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What's Next for Yemen?; E. Coli Outbreak; Turning Point in Libya?

Aired June 6, 2011 - 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, HOST: Welcome to NEWS STREAM, where news and technology meet.

I'm Kristie Lu Stout, in Hong Kong.

Now, sniper fire replaces celebrations in Sanaa, as there are reports that Yemen's president will return to his capital after undergoing surgery in Saudi Arabia.

Ordinary people hoping to make an extraordinary difference to their community. Find out how they are taking a stand against slavery.

And we go into the world of cloud computing, an idea that sounds futuristic, but we'll show you how you're probably already using it.

Now, as Yemen's president recovers from two operations in Saudi Arabia, we are hearing reports of fresh violence in Sanaa. Now, government snipers have broken a cease-fire and killed three Hashid tribesmen. Now, that is according to a spokesman for the tribal leader. Now, there has been no immediate response from the Republican Guard, which is headed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh's eldest son.

Meanwhile, Saudi state TV says that Mr. Saleh will return to Yemen. He went to rehab for treatment after he was wounded in Friday's attack on the presidential palace.

We brought you first word of an attack here on NEWS STREAM. Now, conflicting reports on the president's condition have been merging since then.

Now, first, a senior government official told CNN that Saleh sustained a slight injury to the head, but he was fine. And then Saleh himself, in a radio address, he said this to the nation on Friday -- he insisted that he was in good health. Now, on Saturday, Yemeni officials, they denied reports that Mr. Saleh had traveled to Saudi Arabia for treatments. But on Sunday, a ruling party official confirmed that the preside was in Riyadh, but said that it was just for simple checkups.

But some Western sources say that Mr. Saleh had neurosurgery. In fact, one senior U.S. official says the president has shrapnel wounds and severe burns to his face and chest, adding, it's unclear just how serious those injuries are.

Some anti-government protesters are celebrating Mr. Saleh's departure, but the situation remains very uncertain.

Our Mohammed Jamjoom is following developments from CNN Abu Dhabi.

And Mohammed, more on the status on this cease-fire in Sanaa.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, we've heard the last several hours that it's been relatively peaceful in Sanaa, a lot more quiet and peaceful than it has been the previous two weeks when there were these raging street battles that have been going on between tribesmen and government forces. But it is a very worrying development that the spokesman for Sadeq al-Ahmar -- he's the tribal leader of the Hashid tribe -- that's the tribe that's been battling it out with government forces -- that this spokesperson has been saying that three tribesmen were killed by government snipers in the last several hours since the tribesmen agreed to a cease-fire with the country's vice president.

Right now, everybody is still tense in Sanaa. The people I'm speaking with, the eyewitnesses, the activists, the people out in Change Square, the demonstrators, they are concerned that the cease-fire is a fragile one. That even though it's been calm, that anything could happen, because there are still a lot of different military factions, a lot of tribesmen, a lot of different people mixing in the streets there. So it's still a volatile situation.

As of now, violence hasn't erupted. But the fact that you now have a tribesman there saying that three of his fighters were killed by government forces is very worrying and causing a lot of concern at this hour -- Kristie.

STOUT: Now, the Yemeni vice president is leading Yemen in Mr. Saleh's absence, but just how much power does he really have?

JAMJOOM: Well, Kristie, this is a key question. Everybody's been wondering this now.

The vice president there is a respected figure politically, but he doesn't wield nearly as much power as President Saleh. And one of the things that's concerning people about the power vacuum and as far as how much power the vice president actually holds is the fact that even though Saleh has left the country, there's a lot of power that's still concentrated in the hands of his family.

The Republican Guard there is led by Saleh's son, and the counterterrorism unit, the central security forces, is led by President Saleh's nephew. So, even if the vice president is being supported by more groups there, the fact of the matter is that he's going to have to contend with very strong leaders, very strong military units there that basically are loyal to Saleh. So that's one factor.

But we're hearing more now from opposition figures and people that belong to the youth revolutionary movement that they're willing to give the vice president a chance. We spoke a little while ago to a senior JMP, Joint Meeting Parties, opposition figure named Ahmed Bahri, and he said that the opposition had no problem with the VP if he's serious about change.

He said, "The vice president has been respected by all the political factions for decades, but Saleh did not give him a chance to lead. Today is his opportunity to repay the Yemeni people for their patience and work for the sake of the people and not for Saleh."

So, again, you see people starting to give tentative support to the vice president, but whether or not this support will hold, that's still very much to be seen -- Kristie.

STOUT: And President Saleh himself, what is the latest on his condition? And will he return to Yemen?

JAMJOOM: More and more people in Yemen are convinced that President Saleh is not going to return. But there's no real firm evidence to base that on.

A lot of people have been speculating from within Yemen, people from different political groups and activists, many people speculating the last two days that the fact that he's left means that he won't return, because if he returned, it would be all-out chaos again. But again, no firm evidence to back that up.

The Saudis are saying today that Saleh underwent two operations and that he will return. Because the Saudis announced that, more and more people that were celebrating in Yemen yesterday because President Saleh had departed are now a bit more worried, are now thinking maybe they were celebrating a bit too prematurely, because now they're worried they're going to have to contend with Saleh trying to return.

As far as the extent of his injuries, still a lot of speculation out there. All day yesterday we heard from lots of different officials -- Western officials, Yemeni officials -- all contradicting each other as to the nature of his wounds, what kind of surgery he was undergoing. So we're still trying to get a clear picture on that.

A lot more questions to be answered in the coming days -- Kristie.

STOUT: Mohammed Jamjoom, with the latest on Yemen.

Thank you very much indeed.

Now, in Europe, test results are expected soon that could determine where a deadly E. coli outbreak began. German health officials are pointing to a bean sprout farm in northern Germany as the likely source. They have shut down production there and recalled food grown there at the farm.

Now, the E. coli outbreak, it has spread quickly. Twenty-two people have died and 2,200 have been infected. Now, all the deaths except one occurred in Germany, but at least 12 countries have reported E. coli cases so far including Austria, France, Spain and Switzerland.

Frederik Pleitgen has been following the deadly outbreak, and he joins us now from the suspected source in the German city of Bienenbuettel.

And Fred, nothing confirmed, but we now know the most likely source of the outbreak. Tell us more.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly what German health officials say, Kristie. They say that this sprout farm in northern Germany, in Bienenbuettel, is the possible source of this E. coli outbreak.

Now, what they do say is that they're still awaiting lab results to see whether or not they actually find E. coli bacteria here in the sprouts that were produced at this farm. But they also say they're not sure if they're still going to be able to trace these E. coli here simply because they believe it was produced about four weeks ago and that, probably, all of the E. coli-infected sprouts, if in fact they do come from here, probably have already been sold.

Now, what they are saying is they've shut down the farm here. They're also trying to recall all the products that went out of here in the past month. And they're also urging people not to eat any sprouts at this point in time.

So, again, they're waiting for these test lab results, but what they did do is they basically went backwards in the food chain. They went to a lot of the restaurants where people ate who later said that they had been affected by E. coli. Also, cafeterias. Also, people whom they spoke to who said that they ate sprouts before becoming affected, and that they went back in the food chain and said that they ended up at exactly this place, that all of the areas in Germany that were affected by this E. coli outbreak got their sprouts from this particular place. And that's why they think they have pretty strong evidence to suggest that this is where it might have originated -- Kristie.

STOUT: Quite an amount of detective work there to locate the center or the potential source of this outbreak.

Now, Fred, what is the reaction among German authorities? The government had earlier blamed Spain, so Berlin must surely be embarrassed.

PLEITGEN: Well, they certainly are somewhat embarrassed. On the other hand, German politicians are saying that they informed the public according to what they knew at that point in time. And they felt that it was still very important, even though now, of course, it has come out that it probably is a different source.

And on the other hand, now, of course, they're being very careful about whether or not this could actually be the origin of this E. coli outbreak, because they don't want to make the same mistake again. But certainly if you speak to people here in this village, they will tell you that they had absolutely no idea that anything could happen here.

Of course a lot of people were simply hearing from German authorities and media here that the possible outbreak came from cucumbers. I want you to listen to what one person said who comes from this place and lives right next to this farm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM FRANZ, RESIDENT (through translator): I couldn't believe it at first. It was quite surprising because you don't expect it to be right where you are. You hear about it in the news, but it's surprising to find it right on your own doorstep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So a lot of people here who are very surprised, a lot of people here who, of course, for the past couple of weeks, have basically stopped eating vegetables altogether. Now it looks like they might have some more clarity, but again, we are awaiting those test results and then we might know whether or not indeed at least this place here in northern Germany could be one of the sources, if not the only one, for these E. coli bacteria -- Kristie.

STOUT: Let's hope we get an answer soon.

Frederik Pleitgen, joining us live from northern Germany.

And still to come here on NEWS STREAM, NATO is now using attack helicopters in Libya. Will they mark a turning point in the conflict?

Plus, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is due in court in less than 90 minutes, and we'll bring you a live report from New York.

And raising awareness of a modern-day nightmare. Find out how some women in Ohio are taking a stand against slavery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, Israeli soldiers are reinforcing borders with Syria after a day of deadly clashes. Pro-Palestinian protesters tried to break through as they marked the anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War.

Now, Syrian media report that 23 people were killed. These demonstrations in Lebanon show support for those who died on Sunday, but the Israeli military blames 10 deaths on the protesters themselves. It also points the finger at Syria.

Kevin Flower has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN FLOWER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They gathered just before noon on a hill overlooking the fence that separates Syria and the Golan Heights. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, marking the anniversary of the 1967 war that led to the loss of large swaths of Arab- controlled land to Israel.

Waving flags and throwing rocks, the demonstrators moved toward the Israeli-controlled security fence. There, they were met with stun grenades and live fire. Amid the chaos, the dead and wounded were carried away in makeshift stretchers.

It marks the second time in three weeks that violence has broken out here. And once again, the Israeli military said it warned protesters to turn back before resorting to lethal force it said was justified to counter a Syrian- sponsored attempt to infiltrate Israeli territory.

LT. COL. AVITAL LEIBOWITZ, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESWOMAN: The Syrian regime deliberately is trying to divert the world attention from the bloodshed that is taking place inside Syria to the Israeli/Syrian border.

FLOWER: But it was not only in the Golan that Palestinians were protesting. On the Gaza Strip, Hamas security forces had to keep hundreds of angry protesters away from the towering concrete wall that separates the coastal enclave from Israel. And at a West Bank checkpoint, Israeli security forces turned back demonstrators trying to make their way to Jerusalem with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons. The clashes lasted for several hours, with Israeli military taking position on the roofs of Palestinian homes.

(on camera): So protests like these are becoming increasingly common, and many people think they're only going to get worse as we get closer to September, when a U.N. vote on the recognition of a Palestinian state is expected to take place.

(voice-over): In the meantime, Palestinian activists say they will continue to try to capitalize on the sense of energy and momentum unleashed in the Arab Spring by staging more protests. And both sides are bracing for more violence.

Kevin Flower, CNN, at the Kolondia (ph) checkpoint in the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, Russia is sending a special envoy to Libya to meet with rebel leaders, but he is not ruling out holding similar talks with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. NATO aircraft again bombed parts of Tripoli on Sunday. The alliance says that all targeted sites threatened civilians. A government official says one of the explosions struck an old military station.

Let's get the latest on these and other developments from CNN Senior International Correspondent Dan Rivers. He is live in Tripoli.

And Dan, have we reached a turning point in Libya?

DAN RIVERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the deployment of attack helicopters in the east by NATO is being seen by some military analysts as a big development. They are fearsome machines that have been used in conflicts in the past such as the Gulf War in 1991. They're equipped with very advanced radar and infrared, enabling them to fly in almost any conditions, day or night, and are armed with Hellfire missiles and .30 millimeter cannons that some people think could be a real game-changer on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (voice-over): Is this the turning point in Libya? NATO hopes so. French Tiger helicopters lift off and, for the first time, are striking pro-Gadhafi forces. And here, British Apaches are hitting military targets near the strategically important town of Al-Brega. Military analysts say it might just tip the momentum towards the rebels.

These are U.S. Apaches on training exercise in South Korea last year. The pilots told me there's nothing to match their maneuverability and firepower. In Libya, their deployment could be critical, but their low- level flying will make them much more vulnerable than the high-level jets that had been the main attack force until now.

NATO says that part of the campaign is continuing. Here, British Tornadoes his targets in Al-Brega, but there have also been more airstrikes in the capital, Tripoli.

We were taken to a Coptic church by government minders southwest of the capital. One priest claimed NATO bombs had been falling all around for five days. There were some broken windows, but that was all.

(on camera): The lack of damage in this church perhaps speaks more of the accuracy of some of these NATO airstrikes. In fact, we can't see any damage at all in here. Yet, right next door, what looks like a military installation has been completely destroyed.

(voice-over): Government officials didn't want us to film this building next door. Apparently, some sort of military installation which looks like it's been bombed.

Nine-year-old Mora (ph) had taken shelter in the church with her father when the bombs fell.

MORA (ph), TOOK SHELTER IN CHURCH: I was feeling that the place that I was sitting in was thrown (ph) at me, but that didn't happen. I was very, very afraid here.

RIVERS: The visit to this church was carefully orchestrated by the Libyan government, but the turmoil these children are living through is very real, and they, like everyone here, have no idea when and how this will all end.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: We are still hearing the rumble of NATO jets around the capital as I speak, Kristie. So, the missions to target command and control facilities here in Tripoli and elsewhere, further to the east, continue. But as I say, the deployment of those attack helicopters may prove crucial in trying to move the front further west towards Tripoli.

STOUT: And Dan, there were more NATO strikes against targets in Tripoli on Sunday. What is the aftermath of those airstrikes?

RIVERS: Well, we were taken to a couple of different places, one in a sort of residential area, sort of east of the capital, where government minders showed us a crater with what appeared to be the remains of some sort of munitions rocket in it. We were unable to confirm whether that was the result of a NATO airstrike or something that had been staged by the government.

NATO, looking into this particular incident, but at the moment, they are basically saying they have no record of any missiles going astray, that they're looking into whether this particular type of munitions has been used by them. We were shown houses that had been damaged and told three children had been injured. Again, no way of knowing whether that is real or something that's part of a sort of propaganda campaign here.

We were then taken to a hospital afterwards and shown a young baby in the coma which, at the time, we were told she had been injured in this airstrike. Doctors though passed a note to one of the journalists in our party which said that this baby had in fact injured in a car accident -- Kristie.

STOUT: Dan Rivers, joining us live from Tripoli.

Thank you for that.

Now, just ahead here on NEWS STREAM, we have heard actors, we have activists pledge their support for the fight against modern-day slavery. And now we're focusing on what you are doing to take a stand, and we'll offer up some inspiration form this group of friends in the U.S. state of Ohio. That, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: We are taking a stand to end slavery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm taking a stand to end slavery.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm taking a stand to end slavery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's unite to end modern-day slavery now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEMI MOORE, ACTRESS & ACTIVIST: Slavery is really a seriously lucrative business, and we urgently need to do everything we can to eliminate slavery and rescue victims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIRA SORVINO, ACTRESS & ACTIVIST: To think that there is a demand, that there is a sex tourism demand for children of the age of 4 to perform sexual acts when you go to Cancun, and that's part of your vacation, it's one of the most stomach-turning things I could possibly imagine as a mother, or just as a person. But as a mother of a girl --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: And those are just a couple of the famous faces who are taking a stand to end slavery. But you don't need to be a celebrity to make a difference.

All this week on NEWS STREAM, the "CNN Freedom Project" is bringing you stories of ordinary people appalled that slavery still exists, and they're doing something to help bring it to an end.

Now, they are inspired to act by statistics like this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN BALES, PRESIDENT, FREE THE SLAVES: I think very conservatively, we're probably talking about 40,000 to 50,000 people in slavery in the United States today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, the numbers of modern-day slaves may be surprisingly large, but it can take just a small gesture to raise awareness.

And Colleen McEdwards introduces us to some inspirational individuals trying to end exploitation in the U.S. state of Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did it do?

AMY SEIFFERT, ANTI-TRAFFICKING ACTIVIST: What did it do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell me?

SEIFFERT: It blasted off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amy Seiffert, next to her 4-year-old son. A loving moment that most of us take for granted and that some children have lost forever. In the safety of her surroundings, with the love of her family, like most of us human trafficking was not something Amy ever thought about.

(on camera): This is small town America. It's safe here, low crime. People know each other. Not exactly the kind of place you'd expect to find victims of human trafficking.

(voice-over): But the facts are shocking. Last year, Amy learned that her hometown of Toledo, Ohio, ranked fourth in the country in the number of arrests, investigations and rescues of underage victims of sex trafficking.

SEIFFERT: As I started researching more, people were like, no, not in Toledo. You know. And, yes, this is going on. So, yes, the deeper I got into understand the issue, the more overwhelming it became.

MCEDWARDS: So Amy decided to do something about it. And her journey began in her closet. She pledged to wear the same simple gray dress for six months and donated the money she would have otherwise spent on clothes.

SEIFFERT: I hate to even compare that to the reality of human trafficking. But in the smallest way, understanding (INAUDIBLE) is such a privilege, a gift, even in what I can wear that day. You know, think about that.

MCEDWARDS: A self-described fashionista, Amy found creative ways to dress up her dress. She even managed to maintain a sense of style when she found out she was pregnant.

SEIFFERT: People were like, "Is this dress going to fit? How's this going to work?" But I noticed the more I put it in the dryer, it got a little shorter. I'm like, this has to lasts.

MCEDWARDS: Amy's goal was to raise awareness for The Daughter Project, a local organization building a shelter for girls rescued from sex trafficking. She blogged about it online, she spoke about it at church. And before long, she inspired others to follow in her footsteps.

SEIFFERT: You're still going, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ninety days done today.

SEIFFERT: Ninety days done today! Oh!

MCEDWARDS: About a dozen women at her church pledged to wear one dress, and more than 50 students on the campus of the University of Toledo did it, too.

Among them, Erika Lowry and Shannon Longenecker.

ERIKA LOWRY, ANTI-TRAFFICKING ACTIVIST: And I loved seeing all the other girls get fired up about it, took, because I did not see that coming from 50 or 60 girls. But it was so encouraging.

SHANNON LONGENECKER, STUDENT ACTIVIST: Being from Toledo and starting to hear the stats about sex trafficking, it's easy to feel like there's not much that we can do. But we thought this would be a great way to raise awareness about sex trafficking, and also raise support for The Daughter Project.

JEFF WILBARGER, THE DAUGHTER PROJECT: This is an exterior view of what the house is going to look like.

MCEDWARDS: Jeff Wilbarger is the director of The Daughter Project. He's been teaching math in Toledo for 25 years. He had no idea that human trafficking was a problem in the United States, let alone in his home town.

WILBARGER: So write that down. You don't have to memorize.

MCEDWARDS: So now, in between classes, he's working with local officials and law enforcement to build a home for young victims.

WILBARGER: I believe that a recovery home is something that -- like, what we're trying to design here is something that will really truly help these girls have a chance to start their lives over again, and that's what we're going to do.

MCEDWARDS: Amy is eager to help, too. Her project forced her to look deep within herself. It moved her. It changed her.

SEIFFERT: I've thought a lot about my freedom. I've thought a lot about my upbringing and how I've had a lot of safety, I've had a lot of sweetness. I came from a great family, and how can I use those gifts to help those who have known the opposite, evil abuse, devastation?

MCEDWARDS: A mother, a teacher, a group of college students -- average people taking a small stand against slavery and making a very big difference.

Colleen McEdwards, CNN, Toledo, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: And if you want to spread the word about the fight to end modern- day slavery, you can check out the CNN Freedom Project's latest iReport assignment. We've been using paper planes as a symbol of the path to freedom to victims. We want you to make your own and to pass the message on.

And here's one that the team made earlier. You'll see on one wing is a statistic about slavery and the 21st century. And on the other, you can add a message of hope for victims in your own words.

Now, then, all you have to do is upload a photo or video of the plane to ireport.com. And don't forget to pass your plane on to a friend.

To find out more about how you can get involved on the Freedom Project Web site, go to CNN.com/freedom, or become an iReporter yourself. We want to hear about the projects you're involved in to raise awareness of modern-day slavery.

Submit your stories, photos and video at ireport.com. You can see them right here on air.

Now, up next, he gave up his post as the head of the International Monetary Fund to focus on his defense against sexual assault charges. France's Dominique Strauss-Kahn is about to be arraigned in a New York courtroom. We'll get a live report from the scene.

And the so-called future of computing isn't news to us here at NEWS STREAM or even new to just about anyone. I'll explain. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Now Savi (ph) television says that Yemen's president Ali Abdullah Saleh will return to his country after he recovers from two operations. Mr. Saleh was taken to Saudi Arabia for treatment following a rocket attack on his residence on Friday.

Now back in Sanaa the opposition is expressing cautious support for the vice president who is leading the nation in Mr. Saleh's absence.

Now Portugal has voted for a new government. On Sunday, Pedro Passos Coelho's center-right Social Democrats won the polls, but failed to get a majority. Now they will form a coalition government with the third place finisher, the Popular Party. Now Coelho takes over as prime minister from Jose Socrates whose financial reform plans failed to pass parliament in March.

And we could know soon whether a sprout farm in northern Germany is the source of a deadly E. coli outbreak. Now the tests are underway right now and the results are expected later on Monday. 22 people have died and more than 2,200 are sick.

Now Dominique Strauss-Kahn is set to appear in a New York court room a short time from now. The former head of the IMF is expected to plead not guilty to seven charges of sexual assault. Now he is accused of sexually attacking a housekeeper at a posh New York hotel three weeks ago. Now at the hearing, Strauss-Kahn's lawyers will ask prosecutors to hand over evidence against him, but there's concern that some of it has already been leaked to the media.

Now Richard Roth joins us now from outside the New York courthouse. Richard, Strauss-Kahn is due back in court. Tell us more about what is likely to happen.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well this may be a rather short procedure but anything connected with this case somehow seems to have some curves in it. He is expected to plead not guilty when it his lawyers and Strauss- Kahn are told, which they already know that there's been an indictment against him -- seven criminal counts, including attempted rape and other sexual assault.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn left his very expensive Manhattan Tribeca neighborhood townhouse, came here in a small convoy towards this New York court where we're expecting him shortly. There is a large press line of journalists behind me and cameras waiting for this French financier.

No matter what the results today, though, the contrast between these two figures in this case couldn't be more different.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: He was a renowned international banker, she was an immigrant employed as a hotel maid.

BILL HELMREICH, SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR: What happens is when worlds collide - - this whole thing with Strauss-Kahn happened in a nanosecond.

ROTH: This is Place Des Vosges, an upscale Paris neighborhood. Dominique Strauss-Kahn maintains two homes in the French capital alone.

And this is the Highbridge neighborhood in the shadow of famed Yankee stadium, the south Bronx, New York. It's where the woman who accuses the French financier of sexually attacking her, lived with a daughter in an apartment before moving to avoid the spotlight.

Serious allegations have been made and denied. No one knows the eventual outcome of this case, but it's clear that the events on that Saturday afternoon in a hotel room have brought together two people from extremely different surroundings.

HELMREICH: The worlds that these people inhabit are so separate from each other as to make the situation in a non-funny way, almost comical. These are people who would never meet except in the circumstances of her cleaning his room.

ROTH: Strauss-Kahn, as leader of the International Monetary Fund, distributed billions of dollars in aid to struggling African countries. The unidentified accuser was grateful for a job, coming here from Guinea in West Africa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's crazy. I mean, things happen like this in (inaudible)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Paris is actually a beautiful place and is way more peaceful than here. I'll tell you that much.

ROTH: Strauss-Kahn married into wealth.

EMMANUAL SAINT MARTIN: He had a reputation for loving money. So he was -- he has always been around a lot of rich people.

ROTH: His accuser is described as a woman of dignity and faith.

JEFFREY SHAPIRO, ATTORNEY FOR VICTIM: She recognizes that in this country the law doesn't differentiate between the rich and powerful and the poor and the weak. And that's not the case everywhere else in the world.

ROTH: In Strauss-Kahn's Paris neighborhood people didn't want to talk about their star resident. In the Bronx, a local pastor preached a one world concept.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A human are valuable no matter where they come from.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: Still an amazing array here of journalists from around the world, especially the French media waiting for the arrival here of Dominique Strauss-Kahn who just a few minutes ago left his Manhattan townhouse.

There was a -- there was a demonstration that was held a short time ago by hotel workers, unionized hotel workers in New York City who came here to support the alleged victim in this case. They feel that she's been treated as the suspect, in effect, by the lawyers for Dominique Strauss-Kahn who have hinted in court that whatever happened in that hotel room on that Saturday afternoon could have been consensual between the two people. So you don't often see that outside a New York courtroom.

But Dominique Strauss-Kahn expected here shortly. Kristie back to you.

STOUT: Yeah, interesting show of solidarity there.

Now what happens next, Richard? What happens after today's courtroom activities?

ROTH: Well, the lawyers today want more information from the prosecution. We're not sure if we're going to get it here today. But in the next few weeks and months, provided there's no settlement or something like that, the lawyers are going to be digging in. The lawyers are going to be digging in for information on the alleged victim and Dominique Strauss- Kahn's background.

We believe that his car, the care of Dominique Strauss-Kahn is now arriving. That car you might see behind me. Guards are pushing people away. Let's stay with this Kristie. It's the French financier about to get out of that car to go into face what is a real -- usually a preliminary situation in these types of criminal matters.

There he is.

(inaudible) by hotel workers.

Yeah, a very quick walk there. And it's not being treated like a rock star. It almost sounds like cheers from across the street here, but it -- I think it's all those hotel workers denouncing Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Kristie, back to you.

STOUT: Yeah, Richard can you tell us more. As we're looking at these live pictures of Dominique Strauss-Kahn returning to court there in New York, can you just remind us of the scene outside the court room, a number of people gathering there. Can you tell us more and remind us again that who is there?

ROTH: Well, these are hotel workers that have clearly been organized. They say that what happened, or whatever happened between Dominique Strauss-Kahn and that hotel maid, the 32-year-old woman from Guinea is West Africa, that that is not exactly rare, that they have been harassed, grouped, touched by other hotel guests around New York City that is not really such a different situation what happened to this woman. And they're here to support her.

Two hotels say they're going to be using and giving out panic buttons to hotel maids so that they can press and hotel security can be alerted that they're having a problem.

STOUT: All right. Richard Roth joining us live from New York. Thank you very much for that update.

Now let's cross now to our Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center. And she's been monitoring the situation in eastern China. Some very beneficial rain finally falling there -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Finally, Kristie. You know, we were talking just last week about how terrible the drought has been across this entire region. And we're starting to see a little bit of relief.

This is not enough, of course, to you know cure the drought that has been plaguing this area, but the rain and thunderstorms that have been falling through the weekend actually helping somewhat to fill those reservoirs and some of those creeks beneficial to the farming community as well.

Still in the north we haven't gotten anything significant and that's where the worst of the drought is, but at least we're seeing a little bit of relief in areas here farther to the south. That also helps with the temperatures.

And notice, along this frontal boundary we're still going to see some areas five to eight centimeters of additional rainfall. So can you believe it? Even the potential for some flooding is in the works here.

So watch out. You know, we have those prolonged dry periods. And then we begin to see a little bit more in the way of rain. You start to worry a little bit about the potential for flooding.

We're also monitoring flooding just east of the Philippines. We have this area of low pressure now. The (inaudible) warning center saying (inaudible) going to develop into anything too significant, in other words not a tropical cyclone. But it is a tropical wave and it will be bringing some very heavy rain, I think, across these areas over the next 24 hours, particularly across the central Philippines. Some of these areas could get an additional eight centimeters of rain. Watch for flooding. Watch for mudslides. And watch out also for rough seas.

I want to stay in Asia and go to south Asia. Watching the monsoon here as it continues to move across northern India ahead of schedule here on this side all the way up to Mumbai already, several days ahead of schedule. Meanwhile here across this eastern side, we're still dealing with a backlog as far as rainfall. We really could us it, but the monsoon a little bit delayed as we head into this part of the continent.

However, on the western side, as we head into the Arabian Sea, sometimes you begin to see the formation of tropical cyclones. It happens in the -- during this time, and that in between season, before the typhoons -- before the cyclones form, before the monsoon actually sets in we tend to see these areas of low pressure form and that's precisely what we have right now, the potential for some very heavy rain on this side, even though most of it right now, Kristie, appears to be staying offshore.

Next hour I'll update you on those tropical systems in the Atlantic and on the other side of the Pacific. Back to you.

STOUT: Sounds like a plan. Mari Ramos, thank you.

And ahead here on NEWS STREAM, it may be in the clouds, but it is not out of reach. A look at the latest computing product that Apple is set to reveal next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now Apple is set to take the wraps off its latest product on Monday. And it's not a new phone or a computer. Now CEO Steve Jobs will unveil iCloud in San Francisco in just a few hours. And Apple is just the latest company to go into the cloud.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: OnLive is a gaming service with a difference, you're playing games on your computer, but the game isn't actually running on your computer it's running on a computer back at OnLive's data center. You're playing a game by remote, sending commands to a computer far away which streams video of the game back to you. That means you don't need a powerful computer to play the latest games, just a screen and an internet connection.

OnLive is part of a popular movement in the technology industry. It's called cloud computing. It sounds futuristic, but what is it?

XENI JARDIN, BOING BOING: Cloud computing is like outsourcing. It's very much like what manufacturer say here in the U.S. do with tasks, you know, like producing goods and services. Why should you have to store everything locally and process everything locally when, you know, with faster internet speeds you could rely on the far greater processing power or storage space available at some offline site?

STOUT: And it's very likely you've been doing some cloud computing without even knowing it. Flickr, an online home for your photo library, Google Docs, keeping our work online, Hotmail has been hosting our e-mail in the cloud since 1996. And by keeping all this information in one place, that means our different devices -- phones, laptops, and tablets can have access to the same information.

You don't need to store any of it on any of those devices, you just grab what you need, when you need it, over the internet.

But what happens when your internet connection fails?

JARDIN: Well, one of the great vulnerabilities in cloud computing is the fact that all of this for us is built on the assumption that internet speeds will remain fast and that connectivity will remain reliable. And as anybody who's ever, you know, walked around in San Francisco or New York with an iPhone knows, you can't always count on mobile data being fast or reliable.

STOUT: Now another worry about cloud computing is security. Now you are willingly handing over your information to another company and relying on someone else can cost you. Now when some of Amazon.com's cloud server suffered a brief outage, it took down the social network Foursquare. But worries aside, the shift to the cloud is coming.

Next week, laptops running Google's Chrome OS are set to go on sale. Now they are remarkable, because they contain just 16 gigabytes of storage space, about the same as an iPod Nano that holds 4,000 songs.

So why so little space? Well Chromebooks are designed for all your data, including your, apps to live remotely on the company's servers. Google is convinced that we, the computing masses, are ready to live in the cloud.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: So now you know what being the cloud means. Now what is iCloud? As always with Apple, they are keeping things secret until the very last minute, but through various reports leaking out we can piece together what the service does.

Now iCloud is expected to be an online storage space for all your files -- music, photos, contacts, system settings, all of that will live online. But it's not just about storage, it's what iCloud will do with your data that's important. By having everything one central place all your devices can stay in synch automatically -- phones, laptops, tablets all accessing data through the internet.

But the part of iCloud that is attracting the most excitement right now is music. iCloud is expected to stream your songs to your devices. You won't need to keep a copy of your whole music library with you anymore, you can just leave it on the iCloud and just stream it over the internet.

Now what's interesting is the idea of having access to your whole library at all times is one that Apple has been thinking about for years. Just watch this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE JOBS, CEO APPLE: This is huge. How many times have you gone on the road with a CD player and said, oh god the CD -- I didn't bring the CD I wanted to listen to? To have your whole music library with you at all times is a quantum leap in listening to music.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: That is Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the introduction of the very first iPod back in 2001.

Now Apple is taking the same principle, but instead of storing your library in your pocket, it's moving it online.

But Apple isn't the first to take music into the cloud, earlier this year Google and Amazon both opened their own cloud music services. Now Amazon's is called Amazon Cloud Drive and Google's is Music Beta. And both work in roughly the same way. Now you have to upload your music library to Amazon and Google servers, then you can play your music either over the web on your computer or via a dedicated apps for phones.

Now the trouble is, any file you want to play must be uploaded to Google service or purchased at Amazon.com. And uploading files can take hours if not days.

And that is where Apple is expected to have the advantage. Now unlike Amazon and Google, Apple has reportedly signed deals with all the major music labels. Now in theory, that means that Apple can keep a master version of each track on its servers, so instead of you having to upload your copy of, say, Wham's Last Christmas, iCloud will just use its own copy skipping the upload time. Well, that's the theory anyway.

Now will it really work that way? We'll find out in a couple of hours.

Now Paris may be the city of lovers and the place where rising tennis star Li Na made history, but Beijing is the undeniable home of the people who love her. Now still ahead, straight off her historic win at Roland Garros, China cheers for Li Na.

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STOUT: The beat of drums and gongs and boats racing fast and furious here in Hong Kong today. Now the race marked the city's annual dragon boat festival. It is a lunar holiday celebrated on the fifth day of every fifth moon. Now no one is quite sure where the holiday comes from. The most popular theory is that thousands of years ago villagers paddled out to save a politician who had drowned himself in protest against government corruption.

Now when the NBA finals is tied at one game apiece, the winner of game 3 always goes on to win the whole series. So who took game 3 time? Let's ask Don Riddell. He joins us now -- Don.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kristie. It's an incredible stat isn't it. And if it comes true again, then Miami are going to win the whole thing.

They have regained the initiative in the title series against Dallas having thrown away a massive lead in game 2 last Thursday. The Heat were again tested in a winning position. And this time they held on.

Dirk Nowitzki had another big night for the Mavericks, but it wasn't quite enough against LeBron James' Miami. By this stage in the third quarter, Miami had established an 11 point lead. And that was increased to 13 when Dwayne Wade teed up James for a spectacular dunk. But Miami should have learned by now that showing off only motivates their opponents.

Dallas then went on a roll. And at the end of the quarter approached, Jason Terry had cut the Mavs deficit to just a point.

And early in the fourth Jason Kidd found Nowitzki for a game tying dunk. Big Dirk lead the scorers with 34 points, but it was a disappointing night for him.

Miami regained the lead immediately. Wade hitting a jumper to make it 86- 84. He scored 29 points, by the way, in a game that was now nip and tuck.

Nowitzki got the ball on the next possession. He drove, pump faked and made the shot to tie it all up again.

Less than a minute to go now, and the Heat restored their advantage when LeBron picked out Chris Bosh. He knocked down the jumper to put the Heat 2 points clear.

Last chance Dallas. Could Nowitzki do anything with just 4 seconds left? He did his best, but the German came up agonizingly short.

Miami held on to win by 88-86, taking a 2-1 series lead.

Now as you may know by now, Raphael Nadal won his sixth Roland Garros title in Paris on Sunday. And an amazing achievement for the 25-year-old Spaniard who has now equaled Bjorn Borg's record number of titles on the red clay. Rafa beat his friend and rival Roger Federer in four sets in a match that last just under 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Nadal has now won 10 grand slam titles. And this win keeps him ahead of Novak Djokavic at the top of the world rankings.

Federer played well and gave it his best shot, but in the end he fell short of landing a 17th grand slam title.

Here's what Rafa made of it all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAPHAEL NADAL, TENNIS PLAYER: Beginning of the season was difficult. I had an injury in Australia. And I get sick in Doha. So it wasn't an easy start of the season. But after that, I am healthy. And I was able to play very well the rest of the season, playing for me today with the 7th straight final of the year after coming back being injured in Australia. So that's fantastic for me. And that's really unbelievable. Very happy for, I think.

And for sure today win another Roland Garros against Roger was really special, very emotional and very happy for I think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Nothing new in a Raphael Nadal win in Paris, Kristie. But it was some historic weekend at the French Open wasn't it?

STOUT: It was. In fact, right now we want to show you how China has been celebrating Li Na's victory. Now Eunice Yoon takes us to a tennis court in Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EUNICE YOON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After Li Na's historic victory over the weekend, we're here at one of Beijing's busiest tennis courts. People are really excited about her win and her new grand slam title. And they're calling her a national hero.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): She brought glory to China. I was touched.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We never imagined she would win the title so soon. She's wheeling the fight of the nation.

YOON: Tennis is a relatively new sport in China. But because of stars like Li more and more Chinese are headed to the court. Tennis has a reputation here for being classier and for the wealthy. And sport officials say about 14 million people regularly play now, but that that number is expected to grow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Many Chinese parents used to have their children learn either swimming or ping pong. Parents are now sending their children to learn tennis. Our tennis summer camps have become increasingly popular.

YOON: But Li's victory is inspiring people here beyond the realm of sport. She's known for her body tattoos and her dyed hair. And she's adored for her strong personality. Li shot to stardom only after she broke free from the confines of China state sponsored sports system. So the message to millions of Chinese, be yourself and pursue your own dreams.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

END