our correspondent watched the homecoming in johannesburg. >> there was an air of festivityn johannesburg's and main airport. thousands of well-wishers from miles around. add all hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman they call their golden girl. and then security guards ushered caster semenya through. you could just about picker out from the crowd. this is a week ago, and caster semenya was virtually unknown. now she is a national hero thrown into the international spotlight. within minutes, the shy 18-year- old was at center stage at a massive victory party. close relatives says -- close relatives say she is more comfortable running. these pictures of her power in four to win the gold in the women's 800 meters show that she is something of a sexual curiosity. her performance has prompted the world athletic body to demand gender tests to see if she has a medical condition that gives her an advantage. many south africans find this insulting and racist. there is little surprise that the president seized the moment to personally congratulate caster semenya on her when. -- on her win. >> she h

bbews, johannesburg >> still come r youn "bbc rld news." isra's and prime minister it is its major european capils. first, the lauh of suth korea's first spacrocketas been wahed on tv a -- tv b millions. the plan w to launch satelle into orbit. in t end, it was unsuccesul. we have this rort. >> south koa's first rocket -- a bid to joithe excsive club nations to golf -- took off overhe south lawsite. this is all lauh that has been delad a number of times, and natial pride was at stake. the wasstill an anxus wait anthen use the rocketad iled to pce its payload into regular orbit. south koa will have to try again in its bid to become only the th count with a proven independent launch capability. while there is disappoiment, north kore may excuse itself a wry smile . i was closely watching this launch, believing the we double standards at play having been roundly criticizedfor their own attempts to put a satellite into orbit in april, also beeved to have failed. the launch in apri was widely rerded as a cover for a long- range missile testand l

bbc news, johannesburg. >> good to have you with us. coming up, news from the philippines. washing away whole villages. 12 are reported killed. first though, a british woman who deliberately became pregnant in jail. she has arrived back in england to serve her sentence. she would have faced the death penalty in laos if she had not been pregnant. just a warning -- the report does contain flash photography. >> the ordeal is finally over. senior in the white hat, she arrived at heathrow early this morning. two was immediately taken into custody. the 20-year-old issued a statement describing herself as -- reciting herself as enormously relieved to be back. this afternoon, her mother spoke of her joy and relief. >> ice cream. i thank jesus. >> i do not know. i honestly do not know. >> she was facing the death penalty after allegedly admitting heroin smuggling. but laos does not execute expectant mothers. she says she artificially inseminated herself with the help of another briton in jail there. the exchange policy allow her to transfer home. she will begin her jail sentence her

we have more from johannesburg. >> popular as ever at the age of 91, nelson mandela received the u.s. secretary of state. a decade ago, the close relationship between mandela and president clinton brought these countries together. hillary clinton was given a tour of the archives by his wife. >> to be there and see the pictures of him as a young man and to know so much about his life -- it of course inspires me, not only in to -- not only to even greater admiration for his public work and even greater admiration for the man. >> the subject of frosty relations between the u.s. and south africa was the main order of the day. mrs. clinton spoke of neighboring zimbabwe. the united states has yet to be convinced by the idea of robert mugabe sharing power. >> we, as you know, are attempting to target the leadership of zimbabwe with sanctions that, we think, might influence their behavior without hurting the people of zimbabwe. during the recent visit to the united states of the prime minister, we talked with the president, president obama, and we made a commitment to try to provide more help

. >> secretary of state hillary clinton has arrived in the south african capital of johannesburg south africa is the second stop of clinton's african tour. she traveled to johannesburg from kenya where she me with the embattled president of somalia on thursday. she pledged strong support for somalia. >> the labor department is set to release its july unemployment report today. last week the number of laid-off workers seeking jobless benefits fell. it's a sign the job market is making gradual improvements. economists are expecting job losses to slow in the coming months. >> okay, coffee lovers, stop what you're doing and pay close attention to this. as you brew that pot of coffee this morning, have you ever stopped and wondered just how healthy that cup of joe is for you? >> the debate has raged for years. now the national institute of health is weighing in on the subject. diana gonzalez takes a closer look. >> reporter: cup in hand, whether you drink espresso or american, could our favorite stimulant actually be good for the heart? >> there's some suggestion, and maybe women maybe a li

. >> it's in south africa a race of aliens, spaceships hoovers over johannesburg and they are turnednto second-class citizens and put in a slum in johannesburg. 20 years late air human bureaucrat is exposed to a dna changing substance and to give anything else away would be ruin the fun. it's very fun. it's thought provoking. >> you talk about the blockbuster movies in terms of money spent which would describe "g.i. yo." >> there's a big dumb fun as special to some. this is big and dumb. fun, not so much. hidden by paramount from critics except online critics. it was sort of a, you know, internet sensation in terms of how awful it was going to be. turns out to be as awful as everybody expects but there's a movement that people are saying it's not as bad as everybody's saying. it actually is. >> actually is, it's terrible. there's another clip we want to show about a movie out this week. let's take a look at that. we'll talk about it on the other side. >> when you flip anything, you just have got to have the courage of your convictions especially if it's a loose sort of mass like -- o

we have this report from east johannesburg. >> 15 years ago, the state and angry residents clashed onhese same streets. the state is now a democracy. this area has changed little from the dark days of south africa. the people are fed up with waiting period in the end, the police fired from bullets to disperse the demonstrators. >> there have been regular clashes between the police and demonstrators. it is not hard to work out why there have been demonstrations. look at the houses. there is no water or electricity. some people have been waiting for a new house for over 15 years. >> we have no water, no electricity, no toilets. >> the people feel they have been promised something that never came. >> as long as we get water, electricity, and houses, we will be fine. >> why should your government give you that? >> we voted for them. >> we need water. >> as the search continues for the ringleaders of the clashes in the morning, it is clear that it is a problem that has been contained but not solved. >> we want development. >> we will not stop until they give it to us. >> with the anc havin

well, in south africa, a public bus system came in just yesterday to johannesburg, the country's commercial center. the buses are considered a step up for many commuters who have had to rely on unregulated van services. beyond commuters, the buses will help people get around more easily next year during soccer's world cup. >>> and finally tonight, that brings us to another story about south africa and soccer and how youngsters are learning something in the playground far more important than how to improve their skills in the game. these are life lessons and how to protect themselves against hiv and aids. a disease that kills several hundred thousand people in south africa each year. the program is reported by tv globo. it is translated and narrated by our brazilian producer. >> a poor neighborhood in port elizabeth, one of the cities hosting next year's world cup finals in south africa. the school a small play ground. the teachers arrived with little equipment. a ball and a few cones. everything here has meaning. they explain the activity in one of the 11 official languages and the most com

joining me from johannesburg is johah fisher.before we get to the test, described the scene at johnna spurt airport. >> hundreds of people, probably thousands of people were at the airport. people were singing and dancing. if huge banners were being waved to deliver the message to caster semanya as she arrived and entered at a car park where the athletics team was prepared of the message was fairly clear from the south african public that they were on her side. they believe she is being unfairly singled out, targeted by athletics governing body. and this is really the chance for south africa demonstrate that caster semanya, who after all, only 18-year-old girl. >> judging from some of the banners, it looks like it is moving beyond sports. it is becoming political, is it? >> it is. one only has the look of the lineup at the press conference that followed shortly after arriving. at the top table, she was sat there -- she did not speak throughout the conference. but alongside her was when the mandela, former wife of nelson mandela,

but landing in johannesburg today, semenya was met with chants and signs that celebrated gender as much as victory. when semenya defeated rivals but a crushing 2.5-second margin, international sports officials were already questioning whether this young woman is actually a man. the young athlete had no comment on the controversy, only on being a world champion. >> i don't know what to say, man. good enough to win the gold medal and bring it home. >> but at a news conference the ex-wife of former president nelson mandela, pulled no punches. lashing out at allegations that the athlete's muscular build, deep voice and suddenly improved performances are signs she's a he, giving her an unfair advantage. >> in to the world out there who conducted those tests to test our gender, they can stuff their -- this is our little girl and nobody is going to perform any tests on her. >> semenya's not accused of cheating. what the track and field governing body wants to know is whether her physiology makes her eligible to run against women or men. figuring out the answer to the man or woman question will

. >> reporter: on an alien ship filled with relatively peaceful aliens stalls over the city of johannesburg, the aliens are moved to a refugee camp known as district 9. >> why don't you just leave? how do your weapons work? [ alien sounds ] >> reporter: 28 years after first contact, district 9 is in bad shape. that's when multinational united, the company put in charge of the aliens, decides to move the camp. in charge of the problem is vicus. and while evicting them, something goes terribly wrong. >> i don't know. this has got the markings. so it is definitely alien. but it's -- but udon't trust it, you know. i don't trust anything. [ coughing ] >> district 9 is an intelligent, thought provoking action film but will send sci- fi fans into a euphoric frenzy. 4 out of 5 stars. >> all right. we'll be right back. try the new subway big chipotle cheesesteak. an updated all-time favorite: juicy steak layered with zesty chipotle sauce, melted cheese, piled high with only... the toppings you love on freshly baked bread. only at subway. subway. eat fresh. cash for clunkers is available at your chev

secretary clinton arrived in johannesburg last night.the second leg of the tour of africa. >>> the on-line activities of the pittsburgh gym shooter continue to captivate people on the internet. that's coming up on the web. >>> and how some businesses that offer free wi-fi are trying to handle the users who aren't buying their product. >>> wonderful outside. it is pleasantly cool in many areas. a heat wave is on the way. and we have a break at the allergy update. everything was low except the mold in the moderate category. 9 news now will return after this. >>> cafes where you can surf the net via wi-fi have become common place but some are ready to drop it because some surf and surf without spending. it is a losing proposition. we paid one wi-fi hot spot a visit. >> reporter: think of it as overstaying your welcome. sitting at a table for hours, busy on a laptop but not ordering much. >> people come and camp out for hours on end. >> reporter: frustrating for coffee shops and cafes that couldn't on high customer turnover to make ends meet

it starts off 28 years ago when an alien ship is hoffering over johannesburg and you get the sense theernment is about to make contact with the alien ship. listen to their primary concern as they're about to make contact. >> we were on the verge of first contact. exexpectctinin i d don't kw, m c frfrom hean and bright shining lights. >> oh, my god. >> so the basic premise of the movie is once they get aboard the ship, they realize there are aliens on board and they're undernourished and they want to help them so they relocate them to government camps and you watch a series of problems play out. it's reminiscent to this notion of apartheid. i think this was the movie where i left the theater and thought three kernels and then i thought about it and it's four kernels. the title district 6 is a >> prisoner abuse. we will learn move today about how the bush administration treated war on terror detainees. some say it will hurt morale. >> it doesn't matter whether it hurts morale. either laws were broken or weren't broken. >> found dead in a canadian hotel room. ryan jenkins, wanted for kill

joining us from johannesburg to discuss the company's earnings is nick holland, ceo.'s start with the main question that so many of our viewers have looking at gold at 968 an ounce right near that 1,000 mark and an all-time high. people don't seem to be that worried about inflation. do you think gold prices could stay where they are or even move higher? >> well, certainly one of the things that i've seen talking to investors around the world, is that gold is now emerging again as an investment class and a lot of portfolios or fund managers. and investment demand is certainly going to drive the gold price. and i would say that gold has a good underpin, at least of $900 an ounce. and could certainly go a lot higher than that. and with potentially inflation fears around the corner, the economy has tried to reinflate their way out of debt. i think the potential for a high of gold prices is certainly there. >> so, you have the potential for a much higher gold price. investment's already, what, 60% of demand overall for gold around the world. and what it sounds like you're

theseally yens have come to johannesburg and they landed 28 years prior and now 1.8 million of them haverea called district nine. and they are heading autopsy i mission to evict these aliens and something goes wrong. i don't want to say what it is. this is one of the most seamless special effects films i've ever even. meaning when the humans are interacting with the aliens, it looks so realistic. i interviewed the lead star yesterday who said he improvised all of his lines and during the scenes with the aliens, he was talking to a guy in a gray suit the entire time. so all the emotions are realistic. they just pop in the aliens. they say this will do well because it is different from anything you've seen before. it is original. it is one of the most intense movies. last 20 minutes. film will blow you away. >> is it too intense for youngsters? >> it is rated r. it is violent. the last 20 minutes of the movie, i almost got out of my chair and rand round the theater screaming. my friend next to me, he said you have -- he had to say shut up, kevin. i was yelling. i've seen about 150 movies t

reporter: some 20 years ago the story goes, living entities from planet somewhere landed in downtown johannesburgey know their place, and don't get any ideas about equality, they're segregated into a slum that's called "district 9." did somebody say apartheid? the aliens resemble human-size prawns with sub-titled language, good brains and powerful weapons that can be fired only by those who possess their unique dna. and that's a crucial key to the story. charged with controlling the aliens is a ruthless conglomerate who puts his own son-in-law in charge. the son-in-law botches the job, opening the way to a terrific action movie and personal ter r terror. originality, talent and freshness permeate the film. >> christopher,dy not know they were doing this to you guys. >> reporter: "district 9" is a "10" though its excitements and pleasures are so good, they're beyond number. that's the "critic's corner" for today. he liked it. >>> coming up next in "today's kitchen," an authentic mexican meal featuring game hen, apricots and tequila. but first, this is "today" on nbc. it's never too early to start

we noticed an increase in the number of children being in various places in johannesburg and possiblyperate in abandoning their children. >> reporter: caring for children has become more expensive. the prices of formula milk and diapers have increased and jobs remain scarce, which is why these two young pregnant women, who did not want to be identified say they're giving up their unborn babies. >> i couldn't financially manage, so that's why. >> you wouldn't be able to afford to keep this baby? >> yes. >> reporter: could you afford to keep your baby? >> no. i couldn't because if i could i wouldn't be giving him to the best place. >> reporter: you wouldn't give him away if you could pay for him? >> no, no. because i love and i want the best for him. >> reporter: soon after giving birth, many more mothers than usual are journeying to this church on a nondescript road in johannesburg inner city where every three days a baby is abandoned. due to the incrose of desperate mothers who want to abandon their babies, this church has come up with this. door of hope. you open it and put your baby

in johannesburg, clinton told business leaders they have a "responsibility and an opportunity" to contributeto africa's economic success. >> we believe that south africa has so much more economic potential and it cannot exist as an island of relative prosperity amid a sea of untapped opportunity elsewhere on the continent. >> woodruff: earlier in the day, clinton met privately with former south african president nelson mandela, who turned 91 last month. across iraq, a string of attacks killed at least 51 shiites. the worst was in rasheediyah, north of mosul. 38 iraqis died when a suicide car bomb brought down a shiite mosque. 200 more were wounded. and in afghanistan, one u.s. service member and three british paratroopers were killed in the latest fighting. there was new advice from washington today to scale back closing schools because of the swine flu also known as h1n1. more than 700 schools closed in half the states last spring. but federal officials said today that's not needed, unless large numbers of students get sick. and, education secretary arne duncan said schools do need continge

they were given johannesburg, south africa, slumlike conditions there, and they're treated like, notou don't know what they're here for. are they here for impending attack or could it be getting their technology, which is what all the governments of the world would like? great movie. it's a great campaign online, on twitter. only for humans, no aliens allowed. i thought that was great. really caught my eye. >> very clever. is it a guy film, as opposed to "g.i. joe"? >> that will fall from first place to third place big time. the problem is i was a big fan in the '80s of g.i. joe and i was definitely going to see it no matter what, but i think word got out, leaked out after the first weekend that this was not a great film, unlike "district 9," which is fabulous. >> let's look at "time traveler's wife." lackluster reviews but let's take a quick peek. >> to assert my own sense of free will. my free will loves you. >> loves me? >> yes. of course. >> okay. chick flick, got my ten bucks yesterday. >> chick flick, boom. >> you know, i wanted to see it. so good. and i want to say from my opi

to send his actors packing back to zoos or circuses so he took over 1,800 acres of land outside johannesburg testing limits of interspecies relations. >> something triggered in my inner most self, which was like, wow, this is the most amazing experience i've ever had and i didn't want it to end. >> reporter: what they're gaining is an advocate. though they are not wild animals, kevin's notoriety has given him a platform to publicize the grave extinction threat now facing all of africa's lions. dave is a zoologist, big cat trainer and a host for "animal planet." but now he's taking on a new challenge, living for six months at the game reserve, a massive tract of land ten times the size of manhattan. it's here dave is attempting something unprecedented, a kind of rehabilitation of an extremely aggressive pride of wild lions. >> hey! hey, no, no! cut it out! okay. >> reporter: using his skills as a trainer, dave's mission is to turn this hostile pride back toward a more natural relationship with humans, curious and wary but not killers on a hair trigger. in the event of an attack, dave consider

. >> thank you so much for joining us live from johannesburg. we do appreciate it.spoke to fareed zakaria. she opens up about her husband's mission in north korea and the global dangers there. this is on sunday, 1:00 p.m. >>> the new jobs report is certainly encouraging news. does it mean the worst is over? we'll talk to factory workers to find out. s all day. take 2 extra strength tylenol every 4 to 6 hours?!? taking 8 pills a day... and if i take it for 10 days -- that's 80 pills. just 2 aleve can last all day. perfect. choose aleve and you can be taking four times... fewer pills than extra strength tylenol. just 2 aleve have the strength to relieve arthritis pain all day. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke. >>> good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. coming to you live from the cnn center, this is "cnn saturday morning." it is august 8th. look who's with me this morning. >> my pleasure and honor to be beside you. t.j., i wait weeks for t.j. to take here i am filling in

kevin's 1,800-acre sanctuary, outside johannesburg, where he nurtures the lions from birth. >> i wasobably selfish in the beginning. it was all about me. what can i get from it? but they were gaining something, too. >> reporter: what they are gaining is an advocate. while they are not wild animal, kevin's notoriety has given him a platform to publicize the grave extinction threat now facing all of africa's lions. >> numbers have dropped in the past decade, up to 75%. that's a staggering amount. i think the greater world does think of africa as this big, open landscape. it's not. humans are encroaching. and animal territories are getting smaller and more defined. >> reporter: which leads us 1,000 miles northwest, to namibia. here, the land and the lions are still wild. another man has begun a dangerous experiment, to keep them that way. >> these are definitely the most aggressive lions i've ever seen. these lions wshg marked for destruction because they were escaping people wasnhunting the down. >> reporter: dave salmoni is a trainer and host for animal planet. now, he's taking on a n

in "district 9," thousands of alien refugees are stranded in the south african city of johannesburg whenunique take on a classic sci-fi plot line with clear comparisons to apartheid. but at the end of the day -- >> what the film is about is exploding bodies and ray guns and all the cool stuff you would hope to see in the film. >> but i don't trust it, you know. i don't trust anything with -- >> it has a sense of originality, which i'm really proud about. >> reporter: the film's producer, sci-fi wizard and "lord of the rings" mastermind peter jackson took a modest $30 million budget, hired a first time director, and assembled a cast of unnopes. >> with that peter jackson element, people feel safe knowing they're getting into something good. >> reporter: while "gi joe"put struggles to make back the more than $170 million it cost to make the film, "district 9" has almost doubled its budget in less than one week of release. jackson can largely thank the army of geeks and internet bloggers who began buzzing about "district 9" a year ago. >> critics got behind it a year early. i don't think it

cnn, johannesburg, south africa. >>> i'm heidi collins, thanks for watching everybody. "cnn newsroom" continues now with don lemon. >> it is wednesday, august 5th. here are some of the top stories right here in the "cnn newsroom." >>> cheers and tears. two american journalists return home after a 4 1/2 months as prisoners in north korea. plus, this -- >> your drinking ability a bust. the economy b minus, foreign policy b minus, health care b. >>> he's grading the president. the obama's presidency approaches the 200-day milestone. cnn i-reporters help grade the president. a remarkable feat in the operation room. doctors pull off a 14-way domino kidney transplant. good morning, everyone. i'm don lemon, tony harris is off today and you are in the "cnn newsroom." >>> and we start out this hour with a joyous homecoming and if you haven't seen these pictures, sit down and take a look at them because laura ling and euna lee overcome with emotion when they arrived in the los angeles area two hours ago. they returned home for a tearful family reunion. we have extensive coverage

there oliver johannesburg, south africa. weep pay serious interest rates and edit cards, so does brazil on its bonds. we s crime rising everywhere, so this argentina which never had a crime problem until basically 1990 we see this dislocation and isolation of people increasingly from their unions come from families and that iq this integrated gbal economy has done or please the way it has been molded and shaped. it is isolated people, separated us from families in unionsnd our te representatives like congressman rush. it is increasingly strange as from these institutions because of course we are no longer their clients. their clients are big business and this is all of the world so you see the sense of the trial in south africa f instance where the aft-- nelson mandela's political party which led this country to its liberation from aparthd and people are growing very sort of leery of it. th still vote for him because there's no alternative but they are wary of the fact that this government hasone increasingly to the right an

hundreds of fans turned out not only to meet her but the entire south african people in johannesburg,ancing carrying signs that said, caster, first lady in sports. the head line. asked to take a gender test before winning the race. look how police had to keep fans away from her. >>> former nfl player plaxico burress spoke for the first time since sentenced to prison for carrying a gun into a night club. he talk about would be the hardest part about going to jail. >> i will be away from my family, my son, and -- i wake up with him every morning. it's going to be an adjustment. and going to be away from my wife. she's pregnant. she's due on thanksgiving day. i'm having a baby girl, i won't even be there for her. >> the full interview can be seen tonight at 7:00 eastern on cnn. >>> a pitcher killed by an alleged drunk driver will see his name live on. because of the efforts of his mom, 150 people turned it out including his mom. the man accused of killing him goes on trial in november. >>> let's leave you with wacky video. this is from the red bull championships. 2004 gold medalist, look

secretary of state hillary clinton meeting privately this hour with nelson mandela in johannesburg, southrms. already spoken to the president about it it's believed he is not interested in harder line strong man. south africa is clinton's second stop on a south african trip. adding $2 billion to the cash for clunker's program means the most polluting vehicles are off the road. do more damage to the treasury than good. taps the $4,500 benefit to consumers actually cost $6,000 for the government. foreign carmakers have benefitted more than domestic ones. disturbing words straight from a killer's mouth. george sodini posted this video a year before he went into the health care and opened fire killing three women. he rants about keeping his emotions in check as he struggles to find love it? >> is easy for me to hide from my emotions for one more day. take a long drive in a car. listen to some music. daydream. or just do some mundane tasks around the house that really doesn't need to be done, that's not too important. and there you go. one more day. and one more day turns into one more year. g

they are all over johannesburg, south africa. weep pay serious interest rates on their credit cards, so does brazil on its bonds. we see crime rising everywhere, so it is argentina which never had a crime proem until basically 1990. we see the dislocation and isolation of people increasingly from their unions, from falies and that is this integrated global economy haq done, at least the way it has been molded and shaped. it is isolated people and separated us from families in unions and our elected representatives like congressman rush. increasingly estranged us from these people who are our representatives bause of course we are no longer their clients. their clients are big business. you see this sense of betrayal and south africa for instance where the african-american congress which led this country to its liberation from apartheid and pple are drawn there and so of leery of it. they still vot for him because there is no alternative but they are wary of the fact that this government has gone increasingly to the right and unem

of this to his appointment secretary, matt connolly, but in the second term connolly found this johannesburg to be overwhelming and he appointed two legislative liaisons. these are the first recorded legislative liaisons in the white house, josive finney, the navy's liaison in the senate and claude mailon in the house. until that point, the cabinet officers were dealing with congress directly as opposed to the white house. they did the leg work for the administration and that allowed truman's top policy people to focus on the larger issues rather than having to worry about appointments to west point and the other concerns that congressmen are always talking about with members of congress. connolly's main function was to keep all of these issues off of truman's desk essentially and so he foisted them off onto 15ey and mailen. in his oral history, finney said truman made it clear that he would be the quarterback and i would be the ballcarrier and i think that description is a good, apt description of the style of truman's working with congress which falls somewhere in between what political sc

of this to his appointment secretary, matt connolly, but in the second term connolly found this johannesburgo be overwhelming and he appointed two legislative liaisons. these are the first recorded legislative liaisons in the white house, josive finney, the navy's liaison in the senate and claude mailon in the house. until that point, the cabinet officers were dealing with congress directly as opposed to the white house. they did the leg work for the administration and that allowed truman's top policy people to focus on the larger issues rather than having to worry about appointments to west point and the other concerns that congressmen are always talking about with members of congress. connolly's main function was to keep all of these issues off of truman's desk essentially and so he foisted them off onto 15ey and mailen. in his oral history, finney said truman made it clear that he would be the quarterback and i would be the ballcarrier and i think that description is a good, apt description of the style of truman's working with congress which falls somewhere in between what political scie

. >> as you know, the secretary is in africa right now, on her way to johannesburg.she looks very much forward to your trip. i don't have anything else, so why don't we put your questions? >> south korean and japanese officials are saying that bill clinton urged north korea to free detained south koreans and make progress on the issue of adopted japanese citizens. can you substantiate any of that? >> i cannot. the president was there on a private humanitarian mission. he may have had discussions on various issues with the north koreans. but i would have to refer you to his office. i don't have any details on those conversations. >> officials briefed reporters the other evening and did say that president clinton did bring up the issue of japanese abductees and south korean detainees. >> i am not necessarily disputing that. i am just saying that i was not privy to those conversations. >> did he have license -- after all, he has an experienced former president -- did he have license to discuss whatever he liked with kim jong il? >> the most important thing to remember i