(CNN Student News) -- May 15, 2008
Quick Guide
China's Rough Year - Examine some recent events that have drawn global attention to China.
Mideast Peace Process - Hear President Bush's goals for his current trip to the Middle East.
Smart Car Scores - Find out how the new Smart car scored on a series of safety tests.
Transcript
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's Thursday, I'm Carl Azuz, and this is CNN Student News. Wherever you are, we're glad you're watching us this May 15th.
AZUZ: First up, the numbers just keep getting worse when it comes to this week's deadly earthquake in China. Officials now say that the powerful quake claimed nearly 15,000 lives. And in one city, more than 30,000 people are "missing or out of reach." In terms of damage, one group estimates that this tremor has caused about 20 billion dollars' worth. The epicenter of this massive earthquake was located in Sichuan province. Relief teams are working through the rubble there, searching for survivors. And there is some good news. A state-run Web site had reported that a dam in Sichuan was showing "severe cracks." The structure just happens to be upstream from a city that was hit hard by the earthquake. But 2,000 Chinese troops rushed to repair the dam. Officials now say that it's safe and stable.
This earthquake comes just three months before Beijing is set to host this year's Olympics. Chinese officials were looking forward to showing off for the rest of the world. But as Kyung Lah tells us, most of the attention the country's gotten so far this year hasn't been positive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYUNG LAH, CNN REPORTER: As China desperately searches for survivors and begins to count and mourn its dead, the scale of the disaster is straining the entire country. This was to be the year that marked China's successful arrival on the international stage. But so far, it's a year that's been marked by tragedy, scandal and calamity.
Just a few days into the year, hundreds of thousands of rail passengers were stranded, the nation's transportation system paralyzed, after the worst snowstorm in half a century swept through south and east China. For days, this and the government response was the image shot around the world.
Food and drug safety scandals continued to plague China. Chinese dumplings tainted with poison sold in Japan sickened several people. China says its investigators found no evidence that the contamination had occurred in China.
MAN TESTIFYING: My wife Bonnie died in December after receiving heparin that was later recalled by Baxter.
LAH: Contaminated shipments of Heparin, a blood thinner, were traced from China to 11 countries, renewing international calls for the nation to tighten safety measures. China denied it was at fault. Domestically, China's food prices have skyrocketed, financial markets have been on a roller coaster ride, and dozens died in China's worst rail accident in a decade, when two passenger trains collided in eastern China, leaving hundreds injured.
But internationally, this is the crisis that's stained China's image as the Olympics approach. In the Tibetan region of China, anti-government protesters took to the streets, torching businesses and burning police stations. The Dalai Lama claimed the crackdown by Chinese police killed protesters. China denied using excessive force. Then just weeks later...
REPORTER: Someone, as I speak, someone's trying to grab the Olympic torch!
LAH: Tibetan protesters mounted a worldwide protest against the Olympic torch. This scene played out from city to city, country to country. China pledged this would not mar the Beijing Olympics, a similar sentiment by Beijing as it grapples now with the worst earthquake in a generation. It has been a year, though, that China believed would be marked by success rather than tragedy. Kyung Lah, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Is this Legit?
GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this Legit? China is the largest country in the world. Not legit! China is the most populated country, but it's only the 4th largest, behind Russia, Canada and the United States.
Devastation in Myanmar
AZUZ: One of the countries that borders China is Myanmar, where 22,000 people were recently killed by Cyclone Nargis. That number is according to the country's government. But the Red Cross says the storm, which struck the Asian nation on May 2nd, claimed the lives of anywhere between 68,000 and 128,000 residents. After a few initial delays, relief supplies are now getting to some of the cyclone victims. Sara Sidner has more on the aid efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA SIDNER, CNN REPORTER: This is the second phase of operation Caring Response. After more intense diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Myanmar, Myanmar has agreed to allow in five more plane loads filled with aid into Yangon airport.
LT. COL. DOUGLAS POWELL, U.S. MARINE: Very optimistic. Over the last three days, eight flights of 197,000 pounds of relief supplies supplied by USAID.
SIDNER: This time, the flights include food, water, plastic sheeting and hygiene kits.
LAURA CHAPMAN, USAID DART TEAM: These are designed to meet the needs of a family of five for two weeks. Yeah. And we've got about 20,000 of them here, so they meet the needs of about 100,000 people. We have about 25,000 of the water jugs, and they're also one per family, so about 125,000 people.
SIDNER: The items are intended to help thousands of victims of the cyclone in Myanmar. One international aid agency says, still 11 days on, the people who need it the most are not getting the aid they need. They're imploring the Myanmar government to please let more aid workers and aid into the country. Sara Sidner, CNN, U-tapao, Thailand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Impact Your World
AZUZ: The victims of these natural disasters in China and Myanmar can use your help. If you want to take part in the relief efforts, log on to CNN.com/impact and learn how you can impact your world!
AZUZ: Turning to Israel, where the militant group Islamic Jihad says it is responsible for a rocket attack at a shopping mall yesterday. This incident comes after Israeli airstrikes that killed four Palestinians. And all of this violence is happening while President Bush is in the Middle Eastern country. Atia Abawi has more on the president's visit to Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ATIA ABAWI, CNN REPORTER: Greeted by dignitaries, President Bush and First Lady Laura arrived in Israel early Wednesday, the first stop of their five-day Mideast visit.
U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Let's get to work.
ABAWI: The trip comes as the Jewish state commemorates its 60th anniversary. President Bush celebrated the occasion and Israel's close ties to the U.S.
BUSH: We consider the Holy Land a very special place, and we consider the Israeli people our close friends.
ABAWI: President Bush has vowed to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement by the end of his final term, a goal reiterated by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Israel continues to actively seek peace with its neighbors, especially with the Palestinian people.
ABAWI: But while there was talk of peace, a rocket fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza struck a shopping center in southern Israel, wounding at least 14, including a mother and an infant. The White House swiftly condemned the attack, but it and others happening daily do not seem to deter President Bush.
BUSH: I believe in the day that every child in the Middle East can live in peace and live in freedom.
ABAWI: The next stop for President Bush is Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to talk about rising oil prices and regional security. In Washington, I'm Atia Abawi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A Word to the Wise
RAMSAY: A Word to the Wise....
engineering (noun) the discipline that deals with applying scientific knowledge to practical problems, like in constructing engines or machines
source: www.dictionary.com
Smart Car Scores
AZUZ: Now, when you're engineering something like a car, one of the big factors to consider is safety. Seat belts, air bags: It all goes into the design plan. A new vehicle hit the American highways this year, and it's the smallest one on the market. Alina Cho tells us how the new Smart car scored on a recent safety test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALINA CHO, CNN REPORTER: In a 40-mile-an-hour crash, the lightweight Smart car spins around, but the dummy inside stays relatively intact. The Smart car ForTwo got the highest rating in the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's front crash test.
ADRIAN LUND, INS. INST. FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: The Smart engineers have done as good a job in getting as much safety as they can into a small package.
CHO: Larger cars, like this Ford Fusion, have a bigger crush zone to protect passengers in a frontal crash. But researchers believe the Smart car's design compensates in other ways.
LUND: The seat belt and the airbag inside have to do much more work to protect the occupant from hitting something very hard in the vehicle.
CHO: The Smart car also got high marks for side crash protection and was rated acceptable in preventing whiplash in rear crashes. Still, bigger cars tend to be safer.
LUND: Larger and heavier cars, given the same safety features, can protect you better than smaller, lightweight cars.
CHO: Proving that when it comes to safety, smart design makes all the difference. Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Before We Go
AZUZ: And speaking of smart machines, check this out. You're listening to the sweet sounds of the Detroit Symphony under the baton of guest conductor Asimo! This performance is the robot's latest achievement. The mechanical maestro called for crescendos and nodded along to the notes. And when the show was over, Asimo bowed and said -- that's right, he can speak -- that the event was an absolute thrill.
Goodbye
AZUZ: And on that note, we're out! We'll be back tomorrow to close out the week. Hope to see you then.
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