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Massive Floods Drown Houston; Heat Wave Grips India; Iraqi Security Forces Amass to Retake Ramadi; A Look at the Amenities of Being an Elite In Pyongyang. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET

Aired May 26, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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

[7:59:58] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to News Stream.

Now Iraq begins a military push to retake Anbar Province from ISIS a week after losing the region's key city Ramadi.

Hundreds die in a severe heat wave in India as temperatures climb as high as 48 degrees Celsius.

And one of the biggest cities in the United States hit by major flooding as storms hit Houston.

And we begin with breaking news. Iraq says a major military operation is underway to liberate crucial territory from ISIS. One of the cities is

Ramadi in Anbar Province.

A Shia militia tells CNN its forces are on three sides of Ramadi. They have been waiting on orders to attack. Now militants claimed control of

the city last week.

Now ISIS is reportedly rushing in reinforcements to defend its position.

Now let's head straight to Iraq for the latest now. And CNN's senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joins me live from Baghdad.

And Nick, there are reports that Iraq's counterattack has finally begun. What more can you tell us about the operation?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are still at the stage of where most of what we know is the announcement of the

campaign. We haven't seen much reporting of that translating into violence necessarily on the ground just let on a large scale, but it was (inaudible)

this morning that state television first suggested that operation was underway. And then it was left to the Shia militia, the Hashd al Shaabi,

backed by Iran to give a press conference in which they specify the details of what they would be up to in conjunction with Iraqi security forces and

possibly also, too, tribes from an area known as Salahuddin, that is in the north of Anbar Province.

Now the focus first up is not Anbar necessarily itself. They will be moving on to that and aiming to clear ISIS out of all of it. And that does

include Ramadi. The first focus the Hashd al Shaabi talked about was cutting a supply route to the northeast of Anbar heading up towards the old

refinery town of Baiji. That seems to be their first objective.

That has later been followed up on state television by suggestions for both defense ministry and the Iraqi prime ministership that they will be looking

to move in to Anbar as quickly as possible.

We know that there are substantial Iraqi security forces and Hashd al Shaabi, the Shia militia in a kind of semicircle around the south of

Ramadi. Some perhaps acccording to their officials on the outskirts of that city.

We know also ISIS had well over a week to prepare for this counterattack.

The basic question now is can those groups talk off the same script -- those who are pro-Iraqi government -- can they be cohesive enough to force

ISIS out?

One telling issue here is, and we're hearing potentially that in Anbar they hoped to get maybe 3,000 Sunni tribesmen into the mix as well in this

fight, one key issue is the name that the Hashd al Shaabi gave this operation Answering the Call of Hussein, that is redolence in Shia culture

here. Hussein was the son of Ali, the effective figurehead of Shiaism. And I think many will look at that branding exercise as a way, perhaps, of

the Shia militia stamping their mark on this operation. And maybe that will be discouraging to those Sunni elements who many have hoped would join

in the the battle here, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Major operation to liberate communities from ISIS. Nick Paton Walsh reporting live from Baghdad. Thank you, Nick.

Now let's paint a clearer picture of exactly where all this is happening. The focus is on Anbar and Salahuddin provinces, both key targets for ISIS.

Now the militants have already taken control of at least nine cities in Anbar, including Ramadi last week and earlier Fallujah just 70 kilometers

west of Baghdad.

And in Salahuddin province, Iraqi forces are working to liberate the city of Baiji as well. There's a key oil refinery there. They also want to cut

off a supply route that leads straight into Anbar.

Now across large parts of India, people are doing everything they can to stay cool. In some cases, their lives depend on it.

Now sweltering temperatures have been blamed for more than 700 deaths in less than a week. And most susceptible to the blistering heat homeless

people and those who work outdoors. And many Indians also have no access to electricity and therefore no fans, no air conditioning.

Now Mallika Kapur joins me now live from Mumbai. Mallika, I mean, to many lives have been taken in this heat wave. What is the government doing to

advise people and to prevent more loss of life?

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the government is telling people to stay indoors as much as possible, especially between the

hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., which is really when temperatures are at their highest. Temperatures have been so high over the past week, Kristie,

they've touched 48 degrees Celsius, that's 118 degrees Fahrenheit. That is really, really hot. I mean, blisteringly hot conditions.

So the government is telling people, if possible stay indoors.

And the government is advising people, you know, wear loose cotton clothing, stay indoors, drink lots of waters, stay hydrated. It's also

telling -- it's also trying to help people by providing them drinking water and providing them buttermilk so that they can stay cool and they can stay

hydrated, because most of the people who are going into the hospitals, the people who are suffering are people who are either suffering from a

sunstroke or are severely dehydrated. That is really important.

So the government reminding people, you know, stay indoors, stay hydrated, trying to help them do that. But of course for many people, you know, it's

a lot easier said than done to stay indoors. Many people simply don't have that choice. Many people live on the streets in India, whether it's

beggars, it's homeless people, migrant laborers. It's very common in India to see people move from state to state looking for work and typically they

do end up sleeping on the streets.

Construction workers -- in fact, many of the people who have died have been construction workers. And they don't really have that choice if they want

to earn a living, if they want to eat food for a day they have to work and very often that work is under the blazing sun in the middle of the day.

But the government, giving them advice, asking them to stay indoors if it's possible and the government doing what it can, especially in the southern

states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by giving them water, by giving them buttermilk to stay cool and to stay hydrated.

[08:06:41] LU STOUT: These are extremely high temperatures, as high as 48 degrees Celsius. Mallika, what does it feel like? I mean, what is it like

there? How are people coping, living and making a living through this extreme heat?

KAPUR: Well, it feels -- I mean, it is blisteringly hot conditions, you know. I mean, the areas in the south have been particularly badly

affected, but even elsewhere in India, even here in Mumbai it is definitely hotter this summer than it was last summer. In fact, on an average, I

think, temperatures are above five to seven degrees higher this year on average than they were last year in May. So it is really, really hot.

It's also affected parts of West Bengal and the -- and if you look at the eastern city of Calcutta. You know, many cab drivers there are simply

refusing to work between the hours of 11:00 and 4:00 because it's too hot. And two of the people who died a couple of days ago were actually cab

drivers on the job.

So, some people are refusing to work during those hours. Those who can't afford to stay away from work are staying away from work. Some businesses

are shutting down, but again you know may people in India don't have that choice and people are, you know, having to continue to work if they have to

earn their living. People who can afford to use their fans and air conditioners are doing that.

But it remains a luxury for many people in India, because power remains a huge problem for this country. It is India's weakest spot when it comes to

infrastructure. And about a third of India's 1.2 billion people still until today do not have reliable access to power, so that means a lot of

people simply don't even have a fan to sit under to cool off.

Those who can afford air conditioning, of course they are using it. They're using it for extending periods of time. That is putting a load on

companies that supply power and that's resulting in power cuts in many parts of India. We are getting reports of power cuts for up to four to

five hours a day in certain parts, which is making a terrible situation even worse.

LU STOUT: And Mallika, this heat wave is certainly a health emergency for millions of people across India, especially as you report the port and for

people forced to work outdoors.

But Mallika, is it also affecting agriculture and food supplies in India?

KAPUR: We aren't seeing it affect food supplies just yet. It's perhaps a little bit too soon for that. It's -- these extreme temperatures we've

seen have only been this high for the last week or so, the last four or five days.

We are hearing from farmers, though, yes. And it is affecting -- starting to affect agriculture with many farmers saying that their crops have

(inaudible) really fast. So it could have an impact on food supplies in the medium-term going forward. But as of now, we haven't heard of food

supplies running out or any major disruption with food supplies as of now.

LU STOUT: All right. CNN's Mallika Kapur reporting live from Mumbai. Many thanks indeed for that.

Now a combination of extreme heat and humidity is making it even harder for people to cool down there. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good day to you. And let's talk about what's happening here across India, because it's not just the extreme heat

that's taking place, but also the extreme humidity. And any time you have any sort of preexisting health conditions it really sets the stage here for

disaster to take place.

And the human body does a fantastic job of keeping your core temperature below the danger zone, that threshold of 40 degrees Celsius. Of course,

you sweat, that moisture evaporates off of your skin and allows the surface area just beneath your skin for you body temperature to cool off a little

bit.

Any time the humidity is through the roof, of course, the moisture content in the atmosphere is just as high as the moisture content on top of your

skin with the sweat, so you're not able to evaporate that sweat any more and that leads to major problems.

In 2003, we know some 70,000 people lost their lives across Europe because of extreme heat. 50,000, you may recall, back in 2010 in Russia with the

ensuing fires there as well and the extreme heat.

Big time heat wave in Chicago in '95 took 700 lives. And the same number at the very least right now sitting in place across India with this

devastating heat wave.

And you look at the numbers, remarkable, 48 degree Celsius. This is above the average, which is already stifling. The hottest time of the year

across India in the month of May.

But again factor in the humidity, the heat index, or essentially what it feels like with the humidity is 61 degrees Celsius, that is 142 degrees

Fahrenheit what it feels like across portions of Pakistan and into the 50s in and around central and also western India.

So this pattern of extreme heat, extreme moisture in the atmosphere really makes it dangerous.

And notice the monsoons, when they do begin to push in, climatalogically (ph) the first week of May, that allows the temperatures to cool off. And

by the middle portion of June that's when they finally get to some of these areas that need the cooler temperatures from the monsoons here coming in.

But unfortunately at this point we're still several weeks away from that occurring. So the forecast looks as such with the upper 40s still in and

around a lot of India over the next couple of days.

Send it back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:11:35] LU STOUT: All right, Pedram Javaheri there.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, Iran begins a closed-door trial for Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian. The U.S. government

calls the charges against him absurd.

And flash flooding in Texas. Heavy rain is hampering rescue efforts. We've got an update on the state's extreme weather next.

And the country was forced to a standstill after it ran after fuel. And now Nigeria's crisis is starting to subside. We've got an update straight

ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now right now, one of America's biggest cities is struggling with major flooding. A tremendous amount of rain fell overnight in Houston, Texas.

We just spoke to emergency personnel there who say that they are overwhelmed with requests for help and that their first responders are

having trouble getting to calls.

Now Houston is just the latest city suffering from flash floods in Texas. And CNN's Jennifer Gray is in the flood zone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIER GRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This morning record-breaking and deadly flood waters continue to wreak havoc across central Texas and Oklahoma.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The challenges are not over yet. There's going to be more rain is to come.

GRAY: Nearly 40 counties throughout Texas now under an emergency disaster declaration. A dam rupturing just east of Austin unable to hold a historic

amount of rain, flooding a highway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not over. The rain is still here.

GRAY: Family members desperately wait on dry land.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I kept calling him over and over and, I was, like, are you OK?

GRAY: As rescues by air and water. The National Guard called to rescue 13 people including three children trapped in a rental cabin in southeast

Oklahoma.

[08:15:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The water came up quicker than expected, road washed out, and we couldn't pass by it.

GRAY: In Wimberley, Texas, around a dozen people are still missing, including two families with children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When she wasn't there I knew something was very, very wrong.

GRAY: Julie Shields recalls the last phone call she received from her sister Lauren McComb.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Call mom and dad, I love you, and pray. GRAY: Along with her husband and two children inside, McComb's vacation home was swept

away by the flood waters. Her husband, found 12 miles away, says he tried desperately to save his family but the cabin split into.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is with her babies and she will be with her babies always in heaven, and we know that as a family?

GRAY: The death toll in both southern states continues to rise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was gone with her date laughing and dancing next to her.

GRAY: And 18-year-old Melissa Ramirez was on her way back from prom just south of San Antonio, her car stalling out in high waters just a couple

miles away from her home. She called 911 and her father, but it was too late.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were not able to find her until this morning when crews were out there. She has her place in heaven where they will meet her

again soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Heartbreaking stories one after another. And the same storm system that is tormenting Texas killed at least 13 people in Mexico. In

six seconds, a tornado just ripped through the border city of Ciudad Acuna with the ferocity that officials say hasn't been witnessed in more than 100

years.

You're watching News Stream. Still ahead, some U.S. politicians are breaking ranks to stop a controversial spy program. We've got the details

on the maneuvers in Washington coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

And you're looking at a visual version of all the news that we're covering today.

Now we've already told you about Iraq's push to take back Anbar from ISIS. And later, we'll look at how North Korea's elite lives.

But now to the trial of Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian. Iranian media report that the first hearing has finished, but did not give a date

for the next session.

Now the trial is taking place behind closed doors.

Now Jason Rezaian is charged with espionage, among other things. The Iranian-American has spent 10 months already behind bars. And for more on

his story, let's bring in CNN's Becky Anderson live from Abu Dhabi.

And Becky, tell us why is this trial behind closed doors?

[08:20:13] BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the official line is that only the judge in a case can decide to make a trial

public, or indeed comment on it, period. Jason's supporters allege that the proceedings are closed to hide the fact that the allegations just have

no basis.

His brother has said, and I quote, "I think the only reason you could possibly imagine that the trial would be closed would be to prevent people

from seeing the lack of evidence."

The facts in this case are very, very murky. The 39-year-old Iranian- American arrested in July last year, as you point out, along with his wife Yeganeh and others -- they were later released on bail, but Jason has been

in prison, at times in solitary confinement, since then.

Why? Well, for months it wasn't clear, but by April this year he was formally accused of spying and illegally gathering classified information

about Iran and passing that on to Washington.

As you point out, this was a very short first session. No date for the continuation of this as of yet.

LU STOUT: Becky, the facts are murky. What do we know about the evidence? What evidence of espionage is Tehran putting forward?

ANDERSON: Very little.

And I think that's the point. And that is why there is so much speculation as to why this is being held behind closed doors.

Both Rezaian's mom and his wife Yeganeh, a journalist who also faces related charges, I have to say, and will be tried separately, have been

barred from attending. Jason's employees, The Washington Post, tried to obtain a visa for at least an editor to be in Iran during this trial, but

according to the paper its inquiries were not answered. So the answer to your question, I'm afraid, is one that I don't have, because it's very,

very, very difficult to get any information.

LU STOUT: And tell us about the international pressure that somehow bring about his release. What is the Washington Post saying? What are U.S.

officials doing to free him?

ANDERSON: Yeah, well it's interesting, President Obama has talked about these allegations as having been vague. And he has also pressed Iran to

release all American detainees.

John Kerry, the secretary of state, has raised the issue a number of times, we're told, during the recent nuclear talks with Iran, which does raise,

Kristie, a good point here. The judge assigned to the case is known to be close to the intelligence apparatus in Tehran and has been accused in the

past of passing down politically motivated sentences.

Jason's supporters say that he is quite frankly a pawn in what is a wider power struggle going on inside Tehran with the government of President

Rouhani pitted against hard-line elements who wish to embarrass Rouhani as he and his colleagues try to strike this nuclear deal with the west.

And do remember that that deadline for that, of course, is by the end of next month.

If that is the case, then Jason's trial appears to be less about what happens in this closed court and more about the give and take in the

corridors of power in Tehran -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Very important story, very important case. Becky Anderson on it. Many thanks indeed for your reporting, Becky.

Now, Nigeria's energy crisis it appears to be ending. Now the striking fuel importers say that they didn't want to cause any more conflict.

Now the action had caused Nigeria to grind to a halt. Power was cut, cell phone providers were shut down, cars stood silent on roads. And the

companies say they started this strike, because the government of Nigeria had failed to pay them.

But they decided to take up the issue with the new incoming administration instead.

The U.S. government is just days away from losing one of its weapons in the war on terror. Now several controversial spying programs under the

country's PATRIOT Act expire June 1.

As White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski explains, some politicians are breaking with other members of their own party and willing to let the

measures go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this Memorial Day, the president honoring those fallen in battle, while overseas ISIS gains

ground, here in Washington, new questions about how to keep America safe with just six days before parts of the Patriot Act are set to expire.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: This is a high- threat period, and we know what's going on overseas. We know what's been tried

here at home. My colleagues, do we really want this law to expire?

[08:25:00] KOSINSKI: Many Senate Republicans arguing through the night this weekend that specifically the bulk collection of Americans' phone data that

started secretly after September 11 is still necessary, should continue.

But in a move that shocked even had his own party, here is Republican presidential contender Rand Paul fighting its renewal in every attempt and

refusing to budge.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: This is a debate about whether or not a warrant with a single name of a single company can be used to collect all

the records, all of the phone records of all of the people in our country with a single warrant. Our forefathers would be aghast.

KOSINSKI: That opinion met with an eye roll from his Senate colleague and soon-to-be-Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham. Opponents of

bulk phone data collection contend it's not even necessary, that the government can and should just get a warrant for specific information when

they need it.

The White House agrees. But it's not only the phone data issue that will expire June 1. The government also won't be able to as easily gather

business records, conduct roving wiretaps when a person keeps switching cell phones or keep close tabs on potential lone wolves, who are not

necessarily linked to an identified terror group.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was CNN's White House Correspondent Michelle Kosinski.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, the president of Chile is challenging the country's strict anti-abortion laws. How viral videos are

being used in the campaign.

And from Dolphin shows to free luxury apartments. We have an exclusive look at some of the perks enjoyed by North Korea's elite.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

In Iraq, a Shia militia spokesman tells CNN a major military operation is underway to retake Anbar and Salahuddin provinces from ISIS. Now the focus

is on regaining control of two key cities: Baiji and Ramadi. Now militants took control of Ramadi last week.

Kenyan officials tell CNN a security operation is underway in Garissa right now after suspected al Shabaab militants ambushed police there. The

officers were on patrol near the border with Somalia. And officials say that two police officers were critically injured, three suffered minor

injuries. Al Shabaab claims more than 20 officers were killed.

Iranian state media says the first session of the trial for Washington Post journalist has ended. Iranian-American Jason Rezaian is charged with

espionage among other things. Now his trial is taking place behind closed doors. No date has been given for the next session.

Now a fierce debate is underway in Chile as the country's president tries to change a law that bans abortions under any circumstances. Rafael Romo

reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:30:25] RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The video looks real: a woman casually talking into a handheld camera.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ROMO: But the message is anything but casual. If you want to have an abortion, this woman suggests, let yourself fall from the top of a

staircase.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ROMO: It looks amateur, but the video was made by an ad agency as part of a campaign to decriminalize abortion in Chile.

LESLIE NICHOLS, MILES CHILE: We have the hope that it may happen this year, but we are not that certain yet.

ROMO: Leslie Nichols belongs to MILES Chile, the organization behind the campaign.

NICHOLS: We were trying to show people that absurd decisions can occur under these circumstances.

ROMO: Chile is one of a handful of countries in the world where abortion is illegal under any circumstances. Activists point to cases like Andrea

Quiroga. The 40-year-old says she had to prolong her pregnancy until she miscarried in the sixth month even though doctors determined her baby won't

survive outside the uterus.

ANDREA QUIROGA, WOMAN DENIED ABORTION (through translator): I saw my baby bleed from her eyes, nose, mouth and ears. That's inhumane. That

shouldn't happen. I was having a child and knew my baby girl was dead.

I mean, what's the point of doing all this? None. At least for me.

ROMO: Chilean President Michelle Bacehelet is pushing for a bill that would allow abortion in cases where the fetus can't survive outside the

uterus, rape or when the pregnancy puts the mother's life at risk.

The president introduced the bill in the lower house of the Chilean parliament in January, but it's currently stalled in proceedings.

Decriminalizing abortion is one of the promises Michelle Bachelet made during her campaign to the presidency, a promise, the president says, she

intends to fulfill.

The bill faces strong opposition from conservative legislators like Jaqueline van Rysselberghe.

JAQUELINE VAN RYSSELBERGHE, CHILEAN SENATOR (through translator): I believe in fact that women have the right to make decisions about their

reproductive life. However, I believe that the right to make those decisions ends where the right to life of the unborn child begins.

ROMO: Conservative legislators promise to fight the bill until the end, but Andrea Quiroga hopes the bill becomes law so that other women don't

have to suffer what she went through.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Santiago, Chile.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now a Hong Kong teen activist and leader of last year's Umbrella Movement says that he has been denied entry to Malaysia. Now Joshua Wang

spoke to the media earlier. He said he was traveling to Malaysia to meet local democracy advocates. And upon landing, he says officials asked him

not to contact anyone in Malaysia and to get back on the plane.

Neither the Malaysian immigration department nor the foreign affairs ministry have responded to calls from CNN.

Now, an exclusive look at the lavish lifestyle of North Korea's elite while millions live in poverty and hunger.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:35:16] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now in North Korea, there are millions of dollars worth of new attractions in the capital. They are luxuries that the elite of Pyongyang enjoy

courtesy of King Jong-un. And our Will Ripley got an exclusive look at some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The North Koreans took us here to show us their dolphins, but the audience really got our attention. This is the

kind of unscripted emotion we rarely see in North Korea.

Government propaganda shows over the top adulation for the supreme leader. But these smiles, these belly laughs are real, especially when our CNN

photojournalist gets pulled on stage.

This dolphinarium (ph), just one stop on our government-guided sightseeing tour showing all the perks for Pyongyang's elite, their lives drastically

different from millions of North Koreans we're not allowed to see, living in poor, rural areas, tending fields by hand. Experts say as many as half

the population hungry.

But when it wants to, North Korea and its young leader will spend millions on vanity projects, b building extravagant amenities like this horse riding

club.

No expense spared in this brand new orphanage. Kids get regular visits from King Jong-un, a man they call father. But the orphanage is half

empty.

Most North Koreans in the capital live in drab housing blocs assigned by the government. We're shown only the newest, best neighborhoods like these

apartments for elite North Korean scientists.

They even have their own vacation resort. The government prepared to spend lavishly to reward key personnel.

That's you right there.

More special perks for those who train the elite. Senior professors at Pyongyang's most prestigious university get these free luxury apartments.

How does this compare to some of your friends and family members' homes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is much better.

RIPLEY: But even the best homes need solar panels, backup power during regular outages.

We also visit the supreme leader's lavish new water park, a gift for his people, featuring a life-sized statue of his late father Kim Jong-il, which

must be revered like a religious artifact.

Everybody who enters the water park first pays their respects to the late leader Kim Jong-il who died in 2011.

Parkgoers have nothing but praise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I want more foreigners to come here because I want them to be captivated by the great personality of our

supreme leader Marshall Kim Jong-un.

RIPLEY: These luxuries you'll only find in the showpiece capital, home to the most trusted, loyal citizens, proudly displayed as symbols of national

greatness as millions of people struggles are kept hidden from the world.

Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Wow, another fascinating and bizarre portrait of North Korea there.

Now, South Africa has lost hundreds of rhinos to illegal hunting. Now the country's Department of Environmental Affairs says poachers killed more

than 1,200 of the animals in the year 2014 alone.

This female white Rhino was found alive. When the attackers hacked off her horns, they also badly damaged her face. But she survived, thanks to

veterinarians from the group Saving the Survivors.

And last week, they performed surgery and attached a special cast so she can heal. They've since named her hope.

Now Dr. Gerhard Steenkamp was one of those who operated on Hope. And he spoke with CNN about the unique cast his team put on her face.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. GERHARD STEENKAMP, VETERINARIAN, UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA: We tried suturing things in place. It lasted two or three days. And then you can

imagine with two tons behind him, they will just rub it off against the next tree.

So, my colleague (inaudible) that also am co-founded Saving the Survivors with me, he came up with this idea that we should screw it into the bones

of the face.

It wounds terrible, but that is the only way we could actually get these covers to stay on.

Obviously, there's a massive wound that is going to take a long time to heal, but we also ran some blood tests on her. And at this point in time,

there does not appear to be any other internal injuries or systemic disease that we don't know of.

So at this point in time, she is eating. She's drinking. It's just a long road to recovery now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:40:07] LU STOUT: And here's wishing Hope the very best.

That was Dr. Gerhard Steenkamp, one of the team that operated on the rhino named Hope.

And finally, I want to take a moment to highlight today's Google Doodle celebrating Sally Ride, the first American woman in space would have turned

64 today. Now Ride passed away in 2012 from pancreatic cancer, but she continues to inspire young people to pursue STEM, that's science,

technology, engineering and math.

Now her life partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy leads Sally Ride Science. It's a company dedicated to promoting STEM in schools. And she wrote a guest post

on Google's blog and says Sally would have been honored by today's doodles.

Now, there are five in total. And the artist says that she hopes that she captured some of the wonder that Sally must have felt up there floating

free above it all.

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

END