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NEWS STREAM

Tornadoes Continue To Ravage American Midwest; Pro-Russian Separatists Storm More Buildings In Eastern Ukraine; West Imposes More Sanctions On Russia; South Korean President Apologizes For Government Response To Ferry Accident; North Korea Conducts Live Fire Drills; India Recognizes Legal Status of Transgendered

Aired April 29, 2014 - 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: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now violent protests in eastern Ukraine as the U.S. and EU try to pressure Russia with limited sanctions.

A second day of powerful tornadoes devastates parts of the U.S.

And what will happen to L.A. Clippers own Donald Sterling? The NBA commissioner is set to speak about Sterling's alleged racist remarks in just a few hours.

Western powers are putting fresh pressure on Moscow to back down in eastern Ukraine.

Now the European Union has added 15 names to its sanctions list. They include top ranking Russian officials as well as pro-Russian separatists. And that follows extended sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Monday against seven Russian officials and 17 companies linked to President Vladimir Putin.

Now the punitive measures include asset freezes and travel bans.

Today, Moscow accused the EU of doing Washington's bidding by hitting Russia with more sanctions.

Now CNN's Matthew Chance is in the Russian capital. He joins us now live. And Matthew, exactly who are these extended sanctions designed to target?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the European sanctions appear to be targeting individuals that were concerned with the separatist activities taking place in Crimea and in Eastern Ukraine. They've targeted people like the chief of the general staff of the Russian military, senior government officials, and separatist leaders both in Crimea and in eastern Ukraine.

Now that's very different to the kinds of targets that have been set out in the sanctions coming from the White House, from the United States. They've looked at individuals -- seven individuals and 17 companies coming from Washingto to be sanctioned. Much more sort of within the inner circle, as they describe it, of Vladimir Putin the Russian president.

Foremost amongst the individuals that has been targeted, Igor Sechin. He's the chairman of the Russian oil giant Rosneft. It's the -- one of the largest oil companies in the world, in fact, and certainly the biggest producer here in Russia. He's an old KGB sort of officer and an old ally from St. Petersburg of Vladimir Putin, considered to be very close to him indeed. They've put him on the sanctions list.

But they stop short, for instance, of putting other senior figures in the Russian energy business like the head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller on the sanction list. They've stopped short of extending the sanctions at the moment. Outside of the oil business, they haven't brought in the gas business, and that's been seen as significant by some financial analysts, perhaps as a result of European pressure.

Certainly what we're seeing at the moment is that in the past day or so the stock market hasn't responded here in Russia, particularly negatively to the new sets of sanctions both in the European Union and from the United States. In fact, it's risen slightly over the past couple of days, perhaps because the sanctions were not as bad as some had speculated they could have been.

LU STOUT: You mentioned the market reaction there in Russia. What about the official reaction? How is Russia responding to these latest measures?

CHANCE: Well, it hasn't spelled out what measures it will adopt in response, although it has said it will adopt measures. It says it's looking at its options and it says that it will announce those measures shortly.

But it's not clear from the sort of analysts and the financial sort of experts I've been speaking to, it's not clear that the Russians are going to want to do anything to particularly escalate this, that there will probably be a response of some kind, but the expectation is that it will be limited in scope.

I think from a Russian point of view, they can kind of live with these sanctions as they are. They're pretty limited in scope, both the European and the American ones. And they're not inclined towards escalating this.

LU STOUT: In fact, they've been called sanctions-lite.

Matthew Chance reporting live from Moscow, thank you.

Now violence has been heating up across eastern Ukraine in recent days. The situation is increasingly tense. On Monday, the mayor of Kharkiv was shot and he is now being treated at a hospital in Israel and is said to be in stable condition. Now it's not clear who shot him or why.

Now in the eastern city of Donetsk, the protests they turned violent on Monday. Pro-Russian separatists lashed out at those demonstrating for a united Ukraine. And our Arwa Damon was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Armed and menacing, the pro- Russian camp guaranteed that they are the absolute authority, violently beating those who want to see a united Ukraine.

This was the scene just an hour earlier.

(on camera): There's an entire row of buses filled with police here. They say that they want to protect the population at this small pro-Ukrainian demonstration. There had been various reports on social media that the pro-Russian camp might try to stop them from demonstrating, might try to block them. So naturally there are security concerns and tensions have been rising.

But those that we've been talking to say that they need to come out, especially at this critical junction and make sure that their voices are heard.

The crowds have just started moving to their next destinations. And there have already been various unconfirmed reports at this stage that the pro- Russian camp, a few hundred of them, might be moving in this direction as well.

The situation is rapidly escalating out of control. On that side, you have the pro-Russian camp with batons possibly even some weapons in their hands. The police are trying to maintain a certain level of control over the situation, but they don't seem to be able to.

(voice-over): A few of the wounded were treated on site.

The pro-Russians victorious as they marched back to the main administration building they control with the riot police staying well away.

"We're just waiting until people's patience wears out watching the spectacle that is being carried out by a minority." Kirin (ph) says, set up with the chaos that shows no sign of letting up.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Donetsk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now after weeks of hunting for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the aerial search wraps up this week and the focus moves under water.

But an Australian marine exploration company claims it has found wreckage of a plane 190 kilometers south of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. It does not know if it is indeed the missing plane, but it says it was not there during a survey in early March. It says this information was provided weeks before the black box batteries would have died.

Let's get a little bit more now on where the company thinks the wreckage is. And CNN's Mari Ramos has more on that -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONENT: Hey, Kristie.

I wanted to start you off in this area here where the current search area is happening right now. And it is off the west coast of Australia. And we've been talking about this for a long time. So we're going to go backwards in time and kind of see why it is -- or how it is that this company actually got there.

Do you remember the handshakes that they were talking about? And they were along these arc, the IMARSAT, remember that they were talking about how they had these handshakes from the airplane, these signals from the airplane that came through and they were able -- using their technology -- to determine that it would have taken either a southern arc or a northern arc.

Then they determined that it was the southern arc was more likely because of the Doppler affect and all of that analysis that they did.

That was then, right.

And -- but there was also that theory of the northern arc. And when that company, when that Australian company started looking the theory of the northern arc was still there. So they were looking in this area of the northern arc, this area of the Bay of Bengal.

So they say that what they use is a way to analyze metals. And the metals that they found are consistent with that of an aircraft. And they did their analysis, they triple checked their work. They spoke to CNN in the last half hour or so and they were saying that they think that this is the wreckage of a plane.

Is it MH370? They're saying they don't know that. But this is an area where they are confident that there is the wreckage of what they think is an aircraft located on that northern arc, so to speak, and about 190 kilometers south of Bangladesh. This area, by the way, as far as the water depth is relatively shallow in comparison to the waters off the coast of Australia, only about a kilometer deep. The other thing is, it is full of sediment. You have huge river systems that empty out into the Bay of Bengal, so sediment here would be a huge concern, of course.

But much, much too early to tell -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, much too early, but very interesting development. And we are awaiting more information and of course confirmation. Mari Ramos there, thank you.

Now let's to know to the Korean peninsula where Pyongyang has conducted live fire exercises near its disputed western sea border with the south. Now South Korea's defense ministry says it will, quote, "respond with counterfire if necessary."

Now we're showing you right now its file pictures of a drill that North Korea conducted last year.

Now Pyongyang notified Seoul in advance of today's exercises.

And the move, of course it follows U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to the region. He says Washington will stand by Seoul against North Korean provocations.

Last week, South Korea warned Pyongyang maybe preparing for a fourth nuclear test.

Now more to come this hour on News Stream, South Korea's president speaks of her sorrow over the devastating ferry disaster. And he is being called a hero in South Korea, how this fisherman rescued passengers as the ship went under.

A string of deadly tornadoes hit in the U.S. 29 people killed and total devastation in some area. Authorities warn there is more severe weather to come.

And a row erupting at the L.A. Clippers. Sponsors, officials and players are furious over racist remarks attributed to its own Donald Sterling. So, what is the NBA's next move?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got in the show today.

Now we started with the tense situation in Ukraine. And a little bit later, we'll take a closer look at the L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Now this isn't the first time he's been accused of racist remarks.

But first, let's go to South Korea.

Now President Park Geun-hye apologized to the nation over the official response to the Sewol ferry disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARK GEUNE-HYE, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (through translator): I'm at a loss for words for an apology that can be enough to console the pain and suffering, even for a little while, over insufficiency in efforts made to prevent the accident and also in the initial response to the accident. I am sorry and my heart is heavy. It's so many precious lives are lost because of the accident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now earlier, she visited a memorial in Ansan, home to hundreds of students who were on the ship.

Now more than 200 people are confirmed dead, nearly 100 are still missing.

Now the ferry sank nearly two weeks ago off the country's southwest coast. A fisherman on board a passing boat found himself in the middle of the tragedy as it unfoleded.

Now in this exclusive interview, he shares his story with Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As desperate passengers are throwing themselves from the sinking ferry, a small blue boat rushes to the rescue. Its captain runs forward to help. Seconds later he is pulling people from the sea.

This is you here?

CAPTAIN KIM HYUN-HO, FISHERMAN: Yes.

ROBERTSON: Literally pulling people. There you are running forward.

"They were screaming for help," he tells me. "I can still hear their screams even today." He tells me he doesn't want to see it anymore. I close the computer.

Captain Kim Hyun-ho is from a tiny island of 100 people less than two miles from the disaster. Today his tiny blue boat is back to its more humble roots. He and his brother are fishermen as their family has been for generations. And today, as painful as it clearly is, he is telling his story.

"It was hell, agonizing. There were a lot of people and not enough boats," he tells me. "People in the water were yelling for help. The ferry was sinking fast." He says he has no idea how many he saved. "I was told 25," he tells me. "It sounds about right, but I don't know for sure."

Within 30 minutes of his arrival, the ferry sank, leaving only a tiny part of the hull above the water. "The people were trapped inside, couldn't come out anymore," he tells me. "They were sinking with the ferry. I set sad and frustrated. Even now I can't sleep very well at night because of that."

It wasn't until much later, he says, he learned from TV just how many passengers were lost. The father of two grown children, he says his heart is broken for all the parents. "If everyone was safe, maybe I would feel proud," he says, "but that's not the situation. I know there are a lot of grieving families. How can I feel proud? I just feel pain and sadness."

He is trying to fish again, but says he is a changed man, feels terrible, distraught. There are no words, he says, to say how bad he really feels.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Daima Island, South Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Well, right now, severe weather, it threatens some 75 million Americans. Taht is more than the populations of France and Switzerland combined. Two days of a very powerful storm system there have killed at least 29 people in six U.S. states. Mississippi once again in the bulls eye right here you can see a powerful tornado that formed there on Monday. A storm chaser captured that image.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at all of this stuff falling from the sky. I don't know if you can see it. Rain, debris, this is a large, violent tornado. There is all sorts of stuff falling out of the sky. The road is getting littered right now with debris from houses. This is houses all over the road. There's a floor mat of a car. This is bad. It's tearing something up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And again, that is just one of at least a dozen destructive tornadoes to hit the central United States.

Now the town of Tupelo, Mississippi is described as devastated, buildings wiped away.

Now CNN meteorologist and severe weather expert Chad Myers is there. He joins me now live. And Chad what kind of storm damage are you seeing around you?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Kristie, behind me believe if or not is a shell petrol station. This was a service station just an hour before the storm, busy with customers, and all of a sudden as the tornado hit, this is now what it looks like, completely devastated. There is where you get the petrol. There's pump number 1. There was the car actually still getting fuel. Taurus, Ford Taurus over there smashed with something right through where the driver would be sitting.

And just look at the damage we see here and there is more to come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big one.

MYERS (voice-over): You can hear the power of this massive cloud churning just outside of Tupelo, Mississippi. It's just one of a string of tornadoes that barrelled through the southeast with Tupelo hit hard. The threat forcing a local meteorologists to take cover mid broadcast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basement now. Go!

MYERS: The sheer force of the winds estimated at more than 100 miles an hour hoisted cars several feet off the ground, toppled power lines, and reduced homes to rubble. Residents struggle to pick up the pieces. Severe weather spawned more than a dozen tornadoes and left more than 30 dead across six states since Monday. In Lewisville, Mississippi...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God. No, no, no, no, no.

MYERS: ...another twister reportedly as large as a mile wide. Just look at this field littered with tossed cars and in Alabama about 42,000 people are waking up without power. The severe thunderstorms battered the state into the night. A tornado in Kimberly being blamed for ripping the roof and siding from this church.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS: And big cities are in the way here in southeast America -- Atlanta, Birmingham, Tupelo, Mississippi again could still be hit again here all the way down to Montgomery, Tuscaloosa -- big cities with big tornadoes today. Let's hope they miss the big cities and only hit the farmland.

We do know tornadoes will be on the ground. It's just a slightly random event where they hit. Last night, Tupelo was not so lucky -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Chad, it is absolutely incredible to see the devastation behind you, just the petrol station smashed to pieces, absolutely unrecognizable.

I have to ask you, Chad, before this tornado struck there was there any warning, any adequate warning so people there could be evacuated in time?

MYERS: Yes. In America we have an amazing warning system. We call it the national weather service. They look at radar. They see Doppler radar. Now Doppler -- and you've heard about Doppler -- when we talk about MH370, the Doppler affect of the Inmarsat pings. Doppler is when you're sitting at a stop light and a train goes by you and the whistle sounds different coming or going, that is a doppler shift, or if a car goes by, or a formula 1 races goes -- the different sound. The sound coming at you and eventually going away. That shift will tell the meteorologist whether the storm is coming or going. And that coming or going indicates a tornado. And there was plenty of warning here. But I don't know how you get of the way of something this big. Many people were injured.

LU STOUT: That's right. The warning was there, many people were injured. You could just look at -- quite clearly just the damage to property all around you. What is the need right now? The need on the ground for the community and all the other communities across America and the south to recover after these extreme storms?

MYERS: Well, a lot of this is insured, you know, people will be out here and the insurance companies will take care of it, but it's the things that you lose in a tornado, those personal affects, those pictures, those tapes, those computer programs, those -- the memories of your child, those are the things you lose.

What the people need here, still some federal help and the federal government will be here to help them, but they need shelter, they need water and also they need things to keep themselves clean. This is now for the better part of a couple of thousand people like camping out. And they will have tents in their yards and they will be protecting things in their homes and trying to rebuild, but some of these structures have to be completely knocked down.

LU STOUT: Chad, thank you so much for bringing us both the science and also the very, very human stories behind what is happening there. And across southern parts of the U.S., these devastating tornadoes, deadly storm systems indeed. Chad Myers reporting live from Tupelo, Mississippi, thank you.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come on the program, India's LGBT community fights for equal rights, but so far it has been a big step forward and another step back. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now India's supreme court is set to hear a petition from gay rights activists.

Now back in December, the court reinstated an old law that criminalizes homosexual relationship. But while that decision has widely been criticized by gay rights groups, a recent ruling on transgender rights has been hailed as progressive. Mallika Kapur reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're a fixture at weddings and births. Here, they bless a new born baby. India's transgendered community, called hijras believed to have the power to bestow blessings or a curse. They are sometimes worshiped, often feared, historically ostracized.

Discriminated against for years, hijras have lived on the fringes of Indian society, often resorting to singing and dancing at weddings or festivals, or to begging or even prostitution to earn a living.

Abhina Aher says a hijra's life in India is traumatic.

ABHINA AHER, TRANSGENDER INDIAN: (inaudible) that if I do not do today sexual or begging, I will not be able to earn a japadi (ph) for tomorrow. I will not be able to earn my bread for tomorrow.

It is humiliating for an individual. And that is the reason why a lot of us hijras try to commit suicide.

KAPUR: That's because they've had no rights in a country that's only recognized two genders.

But on April 15 came a landmark ruling. India's supreme court recognized India's third gender.

From now on, all government and professional documents, such as a passport will carry three boxes -- male, female and transgender.

AHER: I think people will think twice before picking up a (inaudible) transgender.

KAPUR: It's a massive victory for India's transgenders. But for some, it also smacks of hypocrisy.

RISHI RAJ, GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Well, at least out of the LGBT you've taken care of the T.

KAPUR: That leaves India's lesbian, gay and bisexual population still struggling for equal rights.

In December, India's supreme court controversially recriminalized gay sex four years after saying it was legal. That decision is being appealed.

RAJ: It's a stupid decision. How can you take away something which is integrally my right and what happens behind closed doors in my bedroom and judge me for that and call me a criminal for making love.

KAPUR: First step, he wants India to overturn the ban on gay sex. But Rishi dares to dream even bigger, of a day India will legalize gay marriage.

RAJ: I adore my country. And I'm waiting to get married here to celebrate with my people, to celebrate my love in my community, within my community. So it would mean a lot to me to have that.

KAPUR: Mallika Kapur, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And up next, western powers have slapped Russia with fresh sanctions, but what effect is that having on the ground? Our Nick Paton Walsh reports from a very tense eastern Ukraine.

Plus, he was a subject of a racial taunt this weekend, was widely praised for his response. But it was not an isolated incident. We take a look at the ongoing problem of racism in sport.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

New EU sanctions on Russia over its action in Ukraine include travel bans and freezing the assets of senior government figures. Now Moscow says the sanctions are an invitation for neo-Nazis to continue to promote anarchy in Ukraine. He calls the measures shameful.

Pyongyang has conducted live fire exercises near its disputed western sea border with the south. The South Korea's defense ministry says it will, quote, respond with counter fire if necessary. Now these are file pictures of a drill that North Korea conducted last year. Pyongyang notified Seoul in advance of today's exercises.

One-third of the United States is under threat of severe weather. Mississippi and Alabama are bracing for the worst of the storm. They saw several powerful tornadoes Monday night. And over the last two days, 29 people have been killed in six U.S. states.

An Australian company tells CNN it believes it has found wreckage of a plane in the Bay of Bengal. It does not know if it is the missing Malaysian airliner, but says it was not there during a survey in early March.

But Australian officials say the plane is more likely to be in their search zone thousands of kilometers to the south.

Now as we've heard, a new EU sanctions list targets senior Russian officials accused of playing a role in the crisis in Ukraine. Now our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has witnessed armed pro-Russian militants taking over more government buildings in eastern Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, that EU list in many ways weaker than what we saw from the White House only yesterday. Interesting that they focus on people like Denis Pushilin, the self- declared chairman of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic here behind much of the unrest. And a man called Igor Strakov (ph) who is said to be the Russian special forces soldier who is running some of the pro- Russian militants. Of course, he denies that he works for the Kremlin.

But in many ways, it lacks the Kremlin aides and the Putin confidantes that the White House sanctioned. And really it's having very little effect at the momentum of what's happening on the ground here.

By now, it's a smooth routine -- a day out with the family, almost, into the local administration this time in the town of Kostantanivka (ph) rush the armed green men, aided by fast mobilized locals with endless tires at hand, up go the barricades and the flag of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic. Then, for fathers it's already time for photos both of their sons and them.

The green men won't say much, but they're still inside.

If it looks like they've done it before, it's because they have, a lot."

Now when people say that these kind of uprisings and takeovers are purely spontaneous, you just have to see the sheer scale of the barricades in place in a matter of hours and the discipline and organization of the men clearly in control.

And around the corner is the answer to the question where were the police during all this? Wearing protesters arm bands, it seems, colors this policeman insists are actually to remember his grandfather in World War II.

"We were there, says the captain, but I don't know if the armed men still are. They were with local residents. We are talking to them about why they're here and what they want."

That was that.

Brief, distant gunshots cause a moment of panic, but really there is again a large hole where the Ukrainian government should be.

Instead, they're building up here at an airfield just north. These elite security service troops swooping in the night before taking part of the airfield from pro-Russian protesters. No shooting, they insist, or filming now.

Just around the corner, troops are amassing, says Andrew, who appeals to America and Britain to protect Ukraine's borders. He is clear where this is going.

"It's the history of Ukraine and Russia," he says. "Ukraine will not stop. Russia will not stop. They will send in their army."

The sound of helicopters regular in a place where to some Ukrainians, the authorities have been too (inaudible) too long.

(END VIDEOATPE)

WALSH: Now Kristie, the last 24 hours have had a lot of troubling developments. As you saw, another town taken over, the mayor of the second largest city of Ukraine shot whilst exercising. Unclear who is claiming responsibility for that, but he had been airlifted to Israel for further treatment.

Plus, reports of the Ukrainian soldier being killed, another injured somewhere in this region as well and unrest in central Donetsk.

Troubling times here. And a sense that diplomacy, that politics, that sanctions even aren't changing the deterioration of what's happening on the ground -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh reporting there from eastern Ukraine.

Now turning now to Spain and the Villareal fan who threw a banana at Barcelona football Dani Alves has been banned from the club for life.

Now Alves was taking a corner against Villareal when the banana flew from the crowds and landed at his feet. Now the defender responded by casually picking it up and taking a bite.

Now this is not an isolated incident in Spanish football. Alves says many players have suffered from racism for quite some time.

Now famously in 2004, former national team coach Luis Aragones was fined for using a racial slur against Frenchman Tierry Henry. In 2006, former Barcelona striker Samual Eto'o threatened to leave the pitch after being bombarded with racist chants by fans.

And at the European championship in 2012 the Spanish football association was fined by UEFA for racist chanting by their fans.

Now in the United States, now the National Basketball Association is getting ready to address the controversy over racist remarks allegedly made by L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Now the NBA has launched an investigation and commissioner Adam Silver is set to speak about its findings later today.

Now on Saturday the website TMZ released an audio recording of a man purported to be Sterling telling his female friend that he did not want her bringing any African-Americans to Clippers games.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

V. STIVIANO: People call you and tell you that I have black people on my Instagram and it bothers you.

DONALD STERLING, L.A. CLIPPERS OWNER: Yeah, it bother me a lot that you want to promote -- broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?

STIVIANO: You associate with black people.

STERLING: I'm not you, and you're not me. You're supposed to be a delicate or a delicate Latina girl.

STIVIANO: I'm a mixed girl.

STERLING: OK. Well...

STIVIANO: And you're in love with me. And I'm black and Mexican whether you like it or not.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now the NBA's promise that it would give Sterling due process, but it is unclear if the league could order Sterling to sell the Clippers.

Randi Kaye looks back at Sterling's past and previous allegations of racism.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how Clippers owner Donald Sterling tried to show he cares about minorities, an ad in the "Los Angeles Times" from 2011 celebrating Black History Month.

Trouble is, the event is slated for March 2nd, Black History Month is February. The event was designed to raise funds for underprivileged children.

PETER KEATING, SENIOR WRITER, ESPN THE MAGAZINE: Nobody ever quite figure out how the Clippers were going to screen kids who were coming to the games for privilege level unless everybody who showed up was black was supposed to be underprivileged.

KAYE: Sterling's strained relationship with minorities started long before that.

In 2003 when 19 tenants sued Sterling for discrimination, he was quoted by an employee explaining why a housing unit sterling owned had an odor.

His explanation, according to ESPN, was, quote, "that's because of all the blacks in this building. They smell. They are not clean.

Later in 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the Clippers owner for housing discrimination at his rental apartments.

According to the lawsuit Sterling and his wife made statements indicating that African- Americans and Hispanics were not desirable tenants.

THOM MROZEK, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: We alleged that they did not receive the apartments that they applied for because of their racial background.

KAYE: In 2009, Sterling settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pay victims nearly $3 million.

That same year All-Star basketball legend, Elgin Baylor, took his former boss to court claiming he was fired as Clippers general manager because of his age and his race.

Baylor not only accused Sterling of paying him significantly less because he's black, but also claims Sterling wanted the team to be composed of poor black kids from the South and a white head coach similar to a Southern plantation.

He said Sterling told him repeatedly he was, quote, "giving these poor black kids an opportunity to make a lot of money."

In court, Baylor also claims Sterling brought women into the locker room while players were showering, allegedly commenting, "Look at those beautiful black bodies."

The jury later rejected Baylor's lawsuits.

Yet despite all of that, in 2009, the NAACP in Los Angeles honored Sterling with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The president of the L.A. chapter of the civil rights group tried to justify it by revealing that Sterling gives as many as 3,000 tickets to youth groups for nearly every Clippers home game.

Next month, Sterling was set to receive another Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP, but the group now says it will no longer give him that award

Sterling likes awards so much so he takes out big newspaper ads congratulating himself.

In one such ad published in 2006 in the "L.A. Times," Sterling also pledged $50 million towards a state-of-the-art homeless project for families.

Eight years later, it has yet to be built.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Incredible report there. You're watching News Stream.

Still to come, Mexico's tourism industry has taken a battering over reports of violence in recent years, but now this resort city has had a facelift, but will that bring in more tourists?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now this week's Leading Woman is one of the few women at the top of an investment banking firm, talking about Goldman Sachs.

Now Edith Cooper has worked her way up through the ranks since joining the company 18 years ago. And she discusses her career and her ambitions with our Poppy Harlow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Edith Cooper is one of the top ranking women at investment banking firm Goldman Sachs.

EDITH COOPER, GOLDMAN SACHS: Just want to make sure we're connecting all of those dots. If you had asked me 30 years ago would I be on the managing committee at Goldman Sachs and be the influencer of our success of our people, oh no way.

I think that, you know, I've come to expect the unexpected.

HARLOW: As Goldman's head of human capital management, Cooper isn't just one of the top women, she's one of the top executives in the 30,000 member firm.

COOPER: When asked the question at an event earlier do you want to be a CEO, of course, of course. You know, I'm young.

My career path is not necessarily a clear straight line.

HARLOW: She's one of just four women on Goldman's 29 member executive committee.

Does that number need to go up?

COOPER: Of course it does. I believe that we can't be the great firm that we need to be to be relevant to our clients if we don't have diversity at every level.

HARLOW: You are a rare woman in this position and even more rare because you're African-American.

COOPER: At times, it's been difficult. It is different for me as an African-American woman than it would be for a white male. I mean, that's just a fact. There's difficulty with respect to the subconscious bias that exists in life.

HARLOW: It was a move to London, Cooper says, that was critical for her rise at the firm.

COOPER: I think in today's economy, operating outside of your comfort zone is really, really important.

When I arrived in Europe, I realized it wasn't the difference of being, you know, African-American it was the difference of being an American, an American. And the tools that I used to lead and to manage in the United States really were not as effective operating with people from all over the world. It was quite an extraordinary experience.

HARLOW: But Cooper returned to New York with one of her greatest challenges ahead during the most recent financial crisis.

COOPER: Reputationally, Goldman Sachs was really targeted as a company that was at the center of gravity, a lot of the difficulties that existed in the financial markets.

HARLOW: Critics were saying you were betting against your clients. They were questioning the size bonuses handed out. How did you deal with that criticism?

COOPER: The most difficult thing at the time was that what people thought about Goldman Sachs was not in sync with who we knew we were.

HARLOW: What do you think people would be most surprised to learn about you?

COOPER: I'm very tough. I'm very resilient. And the minute I think that someone believes that I can't I do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And you can read more about these inspiring women on our website, including this profile of public relations expert CEO Kathy Bloomgarden. Just head on over CNN.com/leadingwomen.

Now you're watching News Stream. And up next, ahead for heights and an eye for photos. It is the perfect combination for some dazzling images of Dubai. See it all after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Now gang violence and drug crimes has scared some visitors away from Mexico in recent years, but tourism is picking up and visitors are coming back.

Rafael Romo went to one town to see what's behind the turnaround.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Whether parasailing over the Pacific Ocean or taking a tour on a historic ship on a beautiful afternoon or dancing through the night at a trendy dance club, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico seems to always be in a party mood.

CARLOS GERARD-GUZMAN, TOURISM DIRECTOR, PUERTO VALLARTA: And we're not just another beach town.

ROMO: Carlos Gerard-Guzman is the tourism director in Puerto Vallarta, a beach resort on the Mexican Pacific coast. His job is to revitalize an industry that was all but dead five years ago.

Drug violence throughout Mexico had driven away many tourists. And then in 2009, a influenza scare made a bad situation even worse.

GERARD-GUZMAN: We were basically paralyzed for almost three months with no guests. No cruise ships in three months. And then it made a domino effect with no flights. People were afraid to fly.

ROMO: Many hotels laid off employees and kept a skeleton staff. Some businesses closed down. And many wondered whether tourists would ever come back.

Recovery has been slow, but promising thanks to significant investments in promotion in Mexico and aboard, new or renovated infrastructure, like this $2.4 million pier, is also part of the plan.

This multimillion dollar project is one of several that had been completed here in Puero Vallarta in the last couple of years. Tourism officials say their goal is to attract new tourists and to send a message to those who had been here in the past that it's time to return.

In 2012, 3.7 million people visited Puerto Vallarta, a figure that increased by 5 percent last year. Almost 40 percent are foreigners, mainly American and Canadian.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People say, oh, I'm afraid to go to Mexico, the banditos. Well, live in a big city in the States, you're in more danger than you are in walking in downtown Puerto Vallarta.

ROMO: For Julie Colino (ph), visiting Puerto Vallarta with her family is a decade long tradition.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love it. I've been here about, oh, four or five times. And I just love it. It's beautiful, it's clear, it's -- there's lots to do. We just -- we've had been here just for the day, just today and we thought we've done like three different things that we've never done before.

ROMO: Drug violence has not really stopped in Mexico, but officials say it happens far away from tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta.

The beach resort recently hosted Fleet Week and the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta yacht race, events that are proof, organizers say, that the future of tourism in Mexico is as bright as its sunny beaches.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now meanwhile in the United States, there have been more deadly tornadoes. Severe weather there is threatening million of people in America, especially in the deep south.

Let's get the latest now with Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kristie, this weather story continues to dominate the headlines here in the U.S. and actually in places around the world because these storms are so intense, so severe and affecting so many people.

Let me start you off, first of all, with the latest storm reports. And what we're looking at here is -- those icons right there that indicates tornadoes. Yesterday, we were talking more about Arkansas remember with the deadly tornadoes that they had the night before. But that weather system continued to trail toward the east and so did the deadly tornadoes, or the tornadoes I should say extending across Mississippi and Alabama and even into parts of Tennessee.

I want to show you some pictures that we have some video that we have from these areas. And very scary. Look at this picture right here. This is from Louisville, Mississippi. And a person be able to capture this tornado on video. This was a huge tornado, about a kilometer in -- wide in some cases.

The National Weather Service is still evaluating how large these tornadoes actually were.

Our next video shows you more of the destruction. And this is the one of the reasons -- look at those vehicles, completely demolished -- downed trees, downed power lines. This is that same tornado after it moved through this area. This is why I always tell you, if you're in a vehicle when a tornado is coming that is one of the most dangerous places that you can be, because a car will not protect you from the power of a tornado.

Clearly, those homes weren't enough -- weren't a match for the tornado either.

And this is an area that has been declared in a state of emergency because of all of the damage that has occurred across that region. Really scary, scary situation there for people in those regions.

Let's go ahead and see where the storms are headed now.

When we talk about these tornadoes, in some cases we're looking at damage that has been already classified as an EF 3, that's Enhanced Fujita scale 3, that would be right in here, between 218-260 kilometers per hour and the damage is severe as what you saw from those images.

And this is the scale that we use here in the United States to determine the severity of the tornadoes. It's called the Enhanced Fujita and it goes from EF 0 all the way down to -- or all the way up, I should say, to EF 5.

In this case, we're talking about possibly EF 2 or EF 3 tornadoes that have been effecting this region.

So when we get into the forecast now, again it's going to be areas of the south that will be the most in danger. This area that you see here in the red, that's the area that is at that medium risk for the development of strong tornadoes, large hail and strong winds.

The main weather system has already moved on through, but there's still a lot of moisture and a lot activity going on here, enough that we could possibly see this happening again as we head through the day today.

And notice that there is also a slight risk that extends all the way from the Great Lakes all the way back over through the mid-Atlantic. And that's Tuesday through Wednesday. And unfortunately this going to be something even as we head into Wednesday through Thursday that continues to trail into the eastern half of the eastern United States. So not entirely over at all for now.

This is what it looks like right now, Kristie. This is the weather system trailing along right over here. And these boxes that you see popping up even when the radar disappears there, those are the tornado watches, those are the areas most likely right now in the next few hours to see the development of tornadoes.

But along with all of this, along with the possibility of that severe weather it has been some very heavy rain. And this right there is the potential flood threat across this entire region. So there's a lot of layers to this story.

And even so, we had more than 30 tornadoes in Mississippi, tornado warnings in Mississippi alone, that is nothing compared to average. During the month of April, we get about 155 tornadoes across the entire U.S. And in May, look at that, it shoots right up. So we are really just getting to the peak of the tornado season.

Back to you.

LU STOUT: Yeah, these extreme storms there, not a (inaudible).

Mari Ramos with the forecast. Thank you.

Now the city of Dubai has a stunning skyline. And a professional pilot with a passion for photography calls those rooftops his playground. And he's happy to share the view. Let's check it ou.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARIM NAFATNI, PILOT AND PHOTOGRAPHER: Hi, my name is Karim Nafatni, 32- years-old. I'm an airline captain for Air Arabia. I'm addicted to height.

I decided to climb rooftops and take pictures from above and show people the cities and the landscapes as I see them from the cockpit.

The height itself gives you a thrill, an adrenaline shot.

Dubai is actually heavy for architecture photographers. There are so many buildings, so many skyscrapers, so much diversity in the buildings. So many shapes. So many rooftops to climb.

It's very difficult to make it to rooftops if you don't have authorization.

To be honest with you, I started sneaking in.

The thing I want to do next is taking the picture from the very top of the Burj Khalifa. Wide, panoramic and maybe a selfie as well. Hopefully I will be able to do it very soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Wow, stunning perspectives there.

And that is News Stream. But before I go, let's go back to our top story and bring up some pictures, recent photographs, video from the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk (ph) where hundreds of pro-Russian separatists have stormed the regional government headquarters.

Now this, remember, is just one of a number of flashpoints across eastern Ukraine. We'll have more on the situation on World Business Today next.

END