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Freed Chibok Girls Celebrate Christmas Reunited with Families; A Rare Look into Life in Tibet; Trump Lashes out at UN, Media, Obama on Twitter; Israel Reduces Working Relationship with 10 Nations; Remembering the 43 Missing Mexican Students. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired December 27, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:24] KRISTIE LU STOUT HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, and welcome to News Sstream.

Now, reunited with their families at Christmas, we follow some of the freed Chibok school girls back home.

And CNN gets rare access to Tibet, a region where activists say oppression and human rights abuses continue to run rampant.

Kidnapped by Boko Haram, married off, and forced to convert to Islam: now that was the fate of the Chibok school girls. But now the freed school

girls were able to return to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. Our Isha Sesay joined the girls and witnessed their emotional journey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After almost two and a half years in Boko Haram captivity, at last it's time to go home. Having covered

the Chibok girls abduction from the very beginning, I'm going to make the long journey from Abuja (ph) to Chible (ph) with them.

(on camera): You're going home. How are you feeling? Somebody tell me, how - what is the feeling in your heart right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy.

SESAY: Yes, happy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

SESAY (voice-over): For all the talk of excitement, some of these girls are also nervous.

(on camera): Don't be nervous. Don't be afraid, OK? Behold your faith. You hold on to your faith, OK? OK? The same faith that kept you all those

months.

(voice-over): With the girls on the move, there are more smiles as they chat and giggle freely amongst themselves.

Once we land in Yola (ph), the girls are welcomed by some of the Chibok community leaders, as well as the governor of Adamawa (ph) state.

The road to Chibok, too dangerous to travel after dark. The girls spend the night at a local hotel. Outside, a large security cordon is put in place.

Inside, with their journey delayed, they gather in one room to do what they were unable to do while in Boko Haram captivity. I learned from Rebecca

Malum (ph) and Glory Damer (ph) they were singing local Christian hymns. While in captivity, their Christianity was not tolerated by the Boko Haram

terrorists.

(on camera): What have you been doing since you were at Abuja (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...We been very grateful. We are - we are grateful for them because they are good people. They have done good for us. And then

when we are in Abuja, we have plenty of food, we have English class that we are learning how to speak in English and writing very well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye.

SESAY: You guys look so different since I saw you in October. How are you feeling now, from that time till now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are feeling beautiful because - since we came. We -

SESAY: You can tell me. You can tell me. Because you are beautiful.

(voice-over): The next morning, a military convoy escorts the girls to Chibok, a place that holds the promise of long- awaited family reunions and

memories of a fateful night.

(on camera): So the convoy has stopped in a town called Madamamubi (ph), which is about an hour away from Chibok. The movement through these parts,

such a well-armed convoy, is drawing attention from passer's by.

(voice-over): As we enter Chibok town, locals wave excitedly, welcoming their girls home.

The moment of reunion eventually arrives. The room, almost vibrating with the sound of unbridled joy. But for some waiting parents, heartbreak. These

women have come looking for their daughters who are still being held by Boko Haram. They've thought their children were among the group who were

coming home for Christmas.

(on camera): There has been such an outpouring of grief amid the joy. The piercing screams of mothers realizing that, indeed, they are not to be

reunited with their daughters on this day, which has turned what should have been an overwhelmingly happy moment into a bitter sweet one.

(voice-over): For Rebecca and her father, the nightmare is over and her father is overcome with feelings of gratitude. Given all they have endured,

the mental and physical abuse at the hands of their captors, the years of painful separation from their loved ones, this reunion here in Chibok moves

these fractured families and the community a step closer to wholeness.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:05:49] LU STOUT: Now let's hear more now from Isha Sesay about that journey. She joins us now live from Lagos. And Isha, it was just

wonderful to see in that report the joyful reunions, but, you know, it was also just gut wrenching to witness the despair of the mothers, the parents who still are without their daughters. How much hope

should they have about the safe return of their girls?

SESAY: When you speak to the parents, Kristie, they tell you that they remain hopeful. They tell you that they are deeply religious people there

in the Chibok community. They are holding on to their faith and the belief that their children will be returned to them.

The reality is, negotiations have been ongoing between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram to secure the release of the remaining girls.

These appear to be and are, in fact, long, drawn-out negotiations, complicated by the fact that there are power struggles within

Boko Haram right now, meaning that we're seeing different factions emerge. So with that struggle for power, that complicates negotiations with the

Nigerian government.

At this stage, you know, it's unclear how well these organizations are faring, but we understand that the Nigerian government say they are

committed to securing the release of the remaining girls and their families certainly are hoping and praying that there is success in the near future -

- Kristie.

LU STOUT: You report that this factional fighting inside Boko Haram is complicating negotiationthat should be taking place. As you point out,

many, many girls and young women are still yet to be freed, but even before and leading up to the release of these

girls it took almost 1,000 days to free them.

I mean, why has it been such a struggle for local forces to save the young women and to stop Boko Haram?

SESAY: Well, I think, you know, knowing the terrain of northeastern Nigeria and where these girls were reportedly held deep in Sambissa Forest,

that was always going to be a challenge to mount a military operation, a rescue operation, if you will, to secure them.

They were held allegedly in an impenetrable space and deep in the forest, which is a Boko

Haram stronghold, so that was complicated in and of itself. Negotiations have just been difficult. Boko Haram fully aware of the high value

prisoners they were holding and looking to see what they could extract from the Nigerian government in return.

So you had yourself in a situation where militarily the government set things up, hands were tied, and when it came to negotiations, it was just

complicated by a number of different demands allegedly made by Boko Haram, which just made this a very long, drawn-out process, complicated in recent

months by the power struggle we were just discussing.

LU STOUT: Yeah, but for the lucky girls and young women who did make it out, who did have the wonderful reunion with their families with them at

Christmas, an incredible story. Isha Sesay reporting all along the way. Thank you Isha, take care.

Now, we want to take you to Tibet, it's a place that has long been a source of fascination both for its unique culture, as well as the political

tension there. The Chinese government controls the region. Western media are rarely allowed in.

In fact, the last time a CNN crew went in was about ten years ago, and since then the region has evolved. In September CNN finally gained access

on a tightly controlled visit. Matt Rivers takes us there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sounds of spirituality punctuating the predawn quiet in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

This is the Jokhang Temple, one of Tibetan Buddhism's holiest places.

But the peaceful setting belies the region's tumultuous history. The Communist government in

Beijing has controlled Tibet since 1951. After a failed revolt against Chinese rule in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, fled

abroad. Simmering defiance from Tibet who remain sometimes boils over into large-scale riots. Activists say hundreds have lit themselves on fire in

protests of religious and cultural suppression.

This is the Tibet the Chinese government does not want us to see.

In early September, CNN was given rare access to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, one of the

most restricted places in China. We were allowed in only under the watchful eye of government minders, who organized our days from morning

until night. We saw art classes, an opera, new hotels, and an international tourism expo operated almost exclusively by locals.

But for people who track daily life in Lhasa, they say the calm exterior masks tensions that still lie beneath the surface.

NICHOLAS BEQUETIN, EAST ASIA DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Tibet is one of the regions in China where the political suppression and religious

suppression are at the highest point.

RIVERS: The Chinese government has invested billions of dollars into transforming Tibet. They say the standard of living has risen

dramatically. There is new infrastructure, new schools, but also massive migration of Han Chinese, the dominant ethnicity in China.

For all the development in and around Lhasa, though, there's still a lot of poverty. Neighborhoods with homes like these built of nothing but cinder

blocks, no insulation, patched roofs, and many of these neighborhoods are populated by Tibetans, many of whom say they feel like second-class

citizens in their own homeland.

This is the only ordinary Tibetan we managed to speak with independently after leaving our minders behind during a lunch break. He didn't go to

school and works as a laborer.

"When we are doing the exact same work, the Han people get, say, 300 quay, and the Tibetans get 200 quay," he says. "The Hans get paid more than we

do."

He's frustrated, but says there's not much he can do. If he protested, activists say he could be questioned and jailed without a second thought.

BEQUETIN: At the lack of space for any kind of dissent, even peaceful, will continue to drive deep resentment in Tibetan society.

RIVERS: Many of those recently detained have been protesting over the lack of religious freedom and economic equality and in support of the exiled

Dalai Lama, who has been advocating greater autonomy for Tibet.

We went to the Potala Palace where he used to live, but during an hour-long tour inside, he was

scarcely mentioned, just at the end of the tour we asked our tour guide one question about him and our government minders immediately said it was time

to move on to the next activity.

The lack of access to anything controversial or the ability to ask any real questions was a theme of this trip. We'd hoped to ask this Chinese

official, the region's vice chairman, some difficult questions. Instead, we were forced to sit silently as he spoke for 80

uninterrupted minutes talking about how everyone in Tibet is happy and content, a picture in stark contrast to the one painted by human rights

activists.

The Chinese government will tell you the peace of early morning prayers at the Jokhang temple is emblematic of broader Tibet, others will tell you

that demonstrations of dissent are just spark away from being reignited.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, I want to bring you some live pictures from China. This is our bureau in Beijing. As you can see, our report on Tibet that's on the

TV screen to your right, is being censored. The signal has been cut off, the channel is simply blacked out inside Mainland China.

Now, let's bring in Matt Rivers now. He joins us live from Beijing. And Matt, what was it like to report inside Tibet while under the constant eye

of government minders, especially as we look at the screen of the blacked-out broadcast, the sensitivity surrounding the

region?

RIVERS: Absolutely, Kristie. ou and I were emailing about this not long ago and reporting there, I think, is an assignment that time one of the

most frustrating assignments you're ever going to get and one of the best assignments you're ever going to get.

I'll give you an anecdote about that. We wanted to go to one of the monasteries in a town called Yinchur (ph), which is about a nine hour drive

away from the capital Lhasa. And so we asked our minders, hey, can we go to a monastery, speak to some Buddhist monks about the religious freedom

that you say that you tell us they exercise, and the minders said, actually, no, there are no monasteries anywhere around here.

So, we said, well, that seems kind of odd, so we pulled up our cell phone, looked, and

there was actually a Chinese government state run media article talking about a monastery that was within a half hour drive of where we were.

So, that's an example, that's what you're dealing with. In the one hand, you're in this incredibly restricted place, but on the other hand you feel

like it's very difficult to access the actual news makers who are living there.

LU STOUT: Yeah, incredible access, but still so difficult for you to actually get the real story what's going on, but you were able to witness

and observe a lot.

In terms of the investment and economic development, how has that affected the landscape and

environment in Tibet?

[08:15:06] RIVERS: Well, the Chinese government's imprint on the landscape is just remarkable and, frankly, it's one of their talking points, it's one

of the -- it's things that the government is most proud of, saying they've made life for ordinary Tibetans better.

Frankly, there are new infrastructure projects under way, big highways, new schools, new hospitals, reading levels are up, life expectantcy has risen

over the last several decades. And so those are the facts.

But the question is, at what cost does that development come? At what cost to Tibetan culture

has all of that development happened? That's something we're going to examine on your program tomorrow night when we give you another story from

Tibet where we look at that question a little bit more closely.

LU STOUT: Absolutely. And we are looking forward to that report.

But before you go, Matt, again, this was a highly controlled media tour that you were on, as well as with other international reporters. How much

of what you witnessed do you think was carefully curated and selected or was a lot of it staged for the cameras?

RIVERS: I don't know if I would go so far as to say it was staged, but we certainly had days that were packed with activities, from basically 7:00

a.m. until late at night, 9:00, 10:00, sometimes 11:00 in the evening, and at some point you could only wonder, you know, after I asked the question

about going to the monastery, the next thing we did was go visit this five- star hotel that hadn't yet opened.

And, OK, it was a nice hotel, it was nice to see, certainly goes to their infrastructure development, but you couldn't help but get the feeling after

the 180th minute that we had spent in this hotel area, that perhaps they were stalling, perhaps they didn't actually want to take us somewhere that

not only me, but the other international reporters that were there wanted to go see, like that monastery.

So staged maybe not, but certainly orchestrated from dawn until dusk.

LU STOUT: Really appreciate your reporting on what you witnessed inside Tibet. Matt Rivers reporting for us live from Beijing. And I should add

during that exchange just now and as we heard, Matt's analysis and reporting, that entire exchange was blacked out for viewers watching inside

Mainland China.

Now, meanwhile, there we go, live pictures there from our Bijing bureau.

Let's take you next to also in the region a former North Korean diplomat is now saying that Pyongyang is racing to complete development of nuclear

weapons by the end of next year. Now, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports North Korea is not sparing any cost in its quest for nuclear

weapons and no amount of economic incentives could deter the North Korean leader from his goal.

Now, this Intel comes from North Korea's former deputy ambassador to the UK, who defected with his family.

Now, Donald Trump is unleashing a storm of criticism on Twitter. And coming up, we'll tell you why he's going after the UN, the media, and

President Obama.

Plus, the fallout continues over the UN security council resolution condemning Israeli settlements. Israel curbs diplomatic ties with more

nations as it fumes at the Obama administration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:20:19] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now, history is about to be made at one of the most symbolic sites in the U.S. 75 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Shinzo Abe will become the

first Japanese prime minister to visit the USS Arizona memorial. It is a battleship where more than 1,000 marines and sailors were killed during

Japan's surprise 1941 attack, which prompted the U.S. to enter World War II.

Mr. Abe will be joined by President Barack Obama.

Now, meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is spending the holidays at his resort in

Florida, but he isn't taking a break from Twitter. He's been lashing out at the United Nations, the media, as well as President Obama.

Jessica Schneider has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The President-elect going after president Obama after Obama speculated he would have won a

third term if it was possible, using his message of hope and inclusion.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm confident that if I had run again and articulated it, I think I would have mobilized a majority of

the American people to rally behind it.

SCHNEIDER: Trump tweeting, Obama said he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that, but I say no way. Then boasting, the world was

gloomy before I won. There was no hope. Now the market is up nearly 10 percent and Christmas spending is over a trillion dollars. Trump seemingly

overlooking Obama's record of cutting unemployment to a nine-year low and taking credit for holiday spending figures that aren't final numbers.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SCHNEIDER: Trump also going after his favorite target, the media, over his charity. The President-elect claiming he gave and raised millions,

tweeting, all of which is given to charity and media won't report. But tax records show Trump has not donated to his foundation since 2008. No one can

confirm any other charitable giving since Trump has not released his tax records.

The Trump Foundation itself admitted to violating IRS regulations and is currently under investigation by the New York Attorney General.

RICHARD PAINTER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ETHICS ATTORNEY: Right now we need to have a president who is free of conflict of interest. That means dissolving

the foundation. It also means President Trump selling off his business interests that create conflicts of interest, making sure there's no foreign

government money coming into his operations.

SCHNEIDER: Trump also continuing to air diplomatic grievances on social media, questioning the United Nations' value following the Israeli

settlement resolution. Trump tweeting that the U.N. has such great potential, but right now it is just a club for people to get together,

talk, and have a good time. So sad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Jessica Schneider reporting.

Now, Israel has upped its diplomatic response to a UN Security Council vote that it sees as being anti-Israel and it continues to accuse the U.S. of

orchestrating it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is curbing working ties with 12 nations that voted in favor. The resolution finds that there is no legal validity

to Israeli settlements in the West Bank or in East Jerusalem, a view shared by a majority at the UN.

And all of this comes just as the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is set to outline the Obama administration's vision for peace in the Middle East.

Now, our Oren Lieberman joins us now from Jerusalem with more. And Oren, first, Israel is cutting back on working ties with a dozen nations that

backed the UN vote, this includes China, Japan, Britain, Russia. Is Israel isolating itself? I mean, what does this mean?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORREPSONDENT: Well, many have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for doing just that, for

risking an isolation of Israel by limiting these working ties. He says his response has been responsible,

vigorous, and measured.

The truth is, that the limiting of working ties actually has almost no practical effect, it's a symbolic statement, it's means that ministers of

Israel won't be meeting with ambassadors or ministers of the other countries that voted for this resolution. It doesn't affect trade, it

doesn't affect security cooperation or coordination, and it's temporary. so it will go away. It is intentionally meant for the

world to see, and for the U.S. specifically , to see how angry Netanyahu is about this resolution. The question is, when will it be lifted and will

other nations bite back on this move?

LU STOUT: And, again, the UN resolution is nonbinding, so why is Netanyahu so angry? Why has it generated such a response from Israel?

NETANYAHU: Part of the anger is that Netanyahu feels he was betrayed by President Barack Obama at the UN Security Council by not -- that is to say,

by Obama not casting that veto, but it's also what the resolution does. Yes, you're right, it's nonbinding, it's effectively a recommendation or

a guideline, and yet it sets legal precedent that Israeli settlements in the West Bank or East Jerusalem are illegal. You said the wording in the

resolution a moment ago, they have no legal validity and they are a flagrant violation under international law.

Even if there's no follow-up action at the UN on that wording, which is to say no resolution that follows that up, the precedent is still there and

it may take years for that precedent to be acted upon, but Netanyahu and the Israeli government knows it's been set. It's still there and it's not

going anywhere.

Netanyahu notably has reached out to President-elect Trump. Trump, it seems, has promised to

protect Israel at the UN, but that protection may only last four years.

LU STOUT: And meanwhile, there have been scathing attacks and even accusations directed at

President Obama. Israel claiming it as evidence that his administration orchestrated the resolution. What do we know about said evidence?

LIEBERMANN: Very little.

We pushed Israeli officials both here and in the U.S. about what this evidence is, what information they have, that it was Barack Obama and the

U.S. behind the resolution. They accused Obama of drafting it, writing it, and pushing it forward, and yet they've offered little information or no

information to back that up. They say they have sources in the Arab world, but again, no information to back that up.

Now Kristie, one of Israel's fears going forward, is Kerry is expected to give -- that is Secretary of State John Kerry -- is expected to give his

vision for peace. That, again, won't be binding, but it has influence. It's the U.S. peace between Israelis and Palestinians has always run

through Washington. And their concern about what he might lay out on some of the most sensitive issues -- Jerusalem borders, refugees, and more.

LU STOUT: Yeah, but it's also a vision for peace coming from an administration that will only be in power for a few more weeks. The timing

is very interesting indeed.

Oren Lieberman reporting for us, thank you and take care.

Now, in Russia, the flight data recorder from a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea

has finally been located, but one expert tells Russian media it could take two weeks or more to extract any data. Investigators hope to learn what

caused the crash. The plane was carrying 92 people, most of them members of the Russian army choir to Syria.

Parts of the wreckage and several bodies have already been recovered.

Now, parents of 43 missing Mexican students are asking the world to remember their children. Now, the families marched hundreds of kilometers

carrying photographs of their missing loved ones. Prosecutors suspect corrupt local authorities kidnapped the students in 2014 to prevent a

protest, but it is just not known what happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIDUTTO ROSALES, ATTORNEY (through translator): They are going to ask for strength to continue on with their demands of proof of life of the

students. That's the main thing. That's why we are calling the caravan in memory and in hope. We know that because of the whirlwind of the holiday

and the heavy consumption over the month of December, we forget all the country's problems. That's why the parents did this tribute, so we

wouldn't forget.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, the government says the 43 were abducted by police and handed over to members of a local drug cartel and they were killed.

You're watching News Stream. And still ahead on the program, it is a long journey, but a migrant woman with a growing family believes that she can

make it. Her quest to reach a better life in the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:31:56] LU STOUT: Now, thousands of migrants traveled to Latin America hoping to head north in search of a better life in the U.S., but it is a

long journey, and one that could make them vulnerable to human traffickers.

Now, as part of our CNN Freedom Project series, Shasta Darlington has a story of a pregnant woman struggling to make the journey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON: Costa Rica is known for its vast beaches and rugged rainforests, a destination that draws tourists from all over the world.

None of that is why 22-year-old Yolanda is here. She agreed to speak with me on the condition that we not show her face on camera.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My situation has been very difficult since I left Brazil. I have been on the road almost three months.

DARLINGTON: Yolanda says she is originally from Congo. She and her husband among tens of thousands of migrants from around the globe, crisscrossing

South and Central America in their struggle to reach the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (through translator): A lot of roads. Lots of bus rides and a little walking, too. I packed (ph) to Brazil, Peru, Ecuador,

Colombia and Panama before arriving in Costa Rica.

DARLINGTON: Yolanda says she arrived four days ago, hoping to quickly receive a laissez-passer, the document she and her husband need to legally

enter Costa Rica and transit north to the next border. Only to discover they'll have to wait six weeks just for an appointment with Costa Rican

immigration officials. As the government copes with an unprecedented influx of immigrants.

MAURICIO HERRERA ULLOA, COSTA RICAN COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER: We are absolutely overwhelmed with this situation and we are doing our best to

protect the human rights of the people who have come to Costa Rica.

DARLINGTON: Yolanda takes me to the makeshift hostel where she's staying, just a short walk from the border. Her options are limited. Without

paperwork she doesn't have access to government shelters yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm staying at a hostel that has more than 50 people. We pay $5 a day. The situation is very difficult.

We're sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

DARLINGTON: Making matters even more challenging, Yolanda is seven months pregnant. She hasn't seen a doctor in two months and she's worried.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I hope to leave soon for my turn to come quickly so I can see a doctor. I don't want my baby to be born on

the road. If I have to spend a month here, I don't know what will happen.

DARLINGTON: Yolanda says she left Congo for Brazil where she lived for a year working in a restaurant. When she and her husband lost their jobs,

they decided to leave, dreaming of a better life for themselves and the daughter they hope will be born in the United States. The odds are not in

fair favor. Tens of thousands of migrants are on the move throughout Central and South America and experts say many are at risk of human

trafficking.

[08:35:15] CY WINTER, DIRECTOR OF BORDER MANAGEMENT, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: From here north, the Nicaraguan border is

closed. It is much more difficult to get into Mexico. There are some serious criminal elements that will prey on them along the way.

DARLINGTON: Officials believe a majority of the migrants are actually from Haiti, even though most say they're from Congo. As one migrant told me off

camera, here Congo isn't a country it's a password for Haitian migrants.

WINTER: The people that I've spoken to claiming to be from Congo who barely even know the capital and don't know the dialects that are spoken into

Congo and know the football jersey of the Congo and all of these things, they typically are convinced that people from the Congo can't be deported

to the Congo.

DARLINGTON: That's because it costs a lot more for governments in the Americas to deport people from Africa than to Haiti. It's also easier for

Haitians to pass themselves off as Congolese because like Haiti, Congo is a French speaking country.

When I first met Yolanda, I asked her the name of her hometown and she couldn't quite pronounce it. Brazzaville, the capital of Congo. And as I

watched her and her husband walk away, I couldn't help but wonder about where they came from and where this journey will ultimately take them.

Shasta Darlington, CNN on the Costa Rican-Panamanian border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And on Wednesday, we will introduce you to a young woman who says that she was forced into sexual slavery and the organization she

credits with changing her life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: She told me they'd give you a passport and give you money for your family and if you didn't like the place, you could go back. So, I

asked what type of work was available there, and she said there was work as a waitress or at an office, nothing to do with prostitution.

It was all a lie. Karrina (ph) says she was immediately forced into sex slavery, held against her will, forced to have sex with as many as five men

at a time and paid nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: You will hear how she managed to escape that terrible situation and where she is now. That's coming up Wednesday on our Freedom Project

series, it's called Perilous Journey only on CNN.

Now, if you are flying Korean Air, you'll want to pay close attention to our next story. The airline is changing its policy when it comes to

dealing with unruly passengers and in-flight disturbances. We'll have details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now kangaroos, move aside: seals are the latest wildlife to make headlines in Australia. I mean, this first seal had a Boxing Day adventure in

Tasmania. The Australian Broadsting Corporation reports this large mammal, look at him, wandered up a suburban street 50 kilometers from the ocean and

he then just perched himself on top of a car, crushing parts of it under its weight.

Now, parks and wildlife officers retrieved the seal, and police say it will be released after a

medical checkup.

Now, Korean Air has a new policy to deal with disturbances that break out in flight. This comes after public criticism over its handling of one

incident involving a unruly passenger. Saima Mohsin has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:40:18] SAIMA MOHSN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDET: Airline crew onboard Korean Air flights have previously had access to Taser guns, but

they would only use them, according to the airline, when the lives or physical safety of its passengers were in danger.

Well, now they are easing those rules and widening the circumstances when Taser guns and -- in fact, these are dual-acting stun guns, as well, can be

used by flight attendants.

And in this case, disturbances, this, of course, is a direct response to an incident, an extreme scenario we saw unfold through the social media posts

of singer Richard Marx and his wife, former MTV VJ Daisy Fuentes, when they said that they were onboard a flight from Hanoi to Seoul where they saw a

man becoming unruly, the in-flight crew unable to control him, and so Richard Marx and other male passengers had to step in.

He was abusing, punching, hitting out, and even pulling the hair of some of the flight

attendants, so they had to step in and take control. Richard Marx slammed the airline, saying that its staff was untrained and ill-prepared to deal

with this kind of scenario.

The airline at the time responded saying that they were following response protocol. Well, now they seem to be addressing that by changing their

response protocol, by widening the use of this kind of in-flight restraint equipment.

Saima Mohsin, CNN, Seoul, South Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And finally, we want to honor the life and legacy of Vera Ruben, a pioneer in

astronomy. Now, she died at the age of 88. And she and her colleague Kent Ford were the first to find evidence of black matter in the 1970s by

examining the rotation of dozens of galaxies.

And discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe. U.S. President Bill Clinton

awarded Rubin the national Medal of Science in 1993.

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

Rhiannon Jones is next.

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