as the loveable Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," has long denied drugging and sexually molesting these

women and has never been criminally charged.

Barbara Bowman, one of Cosby's accusers, who many credit for paving the way for others to come forward, calls the revelations a game changer.

BARBARA BOWMAN, COSBY ACCUSER: I think we're going to be heard now. And I think this is just the beginning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GANIM: Now, Cosby fought the release of these documents for a long time, saying that they would be embarrassing to him. His attorney isn't

commenting this morning, but if you read through these court documents you see hints of the two of them both alluding to the fact that Quaaludes were

a popular party drug in the 1970s. Many people abused them. This is the first time we're hearing any kind of version of his story.

TANK: OK, Sara, thanks very much for that latest on that Cosby story.

Now to Nigeria where at least 20 people have been killed in a bombing in the north. Witnesses tell CNN a local government building was targeted.

It happened in the city of Zaria in Kaduna (ph) state.

The attack is just the latest in a series of deadly bombings in Nigeria as the country battles the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.

Coming up here on News Stream, no agreement yet in the Iran nuclear talks. And both sides have threatened to walk away if they don't get a

good deal. We'll take you live to Tehran.

And, large swings in the Chinese stock market have created stress for millions of investors, but we'll hear from a teenage trader who says he's

still making money.

Plus, the somber moment in London as people pause to mark 10 years since the horrifying July 7 bombing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK

[08:15:27] TANK: Hello, again, you're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories that we have for you.

We've already told you about the high stakes summit on the Greek debt crisis, and later we'll tell you about a game from Japan the goal gather

stray cats, but now to what could be the final runup to an historic deal on Iran's nuclear program. In the last hour, a EU official said negotiators

need more time to sort out the remaining obstacles.

While both sides seem eager to broker a deal, but neither is willing to budget for a quick settlement.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen is following developments from the Iranian capital. And he joins us now.

Fred, what I noticed is every time there's a statement of some kind there's a statement of some kind, there's a flash of news wires. And then

you seem to think that the sides still disagree.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNAITONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that certainly seems to be what's going on. And one of the things when we hear that that

we always have to keep in mind is that on all sides there are always domestic politics, and that certainly is the case here in Iran where on the

one hand you have very moderates who want a deal, who want closer ties with the west, but there's also a lot of hardliners who are very skeptical of

these negotiations, and quite frankly don't want to give an inch, especially to the United States.

And I want to point that out to you by showing you this. This is a moderate newspaper here from Tehran, and right on the front page, of

course, the negotiations are what is the main issue.

However, if we look at the more conservative newspaper, which is this one, there's absolutely no mention of the negotiations anywhere on the

front page (inaudible) have trouble with these negotiations, they're skeptical of these negotiations.

Now, it really is interesting, though, also to see what Iranian politicians say about all this. And I was able to speak (inaudible) alter

ties with the United States. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASSAN AMIR-ABDULLAH, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Our nation has bitter memories of the United States in the

past 36 years following our revolution. But the nuclear negotiations are a historic opportunity with the U.S. If the United States acts wisely and

logically in these negotiations, then we can say that America has left a positive impression with the Iranian nation.

So, if the moves and actions of the United States are constructive, it can leave a positive impact of the U.S., which can lead to further

engagement and interaction.

PLEITGEN: Including the fight against terrorism, the fight against ISIS. Do you see further cooperation there?

AMIR-ABDULLAH (through translator): As the policy of the United States is of a double standard, there is a need for serious confidence

building in that respect. We are helping the Iraqi government fight against terrorism upon the request of that government. However, there are

no links and no cooperation with the United States in the fight against ISIS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TANK: That was the Iranian deputy foreign minister for Middle East affairs speaking to our Fred Pleitgen.

Well, as negotiators in Vienna work around the clock to iron out key differences, they may want to turn to one Iranian village for help. For

centuries, Iranians have gone there for advice on how to settle disputes. Find out more about that story at CNN.com/MiddleEast.

Now, NASA says it's still on track to get close up images of Pluto from its New Horizon spacecraft, its closest flyby is set to take place

exactly one week from today. But first New Horizons has to complete its recovery. It suffered a glitch on Saturday that sent it into safe mode.

Remember, New Horizons launched back in 2006 and has traveled nearly 5 billion kilometers to get to this point.

It -- at this distance, it's a challenge for the spacecraft and its operators to communicate, so radio signals traveling at the speed of light

take nine hours roundtrip. It really gives you a sense for it.

You're watching News Stream. Still ahead on this program, big risk doesn't always equal a big reward, but that's not stopping a young

generation of Chinese investors from trying their luck in the stock market.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: The colors of the Hong Kong skyline there.

Another rollercoaster day on the Chinese stock markets today. Shares fell sharply once again despite a number of financial support measures by

the government over the weekend.

China's benchmark index wiped out gains from Monday's brief rally. The smaller Shenzhen market closed down more than 5 percent.

Chinese media report a number of listed companies on both exchanges on Shanghai and Shenzhen have suspended trading in the past week.

Well, investors have lost a lot of money in China's market slide. And there are a new generation of capitalists learning a classic lesson about

risk, but Ivan Watson met one young investor who remains optimistic despite his losses.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: School is out for the summer, but in stead of heading to the pool or the beach, 17-year-old Li

Bohao hits a coffee shop where he gets to work immediately on the day's stocks.

He says he first started investing in financial markets when he was only 15.

Where did you get the money to invest? Did your parents give you the money?

LI BOHAO, TEEN INVESTOR: Yeah, yeah. I borrowed from my parents.

WATSON: A lot of money or just a little to begin with?

BOHAO: Just a little, maybe just 3,000 U.S. dollars.

WATSON: To start with.

But that's a lot of money when you're 15 years old.

Incredibly, Li claims he doubled his parent's money in just one day by buying crude oil and silver futures.

Do you think that you got lucky that day?

BOHAO: Yeah, yeah.

WATSON: You got lucky.

BOHAO: Yeah.

WATSON: Li has been buying and selling stocks ever since.

But lately his luck may be running out. Over the last three weeks, China's once booming stock markets have tumbled more than 20 percent. At

one point, this high school senior says he lost 140,000 RMB, around $22,000.

Of course, this teenager isn't the only stressed out person riding the stock market rollercoaster in China these days.

Here's something Chairman Mao probably wouldn't approve of, China now has some 90 million stock trading accounts. There are currently around 88

million card carrying members of the Communist Party. That means there are officially now more capitalists than Communists in China.

Most traders, analysts say, are so-called retail investors, people like housewives, students and taxi drivers attracted to a stock market that

had been growing at a rate of 120 percent this year. The recent freefall has left many here hurting.

[08:25:54] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I've lost around $16,000. I thought I will make money, but I didn't, because of bad luck or

lack of knowledge. I haven't told my husband yet how much I lost.

WATSON: Teenage stock trader Li Bohao insists he's more sophisticated than many other Chinese investors.

Did you see the problems in Greece as a way to make more money?

BOHAO: Yeah.

WATSON: He says he made some $2,000 over the last week playing currency markets and selling off euros.

In this volatile global market, one Greek's loss turned out to be this Chinese teenager's gain.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Beijing.

(END VDIEOTAPE)

TANK: Still, dizzying twists and turns on the Chinese market.

Still ahead here on News Stream, coming together London unites to honor victims of the July 7 bombings on the 10th anniversary of the terror

attacks.

(COMMERCAIL BREAK)

TANK: I'm Manisha tank in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

Euro zone finance ministers are meeting in Brussels to try to find common ground on deal for fresh bailout funds for Greece. A summit will

convene later in the day. The Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to make a request for the country's third bailout in five years.

Newly unsealed court documents from 2005 reveal that comedian Bill Cosby admitted to obtaining sedatives to give to women he wanted to have

sex with. More than 25 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault. He has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.

An EU official says negotiators in Vienna need more time to hammer out a deal on Iran's nuclear program. Key issues remain, including whether

foreign inspectors can access Iran's military sites. Another point of contention, whether the arms embargo on Tehran would be listed.

In a few hours, Pope Francis is to celebrate his second mass in Ecuador, this time in the country's capital. He drew a crowd of several

hundred thousand of the faithful on Monday. It was the first mass of his weeklong trip to South America. Another huge crowd of worshipers is

expected to join him in the coming hours.

Now London is paying tribute to the victims of the July 7 terror bombings on the tragedy's 10th anniversary. About an hour from now, a

memorial service will be held in Hyde Park. Prince William is expected to attend.

Earlier today, the city paused for a minute of silence.

Play was even stopped at Wimbledon to mark that moment of silence. On this date, 10 years ago, four Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 people and

wounded more than 700 others in a series of explosions that targeted London's transit system.

It happened the day after the city was celebrating a winning bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

In another solemn moment for the city marking the anniversary, British prime minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson took part in a

wreath laying ceremony to honor victims.

Well, let's head to London for more. And Erin McLaughlin joins us live. She's been monitoring those memorials. Tell us more.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Manisha. Well, about an hour-and-a-half ago here at St. Paul's Cathedral, they concluded a

commemoration ceremony that was incredibly emotional and incredibly powerful. It brought together a cross section of British society affected

by the bombings on that tragic day, including dignitaries, victims' families, survivors, faith leaders.

There was also -- the ceremony included four members of the public, each reading out a brief history of all four locations that were attacked

that day, really illustrating just how these sites hold special places in the hearts of Londoners. Then, they read out one by one the name of each

of the 52 victims killed in those attacks. That was followed by a moment of silence that was observed across London's Underground stations as well

as inside the Cathedral. Flower pedals fell from the Cathedral and what was really a beautiful moment.

Now, as you mentioned earlier in the day, there was that wreath ceremony held at Hyde Park, the 7/7 memorial site. British Prime Minister

David Cameron had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Ten years on, this is one of those days where everybody remembers exactly where they were when they

heard the news. And it's a day when we recall the incredible resolve and resolution of Londoners in the United Kingdom, a day when we remember the

threat that we still face, but above all it's a day when we think of the grace and the dignity of the victims' families, for all they've been

through, and we honor the memory of those victims and all those that were lost 10 years ago today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: Now earlier in the day the prime minister released a statement highlighting the terror attacks that took place in Tunisia just

over a week ago, the single deadliest attack on British nationals since 7/7. He said it was a reminder that 10 years on terror is still very real

threat, and this country continues to really grapple with how to deal with terrorism and how to deal with extremism -- Manisha.

TANK: OK, Erin, thank you very much for that. And those were very, very moving pictures with everybody taking that moment of silence, even on

the London Underground.

Now I want to take you back to the day of the attacks. Survivors, victims, relatives and first responders share the memories with us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I remember is a white light in front of my eyes. And it wasn't just a flash, I felt like it was there for a long

time. And I remember looking at this white light and having the feeling that I was being shook from side to side.

NEESHA KAMBOJ, SURVIVOR 7/7 ATTACK: Dense billowing smoke poured into the carriage. And it felt like the air had been suctioned out of the

carriage. We didn't know what had happened at that time, but it felt like there was an explosion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All London hospitals are now on major incident alert.

MARTINE WRIGHT, SURVIVOR 7/7 A TTACK: I mean, the bomber was four foot away from me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're getting reports of another explosion.

WILLIAM SARGENT, METROPOLITAN POLICE: There was a power surge it was described as it happened at All Gates STation.

KAMBOJ: Some people were sitting silently, some people were crying hysterically.

WRIGHT: I was just trying to move myself. And I couldn't understand why I couldn't move myself. And then I sort of looked up and all I could

see was this metal, which was actually the corner of the tube had buckled from the explosion that was just going -- it like it was going down into

the ground, but it wasn't, it was going down into my legs.

SAJDA MUGHAL, SURVIVOR 7/7 ATTACK: I'm Muslim by faith, and I started to pray.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've just saw fire engine nearly run somebody over in a hurry to Tavistock Square.

GRAHAM RUSSELL, FATHER OF VICTIM: Obviously the news was full of the four explosions. And one of them is in Tavistock Square here. Now I

thought, well, that's not a problem because my son would not be in Tavistock Square being he works over in the city.

ESTHER HYMAN, SISTER OF VICTIM: Miriam had spoken to my dad on the phone at -- after she got evacuated and before she got on a bus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was an eerie seen, because the bus had been ripped apart by the explosion, and a quiet, a really, really deadly quiet

except for the sound of sirens.

STEPHEN MCDERMOTT, LONDON FIRE DEPARTMENT: A lady died right in front of me. And I looked and she had a wedding ring on. And you're thinking,

oh, she's obviously married. Has she got children, you know, is mom not coming home tonight?

RUSSELL: We didn't know that Philip had died until Monday.

HYMAN: On the Saturday, I allowed myself to think about the possibility that she could have been on the bus, and on the Monday her

identity was confirmed to us forensically.

WRIGHT: I will never, ever forget those people that lost their lives that day.

STAVROS MARANGOS, LONDON FIRE BRIGADE: I heard a quote by a Detroit fire fighter who had 32 years in the job and he was retiring, and he said I

wish my head could forget what my eyes have seen. And that just sums it up really, doesn't it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: A game in Japan has everyone obsessing over tins of tuna and bowls of yarn. The aim of the game: you've got to catch them all. And no,

it's not Pokemon you're trying to collect, it's actually stray cats.

Neko Atsume is the extremely addictive cat game that's generating a huge following. I took a look at why Japan is going crazy over cats.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: From the land that gave us Hello Kitty, Doraemon and YouTube sensation Maru, comes some new cats that are trending in Japan and beyond.

People like Yuka and Sakunouri (ph) are addicted to Neko Atsume.

YUKA NAKAGAWARE, NAKE ATSUME FAN: When you open the app and you see all these kitties you know in their little movements and their expressions,

it's just -- there's just a sense of like comfort.

TANK: They've been playing the game on his iPhone for the past few months.

Neko Atsume literally translates into cat collecting, which is the whole point of the game.

Since it launched last October, its developer says the game has been downloaded more than 5.5 million times.

YUTAKA TAKAZAKI, NEKO ATSUME DEVELOPER (through translator): The game is very easy to maneuver. It's designed to be easy to understand. I think

even people who don't play video games regularly are enjoying it.

TANK: All you do is leave out cat food and toys, then just wait for the cats, 45 in total, to come.

There are your standard white cats, striped cats and spotted cats. But then there are the special ones, like this cat that looks like Vogue

editor Anna Wintour.

Yutaka Takazaki developed the game with act lovers in mind, but says he had no idea it would be such a hit.

TAKAZAKI (through translator): I believe it was social media that helped it grow. The app has a camera. You can take photos of your cat and

you can upload them on social media so others become interested.

TANK: Takazaki says up to 40 percent of downloads are now from overseas.

Other famous Japanese felines have made fortunes for their makers. Last year, Hello Kitty was revealed not to actually be a cat, but a girl.

But she still reportedly rakes in $7 billion a year.

Japan certainly seems like a cat crazed nation. Tama (ph), a cat turned station master, died recently. Thousands attended her funeral. And

she was elevated to the status of goddess.

There's even a Japanese island where feral cats outnumber the people.

But if the real thing is just too much, Neko Atsume allows you to collect strays without having to touch them.

And for Yuka and Takunouri (ph) and millions of others, that's just fine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: You have to admit, they are really cute cats.

Neko Atsume is expanding. And it's official book just went on sale. So for those who managed to collect all 45 kitties don't worry, you can

still enjoy more of the cat universe.

So from cute cats we go to giant robots. Sci-fi fans have dreamed about this for decades. The U.S. company MegaBots has thrown down the

robot gauntlet. They've challenged Japanese company Shutoboshi (ph) heavy industry to a giant robot battle.

And to everyone's delight it has accepted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We can't let another country win this. Giant robots are Japanese culture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yeah, I agree.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: Right, so the two companies are the only ones in the world to build functioning piloted robots complete with arm cannons and guns. and

this shows you how big they are.

Logistics are being worked out, but the epic battle looks like it will happen in a year giving both sides time to prepare.

This is all very Ironman, isn't it.

That is it for News Stream for now. I'm Manisha Tank. But don't go anywhere. World Sport with Alex Thomas is up next. Stay right there.

END