CNN news 2015-04-18 加文本

cnn news 2015-04-18

CARL AZUZ, cnn STUDENT NEWS HOST: Hope your Wednesday`s going well so far. I`m Carl Azuz. It`s great to have you watching cnn STUDENT NEWS today.

First up, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the leader of Iraq, visited the White House yesterday. One major focus of his visit: funding. Iraq is facing a budget deficit of 22 billion dollars this year. President Obama pledged 200 million dollars to help Iraqi communities and the people who are struggling. But Prime Minister al-Abadi is seeking much more and meeting with other international officials to request it.

In addition to recovering from years of war, Iraq is fighting ISIS: Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It wants to form a new country in the region based on its severe terpretation of Islam. Late last week, ISIS attacked Iraq`s largest oil refinery and said it took control of part of it. Iraqi forces denied that claim, saying they were in full control. Most of Iraq`s revenue comes from oil sales, but low global oil prices are hurting its economy.

We`re moving now to East Asia. Since 1953 when fighting ended in the Korean War, North and South Korea had been divided by the demilitarized zone. It`s actually the most heavily militarized border in the world, with forces built up on each side of it. An international group of female activists is hoping to walk across it from North to South. Their intention is to promote peace in the Korean peninsula and bring divided families together. North Korea says it supports to march, but the U.S. is repeating its warning for American citizens not to travel to North Korea. A communist dictatorship

with a bad human rights record. If and when the activists reach the demilitarized zone, here is what they can expect to see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we`re going here onto the actual line to go into North Korea and I actually have to walk this way. We can`t shoot left, we can`t shoot right. We can only shoot forward. There`s a lot of restrictions on our cameras. But to get here, we have to go through three checkpoints, we passed some anti-tank explosives and now we`re about to go into these blue rooms and into the North Korea line.

So the North Koreans and the South Koreans still meet in this room?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. The last known visit was 2008.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Literally, these microphones on the table are what defines the line. So North Korea on this side, South Korea on that side. It seems so easy. It`s just one step. But when you think about all of the miniaturization and what you go through and the barbed wire, it`s certainly far from easy.

This concrete slab is literally the border. We`re shooting it from the northern side. Seventeen inches by five inches. Concrete. That`s it. That marks the border. It`s been here since 1953. And now the way that they pass messages, it`s pretty amazing. They don`t use email, they don`t actually even use a phone. There is a phone but it rings and rings, the North Koreans don`t answer it. They actually, by bullhorn, communicate to the North Koreans.

When we were inside the building, we could walk onto the North Korean side of it. But if I were to do that outside the building, to actually step over that line here, what would happen to me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would happen is all of these soldiers here would make an attempt to stop you. Especially me. And once you get over there, there is - no longer anyone to help you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What would the North Koreans do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably run down there and grab you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the South Korean soldiers, this is the most prestigious assignment there is. To serve here, in the DMZ, they have to be at least 5`9", which is taller than average, and every single one of them has a black belt in Taekwondo.

So North Korean and South Korean soldiers stand here every single day and stare at each other. The South Korean soldiers are right behind me, and then you can see that concrete building. That`s where North Korean tourists can come to visit the DMZ. And apparently, a lot of Chinese actually come through the North Korean side as well.

And then there`s that soldier. He stands there every single day, but the South Koreans and the Americans don`t know his name so they just refer to him as "Bob."