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Syrian Refugees Frustrated U.S. Isn't Doing More; Andy Murray Meets Novak Djokovic At Australian Open Final; Protesters Mark Second Anniversary Of Mubarak Ousting With Tahrir Square Rally; Deep Space Mining Soon A Reality:
Aired January 25, 2013 - 08:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.
Now Egyptians turn out in force in Tahrir Square on the second anniversary on the uprising that ousted long-time president Hosni Mubarak.
Also, ruling nothing out: a graphic picture of Boeing's Dreamliner problems. What investigators think may have gone wrong.
And a dramatic finish to the men's semifinal at the Australian Open. Andy Murray is through to the final.
Now first to Egypt. And Friday marks the two year anniversary of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak. But the country has little to celebrate as protesters gather on the streets of Cairo this time against their current president and first freely elected leader. Now they say Mohamed Morsy's government betrayed their revolution and its principles.
Let's bring up some live pictures out of Tahrir Square. This is what's happening at this very moment. The iconic birthplace of the 2011 uprising, and this is what it looks like today.
There have been reports of violent clashes between demonstrators and police since Thursday. And officials say at least 35 people have been injured, including six police officers.
Now Reza Sayah joins us now live from Cairo's Tahrir Square. And Reza, you've been watching all this tension. Two years on, Egypt is still on edge. What have you seen today?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first off let's set the stage for you. At this hour, there have been clashes, Kristie, as you mentioned, but it's important not to blow these out of proportion. The clashes have been limited to a small street a few blocks away from Tahrir. This is a street that leads to the interior ministry. Police have erected a barrier there. And what you have is about 40 or 50 protesters, many of them teenagers, throwing rocks and debris over the barrier at police and police have responded sporadically by firing tear gas. Sometimes police are throwing rocks as well.
But a few blocks away in Tahrir Square, things are relatively orderly. The crowds are growing, but still not large crowds. I'd say a few thousand. We're expecting the numbers to grow in the coming hours.
Of course it was two years ago today when uprisings in Egypt throughout the country led to the eventual toppling of Hosni Mubarak. And it all started here in Tahrir Square, really the heart of the Arab Spring. This is where Egyptians came and said enough with the oppressive dictatorship. We want our political freedom, our social freedoms, a better economy, jobs, we want an end to the Mubarak regime. Incredibly, that uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak.
But two years later not all Egyptians are happy. In fact, the protesters that you see behind us, these are the moderates, the secularists, the liberals. They are protesting, they're not celebrating. They claim that current president Mohamed Morsy and his followers, the Muslim Brotherhood, other Islamists, have hijacked the revolution and the principles of the revolution, Kristie.
For his part, Mohamed Morsy is saying these protests are unfair. He says he's upholding the democratic principles. And he's basically asking for more time and trust and patience. The problem is, many of these protesters behind us do not trust the president, many simply dislike him -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Now these protesters, they are clearly angry. And they are angry about the lack of political progress in Egypt. Ywo years since the fall of Mubarak, you know, Egypt is still mired in all this political chaos and uncertainty. What hope is there for Egypt after the Arab Spring? Is there anything happening now that can actually resolve the tension and the uncertainty there?
SAYAH: A lot of people are curious to know what the future holds for Egypt. And the opinion is divided. Supporters of the president, the Muslim Brotherhood, are saying everything is going well, that this is part of the growing pains of the democratic transition, but these protesters behind us, they disagree. They, again, say the president have undermined the principles of the revolution and that's why they're here protesting.
In the end, Kristie, the problems many Egyptians face today are the same problems they faced two, three, four years ago: no jobs, a bad economy, human rights. In the end, this is a president and a government that will have to address these problems. And the question is, how do you do it when the country appears to be fractured, when you have all these different political movements fighting for different things? And that's why there's a lot of uncertainty here in Egypt today, Kristie.
LU STOUT: And as this is the anniversary -- two year anniversary of the uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, let's talk about Mubarak. What happened to him? Where is he now?
SAYAH: Well, he's still in prison. Of course, several weeks ago they threw out the case against him. There's going to be a new trial against him and some of the government officials. Again, there's a lot of uncertainty with that trial as well, a lot of officials who worked under him, another reason why these protesters are angry.
LU STOUT: All right. Two years since the uprising, anger in the streets of Cairo. Reza Sayah reporting for us live. Thank you, Reza.
And turning now to North Korea which is ramping up the rhetoric for a second straight day. On Thursday, as threats were aimed at the United States, the country calls its sworn enemy. And now it's turning its sights south of the border warning of strong, physical countermeasures against Seoul after the UN security council imposed tougher sanctions.
Now Ironically, this threat came from Pyongyang's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, which promised action against South Korea if it is directly involved in those sanctions.
Now Thursday's statement from North Korea's National Defense Commission promised a new nuclear test and more long-range rocket launches. And Matthew Chance is gauging the latest reaction in Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the latest alarming threat from North Korea, this time aimed at its southern neighbor. On the country's evening newscast the presenter talks of the puppet group of traitors, Pyongyang's term for the government of South Korea.
"We will take strong, physical countermeasures," she reads, "if they take a direct part in any UN sanctions."
It's unclear what her state has in mind, but this increasingly blunt rhetoric is part of the fallout of a December rocket launch by Pyongyang and international reaction to it. It was condemned by the UN security council, which imposed more crippling sanctions earlier this week.
And the latest threat comes just a day after this nuclear one broadcast in defiant tone the night before. Satellites and long range rockets will be launch one after another, officials in Pyongyang announced, as well as a nuclear test to target the United States and what they called a new phase of their anti-U.S. struggle.
North Korea has already conducted two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. U.S. officials say a third would only deepen the country's isolation. But analysts say that doesn't seem to be of paramount concern to its untested young leader Kim Jong un. And there are signs that even China, Pyongyang's economic lifeline, is increasingly frustrated.
In an unusual step, China voted for the resolution condemning North Korea last week at the security council where it could have used its veto. And in a rare public rebuke, a state run Communist newspaper in Beijing carried this warning, "if North Korea engages in further nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to reduce its assistance to North Korea."
It may prove an empty threat, but Pyongyang is so dependent on China is unlikely to have overlooked Beijing's obvious annoyance.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now there is a major problem when it comes to warnings like this from Pyongyang. And analysts must try to determine the difference between real and empty threats from the secretive nation. Now here is what the north is capable of. Firstly, nuclear tests. As we mentioned earlier, these have already been carried out in 2006 and 2009. Both were condemned by the UN. And when Pyongyang says it will carry out another, there is every reason to believe it.
Now rocket launches are also possible. After inviting the world to witness a humiliating failure in April last year, the north saved face with a successful launch last month.
But here's the catch, the two capabilities have yet to come together. And analysts say that North Korea doesn't have the technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile or to target a missile effectively.
Now you are watching News Stream. And coming up next on the program, U.S. families speak out against Russia's adoption ban and accuse Moscow of playing politics with the lives of children.
And more developments in the story of the girlfriend who never was. Since we now know she wasn't real, just who was Manti Te'o speaking to?
Also, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner fleet grounded and under investigation. What will this mean for the company and the airlines?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
And take a look at this, this touching family photo. Now the woman in this picture, she was just weeks away from her adopted son from Russia when a ban on American families adopting orphans from the country took effect. Now Moscow is now being accused of playing politics with children's lives. And Phil Black has been speaking to other families who are struggling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These two girls are among the very last Russian orphans who will benefit from the compassion of American families.
KELLY GROVE, ADOPTIVE PARENT: So Elisa and Hailey (ph) were both abandoned at birth due to their down syndrome.
BLACK: Kelly Grove has previously adopted eight other children from different countries, all with special needs. She was determined to make these girls her daughters as well, because Russia's disabled orphans almost always spend their lives in institutions.
GROVE: I cry all the time about it. They are joyous and have a lot to offer the world, but instead they're locked away for the rest of their lives.
BLACK: Elisa and Hailey (ph) are fortunate because their new family finished the long adoption process just before a new law took effect on January 1 banning American citizens from adopting Russian children.
GROVE: This law is just absolutely devastating. It's absolutely devastating to these children because you've taken away their really only hope that a family and a real life.
BLACK: The law has created legal confusion for dozens for other American families who also thought they could take their children home.
Jeana Bonner and her husband are among them. They have a daughter with down syndrome and that inspired them to adopt a Russian girl with the same disability. Despite finishing the legal process, a Russian court has so far refused to release the child.
JEANA BONNER, ADOPTIVE CANDIDATE: That little girl in my heart is my daughter. And I love her just as I do my other two at home. And so I'm just trying to stay positive.
BLACK: Rebecca and Brian Preece are waiting to receive a four year old boy.
REBECCA PREECE, ADOPTIVE CANDIDATE: Can't they put themselves in our shoes, or in the shoes of these children? I hope that they would see that and have mercy on these little children.
BLACK: The new law is Russia's response to U.S. legislation designed to punish officials who abused human rights here, but many Russians are angry with the adoption ban and thousands rallied against it in Moscow. They believe the country's orphans will now suffer because of a political dispute. And the U.S. government agrees.
MICHAEL MCFAUL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA: Why are we dragging these children into issues that have nothing to do with them?
BLACK: Russia's supreme court has ruled all legally finalized adoptions should be allowed, but some lower courts are moving slowly to recognize that. The situation for other families who are technically in the middle of the adoption process is even less clear. They've already spent thousands of dollars, met and bonded with the children they hope to raise, but they're now facing the possibility they will never be allowed to take them home.
Phil Black, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Such a complicated and heartbreaking story.
Now you're watching News Stream. And after the break we'll have an Australian Open update as Andy Murray seals his place in the Australian Open final after defeating Roger Federer. Amanda Davies will be live from Melbourne with reaction next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: That's Hong Kong on a Friday night. Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.
And the line-up for the men's Australian Open final is set. Let's get the latest from the year's first grand slam from Pedro Pinto and Amanda Davies. Let's go to Pedro first -- Pedro.
PEDRO PINTO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kristie. We will talk to Amanda shortly. Let me just give you the headline and that is Andy Murray has booked his place in the final joining Novak Djokovic. The Britain beat Roger Federer in five intense sets. He advanced to his third straight Grand Slam final. He's on quite a run.
For more on this match and the upcoming title duel as well, let's head out to Melbourne Park where Amanda Davies is standing by. Amanda, how impressed were you by Murray? And can he now go on to beat Novak in the final as well?
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Just a (inaudible) more questions, Pedro. Yeah, welcome to Melbourne Park.
It was really an epic -- the match, the semifinal between Roger Federer and Andy Murray. And we didn't really have expected anything less given the history of the meetings between these two players in the past. The world number two, the world number three, both made it to the semifinal here last year, but couldn't make it that step further to the final.
It was a very interesting going into it with people, everybody was split whether it was going to be Federer's match to win or Murray's match to win, but Murray really was the player who stepped up. And he burst out of the blocks. And Roger Federer to start with just couldn't compete. He was always second best to Andy Murray who have course won his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open some six months ago and has really very much gone from strength to strength.
Since he was beaten in that semifinal here last year, Federer only broke Murray twice. And he won both of the sets that he won on tiebreaks. And people have been suggesting that what had gone before was going to have a big impact on the match tonight. And that was very much how it turned out. Federer, an aging 31 years old had played an epic five sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quaterfinals. Andy Murray had breezed through to the semifinal without the loss of a set. And that seemed to play a part, you know, approaching midnight here into the fifth set, Andy Murray finished off the fifth set and Roger Federer fairly quickly.
So it is onto the final for Andy Murray, up against Novak Djokovic. Djokovic, he was on and off the court without even blinking really yesterday in just 90 minutes. And so he was sitting with his feet up this evening watching that one.
And although Andy Murray has won, it'll be a big boost for his confidence. What it will have taken out of him remains to be seen. There's no doubt that Murray is much fitter, mentally much stronger than he was this time last year. But Djokovic was imperious, really, against David Ferrer yesterday. He said that it was one of the best matches he's ever played.
Andy Murray, though, is looking for his own piece of history. He wants to become the first man to follow up his amazing Grand Slam title with winning the next Grand Slam as well. It promises to be a great match that many people think that Djokovic would rather have played Federer than Murray. And encounters have gone backwards and forwards. It was Djokovic that Murray beat in the U.S. Open final.
PINTO: Amanda, last year we had a six hour classic between Novak and Rafa. Djokovic, of course, is hoping for a shorter affair. How has he been preparing for Sunday's title clash? Have you seen him tense or relaxed?
DAVIES: I don't think there is a tense Novak Djokovic in Melbourne. It's incredible. After that victory yesterday that was just 90 minutes as I've said, before he went and did the usual press conference that all the players are expected to perform, Novak Djokovic made an appearance back on the Rod Lever Arena dressed as Dr. Djokovic. And he decided to take part in the legends match that was on court. And he decided he needed to treat Henri Leconte, gave him some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, checked his heart rate, declared him insane and needing permanent treatment.
I think that shows, really, how unconcerned about what he's facing this weekend he was. He is, as I said, he had 48 hours between the semifinal and Sunday's final. He's done all right in his run to this point. He's known as the marathon man. He just keeps going. And I think he'll be pretty happy with how things stand, particularly the fact that that match tonight went into five sets.
PINTO: Amanda, great to see you at Melbourne. Enjoy the weekend. And Novak is a great character. So always entertaining the fans, no doubt about that.
As far as the women's final is concerned, I can tell you Victoria Azarenka and Li Na are facing off on Saturday.
Let's talk some NBA hoops now. There was a clash of Eastern Conference titans on Thursday night as the Knicks hosted the Celtics. It was the first time Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett met since an altercation between both players following the previous game between New York and Boston.
No hard feelings, apparently, KG had the upper hand on Melo early on - - comes over and makes the big block on Anthony.
The game was close throughout. Celtics up one, but the Knicks take the lead. Anthony first with a layup and then watch Jason Kidd get the steal and get a bucket of his own.
Melo would heat up later, draining the shot from downtown. 28 points for the Knicks all-star on the night.
Rajon Rondo made sure the Celtics stayed in contention. Pulls up, drains a jumper. He had a triple-double, 23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
But Knicks just had too many big shots down the stretch. JR Smith coming up with a huge 3-pointer. And that gave New York enough breathing room to secure the win. They came out on top 89-86. And that game was in Boston.
The Knicks, by the way, are second in the Eastern Conference, one-and- a-half games behind Miami.
Kristie, back to you in Hong Kong.
LU STOUT: All right, Pedro, thank you.
And now the strange tale of the star college football player and his fake girlfriend. It continues to get stranger. By now, you're probably familiar with the story. Manti Te'o, he told reporters that his grandmother and girlfriend died on the same day. And he went on to inspire his team to college football's championship game. And then it was revealed that Te'o's girlfriend was a hoax, a hoax taht Te'o claims he had no part in.
And one of the big questions has been how Te'o could have been romantically involved with someone he never met. Now Te'o told Katie Couric they spoke many times, but when they tried video chats, he never saw her face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE COURIC, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: You've attempted a few times to talk with her through Facetime and you would see basically what a black box and she would say to you I can see you. I don't now why you can't see me.
MANTI TE'O, NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL PLAYER: Correct.
COURIC: Didn't you think that was a little weird?
TE'O: To be honest, no.
COURIC: No?
TE'O: Are you that technologically challenged. I am. But someone your age shouldn't be, right?
TE'O: I saw a black screen and she's like I can see you and I can see me, you should be able to see me. I don't know what's wrong with your camera, but I can't see you. I wasn't paying attention, I guess.
COURIC: She would always come up with an excuse as to why she couldn't meet you. I mean, as this happened repeatedly, didn't you think there is something really fishy going on here?
TE'O: For me, I guess I was just so caught up in the whole thing that I was like, OK, she can't see me. And she would give me good reasons, too. She would say, oh, my brother's got my car, or, you know, I'm in the hospital. Or, I wasn't going to tell a person who had just came out of a coma, oh, you need to call, come and see me right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: It's just puzzling.
Now another question that many people are asking is, if it wasn't Lennay Kekua, then who was Manti Te'o talking to?
Now reports say the voice was Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a man who Te'o claims admitted to the hoax, but still a man, someone providing a woman's voice.
Now Katie Couric, she played one of the voicemails left by the person claiming to be the girlfriend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENNAY: Hi. I'm just letting you know I just got here. And I'm getting ready for my first session. And I just wanted to call you to keep you posted. I miss you and I love you. Bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Sounds like a woman, doesn't it?
Now one of the reporters who originally broke the story at Deadspin, listened to the voicemail and says that there is no way it could have been Tuiasosopo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tuiasosopo's lawyer says it was his client, Ronaiah, this guy pretending to be a woman on these voicemails and on all the phone conversations and that he was the only one. Do you believe that?
TIMOTHY BURKE, DEADSPIN.COM: Frankly, Anderson, we find that kind of ridiculous. We have plenty of recordings of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo's voice. They don't match up from what we have in the voicemails.
Furthermore, we, too, have had multiple sources tell us that there were confederates that were involved along with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo and executing this hoax.
So we really sort of have to ask the question why is he trying to take credit for all of it now? Is he taking the fall for somebody who has more to lose than he does at this point? Or -- it's been, it's been more than a week now since we published our story at Deadspin.com. Has somebody gotten to him and gotten -- and tried to tidy things up? It's really tough to say. But it's really sort of ludicrous to think that he was behind the voice this entire time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: I got that feeling that this isn't the last we'll hear of this story.
And Te'o is sure to face more questions as he prepares for the NFL draft in April.
Now still ahead right here on News Stream, they have escaped war, but now they are facing a different struggle, an in depth look at Syria's refugee crisis.
And just what has gone wrong, new insight into what could be behind Boeing's Dreamliner nightmare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.
Now demonstrators have been clashing with police in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. And the violence comes on the second anniversary of the uprising that brought down former president Hosni Mubarak. The health ministry spokesman says at least 29 people have been injured.
North Korea has threatened South Korea with retaliation if the south directly takes part in UN sanctions aimed at the north's nuclear program. Pyongyang has warned of what it calls physical countermeasures against its neighbor. And today's warning is the latest in a string of threats delivered by North Korea this week.
Now French and Malian troops are making progress in their offensive against Islamist extremists in Northern Mali. Agence France Presse is reporting that they have recaptured the northern town of Hombori (ph). Now Malian security source tells a news agency their forces are now pushing ahead to the extremist stronghold of Gao.
And Britain's Andy Murray is through to the final of the Australian Open in Melbourne. Now he beat Roger Federer in five sets. And the Scot will now face ATP world number one Novak Djokovic. It's Murray's third straight grand slam final.
Now the United Nations humanitarian chief tells CNN that the organization needs to do more to help Syrians displaced by war. Now the UN says 678,000 Syrians have fled since the conflict began. That is more than 10 times the number of people the UN says has been killed in the civil war. Now Valerie Amos laid out her priorities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIE AMOS, UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF: The situation is very volatile, security wise. Parts of the country are changing hands on a pretty rapid basis. We are trying to get to as many people as we can, because people cross the border when they really reach desperation stage, where they can't get food, they can't get medical supplies. So we're doing all we can to get the resources and the people on the ground to work with the communities to help people where they are in Syria itself.
And when people do cross the border, we have to do more to help the countries and the communities that are hosting them. Nearly 700,000 refugees have now fled. It says something about the situation in the country that people are prepared to walk for days to cross borders into Lebanon, into Turkey, into Jordan. The regional impact is something that we are all extremely worried about. So getting the money to support those countries, but also crucially the communities as well as the refugees themselves is critical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Valerie Amos there.
And once out of the war zone, many of the refugees continue to face hardship. Tens of thousands have fled to Jordan. But the conditions in camps there are difficult. In the Zaatari refugee camp north of Amman, for example, the UN says 3,500 refugees arrived last night alone.
Mohammed Jamjoom visited the camp.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been an exodus of refugees from southern Syria. In the past few days at least 20,000 have crossed over from Syria into Jordan, many of them now here at the Zaatari refugee camp, this is a camp that houses over 60,000 Syrian refugees, many have been arrivals in this part of the camp.
They are building what are their new homes. These are tents that were provided to them by the UNHCR, whole families putting them up now, taking whatever belongings they could bring with them, crossing over from extreme violence when they were in Syria here to their new home.
Many of the residents we've spoken with here today say that the conditions aren't as good as they had hoped, and that they worry about that, because they are cold at night and they are not getting the kind of aid, they say, that they will need.
Like this injured man who arrived two days ago and still hasn't had access to a doctor.
He's saying that he's asking just for some help, just for some medicine, just for some treatment.
The Jordanian government has said that they are not going to block refugees from entering into this country. They say that they are going to continue to try to assist the Syrians coming into this country, but they say even though they've gotten so much aid already, they're going to need a lot more in order to help these refugees that need so much assistance.
Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, from Zaatari refugee camp, outside Amann, Jordan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And Turkey has seen the largest influx of Syrian refugees, more than 156,000 are now registered there. And that figure has risen dramatically in just the past few months.
All camps in Turkey are now reported to be operating at, or above capacity. Ivan Watson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A U.S. delegation has been visiting this refugee camp in Turkey for more than 6,000 Syrians. As we've seen, the conditions here are pretty good. People have schools and medical care and regular supplies of food and heated tents, but the situation just across the border couldn't be more dire -- without heat, food, medical care, really an awful situation. The United Nations says some 4 million Syrians are currently in need. And roughly one in 10 Syrians has been displaced by this growing crisis. That is why U.S. officials say they've come her to try to draw more attention to this huge humanitarian disaster.
NANCY LINDBORG, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, USAID: We've provided $210 million for the Syrian crisis. And that's for both the refugees and inside Syria. And we are on our way to Kuwait where we will be announcing a significant increase in that assistance.
WATSON: Despite promises of U.S. assistance, there is a lot of frustration we're hearing from Syrians about the U.S. government's Syria policy. And the U.S. ambassador to Damascus, he just got an earful from a lot of very disappointed Syrians here in this camp.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Of all the Arabs, the Syrians loved Obama the most. Why can't he take a stand against the killing of civilians? What is he waiting for? Until all 25 million are dead?
WATSON: Do you think the U.S. government could have done more?
ROBERT FORD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA: I think the Syrians, as I said, are the ones who will bring the answer to the problem. Just as in Iraq, Iraqis brought the solution to the Iraq crisis, to the Iraq war.
WATSON: The Syrian refugee crisis isn't anything new. This camp was established some ten months ago as a temporary measure that's become increasingly permanent. This is a big problem that is getting worse with every passing day.
Ivan Watson, CNN, at the Islahiya (ph) refugee camp in Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And Ivan Watson joins us now live. He is in Hatay at the Turkish-Syrian border. And Ivan, set the scene for us there.
WATSON: Well, I mean, this area, this whole region along the border, has been really inundated with Syrians now. For more than a year, we've met families who have had children in the year plus that they've been living in Turkey. You can -- more than 160,000 in camps and you have tens of thousands of additional Syrians who are living off of their meager resources renting apartments and home all across Turkey. And this is just one of the countries that people are fleeing to.
The situation is so much more dramatic just across the border. Kristie, there are estimated more than 40,000 Syrians in makeshift camps right at the edge of Syrian and Turkey because Turkey has effectively said it can't take any more refugees in the camps. Those people are in really difficult conditions there. And we visited Aleppo, the largest city in Syria this week where we saw people trying to get by without electricity, you're actually seeing a war time commodity being sold on the streets by street vendors, they're selling little blocks of wood that people are now using a war-time fuel in a city that has no electricity or real heat.
People are improvising and trying to get by and it's pushing them to their limits. And we're sensing a lot of frustration and anger during that U.S. delegation's visit from refugees who are accusing Washington of just not doing enough to help them.
The answer from Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador, when he heard this again and again from frustrated refugees was, hey, we are sending aid, we just don't put a big American flag on it. Maybe that's something the U.S. government needs to do. When the Turks send aid in, they do put posters like that on there and the Turks have been widely acclaimed by many Syrians as perhaps their only friends of the opposition who have really helped throughout this 22 month conflict -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yeah, the Syrian refugees you've met, they need and want so much. They are desperate for fuel. They are so desperate for an end to this crisis. We heard the anger from that one woman you talked to in your piece who is angry at the U.S. for not getting more involved.
At these camps, I mean, they are operating at or above capacity, what is the greatest need there? Is it food, water, is it tents and blankets because it is so cold there still?
WATSON: Well, the condition in the Turkish run camps were pretty good. We saw, you know, kindergartens, schools, medical centers, even barber shops that were being run. And people are generally warm.
But as one young man said -- he was a university student from Aleppo - - he said this is no life here, we just eat and sleep. We're basically dead. They have no (inaudible) there (inaudible) stuck -- you're stuck in stasis there and that's a big issue.
The other problem, so many of these refugees have friends and family members still in Syria who are not out of the war zone. And they are in harm's way. And there's a great deal of worry about what could happen to them any given day -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: All right. Ivan Watson reporting live from the Turkish- Syrian border area. Our apologies there for the -- the disconnection just then. But we heard you loud and clear. Ivan, thank you.
Now you're watching News Stream. And when we come back, getting to the heart of the Dreamliner crisis. Now U.S. federal investigators say that the battery fire on a Boston runway could have been a lot more serious. Stick around for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And this is a visual rundown of all the stories we are covering on the show. We are keeping our eye on the situation in Egypt. In a few minutes, we'll give you an update on the investigation into Boeing's Dreamliner.
But now, we turn to more earnings in the tech sector. And Samsung Electronics posted a huge jump in profits for the fourth quarter. They reported a net profit of over $6.5 billion.
Now Samsung is much more than just a mobile phone maker. They make everything from TVs to cameras to washing machines to semiconductors. But Samsung's position as the world's leading handset maker and their rivalry with Apple means there's a lot of focus on their mobile efforts.
Now Samsung's net profit for the quarter was less than half what Apple recorded, but profit growth is a completely different story. Samsung's profit rose by a massive 76 percent. And Apple, well their net profit rose by less than 1 percent.
Now it is a similar story when you break down their handset operations. Samsung's revenue from mobile devices far less than Apple's, but Samsung's revenue grew twice as fast as Apple's did from the year before.
Still, the companies do have one thing in common. After Samsung's results, the company's shares fell 2 percent in Seoul.
Now Boeing and the airlines that own its Dreamliner aircraft are at pains to stress the safety of the 787 after the entire fleet was grounded. Now the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a series of mishaps on the planes. And on Thursday it displayed the charred remains of a battery that caught fire on a Dreamliner after it landed in Boston earlier this month. And it's stressing that a disaster may well have been averted.
So where does this development leave Boeing? And equally, what does it mean for those airlines whose Dreamliners are now grounded? Now CNN's aviation expert Richard Quest joins us now live from Davos, Switzerland.
And Richard, good to hear from you. The NTSB, they called this battery issue as serious safety concern, even though no one was seriously harmed. I want to get your reaction to that statement. What do you make of it?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I think there's been a complete change in heart and view on these incidents. Now we're starting to get these pictures. The damage that has now been seen in the aft electronics bay, the NTSB put the pictures out, the battery itself, the charred -- you were showing it just a moment ago -- the charred nature of the battery. Most crucially of all, the NTSB saying that these lithium ion batteries, there had been a thermal runaway, there had been a fire, and that the NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman even saying that at one point this battery, which was on a jow (ph) plane on the ground in Boston had been spewing molten electrolytes.
In that scenario, it's not surprising that the NTSB says this is now gravely serious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBORAH HERSMAN, NTSB CHAIRMAN: We know that the lithium ion battery experienced a thermal runaway. We know that there were short circuits. And we know that there was a fire. The work that we continue to do will tell us why these things happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: And of course now they need to marry up their investigation in -- in the United States from the Boston incident with the investigation in Japan on the ANA incident to see if there are any similarities.
And, Kristie, that is why the NTSB now has investigations in Arizona, in Seattle, in Japan, all trying to work out is there something systemically wrong with these lithium ion batteries? Or were these one- off, even two-off, unusual rogue events. In either case, Kristie, the Dreamliner is not flying, according to people I speak to, not flying any time soon.
LU STOUT: That's right. And to bring a parallel with history, I mean what's next for airlines who have been forced to ground the Dreamliner fleet? If you look back at history, planes that have been grounded before, they've flown again eventually, right?
QUEST: Oh, absolutely -- absolutely. I mean, the DC-10 with the metal fatigue issue. The Concord with the ruptured fuel tank issue. They do -- of course they fly again. They're very valuable, very expensive assets. But they only fly again when a modification has been made, when whatever is wrong is put right. And with the litium ion batteries, the options are really quite narrow. You can redesign, which would take months and would be extremely expensive. You could replace with traditional batteries, in which case you would still be doing an element of redesigning, but you would have a much heavier battery, which would negate the benefit of the 787.
So Boeing -- I mean, I suppose if there's any good in any of this is that there is only 50 of these planes manufactured at the moment. So the ramifications in the industry is relatively small. But for Boeing, let there be no doubt this still remains one of the most serious crises the company has faced.
LU STOUT: Well, your analysis always, always appreciated on this. Richard Quest, thank you so much for dialing in from Davos.
You're watching News Stream, and still ahead on the program, it's like a Hollywood movie trailer, but it's not fiction. We'll tell you about the company that wants to mine asteroids.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now there is rain, a lot of rain in Queensland, Australia. In fact, it's breaking records there. Mari Ramos joins us from the world weather center with more -- Mari.
MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: What a serious situation that continues to develop here in Queensland.
Now, Kristie, the thing is that they had a tropical cyclone -- well, you know, it didn't exactly make landfall, but the remnants of this storm have been slowly trekking along this northeastern coast of Queensland, now moving across central Queensland causing tremendously heavy rain.
Look at some of these rainfall totals. 480 millimeters of rain in just the last two days in Rockhampton. You know, these names may sound familiar to you, because this is those same areas that had that -- I guess they called it Biblical flooding back in 2011, in January 2011. That was with another tropical cyclone. That one was called Yasi. You may remember that. But anyway, right now they're getting just drenched along these areas.
Their average, 126 millimeters of rain, that gives you kind of an idea of how extreme this rainfall actually is.
Gladstone, I told you last hour, how they had their wettest day ever. Well, now they've had their two wettest days ever recorded in this area. And that adds up to 530 millimeters of rainfall against a monthly average of 140.
You want to see what it looks like on the ground? It's pretty dramatic stuff. This is a rescue video happening -- this is not too far from Rockhampton, actually, just to the -- just a little bit more toward the interior. You see the rescue worker coming up there to a boy that was trapped in the high water. Very dramatic footage here.
The boy was eventually taken to safety, but you can see how scary this situation would be. The water is not only moving very quickly. If he loses his grasp on that tree, he would be carried away in that water very, very quickly. He had to put on the life vest then get tied to a rope. And then he and the rescue worker were actually carried away by the water for a little while before they were both actually on dry land, so to speak.
You can see all the damage that has been caused in this area. Brisbane, of course the largest city there in Queensland now on alert also because of the potential of some very heavy rain.
This weekend is a long holiday weekend across this region. And authorities are warning people to be extra careful, because river levels are so high. There are already 10 flood warnings across this region. And you can see from Rockhampton to Brisbane, these areas in red could get an additional 25 centimeters of rainfall. So the potential for flooding remains in this area. And of course that threat continues to head farther to the south, already also beginning to move into New South Wales even as we head into the later part of the weekend.
On a different note, though, those here in Queensland, as we head to areas to the south, we did have a cold front that was moving through here, and that has brought cooler temperatures across New South Wales and Victoria. And of course as we head into Melbourne, temperatures, they have really cooled off. It's only 16 degrees right now. Of course, it's nighttime, but as we head into tomorrow, big weekend of course for tennis in this area. Melbourne will be looking at partly cloudy skies, maybe a sprinkle or two, Kristie, but not too bad. And highs that will only be into the lower 20s. What a change compared to the kind of weather that they've had across this region for so long.
So a little bit better weather in the south, but really that potential for flooding, it's a huge, huge concern in areas there to the north, particularly of course along coastal areas of Queensland.
Back to you.
LU STOUT: OK, thank you very much indeed for the complete look there. Mari Ramos.
Now, it is drilling deep in deep space. Space exploration firms are claiming that they will soon be able to tap new seams of minerals on asteroids. Hala Gorani has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can have it all. We can have an amazing future.
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Its slick promotional video sounds like a Hollywood movie trailer, but Deep Space Industries is serious about its plans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the first asteroid is mined, Deep Space will be there.
GORANI: The company unveiled its vision this week at the museum of flight in Santa Monica, California, presenting plans for a space mining company to harness nearby asteroids for hydrogen, oxygen, iron and nickel. The idea is to power totally self-sustaining space stations.
RICK TUMLINSON, CHAIRMAN, DEEP SPACE INDUSTRIES: One of the things we're going to be doing is creating an economy in space. We're going to be creating wealth in space. We're going to be mining resources that we believe in the long run can help life on Earth.
GORANI: The company plans to hitch rides aboard much larger missions starting in 2015, prospecting for asteroids using a laptop sized spacecraft called Firefly, harvesting materials with a larger craft a year later, and eventually processing them for use in space and on Earth.
DANIEL FABER, SPACECRAFT DESIGNER: There are a few different ways to take the asteroid and be able to move it and be able to extract things from it. Though, because we are in zero gravity and the asteroids aren't big enough to have a very strong gravity, we have to worry about things floating away. So we either have to wrap ropes around it, or a bag around it, or grapple on to it.
GORANI: But they won't have to grapple with Armageddon, the way Bruce Willis did in the 1998 movie, drilling into a stubborn asteroid to stop it from colliding with Earth.
BRUCE WILLIS, ACTOR: We've all seen broken drill heads before.
GORANI: No one is yet talking about sending humans onto asteroids, but Deep Space Industries will have to contend with competition.
Founded in 2009, Planetary Resources is ahead on the hardware side.
CHRIS LEWICKI, PRESIDENT, PLANETARY RESOURCES: So as I lift the prototype, you can see the density of everything that we've packed into these 11 kilograms.
GORANI: With similar planes to prospect near Earth asteroids, the private company has deep pocketed investors like Google's Erick Schmidt and Larry Page, and has signed a launch partnership with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.
But even still, the return on investment is a question mark for any venture. NASA scientists looked into it in 2011 and concluded it would cost more than $2.5 billion to retrieve a 500 ton asteroid. Critics will say that even if deep space mining were technically feasible, it would never be a profitable venture.
Hala Gorani, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And Twitter has unveiled their long awaited video service, but it's not quite as simple as that. It's called Vine. And the videos are no more than six seconds long and they loop automatically. And here's one that our CNN.com team put together earlier today. And you can see it's a little bit like an animated .GIF, the moving graphics often seen on humor websites.
Now the app is for the iPhone and iPad. And it's already proving to be pretty popular. In fact, it's number 14 on the app store's free apps chart in the U.S.
And that is News Stream, but the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.
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