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NEWS STREAM

North Korea Launches Satellite into Orbit; Contraception and Catholicism in the Philippines; Syrian Situation Examined; Best Quotes of 2012

Aired December 12, 2012 - 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, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to NEWS STREAM, where news and technology meet.

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STOUT (voice-over): And we begin with North Korea and the announcement that has prompted anger around the world. The North says it has successfully launched a rocket and put a satellite into orbit.

Also ahead, we are inside the Syrian city of Aleppo to look at fears over chemical stockpiles in the country.

And...

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STOUT (voice-over): The sound of India falls silent. The man who helped bring sitar music to Western audiences dies after a legendary career.

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STOUT: It's a move that took world leaders by surprise and prompted an international outcry. North Korea says it has successfully launched a rocket and put a satellite into orbit. And you'll remember, just two days ago, North Korea announced it was extending the launch window due to a, quote, "technical deficiency" in the engine module.

But earlier today, North Koreans heard this announcement on state TV.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): On December 12th, the second version of satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 successfully lifted off from the Sohae Space Centre in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province by carrier rocket Unha-3 on Wednesday.

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STOUT: The long-range rocket was launched in the Sohae Space Centre in the western part of North Korea. The Japanese government says it then soared over Okinawa. It says one part of the rocket landed in the sea off the Korean Peninsula. A second part fell into the East China Sea and a third part dropped into waters near the Philippines.

But that was disputed by the North America Airspace Defense Command, which says the second stage fell near the Philippines. (Inaudible) acknowledged the apparent success of the mission, saying that the rocket deployed an object that appeared to achieve orbit.

Paula Hancocks joins us now live from CNN Seoul.

And, Paula, earlier we just heard from a very elated state TV anchor, declaring this a successful launch. But what is the reaction? What is the reaction among the people inside North Korea?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what was seen, Kristie, from North Korean television is that there has been dancing in the streets of Pyongyang. We've seen what appears to be spontaneous applause when loudspeakers announced that this missile, this rocket launch, I should say, was successful.

And also we've heard many people talking about how happy they are. Now, of course, before we listened to the North Korean people talk about how happy they are, we'll have to preface it with the caveats that this is the kind of regime where you cannot speak freely on the streets.

And it is inevitable that people will say that they are very happy. Many of these people may be. But you do have to take that into consideration when you listen to what the residents were saying.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Is it real? I (inaudible) the newspaper offices to ask them. We were all dancing and cheering. (Inaudible) saying today's such a happy day and we should all celebrate it together tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): At midday today, I heard the news and cried out loud with joy. It goes to show our military power. Our desantis (ph) have brought joy to a great general. I will raise my child to be like desantis (ph), who bring joy to our general.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): As a scientist myself and as part of this country, my heart was pounding with excitement. Tears came to my eyes. I thought, our scientists have finally done it.

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HANCOCKS: Now everything is heavily choreographed coming out of North Korea. And an interesting thing we have seen, Kristie, is a number of updates on North Korean television, which is quite rare to have these updates throughout the day, but updating the people of North Korea and also the world of exactly what has happened.

Now we do know that there has been a response to this international condemnation we've heard from Washington, from Seoul, Tokyo, and also many other countries.

The foreign ministry in North Korea, according to KCNA, state news agency, has condemned the condemnation, saying, quote, "Hostile forces are showing signs of a sinister bid to take issue with the launch for peaceful purposes."

Now, of course, Pyongyang insists that they wanted to put a working satellite into orbit; other countries disagree. They believe that this is just a cover for a long-range missile technology test, Kristie.

STOUT: That's right. That's why there is this international condemnation, because there's this belief, among many outside North Korea, that this rocket launch is just a cover for a missile test.

So what is known of the North Korean missile arsenal? What does it have? What can it do?

HANCOCKS: Well, we spoke to one rocket expert here in Seoul. And he was not privy to any extra information from the government. He was just seeing what we are seeing and what is in the public arena. And he said that it does appear that North Korea has managed to grasp a very complex system, this modular system is quite complicated.

And he also believes that they could now have the technology to be able to develop a rocket which could reach the other side of the world, including the United States. And of course, this isn't any extra information he has.

But he says if, in fact, it was the resounding success today that North Korea claims it was, it does show that they are grasping this ICBM, the intercontinental ballistic missile technology which much of the world, including the United States, simply does not want North Korea to have, Kristie.

STOUT: All right. Paula Hancocks, joining us live from Seoul, thank you.

Now getting any insight at all into North Korea's motivation is tough. Even those reactions from apparently ordinary North Koreans you just heard, that came from state media.

But when North Korea's last rocket attempted ended in failure, foreign media were inside the country to cover it at the government's invitation. Now CNN producer Tim Schwarz was there, and he shares his impressions of what it's like to be at a North Korean rocket launch.

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TIM SCHWARZ, CNN PRODUCER: North Korea is very, very wary of journalists. They hardly ever invite them into the country. When they do, they (inaudible) very controlled, the images they want them to see. And nothing sensitive.

So it was amazing that they decided to invite over 100 journalists to one of their most secret places, the heart of their space program, the Sohae satellite launch station.

SCHWARZ (voice-over): It was a strange journey up to the launch site. You pass through the North Korean countryside, very barren, very bleak, very little development, very, very few vehicles around. People dressed quite shabbily, just looking at our train as it went past.

After about five hours, we got to the launch site. And the launch site itself seemed very bare-bones, not a huge amount of high-tech on display, a few buildings. And then the launch pad in the distance.

We were herded around in a group, but not especially high security. There weren't a huge amount of armed guards around. We were allowed to walk right up to the base of the launch pad. An amazing sight to stand at the bottom of one of these huge vehicles that was going to blast up into space.

The date of the launch had been chosen very carefully to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late leader, Kim Il-sung. This is the man who's the father of North Korea, a man who's treated literally as a god in his country.

The launch was supposed to have been a culmination of these celebrations. But it was a dismal failure.

SCHWARZ: It's really hard to estimate how much this is costing North Korea. South Korean unification ministry has done some estimates and estimates the cost at over a billion U.S. dollars for North Korea to pursue its space program.

SCHWARZ (voice-over): Now, North Korea is a very poor country; it has trouble feeding itself. If they're spending the money on their space program, then they're not spending it elsewhere. North Korea has horrendous infrastructure.

It has horrendous problems trying to feed its people. Its industry is still in a shambles. It's estimated that that money could provide food for North Korea for maybe four or five years. So that's what they're sacrificing for the sake of their space program.

SCHWARZ: North Korea has two audiences. It has a domestic audience and an international audience. For its own people, it wants to give them something to believe in, something to be proud of, to show that they are an advanced industrial nation.

They are scientifically capable that they can join that exclusive club of people with the level of technology that can put a satellite into orbit, despite the obvious poverty all around, everywhere you can see.

Internationally, North Korea needs to keep itself relevant. It's only a small country; it has a repressive regime. But it has nuclear technology. It can show it has rocketry, that it could put its nuclear technology on a rocket.

It could have a devastating reach throughout the world. It believes that if it has incredible nuclear threat, then it would make intervention in North Korea difficult, if not impossible, for outside powers.

Kim Jong-un seems to have taken upon himself to fulfill what he sees as his father's legacy of getting a successful North Korean space program. To plan a launch in December in the middle of winter in difficult conditions shows, to some extent, the importance of this timing.

Kim Jong-un has been in power for just about a year now; it's been about a year since his father died. I think there's a strong feeling that he'd like to fulfill that legacy within that year, to bolster his image at home among the people to show that he is a fitting successor to his father.

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STOUT: As you heard there in Tim's report, North Korea spent a hefty sum on its space program this year. And to break it down, here are the estimates from South Korea's ministry of unification. It says today's launch and the failed April mission cost about $600 million. The Sohae launch site itself cost around $400 million.

And other related facilities cost around $300 million. And when you add it all up, the ministry says the total spent to be around $1.3 billion. That's equivalent to the cost of 4.6 million tons of corn, which could mean around four to five years of food for a country struggling to feed its citizens.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. And coming up next, defiant and jubilant, North Korea launched a long-range rocket. But what do its neighbors and the rest of the world think? We'll have the international reaction next.

And Syrian refugees get a huge vote of confidence from the U.S. We've got all the details straight ahead.

And the 2012's most quotable tech moments from Marissa Meyer's maternity leave to the patent wars.

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STOUT: Now in a major boost for Syrian rebels, the U.S. has officially recognized the Syrian National Council as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. But that does not mean that Washington will be arming the opposition any time soon.

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STOUT (voice-over): The announcement comes as Syrian opposition leaders and the so-called Friends of Syria gather in Morocco to discuss the civil war. Live pictures of that meeting on your screen. There are growing concerns that Bashar al-Assad could be preparing to use chemical weapons against his own people.

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STOUT: Meanwhile inside Syria, the U.S. and some European allies are supporting efforts to train rebels on how to monitor suspected chemical weapon sites. Arwa Damon tried to make her way to one suspected site in Aleppo province.

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ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In most of these villages we don't dare stop. While no longer fully controlled by the government, the regime spies still lurk.

And we're snaking our way towards a facility the government most certainly does not want us to see, a site that multiple sources on the ground say is where the Assad regime produces chemical weapons, a place called the Scientific Research Facility.

To the southeast of Aleppo lies the town of Al-Safirah. On its outskirts a sprawling factory, manufacturing anything from containers to long-range missiles. This is as close as we can get before we hear an aircraft overhead and quickly leave.

To the southeast of that, according to our sources, is the Scientific Research Facility.

DAMON: From here, we can see the outermost perimeter of the general research facility and the fighters are telling us that it is amongst the most heavy guarded areas where they're operating the village right below it. That is filled with government loyalists. So this is about as far as we can go.

DAMON (voice-over): Abor al-Bada (ph) commands the Dara al-Shahbaa (ph) brigade that has fighters surrounding the facility. Tasked by his commanders with isolating but not attacking it.

"The regime might take extreme actions if we try to assault. So we're just militarily choking it off," he tells us. On all sides, it is surrounded by rolling hills. We are being escorted by a defected soldier who worked on the inside and a rebel fighter from the area. We've agreed not to reveal their identities. At one point, between the two hilltops, a manmade barrier.

DAMON: We have to be very careful filming through here. But visible on the side of the mountain are what rebel fighters with us are telling us were the former positions that government troops used to occupy. Since the Free Syrian Army moved into this area, government forces have pulled further and closer to the facility itself.

DAMON (voice-over): This man was recently captured by the rebels. He says he led a unit whose job was to patrol part of the perimeter. Artillery units are positioned on the hilltops. He agreed to be interviewed if we disguised his identity and his voice.

He says that soldiers like him were constantly searched, their calls monitored, forbidden from seeing people who entered the main building. They arrived, escorted by armed guards, concealed from sight.

"It was even forbidden for us to ask about it. If we did, we were punished," he tells us. They were under orders to shoot to kill anyone who approached, even a civilian within 300 meters. He says that around five months ago, regular employees stopped arriving.

"And what I overheard is that those who were allowed to leave were Syrians and those inside were foreigners. We saw large quantities of food still being delivered," he says.

Defectors have previously told CNN that Iranians scientists have often worked here. There's no way to confirm that. Portions of the complex are underground. The hilltops have tunnels as well, guarded, we are told, by up to 5,000 soldiers.

The fear of chemical weapons has further traumatized people. In Aleppo, Dr. Hamza says he began requesting precautionary supplies six months ago.

"Some atropine has arrived, but no chemical suits."

DAMON: You're going to make your own chemical suits?

DR. HAMZA, ALEPPO ACTIVIST: Yes. Yes, we'll try to do that right now. We have like two pieces, two chemical suits. And (inaudible) about them and to make them.

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DAMON: To make your own?

HAMZA: Yes. Exactly. Because we tried a lot to get chemical suits. But now we couldn't.

DAMON (voice-over): As secret sites around the city, he says, medical teams will be provided with atropine and training in case government forces resort to chemical weapons. But in reality, people can do little more than pray that Syria's war doesn't lead to such a catastrophe -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Aleppo province.

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STOUT: That's a powerful report from inside Aleppo from Arwa Damon.

You're watching NEWS STREAM and still ahead the frustration with Apple's new mobile maps trigger plenty of snarky comments this year. We'll bring you the top tech quotes of the year as chosen by "The New Yorker." Stick around.

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STOUT (voice-over): Live from Hong Kong, you're back watching NEWS STREAM.

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STOUT: There's been plenty to talk about in tech over the past year. And now newyorker.com has compiled its list of the best tech quotes of 2012. Here's one. Yahoo!'s new boss, Marissa Meyer, is shown after she said, quote, "The baby's been easy." Meyer attracted headlines when she went on maternity leave soon after starting at Yahoo! and returned to work after just two weeks.

Now our regular contributor, Nick Thompson, compiled a list. And he joins us now live from New York.

And, Nick, it's a great list. Love reading it. Number five is the famous tweet from Barack Obama, three words: "This seat's taken."

Could you take us back to that moment on the U.S. campaign trail?

NICHOLAS THOMPSON, NEWYORKER.COM: Sure. It was right at the Republican National Convention and Clint Eastwood had just given this slightly surprising and confusing speech where he spoke to an empty chair. And the question was how would Barack Obama respond?

And then Twitter started talking about there was a #eastwood, and people were just making fun of Clint Eastwood. It was hysterical. And then in the middle of this, very shortly after the speech, very well timed, Obama puts out this very short tweet, "This seat's taken," with an amazing photograph of the back of his head. And it was just pitch perfect for Twitter. And people loved this.

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THOMPSON: And I chose it in part because it was --

STOUT: Yes, go ahead.

THOMPSON: I chose it because it was funny and because it symbolized Obama's success with social media, which was an important thing that happened this year.

STOUT: That's right, and that was something we discussed in detail earlier this year, about the social media prowess of Team Obama.

Now next upon your list was the Apple apocalypse. It was summarized in a single line on a Tumblr page, "Turn left into the water."

So, Nick, we'll bring up the Tumblr. How excellent is the Tumblr? How terrible is the app?

THOMPSON: The app was one of the -- it's an amazing story, because Apple usually doesn't release products that are bad. They release products that are good. They were in such a fight with Google, and they really wanted to get Google Maps off of Apple phones. So they rushed a product out; they didn't manage it appropriately.

It came out and suddenly it's, you know, guiding people into cul-de- sacs. I had a friend who almost missed a wedding because she was using Apple Map software, and it took her to the wrong place. So I thought the best line to symbolize it was "Turn left into the water," of the many things that it said about Apple Maps.

STOUT: Now also on your list, spreading false news during Hurricane Sandy and this hoax tweet, reading "BREAKING: Con Edison has begun shutting down ALL power in Manhattan."

Tell us more about who sent the tweet and what happened to him.

THOMPSON: So this is a guy who was anonymous, tweeting under the handle @comfortablysmug. It turned out he was -- he worked at a hedge fund and was working for a Republican congressional campaign. And for whatever reason, he just tried to confuse everybody on the night of Hurricane Sandy.

It was a time where Twitter was an essential news source. A lot of people were looking at Twitter to get hyperlocal reports of what's happening, because you know, nobody can go out and report in the middle of this storm, or very few people can. And this person was really destroying the conversation on Twitter, and he was getting retweeted. And he was causing a lot of mayhem.

And I chose it because it shows the complications of social media. There's a -- you can get information quickly and you can get the wrong information quickly. And so that's (inaudible).

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STOUT: Yes.

Yes, the ugly side of social media during a disaster.

Next up, a tweet from the IDF at the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. And this, it is a bold statement. It's basically a throwdown directed straight at Hamas. Did this violate Twitter's terms of service? That was the big debate, wasn't it?

THOMPSON: Yes, there was -- there were two reasons why I chose this. One was the question that you're not allowed to make specific death threats on Twitter. Twitter's terms of service seemed to imply that you can't do that. And this is clearly that. I mean, Israel is saying we will kill you if you're Hamas and you show your head.

So there -- that -- there was that question. And I, you know, Twitter did -- Twitter didn't act on it. You know, I don't think Twitter really wanted to get engaged in that -- in that debate.

And then, secondly, I chose it because this was a conflict which -- in which social media played a major role, the way IDF used Twitter and the way Hamas, you know, (inaudible) analyzed tweets from Israel about where bombs are landing to help its targeting. It was this conflict showed us a little bit of the future of how technology will play out in warfare.

STOUT: That's right. Two big stories here, social media warfare and also what kind of responsibility should social media platforms like Twitter have.

Lastly, Nick, some pretty choice words from the judge in the Apple- Samsung patent trial in the United States. She said, "We're going to periodically stand up, just to make sure we're all alive."

Now, Nick, it was a long, complicated legal process, wasn't it?

THOMPSON: It was absolutely. This was during, you know, 105 pages of jury instructions were being read. I chose this because the patent case was, of course, one of the seminal tech issues and stories of the year, a big fight between two major companies involving intellectual property, which is, of course, one of the major themes in the industry today.

And this quote sort of summed up the way everybody felt about the trial, which is, OK. Let's get to the end of this.

STOUT: A very complicated case, a very eventful year for technology.

Nick Thompson at newyorker.com, thank you very much.

THOMPSON: Thanks, Kristie.

STOUT: Now North Korea, our top story this hour, says it has successfully launched a satellite into orbit. And now it's facing international condemnation and the threat of more sanctions. We are live with the reaction from the U.N., next.

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STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching NEWS STREAM, and these are your world headlines.

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STOUT (voice-over): Now North Korea has launched a long-range rocket defying U.N. resolutions. Pyongyang says it successfully placed a satellite into orbit. And North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD says the rocket does appear to deploy some kind of object into orbit.

U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that his government now recognizes the Syrian opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. An endorsement is expected to be formalized at a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders in Morocco today.

The move will be a major psychological boost for the rebels, but it doesn't mean Washington will be supplying them with weapons any time soon.

Egypt's main opposition is calling on supporters to vote no in this weekend's constitutional referendum. The country has been rocked by competing demonstrations for and against President Mohammed Morsi over the last few weeks. Egypt's army chief has called for crisis talks between the government and the opposition.

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STOUT: South Korea and Japan are leading international condemnation of North Korea's rocket launch. China is often thought to be North Korea's main ally, but now it, too, had expressed regret over North Korea's decision to launch and urged everyone involved to stay calm.

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HONG LEI, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESMAN (through translator): China has taken notice of relevant reports on the satellite launch and has noted relevant parties' reactions. We have expressed regret to North Korea's decision to launch, despite concerns among the international community.

China has always insisted on bringing peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula through multilateral dialogue. We hope relevant parties stay calm in order to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

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STOUT: The Japanese government says after takeoff, the North Korean rocket passed over Okinawa. Alex Zolbert has the reaction from Tokyo.

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ALEX ZOLBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The condemnation coming from far and wide around the globe in reaction to North Korea's launching of this rocket. Here in Japan, they were somewhat caught by surprise with this morning's launch, the launch coming just before 10:00 am here in Tokyo.

But Prime Minister Noda, who's just four days away from a general election, as well as the country's foreign minister, wasted little time in issuing a stern response to North Korea.

YOSHIHIKO NODA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It's extremely regretful and unacceptable conduct. We've made a strong complaint to North Korea.

KOICHIRO GENRA, JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER: We can only say that this is an act of grave provocation against the stability of the region, which includes Japan and the security treaty.

ZOLBERT: In recent days, we had seen Japan put up a missile defense system that included missiles set up in three locations in greater Tokyo, one actually in the ministry of defense that we looked at late last week, sitting on two baseball fields, basically in the heart of Tokyo, a city that's home to more than 12 million people.

There were also missile defense systems set up on Okinawa in four different locations as well as systems on destroyers that were out at sea.

But according to the Japanese government, they did not take any actions to attempt to shoot down this North Korean rocket because it seems they did not feel it threatened Japanese citizens or Japanese property -- Alex Zolbert, CNN, Tokyo.

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STOUT: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the North Korean rocket launch as a provocative act and clear breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Let's bring in Richard Roth from the United Nations in New York.

And Richard, because this launch appears to be a technical success, there must be even more urgency there at the U.N. to respond.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Ban Ki-moon had urged the North Koreans not to launch. I'm -- we have video this morning of the North Korean top two diplomats entering their mission here in New York City. They had no comment. This is a ritual we've seen after other launches. Let's listen for a few seconds during this crush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me. Excuse me, (inaudible).

ROTH (voice-over): That's the deputy to the North Korean ambassador.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).

ROTH (voice-over): You'll soon see Sin Son-ho, the United Nations North Korean ambassador come in a few shows -- a few video of him after his deputy got through that gauntlet, a lot of Asian regional cameras here, of course, always having interest. It's unclear whether the ambassador will later be visiting the U.N. That's the deputy again.

ROTH: The Security Council, how many times over the last years, of course, has condemned North Korea launches and warned the North Koreans not to do anything, any testing of any type.

Now one senior official in Washington telling CNN that United States ready to, quote, "come with a full head of steam" back to New York with another Security Council resolution to increase sanctions that already exist on Pyongyang.

One North Korean analyst, one analyst who has watched North Korea closely, who was recently in Pyongyang told me the other day about the technology that North Korea has and what its goals might be.

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GORDON CHANG, AUTHOR: The technology to put a satellite into space is essentially the same as to put a warhead into another country. The North Koreans clearly have been not launching satellites. They've never put one into space, despite what they've said. They are just testing their ballistic missiles.

And a launch, whether it's successful or not, advances North Korean technology, which means that the North Koreans and the Iranians are also advancing their technologies because they run a joint missile program.

ROTH: Various U.N. Security Council sanctions reports always mention North Korea parts, missiles, other things getting to other countries, far across the globe. Kristie, no timetable on any Security Council meeting yet regarding North Korea's successful launch. Undoubtedly in the next 24- 48 hours, there will be some sort of meeting in action here in New York, Kristie.

STOUT: That's right. Japan has called for an emergency meeting.

Now whenever we talk about sanctions, we have to talk about Russia and China. I mean, both countries, they warned North Korea not to go ahead with the launch. But the launch happened anyway. But would Russia and China allow a new resolution?

ROTH: It may not be that easy, but it won't be as hard as with Syria. In the past, Moscow and Beijing have gone along with Security Council countries such as the United States and Japan when they were on the council to increase sanctions.

The atmosphere, of course, has been very poor inside the Security Council among the major powers when it comes to sanctioning people. It appears that North Korea may be the only focus crisis area where the big powers can agree. But it may be tough for the United States to get what it wants. We'll have to see.

STOUT: All right. Richard Roth joining us live from New York, thank you very much indeed.

Now let's turn to the Philippines and lawmakers there in this mostly Catholic country, they are voting on a controversial reproductive health bill. Now it would guarantee universal access to birth control among other things. Anna Coren introduces us to the people who'd be most affected by the legislation.

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ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a maternity hospital in downtown Manila, another baby has just been born. After a 10-hour labor, Janet Leopaadas (ph) has given birth to a baby girl. This is Janet's (ph) 9th child.

"I didn't think I would have so many children," the 37-year old explains.

It's a story so familiar in this devout Catholic country where approximately 2 million babies are born each year, the majority into poor families. And while contraception is available for those who can afford it, for a third of the population that live below the poverty line, that is not an option. Nor should it be, according to the church.

MELVIN CASTRO, CATHOLIC PRIEST: We have empowered the people, good economy, good education and good livelihood. And contraceptives will never be the answer to that.

COREN (voice-over): The Catholic Church considers contraception to be a sin and the equivalent to abortion, which is illegal in the Philippines.

But despite its staunch views, there is a movement underway to change the laws in this country providing free contraception for the poor and family planning clinics across the country, where, experts say, 11 Filipinas die each day giving birth, of which 90 percent are preventable.

ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO, DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST WOMEN OF THE PHILIPPINES: And it will save women's lives, definitely it will save poor women from dying. And to me that's the most important thing for me as a woman, as a mother. It's the most important thing. No woman deserves to die. No woman deserves to die in the process of giving life.

COREN (voice-over): The reproductive health bill has been before congress for the past 15 years. And despite overwhelming public support for it, supporters believe the church, with its power and influence, has killed this each time.

For the women in the Jos, Fabella Hospital, squeezing several to a bed, it's a hard life that's only going to get harder.

DR. JOSELITO MATHEUS, PEDIATRICIAN: It's quite alarming at times, since you know that they cannot afford to have another baby, and yet another baby comes around. So it's a problem, especially for us.

COREN: This hospital is known as Manila's baby factory. Just yesterday, 65 babies were born and that's considered a slow day. During their busiest month, 120 newborns are delivered each day, which means there are not enough beds for these women to stay overnight.

COREN (voice-over): At a time when there should be so much joy and happiness, Janet (ph) is fearful of her future. And now Janet (ph) has another mouth to feed.

"I am worried," she says. "I may not be able to feed them all, to send them to school and clothe them. Education is most important."

Which, of course, is the key to breaking this cycle -- Anna Coren, CNN, Manila.

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STOUT: You're watching NEWS STREAM.

And still ahead, Bradford should have been no match for mighty Arsenal. Instead, it was a night to remember for the tiny club. Amanda Davies will have that and the rest of the "WORLD SPORT" update.

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STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching NEWS STREAM. And we have just received first video of the North Korean rocket launch.

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STOUT (voice-over): Again, earlier today, North Korea said it successfully launched a rocket that put a satellite into orbit. Now their first pictures of the rocket launch perspective from mission control there inside North Korea.

This rocket launch, it was a move that surprised and enraged the international community just a few days ago. North Korean state TV reported that the government extended the window for a launch. But today, this happened.

North Koreans and the world, they woke up to this announcement. North Korea had successfully launched a rocket into orbit. And it was a fact confirmed in part by NORAD. They had confirmed that the rocket deployed an object that appeared to achieve orbit. Again, on your screen, you're looking at the very first video we've received of the North Korean rocket launch.

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STOUT: Now time for a look at the world weather forecast. And cold temperatures in the U.K. Let's go to Mari Ramos at the World Weather Center for that.

Mari?

MARI RAMOS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kristie, you know, this cold air hasn't been in just parts of the U.K. but all the way down into portions of the Mediterranean. Let's look at the temperatures first of all.

Look at that, -2 right now in London. And that's where you have some of the bigger travel delays right now, at least air wise. And those are kind of spreading across Europe very quickly.

Let's go ahead and roll the pictures from London.

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RAMOS (voice-over): Fog, yes, that's a concern. What happens is you get these tiny little droplets of water -- fog -- it's the kind of fog that we see all the time.

But what happens is with the temperatures below freezing, whenever they touch something, like an airplane or a runway or a car or a windshield or a retree (ph) or a power line or anything at all, they freeze on contact and it forms rime, which is very thick ice, almost it looks like feathers sometimes when you see it. It's not frost; it's rime. And it's a very serious stuff.

So that the delays began early in the morning, not just at the airport but also on the roadways. There were several hundred flights that were canceled overall, and even now they're still looking at about a 2-hour delay, according to Europe control right at Heathrow Airport. And that's (inaudible) -- let's go ahead and roll the other pictures.

This is Austria. They had record-setting snowfall, about half a meter of -- I should say, yes, about 50 centimeters of snow, a meter of snow fell in the last 24 hours.

This is a brand-new record for this area. They have been working double time to try to clear the roadways in this area. It's going to be great once the skiers get to some of these regions. But for now, it is not fun at all. And there are huge delays across that entire region.

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RAMOS: Come back over to the weather map over here. Let me show you. As we head farther to the south, -3 in Milan, -3 in Belgrade. And this area across southeastern Europe will continue to see some pretty significant snowfall as we head through the next 24 hours. I showed you this picture from Ukraine yesterday from Alex.

And similar situations again today. They weren't expecting an additional 15 centimeters of snow. This is in France. Also looking at the deep freeze in this area with very high snow banks and more snow on the way.

And in Germany, a similar situation. I love the way the trees look there in the background. It almost looks a bit surreal. But definitely not easy getting around very dangerous driving conditions across the region.

So in Berlin, we'll keep on stacking the snow a few centimeters at a time. It's going to be more significant, though, as we head across southeastern Europe. As you can see here, Kiev another 18, Bucharest another 28, Belgrade another 6 centimeters of snow.

And I want to switch gears and show you something a little bit different. Let's head to space, Kristie.

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RAMOS: I don't know; I think you'll like this story. This is -- it doesn't look like much there. But basically you're looking at a track of an asteroid that passed between the Earth and the moon. And you say, what? I didn't know about this.

Well, the thing is nobody really knew about this until a couple of days ago. And this 361/2-meter wide asteroid was a bit of a surprise. It actually caused a minor eclipse that could only be seen with a telescope. But they said -- they only knew about it two days ago. And it's going to make another go-around in about 21/2 years, so if you miss it this time, we'll know about it next time.

(LAUGHTER)

RAMOS: Back to you.

STOUT: That was a close call.

RAMOS: Yes.

STOUT: Thanks for the heads-up. Two years from now, all right. Mari Ramos there.

RAMOS: Sure.

STOUT: Thank you.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. And still ahead...

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STOUT (voice-over): He was one of India's most influential musicians. And now music lovers around the world are mourning the death of Ravi Shankar.

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STOUT: (Inaudible) has been a constant at England Premier League clubs. Is Arsenal next? (Inaudible) long-time manager is feeling the heat after his team suffers one of its most humiliating on-the-pitch setbacks.

Let's get more now with Amanda Davies.

Amanda?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kristie, they've been very patient, haven't they, the Arsenal fans over the years. But you wonder whether time is now running out because Arsenal (inaudible) very much facing a backlash on Wednesday after, as you said, besides humiliating exit from England's League Cup.

The hands of a team ranked 64 places below them in the league. Arsenal were knocked by the league two-side Bradford on penalties. They traveled to Valley Parade with a very experienced side.

But neither the goal from Thomas Vermaelen two minutes from time to level it at 1-all and take the game into extra time, it went to penalties for Marouane Chamakh failed to get the ball past the Bradford keeper, Matt Duke, and then when Vermaelen's effort his the post, the Gunners' fate was sealed.

So Arsenal crash out of the League Cup and Bradford celebrating their place in the semifinals for the first time.

Kobe Bryant, though, has described the L.A. Lakers' run of eight defeats in 11 games as one of the most challenging stretches of his career in the NBA, despite a season best 42 points on Tuesday. He saw his side beaten by the Cleveland Cavaliers 100 points to 94. The Cavs were pleased to welcome back Harry Irving from a finger injury, having lost all five of their games heading into this one. And they were up by 6 here in the 4th quarter when Kobe hit three points there to keep the Lakers in touching distance.

But after three weeks out, Irving had a point to prove. Here he is, the current NBA Rookie of the Year, extending the Cavs' lead on their way to their victory. In the end, Irving collected 28 points and (inaudible).

It did go right down to the final seconds, though, for the game to be decided. The Lakers left Anderson Varejao wide open to drain the 12- footer. So 100 points to 94 win for the Cavaliers. And yet another defeat for the Lakers. And afterwards, when he was asked about his team's defense, (inaudible) happy.

MIKE D'ANTONI, L.A. LAKERS COACH: Did you work on defense? Hell, yes, we worked a half-hour on it. So it, you know, you've always got a good (inaudible).

(CROSSTALK)

D'ANTONI: (Inaudible) because you say something that's not factually correct.

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DAVIES: Insert your own words there, Kristie. But thank goodness for the bleep button.

(LAUGHTER)

STOUT: Yes, thank goodness for that.

Amanda Davies there, take care.

Now we're going to draw your attention to something different, right over here, to a quote by George Harrison of The Beatles, who said, "He was the godfather of world music."

Can you guess who he was talking about? Well, it's actually a man born 92 years ago in India. Kareen Wynter tells us about the legacy of Ravi Shankar.

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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His music mesmerized millions. Ravi Shankar was among the greatest sitar players of all time and certainly the best-known. His association with The Beatles in the 1960s transported classical Indian music to the West and transformed Ravi Shankar into a cultural icon.

He was a humanitarian, teaming up with Beatle George Harrison for the iconic "Concert for Bangla Desh." During the latter years of his life, the sitar maestro set up a music academy. Here in trademark style, he encouraged cross-cultural music.

Ravi Shankar's career spanned some 80 years. He composed music for films, even ballets, and received numerous international and national awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor.

Indian vocalist Dr. Vinay Baharat Ram was trained by Ravi Shankar. Their association goes back to the 1940s. Dr. Baharat Ram says Ravi Shankar's dedication was extraordinary.

DR. VINAY BAHARAT RAM, FRIEND: He would, you know, practice in the mornings with his face to the wall, playing for himself. And gradually, since he had chosen some days of the week to practice like that, gradually behind him the audiences grew to about 40-50 people, just sitting and listening to him, without his knowing or without his caring.

WYNTER (voice-over): Ravi Shankar reached the height of his popularity in the 1960s, encouraged by his friend, George Harrison, he agreed to play at Woodstock in 1969. But Ravi Shankar's closest associates say he wasn't really comfortable in that atmosphere.

BAHARAT RAM: Ravi Shankar would always take the microphone and say that, look, this music is intoxicating by itself. You don't need other intoxicants. So please, please don't smoke while I play and don't indulge in any of this. Just sit back and relax and enjoy.

WYNTER (voice-over): After Woodstock, he turned down most invitations to play at pop music festivals. Ravi Shankar had great respect for his sitar and never allowed anyone but his closest friends or pupils to touch it. When he flew across the globe for concerts, he always ensured his trusted instrument was right by his side.

BAHARAT RAM: He was famous enough by the time that the organizers would arrange two seats for him. And he had the sitar always next to him.

WYNTER (voice-over): Ravi Shankar's survived by two well-known daughters. One, Norah Jones, is a well-known musician in her own right. Her 2002 album, "Come Away with Me," sold 20 million copies worldwide.

Shankar's younger daughter, Anoushka, is also an accomplished sitar player. In the upcoming Grammy Awards, Ravi Shankar will be up against daughter Anoushka, both nominated in the Best World Music Album category.

In Ravi Shankar's death, the world has lost a composer, a cultural ambassador, an author and a man who George Harrison once described as "the godfather of world music" -- Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.

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STOUT: And that is NEWS STREAM. But the news continues at CNN. "WORLD BUSINESS TODAY" is next.

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