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NEWS STREAM

Egyptian Capital the Scene of Violence for the Third Straigh Day; Phone-Hacking Victims Speak Out in Britain; David Beckham Leads L.A. Galaxy To MLS Cup; Spain's Conservative Party Wins Parliamentary Election

Aired November 21, 2011 - 08:00:00   ET

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


MANISHA TANK, CNN INTERNATIONAL: A warm welcome to the NEWS STREAM, where news and technology meet. I'm Manisha Tank in, Hong Kong.

And we will begin in Egypt, where at least 20 people died in three days of clashes on the streets of Cairo.

Also ahead, the victims of a phone-hacking scandal speak out in London.

And a Hollywood ending for Beckham's American adventure.

Egypt's capital is gripped by the worst violence since the revolution. For a third straight day now, security forces are facing off with protestors in Cairo. Fighting erupted on Saturday when police tried to clear demonstrators from Tahrir Square. Doctors say they've seen people suffering from gunshot wounds, tear gas inhalation, and beatings to the head.

At least 20 people have been killed, according to the Health Ministry there. And there are reports that the Culture minister has resigned, to protest the government's handling of the demonstrators.

Well, let's check the scene in Tahrir Square right now. Senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman joins us live from Cairo.

Ben?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, downtown Cairo right now is a real scene of chaos. There are battles ongoing around Tahrir Square (inaudible). And, as you said, the death toll is at least 20. But it seems to be increasing as the day goes on. It -- there's a standoff outside the Interior Ministry, where there are hundreds of people.

They've set up barricades with burned-out cars and they're throwing rocks back and forth between the demonstrators and the security forces. One thing a moment ago was evidence that there has been live ammunition use. We saw some bullet holes and were shown a pool of blood where we were told by witnesses that one young man had been shot from an adjacent building.

And it just -- it's just a scene of utter chaos in this area where the demonstrators are still holding on to Tahrir Square. It seems more and more people are coming to join them as the day goes on. The military council has insisted that they will allow these demonstrations to take place. But they must be peaceful. But there's nothing peaceful around Tahrir Square at the moment.

TANK: Yes, very worrying development. Keep an eye on things for us. Stay safe. We'll be checking in again with you.

Ben Wedeman there, live for us, from Tahrir Square.

Well, let's show you where all of this is actually taking place. As they did in January, many of the clashes in the last 48 hours have centered, as we were saying, on Tahrir Square. But violence has also broken out along streets east of there and around the Ministry of the Interior. And Ben was just alluding to that.

Social media, again, has been giving -- has been -- really been a key in giving the outside world a blow-by-blow account of how events have unfolded over the last few days. In fact, journalists in Cairo took to Twitter. They've been sending out details, minute by minute. So we start with Sunday, and CNN's Ian Lee, we'll see what he had to say. The protesters and the police are fighting again. A plainclothes man behind police lines threw a rock to spark it. Then hours later, reporter Jon Jensen witnessed police unsuccessfully trying to negotiate an end to the violence. Let's see what he had to tweet about that.

"Molotov cocktail just landed right on riot troop's helmet, burning his face and forcing a massive police retreat."

And new details are coming through every minute. Just over an hour, Jensen also tweeted that a street near Tahrir Square was blanketed in thick, white tear gas.

Well, Egypt's military rulers have also turned to social media. They're posting an apology on the council's official Facebook page and promising an investigation. But one protester says, "People feel as though Egypt has gone from an autocracy under Hosni Mubarak to a dictatorship under the military. Tahrir Square is once again the focal point for voicing these frustrations."

Here's Ben Wedeman again.

WEDEMAN: Much has changed in Egypt in the last 10 months. But Sunday in Cairo was a day of deja vu.

Running street battles raged around Tahrir Square between protesters and security forces, in a growing revolt against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took over from Hosni Mubarak last February. Tear gas and rocks flew fast and furious. Security forces fired upon protesters with hard rubber pellets like these.

ZAHARA (ph): (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN: This is what the police of Egypt are using against us, says Zahara (ph). They're killing the youth of Egypt, shooting them in the eyes.

I tell her, we were here on January 25th. It was the same scene. What has changed?

ZAHARA (ph): (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN: Nothing has changed, she responds. We've gone backwards. The military council is garbage. Mubarak is still alive and well, and the people are dying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mubarak (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN: Shouts this man, "Mubarak is running the military council and the whole country from prison, Mubarak and all the corrupt business men around him."

Motorbikes rush the wounded to a makeshift field hospital, the same one that treated those injured during the uprising against Mubarak. To the protesters, the new military rulers look an awful lot like the old one.

On January 25th, we were on this very street and we were also teargassed. Now, months and months later, it's November, and the same thing is happening all over again. (Inaudible).

So, now, of course, here you see, you know, some of the services provided by the revolutionaries. They are putting saline solution in our eyes, giving us Kleenex to wipe it off.

What has changed is the once cowed and silenced people of Egypt have found their voice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN: Whoever ends up running this country will have to contend with a politicized, vocal and demanding population that has learned to fight back.

In a statement, the government said, "People have the right to protest peacefully as long as they don't commit acts that threaten Egypt's stability," a stability that most Egyptians are desperately seeking. Shopkeeper Ahmed (ph) hasn't seen a tourist in days.

AHMED (PH): (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN: For now, the economy is collapsed, and the country can't take it, he says. "We're on the verge of bankruptcy. There's no tourism. There's nothing."

MOHAMMED (PH): (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN: "People say Mubarak was wrong. Maybe he was," adds his partner, Mohammed (ph). "But I had work during Mubarak's days."

Publisher and human rights activist Hisham Kassem warns that the country can ill afford open-ended revolt.

Publisher and human rights activist Hisham Kassem: The poverty belt is now the ticking time bomb in Egypt. It threatens that what we went through could be defeated. And if our economy can barely go through it this time, I don't think we'll survive a second uprising in those final 10 years (ph).

WEDEMAN: On November 28th, Egypt will begin voting for a new parliament. It may herald a new dawn. But with Tahrir Square once more a battleground, the country seems to be stuck in unending revolution -- Ben Wedeman, CNN, Cairo.

TANK: We take you now to Libya. And two of the country's most wanted fugitives are now in custody.

Revolutionary forces captured Moammar Gadhafi's former intelligence chief on Sunday, and on Saturday, they captured this, Gadhafi's second oldest son, Saif al-Islam. He was taken into custody after a gunfight in the Libyan desert. CNN has obtained video of Saif al-Islam in custody in the Libyan city of Zintan. He says he's being treated well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAIF AL-ISLAM GADHAFI: (Speaking foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP) TANK: Well, as we know, for decades, Moammar Gadhafi kept a tight grip on power and public information. Now books banned by his regime are on display in Tripoli.

Jomana Karadsheh shows us what people can now read openly, and many for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): This was part of their revolution: burning the dictator's ideology -- his green book. Taking its place, books they'd never had a chance to see.

With the end of Moammar Gadhafi's regime, Libyans can now enjoy things that were once banned, like books previously blacklisted, now on display at this exhibition in Tripoli.

Abdel Minem Abu-Saleb (ph) is one of the organizers. He says Libyans are emerging from a dark era. "It is time for people to see and learn different opinions and develop critical thinking to broaden their horizons," he says. "The upcoming period is an important one and we need educated people."

Some of the banned books include subject like homosexuality, or like this one, on human rights in the Arab world, but the regime's ban was mostly on books of a religious nature, like these on Wahhabism and others on the Salafi movement.

KARADSHEH: Even publications like this Tripoli guide containing detailed maps of the capital were banned. According to organizers the ban stemmed from the dictator1s paranoia

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Once unthinkable political satire ridiculing the dictator is now available. After 42 years of a cult personality dictatorship, people here say Libyans are thirsty for a Gadhafi-free education and culture.

Seventeen-year-old Ziad Eldebri is interested in history books, especially his own country's.

ZIAD ELDEBRI, LIBYAN STUDENT: He didn1t even let us know anything about the Libyan history because he didn1t want us to know the Libyan -- the personalities that he was present is (ph) because he wants always to be like a god or something. He wants -- he wants us to worship him.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Organizers hope their small exhibition will be the start of a new era, turning the page on decades of indoctrination -- Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Tripoli.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TANK: Pretty incredible developments there. Well, the Arab Spring may have brought regime change to Libya and to Egypt. But it could be a long winter for anti-government (inaudible) in Syria. President Bashar al- Assad remains defiant despite growing international pressure. We'll have details just ahead. First, heartbreaking testimony at a hearing into phone hacking at a British tabloid, how hacking gave one family false hope that their missing daughter was still alive.

And socialists are swept aside in the Spanish elections as the conservative Popular Party wins big.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: The start of an uncomfortable week for Britain tabloid press: several high-profile witnesses are set to testify before a government- backed inquiry into press ethics. In the past few hours, the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler has given emotional testimony to the inquiry.

A private investigator hired by "News of the World" deleted the young girl's voicemails in 2002. It gave her family false hope that she was still alive. Well, for more on today's testimony, I'm joined now live by Atika Shubert in London, who's been following all of this. You know, that must have been very moving to hear from the Dowler family. And this is a very important time and an important inquiry, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN REPORTER: Well, exactly. It was a very powerful statement by the Dowler family. And Sally Dowler, in particular, described the moment that she heard her daughter's voice on that voicemail recording, and thought that she still might be alive. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY DOWLER, MOTHER OF MILLY DOWLER: "We were sitting downstairs in reception and I rang her phone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

S. DOWLER: And it clicked through onto her voicemail. So I heard her voice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

S. DOWLER: And I was -- it was just like I just jumped -- "She's picked up her voicemails, Bob. She's alive."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT: As you can hear there, there were -- the parents were given this false hope that their daughter, Milly Dowler, was alive. Of course, we now know that she had, in fact, been abducted and murdered, and that those voice messages were simply deleted by that private investigator working for "News of the World." So this was just one example of the damage that phone hacking has done.

But it's not just about phone hacking. This inquiry is looking at a number of different ways written tabloid press has been very intrusive and not just with celebrities, but with ordinary people.

As you saw the Dowlers there, they describe how they couldn't even walk out the door without press popping out near their garbage area as they were taking out the garbage, trying to get an interview with them, how they simply could not lead a normal life without the press constantly harassing them. And this is what -- this is the kind of testimonies we'll be hearing all week, Manisha.

TANK: Yes, and, you know, it's the kind of testimony where you're hearing about people, you know, the Dowler family, who had to go through that very emotional time. Also, as you mentioned, celebrities who had their lives snooped upon, in what many in Britain are outraged to say has been a very underhanded way. What will happen after this inquiry? Will it change anything?

SHUBERT: Well, that's the big question. What is going to be the result after the end of this inquiry, which is expected to take at least a year, possibly longer, will likely cost millions as we hear from all these different people and different witnesses.

Certainly what it is is sort of a look at the culture of Britain's tabloid press. Can it be changed? Should be there (inaudible) at the end of this. Judge Leveson will make several recommendations and we'll have to see what comes of that.

In the meantime, what we're hearing is from those people who were victims of this sort of invasive culture of tabloid journalism here, what kind of effect it had on them. And the Dowlers are one example.

But we will also expect to hear from several celebrities, like Hugh Grant, the actor. He will be testifying in about an hour's time about how photographers basically trailed and harassed the mother of his newborn baby daughter. So we're going to be hearing these very personal examples of how invasive the British tabloids have been.

TANK: OK. Atika Shubert, live in London there, thanks very much for that, the latest on that inquiry.

Now to developments in Syria: just a short time ago, the prime minister of Turkey warned that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's days in power are numbered. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said state-sponsored violence can only ensure power up to a certain point. The British foreign secretary William Hague is expected to meet with Syrian opposition figures in the coming hours.

And, meanwhile, the Arab League is rejecting Syrian attempts to amend a proposal on sending human rights observers to the country. CNN's Arwa Damon is in Beirut, in neighboring Lebanon. And she joins us now. She's been covering this.

Arwa, what do we make of these latest developments, particularly what's coming from Turkey?

ARWA DAMON, CNN REPORTER: Well, there's been quite some speculation ever since the Syrian uprising began as to how long the Assad regime could actually last. And many analysts will go so far as to say that, on the one hand, perhaps the regime has proven to be stronger than many had predicted.

One has to bear in mind that those main pillars still holding up the regime continue to remain fairly intact. The security forces still appear to be supporting the Assad government. Yes, there have been defections.

Yes, we have been seeing clashes between this group calling itself the Free Syrian Army that is largely made up of defectors and Syrian security forces. But this is not really at the point where it's going to truly jeopardize the Assad family's grip on power.

We also have the business community, the middle class. They have largely been remaining silent. So while we are seeing increasingly harsh, strong rhetoric coming from external countries, governments themselves, internally the government does appear to be maintaining that grip on power, Manisha.

TANK: Arwa, it's interesting. You're talking to us from Beirut. You have to. It's very difficult for journalists to get into Syria and get us the real numbers about what's really happening. What do we know about the numbers of people now who've been affected by this crackdown?

DAMON: Well, countrywide, it's really difficult to determine exactly how many people would have been affected. The death toll stands at over 3,500 individuals. There are countless people who have been displaced into countries like Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

There are many people, of course, who have suffered psychological things, things that we cannot imagine. And then one also has to look at this society as a whole and what it is going through.

Many activists we are speaking to say that they are fully aware of the fact that if and when the Assad regime should fall, there's going to have to be a very concentrated effort to try to somehow maintain the cohesiveness of its Syrian society, many people warning at the stage (ph) of a potential for a civil war the longer this does drag on.

One thing that continues to remain incredibly disturbing, though, is just how continuous the cycle of violence has been, Manisha. There's literally been day-in, day-out casualties being reported, activists still going out there, still trying to demonstrate and still clashing with Syrian security forces.

TANK: Yes, as we're seeing from the pictures -- Arwa Damon for us in Beirut, thank you very much for that latest update on those developments in Syria.

Now the air quality in some major Chinese cities often has residents moving around, quite literally, in a haze. Ahead, our very own Kristi Lu Stout takes a look at one way that the U.S. embassy is trying to help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: That's a pretty clear view of Hong Kong Victoria Harbor, with its rather distinctly view (ph). And we're lucky to be able to see it. In some parts of the world, fog is obstructing your view in a very big way. Mari Ramos is standing at the World Weather Center. We can talk a bit more about that. I think a lot of passengers at various airports in Europe were rather upset when they got up this morning, Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, two days in a row already. That fog has been a problem across major European airports. You know, it was funny, because you said, oh, it's got a clear view there in Hong Kong. I thought it was pretty hazy, you know.

It just seems that, you know, as a matter of perspective, I guess, you know, depending on where you live and the problems of visibility of (inaudible) visibility that any single given area can have. Let's go ahead and talk a little bit about the other fog problem.

This time of year it's a transitional season. So the autumn, of course, in the Northern Hemisphere tends to give us a lot of problems with fog. In many areas, it's the winter. But right now, let's talk about Europe, which is right now in the autumn. This is a picture from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. And look at that. They have fog delays even right now at over an hour and a -- actually, 125 minutes, almost three-hour delays right now at this airport because of the poor visibility due to fog.

What happens is the water is still relatively cool, right? So then you have warm air coming out of the south. It condenses very quickly. That air can't hold any more moisture, and you have this, very thick fog, in some cases visibility is reduced so significantly that you end up with tragic consequences, like this one from the weekend.

And this is from Germany. Once the fog cleared, it became visible how bad the situation was. At least three people were killed in this massive car pileup that occurred also in the fog. And we've been talking quite a bit over the weekend about London as well, that they've had serious problems with fog.

The conditions there have improved already today. And that happens once the heating of the day gets going, you tend to see better conditions. So that flow still coming out of the south, conditions relatively mild.

We're going to start to see some changes from west to east as rain showers begin to move here across parts of the U.K. But tomorrow in London, you may still have some problems with fog, and probably in Paris as well.

And as we head through the low countries, this could be a concern for tomorrow still and also into parts of Germany. Here the rain showers that are coming in that will help change the weather pattern just a little bit as that weather system starts to move in.

Another area of concern is down here across southern Europe and North Africa. We have, again, the possibility of that same setup starting to happen, just not as intense as last time, with that cutoff low. Those areas of low pressure that just sit here for a few days in a row and can cause some very heavy rain and also some flooding.

Look at this: this is a picture from India, another area that just gets a lot of problems with fog this time of year. And we're seeing conditions improve slowly, especially across central parts of India. New Delhi, it hasn't been horrible for you yet. North of this area that still is seeing problems with fog. Let's go ahead and check out your city (inaudible) forecast.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

RAMOS: You know, Manisha, the fog that forms across northern India this time of year is different than what we saw across Europe. What happens here is you have a lot of particulates in the air, usually from burning of coal, people that use it for stoves or for heating this time of year. And you also have a very stable air mass, and that traps the pollutants close to the ground.

So one problem is the haze. Also, this time of year, you have a cooldown in temperatures. And when that happens, the air can't hold the moisture any more, and then you begin to see these basically ground level clouds. And that's one of the concerns.

Right over here, as we head back over toward the east, I do want to mention the Philippines. Look at this, very heavy rain happening right now across pretty much everywhere except the northern tip of Luzon.

This moisture will continue moving along. This is from a tropical wave that's coming through. We're not expecting this to develop into anything too significant, though we'll watch out for the threat for flooding and (inaudible). Back to you.

TANK: I'm glad to hear that when you say things like we're not expecting this to develop into any significant, that's great news, Maritime. Thank you.

And, yes, you're right. It is hazy out there in Hong Kong. Again, we have that problem with the particulates, but we can talk about that on another day. Mari, always great to see you. Thank you.

Next up, here on NEWS STREAM, we're going to take you back to Tahrir Square.

And those are the deadly demonstrations rocking Egypt's capital as protesters refuse to take more of the same.

And Spain's prime minister-in-waiting, warns don't expect miracles. But voters hope his new government can create jobs and bring back prosperity.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: I'm Manisha Tank in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.

In Egypt's capital, battles rage around Tahrir Square after a weekend of deadly protests. The health ministry says at least 20 people have been killed in three days of violence, but the country's military rulers say they will not delay parliamentary elections, which are set to start in one week.

The prime minister of Turkey warns Syrian leader Bashar al Assad that his days in power are number. British Foreign Secretary William Hague is expected to meet with Syrian opposition figures today. The Arab League has rejected Syrian amendments to its proposal to send human rights observers to the country.

A man accused of plotting attacks in the New York area was arraigned on terrorism charges on Sunday night. Police arrested Jose Pimental on Saturday while he was allegedly making a pipe bomb. Authorities say the 27 year old got bomb making instructions from a web site linked to al Qaeda. They believe he was acting alone.

The parents of murdered British school girl Minnie Dowler told an inquiry into phone hacking they were given false hope because of actions taken by News of the World. Sally and Rob Dowler says that when a private detective working for the paper deleted messages from their daughters phone they thought she might still be alive.

Now in Washington the deadline is looming for the so-called super committee. It's charged with reaching a deal on massive budget cuts. The talks between Democrats and Republicans continue, but so far there's no deficit reduction agreement.

The super committee has until Wednesday to find $1.2 trillion in savings. And if it fails there will be across the board cuts to defense and non-defense spending.

Now, a conservative government committed to radical budget cuts has swept to power in Spain. Stock prices fell and the cost of government borrowing edged up slightly as markets reacted to the results this Monday.

Hal Goodman has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAL GOODMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Third time is the charm for the leader of Spain's Conservative Popular Party Mariano Rajoy. He lost in 2004 and again in 2008 to the Socialist Party. But now during Spain's deep economic crisis his time has finally come to be prime minister.

MARIANO RAJOY, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER-ELECT (through translator): We are in a decisive moment in Spain, in one of those crossroads which will determine the future of our ? the country, not only in the next years but in the next decades.

GOODMAN: The Socialist prime minister was so badly damaged by the financial crisis that he didn't run again. In his place, the former deputy prime minister was left to take the defeat.

ALBERTO PEREZ RUBALCABA, SOCIALIST PARTY CANDIDATE (through translator): The Socialist Party did not have a good result. We've clearly lost these elections. We've received the confidence in vote of 7 million citizens. They've give us their support under especially difficult circumstances for Spanish society for whom we had the responsibility to govern during the worst economic crisis we have ever known.

We are grateful for the support as it is of enormous significance. I thank you with all my heart.

GOODMAN: While victory is sweet for Rajoy, these are not charmed times for Spain. The Socialist legacy: 21.5 percent unemployment overall, 45 percent youth unemployment, and nearly 5 million working age Spaniards without a job.

Rajoy went to the polls early, and so did these voters at a school in central Madrid. Opinion polls had predicted the conservative victory. Many years seemed more concerned about the economy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah I think so. I think it's the results of the elections it's going to determine the future of the country for some years.

GOODMAN: The victory celebration went long into the night at Conservative Party headquarters in Madrid. The party faithful savors getting back in charge even if economic times are tough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the victory with a big majority is good for Spain's condition now. I think we need a strong government to take correct actions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great, but it's also important for everybody, because all the Spaniard needed these changes in the country.

GOODMAN: Mariano Rajoy said last Friday is international financial markets again battered debt ridden Spain, but if elected he would need more than half an hour to fix it.

But in these troubled financial times he may not get much of a honeymoon.

Hal Goodman, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: The U.S. government is looking a potential breach of a computer system at a public water pumping site in Illinois. It's a concern for many cities across the country, they worry that food and water supplies could be vulnerable to terror attacks.

Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been unheard of inside the U.S., hackers compromising infrastructure. Now federal officials confirm they're investigating whether a cyber attack may have led to the failure of a water pump at a public water system in the Springfield, Illinois area earlier this month.

A local official discussed the incident.

DON CRAVEN, CURREN-GARDNER PUBLIC WATER DISTRICT: There's some indication that there was a breach of some sort into a software program.

TODD: Cyber security expert Joe Weiss disclosed the possible hacking on his blog after he obtained a government report from the state of Illinois? terrorism and intelligence center.

We ask Weiss what the report said about the incident when he says hackers breached the so-called SCADA system, the tech controls of water pump machines.

JOE WEISS, CYBER SECURITY EXPERT: When the SCADA system was showing abnormal problems they called in an IT company if you will check out the computer. And in the process of checking out the computer ? in other words the computer logs of the computer, they found IP addresses that were located in Russia.

TODD: Contacted by CNN, the Department of Homeland security said it's looking into all of this, but DHS cautions it hasn't reached any conclusions about whether the pump was damaged by hackers or something else. In a statement, the department says at this time there is no credible corroborated data that indicates a risk to critical infrastructure entities or a threat to public safety.

I spoke with Mischel Kwon, a former DHS cyber security official who now consults with the tech security firm RSA.

How badly can a cyber breach damage a water pump?

MISCHEL KWON, CYBER SECURIY CONSULTANT: You know in a pump, often before you turn a pump on you have to prime the pump, you have to have water going through a pump. So if your SCADA machine skips the prime the pump function and goes right to the turn the pump on, it's going to burn the pump out.

TODD: Kwon says this should at least be a wakeup call to cities and towns across the U.S. to upgrade their infrastructure protections against hacking. She says if they don't, they run the risk of being vulnerable to an entire water system being compromised or even a dam opening up, not immediately but in the future.

I asked Kwon how cities can combat the hacking of their infrastructure.

KWON: The hard part of this is getting the funding, the appropriate dollars that are needed to take systems that did not ? were created not with security in mind and secure them.

TODD: Kwon says that's difficult because these are municipalities and computer security of these systems depends on whether officials can get the public to support funding needed to upgrade the technology. In many cases that means raising taxes.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: He arrived in America with great fanfare, but nearly five years on David Beckham hadn't won anything with the L.A. Galaxy until Sunday. Don Riddell will be here with all the highlights. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: Well, it's time now for a sports update and some tasty tennis action for fans is underway in London. Here's Don Riddell with more details

Don, I just want to point out that I did not write that intro when I talked about tasty tennis action. This is all very subjective. I think it would have been some brilliant tennis action. So fill us in.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Very good. Well said. Thanks very much Manisha.

It is the climax of the men's tennis season in London this weekend. If Rafael Nadal's opening match against Mardy Fish on Sunday is anything to go by then the ATP World Tour finals should be an absorbing tournament.

Nadal hadn't played in a month, but he looked sharp in the first set against the American Mardy Fish who was playing in the finals for the first time. The Spanish world number two took the opener by 6-2.

But Fish turned the tables in the second set. There was no sign of the injured hamstring that he's been nursing recently as he won that set by 6-3.

Match all square, all to play for in the decider, and neither man gave an inch. Nadal took this point to go 4-3 ahead, but it had to be settled on a tiebreak. And it was Nadal that edged it in the end to make a winning start in Group B.

He will play Roger Federer next. Federer won his opening match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Alex Thomas is live for us at the O2 arena. So let's bring Alex in. Alex, good to see you. It should be a great week. What have we learned from the matches we've seen so far?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's always an interesting one this tournament at the end of a long, grueling season. And in fact the issue of the tiredness of players has been a key one over recent weeks and months. Despite that, an interesting start for the tournament on Sunday evening.

As we saw there, Don, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, both making winning starts. That was expected. Maybe it wasn't expected that they would lose the second sets of each of those matches. So interesting to see when those two face each other in the group stages who is going to come out on top. A repeat of last year's final of course.

But some interesting action later on today and for the rest of the week, though

RIDDELL: Yeah, and this event is always very well supported by the London fans. And of course a lot of the are there to see Andy Murray who plays today. The home favorite, he's in career best form isn't he?

THOMAS: Yeah, organizers will be hoping to at least match last year's attendance figure of more than a quarter of a million people across the whole week. Not all of them here just today to see Andy Murray's opening match, but he'll get certainly a strong support as you mentioned, Don.

Yeah, he's 17-1 since the U.S. Open. So 17 victories, just one defeat to Tomas Berdych in Paris. Of course recently Murray in the form of his life. Many casting doubts on how significant it is that he's won three tournaments in the Autumn, literally the Autumn of the tennis season this year. But no doubt he wants to use success here at this end of season tournament to go into 2012 stronger than ever before with so many great players around him.

It's a difficult time to try and make your mark and get that opening grand slam victory, which is of course, Don, Murray's ultimate goal.

RIDDELL: That's right. He's made three finals and lost them all.

Now this has been a long season, hasn't it? Some of the players are here on their last legs. Is this tournament the way everyone wants to end the tennis year?

THOMAS: You know, I think so. People may cast doubts as to the motivation of the top tennis players. But it is an elite eight man field. They know it's just one week left. And whoever comes out on top this week will have bragging rights over the Christmas period. And more significant is the prize money at stake. These aren't mercenaries who are in it just for the money, but when the men's champion walks away with $2.5 million that's pretty significant. So wherever you are in the world, even if you are early in bed, certainly worth watching some of the top players in action, Don.

RIDDELL: Absolutely. The final last year between Roger and Rafa was absolutely brilliant. I was there to see it.

Enjoy the day and enjoy your week. Alex Thomas thanks very much.

And now David Beckham is remaining tight lipped about his next move following the Galaxies victory in the MLS Cup on Sunday night. In what might have been his last match for the L.A. team, Beckham helped the Galaxy to a thrilling win against the Houston Dynamo. Beckham moved to the Galaxy five years ago. And while he's helped put the team on the map, they hadn't won anything until Sunday. And he was prepared to play with a torn hamstring to help change all that.

He and Robbie Keane combined several times. The Irish striker just missed there early in the second half. And when he did find the net in the 56th minute, he was ruled to have been offside, therefore still goalless at the Home Depot Center.

But the Galaxy did eventually get the goal they so desperately wanted. This time it was Keane that turned provider setting up Landon Donovan the score what turned out to be the winner.

It has been a long week for Beckham and his teammates, but they were finally able to get their hands on the MLS Cup.

This is indeed Beckham's last match for the Galaxy. He will continue a trend of signing off in style. In his last season at Manchester United, Beckham won the last of his six league titles with the Red Devils. His time at Real Madrid was less successful, but again in his final season Beckham won his only league title in Spain, clinching it in the very last game of the campaign.

And with his MLS triumph, Beckham has become one of the few Englishman to win three league titles in three different countries.

There you go Manisha, there's a stat for you.

TANK: That's a good one. It's a good one. And you know what, Don, they say that in business you're only as good as your last deal. If you apply that in his case then he's been pretty fantastic I have to say.

RIDDELL: Absolutely.

TANK: Don, thank you so much. Good to see, yeah.

Now, Republican presidential candidates in the United States are getting ready for CNN's national security debate happening this Tuesday. They will have to answer questions on defense, terrorism and international relations.

Candy Crowley explains why foreign policy is such a crucial topic in any debate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY: When ever anybody asks me, like, why is it important, why is a foreign policy debate important I would direct them to George Bush, the son, elected in 2000. His entire agenda was about fixing education, helping the economy, had a very domestic agenda. And then came 9/11 and became a foreign policy president. It really mattered what he knew, who he knew, who he had around him, what sort of people did he pick.

It was important to George Bush at the time, so much so that Condoleezza Rice who had worked in his dad's administration was brought on board during the campaign to take George Bush in his down time and talk to him about various countries and various leaders.

You can say all you want, but this is an election that's going to be decided on the U.S. economy, maybe you're right. But the fact of the matter is, even the U.S. economy is somehow impacted by what's going on in Greece, by what may go on in Italy, by what's going on in Spain, all across Europe.

So the fact of the matter is, it's really the global village that we talked about for so long. So it's important that these presidents, these potential presidents, show their stuff.

So what do you look for? You look for someone with a grasp of, you'll forgive the word, the nuances of the world. You know, the ? who knew how important it would be to know the difference between Shia and Sunni. I mean, that kind of thing.

So you want to look for someone who a, doesn't make a mistake. Herman Cain, for instance, who was riding high in the polls for awhile. Part of what's brought him down in addition to some domestic allegations that he sexually harassed some women who were in ? who worked for him in the past, part of what's brought him down is he's had some pretty bad and unknowledgeable answers to questions. So there's going to be a big spotlight on him. Always a big spotlight on Mitt Romney, because Mitt Romney has had smooth, cool, pretty flawless debates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: Still ahead on News Stream, growing concern about the air quality in Beijing. We'll see how a new Twitter feed, though, is helping people see what's what in this big gray haze.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: Now Gary Locke has been the U.S. ambassador to China for more than three months now. And like many Beijing residents, he says he's finding one aspect of the city quite challenging: that is its air quality.

News Streams' very own Kristie Lu Stout recently spoke with him about this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I was recently in Beijing to interview U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke and one topic that simply could not be avoided that day was the air quality.

Now this is a photo I took on the day of the interview just after 12 noon on (inaudible) avenue. And above the traffic, you can see the thick haze blanketing the city.

Now in his car, the U.S. ambassador showed me how he uses his blackberry to access @Beijingair, it's a Twitter feed run by the U.S. embassy that monitors the city's air quality.

GAR LOCKE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: It measures the very fine particles, particulates which are health concerns. I think it's things that are less than 2.5 microns. I think the acceptable range in the United States is 35.

STOUT: Oh, my goodness.

LOCKE: Here we are almost at 400, more than 10 times the acceptable level.

STOUT: And this is a service you said that for U.S. embassy staff and families, but a wider community has been looking at this every single day

LOCKE: I look at it every single day, because I also know that you know I'm concerned about the kids? health. The schools use it, the international schools use it to determine whether or not they should allow the kids to have recess outside or whether to keep them inside.

STOUT: Like other parents in China, Gary Locke is concerned about his family's wellbeing. Now he referred to the fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 which refers to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Now the U.S. embassy's Beijing air feed is the only known source of PM2.5 readings in China. These particles are so small they can go deep into the lungs and can cause major damage.

Now Chinese monitoring stations track only larger particles, between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter. After much public criticism over its methods, Beijing has opened its air quality monitoring center to the public. And CNN paid a visit.

And the vice director says China will raise its standards gradually.

HUA LEI, BEIJING MONITORING CENTER (through translator): For now, we're using our own standard. But it doesn't mean anyone can just adopt whatever standards they want, because people will get confused if there's no uniform standard. We'll gradually raise our standards. And it is possible that we'll adopt higher standards as the air quality in China gets better.

STOUT: Now a number of Chinese netizens do not support Beijing's approach to air monitoring. Recently, Chinese real estate tycoon Pat Xiyi (ph) asked his 7.5 million fans on Sina Weibo, the widely popular microblogging site, to vote on whether Being should adopt more stringent standards. And 40,000 votes later 91 percent said yes immediately.

Now the environmental NGO, the climate group, is an advocate for stricter standards, but they say in China it will take time.

WU CHANGHUA, THE CLIMATE GROUP: China so far has been monitoring the PM10 as (inaudible) particles actually. And from an epidemiological perspective we all know when the particles are bigger they do not really sit into too deeply into your lungs or your respiratory system. Actually, the more hazardous, actually, pollutant will be PM2.5.

So definitely that's sort of direction I (inaudible) would like to see actually the government to take that forward.

STOUT: I had a sore throat when I was in Beijing earlier this month. And moments after I touched down here in Hong Kong, it went away. As for Beijing's air quality readings, taken just a few days ago, well the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said the air pollution index was, quote, 'slightly polluted.? The U.S. embassy Beijing Air feed said it was ?hazardous? so just a slight discrepancy there.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: Just an example how important interpretation is.

And that's it for this News Stream, but the news continues right here at CNN. World Business Today is up next. Don't go anywhere.

END