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'March to Jerusalem'; Apple Supplier Foxconn Criticized; French Police Carry Out Raids Involving People With Alleged Links to Radical Islam; Maria Sharapova Reaches Sony Ericsson Open Final; Myanmar Activists Aung San Suu Kyi: Elections Not Free or Fair

Aired March 30, 2012 - 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 in China. And a new report reveals serious violations against the workers who make many of these gadgets at Foxconn.

Now, French police conduct raids just a week after the shooting of suspected terrorist Mohammed Merah in Toulouse.

And we'll be live in Myanmar, where opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says this weekend's elections will not be free and fair.

Israeli forces are on high alert as protesters call for a march on Jerusalem. Mass demonstrations by Palestinians and their supporters are planned around the world to mark what is known as Land Day. Organizers say events are scheduled in more than 60 countries.

Now, thousands of people are expected to turn out in neighboring Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. It's unclear if Syrians will participate.

Let's bring up a look at Qalandiya Crossing in the West Bank. Now, clashes do frequently break out there after Friday prayers. That is the situation on this March to Jerusalem day there at the crossing. Right now, live pictures on your screen.

And Israel has closed crossings at the West Bank for some 24 hours. Earlier, security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters who threw rocks.

And we will be watching these protests throughout the hour for you. Organizers, they plan the demonstrations as a peaceful show of solidarity with Palestinians.

Matthew Chance has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tear gas, rubber bullets, stones being thrown. Almost every week in the West Bank there are clashes like these. The March to Jerusalem now being staged coincides with Land Day, when Palestinians mark a 1976 confiscation of land in which six Arab Israelis were killed. It's meant to be nonviolent, but security forces are on alert.

But the idea of nonviolent resistance among Palestinians has been gaining momentum. This boycott of Israeli products in Palestinian stores was one attempt to inflict economic pain.

MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PALESTINIAN LAWMAKER: The idea is to boycott the products of Israeli occupation and to boycott apartheid, to make the cost of occupation so much, that they cannot continue occupying us.

CHANCE: Outside an Israeli jail, Palestinian protesters demonstrate against Israel's practice of detention without trial. It's in support of a female hunger striker behind bars who spent more than four weeks without food.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our land and our water!

CHANCE: Small groups of pro-Palestinian activists like this one trying to access a natural spring near a Jewish settlement routinely confront Israeli security forces peacefully. But on Palestinian Land Day, with passions running so high, the region is bracing for a potentially violent jolt.

Matthew Chance, CNN, in the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, we'll be following the march throughout the hour ahead, but let's turn now to a new and scathing report on a major Apple supplier in China. Apple's products have become an everyday essential for millions of people around the world, but today the spotlight is on how those products are made.

The Fair Labor Association surveyed 35,000 workers at three Foxconn factories in China and found a catalogue of failings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AURET VAN HEERDEN, CEO, FAIR LABOR ASSOC.: I would say that the key issue is the hours of work. And we found that Foxconn had worked beyond code limits of 60 hours per week and beyond Chinese legal limits of 49 hours a week during peak periods.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, one of the most striking statistics was from the poll -- was from this one. It said some 64 percent of workers said that their wages fall short of their basic needs. Other complaints included excessive overtime, with some staff saying they worked more than seven days in a row, exceeding Chinese legal limits of working hours. And health and safety violations were also an issue, with more than 43 percent of workers saying they had witnessed or experienced a work-related accident.

The report comes after working conditions at Foxconn hit the headlines after a string of worker suicides in 2010. And Foxconn has promised to implement the recommended changes and says it will hire thousands of new staff to cut down on working hours. The Fair Labor Association says that the promise of reforms will bring big changes to Chinese manufacturing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN HEERDEN: And I really believe that with the commitment that Foxconn has made in response to our finding, that they're really going to become a driver. They will set the bar high, and their peers and their competitors will now have to align themselves with those new standards, because Foxconn will start to attract workers from other factories. And so other factories will have to match the -- increase the improved standards that Foxconn is adopting. And so, in this way, we could set off a race to the top.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Let's take a look at reaction to the report, which was commissioned by Apple. Now, the company's spokesman, Steve Dowling, says this: "We appreciate the work that the FLA has done, and we fully support their recommendations. We think empowering workers and helping them understand their rights is essential. We share the FLA's goal of improving lives and raising the bar for manufacturing companies everywhere."

Now, for its part, Foxconn says it is committed to carrying out a remediation program on the report's findings.

Let's talk to Eunice Yoon, who joins us live in Beijing.

And Eunice, what impact will the report have on conditions for workers not just at Foxconn, but across China?

EUNICE YOON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the jury really is still out. The FLA, of course, hopes that this is going to be a boon for the industry standards, that industry standards are just going to keep improving.

Foxconn, as you had mentioned, is a very big manufacturer here. It makes electronics not only for Apple, but also for other big brands like HP. And so its labor practices do count a lot.

However, there are also a lot of critics who say that even though this could potentially be -- have an impact on the competitors to Foxconn, and also to Apple, it might not have as broad an impact as one might think. They say that the FLA really didn't take into consideration enough that China is at a different stage of economic development compared to many other countries in the West, including the United States. They say that the mentality among workers here is changing, but the prevailing attitude still is that workers want to go to these factories, they want to make as much money as they can, even if that means working under tough conditions and also working overtime, and plenty of overtime, because their goal is to make as much money as possible over a number of years and then go back to their villages.

So a lot of manufacturers here say that that has not been taken into consideration enough. In fact, you might see Foxconn actually losing some workers, they say, because sometimes workers will say, well, you know, if I can't work enough here, and earn enough take-home pay to do what I want, then I'm just going to go someplace else -- Kristie.

STOUT: Yes. And that's what we heard from the head of the FLA earlier, believing that the result of the audit is that worker conditions, compensation will improve. But there must be pricing pressure on manufacturers like Foxconn.

Walk us through the business impact.

YOON: There is plenty of pricing pressure. And, in fact, what everybody has been talking about here among manufacturers is just who is really going to be able to bear this type of cost.

Wages are already rising. And they're really pointing out -- the main concern really is the pledge that Foxconn has made to cut the workweek to 49 hours. That's inclusive of overtime pay. And they say that while they're doing that, and promising to cut the number of work hours, they're also saying that they're going to keep the salaries the same.

So that's already very expensive. And if you think about the fact that they're going to have to hire tens of thousands more workers who are all going to be working the same number of hours, under similar -- with similar pay, and who will also need insurance, health care, and housing, it starts getting very, very expensive. And so a lot of people have been asking, who's really going to be footing this bill, and by how much? Is it going to be Foxconn, Apple, or maybe Apple users?

STOUT: Yes, margins are going to get squeezed.

Eunice Yoon, joining us live from Beijing.

Thank you.

Now, it's not just Apple that will feel the impact of these changes. As you saw at the start of the show, Foxconn makes products for many of the biggest electronics companies in the world, and the story goes beyond Foxconn, because Apple has commissioned surveys of its other contractors, ,including Quanta and Pegatron. So what's crucial about this report, and Foxconn's reaction to it, is the potential impact it could have on Chinese industry. It sets a precedent for raising the standard of workers' treatment and will inevitably raise the cost of manufacturing in China.

Now, coming up next here on NEWS STREAM, protesters say that they are marching on Jerusalem to protest the policies of Israel on Land Day. We will be there live just ahead.

And in France, police have arrested 19 people in a series of raids authorities say are connected to radical Islam.

And more details are merging of alleged links between the mysterious death of a British businessman and the sacking of a senior Communist Party official in China.

Those stories and more, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, Palestinians around the world are marking Land Day, the annual rallies and protests of what Palestinians consider discriminatory Israeli policies. And this year, demonstrations have been planned around the world. They're being dubbed "A Global March to Jerusalem."

Here is a live look at what is happening right now in the West Bank. Earlier, we saw protesters throw rocks at Israeli forces, who responded with rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas.

And as reports of more bloodshed emerge out of Syria today, high-level talks on the crisis are due to get under way in Saudi Arabia. Now, activists are reporting more shelling in Homs and other cities.

Now, meanwhile, the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is heading to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah and other Gulf officials in a bid to end the violence. She then travels on to Turkey for the second meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People.

And the Syrian opposition is getting a financial boost from Britain. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, says $800,000 will be set aside for non-lethal support.

In France, police carried out raids targeting people with alleged links to radical Islam, and they come just a week after suspected terrorist killer Mohammed Merah was shot dead by authorities in Toulouse.

Our Senior International Correspondent Jim Bittermann is following developments from Paris, and he joins us now.

And Jim, tell us more about today's raids. Are they linked to Mohammed Merah?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting differing versions about that, Kristie. In fact, back when the Mohammed Merah attacks were being -- were taking place in Toulouse, and the events that were taking place last week when they tried to arrest Merah, and he was shot dead by police, the fact is they said that he was a member of a group called Forsane Alizza. And they -- what the police were rounding up today were a number of members of that group who they found to have automatic weapons and other kinds of weaponry.

And so there was an action against that group. However, it has not yet been established whether Mohammed Merah was in fact in that group or not.

In any case, what the police did today was bust about 19 people, 17 of whom are still in police custody and are being held for further investigation. And all of them are related to radical Islamic groups. And basically that's what the police are looking into.

President Sarkozy was on the radio this morning, and he says it's not just a question of Toulouse. There are people that are radicalized in other parts of the country, and that this raid was an effort to sort of throttle that. And he also said -- he said, what you don't understand is how traumatic those events were in Toulouse and how profound an impact they had on our country. He said, "I don't want to compare horrors, but it's a bit like the former trauma visible in the United States and New York after 9/11."

So President Sarkozy drawing a real dramatic comparison there with the events that took place in Toulouse last week -- Kristie.

STOUT: Yes, Jim, it is quite incredible that he made that comparison, Sarkozy comparing what France is going through right now to the trauma that followed the U.S. after 9/11. Now, he is seeking a second term in office, so to what extent is Sarkozy playing up the threat for political gain?

BITTERMANN: Well, the fact is, we're in the middle of the presidential campaign, just a couple of weeks away from the first round of the elections. And you have to weigh a lot of the hyperbole against that.

On the other hand, it was clear from what we saw last week that there are some pretty radicalized people out there who are willing to fight to the death against law and order. So I think that in one way, these roundups could be viewed as a political stunt or a political tactic, and it's certainly what President Sarkozy is being accused of today by the members of the opposition. But on the other hand, in fact, there are some radical elements out there, and they are being arrested -- Kristie.

STOUT: Jim Bittermann, joining us live from Paris.

Thank you.

And back now to the -- well, the story that we were going to come up next. I'll bring it to you after the break.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

And back to the global march on Jerusalem. Now, mass demonstrations by Palestinians around the world, and Israel closed crossings at the West Bank ahead of these protests.

Matthew Chance, he joins us now live from the Qalandiya Crossing.

And Matthew, tell us, what have you been seeing there?

OK. Our apologies. We're having this patchy connection with our correspondent there on the ground. We'll try to reconnect with Matthew Chance, bring the latest from the scene, as soon as we can, right here on NEWS STREAM.

Now to a story that has everyone here in Hong Kong talking, arrests in a bribery and corruption investigation. It begins with two billionaire brothers, Thomas and Raymond Kwok. Now, they run Sun Hung Kai, the second largest property development company in the world.

Now, both were arrested very publicly on Thursday by the city's Independent Commission Against Corruption.

And this man, Rafael Hui, he was also arrested. He is Hong Kong's former number two politician, and his arrest is raising suspicions of possible collusion between the political and business communities. And all three men have been released, no charges filed, but so far, the story isn't going away..

Now, Sun Hung Kai has quite a presence in Hong Kong. Just take a look at this. This is a view across Hong Kong Harbor on Google Earth. And Sun Hung Kai is behind these buildings.

There has been a staggering increase in the number of American children diagnosed with autism. Now, the jump is so big, that one group says it is now an epidemic.

So we asked our chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to explain what is behind the numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Frankie Sanders is a ninth grader who loves to play chess on his iPad, and is trying to pass the test for his driver's permit. Frankie also has autism. As you may know, that's a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects language, behavior and social skills. Boys make up the vast majority of cases.

What you may not know is that 12 years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began to estimate the total number of cases in the United States. They based it on a count of 8-year-old children with autism in select communities.

If you look back in the years 2000 and 2002, it was about one child in 150 with autism. Two years later, one in 125. Then one in 110.

And now the latest report as of 2008, the last time an estimate was performed, one in 88 children has autism. That's a 78 percent increase just over the last decade. And the question on a lot of people's minds is why.

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: How much of that increase is a result of better tracking and how much of it is a result of an actual increase? We still don't know.

GUPTA: Researchers have discovered many genes linked to autism, but in most cases genes are only one part of the equation, and genes alone wouldn't change that fast in just 10 years. There is something else that triggers the problem.

GARY GOLDSTEIN, PRESIDENT, KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE: We're talking about infections, we're talking about social conditions, and we're talking about exposures to toxicants, things in the environment.

GUPTA: Researchers are still looking for answers, but what they do know is that diagnosing children early is critical, as was the case with Frankie Sanders.

ROY SANDERS, FATHER OF FRANKIE SANDERS: Frankie was diagnosed when he was 15 months old. And he immediately began to get speech therapy and occupational therapy and physical therapy. He was placed in a group with kids who were typically developing.

GUPTA: All that hard work is paying off. Frankie is now 15. He attends a regular high school and plays on the football team.

GOLDSTEIN: We can diagnose autism at 2 years of age almost always -- about 90 percent of the children. By 3, certainly. And we actually can diagnose it at 18 months in many children.

GUPTA: But according to this new report, most cases are diagnosed late, after age 2 or 3. That's when therapy has been shown to help the most, especially with speech and communication.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is small, this is big. Keep going.

GUPTA (voice-over): Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: All right. Let's go back to the global march on Jerusalem. Israeli forces are on high alert.

Matthew Chance joins us now live from Qalandiya Crossing.

And Matthew, what have you seen there?

CHANCE: Kristie, thanks so much.

Well, there's been a day of lots of violence here since 5:00. It was meant to be a peaceful demonstration, of course, to commemorate Land Day (INAUDIBLE) confiscated some private land from (INAUDIBLE).

As you can hear behind me, there are stun grenades going off. The scenes have been anything but nonviolent over the course of the past several hours.

There are hundreds of protesters here at the Qalandiya checkpoint, which is between the Palestinian town of Ramallah and Jerusalem, confronted -- or met by the Israeli forces that have been preventing them from marching towards Jerusalem. We might be able to sort of pan the camera down right now, if we can.

And you can see, just below me here are some Israeli soldiers who have been firing the tear gas and the rubber bullets towards the crowd. There's a lot of press down there now.

And way over the side, perhaps a hundred meters or so back now from this position where we are in, there are (INAUDIBLE) Palestinian protesters (INAUDIBLE). Molotov cocktails have been thrown as well, a few of them, at least.

There have been a number of injuries on the Palestinian side. Palestinian medical officials (INAUDIBLE) that about a dozen at least people have been injured by tear gas and by rubber bullets. And as you can see quite clearly here, that those violent scenes are continuing to play out (INAUDIBLE) Qalandiya checkpoint.

STOUT: Now, Matthew, we have been hearing the stun grenades. You report the use of tear gas and other tools used by the IDF for crowd control. Have they disrupted the protest to such a degree that there is no longer a demonstration? Because from the scenes behind you, it doesn't look like much of a march anymore.

CHANCE: Yes. Well, I think that's because the protesters have been pushed right back. If I step out a little bit, you might be able to see the crowds have moved back somewhat.

Also, sort of in the area here, if I can just ask the cameraman to pan to the left a little, there are isolated pockets of stone throwers, Palestinian stone throwers hitting (INAUDIBLE). And you can see that big plume of gas heading our way is tear gas. I'm going to have to put my gas mask on. One second.

It just lasts for a few minutes. Fortunately, there's a wind today which is blowing it away.

But you're right, the Israelis have been using tear gas, they've been using water cannons filled with foul-smelling liquid. And they've also been using rubber bullets, amongst other sort of, you know, ways (INAUDIBLE).

They've been successful in the sense they have managed to push the Palestinians right back away from Qalandiya checkpoint itself. A very choking gas (INAUDIBLE).

STOUT: OK.

Matthew Chance joining us live there.

Thank you very much, indeed, Matthew. And do take care as you continue to cover this story for us.

Matthew Chance, live at the scene.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. We'll be back right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.

You're watching NEWS STREAM, and these are your world headlines.

Now, the Apple supplier Foxconn says it will take action on a report that reveals dozens of rights violations at its factories in China. Thirty-five thousand workers were surveyed by the Fair Labor Association, with more th an 60 percent saying their wages fell short of their basic needs. There were also reports of excessive overtime and unpaid wages.

French police have arrested 19 people in a series of raids targeting what French President Nicolas Sarkozy says are connections to radical Islam. The arrests come a week after a standoff at an apartment in Toulouse that led to the killing of terror suspect Mohammed Merah, accused of killing seven people.

Now Syrian president Bashar al Assad said Kofi Annan's peace mission will only succeed if it ends support for terrorism. Syria's government has blamed the year-long uprising on foreign terrorists. On Thursday, opposition groups say security forces killed at least 60 people across the country.

And now to Myanmar where opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says this weekend's elections there will not be completely free and fair. Despite that, Suu Kyi vows her party will fight for as many parliamentary seats as possible. The Nobel Peace Prize winner also told reporters that she is encouraged by the rising political awareness she's seen in the people of Myanmar.

Now Myanmar goes to the polls on Sunday. And Suu Kyi is a powerful symbol of the country's long and difficult struggle for democracy. As Paula Hancocks reports, she is attracting huge crowds on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the welcome Aung San Suu Kyi enjoys around the country as the pro-democracy activist campaigns for a seat in parliament. Almost everyone is smiling, although some a little too young to understand.

Now many people here would never have seen Aung San Suu Kyi in person. Those who would have done would not have seen her for at least a couple of decades because she has spent the majority of the last 20 years under house arrest.

For many here, Suu Kyi represents the dawn of a new Myanmar. The fact she's allowed to publicly campaign and they're allowed to publicly support her sparks hope recent moves towards democracy can be trusted.

"I'm so excited and happy. I hope we can see her in public for a very long time," this woman tells me.

This man who traveled several hours to see her says there's no one quite like her in the whole world.

The sheer number of supporters lining the road to another rally means her convoy stops constantly. The two hour journey ends up taking close to seven. The pro-democracy activist makes impromptu speeches to those who have waited for hours. She talks of reducing poverty, creating jobs, and giving a voice to the people.

There is pure joy form those you see, young and old.

"I'm so happy Suu Kyi is free and campaigning," this woman says. "She will bring a better future for this country."

This man tells me, "now that she's free, I feel free. And finally I can talk more easily about what I want."

This woman admits, "I do have more freedom to say what I think now, but Aung San Suu Kyi has to remain free and do more so that we all have a better life than this."

Even in the government stronghold of Myanmar's capital, Aung San Suu Kyi can attract a crowd. Thousands came to hear the opposition leader speaking (inaudible) recently, a freedom barely dreamed of just two years ago when the military junta was still firmy in control.

And a historic campaign announcement was allowed on state run television this month. While there were spokesman for Suu Kyi's party said some of her speech criticizing the former ruling junta was censored.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI, MYANMAR OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): Unless people get human rights with freedom from fear, a democratic system cannot be established and developed. Only under the rule of law can people really feel the taste of freedom by really getting protection of the law.

HANCOCKS: Suu Kyi is universally expected to become part of Myanmar's political system in April for the first time in more than two decades.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Paula Hancocks reporting there.

And the pro-democracy leader is widely expected to win a seat in parliament on Sunday. Paula Hancocks is in Yangon. She joins us now live. And Paula, tell us more about the voting irregularities that Aung San Suu Kyi has been speaking of.

HANCOCKS: Well, Kristie, she spoke about this earlier this morning when she gave a press conference to hundreds of members of the international press and also members of the international observers that's here to watch the election. She basically said there were voting irregularities. We've heard in the past that she believes that there have been deceased people's name actually put on the ballot list.

She said, also, there has been intimidation of some of her candidates from the National League for Democracy.

Now she said that some of these irregularities and the intimidation was either committed by, or supported by those in official power. So certainly she wasn't mincing her words. She was saying that some of this intimidation is state sponsored. She also said there have been a number of attacks on candidates as well, physical attacks. She thinks this is more of an individual case.

But she said that she does feel the need to continue with this election even though she was very clear, saying it won't be free and fair, because she said it's important for national reconciliation, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And despite those warnings, Aung San Suu Kyi herself is all but certain to win a parliament seat. But what about her party? Is her party building a political base beyond her celebrity?

HANCOCKS: Well, there's no doubt about it her party is based around her celebrity and her popularity. She is a huge figure in Myanmar. She is a very popular figure around the world. And certainly that would boost the party as a whole.

Now in the past month or month-and-a-half really she has been campaigning across the country trying to lend her support to those candidates. There will be 44 candidates hoping to get seats for the National League of Democracy out of 45 seats.

It's worth noting, there should be three more seats being contested. This is in the (inaudible) ethnic area of Myanmar. The government says for security reasons they can't carry out the votes in those areas. Aung San Suu Kyi today said that's simply not the case. She didn't believe it was a security situation was a concern in that area.

And also, of course, there were concerns about her own health. Just last week and the week before she had to suspend her campaign for a couple of days as she was exhausted. On doctor's orders, she had to stop campaigning. And she did say she was still feeling a little delicate.

She also manage to make a joke out of her own health saying that if journalists asked her any difficult questions then she would faint immediately.

But on a more serious note, she did say that she was strong enough to continue the fight for these politics -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: And as Suu Kyi warns of an election process that is not free or fair, what have you seen? And what kind of openness have you encountered in Myanmar? Have you been able to cover the upcoming election with a fair amount of editorial freedom?

HANCOCKS: We do have complete editorial freedom. We don't have a minder with us all the time. And we don't actually get the sense that we're being followed in any way. This is to say when we're here just a month ago and then back in December when the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was here. So certainly that is a huge change.

And the very fact that the sheer number of visas have been approved for journalists, an estimate there were more than 300 visas that have been given to foreign journalists. And certainly that is another freedom. We can film on the streets very openly, which just recently you weren't able to do. You have to be surreptitious in your covering of this country. And you had to not have an official journalist visa. It is certainly different.

And some residents say that there's a better openness among the people of Myanmar as well. They feel that they can speak their mind a little better. You saw in my report, many of those at the rally of Aung San Suu Kyi were very excited that they could openly support her. That open support just a couple of years ago could well have landed you in jail -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Paula Hancocks reporting live from inside Myanmar on the upcoming elections set for this weekend. Thank you, Paula.

Now coming up next here on News Stream, you have to be in it to win it, that's what many Americans are saying as they buy tickets for the world's biggest lottery jackpot. And we'll examine the odds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now in about 14 hours from now, one of these tickets could make someone in the United States over half a billion dollars richer. Megamillions Lottery is as an all-time high. And so is America's enthusiasm for it. People who have never played before are buying tickets. And office workers are pooling their money hoping to come up with a winner.

And contrary to what you might expect, when you look at the experiences of some past lottery winners, not everyone who hits the jackpot consider themselves lucky. Mary Snow explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Hawthorne, California wannabe millionaires hope to boost their luck at the Blue Bird liquor store that boasts of selling winning lottery tickets. In New York, Megamillion hopefuls know the long shot, but still take the chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard all the odds.

SNOW: And you say?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a dollar and a dream.

SNOW: A dream of winding up like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're millionaires!

ANNOUNCER: When everything can change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god, it's real. It's just (inaudible).

SNOW: TLC's Lottery Changed My Life is a show that tells the stories of lottery winners.

JIM KOWATS, DIRECTOR, LOTTERY CHANGE MY LIFE: Everyone has that fantasy of what would you do with that kind of money if you won?

SNOW: Jim Kowats is the director of productions for the show.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Dr. Sherlie Pratts (ph) and I won $56 million in the Florida lottery.

SNOW: Life is good for some lottery winners, but others go broke. Kowats says one big problem is getting swindled.

KOWATS: All of a sudden you've got $10 million in the bank and ou don't know who to trust. And people come out of the woodwork.

SNOW: Coming into this kind of money is such a big change. There are some businesses built around helping people adjust. Susan Bradley founded the Sudden Money Institute.

SUSAN BRADLEY, FOUNDER, SUDDEN MONEY INSTITUTE: The possibilities with big wins are so extreme that it really does alter status quo almost permanently. It takes about five years to get used to this kind of change in a person's life.

SNOW: Bradley tells winners the first thing to do is safeguard the ticket. And don't tell many people you've won. And before even claiming the jackpot, she advises to have a team in place, including a financial adviser specializing in big money and a lawyer.

She finds it's the personal changes, not managing the money, that prove the most challenging.

BRADLEY: The real thing is how all your relationships change, how you change. How you see the world, how the world sees you.

SNOW: But Bradley says one of the most surprising things is how much lottery winners miss their previous lives, even those jobs they were grumbling about.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: So what are the chances of winning? Well, it's actually about 176 million to one. It sounds like a pretty long odds there. And, well, it is. But if you love golf you know how rare a hole in one is. What about two people hitting holes in one on the same hole? That's just 17 million and one. And the odds of getting struck by lightning is far better, that's just one in a million. And unfortunately, the odds of getting hit by an asteroid in 2029 are much better than that, that's just one in 250,000.

Now, the typhoon in the South China Sea is getting a bit closer to Vietnam this weekend -- you guessed right, it's time for your world weather forecast. Let's bring up Mari Ramos for that -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Well, hey, Kristie, thank you very much. Let's go ahead and get right to it. There's a lot of ground to cover here.

We're going ahead and start with this tropical cyclone/typhoon Prakhar. This is only -- this is very rare cyclone, because we're still very early in the season. We only see typhoons or tropical cyclones form here in the South China Sea about once every three years in this part of the world during the month of March, even though tropical cyclones can happen at any time across the western Pacific.

Winds right now 120 kilometers per hour, gusting to 150. But notice, even though it's still offshore, it's already bringing some heavy rain across portions of Vietnam. We need the rain, but there's also the threat for flooding and mudslides.

So the very warm water will bring the storm to intensify, probably steadily and rapidly throughout the next 24 to 48 hours. And then, as it moves inland, it should start to weaken. But, because it's moving so slow, the potential for flooding continues to be very large.

I want to show you the estimate over here as far as rain that we're looking at. And notice in some cases these areas in red, that's 25 centimeters of rain that could be expected in the next 48 hours. And that's very significant, of course. So definitely something you want to monitor as we head into your weekend.

I want to switch gears and take you to another part of the world, to the northeastern corner of Mexico. Monterrey, Mexico right there. You see this line of storms right over here? Well, it caught many people by surprise. And imagine not only getting caught by heavy rain and thunderstorms, but then looking out the window and seeing this. Check out this video.

These two women were on the road into Monterrey, Mexico when they saw this twister Kristie. When you hear their voices you can see how scared they are. And they're saying, you know, I hope it doesnOt get near us. I hope tornadoes don't go over mountains, because they were bit on a hill. Fortunately, the tornado crossed the road and they were not injured. There were a couple of trucks that you can see in the video that were flipped over.

No reports of serious injuries, fortunately, but this -- they were extremely lucky. A vehicle is one of the worst places you could possibly be during a tornado.

And I really can't stress this enough, if you are in an area where there are tornadoes, where you spot a tornado, get out of your vehicle and try to find -- there's the car that's flipped over -- some sort of safe shelter.

And speaking of that, do you remember the tornadoes back in early March, those deadly tornadoes, the one in Henryville, Indiana was an EF-4, winds in excess of 270 kilometers per hour? Well, there's new video of what it looked like inside a school bus. You're not going to believe your eyes. Take a look at this.

The camera mounted inside the school bus, Kristie, was able to capture these images of the school bus being tossed around. The windows completely blown out. The most amazing part of the story is that the children had been in this school bus just three minutes -- three minutes before it actually hit. The bus driver was able to get them to safety into the school. The bus was found several blocks away crashed into a home.

I cannot even imagine. But anyway, that's what I mean about vehicles are one of the most places you can be.

Let's go ahead and check our your city by city forecast.

And if you're still thinking well that's not going to happen where I live, that tornado I showed you was in Indiana, but I also showed you the one in Mexico. Tornadoes can happen in Canada. They can also happen across many countries in Europe. So this is not only a thing that happens in the United States, even though it does seem to happen more frequently here in the U.S.

But India, all the way down to Bangladesh, even Nepal, and also across East Asia. Even Japan, believe it or not, has reported tornadoes in the past. Australia is a hotbed for tornadoes, particularly along the east coast. New Zealand also gets tornadoes. Yes, every continent, except for Antarctica -- Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and even Paraguay also report tornadoes.

So this is a worldwide phenomenon. I just want you guys to be safe. And of course, have a great weekend. Back to you.

LU STOUT: Ah, that's right. Thank you. And thank you for the reminder a tornado can happen virtually anywhere across the world. Have a great weekend, Mari. Take care.

Now coming up next here on News Stream. The Canadian man arrested for drunk driving who did the fandango all the way to jail. We've got that story next on News Stream.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back. And let's return to that story that we're watching closely this hour. Palestinians and their supporters are holding mass protests and marches. And organizers, they called for non-violent demonstrations around the world.

But it has not worked out that way. Now here is a live look at the Calandia crossing in the West Bank. Now clashes commonly happen there after Friday prayers. And earlier you heard the constant sound of stun grenades as I was speaking to Matthew Chance. And Matthew, he had to put on a gas mask as we spoke on the air.

Matthew, he says Israeli security forces were firing rubber bullets and tear gas. Protesters have thrown rocks and Molotov cocktails. The Israel defense forces spokeswoman is posting updates on Twitter.

Avital Leibovich says a border policeman has been hurt by a hurled rock at the crossing. She also says Israeli security personnel are ready to defense borders.

Now ahead of these demonstrations, Israel closed crossings with the West Bank for 24 hours.

Now FIFA's president wants change at world football's governing body and he wants it now. Pedro Pinto joins us with that story and more -- Pedro

PEDRO PINTO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey Kristie, today could be a pretty big day for the future of FIFA. The body's executive committee will receive an anti-corruption report from an independent investigator. The findings will be revealed in about an hour. And president Sepp Blatter has said actions, not words, are needed to improve the way world football's governing body works.

Mark Pief, a professor at the Basel Institute of Governance has produced a report on the way FIFA operates as part of an attempt to reform the organization following a series of corruption scandals. Blatter has recently sought to distance himself from his fellow executive committee members pointing out they are chosen by their respective continental confederations.

The executive committee has been plagued by corruption allegations over the last few years, losing five members.

In the United States Maria Sharapova advanced to the final of the Sony Ericsson Open on Thursday thanks to a victory over Caroline Wozniacki. The Russian made a great start, but it soon unraveled quite spectacularly. Still in the first set, the Russian world number two had all kinds of problems with her serve. She double faulted three times in one game and was broken for the second time. Wozniacki took full advantage and she took the first set 6-4.

Now both players were in pretty good form in Miami. Wozniacki, for example, had just beaten Serena Williams for the first time in her career. However, on this occasion she let Sharapova back into the match. The Russian would go on to win the second set convincingly 6-2. And she gained the necessary momentum to take the deciding set as well.

Sharapova is now a perfect 4-0 in semifinals in Miami. She'll now look for her 25th career title this weekend.

By the way, if you're wondering, Kristie I'm not sure if you are, but she is playing Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. If you didn't know, now you know.

That's it for now.

LU STOUT: Good to know. Pedro, thank you. Take care.

Now it is the Queen song that has become a karaoke classic, perhaps partly because it's a challenge to get through all of Bohemian Rhapsody. But there is a time and a place to practice. You could argue that the backseat of a police car is not it, especially when the dash cam is on.

Jeanne Moos reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What would we do without police dash cams showing us half naked speeders and even a bank robber eating the evidence -- the give me the money note. But this Royal Canadian Mounted Police dash cam recorded something special.

A guy in Edson, Alberta was pulled over in a pick-up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't see that I was intoxicated when he grabbed me. And I haven't ear (ph). But it doesn't even matter.

MOOS: Maybe he couldn't speak so well. But he sure managed to sing all of the Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

He sang the lyrics almost flawlessly for six minutes. Even after they arrived at the stationhouse, the Mounty let him finish the song. The Mounty only admonished him once.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robert, calm down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't.

MOOS: A lot of people can't stop singing the Bohemian Rhapsody.

Parts of the dash cam solo were frightening.

You've got to give the guy credit. Even Beyonce messed up the words to the song and she was stone cold sober at a concert.

Actually it's put a gun to his head, not a bullet.

Authorities have charged Robert Wilkinson with drunk driving. He's an unemployed home brewer. Wilkinson told the Smoking Gun that he's the one who let the dash cam video go onto YouTube.

Our police cruiser crooner did improvise just once at the very end of the song. And he did it in a witty way. Instead of singing nothing really matters. He sang.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing really matters even the RCMP.

MOOS: And with that, he put on his glasses and awaited his removal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have to cuff me? Physical violence is the least of my priorities.

MOOS: His priority is rhapsodizing like a Bohemian.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: It's very, very frightening.

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

END