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Connect the World
Rupert Murdoch Called before British Parliament; The Secrets Behind Phone Hacking; Rory McIlroy Holds Court at British Open Press Conference; Cano Wins Home Run Derby. Crashing Into Controversy; Amsterdam's Flower Market; Connector of the Day: David Schwimmer's Film About Internet Predators; Google Science Fair Showcases Remarkable Youth; Parting Shots of NASA's Last Space Walk
Aired July 12, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Called to account for their actions -- Rupert Murdoch and his top lieutenants are summoned to appear before British lawmakers.
Well, you know what they're accused of, but how was it done?
The dark art of phone hacking exposed.
Then, the Eurozone crisis takes a dangerous turn as investors in Italian debt head for the exits.
And are you smarter than a teenager?
Well, probably not this lot, at least. We'll tell you what they were competing for and who came out on top.
These stories and more tonight, as we connect the world.
Well, what did they know and when did they know it?
Three of the most powerful players in the media business have been requested to testify before a U.K. parliamentary committee over their knowledge and involvement in Britain's ever widening phone hacking scandal.
In the spotlight is the head of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, his son, James, and Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of its U.K. arm, News International.
News Corp has only confirmed senior executives will -- and I know that -- "cooperate on this issue."
Well, today it was the turn of London's top police brass to answer questions about this growing scandal. Officers testified before lawmakers about their investigation into illegal breaches of privacy by the now closed "News of the World" newspaper.
Let's kick off our coverage tonight with our senior international correspondent, Dan Rivers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The multi-faceted phone-hacking scandal is suddenly focused on current and former police officers at London's Scotland Yard. Called before politicians to answer accusations of systemic corruption, incompetence and collusion with "News International," their answers were telling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's be clear that this is -- there's corrupt people in the metropolitan police. We know that as a matter of fact. There always will be.
RIVERS: So who did take bribes?
Among those questioned, former senior police officer Andy Hayman, who now writes for "News International" -- ironic given that he led a criticized investigation against the company for phone hacking in 2006.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Hayman, while a police officer, did you ever receive payment from any news organization?
ANDY HAYMAN, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, MET POLICE: Good God, absolutely not. I can't believe you suggested that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lots of people did.
HAYMAN: Oh, come on. I'm not letting -- I'm not letting you go over there that. Absolutely no way. I can say to you...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Hayman...
HAYMAN: No, come on, Mr. Chairman. That's not fair.
RIVERS: The policewoman leading the current investigation into "News International" phone-hacking says the reputation of the entire metropolitan police force is now on the line.
SUE AKERS, DEPT. ASST. COMMISSIONER, MET POLICE: I think it's everybody's analysis that confidence has -- has been damaged. And I don't -- and I don't doubt if -- if we don't get this right, it will continue to be damaged.
RIVERS: It came on a day of more sensational developments, with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaking of his shock at suggestions his family's intensely personal data was hacked.
GORDON BROWN, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: "The Sunday Times" appears to have got access my Building Society account. They got access to my legal files. There's some question mark about what happened to other files, documentations, tax and everything else. But I'm shocked. I'm genuinely shocked to find that this happened because of their links with criminals.
RIVERS: It is a stinging accusation for News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch and his chief executive, Rebekah Brooks. They insist they knew nothing of nefarious activities at "News International." Already, though, their government support is crumbling.
Prime Minister David Cameron performing a spectacular U-turn, suddenly agreeing with the opposition that News Corp's controversial takeover of satellite broadcaster, BSkyB, should be blocked.
(on camera): And on top of that, Rupert Murdoch, together with his son James and deputy Rebekah Brooks, have been all been called to appear before another powerful parliamentary committee. If they turn up, what they say could be sensational.
Dan Rivers, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the depth of this scandal is now being laid bare, isn't it?
The police have identified almost 4,000 potential victims and a list three times that number of people who may have been targeted.
Let's take a step back for you just for a couple of minutes.
Take a look at the how phone hacking is done and what you perhaps can do to protect yourself.
Here's CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For "News of the World" reporters to have allegedly hacked into the voice-mails of murder victim Milly Dowler, of celebrities or terror victims, experts say they wouldn't have to be experts.
KEVIN MAHAFFEY, LOOKOUT MOBILE SECURITY: There are a lot of easy-to- use techniques and freely available tools that can help hackers get access to your phone.
TODD: In speaking with telecom and cyber-security experts, we picked up three basic techniques hackers can use to get into your voice-mail. First, they can dial into your voice-mail network, keep trying default pass codes like 1111.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Enter your password and the pound sign. Log-in incorrect. Try again.
TODD: Many cell phone providers give users default pass codes to retrieve voice-mails and many users either never bother to change them or change them to bad pass codes, like their birthdays -- information that can be obtained from places like Facebook.
We spoke with Anup Ghosh, founder of Invincea, a cyber-security company.
(on camera): A second method for hacking into someone's voice-mail is to spoof your phone number to make someone's voice-mail think that it's their own phone accessing the voice-mail. To do that, you sometimes can go to a Web site that lets you get a spoofed phone number.
And Anup Ghosh and I are going to do that.
(voice-over): We buy a spoof account on Spoofcard.com -- a legitimate Web site for pranksters. It allows us to call any number we want, make it seem like it's coming from any number we want. Then, from another phone, we call Anup's cell phone, disguised as his own number.
ANUP GHOSH, FOUNDER/CEO, INVINCEA: So I'm going to ignore this phone call.
TODD (on camera): Ignore the call.
OK.
GHOSH (via phone): This is Anup Ghosh. Please leave a message. I'll return your call when I can.
TODD: Now you hit star.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have one unheard message.
TODD: So we were able to hear your voice-mails just now, a very simple process if you just dial a series of numbers.
GHOSH (on camera): That's absolutely right. I have a PIN set up on my voice-mail account, but if I'm dialing my voice-mail account from my phone, I get straight into it.
TODD (voice-over): Some carriers require you to give a pass code to access your voice-mail from your own phone. Some don't, making it easier for hackers. A third method to hack into a voice-mail...
MAHAFFEY: They can call your network operator and pretend to be you and say that they lost your password and that they need to get access to your account, supplying information such as your Social Security number, your date of birth and your mother's maiden name. And they would be able to get access to your full account.
TODD: So how do you protect yourself? Expert says you can call your carrier and set a passcode for your account itself, so that even if a hacker knows a lot of that personal information about you, they don't know that passcode.
(on camera): Experts say you should also keep changing the passwords on your different accounts, maybe as often as you change your toothbrush, like every few months. And limit the amount of personal information about yourself on Facebook and other social media. That's a gold mine for hackers.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, British parliament's powerful Culture, Media and Sport Committee will be looking into the latest developments of this phone scandal. We know Rupert Murdoch, amongst other News Corp executives, has been asked to attend. At this point, they have only said that they will cooperate.
Well, I spoke to the chairman, who will preside over this hearing, John Whittingdale, about what sort of questions he would like to ask them next Tuesday.
This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JONATHAN WHITTINGDALE, CHAIRMAN, BRITISH CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORTS COMMITTEE: Well, the first thing is that James Murdoch has said that he has discovered that parliament -- and that means my committee -- was misled by some of the executives who have given us evidence in the past. So we will obviously what they know who it was who misled parliament and what it was they said which is untrue. And we will what they know more about the full extent of the knowledge of what has been happening in News International.
ANDERSON: What else do you know of?
WHITTINGDALE: There are an awful lot of questions as to why this was allowed to continue for so long; who authorized it; the extent of the activity, not just now, perhaps, in the "News of the World," but, also, we understand, in other News International newspapers, possibly even wider. There are a lot of -- an awful lot of questions that has to be addressed.
ANDERSON: On a scale of one to 10, just how bad is this scandal?
WHITTINGDALE: Oh, I mean I think they become worse by the day. I mean this has been an extraordinary unfolding saga. Every day, it's brought new revelations, the latest that another newspaper within the News International stable was obtaining information about Gordon Brown's child's meddle -- medical records. That is just horrifying if that took place. It means that it wasn't just -- it wasn't just not one rogue reporter. It wasn't even one rogue newspaper. It appears that this is activity that a number of newspapers have undertaken.
ANDERSON:
MPs in the British parliament will vote on Wednesday on a motion urging Rupert Murdoch, the News Corp boss, to withdraw his bid for BSkyB.
How will you vote on that?
WHITTINGDALE: I -- I also understand that the government has indicated that it will be accepting the motion. So I do expect there to be a vote. I would expect that almost of the entire House of Commons, it will be unanimous.
ANDERSON: But do you expect him to go along with you on that?
Will he withdraw his bid?
WHITTINGDALE: I don't know. But I would have thought that if parliament sends a signal as strong as is likely that he will be bery -- very foolish to ignore it.
ANDERSON: Is News Corp or its management fit and proper to run BSkyB?
WHITTINGDALE: Well, one of the things we need to establish -- and this is best done, initially, at least, through a police inquiry, was who exactly knew what was going on and who authorized it?
The question is, how far up the corporation was knowledge of what are illegal activities?
That's one of the things which we will attempt to discover on Tuesday, but also, I'm sure, the police will want to find out about.
ANDERSON: Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Wade Brooks -- could they face criminal investigations at this point?
WHITTINGDALE: Well, very serious criminal activities have taken place. Anybody who was complicit in that, who knew about them, potentially, is vulnerable. We just don't know at the moment how far the knowledge was, how far the authorization of these activities took place.
But in my view, anybody who -- who was shown to be complicit should be -- should be made to take responsibility.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ANDERSON: Jonathan Whittingdale, a British lawmaker, speaking to me earlier today about the twats in what is an ever increasing scandal.
Well, credibility may be important, but cash flow is crucial. News Corp is trying desperately to stop the slide in its stock price. It has announced today it plans to buy back $5 billion of its own shares over the next 12 months. Well, that is one way, of course, of shoring up its share price. Don't forget, this is a company that has lost almost $7 billion of market capitalization since this scandal unfolded.
But it may also be a sign that for now, at least, News Corp has decided to shelve its acquisition -- or its hopes of acquisition of BSkyB. And so the story continues.
Still ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, profiling Osama -- a doctor in Pakistan is accused in a plan to obtain DNA to help the CIA track down bin Laden. That story two minutes away for you.
Then, is Italy the next domino to fall?
In eight minutes here on CONNECT THE WORLD, how the Eurozone crisis could claim its biggest victim yet, with global repercussions.
And more spills than thrills at the Tour de France -- why the victims of this crash may take legal action.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back.
Sixteen minutes past 9:00 in London.
I'm Becky Anderson.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
Let's get you a look at some of the other stories that we're following for you this hour.
And returning to our breaking news and renewed sectarian violence has flared in Northern Ireland. What we are seeing now is new video out of North Belfast, where nationalist youths attending a Protestant Orange Order parade have attacked police, throwing stones, bottles, bricks and fireworks. The correspondent there says two police were set on fire with petrol bombs. Security forces responded with mortar, cannon and rubber bullets.
Well, up to 200 rioters are still on the streets and this comes after rioting in another part of Belfast overnight, where more than 20 police were injured.
Well, Pakistani security forces have arrested a doctor who is accused of assisting U.S. efforts to track down Osama bin Laden. Now, they say the doctor was involved in a vaccination program that was actually a secret effort to collect DNA.
More on this story from Reza Sayah, who is in Islamabad for you this evening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This story sounds like it's straight out of a spy novel. A Pakistani security official telling CNN a Pakistani doctor is in custody, suspected of helping the CIA set up a plot to confirm the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. According to this official, this doctor staged a face vaccination campaign, offering free vaccinations and shots to the children and residents of Abbottabad, where the bin Laden compound was eventually located.
According to the "Guardian" newspaper, this doctor hired two nurses who went from home to home. And the plan was to get to the bin Laden children and somehow extract some blood or use the syringe from the vaccinations to match their DNA samples with DNA samples from bin Laden's sister, who passed away last year in Boston, Massachusetts.
We haven't been able to verify if these nurses made it into the bin Laden compound. We did track down one of the nurses who was allegedly involved in this plot over the phone. And she repeatedly told us that she cannot speak about this matter.
We also spoke to some residents of Abbottabad. At least six of them told us that, indeed, just the days before the bin Laden raid, there were two nurses going around town offering these vaccinations. So a rare glimpse of the lengths the CIA was going to in Abbottabad in the days leading up to this campaign.
As far as the doctor in custody, it's still not clear if he's going to be charged with a crime. The Pakistani government had made it clear that they weren't happy about the raid on the bin Laden compound. They called it a violation of their sovereignty. This doctor's arrest could be some sort of payback or an effort on the part of Pakistani intelligence services to find out exactly how the CIA set up an intricate intelligence network on Pakistani soil behind the government's back.
Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, critics say a new law in Israel will cause unprecedented harm to freedom of expression there. The country's parliament has passed a bill that outlaws calls to boycott the Israeli state and its West Bank settlements or any of their products. Well, Israelis who do so can be sued while organizations can lose their tax-exempt status.
Well, the Knesset's own legal adviser opposed the bill, warning it would be likely overturned by the supreme court. Civil rights groups have already filed challenges.
Well, America's top -- or, sorry. A U.S. Army Ranger is now the second living recipient of the American Medal of Honor for the Iraq and Afghan Wars. Sergeant Leroy Petry was wounded in a firefight in Paktia, in Afghanistan in 2008, when an enemy grenade then landed nearby. He threw it back, but the grenade blew up, blowing off his right hand. Well, his comrades said his actions saved their lives. And U.S. President Barack Obama praised his bravery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, we honor a singular act of gallantry. Yet as we near the tenth anniversary of the attacks that thrust our nation into war, this is also an occasion to pay tribute to a soldier and a generation that has borne the burden of our security during a hard decade of sacrifice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Sergeant Petry called the honor "humbling."
Well, coming up here on CONNECT THE WORLD, concerns of contagion -- Italy is promising to put austerity measures on the fast track.
But will it be enough to douse a spreading debt crisis?
That story right after this short break.
Don't go away.
You're about 90 seconds away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Twenty-three minutes past 9:00 in London.
I'm Becky Anderson.
This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
Well, fear is deepening tonight that Europe's debt crisis could force Greece into default and contaminate Italy and Spain, the Eurozone's third and fourth biggest economies.
Well, Eurozone ministers met again on Tuesday, but still haven't finalized a second bailout for Greece. There are huge divisions over private investor involvement and the risk that it might trigger a default rating.
Well, Greece today flatly said it would not accept any form of default.
Italy's finance minister left the talks to focus on bringing his own country's problems under control. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi today acknowledging, quote, "We are on the front lines in this battle." He's promising to put austerity measures in Italy on the fast track, hoping to prevent the country from being swept into a full scale debt crisis.
Well, Eurozone heads of state could hold a crisis summit this week to try and stop this debt contagion that is completely rattling markets around the world.
I spoke with our John Defterios earlier on, asking him, first, why attention has now turned to Italy.
This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, HOST, "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST": It's quite fascinating. The European Union has this containment strategy to try to limit the trouble to Portugal, Ireland and Greece. You add those economies up, it's $800 billion.
The danger, of course, this is a $2 trillion economy. The debt levels in Italy have been there for the last 20 years. It's a big question mark, is whether they can bring their budget deficit, 9 percent of GDP, down to 3 percent of GDP by 2014.
Now, the fact that the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, said he's going to be leaving in 2013 adds a political element.
Can the finance minister, Mr. Tremonti, deliver these cuts in a very frayed coalition -- Becky.
ANDERSON: This is the man who said, "If I fall, Italy falls, and if Italy falls, the euro falls." So he's -- he's in play there, politically, across the Eurozone.
Is there anything, though, fundamentally wrong with the Italian economy at this point?
DEFTERIOS: Yes, 100 percent is a fundamental challenge. In the 1990s, when they were averaging growth of 2 to 2.5 percent, they could always devalue the lira, the -- the vecchia lira, and export their way out of trouble, particularly the northern half, the very productive half of the country.
That's not an option anymore. They're linked to this euro. And the be -- because of that, they can't get the productivity. So you're looking at long-term unemployment of 8 to 8.5 percent, underemployed graduates, some so frustrated they -- they leave the country.
So this is a huge, huge challenge. They cannot grow their way and service the debt. It's really as simple as that.
ANDERSON: Investors across the Eurozone and evidenced by the euro being at a four month low at the moment, have decided, it seems, that Italian debt is toxic.
Is it?
DEFTERIOS: This is quite a fascinating balance sheet, if you want to put it that way. The Italian government runs a very high debt to GDP, better than 120 percent for 2011. Italian households have very high savings. It sounds very strange. They're very used to buying Italian debt. And there's some concerns that the debt is growing so much that the Italian consumers themselves will not continue to buy it.
So they're asking, look, get your financial house in order, so, in fact, we can lend you some more money. You don't have to pay a premium for the bonds that you put into the market today, which they had to do today.
And that's the biggest challenge -- can they contain the challenges to Southern Europe not hitting the shores of Italy and not spilling over to Spain, two very large economies?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ANDERSON: John speaking to me earlier.
Is there a contagion threat here?
Well, the head of the world's largest bond fund says you can't compare Italy's debt with that of Greece or Ireland, or, indeed, Portugal, because it doesn't pose the same problems, he said.
I spoke with Mohamed El-Erian, asking him whether he is surprised that Italy is the new concern.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CEO, PIMCO: Surprised, no. Worried, yes. Surprised, no, because Europe has failed to get ahead of the crisis. And when you fail to get ahead of a crisis, it becomes more disorderly and it become -- and it spreads quickly.
Worried because Italy is very different from Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Italy is large. Italy is the third biggest issuer of debt. So this marks a significant morphing of the European debt crisis.
ANDERSON: Would you buy Italian sovereign debt?
EL-ERIAN: I certainly would look at it and the time is coming when it would look attractive. I think you have to respect the market technicals. There are many people that have too much Italian debt right now and worried and they're selling in a very indiscriminate fashion.
So I would wait for that wave to go over and then I would look at the situation. And most likely, we would be buyers.
ANDERSON: Would you buy a euro-wide sovereign bond?
Is that even conceivable?
It's certainly something that's doing the rounds at present, not -- not individual domestic debt or sovereign debt, but a euro-wide bond.
EL-ERIAN: We would. This is not a financial issues as much as it is a political issue. If you look at Europe as a whole, Europe looks good. In fact, Europe looks better than the US. The problem is that within Europe, you have extremes. You have Germany, that is taking advantage of years of structural reform and -- and relative fiscal discipline. And at the other end, you have Greece, which is on the verge of a debt restructuring.
So if somehow you could have a fiscal union that makes this one whole, it would be actually attractive. But the likelihood of that, Becky, is very small, because the political issues are huge.
ANDERSON: How long do euro finance ministers have before the markets drive a default in one of these countries, one assumes we probably ought to begin with Greece?
EL-ERIAN: The key thing to watch, Becky, is not as much the market as bank depositors. What ultimately creates a crisis that you can't bring back is when depositors run on the banks. So the key element to look at right now is what Greek depositors are doing.
And so far, they've been taking out their money, but not in size. So this is why the Europeans have been able to delay and delay. But the key element -- and I can't stress this enough -- is bank deposits in the most vulnerable economies.
ANDERSON: Do you see a time any day soon when there will be a run on one of these banks or these banks in one of these countries?
EL-ERIAN: It's a risk that we worry about. It's something that we monitor very carefully. You know, people aren't patient forever.
And I asked a question, suppose that your mother was in Greece and suppose that she called you and asked, should I keep my money in a Greek bank?
What would you tell her?
Most of us would say don't.
ANDERSON: If you were to take a punt on whether the euro would exist this time next year with 17 members, what would you say?
EL-ERIAN: I would say the euro will exist, that the core of Europe is strong. Whether it's 17 members or a smaller number is more of a question mark, but I have no doubt in my mind that the euro will exist. I just think that the euro zone will look differently.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Wise words. That's a man who can move markets.
Still ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD here from CNN in London, crashing into controversy, why this Tour de France tumble could end up in court.
Then, do you understand what this 14-year-old scientist is talking about?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN HODGE, SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST: I was basically studying the effects of marinades on chicken. When you grill chicken, there are actually proteins that form carcinogens when you grill them, and I was just studying the effects on marinades, and some marinades actually interfere with the process and stop the carcinogens from forming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, get it? Well her award-winning discovery and more revealed later in the program.
And the film that confronts the internet's dangerous underbelly. Our big interview tonight is with "Trust" director David Schwimmer. It's something all parents should see. That is 20 minutes away here on CNN.
Taking a short break. Be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're back with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. Let's get you a check of the headlines this hour.
Returning to our breaking news this hour, the fresh rioting in Northern Ireland. Nationalist youths in north Belfast have attacked police ahead of Protestant Orange Order parade, throwing stones, bottles, bricks, and fireworks, we're told.
A correspondent there says two policemen were set on fire with petrol bombs. Security forces responded with mortar cannon and rubber bullets.
In Britain's phone-hacking scandal, media baron Rupert Murdoch, his son James, and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks have been asked to testify before a parliamentary committee next week. News Corporation confirms only that its senior executives will cooperate in the matter.
The Taliban say they are behind the assassination of one of Afghanistan's most powerful and controversial figures. Hamid Karzai's half-brother was shot at his home in Kandahar by one of his guards. He was a key power broker with alleged ties to drug trafficking.
Syria's government is accusing the US of flagrant interference after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said President Bashar al-Assad has lost his legitimacy. The state-run news agency quotes a Syrian source who says Syria's leaders are pursuing reforms such as the recent national dialogue meaning.
And Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says his government is determined to push through an austerity bill soon. Lawmakers suggest that it could happen this week. The $56 billion measure is meant to help Italy avoid getting sucked into what is an ever-deepening euro zone debt crisis.
The editor of the controversial WikiLeaks website will be back in a London court on Wednesday for day two on his appeal against extradition. Julian Assange is wanted in Sweden for questioning over sexual assault claims. His lawyers say a judge's decision in February to honor the extradition order was flawed.
My colleague Alex Thomas joins me now with your sports headlines.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Becky. In years gone by, the absence of Tiger Woods would have cast a shadow over Britain's Open golf championship, but not with Rory McIlroy around.
The young Northern Irishman held court in front of a packed news conference at Royal St. Georges earlier, 48 hours before he tees off in the third major of the year.
McIlroy's the bookies' favorite after his runaway victory in last month's US Open, and the 22-year-old says that success has made it easier because he no longer has to answer questions about when he'll win one of golf's big four tournaments.
From golf's big hitters to baseball's top batters and the Yankees' Robinson Cano faces his dad, a former MLB pitcher, in Monday night's Home Run Derby.
Named after the legendary Jackie Robinson, Cano won the competition with a thrilling display of power hitting, clearing the fence on 20 occasions to pit Boston Red Sox star Adrian Gonzales to the title. A bit of fun 24 hours before the All-Star game, Becky.
ANDERSON: Those are your headlines. Don't go away. I want our viewers to see what was a pretty frightening Tour de France crash I know has captured world attention and now sparked at least two investigations and possible threats to sue.
Team Sky's Juan-Antonio Flecha was hit by a television technician's car on Sunday's ninth stage. Now, the Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland was sent flying into a barbed wire fence and needed 33 stitches to treat deep gashes in his leg. His team hasn't ruled out legal action, and Team Sky also looking into their legal options.
Local police and world cycling's ruling body are investigating this. And it's not, Alex, the only serious crash, I believe, during the rounds this year at the Tour de France.
What are teams' options when riders are taken out? I've always wondered, actually, why this doesn't happen more often. But what are their options when people are taken out like that?
THOMAS: It does happen as often as this, actually. It just felt worse this year because some of the big names have been caught up in it and because of the particular routes the Tour de France organizers have chosen this time.
But actually, their options aren't that great, really, because essentially, this is an invitation race. The world's cycling governing body does get involved. But the teams have to rely on goodwill from the race organizers, and they want to put on a good spectacle for TV and spectators. So, it's no surprise the car that knocks over these riders was a television camera crew.
Now, sure, they should be more careful, shouldn't they? There's no point in running over the riders if you're trying to film them. But nonetheless, it's done a different way. It's part of the charm of it.
So, when you see all the spectators crowding onto the course almost knocking over the spectators, and we've seen that in the past. Fans running alongside the cyclists, patting them on the back, almost knocking them over, you think it's chaos, but it's kind of a part of it.
The cyclists are getting to the stage now, in this era of professional sport, where enough is enough. And there are sort of threats of legal action going on.
ANDERSON: Who's going to win this?
THOMAS: It's hard to say at this state. There was the moan that we've not seen the true picture emerge, because that crash took place on Sunday, the day before the rest day, and we could have a breath, take stock. We've seen nine days go past.
The defending champion Alberto Contador's back in 16th place overall, four minutes behind the leader, who's a Frenchman who's OK, but not an absolute star of cycling. They're waiting for the next star to come out after lots of doping controversies in recent years. Too hard to say.
Keep your eye out for the Schleck brothers from Luxembourg, Frank and Andy. They were involved in a crash today. Nothing as bad as the one we saw, but they've been consistent performers.
ANDERSON: Schleck on cycling, watch those boys, the Schlecks. And for more, much more sport, including a look, of course, inside London's Olympic Stadium, tune into "World Sport" on the bottom of the hour with Alex --
THOMAS: I'll be back then, Becky.
ANDERSON: -- my colleague. All right. All around the world, Holland is famous for its flowers, isn't it? Just a few miles from Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, a hive activity. From the warehouse to your home, a big business trade route is in focus up next as our Gateway series continues. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: If you are a regular viewer of CONNECT THE WORLD, you'll have seen part of our new Gateway series. This is an in-depth look at the world's busiest transport hubs for you.
Around the world, flowers are often a part of life's big moments, aren't they? And that makes them big business as well. So, I went behind the scenes at a global flower market very close to Amsterdam's Schipol Airport which, let me tell you, was in full bloom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Early morning at the Aalsmeer Flower Market, and Aard Broekhuizen is checking the quality of the products ready for sale.
AARD BROEKHUIZEN, QUALITY CONTROLLER, FLORAHOLLAND: Well, it's about 6:00 now, so I think the gong will go. There we have the gong.
(GONG RINGS)
BROEKHUIZEN: That means that the show begins.
ANDERSON: This is FloraHolland, only a few miles from Schipol Airport. The auction house at the center of the Dutch flower trade handles over 60 percent of the world's flowers on a daily bases, coming from as far afield as Kenya and South America.
TIMO HUGES, CEO, FLORAHOLLAND: We are the gateway to Europe. All these flowers have been flown in to Schipol Airport. This is by far the biggest flower auction in the world.
ANDERSON: Flowers and plants arrive here every day just 12 hours before the auction starts at 6:00 AM.
ANDERSON (on camera): What is remarkable is the sheer scale of FloraHolland's operation here at Aalsmeer. I'm told that these premises are nearly the size of the principality of Monaco.
HUGES: The flower industry is one of the nine top sectors in the Netherlands. It's about a total export value of $6 billion on a yearly basis.
ANDERSON (voice-over): For the business to bloom, keeping these delicate commodities fresh is important.
BROEKHUIZEN: This is the refrigerated store where we check the roses on quantity and quality. It's two degrees Celsius, and -- because of the fact that otherwise the flowers will open too soon.
ANDERSON: Think of Holland, think of tulips, but it was roses that were 2010's top-selling flower here, turning over in excess of a billion dollars.
BROEKHUIZEN: These roses are from Gania (ph). We check them on diseases, if you take a bunch out you take away the sleeve, then you can see that the leaves are healthy.
Every day you work with the flowers. The queen from the flowers is the rose.
ANDERSON: As the day unfolds, colorful trollies are carried at speed through the auction rooms.
Here, florists and wholesalers can buy directly from the grower, placing their bids with the touch of a button via a countdown clock.
HENK VISSER, AUCTIONEER, FLORAHOLLAND: It's about 300, 400 people in the room itself, and also there's a lot of buyers that are outside the auction that has access to the same flowers, so it's very highly competitive.
ANDERSON (on camera): How important is this auction to the global flower market?
VISSER: Well, FloraHolland is, as you can see, the Wall Street of the flower market. We are market leader number one in the world.
ANDERSON: It is a race against time, as you can see. As many as 50 million cut flowers and pot plants were delivered here last night. They've been bought at auction just moments ago, and now they're being moved around this warehouse to wherever their buyer's lot is, and it is quite frenetic.
So, this is rush hour, at this point, effectively.
PETER BRASPENNING, FLORAHOLLAND: Yes. This is really rush hour. The rush hour starts at 6:00 and say, about 11:00, it stays the same.
ANDERSON: Amazing.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It's now 11:00 AM, and trading has ceased for the day. The flowers are now on their way around the world, by road, by rail, and by air.
VISSER: The customers that we have in Germany, they will already receive the flowers later this evening. In general, you can say that within 24 hours after buying, lots of flowers already received at their destination.
ANDERSON: Whether they are on a plane destined to the Far East or being clutched in the hands of people waiting in arrivals, these delicate commodities have traveled far, and our celebrations and happy returns wouldn't be the same without them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That is, of course, Schipol, and that is Schipol Airport, very close to FloraHolland.
If you think what you've got takes -- what it takes, sorry, to be an expert on Schipol Airport, we want to test your stuff, but we've got a special quiz all about the Dutch Airport on our Facebook page. That's the airport that we're featuring on the Gateway this month. Now, visit facebook.com/CNNconnect and find out how you can get involved.
Up next on CONNECT THE WORLD this evening, one of the world's best "Friends" gets serious. David Schwimmer moves behind the camera to tackle the dangers of finding friends online in his new film "Trust." Stay with us for your big interview with the American actor, three minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: In your big interview here on CONNECT THE WORLD tonight, we are about to approach an issue that most of us, particularly if you're a parent, would rather not have to think about. But in this age of the internet, online grooming, as it's called, is a reality that we all need to be aware of.
Now, we are talking about sexual predators targeting kids via social networking sites. The new film "Trust," directed by David Schwimmer, confronts this ugly underbelly of the community and serves as a warning that not all friends are what they seem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ANISTON AS RACHEL, "FRIENDS": I could not have done this without you!
ANDERSON (voice-over): David Schwimmer rose to fame as Ross Geller, a hapless dinosaur-loving star of "Friends."
DAVID SCHWIMMER AS ROSS, "FRIENDS": More clothes in the dryer?
ANDERSON: That show became one of the most successful TV sitcoms of all time. But, despite his achievements as an actor, Schwimmer has now decided to move behind the camera.
SCHWIMMER: Cut!
ANDERSON: And the new feature film he's directed is far from the feel-good show that made him famous.
LIANA LIBERATO AS ANNIE, "TRUST": I'm chatting, Dad. My friend Charlie from California, he's a junior and plays volleyball for his high school.
CLIVE OWEN AS WILL, "TRUST": Oh, a junior. Well, he's obviously a very smart kid. LOL, laugh out loud, right?
LIBERATO AS ANNIE: Nice one, Dad.
ANDERSON: "Trust" is a story of a 14-year-old girl, Annie, who's groomed online by a 40-year-old man posing as someone younger.
CHRIS HENRY COFFEY AS GRAHAM WESTON, "TRUST": What's wrong?
LIBERATO AS ANNIE: You're not 25.
ANDERSON: It's a dark subject, and one that is rarely the focus of a Hollywood movie, but this issue is close to Schwimmer's heart.
SCHWIMMER: It's really inspired by the work I've been doing with this organization the last 14 years called the Rape Foundation, and through the people I've gotten to meet there and work with.
I've met a lot of child victims of sexual assault, a lot of grooming victims, internet grooming victims, and their parents and befriended a couple of guys in the FBI that work to solve those crimes and some of the counselors that work with the kids to get them on track to a normal life again.
And I was just really concerned and really alarmed by the increasing number of these cases over the last decade, started developing the script seven years ago, and it seems like it's even more prevalent than it was and there are even more dangers out there for kids online now with cyber-bullying and other things.
And I thought, well, this is something I haven't really seen in film before, so I thought I'd try to tell that story.
ANDERSON: The film, which stars Oscar nominees Clive Owen and Catherine Keener and newcomer Liana Liberato shows how Annie struggles with her feelings for her predator, even after she's been raped.
LIBERATO AS ANNIE: He loves me. I know he does. And he's dying to call me or e-mail me, but he knows it's not safe.
ANDERSON: We also see how the incident threatens to tear her shell-shocked family apart.
OWEN AS WILL: I can't stop thinking about it.
CATHERINE KEENER AS LYNN, "TRUST": She's in pain, she needs you, and to just -- you're sitting there doing nothing.
ANDERSON (on camera): This is an amazing movie. It's a tough watch. Intentionally so?
SCHWIMMER: Yes. I mean, it's real. It's what -- it's -- these people go through tough things. And it's not easy watching such innocence be -- well, such innocence lost, really. It's painful for any of us to think of something happening to a child and to see their life forever changed by it.
LIBERATO AS ANNIE: Don't you get it? There's nothing anybody can say. My life is ruined!
ANDERSON: You have a seven-week-old baby yourself, now, so this movie, of course, will be very pertinent, going forward, won't it?
SCHWIMMER: Yes, although to be honest, it'll probably be outdated by the time my daughter's old enough to be online, although they say that three- year-olds are online, and the most addictive device is an iPhone.
But no, I think technology is just -- it's just happening so fast, and every few years there's a new social network or a new device or a new invention.
And so, by the time my daughter is of age where this is going to be a concern, I'll just have to be on my toes. My wife and I will just have to be really ready for and educate ourselves and be present parents. It's all you can do.
OWEN AS WILL: You spoke to him?
ANDERSON (voice-over): Schwimmer says his film is a call to action for parents all over the world.
ANDERSON (on camera): The movie couldn't be more timely. What sort of message do you want the audience to take away?
SCHWIMMER: Well, I guess more than anything, I just want the audience to take away the idea of talk more to your kids and be present parents. Really be informed and present and ask questions and ask your kids to tell you who they're talking to.
If you don't know who they're talking to every night when they go to bed in the dark in their bedroom, you probably should find out.
I hope, though, that ultimately the message is inspiring and a positive one and you see the strength of this family and the love of this -- between the parents, especially Clive Owen's character, as the father, and his daughter, and what their relationship survives.
Because they are really tested, and yet it seems like by the end they're on their way to an even stronger relationship.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Parent and preacher, it's a far cry from his old job, but Schwimmer says he has no regrets.
ANDERSON (on camera): A question from one of our viewers, Tiffany, who says, does it bother you that many know you only for your work on "Friends"?
SCHWIMMER: No, it doesn't bother me. I'm really proud of that show, and I'm proud of the work we all did for ten years on that show, so I -- it doesn't bother me at all. I'm happy about that. I do hope that they check out other work I've done, whether it's an actor -- as an actor or director.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: David Schwimmer for you. Children, of course, need to be careful online, but it goes without saying that internet provides a wealth of knowledge, entertainment, and opportunity for kids to enjoy, of course.
Google's science fair is a place for creative teens with a science project and a dream to showcase their talent. Thousands have participated from around the world. Our CNN Silicon Valley correspondent, Dan Simon, has more on the young minds already shaping the future. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm telling you, some of these kids could be scientists today, that's no exaggeration.
Google put out word to kids all over the planet and said, come up with your best science experiment and put your project online, and some of these submissions were pretty incredible, and the topics really ranged from health to education to green energy.
And we were there yesterday and talked to some of these kids, take a look.
We're at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California for what the company says is the largest science fair in the world. They got 7500 entries from teenagers all over the planet, and now it's down to the final 15.
What is your project, what were you trying to look for?
LAUREN HODGE, SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST: I was basically studying the effects of marinades on chicken. When you grill chicken, there are actually proteins that form carcinogens when you grill them, and I was just studying the effects on marinades, and some marinades actually interfere with the process and stop the carcinogens from forming.
ANAND SRINIVASAN, SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST: I came across this unique engineering problem constructing a replacement for the irreplaceable human limb.
SIMON: What do you want your technology to lead to, ultimately?
SRINIVASAN: This was designed with amputees in mind.
DANIEL ARNOLD, SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST: Basically I'm testing different types of track switches to see which ones prevent derailments if a train runs through them the wrong way.
SIMON: And where did this interest come from in studying train derailments?
ARNOLD: Well, as you can see from the wall back here, I've been interested in trains for a long time. I volunteer on trains in San Diego.
SIMON: Well, the winner was a teenager from Fort Worth, Texas. Her name is Shree Bose, and she developed some theories about ovarian cancer and drugs to treat the cancer, and according to the judges, she helped create a -- better the understanding of cancers in general.
And look, she's just a high school student from Fort Worth, Texas, and she went in front of this incredible panel of science luminaries and Nobel laureates, and they said she is the winner. And she will get a $50,000 scholarship to the college of her choice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Oh, come on, Dan, she's already 17. Clearly, those students will be taking the science world by storm in the future, and after seeing our Parting Shots tonight, they might just be eyeing up the jobs of some real high fliers.
Nearly 400 kilometers above Earth, two crewmen did a series of jobs on the International Space Station on Tuesday. Mike Fossum and Ron Garan retrieved a broken ammonia pump and set up a robotic refueling experiment.
Now, it is the 160th spacewalk from the station. The US Space Shuttle "Atlantis" is, of course, currently docked there for the last time.
I'm Becky Anderson, that is your world connected. Thank you for watching. The world news headlines and "BackStory" will follow this short break. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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