Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Dog Meat Eating Festival Cause for Controversy in China; Japan Votes to Ease Late Night Dancing Restrictions; Chinese Investors Worried After Huge Market Plunge; Kurdish Fighters Surprised at Speed of Tal Abyad Operation; UN Report Points to Violations on Both Sides of Gaza War; Apple Pivots After Taylor Swift Withholds Album From Streaming Service. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET

Aired June 22, 2015 - 8:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:00:17] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now, changing attitudes toward animal rights in China. Still, protesters can't stop a dog-eating festival from going ahead.

The UN says there may have been war crimes during the Gaza war committed by both Israel and Palestinian militants.

And how Taylor Swift prompted the world's most valuable company to change course and pay more money to artists.

And we begin with the story many of you may find disturbing, but we feel it's an important issue that needs attention. An annual dog-eating

festival in China is becoming a cultural battleground. It is estimated that this weekend, some 10,000 dogs have been slaughtered and eaten in

Yulin.

Now, the festival is not new, but what's different is how China is changing its view on animal welfare. International animal welfare groups

have long condemned the dog-meat trade for its cruelty, but now there is rising outrage coming from inside China as well.

As it grows richer and its people more affluent. The debate over animal protection is gaining traction. But for some living in Yulin,

eating dog-meat is both a cultural tradition and a thriving business.

Anna Coren reports on this year's festival. And again, a warning, the images you are about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As a market in Yulin in southern China, a woman hacks away at chunks of meat on a table.

Our cameraman moves in closer to find a pile of dead dogs, their skin blow torched, lying on the ground.

Not pleased with the media attention, the locals lash out and continue to show their hostility.

For these residents, killings dogs and selling the meat is a way of life that's celebrated annually at the Yulin dog-meat festival. And this

year, it's as popular as ever.

"Eating dog meat is the same as eating chicken or beef," says this restaurant owner. "We've had to kill more dogs because more people have

come. We sell what people want."

While consuming dog meat isn't common across all of China, in some provinces it is considered a delicacy.

And though the Yulin government has distanced itself from the festival, it hasn't stopped customers from arriving in droves.

"Eating dog is good for your health. It's better than eating pork," says this customer. "Dog lovers go ahead and love your dogs, but you can't

stop us from eating dogs."

But some people are desperately trying.

Animals rights activists, like Yang Zhou Yung (ph) want to put a stop to what they say is a cruel event.

The 65-year-old spent more than $1,000 to save the lives of 100 dogs. But as she well knows, that's a drop in the ocean.

"At the moment, we don't have the ability to change people's habits. It is the government's responsibility, isn't it? If the government had

animal protection laws, the people would change. But there's no way the few of us who come here every year to buy dogs can change people's habits."

Joining the fight to save man's best friend is British comedian Ricky Gervais, who has been promoting the international campaign to stop the

festival, which has received nearly 4 million signatures.

It's misleading to call Yulin a dog-meat festival. It should be called a dog torture festival, because that's what it is.

And with these images of dogs crammed into cages awaiting a gruesome fate broadcast around the world, many hope the days of the Yulin dog-meat

festival are numbered.

Well, Kristie, I was in Yulin last year covering the dog meat festival, and as a dog lover and owner, I found it extremely distressing.

We were told by the locals that we were hypocrites considering we ate meat life beer and lamb. They resent being judged for their customs and

traditions.

But what I found most offensive was the treatment of these dogs before they were killed. They arrived on the back of motorbikes, crammed into

cages, severely dehydrated and malnourished, in such poor condition, and their frightened, because they can sense what's about to happen.

Many of these animals were people's pets that had been stolen, others were strays that had been rounded up, while the rest had been farmed

precisely for the dog meat industry.

In my mind, dogs are man's best friend that love you unconditionally, but for the people of Yulin sadly they see these animals as a source of

food and treat them inhumanely -- Kristie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:05:23] LU STOUT: Anna Coren reporting there. And sharing her account of this so-called festival.

Now social media users in China are talking about it. The hashtag #boycottYulindogmeatfestival has appeared in 49,000 messages on Sina Weibo.

This user says, quote, "dogs are man's most faithful friends. Please do not eat them. I hope our country will enact laws to stop animal abuse."

Another user says this, quote, "boycott Yulin dog meat festival. Boycott uncivilized barbaric actions."

Other netizens are defending the practice of eating dog meat. This user says this that, quote, "Buddhist monks don't eat meat, but they don't

stop us from doing so. I don't support the eating of dogs, but I support people's right to."

Another user from Yulin rights this, quote, "today is the annual dog meat eating festival in Yulin Ghuangxi, this is our culture and nothing can

change."

Now, the United Nations has just released a report saying that abuses were committed by both sides in the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas

militants. And those abuses may amount to war crimes.

Now Israeli air strikes and other shelling pounded Hamas targets during that 50 day conflict last year. Palestinian health officials say

more than 2,100 people were killed, more than 70 Israelis died in the fighting, including five civilians.

Let's get more now from Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem. He joins us live. And Oren, walk us through more of the results of the UN's inquiry.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a very detailed report that goes into a lot of sides and really investigates what happens on all

sides. And it takes all sides to task, not just the Israelis as many here in the government worried about, but it takes Palestinian armed groups such

as Hamas and Islamic Jihad to task as well as well as the Palestinian Authority.

It says both Israel and the Palestinian armed groups may have -- or the Palestinian militant groups may have committed war crimes in relation

to Israel. It talks about -- it says Israel used precision guide bombs to intentionally target residential buildings during the Gaza war with

airstrikes. It also says that Israel used high explosive rounds in dense urban areas. They say those could amount to war crimes.

They don't say that definitively, because as we heard in a press conference a short time ago, they are not a judicial body, they're an

investigative body. And they leave the determination that these were car crimes to the ICC or to another body.

Now it also says Hamas indiscriminately fired rockets. Other Palestinian militant groups fired rockets indiscriminately, mortars, and

used terror tunnels that sowed fear across many Israelis and says -- and the report says those may also may have been war crimes.

Now we're beginning to get responses to the report. We'll start with the Palestinian response here. The Palestinians say the state of Palestine

will review the findings and recommendations of the commission with the highest consideration in line with its staunch commitment to ensuring

respect for these esteemed bodies of international law. As we begin to do so, we urge the international community to recall that the only true path

to peace lies in ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and in ending crime and the impunity with which it continues to be perpetrated

against our people.

The Israeli response actually started about a week ago. Israel knew this report was coming. Did not cooperate with the commission of inquiry,

which the investigators say was a big hindrance to their work. Israel issued its own report saying that it looked into how Israel conducts

warfare, the process by which Israel decides what is a legal target for an airstrike, and that was almost a preemptive response to this report in

which Israel found that it followed international law.

Now we're also getting a statement from Hamas, from Ahmed Yousef, a spokesperson, who says, "the commission had to make a difference between

the soldier of the occupation and the resistance men that are looking for freedom."

So again, this report, Kristie, takes all sides to task here. It looks into accusations on both sides, looks into targeting on both sides,

and investigates the very high casualty of deaths, more than 2,100 in Gaza, many civilian, mostly civilian, and some 70 Israelis.

LU STOUT: The UN inquiry takes all sides to task here, so what's next, Oren? We know that the international criminal court is examining

possible war crimes in the conflict. Could this report lead to legal action next?

LIEBERMANN: And this report could become a part of that preliminary examination. The ICC started that examination months ago after the Gaza

war. And it's looking into essentially the same period of time to see what happened.

But that is a judicial body, that can convict, accuse of war crimes. This report specifically says it cannot do that.

So that would be the next step. This report urges all sides, Palestinians and Israelis to cooperate with the ICC, the International

Criminal Court's preliminary examination. The Palestinians have already said they'll be doing that. They'll hand over some of their own paperwork,

findings, evidence, documentation later this week.

The Israelis have not cooperated yet with the ICC. They say that it is a biased preliminary examination. And so far they've said they're not

working with the ICC.

But that would be legally in terms of this process the next step.

[08:10:25] LU STOUT: All right, Oren Liebermann there reporting live on the UN Gaza inquiry just released in the last hour. Thank you, Oren.

Now, in Afghanistan police there say that they have killed all six fighters who attacked the parliament building in Kabul.

There on your screen, images at the scene inside the parliament building just as a car bomb exploded outside the building a few hours ago.

Now the militants followed up with gunfire. And police say all members of parliament escaped the building unharmed, but doctors say at

least 31 people were wounded in the attack, including three children.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility.

Over the past year, ISIS (inaudible) proven to be tenacious fighters, but there have been coalition victories. Kurdish fighters recently

recaptured the border town of Tal Abyad in Syria and CNN's Arwa Damon was among the first journalists to visit the former ISIS stronghold. And in a

series of exclusive reports, she explores how this battle may be a blueprint for future fights against ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even members of the YPG, the Kurdish fighting force that we were speaking to, were expressing just

how surprised they themselves were at how quickly they were able to move through such vital terrain.

For two years, ISIS reigned with impunity over this rural landscape, a vital frontier to defend and supply its stronghold of Raqqa, now beaten

back.

There was a coalition airstrike, Orhan (ph) was just saying, on that side of this underground tunnel that goes around the entire village.

ISIS had moved into this particular area about two years ago. This obviously dug out with heavy machinery about three feet, three inches, a

meter wide, and pretty high as well. And then you can see the metal ceiling, roof that was put into it, running throughout.

ISIS tunnel is fairly crude, but still highly effective when it comes to giving them freedom of movement throughout the entire area.

This is the road that runs parallel to the Turkish border. And berms like this one had cut it off completely. This was just one of ISIS's many

defenses that they had put into place.

What Orhan (ph) is saying is that the airstrikes that happened here were key. They took place just a few days before forces advanced into

Mabruka (ph). And they were highly effective.

In just four weeks, the airstrikes allowed the YPG to advance some 80 kilometers, 50 miles, taking over key territory, including the town of Tal

Abyad and the border crossing, cutting off one of the main ISIS supply routes.

"When the coalition against ISIS was formed, we were the only force that was committed in the fight against ISIS," commander of the Tal Abyad

front Bilal Rojava says. "The coalition saw this and coordinated with us."

He won't disclose specifics.

Here, the U.S. can say that its strategy has delivered a blow to ISIS. But the battlefield is vast and the blueprint for success hardly easy to

replicate.

One of the biggest challenges the U.S. and the coalition will face in trying to replicate this strategy if that is even possible is trying to

find similarly reliable partners on the ground elsewhere in Syria and Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Arwa Damon there.

Now, the stories filed by Arwa, they're not stopping there. One of the tales involves a so-called roundabout of death as one of the

punishments ISIS carried out. Her exclusive report from inside Tal Abyad continues tomorrow only on CNN.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still ahead on the program, a community trying to heal. The Emanuel AME church reopens with an emotional

service in Charleston after last week's shooting massacre.

Plus, meeting in the middle. Greece considers compromise as the country tries to avoid default.

And a swift end to a battle with Apple. Why this pop star is rejoicing after a shift in the company's policy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:16:54] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now Apple Music is already running into problems before its launch. They just had to backtrack on the decision to not pay music owners for

songs streamed during a free trial thanks to a letter by the pop star Taylor Swift.

Swift says that she is speaking on behalf of independent artists. And she blasted Apple saying, quote, "three months is a long time to go unpaid.

And it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing."

Now the free trial period is seen as a crucial part of the company's strategy to attract paying subscribers. And it took just hours after

Taylor Swift posted her letter for Apple to announce that they will be paying music owners.

Our CNN contributor and editor of The New Yorker.com Nick Thompson joins me now for more. And Nick, let's get this clear here, did Apple just

cave in to Taylor Swift?

NICK THOMPSON, NEW YORKER.COM: Absolutely did. It's extraordinary. This is the -- one of the most tightly run companies in the world. It

doesn't change its ways for anything. Google can't change it, Microsoft can't change it, customers can barely change it, but Taylor Swift puts one

thing on Tumblr and boom Apple completely changes policies that they spent months negotiating.

It shows that she has unbelievable power.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it underscores her power, but also underscores a very swift response by Apple. I mean, did it surprise you to see Apple, this

global tech behemoth, pivot on this issue to quickly in less than a day?

THOMPSON: Well, it did surprise me, because when she first put out her letter, I wasn't entirely sympathetic, right. These terms had been

negotiated. Of course Apple needs to have a free trial so that people will learn how to use it and get them to switch from Spotify. It makes a lot of

sense.

If they're having a free trial, should they really be paying artists? Well, they've negotiated terms and they happened.

So, the letter came out, and I didn't think it was entirely persuasive.

On the other hand, Apple certainly knew that if they launched this service -- and they launch it next week -- and Taylor Swift has just

criticized it to her 26 bagillion fans, all of whom have retweeted it, all of the discussion about the launch is going to be about Taylor Swift.

So, I think Apple actually did act in a very canny way. They said, you know what, we're going to get slaughtered, let's just pivot, let's

change, and then this story will go away and they'll look like they're supporting artists and they'll have Taylor Swift behind them instead of

against them.

LU STOUT: They've made that calculation and it sounds like they calculated well.

And I wanted to ask you about Apple and social media, you know, because Apple responded to Taylor Swift in a series of tweets, you know,

and this was a discussion taking place on social media platforms. Were you surprised by that level of social engagement from Apple?

THOMPSON: I was impressed, right. So, Apple's decision was announced late at night. It was about, I don't know, 11:30 in New York last night.

And Eddie Cue goes on Twitter and says, you know, we're changing our policies, thank you Taylor Swift. It was kind of funny.

She had written her note saying Dear Apple, Love Taylor. They said Dear Taylor, Love Apple. Clearly, there hadn't been a lot of handlers

working with Eddie Cue, because there are a bunch of typos in his tweets, so the whole exchange was very social media, very today.

And I think Apple did -- I mean, Apple absolutely handled the pivot quite well. They did it quickly, they did it on Twitter, they spoke to

fans, they spoke directly to Taylor Swift. They did a very good job of turning around.

Now, should they have figured this out in advance? Should have they anticipated? In the future, should all music companies that want to launch

a platform negotiate both with the major labels and with Taylor Swift? Probably.

So, Apple made some mistakes in advance, but they did correct it fairly quickly.

[08:20:22] LU STOUT: Got it.

So now Apple, correcting its mistake, says it will pay artists for music streamed during the trial period. It's still going to go ahead with

that three month free trial period. And just how critical is that free trial period for Apple Music to fly and to succeed?

THOMPSON: Well, it's absolutely essential, right. So, Apple has a new music product. And it's not that different from Spotify, it's not that

different from its competitors. It hasn't really differentiated itself.

They had their launch a couple of weeks ago, and it was kind of a bust. People weren't that excited about it. It seemed sort of derivative.

Apple is late to the streaming game. Everybody knows that streaming is the future of music. It took Apple a long time to realize it. Finally,

they're coming out. They've launched a product. And meh, it's not that exciting.

What it does have going for it is that its Apple. They'll integrate into all its devices. They'll put it right in front of you. They'll make

it impossible for you to get rid of it, as is Apple's way. And they already have your credit cards on file, so it'll be fairly easy to join.

And if they can have some artists who aren't on Spotify, Taylor Swift is not on Spotify, they'll have another big advantage.

So, to your question, the three month period is absolutely essential, because it's the period where people will join it. You can join Spotify

for free. For now, for three months you can try Apple for free. If they really like it, if they find there's some advantages that we haven't

thought of before, it will stick and then it will become a big business for Apple.

So, yes, absolutely essential, absolutely essential for Apple that they have very positive conversations about this in the next period. So

that's why they did this.

LU STOUT: All right. Well, we'll see for Apple how the launch goes with Apple music. In the meantime, props to Taylor Swift. Wow.

Nick Thompson, we'll leave it at that.

Thank you very much. Take care. We'll take soon.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now you're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, a community comes together to remember nine people, nine victims

of murder. The Emanuel AME church, it reopened in Charleston after last week's deadly shootings there. And we'll bring you moments from that

emotional service after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:56] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Charleston, South Carolina is focused on healing. Thousands of people marched across a city bridge in a show of solidarity on Sunday and to honor

the nine people killed last week inside the Emanuel AME church.

Meanwhile, the gunman Dylann Roof is in jail. Now sources say that he told investigators that he wanted to start a race war.

Prosecutors may seek the death penalty.

Inside the Emanuel AME church on Sunday, the focus was on healing.

Now the worshipers fought back tears, but they promised to come back stronger than ever.

It was the first service since last week's massacre. And although nine of their congregation died in an act of hatred, the message on Sunday

was one of love.

Let's look at some powerful moments from that service.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOFF: It has been tough. It's been rough. We've -- some of us have been downright angry. But through it all, God has sustained us. And has

encouraged us. Let us not grow weary and well doing. The only reason that bishop and Mother Norris is not here is because he has recently received a

kidney transplant, successfully.

There is a time and place for everything.

CROWD: Amen!

GOFF: And now it's a time for us to focus on the nine families.

(APPLAUSE)

GOFF: Oh, I know I'm right!

But I want to say to the citizens of Charleston and visitors -- thank you for being whom God has called you to be. Thank you for your flowers

out front. Thank you for the cards and the emails and all of the acts of kindness.

And then, finally, I want to say thank you to law enforcement.

(APPLAUSE)

GOFF: I got no problem in doing that. I want to thank them. I want to thank them.

(APPLAUSE)

GOFF: Respect gets respect. A lot of folk expected us to do something strange and to break out in a riot. Well, they just don't know

us.

And we are going to hold our elected officials and others accountable to do the right thing.

(APPLAUSE)

GOFF: The blood of the Mother Emanuel Nine requires us to work until not only justice in this case but for those who are still living in the

margin of life, those who are less fortunate than ourselves, that we stay on the battlefield until there is no more fight to be fought. And for that

we say thank you.

(CHURCH BELLS)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:41] LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

Now the United Nations says abuses were committed by both sides in the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas militants. And those abuses may

amount to war crimes. Israeli airstrikes and other shelling pounded Hamas targets during that 50 day conflict. Palestinian health officials say more

than 2,100 people were killed, more than 70 Israelis died in the fighting, including six civilians.

Police in Afghanistan say an assault on parliament is over, and all the attackers are dead. Those images on your screen show the scene inside

the parliament as a carbomb exploded outside the building just a few hours ago. And the militants followed up with gunfire. Now police say all

members of parliament got out of the building unharmed. The Taliban have claimed responsibility.

In Charleston, South Carolina, thousands of people marched across the city bridge in a show of solidarity and to honor nine people killed last

week inside the Emanuel AME Church. Earlier in the day, hundreds of people packed the church for its first service since the massacre.

Now, the Russian economy will have to cope with at least six more months of biting sanctions imposed by the European Union. And just hours

ago, EU foreign ministers voted to extend the penalties imposed on Moscow for its involvement in Ukraine.

Matthew Chance is in the Russian capital. He joins me now live. And Matthew, six more months of sanctions for Russia. How is the Kremlin

responding?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're not happy about it, Kristie. They've said that these sanctions are illegal,

that they aren't justified, and they said there will be reciprocal measures as well, possibly an extension of the countersanctions that Moscow has

already imposed after the EU sanctions were originally imposed. And so far that's involved a ban on some agricultural products from EU countries and a

ban on certain individuals traveling to Russia.

But the Kremlin hasn't made clear yet what specific measures it intends to take to respond to this.

But certainly this wasn't an unexpected, or it was an expected move by the European Union, the foreign ministers essentially rubber stamping a

decision that had been taken at a lower level some days before.

There had been some expectation that perhaps Greece or Italy or Cyprus or Hungary, countries that are close within the European Union, but close

to Moscow, may have been able to sort of derail that attempt to automatically renew the sanctions, because all 28 members of the European

Union had to vote yes for the sanctions to be rolled over.

But in any event that didn't happen. The European Union has stayed united in terms of maintaining sanctions against Russia. And I expect

there will be some disappointment in the Kremlin about that.

LU STOUT: All right, Matthew Chance reporting there live for us from Moscow. Thank you, Matthew.

Now we've got details on that new 11th hour proposal from Athens to its EuroZone lenders. A European diplomatic source tells us that the 47

page document includes new concessions on pensions.

Now the Greek government has offered to raise the retirement age to 67. And the plan also includes tax increases.

In less than an hour, EuroZone leaders will discuss the deal during an emergency summit in Brussels. Now Greece must reach an agreement by June

30, or risk default on its multibillion debt.

Now Chinese investors are anxiously looking to Tuesday when the country's stock market reopens after record losses last week. Now with

China's economic growth continuing to slow, some analysts speculate that the mainland is on the verge of a major correction.

Ivan Watson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:35:21] IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's official, China's once roaring economy is slowing down. On track for

what's expected to be its slowest growth rate in decades. And yet the Chinese stock market is booming.

China boasts the world's fastest growing stock market. The Shanghai Composite is now the world's third largest stock exchange with a combined

value of more than $5 trillion.

Over the last year, the Shanghai Composite grow by more than 120 percent, that's prompted some to talk about a possible stock market bubble.

And we may have just seen signs of the bubble popping. Over the last week, the Shanghai stock exchange tumbled, losing more than 13 percent of its

value in a matter of days.

Unlike the world's other biggest stock markets, China has long made it difficult for foreigners to buy Chinese shares. It also imposes capital

controls, blocking Chinese investors from being able to freely buy shares on the world's other stock exchanges.

Over the last year, Beijing began loosening up some of these restrictions. Hong Kong was called a gateway to China when it was a

British colony. Today, one of the easiest ways for foreigners to buy shares in Chinese companies is through this place, the Hong Kong stock

exchange which is now linked to the Shanghai stock exchange.

Part of the remarkable growth in Chinese markets is due to mom and pop investors in China who don't have many other places to invest their money.

At one point this year, the bank BNP Paribas reports that Chinese were opening up to 170,000 new stock trading accounts a day. But that means if

there's more volatility in Chinese markets, then the people who stand to lose the most are ordinary Chinese investors.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And still to come, party in Tokyo. Club goers show off their hot moves until the clock strikes 12:00.

And how a bizarre law that bans late night dancing is headed for a change.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now go dancing after midnight in Japan, and you risk a run-in with the law. Now dancing in a club after 12:00 could get you arrested, but that

will soon change. As our Will Ripley reports, lawmakers have voted to ease the country's long-standing dancing ban.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the nonstop scramble of Tokyo's Shibuya crossing. People don't think twice about dancing in the streets.

But late night dancing in clubs has been outlawed in Japan for almost 70 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's crazy. It don't make any sense. It's a dance club.

RIPLEY: Like the classic fairy tale Cinderella, dancing past a certain hour has long been risky in Japan. Bars and nightclubs even put up

these signs trying to avoid problems with police who call dance clubs magnets for drugs, violence and sex crimes.

For years, Japanese dance clubs have been forced to go underground, that's because of a law dating back to 1948 that forbids dancing in bars,

clubs, pretty much any public venue after midnight or 1:00 a.m. What that means is everything you're seeing in this room right now is technically

illegal.

Japanese lawmakers voted last week to relax the dancing ban, a law going back to the American occupation after World War II when dance halls

were often a front for prostitution. Police looked the other way for decades, allowing Japan's dance scene to thrive. But high profile drug

cases, and a deadly brawl about five years ago, led to a surge of arrests from club raids like this one in 2013.

"It's wrong," she says. "We need to dance."

The new law says clubs can't be too dark, an attempt to discourage crime. And until changes take effect next year, after hours dancing like

this is still against the law.

Do you ever worry about the police coming here and arresting people?

"Of course. I worry about it every day. I've been worrying for 30 years," says Tokyo club owner Dieso Morata (ph).

He says he's spent 21 days in jail for violating Japan's dancing ban. Morata (ph) is part of a movement demanding change. 150,000 people signed

a petition to lawmakers.

"Now the artists and DJs will be able to work safely," he says. "More great artists will be able to come here."

He says Japan's war on dance is finally over. The victory dance will keep going long after the clock strikes midnight.

Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:41:55] LU STOUT: I was waiting for Will Ripley to dance there.

And finally, the leader of North Korea is touting what state media calls the country's first female fighter jet pilots. By some estimates,

Pyongyang has the world's fifth largest air force, but there is doubt as to how many of its 800 fighter jets are actually combat worthy.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. Don't go anywhere. World Sport with Alex Thomas is next.

END