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UN Imposes Strict New Sanctions on North Korea; Mitt Romney To Speak Out Against Donald Trump; Plane Debris Found in Mozambique Heads to Australia; Petition Asks Hanako the Elephant to be Moved. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired March 03, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:34] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now, North Korea fires back accused of firing short-range projectiles hours after the security council boast to impose the harshest sanctions yet.

U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been blaming China for many of his country's economic woes. We visit Chinese factories to see the

potential impact if Trump's tough talk becomes reality.

And back on Earth after a year in space, we speak to a NASA scientist about Scott Kelly's record-setting mission.

North Korea is again raising the temperature on the Korean peninsula.

Now, South Korea accuses its northern neighbor of firing six short range projectiles off the east coast. China is calling for calm while South

Korea says it is analyzing the situation. And the reports coming just hours after the UN security council voted to impose harsh new sanctions on

Pyongyang over its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

And the sanctions are said to be the toughest North Korea has seen in decades.

Let's get the latest now from CNN's Paula Hancocks. She is standing by form Seoul, South Korea. And Paula, North Korea is notoriously defiant.

The new sanctions are tough. But will they curb Pyongyang's behavior in any meaningful way?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, we already heard from the U.S. ambassador to the UN Samantha Power today, and she said

that they fully expect the North Korea's to and drive a truck through any loophole that they find so they are well aware that they will be trying to

get around the sanctions. But she says that they believe that the sanctions are very restrictive and that there's no gap and no window.

No, if they are fully implemented. And of course that is a big if, then they could certainly curtail the amount of money that North Korea and its

regime is making. When you bear in mind some of the restrictions, for example, cargo

going in and out of the country will be inspected, so nothing will be able to be smuggled

in, in theory.

And of course, they are also limiting the amount of natural resources that North Korea will be able to export. If they can't export all of their

coal, bear in mind that the coal exports are about $1 billion worth in annual income for North Korea.

So, if these restrictions are fully and there could be a hit and a dent in a North Korean finances which then could not go on to a missile or nuclear

program.

But of course, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made it very clear he will continue the way he is going, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it was yesterday when we saw the vote to impose these unprecedented sanctions on North Korea.

South Korea's ambassador to the UN made this appeal, an unscripted appeal to the north. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OH JOON, SOUTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: Finally, as a fellow Korean, I would like to say a few words to appear to those who are ruling North

Korea. I would say in Korean (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE), or please stop it now. I would ask them why do we need these weapons? In South

Korea, we don't have a nuclear bomb. As we are bordering each other, you don't need an intercontinental missile if you are aiming at us. Why do you

need these weapons? You say the United States is a threat to you. Why would the United States threaten you? Why would the strongest military

power in the world threaten a small country on the far across the Pacific? There is no threat. It is a figment of your imagination.

If you continue on this way the only people who will suffer from what you are

doing are your own people, and they are also my people and our people as well. So please wake up, open your eyes, look out at what is happening in

the world, give up the nukes, join the rest of us in the world and we all can live together in

safety and peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:05:13] LU STOUT: Now, that was the South Korea ambassador to the UN Oh Joon speaking on Wednesday. Let's go back to Paula Hancocks in Seoul. And

Paula, your thoughts on that effectiveness, on the effectiveness of that direct unscripted appeal from the ambassador?

HANCOCKS: Well, of course the fear is, Kristie, that that would fall on deaf ears. Kim Jong-un himself has said he will carry out as many

satellite launches as possible. Of course these satellite launches, which the rest of the world sees as these thinly veiled missile tests, which is

part of the reason why these sanctions have gone ahead.

So, as far as Kim Jong un is concerned, he will continue the way he has been going.

And North Korea, whether or not the regime truly believes it or not, has said that they see the U.S. as hostile. These military drills between the

U.S. and South Korea are starting in just a few days' time. These are these big annual drills, which irritate Pyongyang every year. Pyongyang

always says that they believe they are a dress rehearsal for an invasion, which Washington and Seoul it's hard to imagine how one speech will change

the ideas of the Kim regime, and this is not something that Kim Jong-un came up with himself, this nuclear and missile program, he inherited it

from his father and of course it has been ongoing and part of the state ideology in North Korea for decades.

LU STOUT: Paula Hancocks live in Seoul for us. Thank you for that.

Now, a piece of metal debris found on the coast of Mozambique will soon be sent to Australia. And analysts there will try to determine if it

connected to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

A U.S. official says it does belong to a Boeing 777, the same type of plane that went missing almost two years ago.

Now, the American who found it has been conducting an independent search for the aircraft.

This is Mozambique. And he said that he found the debris on the Paluma Sand Bank. Now, that's a couple thousand kilometers from Reunion island on

the other side of Madagascar. And that is where French authorities confirmed a piece of

debris from MH370 was found last July.

Now officials have been looking for the plane in the southern Indian Ocean. That's based off of drift models. And the flight, it was on its way from

Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Our David McKenzie, he has been following this story. He joins us live from Maputo, Mozambique. And David, the person who found the debris,

Blaine Gibson, you talked to him. Who is he? And what is he saying about his discovery?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. It was his first on-camera interview. The MH370 I would say enthusiast who

has been trying to piece together clues for around two years since he became

obsessed with the plane's disappearance, he was in Mozambique on vacation, he says. He came

across a sandbank when he went looking for possibly some clues to MH370, and they found this piece of debris, which is believed to be, certainly

from a seems to be from a plane, but at this stage very little else is concrete.

But just days before the two year anniversary where family members are hoping for any kind of clue to the disappearance of this plane, it's quite

an extraordinary set of events. I spoke to Blaine Gibson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: So, what went through your mind when you found this object?

BLAINE GIBSON, TOURIST WHO FOUND DEBRIS: What went through my mind when i found it is that this is something that could be part of an airplane and

part of that airplane. And you say, well, how could it possibly have wound up here? That's like asking how could anyone possibly win the lottery?

Someone is going to win it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Well, the lottery he describes is the current coming from the east to west and possibly landing in this part of the bull.

In this civil aviation building behind me is that part. Here are some images of it, despite what a U.S. official is telling us, there is more

skepticism here in Mozambique, very well regarded, head of the civil aviation administration says he

feels it's possibly from a smaller plane, doesn't look like it has much wear and tear. And there's no animal life that would have attached itself

to the debris much like you saw in that piece of confirmed debris which ended up in Reunion

Island.

Still, they're not going to be definitive about it until they get this piece to Australia where they will investigate it. That could take some

time because it has to go through all the diplomatic channels to get this relatively small piece, I'll tell you about this big, out of this country

and to be investigated.

LU STOUT: Yeah, but as you said, some skepticism there about this finding.

David McKenzie reporting live from Maputo, Mozambique. Thank you, David.

And the discovery of this debris for some renewed hope of finding out what happened to MH370, but with so many false alarms in recent months it has

also renewed unspeakable pain for the families of the missing passengers.

Saima Mohsin has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:10:20] SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This piece of debris was found over the weekend, but it was not until Wednesday that

officials announced its discovery.

Now, this came as a surprise to the loved ones of those onboard MH370. I have been speaking to the daughter of one of those missing passengers.

GRACE SUBATHIRAI NATHAN, DAUGHTER OF MH370 PASSENGER: We always just have to find out, through like the minister's tweet or through the news or we

have to go looking for information ourselves.

MOHSIN: There remains a lot of distrust and disappointment as far as the families of those on board MH370 are concerned. The voice of MH370, a

relative's group, calling for creditable and comprehensive disclosure, and almost two years

on to the day, Grace tells me she is still unable to mourn or grieve.

NATHAN: We don't know what happened. So, what is there to accept? What is there to say good-bye to? We don't know. It's difficult to just say,

like, oh the man vanished. Just accept it. I can't.

MOHSIN: There are two parallel sentiments here, the skepticism and disbelief of the families, versus the near certainty of authorities that

they are searching in the right place where they believe the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, confirmed, they say, but where they are finding

the debris.

LIOW TIONG LAI, MALAYSIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER: We are studying the drifting patterns. The expert actually studied and actually follow the drifting

pattern. And actually landed in Mozambique beach, this actually also following that pattern, but we -- I can't confirm anything now, because we

need to verify that debris.

MOHSIN: Malaysian officials will now travel to Australia to analyze and verify whether or not this piece of debris is from MH370.

Saima Mohsin, CNN, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now right now the entire nation of Syria is without power. Now, the state news agency there is reporting that electricity is cut in every

single province.

Now, it's caused this nationwide blackout is unclear but the Syrian government says is it taking immediate action to fix the problem.

Donald Trump says the U.S. is getting killed on trade. He says factories like this one in China should face new tariffs to level the playing field.

Why some manufacturers say that is actually a bad idea.

Also ahead, a record setting astronaut is back home after nearly a year in space. And something changed while he was up there, at least according to

the tape measure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Now to the race for the White House where another leading Republican is set to speak out against Donald Trump and his bid for the

presidency.

Now, 2012 Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, will give a speech in Utah a couple hours from now. According to prepared remarks he provided

to CNN, Romney will say Trump is a phony, a fraud, and that he is quote, playing the American public for suckers, end quote.

Now, Trump endorsed Romney when he ran four years ago.

Now, Trump's fiery position on trade is something he's highlighted repeatedly during the Republican debates. He says the current rules in

China are killing U.S. businesses and backs the idea of slapping tariffs on products made in China.

Matt Rivers looks at the impact that could have on the source and destination of those goods.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: this lighting factory in south china feels a long way from American politics. Loud, busy and zero

talk of primaries or delegates, but when U.S. presidential candidate, Donald Trump, says

things like this...

TRUMP: We're being killed on trade, absolutely destroyed. China is taking advantage of us.

RIVERS: This is what he is talking about. This is the Pearl River Delta, China's long time manufacturing heartland, lots of cheap labor, massive

government subsidies and a favorable exchange rate fueled China's rise. America imports more products made in China than anywhere else. Donald

Trump says that has undercut U.S. businesses and stolen American jobs, a big part of his plan to correct that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're open to a tariff.

TRUMP: I am totally open to a tariff. If they don't treat us fairly -- hey, their whole trade thing is tariff. You can't deal in China without

tariff. They do it to us, we don't do it. It's not fair trade.

RIVERS: He says tariffs, or taxes on products made in China will make Chinese exports less competitive, that gives U.S. firms a chance to pick up

the slack assuming congress approves the measure. Not everybody agrees.

BEN SCHWALL, AMERICAN BUSISSMAN: When people first hear this, they say, oh, yeah, that sounds great but when you really think about it and

understand what it means, it's not such a great thing.

RIVERS: Ben Schwall runs a company that helps U.S. firms buy Chinese goods, like lighting fixtures at this Chinese factory. He says with

tariffs in place, American companies would have to pay more to import Chinese products, in turn, that means higher prices for average consumers.

SCHWALL: When it's all said and done, the only person who can afford a light fixture will be Donald Trump.

RIVERS: U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods could also lead to mass layoffs here. People like that worker there could be let go, but experts say just

because he loses his job does not mean that that job will appear back in the United States, instead think places where costs are cheaper.

SCHWALL: I guarantee you, it would be made in India or Vietnam or some other place, but it's not going to be made in the U.S.

RIVERS: Trump may disagree.

TRUM: I love China. I love the Chinese people, but they laugh themselves -- they can't believe how stupid the American leadership is.

RIVERS: But while tariffs make a good campaign talking point, American businessmen in China say they make for bad economic policy.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Guangdong Province, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And now to the Democrats in their race for the White House.

Now, Hillary Clinton's Super Tuesday wins have given her a wide lead in the delegate count. But despite an uphill battle, Bernie Sanders says he is

still staying in the race.

Now, both candidates are taking aim at Donald Trump. During a rally Wednesday, Clinton called the race one of the most consequential elections

in some time. And playing on the name of the Republican frontrunner, Bernie Sanders told supporters, quote, love Trump's hatred.

Now, the next nominating contest for Democrats are this Saturday.

You're watching News Stream. And coming up, astronaut Scott Kelly returns to Earth and finds out he is 5 centimeters taller. We will ask the chief

scientist at NASA's human research program about that, and much more still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:28] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you are back watching News Stream.

There's no place like home. Astronaut, Scott Kelly, is now back on U.S. soil after living almost a year living on the International Space Station.

He was greeted with hugs as he arrived in Houston. And he was welcomed with beer and

apple pie courtesy of Jill Biden, wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

And here he is with his Russian counterparts landing in the desert in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. Now, he is part of NASA's twin study,along with his

brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly.

Now Mark remained on Earth while Scott lived in space so scientists can study how they measure up.

And joining us now from Houston, Texas is Dr. John Charles. He is a chief scientist of NASA's human research program with the Johnson Space Center.

And hello there, sir. Welcome to the program.

We know that the astronaut Scott Kelly is taller. He is, in fact, two inches, or five centimeters taller after spending nearly a year in space.

Tell us why and how long with this condition last?

DR. JOHN CHARLES, NASA: Well, that condition is very transient, very brief. It's due to the fact that in weightlessness the disks between the

bones in his back, his vertebrae sort of expand because gravity is compressing them like gravity is compressing our disks right now sitting

here on Earth. But after a few hours on Earth, all of the extra fluid in those disks will have been

squeezed out and he will be back to his normal, comfortable size.

LU STOUT: Now, Scott Kelly is an identical twin. So, what do you hope to discover after examining him and comparing his body to that of his twin

brother, Mark?

CHARLES: Well, that's the exciting part. We don't really know what we are going to discover. We have some ideas about how space flight affects the

body, but the idea of how those effects are translated all the way down to the level of the genes, is still fairly unknown, at least in humans. This

is our first chance to understand those kinds of changes.

So, we did generate a special investigation just for Scott and Mark. When Scott was assigned to this mission, and we noticed that if Scott had not

been assigned to this mission we would not have a twin study, obviously. But we're looking forward to the results that we do get from Scott and Mark

to understand what space flight affects our -- at the genetic level and all the way up to the integrated human organism level.

The data collection is commencing today and we'll continue for weeks hereafter. Some actually goes out to about nine months after the flight.

And some of the specimens we're going to analyze are still on the space station. They did not come down with Scott, because there's not a

refrigerator on the Soyuz, they'll come down on the next SpaceX.

So, we really haven't really begun data analysis in earnest, but we will do that as soon as we can.

LU STOUT: Got it. And the psychological and psychosocial aspects of being stuck in space in a confined environment for a long period of time.

You know, on this or a psychological level, how do you think in almos a year in space affected Scott Kelly?

CHARLES: Well, judging only by his Facebook posts and tweets and things like that, I think he came through remarkably well. Remember that the

space station is not really very confined. It is a series of modules. It has the internal

volume about equivalent to two Boeing 747 airliners. And with six people on board it's easy to actually get lost inside there and not be seen by the

other crew mates for the entire business day.

Plus, you have got the world's most spectacular view just outside the window, which is literally the Earth outside the window. So, I am sure the

psychological aspects of being isolated and being separated from the family and loved ones, even

though he has a satellite phone and he can stay in contact with them fairly regularly, there are psychological aspects to that.

I remember hearing him say, though, that he missed things like the feel of the breeze and the sun on his face, and those are the kind of things you

just will never duplicate in a spacecraft.

LU STOUT: Kelly was in space for a total of 340 days, a record, a remarkable achievement. And we know that a trip to Mars would take two-

and-a-half years, so are you already thinking about what is needed to support an astronaut to withstand such a journey, a journey to Mars?

CHARLES: Oh, most definitely. That is the purpose of NASA's human research programs and the other organizations in NASa and elsewhere around

the world that are planning, they are trying to design these kinds of missions to Mars.

A six or seven or eight month trip to Mars, 18 months on the planet and a comparable time coming back to the Earth requires everything that you need

for that entire two-and-a-half year mission to be carried along with you or provided somehow along the way, and that includes not just life support,

but also medical support and psychological support and food and things like that.

So, we have an entire program that is geared specifically to making those kinds of plans and doing the work we can do right now on the International

SDpace Station to make sure we are ready to go when all the authorizing officials say it's time to go.

LU STOUT: Well, good luck to you and your team with your research, and all the best to Scott Kelly. An amazing story and it's just beginning. We'll

leave it at that.

Dr. John Charles, chief scientist at NASA, thank you joining us. Take care.

You're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, taking their grievances to the streets. Now thousands of petitioners turn out in

Beijing, and I'll tell you about their quest for justice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:31:19] LU STOUT: Now, China's top ranking officials are in Beijing ahead of a major parliamentary meeting this weekend. The annual session of

the National Peoples' Congress brings together thousands of delegates and they are expected to approve the Communist Party's social and economic

blueprint for the next five years.

As Alexandra Field reports, the occasion brings a string of aggrieved petioners to the capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (through translator): "If they don't solve my problem, I won't go back home," that's a promise from one of

Beijing's petitioners.

Another says he spent 15 years living here because he has something to prove.

There are estimates that about a third of the people who hat live on Beijing

streets are petitioners. Their numbers can reach as many as 1,000. The majority of them will come out here and line up once China's parliament is

in session.

They bring grievances from all over China's to the country's capital hoping to be heard, but there's almost no success rate, it's fueled by tradition,

part of Chinese culture, according to Chung Xiao (ph).

He says petitioners believe only the country's highest officials can help them.

Despite the government's urging that petitioners should stay home and send in letters, some still take their claims directly to the bureau for letters

and calls at times bypassing local officials who Chung (ph)says are more likely to be able to help.

His organizations gives street sleepers the basics, along with free legal advice, urging many of them to go home.

But Gua Boshi (ph) says he needs his country know his story. He says he was abused by government officials in a coal mine.

Chung Wan Hong (ph) claims the government didn't give him adequate housing after an earthquake destroyed his home.

Until the country's highest officials recognize that, he says he'd rather live here.

Alexandra Field, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, police in China have told Hong Kong authorities that they will soon release three detained book sellers on bail. The book sellers

appeared on Chinese TV on Sunday, admitting to a illegal book trading and before vanishing last year, they were involved in selling books critical of

China's political elite.

Now, two other associates also went missing. One is apparently still in police custody, the other is allegedly helping with the investigation.

Now, this week we have been highlighting a group of elite U.S. war vets trying to protect America's children from predators. Now, one man, Tony

Whely, is already making a big difference, rescuing children just months into the job.

Sara Sidner has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a crisis in America, a form of wide-spread violence which rarely makes the news.

GRIER WEEKS, DIRECTOR, PROTECT: This is over 300,000 suspects out there trafficking in child pornography, and less than 2 percent will be even

investigated due to shear lack of resources.

SIDNER: The startling map shows the number of personal computers downloading images of children being sexually assaulted in just one month.

It's part of what inspired Grier Weeks at the National Association to Protect Children, to think of ways he could help shield America's most

vulnerable.

WEEKS: 55 percent or more of these people, anybody who possesses these images is known to be a hands on offender, that means over half of the dots

will lead you to the door of children waiting to be rescued.

And these predators don't just prey on one child, they'll have many victims over the years.

SIDNER: So, how can the U.S. combat this problem? One way: enlisting America's returning war veterans.

Two dozen members of the military's elite special forces units are undergoing an 11-week boot camp in digital forensics and they will join

others to go after child predators.

TONY WHALEY, HERO CORPS: You can see the helplessness. It's terrible.

SIDNER: With his training and steely determination, Tony Whely is one of the last guys a child predator will ever want to see.

Less than a year into his work, the retired army ranger recently discovered key evidence that took a child offender off the streets. Whely was able to

uncover 6,000 previously deleted images.

WHALEY: And out of that 6,000 or so I found about 13 images which didn't look like the rest and from that data I was actually able to find out the

time and location in which those pictures were taken.

SIDNER: That information led to an arrest and the rescue of three children. For Whaley, every single dot represents another chance to serve.

WHALEY: You can see the children, they will look at the camera like, is anybody out there, you know, is anybody out there looking to help us?

And on the other side is us, you know, actively trying to find them.

SIDNER: The hope is these men and women who protected their country on a foreign battlefield will soon be the next heroes in the life of an American

child being exploited.

Sara Sidner, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, new findings by a monitoring group suggests wildlife traffickers are using social media to sell their exploits. Researchers say that they have

found more than a dozen Facebook groups based in Malaysia advertising hundreds of wild animals for sale as pets.

Examples include gibbons as well as sun bears, a vulnerable species native fo Southeast Asia. Almost 70,000 users are said to be members of those

Facebook groups.

Now, the social media giant says it bans the trade of endangered animals on its platform and will remove any violating content.

Hanako is Japan's oldest elephant. She has lived at a Tokyo zoo for nearly 70 years passing her day in a sort of solitary confinement in a concrete

compound, but now there are calls for her release. And it's sparking an international debate about how she can spend her final days in more humane

conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HIDEMASA HORI, GENERAL CURATOR, INOKASHIRA PARK ZOO (through translator): Right after World War II, Hanako was gifted to Japan from Thailand as a

symbol of friendship between the two countries. She traveled throughout Japan to

meet Japanese children, later Hanako joined INiokashira Park Zoo. She is an icon of this zoo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Visiting Hanako is the one purpose of my life. I'm old and she's old too and I share my time with

her. I'm a super fan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It is a rare opportunity to see a big elephant in Japan. I am lucky that I can take my children to this

zoo to see a real elephant.

[08:40:03] HORI (through translator): She has only one tooth yet. She can't eat food without special care.

We feed her special fruits and Japanese style wheat rice. Since banana skins are too hard to eat, we peel off the skin for her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was shocked and dismayed to see the conditions of Hanako's confinement. Totally alone in a small barren cement enclosure

with absolutely no comfort or stimulation provided, she just stood there almost lifeless.

HORI (through translator): The caretakers at the zoo used to stay close to the elephants, however there were several fatal accidents. Hanako is, so to speak, a killer elephant. She is a difficult and sensitive elephant.

Of course safety is the priority, so now they feed her through the fence. That is becoming the global

trend at zoos.

I was surprised, those who signed the petition didn't know much about Hanako. I think the long journey would take a heavy physical toll on her.

We think it would be better for her to spend the rest of her life in familiar

conditions. We know there are many criticisms, but it's too late. There's no choice now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I understand people want to give her better surroundings, but she is a symbol of this zoo. I would feel sad

if we lost her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I think it is best for her to stay here so she doesn't feel extra stress moving to a new place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I understand a foreign tourists would think she is unhappy living alone in a concrete compound, but I would

like for her to live out her life being loved by the people here.

ULARA NAKAGAWA, BLOGGER AND ACTIVIST: Hanako is very old, so it will depend on her physical and mental condition. If this move would be

dangerous for her in any way, we would want to make immediate and significant improvements to

her current enclosure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Hanako is a beautiful animal and much loved as well.

Now, another debate is raging on in New Zealand. A referendum under way on whether to switch flags. You can see the two options right here. Now, on

the right of the banner is the current one, on the left the potential replacement featuring the silver fern, a historic national symbol.

Now Prime Minister John Key has made his choice clear. He wants the flag changed and the British Union Jack dropped.

But one national poll shows ab out two-thirds of those in New Zealand are happy with the status quo. Voting closes March 24.

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

END