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World Headlines; U.S. Blames North Korea for "WannaCry" Cyber Attack; Puerto Rico Reviews Hurricane Maria Death Toll; U.S.-South Korean Marines Train in Snowy Drills; South Africa's Ruling Party Elects New Leader; Ethiopian Airlines Makes History with All-Female Crew. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired December 19, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to News Stream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Stop distorting our intensions, those words from China's foreign ministry in reaction to President Trump's national security speech. We'll
have more from Beijing and Moscow. Is North Korea behind massive WannaCry cyber attack? The Trump administration says evidence shows it was.
And safe passage to freedom -- how CNN is reporting on slave auctions had led to changes on the ground for vulnerable migrants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: First this just in, Yemen's houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for firing a ballistic missile towards Riyadh. A Saudi
media report it was intercepted and there are no casualties.
Last month, a similar weapon fired by the rebels came close to hitting Riyadh's airport. Now Saudi Arabia is part of a coalition fighting the
Houthi in neighboring Yemen.
Now, let's dig into the international reaction to that landmark National Security speech by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday, he outlined his
National Security plan in a campaign-style speech, pushing for America First and labeling Russia and China rival powers.
Russia has been blasting the plan as imperial while China is urging the U.S. to bend its quote, outdated cold war mentality in zero sum game.
Here's a part of Mr. Trump's speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We also face rival powers, Russia and China, that seek to challenge American influence, values and
wealth. We will attempt to build a great partnership with those and other countries but in a manner that always protects our national interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now, CNN's Nic Robertson is in Moscow. But first, let's talk with, Matt Rivers, in Beijing. And, Matt, how does Trump's new national
security plan change the dynamic of the U.S.-China relationship and what more is Beijing saying about it?
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kristie, if I get and take the second part of your question there, first, the Chinese gave a pretty standard,
measured response, generally when this kind of rhetoric comes out of the United States.
The Chinese give a response that is measured. Here's a little bit of what was said at a regularly scheduled press conference at the ministry of
foreign affairs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUA CHUNYING, SPOKESWOMAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY (through a translator): We urge the U.S. side to stop distorting China's strategic intentions,
abandon its outdated cold war mentality and zero sum game concept. Otherwise, it would only harm itself as well as others.
We hope the U.S. side will go with the times in a popular will, hold an objective and reasonable view on the current state of the world and China-
U.S. relations, strictly abide by relevant pledges, and work with China to maintain a healthy and stable development of bilateral ties. That the
correct choice in the interest of both people and as well as that of people and the rest of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: Now, in terms of how that's going to affect the relationship, Kristie, I think it's important to remember that this is just a document at
this point. And this isn't China or the United States lobbying tariffs on Chinese imports.
This isn't the United States labeling China a currency manipulator. Yes, this is tough talk in this document more so than the actual speech that
Donald Trump gave.
But I think what the Chinese government is going to be looking for is, OK, there is rhetoric. But then there is hard line action.
There is concrete policy changes, does this speech, does this document signal a change, a harder line stance from the United States towards China,
perhaps enacting more punitive trade measures -- maybe.
But I think when those things start to come down the pipeline, if they do, that's when this relationship between both sides will begin to be
fundamentally altered.
LU STOUT: Yes, very, very key to distinguish that. This is tough talk, yes, but no change in policy just yet. From, Matt Rivers, in Beijing,
let's go to, Nic Robertson, standing by for us in Moscow.
And, Nic, Trump has described Russia as a rival power, but then tone down on the recent election meddling. So how is the Kremlin reacting to Trump's
new National Security plan?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that clip we were just playing there, President Trump speaking, where he talked about -- you know, we can
look at areas where it would -- it would benefit us for our national interest to work with either of these countries.
And it gave the example of Russia or President Putin calling him on the weekend to thank him and the CIA for their help in busting a planned
terrorist attack in St. Petersburg over the weekend.
[08:05:00] President Trump said over the weekend that -- said last night rather, that it could have been thousands of people that could have been
killed in that, so he held up this relationship between the intelligence services -- Russia and the United States' Intelligence services as an
example of how there can be close cooperation.
And this sort of way that he reaches out and embraces President Putin in this way is of concern for many in the United States. So this seemed a
little bit, if you will, out of keeping with the tone of his criticism of the intelligence services.
And of what the intelligence services say, Russia's intelligence services have been doing in relation to the United States in the election. So that
on one side. We have heard from President Putin's spokesman here than he actually echoed that as well.
He pointed to that point by President Trump that that intelligence cooperation as one small area where he said he could see that there was
some small, positive things in the overall statement.
Russia was mentioned 25 times. Most of them negatively in the 85-page document and Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, described overall as a very
imperial statement.
And he said it's very clear in this that the United States rejects the idea of a multi-parallel world, that it doesn't want to see Russia and China
sort of growing in their influence around the world.
And that's what we've heard from other lawmakers here, describing it as, you know, the United States' hegemony in the world and disputing the claims
in the document of Russia calling them unfounded allegations of Russia interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, such as meddling.
LU STOUT: Got it. So we have both Moscow as well as Beijing rejecting this plan put forward by Donald Trump. Let's go back to, Matt Rivers, in
Beijing. Matt, earlier, you were talking about the key difference between words and action.
Now what is, after the plan, the United States does indeed take action against China and pushes too far? Could Trump provoke a trade war? I mean
how could China respond?
RIVERS: Well, is a trade war possible? Yes, it's absolutely possible. Could be there be some sort of, tit-for-tat exchange with the United States
puts up tariffs, Chinese government targets U.S. businesses operate in China and it goes back and forth, back and forth. Yes, that could
absolutely happen.
Depends on the U.S. how likely -- how likely that outcome is. You know, we speak with folk into several leaders here in Beijing over the past couple
of weeks who say, they really hope cooler heads will prevail because this is the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world.
And both sides really need each other but should the United States really push the envelope here, something that many business leaders want this
relationship to fundamentally change when you're speaking about trade.
But should the United States go too far in the minds of the Chinese government? There is a lot they can do. We always talk about what China
sends to the United States. But think of what the United States sends to China.
You are talking about tens of billions of dollars a year in agricultural exports, you are talking about vehicles, you are talking about airplanes,
you are talking about electrical machinery.
Those are the kind of manufacturing jobs that make up a lot of Donald Trump's base. I mean, you are talking agricultural exports, that's the
middle of the country.
The Chinese could absolutely target those industries, target politically, Donald Trump's base, make people in the United States very unhappy. The
Chinese have a lot in their toolbox in terms of how they can retaliate against the United States if they were to choose to do so.
LU STOUT: Now, Matt, you point out the American workers can bear the brunt of any response. And finally, let's go back to, Nic Robertson, in Moscow.
And, Nic, expectation is there in Moscow. Does the Kremlin expect Trump to take tough, punitive action against Russia after the release of this
strategic security plan?
ROBERTSON: Well, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman said, look, this is an 85-page document. It was sent into all relevant departments. We're going
to take a long look at it. It will take a bigger view on it rather than just sort of leaving it hanging with -- you know, this is an imperial
statement.
So, it clearly, from Russia's perspective, this require some examination, but we're in an election period here right now. And it's very clear at the
beginning of this election period, the actual campaigning began at the beginning of this week, yesterday.
And that came hard on the heels of these, you know, double phone calls between President Putin and President Trump, and this apparent warming in
what has been a frosty relationship between the two countries that spiraled downwards actually over the course of the summer.
So there is really a sense of Putin wanted to rekindle something here, I don't think we're going to get a response that is going to sort of damage
that narrative and equally from President Trump's side, very clearly, through the process of his presidency.
He is trying to maintain this warm relationship, at least extending a hand towards President Putin, so I don't think that there is an expectation at
the moment that the relationship is going -- is going to take a down turn.
And certainly, I think it will be viewed through the prism that President Putin is in an election cycle for the next three months.
[08:10:00] So his narrative is going to be one that tries to get him through that election. No one is expecting him to lose, but get through it
handily with a large voter turnout.
So it's going to be a nationally focused driven election campaign for President Putin. And that's I think where you can expect the international
view, of where Russia is going to be, where its mindset is going to be in the coming months.
And I don't think there seems to be at the moment, a calculation that the United States is about to -- is about to take the relationship further,
further on that downward spiral we saw this past summer.
LU STOUT: Yes, it's actually given that political context very keen analysis there from, Nic Robertson, joining us live from Moscow. Matt
Rivers, live in Beijing, a big thank you to you both.
Now let's turn to Washington, CNN's Joe John's is standing by. And, Joe, President Trump gave this major speech, outlining his National Security
plan, and he kept the focus firmly, squarely on the economy.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Firmly, squarely on the economy, and it comports with what the president said on the campaign
trail. In fact, a lot of the speech sounded like a campaign speech for the president.
Essentially, his argument, and you can call at this time Trump doctrine, is that economic security in the United States is National Security. The
president has made that point again and again.
So how does that all work out? Well, the president continues to emphasize trade as an issue and it's pretty clear that going forward, that is going
to be a part of his National Security focus as well.
For the president, it is all about the deals the United States strikes with a competitor countries such as Russia, such as China and others, and it's
very important to him in order to help the American people in National Security essentially to make sure those deals benefit the United States,
Kristie.
LU STOUT: And as you say, for the president is all about the kind of deals he strikes with major powers, including Russia. Did Trump's speech
intentionally tone down the sort of opposed Russia can be ongoing focus on election meddling?
JOHNS: It was very interesting because, as you may know, the administration puts together an enormous document, 55 pages over months,
several different aides of the president are involved in the crafting of that National Security strategy document.
And the president's speech, interestingly enough, did not contain any reference to Russia's meddling in Democratic elections, specifically the
2016 United States election, even though the document -- the 55-page document, did make reference to it. So that was a glaring omission and the
president's critics have faulted him for it, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Joe Johns live for us from the White House. Thank you, Joe, and do stay with us because later in the program, we're going to be exploring
the cyber threat posed by North Korea.
The Trump White House now officially blames North Korea for the infamous WannaCry cyber attack that took place earlier this year. The U.S.
president is also focused on its domestic fight for tax reform.
It is the first major overhaul of the U.S. tax code in decades and could be Mr. Trump's first real legislative victory. In a few hours, the Republican
majority house is expected to pass the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, most likely voting along party lines.
The Senate is to take up the bill after that, voting either Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr. Trump says that this will be a great Christmas gift to the
middle class, but, a new CNN poll shows most Americans disagree. About two thirds think the bill benefits the rich more than the middle class.
And almost four in ten Americans say that they will be worse off the bill passes. Twenty-one percent say they will be better off. Now, speed was
apparently a critical factor in the deadly train derailment in the U.S. State of Washington on Monday.
Authorities say the Amtrak train was traveling nearly 130 kilometers an hour in a 48-kilometer an hour zone when it jumped the tracks. At least
three people were killed and more than 100 were injured. Now earlier, my colleague Rosemary Church spoke to railroad safety consultant, Gary Wolf
about the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY WOLF, CONSULTANT, RAILROAD SAFETY: There has been extensive testing of this route, starting back in the spring, as the route was retrofitted or
upgraded to accommodate this train set, there was extensive testing done. And I don't know why the concerns would be raised. The track is good for
30. That's what it was posted at.
[08:15:00] Now if a train was going 70, just like your automobile, if you go down the Interstate 130 miles an hour, you might flip you car over,
right? It doesn't mean the interstate the poorly designed.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Right.
WOLF: It means you are over speeding and as I said, that seems to be the indication here that perhaps with the way the train ended up to the outside
of the curve on its side, that's sort of the foot print of an over speed derailment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Thirty versus 70, he was speaking of miles, of course. Now the President of Amtrak confirms that technology meant to automatically slow
down the train was installed but was not activated on the tracks.
You are watching News Stream. Still ahead, a safe passage and a new sense of hope -- France welcomes 25 migrants, following a CNN report on human
slave auctions in Libya.
Also ahead, UNICEF is warning air pollution is putting millions of babies at risk of brain damage. Most of them live here in Asia -- the staggering
statistics, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back. This is News Stream. Now they were some of the world's most vulnerable people. But
right now, 25 migrants are getting at life, thanks in part to a report by CNN.
A group of African migrants has landed in Paris, following a reporting on Libya's modern slave markets. You remember last month, we showed you that
shocking video of young African men being auctioned off for as little as $400. And that has helped sparked an international call to action.
Melissa Bell has more in the arrival of a group of migrants in Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paddled and tired, but safe at last. These are the lucky ones. Twenty-five migrants rescued from Libya, given
fast track refugee status in Niger and then bussed to a new life Eastern France. The first of 3,000 refugees the French president wants to take in
as part of resettlement program.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Resettlement provides an opportunity for those who would otherwise not arrive in safe countries such as in Europe.
So arriving here is certainly a solution for many of the refugees who are now in Niger and who have been evacuated from a very difficult situation in
Libya. It is the solution for my refugees. And we also hope that many other countries will follow the examples of the France settlement here. $
BELL: It was a plea that the French president brought to the African continent itself on November 29th, that those migrants, currently held in
Libyan detention centers needed help, and urgently.
[08:20:00] EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through a translator): What the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations have decided
this evening is to act decisively, first and first most with extreme urgency to evacuate Libya, all those who can and want to be evacuated and
help them return to their country of origin. We will stand in solidarity with others in this emergency operation which will be conducted in the
coming days and weeks.
BELL: Since then hundreds of migrants have been evacuated from Libya. Here, landing in (Inaudible) there is a Niger showing the physical scars of
their ordeal. Only a tiny number of these will the granted asylum in France (Inaudible), the French government is offering a new approach and
much better odds resettlement in Europe than have been common in this part of Africa.
The first of those granted asylum as part of the scheme will spend four months here, a convent in Alsace, where they will be given help to heal
from the journey and to prepare for their new life.
The 25 refugees who landed her this morning, represent a drop in the ocean when you consider that the international organization for migration
believes there are currently 400,000 migrants in Libya.
But to those who made their way through this airport this morning, it was transformed for a moment into the sort of safe port that so many have grant
on their long and desperate quest for a new life. Melissa Bell, CNN, in Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: UNICEF is worrying about the risks of air pollution to the world's youngest and most vulnerable. A recent report by the U.N.
children's agencies says nearly 17 million babies under the age of one are breathing toxic air.
Three quarters of them -- that's about 12 million, live in South Asia. It says that they were exposed to pollution six times higher than recommended.
And that particulates endure the air can damage brain tissue and impair development.
The impact can last a lifetime. I spoke with the executive director of the center for science and environment in India, a country that experiences
some of the worst air pollution on the planet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANUMITA ROYCHOWDHURY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT: This is certainly a very scary evidence because keeping and
view the fact that we are experiencing some of the worst smog episode in this city.
Going back such medical evidences now exist to show that air pollution can cause such devastating impact especially on infants or small babies. It's
really very, very scary and it is really an alarming idea to know that we are in a very serious health emergency.
Now, what we have -- when we look at that study, it was very clear and something that we have known for a long time that air pollution does affect
the brain.
So far, we have been looking at the strictly study, but now when UNICEF has put together the evidences that have emerged from large body of such
studies across the world, it suddenly gives us the clinching evidence that we need to wake up and do something very aggressively now to deal with the
problem.
Because we know that it amounts to grown up and it does, in fact, a resolution, especially attack your brain which ultimately leads to such
deadly diseases, like the Parkinson and so many other things but (Inaudible), when you are talking about the brain damage, it is -- it's
really compromising the future for us.
LU STOUT: and the head of a sustainable solution, what are parent in India, especially in places like New Delhi doing to combat this choking
haze. What are they doing to protect their children? And are they having spirited angry discussion about the matter?
ROYCHOWDHURY: Air pollution and what it's doing to our health has all become a part of the conversation in the city. Parents are concerned and
now today you will know that there a lot of talk about how to New Jersey in fact that recently, when we had a very bad, small episode for schools in
Delhi were shut during that period.
So clearly, there is an awareness today and increasingly (Inaudible) will know, even schools know that when you have a very bad small episode, we
need to keep the children indoor, not allow them to play outside, not allow them to do heavy exercise, now, that really constrains the child, because
there is really not way to grow up.
That is not a way to spend your childhood. We also have our own evidences today in Delhi where the studies have been flatted out to show that how
lungs of every third child is already impaired in the city. We also know from studies that how -- when children grow up in this kind of an
environment, their lungs shrink.
[08:25:00] We also know when children are exposed to very high toxic pollution in Delhi, how they also become victim to hyperactivity attention
deficit.
Now that all evidence and awareness, now we certainly want public opinion to get much sharper and it also has to work largely to say that air is bad
for us and the air is bad for our children, but also to come out in support of very difficult measures and action that the government will now have to
take.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of the Center for Science and Environment, speaking to me earlier about the link
between breathing toxic air and the brain development of infants and children.
Now the world of Korean pop is in shock after one of its superstars died in an apparent suicide on Monday. Fans around the world are posting tributes
for SHINee's lead singer, Kim Jong-hyun. Many grieving over the loss of the young and talented performer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: He was a star of one of South Korea's biggest boy bands. A successful solo artist and songwriter but less than two weeks after his
last concert, fans are mourning.
Kim Jong-hyun, the lead singer of the k-pop band SHINee. He was found dead Monday and what police say was an apparent suicide. Outside the hospital
in Seoul on Tuesday, fans spoke of their shock.
ASHANA WILLIAMS, SHINEE FAN: To come and show respects to him and his family, and to his loved ones. I have family with mental health issues.
So it hit home. And it was very personal.
KIM YEON-JUNG, SHINEE FAN (through a translator): It didn't feel real. Is this even real? Is this a dream? I asked myself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through a translator): He was full of emotions and a sensitive person. He must have had lots of hardships but hid them, and
didn't show them to others. That must have been the toughest part for him.
LU STOUT: Details are emerging of the singer's final days. He was found collapsed at an apartment in the South Korean capital Monday evening.
Rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead that night.
Later, a friend released a long SMS message which she said Jong-hyun has sent her in the weeks before his death. In it, he describes himself as
broken from the inside and asks her to post the text if he were quote, to disappear from the world.
At just 27-years-old, the singer was already a towering figure on the k-pop scene. He shot to fame with SHINee nearly ten years ago and recorded a
string of popular hits.
The band had just been on tour and released their album. His single, released in April was titled, Lonely. Fans paid tribute to their hero on
Twitter. Thank you for making our hearts flutter with your music, wrote one. We will always love you said another.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now, fans on social media and around the world are expressing their grief at the loss of Jong-hyun. The beloved k-pop star was only 27-
years-old.
You are watching News Stream. And still to come, the U.S., officially is blaming Pyongyang for one the year's biggest cyber attacks, more on the
WannaCry malware that crippled businesses world wide. Also ahead, braving subzero temperatures, U.S. and South Korean marines run drills in the deep
snow with their shirts off, all in preparation for keeping the winter games safe.
[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream." These are your world headlines.
Russia and China reacting to a landmark national security speech by U.S. President Donald Trump, one in which he touted America first and called
Russia and China rival powers. Russia has blasted the plan as imperial, while China is urging the U.S. to abandon its "outdated cold war mentally
and zero-sum game."
A plane carrying African migrants in Libya has landed in Paris. It's part of a new program to move the most vulnerable refugees to Europe. The group
of 25 was freeze freed (ph) in Niger. The safe passage flight follows CNN's reporting on modern slave markets in Libya.
Fans around the world are remembering K-pop star Kim Jong-hyun. The lead singer of Shinee died Monday in an apparent suicide. His sister called the
police after reportedly receiving troubling text messages that read, please let me go, and final farewell.
The White House is blaming North Korea for one of the year's biggest cyber attacks. The "WannaCry" malware plagued computers around the world earlier
this year including critical banking and hospital networks. CNN's Samuel Burke joins me now from London with more on the story. Samuel, the White
House says North Korea is behind it and it is not the only one who has pointed the finger at Pyongyang.
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Not just the United States back in June. U.K. security forces told me that they had
concluded the U.K. government that North Korea was behind the attack and there are also private security firms like Symantec, though important to
note while they've concluded that it was the Lazarus Group, which many have linked to North Korea, they're not certain that they're actually North
Koreans.
Even if they're doing the work of the North Koreans, they say there are linguistic footprints left behind that make them believe that they are
Chinese, but other investigators have not been able to conclude the same thing. And also important to note that Microsoft has concluded that it was
North Korea behind this attack.
What's interesting about Microsoft and the fact that the United States government is now saying that they believe that North Korea is behind it is
that every security expert whom I've spoken to, Kristie, they told me that they believe that what happened here was whatever hacking group did this,
they were able to exploit a vulnerability in windows that was able to be exploited because of code that was leaked from the NSA.
So, here, the United States government is pointing the finger, though not talking about some of the responsibility that they may have indirectly had.
What is amazing about this hack to me still is that something happened in the cyber world that affected us in the physical world, especially here in
U.K., the national health care system hospitals affected to the point that they had to cancel outpatient procedures and appointments.
LU STOUT: Yes, I mean, it hit at least 150 countries, hundreds of thousands of computers around the world. I remember when the story broke, we had to
raced you in the program talking about it. "WannaCry" is ransomware. It holds computers ransom by refusing to unlock unless you pay a fee. And the
"WannaCry" ransom was demanded in bitcoin. That's turned into quite an upside for the hackers, hasn't it?
BURKE: They wouldn't accept dollars. They wouldn't accept pounds. At the time, it was $300 worth of bitcoin. So let's say it is the North Koreans,
if the United States government is correct, that $300 worth of bitcoin has risen 955 percent, so that very same bitcoin they would be holding for each
of the ransoms would be worth at a minimum $2,865 today.
We talked a lot about North Korea's nuclear potential, but here their digital arms seemed to be quite strong and they affects trading as well, an
incredible investment, if you look at it that way.
LU STOUT: Yes, absolutely, just times that to what, 230,000 computers that were infected back in the day, that's a lot of bitcoin. There we go. Samuel
Burke, thank you for your reporting. Take care.
Now, the governor of Puerto Rico has ordered the review of the number of people killed when Hurricane Maria hit. The death toll currently stands
officially at 64, but CNN investigation found it to be much higher.
[08:35:00] Leyla Santiago has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A change in tone coming from the government of Puerto Rico. The governor saying that he wants a thorough
review of the deaths related to Hurricane Maria. Why the change? Well, it is because the government has stood by those numbers all along. Right now
the death toll stands at 64, but when we investigated, we found that they could be much higher.
We called 279 funeral homes and funeral directors reported 499 deaths that could be related to Hurricane Maria. And when we recently took a look at
the number of deaths reported from the government itself, we found a spike in the number of deaths after Hurrican Maria, a significant spike compared
to last year and the year before.
And, of course, there are#e the cases we presented to the government, cases we thought could fall under certified death. The case of Jose Pepe Sanchez,
a gentleman who died during Hurricane Maria, called 911. The family called 911 and was not able to get help.
After our investigation, the government added Pepe's death to the certified count and his family is now expected to get extra help to cover funeral
expenses. As many questions surround the certified deaths, Puerto Rico as an island is still struggling with power. The government says 69 percent
generation when it comes to power, but many municipalities that we have spoken say distribution of power is much, much less.
Leyla Santiago, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: The 2018 Pyeongchang winter games are drawing near and security is a major concern. So, U.S. and South Korean marines are running drills
for pair with a bit short list hand-to-hand combat in the snow. Paula Hancocks has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the mountains of Pyeongchang where the Winter Olympics will be held in just a little less
than two months, right now what we are seeing is a military drill between the U.S. and South Korean marines, 220 on each side in these mountains,
trying to hone their combat skills in sub-zero temperatures for this winter military drill and it gets cold here.
It can get as cold as minus 20 degrees Celsius, that is minus four degrees Fahrenheit. Officially, we are told there is no specific enemy in mind for
these drills. North Korea is 50 miles, 80 kilometers away from here. So clearly it's not a stretch to imagine that could be one scenario that they
are preparing for. Even though this is an annual drill, the Americans have been involved since 2013.
That is definitely an added edge here this year, an added significance. And then there is this. Clearly, they're working on their hand-to-hand combat
there. Wrestling skills. It's not 100 percent clear though why they have to take their tops off in order to do that. But bear in mind, it is incredibly
cold here.
I am struggling to string a sentence together so you have to have some respect for what they're doing here. North Korea, they clearly doesn't have
respect for this day in the past. They have called this particular military drill "madcap" and any kind of drills between the U.S. and South Korea will
annoy Pyongyang (ph).
Spectators, athletes, media from across the globe will be coming here to Pyeongchang in early February. And authorities say they just want to make
sure that they have prepared for every eventuality. The Korean marines we saw here today will be part of the security detail for the games.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Pyeongchang, South Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: They're ready. You're watching "News Stream." Coming up, the man who is now carrying the hopes of many in South Africa on his shoulders.
Stay with us to meet the new leader of the African National Congress.
[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream." There have been celebrations in South Africa after the
ruling party, the African National Congress, elected a new leader. Cyril Ramaphosa will replace Jacob Zuma as the head of the party, something that
puts him on track for the presidency. David McKenzie has more from Johannesburg.
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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are celebrating their candidate with one top position (ph), but the news today is that Cyril
Ramaphosa, the deputy president of the country, has now taken the lead of the ANC as president of the ruling party here in South Africa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We declare comrade Cyril Ramaphosa as the new president of the African National Congress.
MCKENZIE (voice over): It was a contentious vote. It was at times a controversial vote. But these some 5,000 delegates made the choice that
could affect more than 15 million South Africans. Many people had been angry with the direction that the country had been taking because of the
allegations of corruption against Jacob Zuma.
(on camera): This was as much a referendum on the outgoing president of the ANC. He has denied all those allegations. But now, the question is, will
Cyril Ramaphosa take this party and potentially this country in a new direction?
David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Ethiopian Airlles makes history with its first ever flight within African operated entirely by women. From the pilots to the flight
dispatchers, all roles were filled by women on Saturday's flight to Nigeria.
About two years ago, the airline assigned an all female crew on the flight outside of Africa, but this is their first on the continent. It is meant to
encourage African women to pursue careers in male-dominated industries. An inspiration to us all, really.
That is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is next.
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[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
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