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NEWS STREAM

Unrest in Yemen; Fight for Al Brega in Libya; Fight at Fukushima Daiichi

Aired April 4, 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.

We're watching the situation in Yemen. A day after these protests, more violence is reported across the country.

Radioactive water flows into the Pacific as Japan still struggles to contain the situation at a nuclear power plant.

And a famously outspoken Chinese artist goes missing amid reports that Ai Weiwei had been detained again.

At least 11 people have been killed after security forces fired on protesters in the Yemeni city of Taiz. Now, this was the scene in the city on Sunday. Anti-government protests have raged across Yemen for the past two months now, bringing violent clashes between opponents and supporters of the current regime.

Now, protesters are calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign. He has offered to step down by early next year, but the opposition wants him to go now.

Meanwhile, Britain and Germany are pulling most of their diplomatic staff out of Yemen.

Mohammed Jamjoom has been following this story for us from CNN Abu Dhabi. He joins us now live from there.

Mohammed, first, more on what happened today in Taiz. The Yemeni government showing once again they're willing to use force.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, that's right.

We've gotten several reports from medical officials -- medical field teams in Hudaydah. An eyewitness account -- apologies for that -- in Taiz -- and we're told that at least 90,000 anti-government demonstrators out in force today in the city of Taiz.

Now, Taiz, the protest movement kicked off there even before it kicked off in the capital, before it really kicked off in Sana'a. People have been coming out by the tens of thousands day after day after day.

Yesterday, we had reports from medical officials there that over 800 people were wounded in clashes with security forces and three people were killed yesterday. The governor of Taiz yesterday made a statement denying that anybody had been killed, saying that eight soldiers had been injured, that there had been some protesters that were wounded, but blamed it on clashes among infiltrators and citizens there in Taiz, and people that were out there protesting.

This is typical of the government in Yemen. Oftentimes, we get lots of eyewitness accounts from people on the scene that there have been security forces there that have either fired into the air or fired into the crowd, or that there are security forces that are dressed as civilians, and that that causes deaths and injuries. The government will then put out a statement saying in fact that it's infiltrators there, that it's people that have foreign agendas, that they're coming into the crowds riling people up, and that's causing the clashes.

Because we're not there, it's hard to verify. But again, lots of eyewitness accounts that there are at least 11 people killed today. That's a very disturbing situation, and we're seeing this cycle again and again in Yemen, people coming out, security forces, clashes, and then the next day, more people coming out to show solidarity with the people that were killed the day before. And then more clashes.

A very, very disturbing scenario, and it looks to be continuing -- Kristie.

STOUT: Mohammed, what is the latest on the transition plan? Is that still in play? I mean, what is the status of these talks for the Yemeni president to hand over power?

JAMJOOM: Kristie, it's interesting. Even with the people I speak with in Yemen, government officials who are part of these talks, they're even confused as to what exactly is going on.

There's so much back and forth right now, and you're seeing the president vacillate between this position of being entrenched and defiant and saying he will sacrifice for the country and he won't step down, and then you're seeing him come out with more conciliatory rhetoric on other days and saying that he's fine as long as there's a peaceful transfer of power. It's very frustrating for the people on the ground in Yemen.

One of the things that's enabling President Saleh to stay in power, even though he said he will step down, is the divisiveness and the fractiousness amongst the opposition. That's a very divided group there. There is no one leader for that group. Because of that, that's enabling the president to really maintain his powerful position, because there's nobody who stepped up as a leader for the opposition, for the protesters, who is really posing a direct challenge to his power right now -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right.

Mohammed Jamjoom, joining us live from Abu Dhabi.

Thank you very much indeed for that.

Now, meanwhile, in Syria, tens of thousands took to the streets on Sunday chanting for freedom and a memory of anti-government protesters who were killed on Friday. It is not clear exactly when this video was shot. One human rights group says 123 people have been killed since protests started last month.

Opposition leaders are not calling directly for the government's collapse. Instead, they're demanding the release of political prisoners, the lifting of emergency and martial law, and the withdrawal of intelligence services - - or rather forces -- from Syrian cities.

Now, another deadly weekend in Libya, with the direction of the country's conflict as ill-defined as ever. And while Moammar Gadhafi appears to make diplomatic overtures toward Europe, there's been nothing diplomatic about the forces on the ground.

Rebel fighters have been pushed back again east of the city of Al Brega. They are increasingly unable to compete with an army that's better-equipped and better-organized than they are. And there's still no word on whether Western allies will provide them with the arms they say they desperately need.

And it's not just the fighters that are suffering in this war. In Misrata, Libya's third largest city, locals say that death and destruction are rampant. With pro-Gadhafi forces surrounding the city, it's been difficult for residents to get out or look for food, water, medical supplies, and to get that material inside.

Now, there was a partial reprieve for some of Misrata's injured on Sunday, when a Turkish hospital ship was able to collect 300 patients for treatment. Their wounds included amputated limbs, broken bones and shrapnel injuries.

Now, with the odds stacked against Libya's rebels, one possible cause for optimism. The country's deputy foreign minister has traveled to Greece. The authorities there claiming the regime wants a diplomatic solution.

Now, Ben Wedeman has been following the opposition fighters and joins me now.

And Ben, what is the latest on the fight for Al Brega? Who is in control of the town?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It appears at this point, Kristie, that the Libyan army forces are still in control of Brega. We actually were able to get fairly close to the town this morning, along with opposition fighters, but we quickly came under fairly tense artillery bombardment and had to really hit the ground.

We went back about three or four kilometers to get out of range and yet, again, we had an artillery round land about 200 meters from where we were. We had to move a third time -- and this if, of course, not just us moving - - as hundreds of these opposition fighters, many of them with very little in the way of military experience. So as soon as there's any sort of bombardment, they just jump into their trucks and pickup trucks and cars and get away as quickly as possible.

Here, we're now -- we're about 25 kilometers to the east of Brega, and we're watching as opposition fighters are shooting Katyusha rockets in the direction of Brega. At the same time, we're watching also as carloads of civilians are leaving one of the suburbs of that town called New Brega, which I'm told is under the control -- the partial control of the opposition fighters.

So, still very much a fluid situation in this area.

I also hear airplanes overhead, which we assume are NATO aircraft. But no sign, at least from where I'm standing, of any actual air strikes against Gadhafi's forces in and around Brega -- Kristie.

STOUT: Ben, what can you tell us about the rebel leadership? Is it showing any strain, especially after all the setbacks and the loss of territory suffered last week?

WEDEMAN: Well, certainly, there seems to be more talk of they did offer a cease-fire to Moammar Gadhafi. There are all of these sort of diplomatic maneuvers going on with the Libyan deputy foreign minister going to Greece. There's talk that there's some sort of interim solution trying to be worked out whereby Moammar Gadhafi would step down and one of his sons -- say Saif Al-Islam, for instance -- might have some sort of transitional role. But certainly the people I speak to here on the frontlines, the rebel fighters and their commanders, seem very unenthusiastic about the idea of any sort of solution, any sort of diplomatic solution, to the current impasse in eastern Libya -- Kristie.

STOUT: And Ben, the United States is still considering arming the rebels. Would more weapons help them?

WEDEMAN: Well, they could help them, but more than weapons, what they really need is some serious military advice and training. They don't seem to have the basics down on how to act in this area.

I mean, for instance, one thing is that every time there's a bombardment, they all run away. They might be well-advised to dig themselves a ditch or a trench and hide inside of it. So, many people say what they really need is some serious training.

They could use, obviously, with heavier weaponry. But given that so many of them have very little in the way of military training, they might go to waste -- Kristie.

STOUT: Ben Wedeman, joining us live near Al Brega. Ben Wedeman there.

Now, there is renewed hope for some closure for those investigating the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 off Brazil. The most important piece of the puzzle is still missing.

After searches this week, investigators have retrieved more parts of the Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. But the flight recorder that could clarify what happened has not yet been found.

Investigators still do not know why the plane went down. All 228 people on board were killed.

And U.S. airline Southwest Airlines expects to cancel about 100 flights on Monday as investigators inspect its fleet. Now, one of its Boeing 737s made an emergency landing Friday with a huge gash in its ceiling. Now, passengers reported being able to see the sky through a 1.5 meter hole that opened up soon after takeoff. Southwest canceled about 600 flights over the weekend to inspect its fleet and found cracks in three more planes.

Still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, we've got more from Japan, as experts reveal the true scale of the March 11th tsunami. And one man tells of his incredible battle against the deadly wave.

Human rights are in the spotlight again in China, as a famously outspoken artist is reportedly detained again by authorities in Beijing. We'll bring you the details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, in Japan, continuing desperate times at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are calling for more difficult decisions. Authorities say they have no choice but to dump more than 11,000 tons of low-level radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. That will make more room for this highly-tainted water leaking, as you can see right here in the photograph, from the reactor's number 2 turbine building.

Now, two attempts to plug a concrete crack have failed so far. Workers will also take new steps to contain radioactive material in the sea, and they're set to install a silt fence along the damaged seawall surrounding the plant.

Now, let's get more details now by bringing in Martin Savidge. He joins us now from Tokyo.

And Martin, first of all, Japanese officials, they say that they will be releasing thousands of tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. It sounds worrying, so what is the impact here on human health?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is worrying. And the exact impact is yet to be known.

It sounds rather contradictory, but the government says and has demanded that TEPCO do all that it can to reduce the flow of highly radioactive water going into the Pacific Ocean. How they go about doing it? Well, apparently release a lot more radioactive water.

But here's the logic to the process. What they have to do is clear space on land in a number of places; namely, around reactors 5 and 6, and around a large containment vessel. They want to get the low-level radiation, or the water in there, out to make room so they can now transfer the highly- radioactive water into those tanks. So, to flush the water out, they've got to send about 11,500 tons of it into the Pacific Ocean.

So that's the logic right there -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right. And there are other ways that Japanese officials are also trying to contain the leak. For example, the use of a dye tracer, possible use of a sort of sea curtain.

What more do we know about these plans?

SAVIDGE: Well, a couple of things.

All right. The sea curtain you mentioned is basically a silt net, I guess you could describe it. There is a break out in the major break wall that surrounds this entirely facility. Again, trying to reduce the amount of radioactivity that's getting near the Pacific Ocean. They're hoping that maybe by putting this fence, this screening there, that that will restrict in some ways the radiation. Nobody really knows, but they're going to try it anyway.

Then, on top of that, the leak which has been coming from a 20-centimeter crack in cement that's in a tunnel. They tried pouring cement into that tunnel to stop it. That didn't work over the weekend. Then they tried this high-tech polymer. That didn't work.

They even tried a mixture of newspapers and sawdust. That didn't work.

Now we come to bath salts. This is attempting to give the water some sort of color so they can trace back and find out where it's coming from. They're not sure where the water that's leaking in the ocean is exactly coming from, so they dump a colorant into the water, somewhere on the facility, and they wait to see if it comes out by the ocean.

It's a real -- well, I won't say desperate method, but it's showing they're trying everything they can.

STOUT: Yes. And it's been three weeks since the quake and the start of this nuclear crisis. They are trying desperately to cool the cores and to cool the spent fuel rods.

What is the latest on that? In addition to using the water, are the cooling systems switched on yet, which would be the permanent fix here?

SAVIDGE: Well, some are and many are not. And here's the problem. Even the ones that have been turned on, they're damaged. So, you know, really struck at what is the heart of the problem here, the quandary.

They need to keep pouring water on the reactors to keep them under control -- lots of water. The water gets pulled into the circulation system, but it's leaking like a sieve and the water is going everywhere.

The problem is, the highly-radioactive water is in places where the crews need to get to try to make permanent fixes. You've got to get the water out of there so they can get in so you can begin to stabilize things. Hence, dumping water or trying to keep the highly-radioactive water in some sort of containment system.

STOUT: All right.

Martin Savidge, on the story for us, live from Tokyo.

Thank you very much, Martin.

Now, one of China's most famous artists and one of its most outspoken dissidents has reportedly been detained before boarding a plane in Beijing. Now, this man, Ai Weiwei, who was a guest on NEWS STREAM just a few months ago, claims that he and an assistant were taken into custody en route to Hong Kong. Policemen surrounded Ai's studios and allegedly took eight employees in for questioning.

The visionary behind Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium is no stranger to detention. And he is just the latest of many high-profile Chinese figures to be pulled up by authorities in recent weeks.

Now, word of this latest incident came via Twitter. It's a tool that Ai Weiwei has used regularly to air his candid views.

At 9:40 Sunday morning, an assistant tweeted the following: "Ai Weiwei has been detained by two Customs officers in Beijing Capital International Airport on April the 3rd, 2011. They separated Ai from his assistant to take him to another location." And the tweet goes on to say, "Please pay attention, their conditions are unknown."

Let's turn now to the situation in the Ivory Coast. Now, a tense calm sits over the main city of Abidjan, but fears of a final battle between the country's presidential rivals looms heavily.

Now, forces loyal to internationally recognized leader Alassane Ouattara pushed into Abidjan late last week, but troops defending the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, have maintained their hold on the presidential palace. And the pro-Gbagbo may be getting a boost. Media reports say a top army chief who defected has now left his refuge at an ambassador's home.

Now, residents of Abidjan are suffering, and much of the city has no electricity. People are risking their lives for food and water as they venture outside, where they could be shot.

Now, Christian Purefoy is following developments from Lagos, Nigeria. He joins us now.

And Christian, all eyes today on the main city of Abidjan. What is the latest?

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the situation in the city of Abidjan, the commercial capital of Ivory Coast, has seriously deteriorated over the last weeks since the supporters, the rebels, came south and invaded the town, invaded the city, to remove Gbagbo. And the two groups of supporters have been fighting it out.

The French troops and the U.N. apparently now have got control of the airport. Helicopters, circling overhead. But on the streets, for the average Ivorian, it is an extremely dangerous situation.

This has been going on for many days now, but it's difficult for them even to get out and buy water, for example. The U.N. has said this is a time when score-settling is happening and there are some (ph) executions.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that Ivory Coast is being pushed into a state of lawlessness. And the worry is, Kristie, the longer this battle rages in Abidjan, the more risk it has of spreading out into the rest of the country -- Kristie.

STOUT: Including neighboring Liberia.

Now, let's talk next about the western city of Duekoue. The Red Cross says that 800 people were shot to death there. That is a massacre.

So, Christian, who are the victims and who is responsible?

PUREFOY: It's still a little bit unclear, Kristie, as to who was responsible and how many people have died. There are a lot of figures coming out, but certainly the U.N., at the moment, saying 300; the Red Cross, 900. Yes, that is a massacre, and many of the victims do seem to be civilians.

Some of the reports coming out are saying that it was committed by both sides -- don't know how, don't know why -- in the fighting. But it highlights the risk, Kristie, of what's at stake here.

The problem in Ivory Coast is one of identity, and it affects the whole country, not just Abidjan. And as I said, the concern, if the fighting rages in Abidjan for longer, it will spread to the rest of the country. The battle is between those who say they are Ivorians -- and they're predominantly in the south -- against those in the north, who the southerners say are not Ivorians. It goes back to the '90s and an economic boom. And after that economic boom ended, people turned against what was seen as immigrants that had come in, mostly into the north.

So, the worry is, Kristie, is this could turn into ethnic violence. And that is the worry of what we're seeing in these other towns outside Abidjan -- Kristie.

STOUT: And can you help us get into the mind of Laurent Gbagbo? I mean, Western leaders have called for him to step down. International peacekeepers are there in the country.

So why does Gbagbo still refuse after four months to cede power?

PUREFOY: Huge pressure has been mounted on Gbagbo, not just internationally. Obviously, you know, the international community, the U.N., who has a presence of about 7,000 to 9,000 troops on the ground supporting the other man, Ouattara, but also economic sanctions. And now, of course, this invasion, if you like, of troops belonging to Ouattara.

Huge pressure. But this is a man, Kristie, who has not given up power for at least 10 years. He's postponed elections many times during that time, refusing again to cede power.

Despite all of this pressure, and as we're seeing now, he's probably being defended by maybe 3,000 to 5,000 fighters maximum. He's refusing to give in. It's unlikely that he will give in, just surrender, or accept amnesty somewhere -- exile somewhere, sorry -- which means we don't know the end game, whether this will turn violent or whether they will try and arrest him somehow.

But again, the problem in Ivory Coast is it's not just about Gbagbo. It's about a huge problem of identity -- Kristie.

STOUT: Christian, thank you very much indeed for your analysis and an update on the situation in Ivory Coast.

Christian Purefoy, joining us live.

Now, still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, it seems that the sky's the limit for airlines in India. The country's aviation industry is soaring despite some bureaucratic bumps in the road.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, India's government has issued a dozen charges in a massive telecom scandal that it says cost the country $31 billion in revenue in 2008. India's former telecommunications minister, Andimuthu Raja, is one of the people accused of taking part in a plot to sell mobile phone licenses below value at the peak of India's telecom boom.

Other high-profile defendants include a firm owned by Indian tycoon Anil Ambani. Everyone charged in the investigation has denied any wrongdoing.

And "WORLD BUSINESS TODAY" will have much more on that case from India, as well as the start of the trading week on Wall Street. That starts in just over half an hour, right now, right here on CNN.

Now, all week we're keeping our eye on India. Now, only a fraction of India's 1.2 billion people currently fly, offering plenty of room for growth. But as Sara Sidner points out, the country presents fledgling airlines with challenges, as well as opportunities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): India's aviation industry is really taking off. Between 2009 and 2010, the number of domestic passengers increased by 19 percent, a big number, especially considering the 2008 global financial meltdown.

KAPIL KAUL, CENTER FOR ASIA-PACIFIC AVIATION: We wanted to get started. We could see at least potentially three to five decades of very high and profitable growth.

SIDNER: Kapil Kaul runs the Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation and points out that, right now, less than two percent of India's 1.2 billion population travels by air, leaving massive potential for growth. So far, the big winners in all this, the low-cost carriers. Climbing to the top of the pack, the newest kid on the runway, five-year-old no-frills carrier IndiGo Airlines.

Its kitschy ads, a reputation for good customer service and low fares, are making a mark on the industry.

ADITYA GHOSH, INDIGO AIRLINES PRESIDENT: In the worst year in the aviation business ever, India only dipped five percent. So it was not a dramatic fall. Now, in that same year, we grew by 46 percent. IndiGo grew by 46 percent.

SIDNER (on camera): How is that possible?

GHOSH: Well, one, as I said, one is a simple function of we are consistently bringing aircraft in.

SIDNER (voice-over): IndiGo Airlines made history this year with the single largest aircraft deal in global history. The company made an offer for 180 aircraft worth more than $15 billion.

(on camera): The best thing about IndiGo Airlines? What is it?

GHOSH: I would have to say our consistent on-time performance.

SIDNER (voice-over): A government tally shows IndiGo had the second-best on-time performance of a major airline in 2010 in the country. This year it will start international service.

But growth has its limits in India. The airlines contend with some of the world's highest fuel taxes, insufficient infrastructure, and a massive bureaucracy.

ANIRUDDHA GANGULY, GMR GROUP: While we were constructing this airport we had to contend with 58 government departments. During this period we had to contend with 100 cold (ph) cases to take care of improvements in this area.

SIDNER: Aniruddha Ganguly is head of business integration for GMR Group, which built Delhi's newest airline terminal at a cost of $1.3 billion. He says they got the job done on time despite the roadblocks.

GANGULY: I would say that the country, over the years, has learned the art of overcoming obstacles.

SIDNER: Analysts say in the next decade, India will need three times the number of airports that it has today. Since it doesn't have enough skilled labor to build them, or pilots to fly the plains, people with the right skills in developed nations with wilting economies may want to look east for opportunities.

Sara Sidner, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, still to come here on NEWS STREAM this Monday, we'll bring you the latest Libya. Rebel forces are doing all they can to battle the vastly better-equipped forces of Moammar Gadhafi.

And we'll hear from a man who, as most fled the Japanese tsunami, decided to tackle it head on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

In Yemen, at least 11 people have been killed Monday after security forces fired on protesters in the city of Taiz, hundreds more were injured in protests in the city yesterday, and at least one person killed. Now protesters are calling for the removal of president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Now in the last few minutes we have heard that bodies of some of those killed in the 2009 Air France crash off Brazil have been found in the plane's main wreckage. A French government minister acknowledged the find in a radio interview. 228 people went down with the airliner. And investigators still do not know why.

In Japan, workers at the Dai-chi nuclear power plant are dumping lower level radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. Officials say the measure is necessary to make storage room for highly radioactive water now leaking from a concrete crack at the plant's number two reactor. About 11,500 tons of water will be released into the sea.

And it's official he will do the campaign trail once again. U.S. President Barack Obama will stand for reelection in 2012. The announcement came on his web site. Mr. Obama also unveiled a new slogan, quote, "It Begins With Us." Now Monday's move paves the way for the president to start fund raising for his run.

And in Libya, rebel fighters continue to be pushed back by forces under Colonel Gadhafi. But while Gadhafi makes strides on the ground, he is also believed to be reaching out for a possible diplomatic solution to the current crisis. Libya's deputy foreign minister has traveled to Greece reportedly to communicate a message from the leader.

In Nigeria, parliamentary elections were scheduled for Saturday, but as Christian Purefoy reports, things did not exactly go to plan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tempers flare as Nigeria's national election gets off to a worrying start.

You can see that the materials are ready, House of Representatives, Senate -- everyone here, though, is waiting for the ballot papers. And if everyone here is waiting, it means that all the voters out in this region are also sitting and waiting to vote.

Now on Twitter and all of the social networks, there are reports from across the country of similar scenes. It was supposed to start at 8:00. It's now 12:00. And we're fast running out of time.

Are you starting to get worried?

EMMANUEL LA'DIPO, ELECTION OFFICIAL: Actually, I am seriously worried. (inaudible) right now can't seriously -- because people will be there waiting for us to cut their foot (inaudible).

PUREFOY: And then on the radio, the election chairman announces the election has been postponed for 48 hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...(inaudible) have not proceeded smoothly as expected for the elections. The reason for this is that (inaudible) emergency we experienced was a late arrival of the results sheets.

PUREFOY: The election chairman has just been on the radio and announced that this is an emergency that there will be no voting across Nigeria today. It means that those people will not be going to the streets. And as if to highlight the situation, we've just had armed police enter the compound.

Out on the street, people are confused and frustrated at the delay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We (inaudible). They (inaudible)

PUREFOY: Will you come back on Monday?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll certainly come back, because I want (inaudible) to be there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We feel bad.

PUREFOY: Will you come back on Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible)

PUREFOY: The big concerns for Nigeria's election have been rigging and violence. And those concerns are now only postponed as well.

This gentleman says he's registered but he doesn't have his name on the registered list. Can we check?

His name is not on the list, meaning either the card is illegal, or he's not registered here.

This means that you will not be able to vote on Monday. It means that your card is not valid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If (inaudible) tell me that, then there will be trouble.

PUREFOY: The crowd is beginning to disperse. The election officials are packing up. This is the first postponement of an election in Nigeria's history. We're in uncharted waters.

Christian Purefoy, CNN, Ibadan, Nigeria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: And as Christian said parliamentary elections were postponed until today, but there has since been another delay. The entire general election process has been pushed back by a week from its original date. The parliamentary elections now expected next Saturday.

Now a Turkish hospital ship has arrived in the Libyan city of Benghazi. And hundreds of people are in need of medical help after being picked up in Misrata.

Now CNN's Reza Sayah has been on board the ship and sent us this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: An incredibly emotional moment here in the opposition capital of Benghazi as a Turkish hospital ship filled with 300 wounded people, all of them injured in the fighting in Misrata, has arrived here in Benghazi's naval port.

Scores of opposition supporters here greeting this ship. They're chanting pro-opposition slogans. And those slogans are being echoed by the people on the ship.

Getting on the ship hasn't been easy. After a good hour of pushing and shoving and jostling I think we're about to finally make our way onto the ship.

Inside, the grim realities of war. Many here were on the doorsteps of death. Business man turned rebel Khalid Mutatade (ph) shot twice by a sniper, he says. 28-year-old salesman turned rebel Mohammed el Sukar (ph) hit by shrapnel. This man says he lost his nose when a medical crew he was helping came under fire. The images rare proof of the fierce fighting in Misrata.

Rebels say the situation growing desperate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They're killing, violating our honor, robbing our homes, anything that is wrong they're doing it. You can't imagine what's going on there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We were fighting with light weapons, but they have so much more -- artillery, mortars, rocket propelled grenades, that's how they were fighting back.

SAYAH: Not all the injured were fighting, 46-year-old cab driver Mustafa Hamali (ph) lost half his leg.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was driving with my wife and my car blew up. I don't know what happened.

SAYAH: 12-year-old Mohammed lost his eye, broke his leg and suffered cuts to his face and arms when an explosive device hit his house, his father said.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I feel complete pride and true honor for what happened to my kids, because it is for the sake of the country.

SAYAH: One of the biggest dilemmas in this conflict has been getting help to the wounded in Misrata. It's only lifeline there is its port. This Turkish ship, despite all the dangers, managed to get to the port and come out with more than 300 injured people. A group say many more remain in Misrata. They are still waiting for help.

Reza Sayah, CNN, Benghazi, Libya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Very clear and discerning pictures of the human toll of the ongoing unrest and civil war in Libya there.

Now coming up next on NEWS STREAM, we'll be hearing from a man who as the Japanese tsunami approached sought refuge on the high seas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: More than three weeks after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan some people are finally finding out what happened to their loved ones. An intense search for missing people has located 69 bodies. The official death toll tops 12,000. But the fate of more than 15,000 people - - missing people is still unknown.

Now many of the people who survived the massive earthquake were killed by the tsunami that followed. And that deadly wall of water may have been bigger than initially believed. Now one Japanese researcher says that the waves reached nearly 38 meters.

And to give you some perspective, that is roughly the height of the famous Christ the Redemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Now it's pedestal alone right here measures about 9 meters. That's how high the tsunami was initially thought to be.

One man survived that incredible deadly wave on his boat. The 64-year-old has been hailed as a local hero for his bravery. And Paula Hancocks brings us his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As the islanders of Oshima run for the hills, Tosuma Sukuwara (ph) ran to the sea. The earthquake had hit and the tsunami alert was blaring, but he started the engine of his boat and steered into deeper water.

He says, "I knew if I didn't save my boat, my island would be isolated and in trouble."

Passing his other boats used for fishing abalone, he said good-bye to them, apologizing he could not save them all.

The 68-year-old drove straight in to the first wave. He estimated it was up to 20 meters high.

"My feeling at this moment is indescribable. I talked to my boat and said you've been with me 42 years. If we live or die, we'll be together. Then I pushed on full throttle."

"Usually when I look to the sea," he says, "I look at this level. But this time I was looking straight up. The wave was like a mountain. I started climbing. And when I got to the top, the wave started breaking on the boat. Time and time again, I knew I had to break through."

Sukuwara (ph) says he closed his eyes and felt dizzy. When he opened them, he was through.

Instead of the usual sharp drop after a wave, there was a long slope down. Then the next wave came. He can't remember if there were four or five.

He stayed at sea until dark, steering through wrecked houses, boats and other debris that floated towards him.

For 20 days he's been making hourly trips to the mainland, transporting people and aid. The only ferry that wasn't driven on land only started working two days ago.

Sukuwara (ph) is without a doubt the local hero. Everyone wants to hear his story, including Japan's self-defense forces.

This supermarket owner gave all his food away for free after the disaster. And now helps Sukuwara (ph).

He tells me, "everyone used to look out for themselves on this island, but after this, the whole community helps one another."

Sukuwara (ph) risked his life for his boat and his island, one of the very few to ride a tsunami and live to tell the tale.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Oshima Island, Japan.

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STOUT: Incredible story of survival there.

Now let's get an idea of weather trends for this week in Japan and elsewhere. Guillermo Arduino joins us now from the international weather center. Guillermo.

GUILLERMO ARDUINO, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, looks pretty good. An icy (ph) in Japan winds are not that intense, especially in northern sections. You see Tokyo at 9 kilometer per hour. That's pretty much what we are expecting. So we talk about trends, right. We want to know what's going to happen.

For the time being, we have this pattern with this high pressure center over the Korean Peninsula pushing winds from the north. They are cooler. But that's going to switch now this week. And we get the high moving offshore and then the winds are going to bring some warmer conditions here. And they're going to be slight winds. So no precipitation in Japan. So it seems that next days are going to be fine.

We're dealing with bad weather in the United States. Notice, though, that in Mexico temps are going up like crazy. And temps are going down like crazy, but for a short period of time into Canada and northwest in parts of the U.S.

Let's focus on the bad weather here. You see that we have some warnings and watches posted. And this is the time of the year -- you know, after the severe snows that we see in the states then come the severe weather all the way to mid-portions of the year. And then gradually moving northward.

So this is what's happening right now. We have had the passing of this system in here that is shifting the temps. And temps are going down behind the system. But as it moves along it brings severe weather in the form of hail or wind, damage.

I have a couple of spot that I want to focus with you. First I'll position the first one. We're going to take you to the U.S. and particularly to the city of Kansas City in Missouri. And this is what was going on. You're going to see ominous clouds over there over the city. As you see, again, Kansas City, Missouri. And this is the time of the year where we see this severe weather.

Let's come back here -- Steve, I'm going to show our viewers our next location.

So from here we're going to look into another state near -- neighboring state Oklahoma. So we talk about Missouri, now we talk about Oklahoma. And one town in particular. So we're going to move north into Spavinaw. And this is the damage that you're going to see. This is a school. Nobody was in. They got a phone call Sunday, you know, damage. You've got to come here, they told the principal, because the roof is gone.

So that's because of the severe weather that we're talking about.

Now we're going to see some more. And it's going to shift a little bit to the south now as the system goes through.

Again, this is going to be the pattern for weeks, especially in the south, then it's going to move northward as we approach summer.

So delays at airports probably tonight in Atlanta as you see evening hours up to one-and-a-half, Nashville, Boston.

You know, you international travel, the important thing to know is that this is the beginning of the severe weather. So if you are planning trips, try to make it a nonstop flight, because when you connect at certain airports probably you'll hit some delays.

Let's see the city by city forecast now.

All those warnings that I was giving you say that there are no delays right now in the states. But you know what, it is 8:48 in the morning Eastern time, that's why. But as we get later into the day we're going to see some unstable weather and probably we'll see some delays as I was talking about.

This is, Kristie, minus 6. The current temp in Denver. That's going to go up very quickly. Winnipeg, a very cold city in the winter, minus 2; Calgary minus 2. But those are changing very soon. 14 in Charlotte, North Carolina. And finally, there are storms near Syria, here in coastal parts of the Mediterranean Sea, but we have some visibility issues here in the Middle East and also some dust storms as we speak.

Look at the current observations like sand and dust storms here in northern Iraq, in Baghdad as well. So the problems will continue as the system lingers south of Turkey -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right. Guillermo with the complete forecast there. It's also good to see you again. Guillermo Arduino there from CNN Center.

Now up next Pedro Pinto will be here with an update on the NBA. And can anyone stop this guy? Nadal tries to end Novak Djokavic's unbeaten run.

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STOUT: Welcome back.

Now the King James Bible is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. Now first printed in 1611 only a couple hundred copies of that addition survived today, so imagine the surprise at a small English church when they discovered an original copy in plain sight.

Richard Greene reports.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

RICHARD GREENE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A little English church in a tiny village has just made an incredible discovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake.

GREENE: The ornate old bible that had been sitting on a table for longer than anyone could remember was a 400 year old King James Bible, arguably the most important book in the English language.

It was hiding in plain sight. It even had a sign saying it was from 1611. But no one knew whether or not to believe it.

Only about 200 copies of the original are known to exist. To find out whether theirs was one of them, Geoff Proctor and two other members of the church took it to the Reverend David Smith at the Museum of the Book in London.

GEOFF PROCTOR, ST. LAURENCE CHURCH: We put it on his table and immediately he opened it. He said, yes, this is a 1611 bible.

GREENE: Smith checked for two particular mistakes that were known to be in early editions. The St. Laurence bible had one that showed it was an original.

PROCTOR: In one section where it says -- it should have said Jesus walked into the Garden of Gethsemane, it says Judas walked into the Garden of Gethsemane.

GREENE: Commissioned by a king to end bloody religious strife in England, the King James Bible had an enormous influence on both church and literature. It popularized or introduced dozens of phrases that have become part of our daily lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Born again. Eat, drink and be merry. God forbid. Eye for an eye.

GREENE: St. Laurence's Church is planning to keep its King James Bible in use once they raise money to build a special display case.

That's very unusual, says Moira Goff of the British Library. Most of the surviving originals are in libraries at universities or cathedrals, but there just may be a few copies still kicking around village churches.

MOIRA GOFF, BRITISH LIBRARY: At least some of the original King James Bibles were put away safely as treasures and are yet to be discovered as this one has been.

GREENE: An extraordinary discovery certainly, but perhaps one predicted by the words of the King James Bible itself, "seek and ye shall find."

Richard Greene, CNN, Hilmarton, England.

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STOUT: Now let's get your latest sports headlines. And in the world of tennis, Novak Djokavic, he is on an incredible winning streak. And for all the details, let's cross over to Pedro Pinto in London -- Pedro.

PEDRO PINTO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, maybe we should give him a new nickname, "Midas," Kristie, because right now everything he touches turns to gold.

On Sunday, he improved to 24-0 on the season, the third best start to a year on the ATP tour in the last three decades. And he did it by winning the Sony Ericsson Master's Title in Miami.

What made it even more impressive was he defeated world number one Raphael Nadal in the sunshine state. Rafa started well in this match breaking the serve in the third game of the contest as he went on to take the first set 6-4.

It was a different story in the second set. It was Djokavic who broke his opponent early jumping out to a 3-love lead. That put him on his way to leveling the match, showing some great improvisation skills with a winner here. He went to take the second set 6-3.

So, to the deciding set we go. And it was as tight as it could be. No breaks of serves throughout. Nadal did his best to try to get the upper hand coming up with some impressive winners, but Djokavic managed to stay with him and force the tiebreak. That's when Djokavic managed to turn his game up to another level. He prevails in the tiebreak maintaining his invincibility on tour.

Now we're going to stay in the United States. In the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs ended their longest losing streak since 1997. They had lost six games on the truck and saw their lead at the top of the Western Conference standings dwindle to just one-and-a-half games over the L.A. Lakers.

Tim Duncan and his first teammates managed to stop the rot against the Phoenix Suns who were without Steve Nash. The Spurs bench, specifically George Hill, really helped them out.

Hill pulling up and nailing a 3-pointer in the first quarter. Later, the Spurs were up by 22 already. And there's Hill again draining the jumper at the buzzer to end the first half.

On to the second half. And more from Hill -- takes it in for the lay-in and the foul. He led all scorers with 29 points off the bench. The Spurs ending their losing streak, beating the Suns 114-97.

The Spurs were happy with their win and with the fact their closest rivals, the Lakers, lost. They went down to Denver at home. It was only L.A.'s second defeat since the all-star break. The Nuggets improving to 15-4 since trading away Carmelo Anthony.

Kobe Bryant did all he could to keep his team in the game, but Denver would prevail.

Raymond Felton with a big shot from downtown. And with 11 seconds to go, Nene misses a free throw, but what Kenyon Martin putting the game away with a tip-in. Lakers' nine game winning streak was snapped. The Nuggets win 95-90.

And those are the world sport headlines. Kristie back to you in Hong Kong.

STOUT: All right, Pedro. Thank you very much indeed.

Now, let's go over and out there with a brief investigation into the world of second rate statues. Now the phenomenon is nothing new. I mean, who could forget this: Venus De Milo. It was sculpted from panda poop. It went on to fetch $45,000 at auction. Quite literally just a pile of manure.

And sometimes it's not the material, but the execution that stinks. Yes, this is supposed to be Britain's royal groom to be William, though I'm assuming nobody paid a princely sum for this ill-considered effigy.

And from the future king of England to the kind of pop. Yes, viewers, this statue of Michael Jackson was unveiled outside London's Fulham Football Club on Sunday. And it does not rock our world. Less "Smooth Criminal," more just criminal.

And that is NEWS STREAM. But the news continues at CNN. "WORLD BUSINESS TODAY" with Maggie Lake, Pauline Chiou and Charles Hodson is next.

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