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Malaysian Officials Look to Question Two North Koreans; Trump Administration Prepares Crackdown on Undocumented Immigrants; Trump Administration Sensitive over President's Golf Game. 8:00-9:00a ET

Aired February 22, 2017 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:10] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now, Malaysian officials wanted to question two North Koreans in connection with the death of Kim Jong-nam. We now know more about how the half-

brother of North Korea's leader was killed.

Now, President Trump's administration prepares to crack down on undocumented immigrants in the U.S., millions of people now feared

deportation.

And Hong Kong's hidden problem: the CNN Freedom Project looks at the (inaudible) condition some migrant workers face in the city.

More than a week on, major developments in the investigation of the death of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader.

Now, Malaysian police have identified more North Koreans they want to question, while Pyongyang had demanded the release of those being held.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened at the morgue after an attempted break-in. And authorities are not buying the story that one suspect told.

Now, let's take you straight to Kuala Lumpur, Saima Mohsin has the latest. She joins us now. And Saima, earlier today at a police news conference,

you were there, you learned more about who may be to blame for the murder and also how the attack was carried out.

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kristie. This was the first time that we were able to speak directly with the top police chief

here in Malaysia, the inspector-general of police who told us step by step how this attack was carried out.

Now, you'll remember the CCTV footage. He kind of talked us through it today. Now, what he said was behind the scenes, four suspects poured a

liquid onto the hands of these two women who are currently in custody - an Indonesian woman and a Vietnamese woman - they, then, went up to the victim

and swabbed, this is exactly how he showed us, his face with this toxic substance. They knew it was toxic, Kristie, and then they ran away holding

their hands in the air, he says, because they knew it was toxic and they knew they had to wash it off immediately.

Now, he dispelled any notion that this may have been some kind of prank TV show they thought they were participating in. You and I have discussed

this before the Indonesian police chief suggested that. He said no way. This was well planned and they were well trained - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, so she was not working under the assumption that it was a prank at all.

Now, no next of kin has arrived to claim the body of Kim Jong-nam. We know that DNA request was made. So has there been any movement, any update on

that side of the investigation?

MOHSIN: Yeah, the police chief has said that this morning, local time, here they did put a call in to the North Korean embassy here in Kuala

Lumpur where I am tonight for you. And they asked for assistance, both in trying to reach various suspects and people they want to question, but also

for that crucial identification. They've asked the North Korean embassy to get in touch with the family members of the victim, and for a DNA sample.

Now, somebody said, well, would that DNA sample perhaps include the estranged half-brother Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader? And he said,

yes, correct. It could. It could be his brother, it could be another member of the Kim family, or his brother's sisters and children - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Saima Mohsin on the story for us live from Kuala Lumpur, thank you Saima.

Now, from almost day one, South Korea has accused the north of ordering the murder of Kim Jong-nam. Now, if the allegation is true, it won't be the

first time Pyongyang has carried out an assassination. Paula Hancocks has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 1983, an assassination attempt on a South Korean president. The president survives but 21 others

are killed.

1987, a Korean Air flight explodes midair, killing everyone on board, a bomb planted in the overhead locker. Both attacks carried out by North

Korean spies who confessed.

2011, an assassination attempt on a well-known defector is foiled. A North Korean spy is arrested on the streets of Seoul. South Korea's intelligence

agency at that time showed us weapons they say he was carrying, a poison needle disguised as a Parker ballpoint pen.

If you're shot by this pen, what happens to you?

(voice-over): He tells me it would cause muscle paralysis very quickly, leading to suffocation and death.

And a loaded flashlight, three holes in the front to hold three bullets.

There is as yet no physical proof North Korea was behind this killing. But the former number two in the North Korean embassy in London who recently

defected told CNN affiliate YTN there is no doubt in his mind his former boss is behind it and he says he may be the next victim.

[08:05:25] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In this case, even if North Korea denies it, the North Korean elites will believe 100 percent

that the North is behind it, given how many executions took place under North Korean regime and how even Kim Jong-un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek. has

gone.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Two years ago, this man told me North Korean agents are operating right now in the United States and South Korea and many other

countries. He should know. He says he was one of them.

He doesn't want to talk about the recent murder of Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong- un's half-brother. But he told me in 2015 all North Korean spies are trained to kill; they're cut off from society and family.

"You learn to be happy to give up your life for the regime," he told me, "to show your loyalty, you should commit suicide if called."

Kim was shot when captured on a mission in South Korea in 1995 so was unable to fulfill his destiny.

South Korea has clearly pointed the finger of blame for Kim Jong-nam's death towards the North. But North Korea has rejected it. Its ambassador to

Malaysia has told reporters that it believes these allegations amount to defamation and they believe that this incident is being politicized by both

Malaysia and South Korea.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, Beijing once again says it has an indisputable right over islands in the South China Sea. Now, it comes after Reuters reported

almost two dozen new structures have almost been completed. The facilities seem to be designed to carry long range surface-to-air missiles.

Now, China has been putting military structures on man-made islands since 2014, and Beijing maintains it has every right to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I want to repeat here that China carrying out normal construction activities on its own territory, including

deploying necessary and appropriate territorial defense facilities is a normal right under international law for sovereign nations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: At least five other governments claim parts of the South China Sea.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to get tough on illegal immigration. He is doing just that. His administration is setting

the stage for what could be a big increase in the number of undocumented immigrants being deported. New plans are a clear shift from former

president Barack Obama's immigration policies. I want to bring in CNN's Joe Johns. He's live for us at the White House.

And Joe, Trump's next move is already sparking fear in immigrant communities across the U.S., tell us why.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's because, among other things, Kristie, the administration says it is taking the shackles off of American

immigration officers. And it also says they're just enforcing existing law. But these new guidelines reflect a much more, if you will, robust

enforcement of existing law.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will have strong borders again.

JOHNS: Under the new guidelines, the majority of the country's 11 million undocumented immigrants could now face deportation.

SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Everybody who is here illegally is subject to removal at any time, but the priorities that the president

has laid forward and the priority that ICE is putting forward through DHS's guidance is to make sure that the people who have committed a crime or pose

a threat to our public safety are the priority of their efforts.

JOHNS: But the Trump administration's new guidelines direct immigration and border agents to deport any undocumented immigrant charged, convicted, or

even suspected of a crime, even minor crimes like a traffic violation or shoplifting. And crossing the border illegally is technically criminal.

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: Anyone who is found in an undocumented status would ultimately be apprehended and deported with due

process totally eroded.

JOHNS: The rules replacing more restrained policies followed by previous administrations. Under Obama, ICE focused mainly on those deported of

serious crimes, and anyone arrested within two weeks of illegally crossing the border could face expedited deportation. Now anyone arrested within two

years of crossing the border could be deported without due process. Immigration officers now have greater authority to decide who stays and who

goes.

REP. DEVIN NUNES (R), CALIFORNIA: The tight rope that the administration will have to walk will be what do they do with the people that are here,

what do they do with young people, someone who was two-years-old when they were brought to this country. And that's going to be difficult.

JOHNS: The White House emphasizing that President Obama's program protecting Dreamers, those brought to the U.S. as children, won't be

targeted.

TRUMP: If they were brought here in such a way -- it's a very, very tough subject. We're going to deal with DACA with heart.

[08:10:03] JOHNS: But the hardline immigration policy is sparking fear in immigrant communities.

GREISHA MARTINEZ, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: We're concerned about what Donald Trump means for our family. Will it mean that we will be separated from our

mother just like we were separated from our father nine years ago?

JOHNS: Meanwhile, President Trump caving to pressure, condemning rising anti-Semitism during a visit to the African-American History Museum.

TRUMP: The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible, and are painful, and a very sad reminder of

the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil.

JOHNS: Before this, the president skirted the issue in news conferences since taking office.

TRUMP: I am the least anti-Semitic person that you've ever seen in your entire life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: President Trump meets later today with his brand new secretary's of state and homeland security before they fly south of the border to Mexico

for meetings there. And they face a big challenge trying to establish relationships in a country that has become increasingly angry over

President Trump's rhetoric - Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Joe Johns reporting live from the White House for us. Thank you, Joe.

Now, U.S. Republican lawmakers are facing a Trump backlash. At a series of Town Hall events taking place across the country, members of congress are

being confronted about the president's policies. As Kyung Lah reports, the raucous scenes have not gone unnoticed by the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator Joni Ernst's town hall. It didn't start well. Iowa constituents' anger often drowning out the

senator. As senator left --.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy retirement Joni.

LAH: The jeers followed her all the way to the parking lot and into a car.

CROWD: Shame on you.

LAH: Overflow town hall crowds in Georgia.

CROWD: Do your job!

LAH: To Nebraska.

CROWD: Do your job.

LAH: Reaching to Congressman Dave Brett, getting an earful when he claimed Obamacare collapsed. Behavior that disgusted one of the congressman's

supporters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys are (bleep) idiots.

LAH: Just a snapshot of one day of voter outrage prompting the president to tweet the so-called angry crowd in home districts to some Republicans are

actually in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists.

Sad. Organized? Yes. But at numerous town halls from California to Virginia what we have seen is empowered constituents.

These Virginia Beach town hall attendees are so upset at charges that their political operatives, they wore stickers with their home zip codes to prove

they do live in and care about their district.

Many come from local groups calling themselves Indivisible. The name comes from this online guide written by these former Democratic congressional

aides. A step by step manual to oppose the Trump administration. Teaching people here how to channel post-election anger and concern at members of

Congress. Some canceled town halls this week citing security concerns to then only see protesters show up outside their district offices or post

pictures mocking them like this missing poster for Congressman Daryl Isaac and this homemade music video from Florida, anthem to missing congressman.

For those who did show, it may have been uncomfortable but in some cases it actually resembled a real town hall.

CHRIS PETERSEN, ATTENDED TOWN HALL: I'm proud of all these people who took time out of their lives to show up. It's what it's supposed to be about.

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: I learned that we have got issues that people feel very strongly about and we have to try to deal with them. And

most of those issues out there will be dealt with.

LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And up next, Amnesty sends a warning about how divisive rhetoric from world leaders is becoming a dire

threat to human rights. I'll speak with the secretary-general of Amnesty International on a new report just ahead.

Plus, Iraqi forces pushed to retake a major ISIS stronghold in the country. We're live in Northern Iraq with the latest on the battle for western

Mosul.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:16:52] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. You're watching News Stream.

Now Amnesty International warns we are starting the year off in a deeply unstable world. Now the group has just released its annual report for 2016

on the state of human rights. It says that there has been a rise in divisive, dehumanizing rhetoric in mainstream global politics. In a

statement that goes with the report, the group's secretary general calls out Donald Trump alongside Turkish President Erdogan, the Hungarian prime

minister as well as the Philippine President Duterte.

Now, Mr. Trump's travel ban is an example they used to illustrate how countries are using the us versus them rhetoric to put their own interests

above human rights.

Now, we are joined now by the secretary-general of Amnesty International Salil Shetty. He joins us live from CNN Paris. And, sir, thank you so

much for joining us here on the program. Amnesty International usually goes after dictators and warlords, but in your latest annual report you're

targeting the U.S. president.

So, are you more alarmed by Donald Trump's rhetoric or his actions just one month in the White House?

HALIL SHETTY, SECRETARY-GENERAL AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Well, I think what's unique about 2016, which is what our report says, that historically,

yes, Amnesty International has had to fight against dictators who are violating human rights, but now we have elected leaders from The

Philippines, to Turkey, to several other countries who are also now with a popular mandate starting to abuse human rights. But what's most scary

after Brexit and now the election of Donald Trump for the U.S. was that this was starting to hit the western countries who have historically been

champions of human rights.

And I'm sitting in Paris now where there's going to be an election very shortly, and we have elections in The Netherlands and several other

European countries, so this is most alarming.

Now, on the question you asked about Donald Trump's - is it rhetoric or is it real anxiety? I think, you know, during the election campaign we only

see anxious by his bigotry and racism and xenophobia and misogyny and has in terms of his anti-women rhetoric. But now it's getting to be much more

serious, because with the new thinly way of Muslim ban, we are finding that, you know, this is starting to affect real people on the ground. You

can imagine if you're outside of Somali communities traveling to the U.S. after a whole process of fleeing from war and prosecution and now you're

pushed back. You're banned from coming in.

First of all, this is completely inhumane. Secondly, it's completely unlawful, because it's against the U.S. constitution, it's against

international human rights law. And thirdly, it's totally stupid because this promise to the American people he's going to make the country more

safe and more prosperous. The fact is he's not just making the U.S. less safe, he's making the whole world less safe. And everybody knows that

migrants coming in only makes countries more prosperous.

So, completely misleading the people, confusing people, and this is happening in many parts of the world as we speak. It's not just Trump, but

it's the phenomenon.

[08:20:01] LU STOUT: Got it. In regards to the travel ban, there has been significant pushback, including judicial pushback on the travel ban, a new

version of that. We'll be coming out soon. We'll be digging into the details of that in the coming days.

But in your report, the Amnesty report, you also name check former U.S. President Barack Obama and a blight on his human rights record.

SHETTY: Yeah, absolutely, because you know what we are facing last year also is that 23 countries have committed war crimes. So, you know, bombing

of schools, of hospitals, a funeral processions are just happening in Yemen and Sudan, in Syria, of course. And why is this happening? Why is the

United States continuing to fund Saudi Arabia and give them arms to attack civilians in countries like Yemen?

So, this is why, you know, it's not just an issue of Trump, it's a question of how western countries are using human rights in a very selective way.

Last year alone, it wasn't just about war crimes, that are about pushing refugees back.

We've seen a very serious crackdown on anybody defending human rights from Turkey to China to Egypt, Ethiopia, so this is a very worrying phenomenon.

And our call is not just from leaders, because you know we do have some responsible, value leaders. We've seen like in Germany and Canada.

But ultimately it's for people to stand up for human rights and to come in the way, we are saying you have to come in the way of these leaders who are

outright trying to destroy human rights. This is a time for people to stand up.

LU STOUT: Right. In your report, you do call out former President Obama and his record on human rights in regards to mass NSA surveillance.

Now, back to Donald Trump. He was named, along with the Turkish president, Mr. Erdogan, as well as the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. And

they're accused of divisive fear mongering, which you say is a danger not just to their constituents, but to the world. So, are you suggesting that

from these leaders that this is some sort of global contagion.

SHETTY: Obviously in the United States, of course, you know, the actions of the U.S. president or what the British prime minister does, or in the

case of France, if French leaders, they can take human rights positions, those have a multiplier effect in so many countries across the world. But,

I mean, President Duterte has supervised the killing of more than 7,000 people in this so-called war against drugs, which we think is a war against

poor people. And now he's abruptly stopped it saying that actually the police are corrupt.

In the case of Turkey, you know, it's now almost a joke in Turkey that if you want to meet a journalist in Turkey where do you go? You go to jail,

because they're mostly there.

So, I think this is a big, global concern, but you know a big worry is that the strongest western powers who have historically championed human rights,

if they are starting to compromise - and France is truly at a, you know, crossroads in this question, and so is The Netherlands if key leaders from

these countries start compromising and confuse people, equating refugees with terrorism, which is complete nonsense.

But they use nationalist propaganda, manipulate facts, to whip of nationalist sentiments and confuse people, that's what we have to guard

against.

LU STOUT: Got you. Halil Shetty, secretary-general with Amnesty International joining us live from Paris. Many thanks indeed for joining

us on the program. And take care.

Now, this just into us here at CNN. Two staffers of the French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen have been taken into police custody.

The National Front politician says that they are being questioned over allegations that they were paid parliamentary fund for jobs that didn't

exist.

Now, both her bodyguard and chief of staff were placed in custody. Le Pen has been asked to pay back $357,000 to the European Parliament. She has

refused to do so and has denied that she gave anyone a fake job.

The ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is balanced on a knife edge. And while we've seen an overall decrease in the violence, a monitoring group reports

that they were about 200 violations of the truce overnight, about half of those were explosions, indicating tanks and mortars are still being used.

The ceasefire began on Monday. It is meant to end the fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. And under an agreement,

both sides were to withdrawal their heavy weapons, but that apparently has not been done.

To Iraq now where troops are pounding ISIS targets from a hilltop overlooking the airport in Mosul. The airport is the next big target in

their push to take back the western half of the city.

Now, let's bring in Ben Wedeman. He joins us from Irbil east of Mosul. And Ben, Iraqi forces, they are pushing into western Mosul in this new

operation. What is the latest on the battle to take back the airport of Mosul?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point, really, you have Iraqi artillery on the hill of Abu Saif (ph), that's a village

just to the south of the airport, about 1.7 kilometers. And they have been pounding the airport all day long. They have yet to, however, move

forward. And it's important to keep in mind that this is really just the first objective in what will probably be a very long and difficult

campaign. They haven't really gotten to west Mosul proper, a city that's, according to the United Nations, has almost 800,000 civilians inside.

Now, today I had an opportunity to speak to an official with the Norwegian relief council, a refugee council, who said that, for instance, they've

been in contact with people inside Mosul who are talking about a really bad shortage of food, and also the fact that because there's very little in the

way of clean drinking water, people are drinking out of contaminated wells and that, of course, can lead to the spread of sickness.

So, the situation is difficult already for the civilians. And what we've seen since the beginning of this operation almost 72 hours ago is that the

Iraqi military and the U.S.-led coalition are really pounding, in ways we haven't seen, for instance, in eastern Aleppo - Mosul, excuse me - pounding

targets in the west. We've gotten one report from inside Mosul of a building that housed foreign fighters with ISIS being hit by coalition

aircraft earlier today. Also hearing that, for instance, in eastern Mosul, that there's something of a security vacuum. This is an area that has been

liberated by the Iraqi forces, but we've been told that, for instance, ISIS sleeper cells are handing out leaflets warning people not to cooperate with

Iraqi authorities - Kristie.

LU STOUT: News of a security vacuum very alarming in eastern Mosul. Eastern Mosul, we know, had already been captured. That took about three

months of fighting. The campaign to take the west is underway that started, I think you said, 72 hours ago.

In comparison, is this current campaign going to be a longer and tougher and potentially bloodier battle?

WEDEMAN: Probably it will be. There's a lot of political pressure on the Iraqi government to make sure that this operation for the west doesn't take

as long as it did for the east. That's why it seems to be they are using much more firepower, which may be effective in, of course, destroying ISIS,

routing ISIS, but it also carries a huge danger with it that there could be a lot of civilians casualties.

Now, so far we have seen reports of Civilian casualties. We haven't, however, seen a lot of reports about civilians fleeing the western areas.

Now, I'm told that's partially because where the fighting has taken place, the civilians had fled already.

Now, in the past, the Iraqi military had in the east, for instance, mapped out what they called safe passageways out of the city. But of course the

problem is that there's only one side respecting those safe passageways. And in the east, for instance, we spoke to people who had fled the ISIS

occupied parts of the city, and they told us that they - when they did flee, they came under fire from ISIS snipers - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, a lot of concern for the civilians of Mosul, those who decide to stay or to flee under very dangerous conditions. Ben Wedeman

reporting live from Irbil, thank you, Ben.

WEDEMAN: Now, you're watching News Stream. And still ahead on the program, many migrant workers, they come here to Hong Kong searching for a

better life, but some are treated like modern-day slaves. How they are fighting back. Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:32:25] LU STOUT: A majority of migrant workers here in Hong Kong are domestic helpers, laboring and living inside people's homes. The

isolation, the language barrier and lack of awareness about the law makes them a vulnerable population.

In our latest CNN Freedom Project report, Alexandra Field tells the story of two women who faced abuse in the homes where they worked and lived.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Life in this shelter is simple, but better than the job that broke her.

"I was in a lot of pain, I was very sad, I was lost, but I didn't have anyone to tell," she says.

This woman from Sri Lanka is free now but the decision to stay in Hong Kong and fight for justice has also trapped her.

She says, "They didn't care how I survive. They just took work out of me."

She claims her old boss broke Hong Kong's employment laws for domestic workers, underpaying her, failing to feed her and overworking her, a story

that's now a lesson for women like her, Hong Kong's foreign domestic workers.

TINA CHAN, STOP ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION PROJECT MANAGER: You know, she didn't know anybody. She didn't really speak English. She finally was

able to meet somebody who told her that, you know, this is completely illegal, and that you need to get away because your employer is abusing you

and exploiting you.

FIELD: Activists are working to educate the city's most at risk population for forced labor and human trafficking, domestic helpers and sex workers.

Hong Kong law requires domestic workers to be paid at least a minimum of about $555 U.S. a month, and that they get at least a day off a week. Many

don't know that.

CHAN: They don't realize they're being exploited or they are the victim.

FIELD: The government says it's taking more steps to protect domestic workers, including introducing a website, educating them on their rights,

prosecuting and revoking licenses from employment agencies that break the rules, and jailing at least one employer for abuse. But activist argue

without a dedicated anti-trafficking law, the government isn't providing the support victims need to take on abusive employers. A law requiring them

to live with their employers means those who are abused can be left entirely isolated.

CHAN: The truth is that because victims of trafficking, they're so invisible. That you don't even get to see them, and even if you come across

a victim of trafficking on the street, you don't see that there's a label on their forehead, saying that she's a victim.

FIELD: In 2016, in a report on human trafficking, the U.S. State Department with Hong Kong on a watch list, putting it on par with countries like

Ghana, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan, saying that the government authorities' investigations were inadequate to the scale of the problem and

citing that there is no specific criminal offense related to the crime.

Hong Kong's government responded, saying, "The findings of the report had displayed a total disregard of the continuous and strenuous efforts of our

law enforcement agencies to tackle trafficking in persons. And that we cannot accept Hong Kong is the destination, transit and source territory

for men, women and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor."

That activists estimate that around 29,500 people in Hong Kong, may be in some form of forced labor or exploitation.

A group of women from Madagascar, who say they are those victims, are also looking for justice. "I'm angry because they lied," she says. She was

betrayed, she says, by an agency that sent her and others from Madagascar to Hong Kong, promising good domestic work and good pay. But she says they

took most of her paycheck, leaving her with less than a quarter for wages Hong Kong law requires.

She tells us, "I'd like to go back to Madagascar and bring money back to my children when this is all over." But she knows the fight for the missing

money will be long and nothing is certain. Alexandra Field, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:36:16] LU STOUT: And we salute those women for sharing their stories with us.

And tomorrow, the CNN Freedom Project will introduce you to an English teacher turned hero activist. Find out how he helped rescue two Vietnamese

students kidnapped and sold as brides in China.

Now, CNN is also teaming up with young people around the world for a day of action against modern-day slavery. My Freedom Day is happening on March

14. Driving the day is a simple question, what does freedom mean to you? Send us your answer via text, photo, and video across social media using

#myfreedomday hashtag.

Now, Hong Kong's former leader Donald Tsang has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for misconduct in public office. He is now the city's highest

ranking official to be put behind bars. Now, Tsang was accused of conflict of interest. He bought a luxury penthouse from property tycoon Bill Wong

while in office and approved several requests from a media company that Wong held stakes in.

Now, Tsang could face a retrial in September as the jury couldn't reach a verdict on a separate charge of bribery.

Now, since becoming U.S. president, Donald Trump has found time to hit a few balls. He teed up with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe more

recently with golf pro Rory McIlroy. Just ahead, why the White House is getting a little touchy about the president's golf game.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump likes a round of golf. He owns several courses. And he's been playing on his weekend trips to Florida, but aides

to Mr. Trump seem to be trying to keep his hobby under wraps. CNN's Randi Kaye looks into it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: He played more golf last year than Tiger Woods. Now, think of it. We don't have time for this. We don't have time for this. We have to work.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Then, candidate Donald Trump taking a few shots at Pres. Barack Obama for playing golf.

TRUMP: And I won't be playing golf instead of going to see the people in Louisiana, who have been devastated by floods.

[08:40:07] KAYE: But that was then. This is now.

TRUMP: Look at that. Look at that.

KAYE: As president, Donald Trump's visited two Florida golf courses he owns near Mar-a-Lago. Nearly, every weekend since taking office playing six

times so far.

Not that his aides want you to know that. They won't even say if Pres. Trump actually played the courses but social media shows he did play during

most visits.

Just this past Sunday, the president teed it up with Professional Golfer, Rory McIlroy at Trump International. The golf blog, "No laying it up",

posted this picture from clear sports of McIlroy with the president and they're force them at Trump International Golf Course. McIlroy told the

blog, the president played 18 holes and shot around 88 strokes above par.

While Mr. Trump is quick to brag about his golf skills.

TRUMP: Those hands can hit a golf course 285 yards.

KAYE: His golf game seems to be a cloak and dagger operation. A White House spokeswoman told "Reporters Sunday" that the president played a couple of

holes. Then, after learning that McIlroy had shared the president played 18, the spokeswoman explained that the president intended to play a few

holes and decided to play longer.

She was quick to note that he had a full day of work afterwards. Unlike Trump's team, Obama's aids allowed cameras to show him on the links and

told reporters who he played with. Thanks to this tweet from the president. We know when Mr. Trump played with Japan's prime minister earlier this

month they were also joined by Professional Golfer, Ernie Els.

TRUMP: It's great to play golf, but play golf with heads of countries and ...

KAYE: The president leveled some harsh tweets over the years, like this one, suggesting Pres. Obama was out golfing while the TSA was falling

apart. Mr. Trump even offered Pres. Obama free lifetime golf at any of his courses if he would just resign. But Pres. Obama always said he golfed to

relax, a habit supported by another president who took heat for golfing during wartime.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I know the pressures of the job and to be able to get outside and play golf with some of your pals is important

for the president.

KAYE: Every stroke counts in golf. So let's take a look at the score. Mr. Obama didn't play his first round of golf as president until more than

three months into his term. He reportedly played 333 rounds of golf in office. Far less than Woodrow Wilson estimated 1,200 rounds, so Pres. Trump

had some catching up to do.

Randi Kaye CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

END