Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Uprising in Libya; Unrest in Yemen; Survivors in New Zealand Counting Their Lucky Stars

Aired February 25, 2011 - 08:00   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.

These are the scenes from Libya, defiance in the streets, gunfire ringing out in the distance, and a desperate leader doing whatever he can to stay in control.

Prince William and his bride to be have their second official outing in as many days as anticipation builds ahead of the royal wedding.

And we'll tell you how an amateur filmed these incredible aerial images of the Big Apple.

Anti-government protesters in Libya have made more inroads, but at a heavy price. Now, this video posted to YouTube is said to show clashes in the western city of Zawiya, where demonstrators kicked out government forces. Now, doctors there say at least 17 people died during Thursday's violence, another 150 were wounded.

Now, many countries are working to get their citizens out of harm's way. And world leaders will hold a special session to discuss Libya's crackdown on protesters. The United Nations Security Council is also set to talk about taking measures against Tripoli.

Now, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi continues to blame foreign agents for the uprising in his country, and his son says the family has no plans to leave.

Fionnuala Sweeney is following developments from Cairo.

And Fionnuala, Libyans are bracing themselves for mass protests today. What is happening inside the country?

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, more than bracing themselves for mass protests. We understand that in Tripoli, there are now heavy clashes taking place following Friday's prayers. And these clashes are not isolated to one part of the capital.

We are hearing of reports of disturbances in Fashlum (ph), near the beach. We are hearing that demonstrators are marching on Green Square. We also understand that Tajura, in many ways, is the focus of the demonstrators' concerns today. We have an eyewitness report that the old Libyan flag has even been raised there.

Now, this really raises the question of just how Colonel Gadhafi and his security forces are going to try and stop and quell the capital. We're hearing that live fire is being used, artillery shells, and that women and children are among the injured.

We did understand that people wanted to demonstrate today after Friday prayers, but particularly that they knew that in recent days the city had been given something of a facelift in anticipation of the arrival of international journalists. And they thought today might be the safest day for them to take to the streets. But it turns out it's not really safe at all.

STOUT: And meanwhile, Fionnuala, the United Nations will be meeting today, the U.N. Security Council, to talk about sanctions. International pressure is mounting, but will Colonel Gadhafi give in to external pressure at all?

SWEENEY: It remains to be seen just how susceptible, if at all, he is to any external pressure. I mean, we hear of the reported resignation, albeit unconfirmed, difficult to confirm, of his cousin yesterday who was very senior in his external relations department.

We have heard, of course, of the resignations of several senior diplomats and the occasional high officials in his entourage, but frankly this is, according to CNN Turk, in an interview with Seif Gadhafi, a fight for the family to the end. When asked by CNN Turk in an interview, Seif Gadhafi, son of Colonel Gadhafi, said in anticipation -- in answer to a question about whether there was a plan A, B or C, he said there was a plan A. "We live and die in Libya." Plan B, we live and die in Libya. And Plan C is also we live and die in Libya."

So external pressure I think perhaps secondary to these clashes that are taking place in Tripoli at the moment. Of course, following yesterday's military operations in Zawiya, to the west, and Misurata, to the east.

STOUT: OK. And more about these clashes, if you can give us any additional information about what is in Colonel Gadhafi's arsenal, just what kind of military might, what kind of weaponry is he using against the protesters?

SWEENEY: What we're hearing, artillery fire. We also have heard in the past, which has been denied by Seif Gadhafi in the past week, of fire from helicopters. We've also heard of fighter planes being ordered to destroy parts of towns, which has been strenuously denied by Seif Gadhafi.

What Libya is essentially is divided into two. It's partly a police state, it's partly a tribal state. And Colonel Gadhafi's inner circle, and particularly those battalions aligned to one of his sons, is really what's keeping him in power.

What we've seen over the last week, starting in Benghazi, was the defection of the regular army to the people's side. But they are reported to have been mainly badly equipped, and not as well equipped as the special forces in the (INAUDIBLE) battalion, for example, which is a battalion belonging to one of the sons of Colonel Gadhafi.

Clearly, for him, Tripoli is the stronghold. It is all about Tripoli at the moment. And while there have been clashes in the rest of the country in the last 24 hours between security forces and demonstrators, the focus is now all on Tripoli.

STOUT: All right. Fionnuala Sweeney watching events from Cairo.

Thank you.

Now let's remind you of some key areas in Libya.

Now, these cities are believed to be under opposition control. Keep in mind that most Libyans live along the coast. Some four million people call the west home, while less than half that number reside in the east.

Now, Zawiya is the latest western city to turn against Gadhafi. It lies just 55 kilometers from Tripoli. Now, the capital is a Gadhafi stronghold, and he is fiercely defending it.

Now, analysts say it is important to monitor Sirte. Now, it's right here in between Tripoli and the opposition-held Benghazi. But more importantly, it is Gadhafi's hometown.

Now, tribesmen there believed to still be loyal to the country's leader. If that changes, it would be seen as a significant boost for the opposition.

But a reminder now. The breaking news is that there are violent clashes happening between the government and opposition forces.

Now, some anti-government protesters are burning the Libyan flag, and that's because it's an important symbol for Gadhafi. He introduced the unique solid green design back in 1977. And the protesters, they're rallying around the old Libyan flag, the white crescent and star with horizontal bands. It flew after Libya gained independence in 1951.

Now, Friday is a holy day of prayer across the Arab world. But in recent weeks, it has also become a day of protests that sometimes turns violent.

Now, several thousand people are once again filling the square in Cairo, Tahrir Square. They're keeping the pressure on Egypt's military rulers to implement reforms following President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.

Now, we are also closely watching events in Iraq, and we're hearing reports there of helicopters flying over Baghdad, where people are gathering to protest corruption and poor government services. At least five people in two cities in Iraq have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

And we're also monitoring events in Yemen. Now, in Yemen, regime supporters are planning demonstrations in the capital. And thousands of anti-government demonstrators have already gathered outside Sana'a University.

Now, one anti-government student demonstrator says, "We will not slow down until the regime falls. Whether it happens today or tomorrow, we are patient."

Mohammed Jamjoom is following this story in Sana'a. He joins us now.

And Mohammed, what's happening there? Are rival anti-and-pro-government protests taking place right now?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kristie. Starting this morning -- well, actually, this afternoon, right after prayer.

You had anti-government demonstrators numbering in the tens of thousands outside the streets of Sana'a University. First, they prayed in the streets. Then, as soon as the prayer was over, they got up en masse from their prayer mass and started chanting, "We're calling for the fall of the regime."

It was actually quite a festive atmosphere there. It was peaceful. There was a lot of security, not just from the security forces, but students, people there, anti-government demonstrators forming lines, chains around the protesters, trying to guarantee safe passage for journalists and for people who wanted to demonstrate against the government.

They had one demand. The demand was that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. This is a movement that's really gained momentum in the last few weeks. It's starting to become a huge Web movement.

There are tents outside of Sana'a University. People are allowing others to come in, camp out. They want to have a sit-in kind of atmosphere, a very peaceful atmosphere.

Now, on the other side, about two kilometers away, down the road in the city's Tahrir Square, thousands of pro-government demonstrators, they have their own tents, they have their own festive atmosphere, placards showing the pictures of President Ali Abdullah Saleh as they were chanting, "With our souls, with our blood, we will sacrifice." And they were accusing anti-government demonstrators of being the ones who were trying to incite violence and chaos in the streets of Yemen.

They were saying, "We need to be united. Anybody who opposes the government is trying to bring chaos upon Yemen."

Fortunately, it's been peaceful so far today. There have been no clashes between the various groups. But depending on where they are, and if marches start through the streets, as there were threats to do so earlier, that's where the worry comes in. Will the groups face off? Will there be any violence?

So far, it's been calm. Hopefully, it will remain that way -- Kristie.

STOUT: Now, the government there has warned that terrorists would try to exploit these demonstrations. And we do know that al Qaeda has an affiliate there in Yemen. But how real is that government threat?

JAMJOOM: Well, right now -- we've been here about three weeks now, and we've not seen -- we've not heard of any type of al Qaeda presence in the streets, or any statements from al Qaeda supporting one group or another, or backing one group of protesters or another. But when I've spoken to officials here -- I spoke to the prime minister a few weeks ago, and I asked if in fact a group like al Qaeda, which is really resilient here and resurgent, if they would be able to take advantage of the political turmoil if this protest movement gained even more momentum, and he said anything is possible.

This is an environment where al Qaeda has found a suitable base because of the poverty, because of the ease of getting into the country. So certainly they could try. But as of now, we've not really seen al Qaeda launch any type of attacks within Yemen since this protest movement began. We've not seen them make any statements. And when I speak to the organizers on both sides of the political divide here, they hope that that remains the case -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right. Mohammed Jamjoom, joining us live from Sana'a.

Thank you very much for that.

Now, Mohammed has been tweeting events in Yemen as they unfold. Our many correspondents across the Middle East and North Africa are as well, and you can follow them at one place: twitter.com/cnni/arabunrest.

Now, pictures like this one have been circulating on blogs and social media. Now, history has been made these last few months, and in many ways this image says it all.

Now, take the names of seven countries from he Middle East and North Africa, all hot zones of protests that we've been covering here on CNN, and it spells out the word "Liberate."

Now, you're watching NEWS STREAM.

Up next, more than 200 people are still missing after Tuesday's deadly earthquake in New Zealand. We'll bring you the latest on the efforts to find them as their loved ones wait for news and pray for a miracle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: OK. Welcome back. You're watching NEWS STREAM.

We have some breaking news out of Libya. An opposition figure tells us witnesses in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, they're reporting heavy clashes happening this hour between security forces and anti-government protesters. He says the protesters began gathering after Friday prayers.

Snipers are said to be firing artillery fire. And women and children are among the injured.

Again, some breaking news coming into us. No visual just yet, which is why we're showing you this map here on our screen. But we're hearing news of clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters in the Libyan capital taking place in this hour.

Any more additional information on the situation, we'll bring it to you right here on CNN.

Now to New Zealand.

Hundreds of volunteer and trained rescuers from around the world have fanned out their search, and they're hoping to find more survivors in the earthquake that took place earlier this week. Survivors in the rubble of damaged houses in and around Christchurch. But no one has been found alive for two days now, and the death toll has gone up again to 113.

Now, authorities say power has been restored to three-quarters of Christchurch, but half of the city is still without running water. Now, this man, he's washing his dishes in the floodwater earlier in the day.

And right here, if you take a look at this image, we get a sense of a state of the roads. And many of the roads, the bridges remain closed.

Now, as it stands now, more than 200 people are still missing and are feared dead. And many of them are believed to be foreign students entombed here, in the Canterbury Television building. And a Japanese team is currently working at that site.

Though this is still officially a search and rescue mission, as one woman told us today, she's now clinging to hope that crews will at least find her husband's body. Increasingly, those who managed to make it out alive are feeling very lucky, and Anna Coren has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reliving the terror that claimed her house and almost her life. Adele Stokes was in her apartment on the second story of this building. Her family had just arrived with their two young children when the violent quake struck.

ADELE STOKES, HOMEOWNER: It's terrible. It just all went falling over, and it was just -- all the walls just withered. And we got through the kids and then we managed to crawl through into the bedroom and come out -- I don't know how we did it actually but we did.

COREN: Neighbor Dale Linn and his son ran out of their house and saw the devastation next door.

DALE LINN (ph), NEIGHBOR: All we hear is yelling and screaming, and it was just dusty and we couldn't see nothing. Couldn't even see across the road. I got them to keep on screaming, so I had (INAUDIBLE) and my son got the rest out.

COREN: Downstairs, was the New Brighton Casbah Pub (ph). Fortunately, no one was inside as it hadn't yet opened for the day's trade.

For worried friends desperately trying to make contact, an enormous sense of relief.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so glad to know that she's alive. I thought otherwise, we're not going to see her, because I hadn't heard from her. So it was a bit frightening, but, yes, I'm so glad to see that the whole family is alive.

COREN: While there was little to retrieve from the tons of debris, there were some welcomed surprises.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My housemate (ph) found his car keys, which was amazing. And a little boy that was helping, he found my cell phone, and it was still going. Amazing. Yes, it was amazing.

COREN: With dark days ahead for Christchurch, Adele has decided to leave town for a while. Her trusty companion, Liza, a 13-year-old Golden Retriever, will accompany her, after also escaping from the house that could have buried them all.

Anna Coren, CNN, Christchurch, New Zealand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: It's a heartbreaking story and one of many.

(WEATHER REPORT)

STOUT: And still to come here on NEWS STREAM, it is an incredible sight no matter how many times you see it, but this is the last time for the shuttle. We'll be looking at the Shuttle Discovery's final voyage.

And we're in New York, getting a new perspective on the Big Apple.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you are back watching NEWS STREAM.

And the bloody struggle in and for Libya continues. Breaking news this hour.

After Friday prayers, we're hearing reports of clashes taking place in Tripoli, in the Libyan capital, between security forces and anti-government protesters. These reports coming into us from eyewitnesses.

We cannot independently confirm these reports, but reports of clashes taking place between security forces and protesters in Tripoli. Artillery fire and sniper fire being used during these clashes.

I understand that we have an unidentified eyewitness from Tripoli joining us on the line.

Thank you for joining us here on NEWS STREAM.

Can you confirm what we have been reporting just now, these clashes taking place in your city?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am.

(INAUDIBLE) Friday prayers, as you said. We went to the streets. And we have a big mosque, so it carries about 500 people or more.

We went protesting, about 400 or 500 people. And as soon as we got on the streets, before (INAUDIBLE) the main street next to Tripoli, we are in the west part of Tripoli. It's called (INAUDIBLE), the second piece (ph) of Tripoli on the west.

The first one was Jamjul (ph). The second one was Sahiya (ph). So we went to the Sahiya (ph) street, on to Green Square, in the middle of the center of Tripoli.

But as soon as we get to the main street, we -- some (INAUDIBLE) carrying Kalashnikovs and machineguns, and they started shooting at us. We couldn't get into the street.

So we started throwing rocks at them. They went far away and they started shooting from far away. And they came back again with (INAUDIBLE), and they started shooting more and more.

(INAUDIBLE) and they started shooting tear gas, so we (INAUDIBLE) house that's close to the attack. And we are waiting for them to go away. They still occupy the streets with their guns now.

STOUT: And just to reiterate what you're telling me, because unfortunately our line isn't very clear, what you've experienced is that in the western part of Tripoli, 500 people turned out for a protest, security forces wearing civilian clothes showed up and started using guns and tear gas on the protesters.

Am I right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) for the first about 15 minutes. All these guns (INAUDIBLE) 15 or 20 minutes. The police came and used tear gas.

STOUT: Did you see or witness any fatalities?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we did not. Actually, I wasn't in the first line of the people. Thank God, nobody was hurt. All the -- whatever they were shooting, it started hitting the walls next to us (INAUDIBLE).

STOUT: So have the crowds completely dispersed, or are protesters still remaining there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) ones close to the gunshots are dispersed. But there's some people -- they walked back to the mosque area, and they're still over there. And they're still shooting at them once in a while.

STOUT: What are people there in Tripoli -- how are they trying to make sense of the situation? What are they saying right now about Moammar Gadhafi?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're trying to get ready for him (ph) today, actually. (INAUDIBLE) Green Square in the center of town (ph). (INAUDIBLE), but unfortunately it's not happening (INAUDIBLE). And hopefully we'll get -- hopefully we'll win (ph).

STOUT: OK. Well, thanks for calling into us and helping us to get a clearer sense of what's happening there in Tripoli this hour.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. Do stay with us. We have more coverage of the unfolding events in Libya ahead, including in Benghazi, where some residents have been ransacking a house -- in fact, this house, which used to look palatial.

We'll also go to Pakistan, where a CIA contractor accused of murder has made an appearance in court. Stick around for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

We're hearing that security forces and protesters have been clashing in Libya's capital. An opposition source citing several witnesses says that people in Tripoli heard sniper and artillery fire. Now several injuries have been reported. Another woman tells us the violence started after Friday prayers and no one is on the streets anymore. Now CNN has not been independently confirm these various accounts.

Now we've been monitoring the unrest in Libya and Yemen, but this is the scene in Mosul, in Iraq. Now clashes erupted between demonstrators and security forces there and at least one other city. Now Helicopters are circling Baghdad where people are gathering to protest corruption and poor government services.

Ireland's ruling party could pay the price for the country's economic woes in today's parliamentary elections. Opposition parties are expected to benefit from widespread public anger over the bailout package. A rescue deal from the EU and IMF was worth more than $100 billion. The resulting austerity plan has lead to higher taxes, reduced spending and cuts in public sector jobs.

In New Zealand, rescue workers are scouring the rubble looking for survivors of Tuesday's earthquake, however, no one has been found alive since Wednesday. And the death toll now stands at 113. More than 200 people are missing.

Now let's return to our top story. We have breaking news of heavy clashes in Tripoli. Now Colonel Gadhafi has lost control of much of eastern Libya and there's visible delight on the streets as well as in his former palaces. Ben Wedeman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A few uninvited guests have popped by Gadhafi's home in Benghazi. The place, however, is a mess. Like almost every building associated with the Gadhafi regime, it was ransacked and torched by angry protesters.

This is all that's left of the conference room in one of the palaces that Moammar Gadhafi and his son stayed in when they visited Benghazi. And if it were up to the people of this city, they'll never visit again.

The sightseers don't seem to have much regard for their absent hosts, this man parodying one of Moammar Gadhafi's recent appearances on state television.

The atmosphere may be cocky, but memories of the recent past were vivid in a place most Benghazi residence feared to tread, says Abdel Loma (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like one of the places in Benghazi where like the most scariest places in Benghazi.

WEDEMAN: And now it's a public museum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a museum for everybody. Everybody is like -- everybody left their houses just to come see what's going on, what is in here.

WEDEMAN: Beyond the blackened walls and shattered windows there isn't much left to look at. Smoke and flames still belch from some of the buildings in the compound which also house the military command for eastern Libya. The fire department isn't exactly rushing here to put out the flames in buildings that were symbols of a hated regime.

Heavy equipment has been brought in to search for hidden tunnels or other underground bunkers or prisons. It seems a given here that most secrets lie just below the surface. Though after all the effort and intention, there is nothing here.

It was the heart of the Gadhafi regime in the east. Its gates were blasted open during the final battle. The weapons used to defend it now a platform for chants against the former leader and more posing for the camera. But the joy is genuine says Abdel Halem (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For this feeling, I'm like -- flying, like (inaudible), the bus (ph) it was -- no one, no Libyan or Libyan citizen can even come close to that boat (ph). So you can imagine that feeling you have here inside.

WEDEMAN: Also genuine, hatred for the man who sometimes called this place home.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Benghazi, Libya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now in a country of widespread poverty, it appears that Libya's ruling family has been living the high life. Now cables released by WikiLeaks spoke of the Gadhafis hosting lavish parties featuring some of the world's biggest stars. Now Brian Todd looks into a world of drink, violence and excessive spending.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Moammar Gadhafi's son appears on state TV and tells his nation life is normal. Saif Gadhafi's idea of normal and yours may be slightly different. U.S. diplomatic cables posted on WikiLeaks give details on the Gadhafi family's lifestyle that, quote, provided local observers with enough dirt for a Libyan soap opera.

The cables say this lavish New Year's Eve party on the island of St. Barts in 2009 was thrown by Motassem al Gadhafi, one of the dictator's sons. The cables describe it as a million dollar personal concert with Beyonce and Usher performing: this video, taken by an eye witness.

The eye witness who declined to be identified by name for security reasons described to us what he saw.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw one of Gadhafi's son. He had long, slicked black hair. Looked very wealthy. He had lots of female acquaintances around him and was enjoying himself and drinking champagne out of the bottle.

TODD: That same son, according to the diplomatic cables, had thrown another New Year's Eve party on St. Barts the year before and paid Mariah Carey a million dollars to sing four songs. It's the same Motassem Gadhafi who serves as his father's national security advisor and once met with Hillary Clinton.

In 2006, the family brought Lionel Ritchie in to perform at the ruins of the house the U.S. had once bombed; this in a country with widespread poverty.

Analyst Steven Clemons spent two days with Saif Gadhafi last year in Libya.

You saw something unusual at his house.

STEVEN CLEMONS, NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION: Clearly guarded by every and any corner. And one of the things we found was a tiger. And the tiger was tied up. It was out there. It looked extremely healthy.

TODD: Spending is apparently not the only thing the Gadhafi family does excessively, there are various reports of violent behavior among Moammar Gadhafi's lesser known children.

The diplomatic cables say one Gadhafi son, Saadi, has had scuffles with police in Europe, abuse of drugs and alcohol. The cables also say Gadhafi's son Hannibal once assaulted his wife in a London hotel room. And experts say he's had other incidents.

PROF. NOUREDDINE JEBNOUN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Hannibal is the delinquent of the family. So while he was arrested in Switzerland in 2008 for beating his servant.

TODD: An arrest which led the Libyan government, experts say, to briefly hold Swiss businessmen hostage.

CLEMONS: It is a highly personalized, you know almost mafia franchise, in which you've got different types of personalities in the mix and a father who is indulging all of them.

TODD: Analysts we spoke with and the diplomatic cables also describe an intense personal rivalry for power between those two prominent sons, Saif and Motassem Gadhafi. One the WikiLeaks cables on the sons we tried to reach Libya's representative in Washington for response. We didn't hear back. On the accounts of those parties and celebrity performances, we reached out to representatives for Beyonce, Usher, Mariah Carey and Lionel Ritchie for comment. The only one who got back to us was a representative for Beyonce who said, no comment.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now he is accused of killing two Pakistani men and on Friday American CIA contractor Raymond Davis appeared in a Pakistani court in Lahore. Now Reza Sayah is following the story. He joins me now live from CNN Islamabad. And Reza, walk us through the hearing.

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Kristie, the case against Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor accused of shooting and killing two Pakistani men appears to be moving forward here in Pakistan. But perhaps more importantly, it appears that Islamabad and Washington are still stuck in trying to figure out a way to get out of this messy political dilemma that this case has created.

Let's tell you what happened today. A hearing was held inside a jailhouse where Raymond Davis is being kept just outside of Lahore for security reasons. The hearing was closed off to the media and the public, so we're getting our information from the lawyer of one of the shooting victims. He says today a judge delivered to Raymond Davis the evidence gathered by police against him, signs of some tension and some sour feelings inside this hearing. The lawyer told us initially when the judge tried to deliver Mr. Davis these documents he refused saying they were in Urdu. Eventually he took them when court officials gave them an English translation, but he signed for them.

Also today Raymond Davis delivering to the judge a written statement reiterating his position that he should be released because he's entitled to diplomatic immunity.

That matter, the matter involving diplomatic immunity will be held -- that will be heard at another hearing next month. But in the meantime, this trial against this American, the CIA contractor accused of shooting and killing two Pakistanis who allegedly tried to rob him is moving forward. The next scheduled hearing, March 3. That's when, Kristie, he is going to be formally charged.

STOUT: And has this case brought on more anti-American sentiment in Pakistan?

SAYAH: No question about it. There were more protests that today in Lahore. But by any measure, this was an extremely complicated, sticky situation that is putting this already volatile relationship between Islamabad and Washington in jeopardy. All sides here are under tremendous pressure. You look at the civilian government in Pakistan, the perception here is that they are Washington's lackey, Washington's doormat, that they do whatever Washington tells them. The perception also is here that the CIA has agents all over the country carrying out a very unpopular U.S. foreign policy.

And now you have this American, this CIA contractor, who is involved in this case accused of shooting two Pakistanis. If he's released, you can be sure there's going to be unrest and more protests and perhaps violence. If the Pakistani government decides to keep him, of course they risk annoying this very important partner in Washington who funds them will billions of dollars every year.

There's some high level meetings continuing to happen between both military and politicians between both sides, but still not clear if they are any closer to solving this very, very messy situation.

STOUT: Yeah, and with so much public anger, is it safe to say that it's pretty likely that Islamabad will not respect Washington's plea to free Davis?

SAYEH: Well, all we can tell you is at this point Raymond Davis is not going anywhere and the trial is moving forward. But behind the scenes the talks continue between both senior politicians and senior military officials to try to resolve this matter. Again, there's pressure on both sides. Any way you look at it, there's going to be a side that's not going to be happy. But it's not clear how this is going to end.

STOUT: All right. Reza Sayeh joining us live from Islamabad. Thank you very much for that.

Now there are two months to go until the royal wedding, but Will and Kate clearly are not too concerned about those last minute details just yet. The launch of a lifeboat in Wales yesterday, they were in Scotland today in the town in which they met. We'll tell you why.

And we have another tale of love between Japanese villagers and their once despised monkey neighbors.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: OK. Welcome back.

Now we are hearing that security forces and protesters on clashing in Libya's capital. An opposition source citing several witnesses says people in Tripoli heard sniper and artillery fire. Several injuries have been reported. Another woman tells us that the violence started after Friday prayers. And no one is on the streets anymore. Now CNN has not been able to independently confirm these accounts.

Separately, state controlled Libyan TV is reporting the security forces have arrested a number of foreigners with hand grenades in their possession. They were made to confess on state TV their involvement in the recent unrest in the east. And among them is said to be one of the leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Now Space Shuttle Discovery is on its last dance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One. Boost for ignition. And the final lift off of Discovery, a tribute to the dedication, hard work and pride of America's space shuttle team. The shuttle has cleared the tower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: That picture perfect launch marked the start of its final mission. Now Discovery and its six member crew are heading to the International Space Station. The shuttle is carrying a storage module, some spare parts and a science rig. Now Discovery will be grounded after its 11 days in orbit. There are two flights left for NASA's shuttle program.

And Discovery has logged a lot of distance in its 39th flight. So take a look at this, the shuttle will have traveled more than 230 million kilometers. That doesn't even include Thursday's launch. And to put that into perspective, the sun is nearly 150 million kilometers from Earth. Now Discovery has made more than 5600 orbits of Earth and spent more than 351 days in space.

Now let's bring up a bird's eye view of New York. Now this was filmed from an RC plane, a remote controlled plane soaring high over the city. Now this video, it came from a young amateur. His name is Raphael Pirker. And he's one of a community dedicated to making videos like this one. And I asked him how he started making videos with remote controlled planes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAPHAEL PIRKER, TEAM-BLACKSHEEP.COM: I build planes as a hobby. And we just traveled to New York and took our planes there. And the plane is a small RC plane, just a regular RC plane you can buy. And it has a video camera and a video transmitter on it which transmits the video from the aircraft down to the operator at the base. And we just flew around New York City that way.

STOUT: How much does it cost?

PIRKER: All up, the system is about $4,000-$5,000. So that includes everything -- chargers, transmitters, plane, cameras, everything.

STOUT: Now New York City is a very security conscious place. So did you get into trouble for flying your RC plane so close to the Statue of Liberty?

PIRKER: Every time, actually -- every time we flew there was either a park ranger or a police man coming up to us. And he was checking out to see what we were doing and if we terrorists or something like that. But we explained what we were doing. We showed them how it works. And they were actually pretty amazed at the technology themselves.

STOUT: Where do you want to fly your plane next?

PIRKER: That's a tough one. Well, we were planning space flight next. We're trying to hook our plane to a weather balloon and then it will pull the plane up about 30, 35 kilometers. That's our next big goal that we're working on.

STOUT: And how can someone watching this at home replicate what you did?

PIRKER: They're looking to get started slowly, because it's not as easy as it looks in the video. You would need to start with a very small plane with a small plane that can easily take crashes and put a video transmitter and camera on it and get flying that way, get comfortable that way and work yourself up to a very stable, very fast platform like we used in the New York City flights.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now Raphael told me that he can fly his plane remotely from up to 40 kilometers away. But in New York he usually kept it within 500 meters of him.

Now the world's largest automaker is recalling yet more vehicles amid safety fears. Now 2.2 million Toyotas are being recalled in the latest batch to correct problems that can cause the accelerator pedal to become stuck at full throttle beneath the floor mat. Now the latest list includes some of Lexus models as well as Toyota's popular Rav4. But this is not a new problem, it is a longrunning safety saga.

Let's go back to November 25th of 2009, at least 4 million vehicles were recalled to reconfigure their pedals. Now a further 1.1 million cars were later added to the recall. And then in January of 2010, 2.3 million vehicles were recalled to correct a separate accelerator pedal problem. And then five days later, the production of eight models was halted. And then in early February of this year -- February the 4th as a matter of fact, the Japanese giant confirmed that 8.1 million cars had been recalled. But the latest announcement which just came out -- let me bring it for you right here -- it means that well over 10 million Toyotas have been recalled over safety fears. And for a list of all the vehicles that have been recalled you can visit Toyota.com/recall.

Now you're watching News Stream live on CNN. And still to come, the whole world is talking about Prince William and his bride-to-be Kate Middleton. The royal couple has returned to the place they met, St. Andrews, Scotland. We'll go there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back. Now Britain's royal couple are taking a second day off from choosing flowers and sorting table plans for their wedding. Now Prince William and bride-to-be Kate Middleton are in Scotland. And our royal watcher Mark Saunders joins us live from St. Andrews.

And Mark what's on the agenda today?

MARK SAUNDERS, BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY CORRESPONDENT: Well, today William and Katherine are here to help launch the celebrations to the 600th anniversary of St. Andrews University, one of the oldest universities in the country and of course the place that they met and fell in love. Unofficially, of course, it's as you earlier mentioned, it's the second day of their launch into their public life. They are now, as we know, engaged. And these appearances are going to become more and more frequent up until the wedding I think. And they are getting more confident every time they appear.

Prince William, as I described yesterday, quite chivalrous in a way he looks after Kate on these jobs, but she's really coming into her own. And everybody spoke to today that actually got to meet her when they did a meet and greet with the general public said she was a seasoned performer. She took it all in her stride. Another great, great success.

STOUT: You know, that's wonderful to hear that Kate Middleton is growing into the role that is before her. No doubt there are thousands of well wishers, maybe hundreds, there at St. Andrews. Can you describe the scene for us a little bit?

SAUNDERS: Well I mean, this really is one of the most beautiful universities in the country. It's a very romantic place, a place where it would be very easy to fall in love, but we have yeah as you said about a thousand people here. We had three fighter jets doing a fly over. We had the queen's standard at the clock tower and the melodic beauty of the university chapel choir that was just flooding this quadrant where we are now.

All in all it was a very royal picture of a very royal event. But I would say this was low key, but invariably romantic.

STOUT: It seems like you've been seduced by the entire affair, or maybe it's just St. Andrews. Mark Saunders joining us live from St. Andrews, Scotland. Thank you so much indeed.

Now the royal wedding has been declared a public holiday in the UK. And while many are thankful for the extra vacation, some worry that the economy cannot handle the day off. Now the confederation of CBI -- Confederation of British Industry calculates that the economy will lose $9.48 billion because of the holiday. However, about $1.6 billion is expected to be spent in stores from tourists and others seeking wedding memorabilia. Now that will leave total holiday losses at about $7.9 billion.

Now when snow monkeys like this chap right over here turned up in Japanese cities there was snow love lost. They were seen as noisy, sort of aggressive pests, but over a few decades the relationship has changed. Kyung Lah reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORREPSONDENT: Deep in the heart of Japan's snow country, rising out steaming natural hot springs...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really, really cute. They look like bunny rabbits.

LAH: Not quite.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're so like people.

LAH: Getting warmer, which is why these snow monkeys are in these hot springs in the dead of winter.

UNIDNETIFIED FEMALE: It's magical, fabulous.

LAH: And extraordinarily rare -- where man can get this close to monkey with maybe an outburst or two, but generally without conflict in this monkey park, says Vince Manna who has photographed 200 species of monkeys...

VINCE MANNA, PHOTOGRAPHER: All over the Amazon, Africa, Asia -- Southeast Asia -- many places.

LAH: Have you ever seen anything like this before?

MANNA: Not like this. This is unique.

LAH: These wild monkeys are actually known for being quite aggressive. Before visitors enter the park they're warned not to touch the monkeys, not to feed them, show them food or even look them directly in the eyes. But the reason why I can get this close is because they keep from these natural springs the park believes actually relaxes them.

But take the monkey out of its natural habitat and you have collision with man. This monkey swung through one of Tokyo's busiest subway stations shutting down morning commute. Last January, this monkey bit 100 people before being tackled and captured, not the fault of the wild animal says Jigokudani Monkey Park.

"It's man who invaded the monkey's territory first," says Kiamiata (ph), "we chase monkeys out of the mountains into human territory."

So Nagano, Japan, which was overrun by monkeys, came up with an idea: build a natural hot spring in the middle of these mountains.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's pretty amazing.

LAH: So amazing the monkeys came, drawn away from man. Then man was drawn to the bathing monkeys, not that they mind.

Forty years since this park opened, monkeys still bathe peacefully in the spring and tourists from around the world continue to go, well, bananas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're in nature. They're doing their own thing. And here we are coexisting together.

LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN, Nagano, Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: They're just mesmerizing to look at.

Now that is News Stream. But the news continues at CNN. World Business today with Charles Hodson, Maggie Lake and Andrew Stevens is next.

END