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Two Trains Collide in Germany; South African President Under Fire for Home Renovations; Gloves Come Off Ahead of New Hampshire Vote. Aired 8:00a-9:00p ET

Aired February 09, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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


[08:00:08] IVAN WATSON, HOST: Let's get more on this from CNN's Atika Shubert who is live in Berline.

Atika, let's focus on the rescue effort. Do you know if all of the passengers have been removed from the wreckage?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are still two people that are missing from the train. It's been very difficult for

emergency teams to access it, because it is a very heavily wooded and sort of mountainous area as well.

What they do know is that nine people have died, another 40 were in either serious or critical condition, and about 100 were lightly injured as

well.

Now, of those nine, at least one of them is the driver, one of the drivers. It's not clear if they have recovered the other driver at this

point.

But most of the rescue operations are of for now. It is really astounding the speed at which rescue teams were able to get there.

According to that press conference, police were on the scene within three minutes of receiving the alarm. The problem was that the trains were so

badly mangled, that in this difficult to reach area, that they actually had to get emergency mountain response teams in and they had to helicopter

quite a number of victims to hospitals, about 15 different helicopters were used to get emergency responders there and also to bring victims as soon as

possible to the hospital, Ivan.

WATSON: So, very complicated logistically rescue effort here. And by your account, the Germans moved very quickly here.

What about the potential causes for this terrible accident? What have you heard from German officials who have just been speaking in this press

conference?

SHUBERT: Well, what the federal transport minister said was that there were three black boxes in total. Two have been recovered. They are

still looking for the other one.

Once they have all the data, then they will be able to know what exactly caused the crash. There are two key lines of inquiry here. The

first is looking at the train itself, whether or not this was human error by one of the drivers or if there was some technical malfunction on the

train.

The other issue is infrastructure, whether or not perhaps there was a signal failure on the track that allowed for both trains to be traveling

together on the single track.

Now, this was complicated by the fact that both of the trains were approaching a bend. So they weren't able to see each other in time. So,

they were probably traveling at about full speed, which the federal transport minister estimates was about 120 kilometers per hour -- not high-

speed trains but still a considerable speed causing tremendous damage as described by the

transport minister.

It seemed as though one train had literally drilled into the other.

WATSON: are you getting any sense what the German authorities are doing for the victims right now and for families of the victims?

SHUBERT: Well, they have counselors on the scene and at the various hospitals. As you can imagine, this is incredibly traumatic. It is very

rare to have an accident like this. And as was pointed out in the press conference, there are a number of safety measures that have been installed

in recent years. They have really made a number of upgrades along the rail routes, particularly in this part of the country in Bavaria where it is

quite common to travel by train from a smaller town or a village and commute into the larger cities like Munich.

So quite a bit of rail traffic there. And this is why they made the upgrades in investment.

So it is rare to have something like this. And this is why they have put out a number of counselors. The police are investigating, of course.

But it's going to take a lot of time to get to the mom of what happened and longer still for of course the families and loved ones of the victims.

WATSON: Certainly rare for a country with an enviable safety record. That's Atika Shubert live from Berlin. And she will keep us updated on

developments after this deadly train collision.

Now, let's move on to Hong Kong. This is normally a time of celebration during the Lunar New Year here in Hong Kong. But it turned

violent when clashes broke out in a market area.

Protesters threw rocks and bottles, police responded with warning shots and pepper spray. CNN's David Molko has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It all started after government officials tried to clear away illegal food stalls, which they normally

turned a blind eye too. Some bystanders got involved, and the officials called this the police.

The situation escalated into a riot. Police officers, some suffering broken bones.

Dozens of protesters and several members of the media were also injured.

Authorities arrested more than 50 people after police used batons and pepper spray, even firing two shots of live ammunition into the air, which

they defend as a move to protect injured colleagues.

Police call those involved localists. It's a loose term for the more hard-line groups of anti-government protesters that emerged in Hong Kong

following the peaceful Occupy protests of 2014.

On Tuesday night, police upping their numbers. As Hong Kong holds its annual fireworks display to mark the Lunar New Year.

David Molko, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:05:25] WATSON: Now, these scenes that we were seeing Monday night in Hong Kong, you just don't see this type of violence in the city. Let's

go now to CNN's David Malko. He is in Mong Kok, the neighborhood where those clashes took place.

First of all, David, are you seeing any sign of a repeat of the kind of tension that Hong Kong saw there last night?

MOLKO: Ivan, and that's exactly it. We don't see that in Hong Kong. We never see violence is on that level. It's practically unheard of.

Here on the streets of Mong Kok I would describe the mood still as festive. Families out celebrating the second day of the Lunar New Year.

I've seen some young children, even babies, in the last few minutes.

But there is also a sense of unease. A group of police just crossing the street right here. I don't know, Brad, if you can just pan across and

we can show this. We have seen busloads of police officers kind of pull up over the last few hours, some with helmets, some just in small groups kind

of patrolling the streets, taking a look around.

Things are peaceful. But, again, a sense of unease. Some of the shops, we have seen them lower their metal blinds across the glass. The

shopping mall across the street open for business, opening for shopping. A big thing in lunar new year.

But again they closed the patio facing this street, they told us, because of unforeseen circumstances. Ivan, one of the fears with the

fireworks over, the big fireworks show and thousands of people maybe a couple kilometers down the

road, could those people make their way up here? Could we see an escalation, a continuation of the violence of the last 24 hours -- Ivan?

WATSON: So, David, 9:00 at night Hong Kong time. As you're reporting peaceful there. There were heightened security presence. Have you been

able to, in your time there, figure out what was behind these clashes? Was it really just about the police trying to clear out some unlicensed street

vendors from the neighborhood?

MOLKO: Ivan, that's certainly what the police are saying, but that is how it started.

And remember, this started small and then escalated. It began before midnight and ended well after dawn.

There is a sense that there may be groups called localists that you heard in my piece that the police are mentioning. They are not singling

out any specific group. But groups looking for a window of opportunity to potentially speak out, show their grievances.

There is an under current here. And this is partially a remnant of the

Occupy protests here that we saw in 2014, an undercurrent of anti- government, anti-Mainland resentment, anti-Hong Kong government as well.

And so that is one of the fears is that these radical groups may use this as an opportunity to make their voices heard. Of course more than 50

arrests. We'll have to see if it's a small group that were out last night or if others will come out and also show their support for what's happened

here in the last 24 hours -- Ivan.

WATSON: All right, David, that's CNN's David Molko. He's live in Mong Kok where the scene in calm in this neighborhood of Hong Kong tonight

after some really unprecedented violence erupted there on Monday night on what was supposed to be a lunar year celebration.

Now, fighting in Aleppo is driving tens of thousands from their homes. After the break, a look at why this northern city may prove critical to the

fate of the country's civil war that's drag odd for nearly five years.

And voters are headed to the polls in New Hampshire. While a new CNN poll shows two candidates with a strong lead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:10:13] WATSON: Welcome back to News Stream. I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. At least nine people have been killed and 50 seriously injured

after a head-on train collision near the Southern German town of Bad Aibling. Two people are missing. The crash happened just before 7:00 a.m.

local time at a curve in the railway line.

Hundreds of rescue and security officials are at the scene. The train's black boxes have been recovered from the crash site. The trains

were traveling about 60 kilometers south of Munich. The operating company is Meridian. And we spoke with the CEO of Meridian's parent company

Transdev.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-MARC JANAILLAC, CEO, TRANSDEV: Usually infrastructure perceives that there is only one train on the track at the same time. There is an

electric signaling system, which usually always works perfectly. That's why we really have no clue how this could happen.

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, for some reason, the driver missed the signal, whether the signal was working or not, something

happened there. There isn't an automatic system that stops the train, basically? It's down to the driver to decide whether or not to go on to

that stretch of track?

JANAILLAC: Usually there is an automatic system that automatically stops the train when you pass by (inaudible) signal. That's why we don't

know what happened.

We assume that those signals were green, but we don't know yet. On our trains, there have been two train drivers each. We have a train driver

plus a train driver instructor (ph) on the train. So usually not two people miss a red light, and there's the automatic braking system doesn't

work.

So, we don't know yet exactly what has happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: We will have a live update from the scene of the train accident in just a few minutes.

Now, switching to the Middle East where NATO has condemned Russia's military moves in Syria.

The secretary-general says Russian air strikes are undermining efforts for a

diplomatic end to the conflict.

Undercover of Moscow's air power, Syrian government forces have been advancing on the northern city of Aleppo. Our Hala Gorani reports on the

pivotal role this city plays in the civil war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(EXPLOSION)

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the full force of Russia's government force behind them, Syria forces are going

rapidly towards Aleppo. If they manage to control the whole city, the battle could be a game-changer in Syria's civil war.

Aleppo is the most-strategically important territory held in part by opposition forces, Syria's largest city. And since they lost control of

Homs last year, the only urban area where the rebels are still strong.

But over the past few weeks, Syrian government forces, backed up by the Russian air force, have tightened their grip around Aleppo, solidifying

their control in the rural areas around the city. Last week, Assad's forces took value of the route into the city.

If as expected they target this area of the north next, the rebels could become entirely caught off. Rebel fighters and civilians face the

prospect of life under siege.

(EXPLOSION)

GORANI: They already endure frequent air strikes. The bombardments have sent tens of thousands fleeing to the Turkish border where many are

held in makeshift camps.

The rapid advance of Assad's forces into these parts of Aleppo, signifies how they are changing the tide of the conflict. The offensive

already derailed the U.N.-led peace talks which have been put on hold until later this month.

Hala Gorani, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Now, the Turkish prime minister says Turkey will take in the nearly 30,000 refugees massed at its border with Syria.

But Ahmet Davutoglu issued a caveat. He says they will be allowed in, quote, "when necessary."

Turkey already houses some 2.5 million Syrians, and the prime minister says it is a responsibility that Turkey should not shoulder alone.

Let's get the latest from the Turkish/Syrian border. That's where senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is right now.

Arwa, tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the fighting in Aleppo, are stranded in a no man's land at the Turkish border which is closed

despite Turkey's claims of having an open-door policy.

Now, the United Nation's Commission of Inquiry published a report this month accusing the Syrian government of quote, crimes against humanity,

including extermination, murder, and rape.

so, if this is at all true is it any wonder people are running for their lives right now?

[08:15:19] ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's really not, Ivan. Nor has it been for the last few years, ever since all of this

fighting did break out.

This most recent bombardment by the Russian fighter jets that have allowed the regime to make

significant advances are described by all rebel fighters and civilians as being the most intense that they have ever seen, especially those that took

place during the Geneva talks that eventually caused them to completely fall apart.

And what the regime has succeeded in doing is effectively cutting off one group of rebel fighters from another as it is trying to circle around

and down the line set siege to the rebel housed area of Aleppo.

And of course caught up in all of this are the civilians, tens of thousands already making

their way to the border. Turkey not letting them in because they say they are providing for them inside Syria, providing them tents, food, and water.

But what people really want is that sense of safety and security that no longer exists for them back home. And at this stage, that door is still

closed, Ivan.

WATSON: And, Arwa, Turkey is facing pressure that is kind of contradictory. On the one hand, people say you have got to let the

refugees in. On the other hand, there is pressure for Turkey to stop that flow of refugees and migrants across the Aegean Sea to islands in Greece.

How does Turkey handle these competing pressures?

DAMON: It's in a very difficult position. One has to hand it to Turkey when it comes to that. It really is stuck between a rock and a hard

place as the saying would go.

The European Union came out and was condemning Turkey for not allowing refugees to come

through, something which really irks a lot of people here, whether it's ordinary Turks or even civilians, because after all Europe is putting up

physical and psychological barriers to try to stop people from coming across. And Turkey has been struggling for quite some time now to try to

control those that are smuggling from Turkey's shores to Greece.

Now, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was here yesterday. She did meet with the Turkish prime minister. They both pledged to cooperate, but

barring putting some sort of physical barrier along the entire Turkish coastline, people are going to get keep getting into those boats.

And the more you look at this entire situation, Ivan, the more you hear the rhetoric about how there has to be some sort of broader

longstanding sustainable diplomatic solution to end the fighting, the more you realize that unless leaders and unless people that have a stake in

what's happening in Syria really put their differences aside and try to come to some sort of logical negotiating table, this

situation is not going to end and it's not going to get better and people are going to continue to die in the war zone and in the waters.

WATSON: And if this military offensive continues that desperate situation is likely only to get worse there on that border.

That's Arwa Damon, live from the Turkish-Syrian border, thank you very much Arwa.

Coming up, America's first primary of the 2016 presidential race is officially under way. We'll take you there live to find out how the

candidates are faring.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:21:20] WATSON: Welcome back to CNN's News Stream. Another U.S. State is making its call on who should run for the White House. Polls are

open across New Hampshire, critical in the early presidential run.

At the stroke of midnight, the tiny town of Dixville Notch was first out of the blocks with

nine voters choosing Bernie Sanders and John Kasich.

Now that group is going against the grain on the Republican side. If the latest polls are right,

Donald Trump is expected to lead when all the votes are counted.

The most recent CNN tracking poll shows Trump has almost a third of Republican support at

31 percent. On the Democratic side, Sanders holds a commanding lead over Hillary Clinton.

But Clinton is not backing down. She's trying to rally support to narrow that 26-point gap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FRM. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: You've got to ask yourself, who could do all aspects of the job? You know, that's really

what this is about. Who can get the ecoomy moving again? Get those jobs created, get those incomes rising. Who can protect our families and keep

our country safe? I will ask you, respectfully to please consider giving me the chance to do this job for you.

(END VIDEO CILP)

WATSON: Now let's get much more from CNN politics reporter Sara Murray. She joins us from Hudson New Hampshire. And Sara, I understand

you've been following one of the Republican candidates, John Kasich.

After the votes are finally counted in New Hampshire, how much closer will we be towards determining who the next Republican Party candidate for

president might be?

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ivan, this is just one stop along the way, but it is a very important one on both sides of the aisle,

but especially for Republicans in a very crowded field.

You can see here that this place is booming with people who want to get their votes in early today.

Now, if you thought that this might mean Republicans would play nice with each other in the final hours before voters head to the polls, you

would be wrong. We are seeing an even sharper tone on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY (voice-over): Hours ahead of the first vote, name calling in the GOP reached a fever pitch.

TRUMP: She said he's a (EXPLETIVE DELETED), that's terrible. Her.

MURRAY: Donald Trump repeated a voter's vulgar jab at Ted Cruz Monday night. And the frontrunner was relentless in attacking Jeb Bush throughout

the day.

TRUMP: We have to get rid of the Jeb Bushs of the world. Jeb is a lightweight. Jeb is having some kind of a breakdown, I think, and you know,

look, he's an embarrassment to his family.

MURRAY: Bush continuing the battle, trading insult for insult after tweeting at Trump, "You aren't just a loser, you are a liar and a whiner."

BUSH: He's a whiner. I'm a joyful warrior.

Imagine a guy like Donald Trump, for example, being president of the United States during difficult times.

MURRAY: Now in the final hours candidates are vying to win over legions of undecided New Hampshire voters. Marco Rubio trying to bounce

back after a debate gaffe repeating the same phrase four times Saturday night. Something Chris Christie is capitalizing on.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're sitting across the table from Vladimir Putin. You don't want to repeat the same thing four

or five times over again.

MURRAY: But awkwardly Rubio repeated himself yet again Monday night during a stump speech.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We know how hard it's become to instill our values in our kids instead of the values they try to

ram down our throats. It's become harder than ever to instill in your children the values they teach in our homes and our in church instead of

the values that they try to ram down our throats.

[08:25:02] MURRAY: This as Trump downplayed his wide lead in the final polls before today's primary.

TRUMP: I hear we have a lead. It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter to me. Who the hell knows what the lead is.

MURRAY: After admitting his ground game fell behind in Iowa, his campaign has been playing catch up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. How are you doing?

MURRAY: On the snowy eve of the primary Trump made a final push in his unconventional tile style.

TRUMP: If you're going drive like a maniac, do it tomorrow after you vote. And I promise I will come and visit you in the hospital. I promise.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Now, even though Trump has been leading up until the primary, we are expecting a lot of candidates to be bunched up near second place,

that's because a lot of New Hampshire voters decide late, and a lot of them are independents. That's also why you're going to see so many Republicans

on the campaign trail today looking to put these voters into their camp in just the final hours before the polls close this evening.

Ivan, back to you.

WATSON: All right, Sara, keeping a close eye on voting, it appears, as it's underway in New Hampshire. Thanks very much.

Now, New Hampshire is often referred to as the first in the nation primary, which is why there's so much emphasis on Tuesday's result.

But unlike last week's caucus vote in Iowa, this is a much more traditional election event. Locals go to the polls to choose their

favorite candidate and because it comes early on the campaign calendar, New Hampshire is expected to have a major impact on the race for the White

House.

And it's not just state primaries and caucuses shaping the race, another player may be entering the game -- Michael Bloomberg. Michael

Bloomberg, you've heard that name before, maybe.

He told the Financial Times he is considering a run for U.S. president?

The billionaire media mogul and former mayor of New York City would run as an independent and would try to bring business savvy and compromise

to the election field.

Be sure to tune in for our special coverage of the New Hampshire presidential primary. It starts at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday in Hong Kong, 7:00

a.m. in Tokyo only on CNN.

Still ahead on News Stream, one of the biggest rail accidents Germany has seen in years. More on the head-on collision of two trains in Bavaria.

Plus new images may provide more clues about North Korea's rocket launch. What South Korea says debris recovered from the water reveals.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:52] WATSON: Now let's get more on our top story now. That is the deadly train collision in Germany. Let's speak t a reporter who is on

the scene right now, that's Stephan Richter. He's from RTL in Germany. And he's near Bad Aibling.

Stephan, first of all, can you tell us about the rescue effort right now. What are some of the challenges that these hundreds of workers are

facing right now?

STEPHAN RICHTER, JOURNALIST: There are a lot of challenges for the workers and the rescue crews the last hours ago, because the terrain where

the accident happened is very difficult. So, completely impossible to get there with (inaudible) or something like that.

On other side -- of the one side of the track, you have a river. And on the other side, you have a hill so it is very difficult for the rescue

crews to work there.

And so -- and that was the reason why the rescue crews operated with a lot

of rescue helicopters. Up to 25 we have seen were non-stop in the air. And also some special -- some special crews from the mountain -- from the

mountain rescue people were coming down from the helicopters to save or heal some injured people.

So the situation here in the morning hours was very, very difficult. But now it looks so and seems so that the rescue mission is already

finished. And all the injured people are on the way to hospitals near around, but (inaudible) or some heavily injured people are on the way the

area or some are on their way in Munich. And maybe they are already there.

WATSON: Stephan, how full were the trains? This was rush hour when this took place. How many people were affected by this accident?

RICHTER: So this is the number we can't you right now for this moment because the investigators are on this topic I think so with high pressures.

What we can say, and I think we should be happy about the situation, we have some carnival holidays here. Because in the regular -- on days on

the regular Tuesday, there will be a lot of school kids and a lot of workers on this

train, because this is a very important line, especially for all those people which went from to Munich, for example, the Bavarian capital city.

And of course because of this holiday day, right now about the Carnival in Bavaria, there are no children on the train, but this is the

last information we got. And also I think and I hope a few less people than the regular

Tuesday.

WATSON: Stephan Richter from RTL television live at the scene of this deadly accident, thank you very much for that update, Stephan.

Now, let's switch gears to South Korea where South Korea's defense ministry released images that may show part of a controversial rocket North

Korea launched on Sunday.

The south says the rocket is estimated to have scattered hundreds of pieces of debris along its flight path. And you're looking at what is

believed to be one piece of that rocket.

Most of the pieces of debris were small, indicating the rocket may have been fitted with a self-destruct device. Paula Hancocks has more on

the fallout from Pyongyang's launch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:35:09] PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ivan, as far as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is concerned, it's been a

pretty successful year. He's carried out a nuclear test. He's carried out a satellite launch, and of course there has been the inevitable

condemnation and talk of sanctions.

But the international community has to walk a fine line here. They have to make sure that they are punishing the North Korean regime while not

extinguishing those first sparks we are beginning to see of market reform.

It's called the pride of Pyongyang, Tidongang (ph), a beer with a soft, smooth, and fragrant taste. Propaganda from North Korea is nothing

new, commercially motivated adverts are.

JOHN DELURY, YONSEI UNIVERSITY: I think some of what we are seeing in terms of -- you know by North Korean standards sort of innovative branding

and marketing of their products is genuinely targeting Chinese consumers to see if they can get into the Chinese market.

HANCOCKS: China is one of the few markets in the world that the heavily sanctioned North Korea can't access, its portal to the rest of the

world.

Visiting a cosmetics factory last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong- un called for the domestic Onhasu (ph) brand to become internationally recognized.

Reliable data from North Korea doesn't exist. But South Korea says last year trade between the two was at a record high, at $2.7 billion,

despite high tensions over the summer.

Trade with China in 2014 was $7.6 billion representing 90 percent of all North Korean trade.

Kim Jong-un has made the economy part of successive new year's speeches. This year calling for all efforts to be made to build, quote,

"an economic giant."

JOONG-HO KIM, BANKER: After the inauguration of the Kim Jong-un regime, we have seen witnessing changes, including new restaurants, western

style, and cafe and taxis running on the street.

HANCOCKS: Not to mention the ski resort and an amusement park, all welcome developments for the elite and those living in Pyongyang, but in

the rural areas, there are still reports of food insecurity and malnutrition. A two track economy with a gap in between continuing to

rise.

Farmers now work with incentive-led schemes, however, allowing them to keep more if they grow more. And the days of the late Kim Jong-il's

disastrous economic decisions are gone.

DELURY: They cannot go back. They have lost the mechanisms of a command economy, of a Soviet-style economy. And what's remarkable about

Kim Jong-un, is you can see he's not trying to go back.

HANCOCKS: Kim Jong-un says he is working on a dual track plan of creating a strong nuclear weapons program and a strong economy. But while

he's pumping billions of dollars into the former, it's difficult to see how he can truly achieve the latter -- Ivan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Thanks, Paula.

Let's shift from tensions on the Korean peninsula to what looks like a rough day in financial markets.

Global markets are mostly lower this hour. The sell-off began in Japan where the Nikkei plunged more than 5 percent by the close. Shaken

investors headed for safety and long-term government bonds, even as yields dropped below zero

for the first time ever.

Chinese markets were closed for the holiday.

European stocks are also headed lower. Shares in major banks have been dropping.

And ahead of the open on Wall Street, U.S. stock futures are all pointing lower.

We'll have much more on the markets coming up on World Business Today. And that starts in less than 30 minutes.

Now, South Africa's president is under fire for his pricey home renovation. And now he finds himself in court. We'll have details on

South Africa's presidential scandal next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:08] WATSON: Welcome back.

A reminder of our breaking news from Germany where just as the morning rush hour was beginning, two trains collided head on near the people of

Bad Aibling. At least nine people are confirmed dead and dozens are injured, of them 50 seriously. And we're told two people are still

missing.

Germany's transport minister says the accident occurred near a curve.

Now, on to the African continent, that's where South Africa's President Jacob

Zuma is coming under fire for a multimillionaire home improvement project. This is the residence here. An opposition group accuses Mr. Zuma of using

tax payer dollars for it.

South Africa's highest court is to decide if Mr. Zuma should pay it all back.

David McKenzie is monitoring this from Johannesburg. And he joins us now.

Now David, this is not a new scandal. President Zuma has been battling accusations that he's used up to $15 million in government money

to renovate this mansion for years. But could this court case result in any real

consequences for him?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it could. And certainly this case behind me at the constitutional court, Ivan, is a case

where they are looking to see whether they should bring this matter to the highest court

in the land.

You have had protesters here from opposition party groups saying that President Zuma must go, that he is a corrupt president, that this just

proves because of his upgrades to his home, this home in KwaZulu-Natal, this palatial home, were footed by the taxpayer, that in fact this is

enough is enough, and that in fact he must pay back the money.

Now, we've seen some dramatic developments in the court today where it appears that Zuma's lawyers are trying to maybe skirt away from heading to

the constitutional court by doing a strategic retreat and saying that he will, in fact, consider paying back the money, and that's something that he

said he would do last week to avoid the court proceedings.

But to speak to a bigger issue here, Ivan, in South African politics, a sea change I think in terms of the vulnerability of Jacob Zuma, who was

seen as a Teflon president here in South Africa and who many said ruled in terms of cronyism

and favors to his buddies particularly in the state-owned enterprises.

The ANC, the ruling party for their part, say that, in fact, the president has acted correctly up until this point.

It's all ahead of crucial elections here in South Africa in the middle of the

year. And it does -- or it has been described, I have to say, as a week from hell for Jacob Zuma this week in South Africa.

WATSON: David mcKenzie on the week from hell for the South African president. Thanks, David.

And that is News Stream. I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong.

END