Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Conrad Murray Trial to Begin; Jury Selection and the Internet; 'The Rose' of Syria; Mexican Journalist Found Decapitated In Nuevo Laredo; Post- it War Being Waged In Paris Office Buildings

Aired September 27, 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.

And we begin with the case against Conrad Murray. Michael Jackson's personal doctor goes on trial today on charges of involuntary manslaughter.

And a powerful typhoon pounds the Philippines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we are doing is nothing short of the rebirth of a nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Greece's prime minister asks the Germans for more financial help.

And he was Facebook's first president. We hear from the man Justin Timberlake played in the film "The Social Network," Sean Parker.

More than two years after the death of Michael Jackson, the pop icon's personal doctor finally faces trial. Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter. This trial has been delayed at least twice this year.

Now, jurors are set to hear opening statements from both sides less than four hours from now, and I want to tell you a bit more about the key people in the courtroom.

Now, here you see Murray with one of his lawyers, J. Michael Flanagan. Flanagan defended Britney Spears when she was charged for driving without a license. He's also been quoted as saying that he is the only lawyer in town who has successfully defended a medical professional in a Propofol case involving death.

Now, Nara Kourgian (ph), he is also on Murray's defense team. He once worked for Michael Jackson during the singer's child molestation trial. He also helped defend other high-profile clients including Scott Peterson and the pop star Chris Brown.

On the other side, you have David Walgren. Now, he is a deputy district attorney with the L.A. County Major Crimes Division. Walgren also worked on the Roman Polanski case involving unlawful sex with a minor.

And overseeing all the proceedings, Judge Michael Pastor. His previous celebrity cases involving one, topless pictures of actress Cameron Diaz, and also the other involving actor Jason Priestley's DUI.

Let's go live now to the courthouse in Los Angeles. CNN's Don Lemon is there.

Don, what should we expect today?

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You can expect even more high-profile people. You mentioned the prosecution and the defense, people who have fought for and prosecuted some very high-profile people. But none of them probably as famous as Michael Jackson.

And Michael Jackson, of course, is going to be looming large in that courtroom. And of course his doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, on trial here for involuntary manslaughter.

So, and then in this case, when you said, what should we expect? We should expect to see the Jackson family as well. The matriarch of the Jackson family, Katherine Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family, Joe Jackson, is going to be there. And you should see the brothers and sisters as well.

And you're going to hear from the witness stand. The first person who is going to go on the stand today and give testimony is going to be Kenny Ortega, who is a very famous choreographer, producer, director in the United States. And he has been with Michael Jackson for some 25 years, produced a lot of his tours and produced movies in Hollywood.

He knows his way around this town. So you're going to hear from him. And the reason you're going to hear from him is because he was doing that "This is It." He was producing and choreographing Michael Jackson's last project. And if you're looking at the "This is It" video, you can see Kenny Ortega in that video, for a lot of that video.

And so that's what you're going to see today, and this is just the beginning -- Kristie.

STOUT: Yes, this is just the beginning. The case hasn't started yet. But, Don, some are saying that the media buzz could rise to levels last seen during the O.J. Simpson trial.

So what kind of media presence are you seeing there this morning?

LEMON: Yes. It's interesting that you should ask me that, because just before this live shot, I walked just around the corner to take a look, and I kept walking and walking for a big city block. And there are satellite trucks and news vans and news cars and reporters lined up around the block.

And it's very early here in California. It's 5:00 in the morning here, and people are just starting to show up. This is the first day of testimony.

So I expect the media coverage to get bigger. Is it going to rise to O.J. Simpson? I don't know, but certainly, historically, Michael Jackson is even more famous than O.J. Simpson.

STOUT: And also, just to confirm, will this trial be televised just like the O.J. Simpson trial?

LEMON: Well, there are cameras in the courtroom. It depends on the individual stations and networks, how much of that coverage that they take. And it depends on the interest, as you know, and the people at home.

If the ratings show that people are interested in this trial, then there will be more coverage. If it shows that it's not, then there won't be.

I would assume that most people will run a lot of it. I don't expect at least now that it will rise to the level of an O.J. Simpson, where it is on for basically 24 hours a day, or for the complete coverage of the trial.

If Michael Jackson was in court, I would expect that. But for Conrad Murray, I'm not so sure.

STOUT: All right.

Don Lemon, joining us live in L.A.

Thank you very much for that.

Now, prosecutors say that Murray used a makeshift IV drip to administer Propofol so Jackson could sleep, but the powerful drug is not attended for home use. And just after Jackson's death, Dr. Sanjay Gupta went into the operating room to show us just how strong it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What's so attractive about this medication?

GERSHON: Well, people -- it has really been in the advent in the last 10 years or so, even more, 15 years. And it's just basically a quick-on, quick-off. That may answer why people may think that this is something they could do at home, because if it gets out of hand, it goes away quickly. The problem is it gets out of hand and there's nobody there to resuscitate you, then nobody can bring you back.

GUPTA: So that was pretty quick. You just made some of the medication, you're going to --

(CROSSTALK)

GERSHON: Five, 10 minutes.

GUPTA: Five, 10 minutes, he's gone from being completely awake to completely asleep.

GERSHON: He's not breathing. I'm breathing for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, jurors in this case, they went through a detailed screening process. And experts say attorneys likely scrutinized social media sites including Facebook for more information about them.

Now, Ted Rowlands explains how the Internet can cause issues in the courtroom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Social networking online is great for communication, but can be disastrous for a jury trial. It's also one of Judge Michael Pastor's biggest worries for the jurors in the Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial because, of course, of the amount of publicity over Michael Jackson's death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major, major developments tonight in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case.

ROWLANDS: Linda Marks is a judge in Orange County, California. She says jurors should be told not only don't research the case online, but also not to share their feelings about it on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. She has seen it all in her courtroom.

JUDGE LINDA MARKS, SUPERIOR COURT OF ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: One prospective juror simply indicated that they couldn't imagine themselves not being able to use their device and sharing what they were doing.

ROWLANDS: Examples of juror misconduct online are becoming more frequent. "The Facebook 5" is a group of jurors that allegedly friended each other before they helped convict Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon of embezzlement.

In Michigan, this 20-year-old juror got in trouble after posting a message on Facebook near the beginning of a trial, saying, "It's gonna be fun to tell the defendant they're guilty." She was thrown off the case.

There was a juror in West Virginia that contacted a defendant on MySpace, and this woman in Tampa admitted posting, "Boring, boring" during testimony in a rape case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you make that posting?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I did.

ROWLANDS: There's also the problem of potential jurors researching a case online.

JO-ELLAN DIMITRIUS, JURY CONSULTANT: I'd say in the last year and a half I've seen about 75 percent hands of prospective jurors go up to say that they actually Googled the parties in the case, even the attorneys.

RICHARD GABRIEL, JURY CONSULTANT: There's been numerous scores of trials that have been overturned, mistrials declared, as a result of jurors not realizing that, oh, if I Google a particular term or person or witness that's come into the trial, that's doing investigation into the case.

ROWLANDS (on camera): Jurors in the Murray case have been asked about their social networking activities, and they've been told by the judge not to research or chat about the case online.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: We'll be covering the Conrad Murray trial all week here on NEWS STREAM.

Now, let's move on to the Philippines now, where at least seven people are dead from Typhoon Nesat.

(WEATHER REPORT)

STOUT: Now, two subway trains have collided in Shanghai, China, leaving many injured. It happened earlier on Tuesday, and here you can see rescue workers helping hurt passengers out of the station.

Shanghai metro officials say that one train rear-ended the other after equipment failure forced dispatchers to switch to manual mode. They say all the injured are being treated at local hospitals.

Now, a grieving Syrian family wants the world to know what happened to their daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The last time Zainab al-Hosni's family says they saw her alive. They claim she was abducted off the street by Syrian security forces. She was just 18 years old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Protesters are calling the young woman "The Rose." Was she tortured and killed to lure her brother out of hiding?

And "diabolical," "two-faced" and "demonic." Those are just some of the accusations lawyers in Italy have hurled at Amanda Knox. But now defense attorneys are set to respond.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Libya's revolutionary fighters are setting their sights and their guns on capturing Moammar Gadhafi's hometown. Now, Sirte is one of the ousted leader's few remaining bastions. A senior military commander in Tripoli says fighters have taken over Sirte's port following fierce clashes, but it is not clear how long this will last. The interim government's forces have seized the port in the past, only to pull back in night under fire from Gadhafi loyalists.

Now, Syria is accusing the West of trying to unleash "total chaos" even as Damascus tries to stamp out anti-government protests. Opposition activists say the security forces have stormed a neighborhood in Aleppo. Syria's largest city is the country's economic center and had been relatively calm during months of unrest elsewhere.

Violence is also flaring in Al Rastan. A Syrian human rights group says tanks and troops pounded the city with heavy machine gunfire and says at least 20 people were injured.

CNN and other international journalists are not getting access to Syria, but inside the country a horrific story of kidnapping, torture and murder is emerging. At the story's center, a young woman still in her teens who protesters now call "The Rose."

Her family recovered her mutilated body after she suddenly disappeared. The young woman and her brother may have been led into a deadly trap.

Arwa Damon has more, and I warn you, her report is graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON (voice-over): July 27th, the last time Zainab al-Hosni's family says they saw her alive. They claim she was abducted off the street by Syrian security forces. She was just 18 years old.

"My mother received her body from the hospital on September 17th," her brother Youssef al-Hosni (ph) says in a statement posted to YouTube. "Her body was chopped into four parts: her head, two arms, and torso."

(on camera): We have viewed pictures of what was done to Zainab's corpse, and they are simply too gruesome to air. Not only was her body dismembered and decapitated, bits of her flesh are charred. Most of it appears to be melted or burnt down to the bone. The pictures are among the most horrifying images we have seen come out of Syria.

(voice-over): "They killed 'The Rose,' Zainab," read the placards carried by dozens of women in the city of Homs, protesting her slaughter and chanting for the downfall of the regime. Her crime, Zainab's older brother, Mohamed, was an activist well known for leading demonstrations and treating the wounded in Homs. For months, he had been evading the authorities.

The family says that the security forces demanded Mohamed in exchange for Zainab. On September 10th, the family says Mohamed was wounded in a demonstration. He came back to his loved ones a corpse, tortured to death, they believe.

"There were three gunshots in the chest and one to the shoulder," Youssef (ph) states. "A gunshot wound to the mouth that exited through his head. His arms were broken. There were cigarette burns to his face."

The family had just collected Mohamed's body from the hospital when doctors told them there was a young woman named Zainab's body in the morgue. A few days later, they received her (INAUDIBLE).

CNN cannot independently confirm the family's account of what happened, and repeated calls to the Syrian government were not returned.

Philip Luther with Amnesty International said in a statement, "If it is confirmed that Zainab was in custody when she died, this would be one of the most disturbing cases of a death in detention we have seen so far."

And if confirmed, a chilling indication this regime will stop at nothing to crush those who dare oppose it.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, the Palestinian bid for full United Nations membership is now before the U.N. Security Council. Members plan to meet again Wednesday on the issue after taking it up on Monday.

Senior U.N. Correspondent Richard Roth tells us it is just the beginning of what could be a long diplomatic process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: It didn't take long after the Palestinians submitted their formal application for statehood for the U.N. Security Council to begin considering the issue, but everything is procedural for now. The council met behind closed doors and decided on a Wednesday meeting, at which point the whole issue will be referred to another council session, a committee meeting, on the application.

Nevertheless, the Palestinians were pleased.

RIYAD MANSOUR, PALESTINIAN ENVOY TO U.N.: The process has started, and we hope that the Security Council will shoulder its responsibility and address this application with a positive attitude, especially since we have 131 countries that have recognized the state of Palestine so far.

ROTH: For the Palestinians, the time is now to hunt for votes on the statehood application. The Security Council requires at least nine countries voting yes, besides a planned U.S. veto. The Palestinians got encouragement from China, which told the General Assembly it wants an independent state, but the Germans disagreed in front of the General Assembly. Nigeria, Gabon and Bosnia could be key undecided votes.

Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, a world sport update is just ahead with all the highlights from the Rugby World Cup. And take a look at this. Don Riddell will try to explain why this player's shirt is drenched with sweat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching NEWS STREAM. And welcome back.

And you're looking at video rundown of all the stories we're covering on the show today, and it's time now to look at sports and the Rugby World Cup. Two games took place today.

Let's get more now from New Zealand and all the rest of the sporting highlights. Don Riddell joins me with more -- Don.

DON RIDDELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, Kristie. Thanks very much.

Italy's team has beaten the USA at the World Cup today, and the margin of victory sets up a thrilling clash with Ireland on Sunday. Because the (INAUDIBLE) scored four tries and got a bonus point, the Ireland game is effectively now winner takes all to decide who goes into the quarter finals.

Italy made a fast start in only the third minute. Sergio Parisse leaped over from five meters out to give the Italians a 7-0 lead. This was the last game of the tournament for the Americans, and they wanted to give themselves a good showing.

Paul Emerick certainly got them back into contention by smashing through the Italian line, setting up Chris Wyles to score. Game, tied.

But Italy regained their lead on the half-hour mark. (INAUDIBLE) taking it himself and crossing over to score.

Now, to give themselves a chance of progressing beyond the group stage, Italy needed the win and the bonus point. And they worked hard for it, 27- 10 the final score. Sunday's game against Ireland will be fascinating. The USA, meanwhile, are heading home.

The last time Canada and Japan played in the World Cup, the result was a draw. And incredibly, that was the outcome again today in Napier. Japan went into half-time with a 10-point lead thanks to Kosuke Endo's 40th- minute try.

But the Canadians rallied after the break. Phil McKenzie spotted a gap in the Japanese defense, and he made a run for it. Great score from him here.

But Canada were playing catch-up right until the end, in the 75th minute. The North Americans were still eight behind, but Ander Monro's try made it a three-point game, and it was his penalty in the penultimate minute that tied the scores at 23-23, denying Japan their first World Cup victory in 20 years.

It wasn't the result Canada were looking for either. Their captain, Pat Riordan, said it was a bit like kissing your cousin. But it does give them an outside shot of reaching the quarter finals, and that is assuming they can beat New Zealand.

Now, the Dallas Cowboys just edged out the Redskins in the NFL on Monday night. And while their quarterback made the headlines, it was their kicker that took all the glory.

Tony Romo played with a broken rib. And in the circumstances, he played pretty well. But this wasn't something he would have been too happy about, Kevin Barnes intercepting him and setting Washington up for a score on the very next play.

STOUT: Wow. That's a talent. Don Riddell, thank you very much for the share.

Now, still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, name-calling in the Amanda Knox appeal. Lawyers turn up the heat on a defendant they describe as "diabolical." We'll go live to Perugia, where proceedings are coming to a close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

At least seven people, including a baby boy, have been killed by Typhoon Nesat in the Philippines. The storm slammed into the north of the country triggering flooding, knocking out power, and canceling flights.

Now Libya's revolutionary fighters say they have taken over the port of Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, but it is not clear how long they will stay in control. The interim government's forces have seized the port before only to pull back at night under fire from Gadhafi loyalists.

In just a few hours, jurors are set to hear opening statements in the trial of Michael Jackson's personal doctor. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter. You will remember, Jackson died in 2009 from an overdose of a powerful anesthetic. Now Murray has pleaded not guilty.

Now on Monday we told you about a gruesome murder in Mexico, the victim a female journalist found decapitated. Her killers left a note by the body. Raphael Romo has more on what appears to be a disturbing new trend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAPHAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The decapitated corpse was a clear message, don't write in the heart of Nuevo Laredo across the border from Laredo, Texas. Mexican officials said the victim was 39 year old Maria Elizabeth Macias Castro, editor-in-chief of Primera Hora, one of the three local newspapers, but also famous for her online social media posts.

Next to the body, a handwritten warning, "I'm here because of my reports and yours. For those of you who don't want to believe this happened because of my actions and for trusting the defense ministry and the marines." said the sign.

The gruesome murder is the third this month in which victims were apparently targeted for their work online. Just last week, the bodies of a man and a woman who had been hog tied and disemboweled, were found hanging from a nearby bridge. The bodies have not been identified.

An handwritten poster attached to the bridge threatened to blogs that follow organized crime in Mexico. One of them said, "this is going to happen to all of those posting funny things on the internet. You better pay attention. I'm about to get you."

Nuevo Laredo mayor Benjamin Galvan didn't want to talk to CNN about the wave of violence, but earlier this month told affiliate KSAT he's working on improving security.

BENJAMIN GALVAN, MAYOR OF NUEVO LAREDO: It's not at the level that we wan't it to be. There aren't easy and fast solutions to the problem of violence.

ROMO: That violence may partially be because of the fierce turf war in Nuevo Laredo between rival drug cartels. But the messages left with these latest bodies tied to online coverage of the cartels were signed with the letter Z. Mexican officials wouldn't say if they believe that's a reference to the Zetas Drug Cartel.

Raphael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now the next few days could decide the fate of Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend. They are fighting their murder convictions in the death of Knox's British house mate. And their defense attorneys are firing back at some lawyers' claims that Knox is diabolical.

Matthew Chance is in Perugia, Italy. And he joins us now.

Matthew, lawyers are clearly going after her character. And how is Knox's legal team striking back?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're right, Kristie, that's something that's been a feature of not just this appeal hearing, but something that was a feature of the trial as well. Amanda Knox's personality being described in court yesterday as split between being angelic on the one side and satanic-like on the other side.

And, you know, more so the court was told about how Amanda Knox lived this kind of loose life. She drank beer, smoked marijuana, you know, kind of had lots of men back into her flat according to these prosecution lawyers.

All of which today has been dismissed by one of the lead lawyers in the defense, because today has been the day in this court here in Perusia where the defense lawyers have been able to start their summing up of this case. And one of the lawyers today basically instructing the jury, or asking the jury to put out of their minds this image of Amanda Knox who is someone who is demonic in any way, and you know, a witch-like character, or a she-devil I think she was described as yesterday. And instead think of her more as somebody who was a woman in love with her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. And she described her in fact as a Jessica Rabbit type character.

And so she's been focusing on that, the personality side of Amanda Knox.

Also, criticizing the original police investigation and the DNA evidence which independent experts who have been brought to this court have essentially dismissed as being unsound and not substantial enough to use to convict these two.

STOUT: Now Matthew, Amanda Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison. She denies wrongdoing. She is appealing the verdict. But is there a chance she could get an even harsher sentence?

CHANCE: Well, that's something that the prosecution is certainly calling for. They're asking the jury not just to uphold the murder conviction and the 26 year sentence, but also to increase that sentence to life imprisonment. That's something they asked for at the original trial. It's something that they're asking for again at this appeal hearing. And so that's an option on the table for the judge and the jury.

Another option, of course, is to find Amanda and her former boyfriend Raffaele guilty of a lesser crime and perhaps reduce their sentences perhaps even to time served. Remember, they've been in prison for a couple of years now. And so that's something that is being considered in terms of all the options on the table for the judge and the jury.

STOUT: All right. Matthew Chance joining us live in Perusia. Thank you very much indeed.

Now let's get an update on that typhoon that's been pounding the Philippines. Mari Ramos joins us from the world weather center -- Mari.

RAMOS: Hey, Kristie.

Yeah, we have the latest information right now about this storm. The center is about 100 kilometers off the coast here of the Philippines. And it is moving rather quickly into the South China Sea. And that's a good thing for you guys here in the Philippines, because what's going to happen is you'll begin to see an improvement of your weather from east to west as we head into the next day or so. But it is going to take some time.

This is a very large storm, more than 2,000 kilometers wide. And you can see how it's dragging in moisture here from the South China Sea and dumping it even as we head into the central and southern Philippines.

Winds right now close to 160 kilometers per hour, near that center of circulation almost 200 kilometers per hour. So this is a pretty intense weather system even though it just moved through that very rugged terrain across the Philippines. We're still getting those typhoon force winds right up along the shore. And it's going to be that area right there that is going to be getting the strongest winds. And also, because of the circulation, that onshore flow here that will cause some significant flooding, we think, along the coastlines here.

You should start to see an improvement in Manila with all of that flooding that you had along the bay earlier today.

Let's go ahead and talk a little bit about some of these rainfall totals. These are the latest. I know I showed you some in the last half hour. This is the latest information. Subic Bay is now up to 330 millimeters, Tanay up to 145, and Baguie City up to 134 millimeters. And this is just in the last 24 hours on top of everything that they've already had.

In the next 24 to 48 hours, as the storm continues to move away into the South China Sea we should begin to see an improvement here in the weather, but still some heavy rain expected across parts of Luzon and also as we head down into Mindanao. So be extra careful with that.

I want to switch gears and give you an update on another story that we have been following for awhile here, and that was that 5.8 earthquake, remember, in Washington, D.C. Well, the National Park Service released new video of what was happening inside the Washington Monument. Check it out.

First, right over here you begin to see the shaking. Look at the guard right there on the left-hand side. You know, kind of wondering what's going on. Then you begin to see people start to move out of the way, Kristie.

The National Park Service announced earlier -- yesterday, I should say, that they are going to be closed for -- wow, longer than they expected because of all of the damage that occurred here.

Look, there's a lady there on the ground. You can see her flip-flops at the bottom of your screen. People just continue to make their way down the stairs. Finally, she gets up. Everybody made it out safely, but there were some injuries in here because of falling debris. Some of the cracks that are left now in the Washington Monument are over an inch-and-a-half, an inch-and-a-quarter wide.

And of course you can see the panic of people trapped in that very narrow building as they made their way down the stairs, very tall building of course, and there you see it.

That's the latest video from that earthquake last month. Back to you.

STOUT: Yeah, Mari, incredible video there. No audio, but still you can clearly feel and sense the panic that the people are experiencing there. Mari, thank you for sharing that with us. Mari Ramos there.

Now Greece is in the middle of another austerity strike. Buses and rail lines have all ground to a halt today in Athens as public transport workers protest nationwide reforms that the government says are needed to help Greece avoid default.

Now Greek workers have staged many austerity strikes in recent months saying that citizens should not be forced to bear the burden of the country's debt. And it comes as Greek prime minister George Papandreou meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin today. He's urging lawmakers there to strengthen the EuroZone's bailout fund in a critical vote on Thursday.

And for the latest, Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Berlin. And Fred, how did the Greek prime minister make his case for support there?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he held a speech earlier today, Kristie, at the Federation for German Industrial, which of course is a very important federation here in this country. And one of the interesting points that he kept sort of knocking on was that he said that this is basically the emergence of a new country.

He says that the old Greece, the old Greece and its old ways were history and now they're working on trying to have a new Greece.

Now he also said that the road to getting there would be very rocky, that he understands a lot of the critics that are out there who don't believe that Greece is going to make this, but he does -- did say that Greece simply needs some more time, obviously needs this bailout money which could buy it some more time.

Let's listen in to one of the things that he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEOGE PAPANDREOU, PRIME MINISTER OF GREECE: This is not an investment in past failures, this is an investment in future successes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So that was the thing that he kept banging on, he kept saying that yes a new Greece is emerging, that that was -- that he was working on. And he said that he believes that the austerity measures that are being put in place by his government will in effect lead to some sort of thing that could maybe still fend off this default that many people say are looming for Greece.

Now one of the things you mentioned is that he is going to be meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel later on. And she, of course, is the pivotal figure in this whole EuroZone saving in this bailout of Greece. If the Germans are not on board fully, then it's going to be very difficult for Europe to save the Euro.

Angela Merkel is in a very difficult position at this point in time. On the one hand, she has to seem decisive and strong on the European level, on the other hand, of course Kristie, she has to make sure that German taxpayers believe that they are not going to have to keep paying for Greece without end and at some point that this will be over. So that's something that she has to do a lot of lobbying for before that very, very important vote that's going to take place on Thursday, Kristie.

STOUT: So what is the reaction. Are Germans, both citizens and politicians, willing to pledge help for Greece?

PLEITGEN: That is a very difficult question. I mean, one things that seems absolutely clear is that the vote will pass parliament. However, the big question is, is Angela Merkel going to be able to pass this vote with the votes of her own governing coalition, because there -- that is where the skeptics are.

The Liberal Democratic Party here in this country, which is part of Angela Merkel's governing coalition are very skeptical of the euro bailout. There are certain people in that governing coalition who have said they want to vote no on the measure. And that's something that could seriously weaken Angela Merkel's stature on the European level, and obviously also her place, if you will, as the figure trying to push through this saving of the entire EuroZone.

Now, on the one hand of course, a lot of Germans would say they agree with the people who are skeptical of this bailout. About 66 percent, according to a recent poll, say it's a mistake to give additional money to Greece. However, if you speak to Germans on the street, the one thing that a majority of them will tell you, is that they believe that giving Greece might be -- or giving Greece money might be a bad idea, however, they also say that not giving Greece any money would probably be even worse not just for the entire EuroZone, but for Germany as an exporting nation in particular -- Kristie.

STOUT: Fred Pleitgen, joining us live in Berlin. Thank you, Fred.

And ahead on News Stream, he was once a Facebook big wig, and now Sean Parker is taking on a news high tech venture. We'll tell you what it is as he speaks exclusively to CNN.

And Post-it wars, we'll tell you what's behind these latest paper creations springing up around Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Now he created Napster. He's Facebook's founding president. And yes, Justin Timberlake played him in the movie The Social Network. So what is next for Sean Parker?

Now he rarely gives out interviews, but he sat down with Dan Simon for this CNN exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Snoop Dogg performing at a private party for Silicon Valley's young elite, just one of several marquee acts that also included The Killers, and the band Jane's Addiction. It was an event that incredibly had been planned two days earlier by technology pioneer Sean Parker. He decided at the last minute to throw a party to coincide with the big Facebook conference in San Francisco and to bring attention to his latest internet venture, but more on that in a moment.

How much fun are you having?

SEAN PARKER, INTERNET ENTREPRENEUR: Putting this even together in the last 48 hours was both incredibly fun and also incredibly stressful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're a zillionaire.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER: Not technically.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you?

SIMON: To many, Parker is best known as the guy played by Justin Timberlake in the movie The Social Network. Parker was the first president of Facebook and adviser to company founder Mark Zuckerberg.

TIMBERLAKE: Just Facebook.

SIMON: In Silicon Valley, Parker was already a legend as the co- founder of Napster, the music piracy site that fundamentally shifted how consumers get their music from store bought CDs to the Internet. He talked about how he and another Sean, Sean Fanning, went from being hackers to internet trailblazers.

PARKER: Fanning and I immediately realized that we have an interest in more than just computers and software and hacking and security, that we actually had an interest in doing something with a broader cultural importance. One of those ideas was Napster.

SIMON: 11 years later, Parker has returned to his music roots as one of the largest investors in Spotify, a London-based music service he recently helped bring to the U.S. He has steered the company into an alliance with Facebook, where users can now listen and share music with their Facebook friends in real-time.

PARKER: It's my belief that by bringing network effects and the power of social to the music business, we will create the dominate music platform in the world.

SIMON: A bold statement in a business category now dominated by Apple. But Parker's intuition has served him well.

And though he says being rich isn't as glamorous as it seems, it certainly wasn't evident on this night.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now after three years of delays, Boeing has finally delivered its first 787 Dreamliner. Japan's All Nippon Airways is the first airline to get its hands on the new jetliner, one that Boeing says is an industry game changer.

And you're looking at pictures from the official handover ceremony at the Boeing factory in the U.S. State of Washington on Monday.

Now Boeing says an improved design and amenities in the cabin make the Dreamliner far superior for long haul flights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ALBAUGH, PRESIDENT & CEO, BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRLINES: This truly is the first new airplane of the 21st Century, the first significant change in how airplanes are built since the 707 over 50 years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now the plane is just the first of 55 orders placed by the Japanese airline, which plans to expand its international routes.

Now chances are you may have some on your desk right now -- I'm talking about Post-its, those sticky pieces of paper we use to jot down notes and reminders. Well, the French are using them for battle. And our Jim Bittermann is in the paper trenches.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One is coming, and just stick again the Post-it on (inaudible).

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just like that, another shot is fired in France's Post-it wars. Who knew that those ubiquitous bits of half glued colored paper could, in the right -- or wrong -- hands, become weapons of glass obstruction. But in office buildings across France, fierce competitions have broken out.

It all apparently started here at the headquarters of the big French computer gaming company Ubisoft.

FABRICE CAMBONET, UBISOFT: We sticked Space Invaders -- a Space Invade character on our window. And the day after, at the BMP, which is the first bank in France...

BITTERMANN: Just across the way here.

CAMBONET: Yeah, just across the way, they draw a Pac Man. And that how's the battle started.

BITTERMANN: But planning and executing a multi-story mosaic is not a task for someone with another wise full agenda. Those involve need concentration and an approach of military precision, because when you're trying to make an artistic declaration over six or seven floors of an otherwise sterile office building, it takes time to work out where exactly to place all those thousands and thousands of bits.

Which brings up a sticky question, how exactly does management feel about employees using time and energy on elaborate projects like these?

THIBAULT LHUILLER, UBISOFT: It's all (inaudible), because you -- you get the people from all around the company who don't know each other and get to know each other over the course of a few days. And then they create something all together, so it's a really good doing.

BITTERMANN: Not everyone, though, shares that view. In some places, management has forbidden block note window clutter no matter how artistic.

Still, as you might expect in this highly contemplative country, there are sociologists who have reflected on the Post-it wars and what they might mean to the foot soldiers involved.

FRANCOIS DUPUY, SOCIOLOGIST: So (inaudible) tried to communicate with people's around (inaudible). What ever the means they use to communicate.

And here in this case, it's impossible to communicate directly with your foes, because it's even impossible to open the windows, which means that you've got to find some things, Post-its, just to create some communication with the people surrounding you.

BITTERMANN: So, in an era of Twitter and Facebook and unparalleled social and mass communication, some people are still trying to get in touch with methods that are about as primitive as a tom-tom. And the only clear victor in these battles of the block notes seems to be the company that makes them.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now ahead on News Stream, working in the television news business can be challenging, but even more so when the tools of the trade turn on you -- although, it could lead to some funny TV moments. We'll take a look at some next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Now when it comes to TV news bloopers, sometimes delivering the news can be the case of weather permitting. Now CNN's Jeanne Moos reports on weather graphics and robotic cameras run amok.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sometimes those pesky weather graphics escape from the weather segment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And a loading ramp fell off of a flatbed trailer headed northbound on I-15 -- I'm sorry.

MOOS: And shine with a sun ain't supposed to, leaving anchors doing serious news the giggles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. So we're trying to figure this out folks. A Jeep has stopped at the crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross the street...

MOOS: So what if it turns out the blooper was two years old, that the anchors don't even work at KIDK in Idaho Falls anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very sorry. This is a serious story, folks.

MOOS: Once Ellen DeGeneres played the clip on her new local focal segment. And Ellen came out of it dodging her own graphics.

ELLEN DEGENERES, ELLEN: Dr. Drew is on the show. That's right, Dr. Drew.

MOOS: The weather graphics gone amok went viral.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 20 year old Lincoln high school student Josh Foster was hit by a vehicle at 9:33 Monday morning during a school...

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: But even more aggressive than the weather graphics are the robotic cameras. The robocams you really have to watch your back, you never know where they'll go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heavy rain across...

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoah, what happened to camera three?

MOOS: Especially in the old days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoah, whoah, wait a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Losses against the Yankees, the Blue Jays. Uh oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One merely gets you a motorcycle rocking chair and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoah, where's one going.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...one gets you nothing but heartache. See you ever there, folks.

MOOS: Push a wrong button, toggle the wrong way...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Down boy, down. Up, up, up, up, up, up, up.

MOOS: Next thing you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amendment one is now part of the Florida constitution. And like it or not, local governments say...

MOOS: Like it or not, the floor manager is stuck on camera.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You'll have to find a way to make it work. ABC won't accept (inaudible) take a look.

MOOS: On Danish TV, the camera attacked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Australian Radiation Service, (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MOOS: But if you really want to see a TV camera on a rampage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the heck is wrong with that camera?

MOOS: Don't let the laugh track fool you, this really happened on New England cable TV.

UNIDNETIFIED MALE: Danger!

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDNETIFIED MALE: God it's coming into the picture.

MOOS: Anchors away.

Jeanne Moos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're off the air.

MOOS: CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...camera one.

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now Arch West, the marketing executive who brought the world Doritos, he died last week in the U.S. state of Texas. And he was 97. According to the Dallas Morning News, his family plans to sprinkle cheesy chips like these over his urn before it is buried. Now the goal appears to honor West's legacy to the snack industry, but it is not clear if this was one of his own last requests. Now his iconic triangular snack hit the stores back in 1964 after West saw tortilla chips being sold in California. It became the first nationally marketed tortilla chips in the U.S.

And West is survived by four children, 12 grandchildren, 6 great- grandchildren and a nation of orange fingered admirers.

And that is News Stream, but the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.

END