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Athletes Vanish from Olympic Village; Security Raised for Madonna Show; Egypt Strikes Back at Militants; Dominican Republic Used Clothes War; Rescue Mission To Antarctica

Aired August 08, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome, everyone, to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. I'm Michael Holmes, in this week for Suzanne Malveaux. And, of course, as usual, we are taking you around the world in 60 minutes.

Here's what's happening out there:

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HOLMES: Warplanes dropping more bombs on Syria's largest city, Aleppo we're talking about of course. State media say government forces have taken full control of strategic neighborhoods there, but rebel leaders deny they are retreating from their stronghold.

Video posted online by the opposition shows extensive damage to neighborhoods. There you can see it for yourself. That one appearing to show people actually finding the body of a man crushed in his collapsed home.

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HOLMES: The opposition says 20,000 people have now been killed since this uprising began 17 months ago.

Filipinos got more bad news today. Expect torrential rains and flooding to continue. Listen to this -- Manila, the capital, already drowning in water. Check out the pictures. Thirty 30 inches of rain fell in just 48 hours at one point. Water chest deep in some place.

So far, the flooding and the landslides have killed at least 11 people. Almost 800,000 are out of their homes, some of them on rooftops waiting to be rescued or wading through the deep water through deep water to high ground.

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HOLMES: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton providing dancing and diplomacy with her visit to South Africa. After a dinner hosted by the foreign minister, Clinton hit the dance floor showing off some good moves.

South Africa is her stop number six on Clinton's tour of Africa. The goal: to promote the U.S. as an alternative to China's influence there -- economic in particular. Next up, Nigeria.

How's this for a story out of the Olympics? The hunt is on for seventh athletes from Cameroon who vanished from the Olympic Village in London. It's believed the five boxers and swimmer and soccer player may be trying to defect.

Becky Anderson joining me now from London.

You know, Becky, the same thing happened, I remember, in Australia six years ago. A group of athletes from Cameroon getting away during the Commonwealth Games.

What's the policy for them if they do seek asylum?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they have to present themselves to the Home Office. In fact, they're not the first actually to go missing. Before the ceremony began, three Sudanese athletes we are told also went missing. One has presented himself at the Home Office seeking asylum, and two more are expected to do so.

This Cameroon set of athletes, there are seven of them, you are absolutely right, none of whom have made their presence known wherever they are at present. At one point, it was thought that perhaps they just left the village, but they have not been seen now for some time. And the high commission here confirming that they have now gone missing, and they are concerned about them, and asking them to present themselves to the embassy or back here to the Cameroon Olympic Committee as soon as possible.

The weightlifters have not finished their competition, and the concern is that they have legged it, I guess. There is a report by one sports writer from Cameroon who suggested at least that they had talked about doing this in the past, and that they were de-motivated. They are very fed up with the conditions at home, and that certainly some of them had talked about seeking asylum here when they got here.

In the past, it has to be said that Cameroonians have chosen France in the main rather than the U.K., but obviously an opportunity here.

HOLMES: Yes, let's switch gears now. A lot of talk about the South African runner Caster Semenya. Now, she was the subject of all of the criticism during the world champions controversy, some people questioning whether she was even a woman. Made her debut, and how did it go?

ANDERSON: She did. She made the debut in the heats of the 800- meter. It's got to be said she did it in over two minutes. I think she will qualify for the semifinals going for the world record 1:53. I'm sure you probably know that, set in 1983. So, she is very close to that at the moment.

But there are some say that she can run a lot faster than she has. And it's great to see her here. She was a flag bearer for the South African athletes here at the opening ceremony. It was three years ago, seems like yesterday, doesn't it, Mike? But it was three years ago after the world champions that she was made to go through these drug and the gender tests.

But she is back here and running in the 800 meters. Let's hope that she does run a better time in the semis, because she's not going to get anywhere close to a medal if she runs in another time like that.

But one of the Canadian competitors, Jess Smith, said, and I quote, "She is like any other competitor. She's just like us, and we've got to beat her." I think that's sort of putting a line under it, doesn't it?

HOLMES: Yes, it's great to see her there competing.

And this is the story I love. The Algerian 1,500-meter winner wins the gold, of course. He was in the 800 meters and pulled out and --

ANDERSON: Right.

HOLMES: -- if I have a bad knee, I want this guy's doctor. Tell us what happened.

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: Let me tell you this story. So on Sunday of last week, he qualified for 1,500 meters, which is his big deal. He then ran in the heat of the 800 and he pretty much jogged around.

After the event, he was actually disqualified from the entire games by the IAAEF because they said he just didn't make the sort of effort, the bona fide effort that the audience and the athletes are expecting to see here at an Olympic Games.

Well, that decision was revoked by the organizers here so that he could go on to run in the final of the 1,500. Nobody actually expected him to win that final. In fact, there were a trio of Kenyans who expected to come in first and second and third, and he won by a mile. This is Makhloufi.

Now, the story goes that the Algerians didn't pull him from the 800-meter heat quickly enough when he said he didn't want to run it. Then they said that he had a bad knee, which miraculously got better by yesterday. And he went on to win. So it is a gold medal winner now.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: That was the amazing thing. Yes. I mean, they said he can run if he gets a doctor's note. Well, all of a sudden, he found a doctor who said he had a dickie knee, and then the next day wins gold in the 1,500. I'm just saying.

Becky, I've got to leave there. Lovely to see you, Becks -- Becky Anderson in London.

All right. Let's move on to a concert in Russia by Madonna tomorrow. It's going to have a lot more security than normal. Why? Well, some people are threatening to cause trouble.

The show is in St. Petersburg. The security issue is not about Madonna's music, it's about her support for another act. A Russian punk rock band arrested after a protest performance in a cathedral, one that did not amuse the parishioners, nor the Russian government. After all, President Putin was the target of the protest.

Three members of Pussy Riot, yes, that's what they're called went on trial in Moscow and could go to prison for several years if convicted of the charges of hooliganism. This isn't about music, they say. It's about free speech and crime and punishment in a country where democracy is still is a very new thing.

Let's get Phil Black in here in Moscow, following all of this.

First of all, Phil, let's start with the security at Madonna show. What's the background? And what are the police worried about?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, it's fair to say that Madonna has a longstanding reputation for being provocative on stage, for pushing the boundaries with over sexuality. So, for that reason, there are many members, conservative members of the Russian Orthodox Church who don't like her and haven't liked her for a really long time.

On top of that, just last night, at her concert here in Moscow, she spoke out very vocally in favor of those girls from Pussy Riot, who as you said, are on trial in Moscow this week. And so she has intensified that anger among the conservative Orthodox Church membership even more so.

So, police are worried about the protests or worst at the concert in Petersburg tomorrow, and they are taking extra precautions to be ready for anything, Michael.

HOLMES: Yes. And Madonna is not the only one in their corner. Remind us why they are on trial?

BLACK: She is the latest in a long and growing list of international figures to jump on their side, demand their freedom. It was in February this year, towards the end of the month when five of those girls went into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral, the most significant, some say sacred orthodox cathedral in Moscow, stood up suddenly and performed what they described as a punk prayer.

These guys are a punk protest group. They traditionally always wear a colorful balaclavas over their face, they jump around, they scream. That's what they did in the cathedral for a few minutes, calling for the Virgin Mary to drive Vladimir Putin away from Russia. That is the theme of the song.

They weren't arrested right away, but a few days later they were. They've been in custody now for some five months or so, and then just in the last week, their trial has begun. The case has wrapped up. The defense and the prosecution have made their arguments. We're going to get a decision on this in about a week's time.

HOLMES: Yes, yes. Any word from Vladimir Putin? As we said, he was the target of all of this and they are saying it's political -- the girls. So any word from the Kremlin?

BLACK: Vladimir Putin has made one public comment on that and only recently during a trip to London for the Olympics where he said he hopes that the girls have learned their lesson and won't be punished too severely.

Well, the supporters of Pussy Riot believe only one person can decide whether or not that comes to pass and that Putin himself. It is fair to say that among the supporter of Pussy Riot, among those who support the growing opposition here who don't like Vladimir Putin, they have no faith in this country's judicial system whatsoever and they believe in this case, in particular, this prosecution is being driven, directed from the very top of the Russian political system, probably Putin, himself.

And so, they believe it is ultimately he who will decide if they go to jail. And if so, for how long -- Michael.

HOLMES: Yes, fascinating case. Phil, as always, thanks -- Phil Black there in Moscow.

All right. Here's more of what we're working on for this hour of NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL:

Egypt's military and police battling militants in the Sinai Peninsula. Militants from Gaza used tunnels beneath the roads, smuggling in drugs, guns and medical supplies. It goes both ways between the Sinai and Egypt and Gaza. There's a lot going on in there. We're going to talk about it, coming up.

And in a country where censorship prevails and people are jailed for speaking out, one Chinese artist and activist always has pushed the envelope. His experiences are now documented in a new film. We'll talk about that as well when we come back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What inspired you to come up with the project?

(SPEAKING CHINESE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Egypt strikes back at militants in the north Sinai. Army helicopters, Apaches, firing rockets at suspected armed Islamists this morning. State media say the strikes killed at least 20 militants in the port town of El Arish, following overnight gun battles.

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HOLMES: Masked gunmen had launched six simultaneous attacks on military checkpoints also. And just days ago, you go remember the gunmen killed 16 Egyptian soldiers who stole armored vehicles, tried to drive into Israel, and the Israeli air force actually shot up one of those vehicles.

My colleague Hala Gorani joining us now from Washington.

Hala, Egypt first. Air strike in the Sinai Peninsula in decades, in fact since the '73 war with Israel. This is a real test for the new president, Mohamed Morsi, isn't it?

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It is. And it's a test for Egyptian-Israeli relations as well, and how all this might impact the peace treaties that these countries have signed in 1979. You mentioned the attacks yesterday, but also Sunday, that killed 16 border guards. These are very aggressive, brass attacks in the Sinai against the border guards, and some of these militants are taking advantage of a power vacuum in that part of Egypt.

The Sinai is not what people imagine when they think of Egypt necessarily, of Cairo, of Tahrir Square. This is 23,000 square miles of desert. Much of it is lawless. the people who live in the Sinai are different really from those that live in other parts of Egypt, and that they are mainly Bedouins.

And it's strategically important where these clashes are taking place, and where these air strikes have been reported, because on the one hand, Michael, as you know, it's an area that borders Gaza, but also Israel. So Israel is saying to Egypt at this point, look, you have to take care of this problem. These militants are threatening our security.

And the question is going to be, how is Mohamed Morsi, the new president, who is a Muslim Brotherhood president, by the way, going to do this without appearing to sort of placate Israel or align himself with the interests of Israel? Politically, this does not help him with the home constituency.

HOLMES: Yes, there is a lot of domestic issues there, too. The Bedouins there would say for decades they have been marginalized by the government, ignored, they can't buy property in Egypt. They can't go past a certain rank if they join the military.

And that this is sort of left them alone out there in the Sinai, if you like, and they have survived, if you like, by developing the smuggling routes, and smuggling everything from guns to drugs to people across from Gaza and the militancy there could lead to al Qaeda appearing in the region. It's that serious.

What do you think of the chances that Morsi is going to be able to crackdown effectively in such a vast area, and he's going to need Israel's cooperation, because the military is not meant to be in that part of town, are they?

GORANI: Right. They're not and they haven't been. And what you said coming in to me that this is the first time in 40 years since the Yom Kippur War that we've seen air strikes from the Egyptian military strikes in that part of Egypt, in the Sinai.

And you remember, and our viewers as well, Israel took the Sinai in 1967 after the Six-Day War, and then handed it back to Egypt in 1979 after the signature of these peace treaties. But you said it. I mean, here you have this huge area that is almost impossible to police with many priorities that the president of Egypt has to worry about right now in terms of the security, in terms of the economy, and going heavy-handedly into that part of Egypt, first of all, is very iffy. But secondly, is something that is costly and mobilizes the military in a big way.

So, whether or not it will be in effect is an open question. What we do know today is that Morsi sacked the north Sinai governor. We don't know if it is directly related to what happened, but we assume it is, and appointed a new intelligence chief. So, we'll see if some of that reshuffling has any kind of impact.

HOLMES: So many fine lines in the story and not the least, the relationship of Morsi and the military as well. A lot to talk about -- not going anywhere any time soon.

Hala Gorani, good to see you -- Hala Gorani there.

Well, CNN goes to the frontlines of the fighting in Syria. Government forces hammering Aleppo. The ruin is evident at every turn. We're going to get a firsthand account from a man who's being inside that besieged city, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Government forces hammering rebel fighters again today in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Some of the fiercest battles raging in the Salaheddine neighborhood, which is where rebels have had a strong presence and have for sometime now.

Ben Wedeman is inside Syria and joins us now by phone.

Ben, reports from state television is saying that government forces have taken control of that neighborhood, beaten back the rebels. The rebels are denying that they are retreating. You were there and there for days. I'm curious what your take is on how much of the city that the rebels control and how strong they are.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, the rebels control, they claim at this point, around 50 percent of the city. And in fact, last night we drove through a big sort of swath of the city, and I was impressed at how much of it they actually do control.

And you have to keep in mind that the Syrian media has been claiming for quite some time that they are on the verge of retaking total control of Aleppo, and what you see on the ground pretty much contradicts those claims.

Now, we do know from fighters on the ground that the military, the Syrian military did unleash a fairly intense bombardment of (INAUDIBLE) and did try to push into it, and in fact, did gain some ground. But we also know that hundreds of fighters were mobilized from around the rebel-held areas to stop that push forward.

This government push really doesn't come as a surprise to anybody, Michael. The Syrian media has been advertising for days now that was the plan, and rebel commanders we've spoke to said, well, they have been well aware of that plan, that they have been working hard at putting together IEDs, improvised explosive devices, and disabled tanks, and the very narrow roads that make up much of the Salaheddine area.

In fact, one of the commanders that we spoke to this morning, the experienced fighters, with the rebels told us that those IEDs are put together with the, under the supervision of Syrian soldiers who learned how to make those IEDs in Iraq.

HOLMES: Interesting. Ben, reminding people that Aleppo is the biggest city in Syria. And just looking at those pictures, the pounding that it's taking, reminds you of Homs.

I'm curious about what you saw when you were in there about the civilian situation. Have they been able to get out or get to different parts of the city where the fighting is not happening? What is their plight?

WEDEMAN: Well, it's very difficult to (INAUDIBLE) for instance, some of the areas of Aleppo, because there's a kind of buffer zone of completely uninhabited areas, and uninhabited in terms that inhabitants are less and getting in and out of the areas can be very dodgy. We came under sniper fire trying to get -- government sniper fire -- trying to get into Salaheddine.

And, in fact, we saw one man in a taxi who just was shot moments before by the snipers. There are other parts of the rebel rebel-held areas where it's fairly easy to get in and out. But the problem that you have to keep in mind that this -- many of the rebel-held areas are populated by people who don't have the means to leave. They don't have the money, they don't have relatives that they can go to in more peaceful parts to town. Plenty of them certainly don't have the resources to go for instance to Turkey or elsewhere.

So one woman told me, you know, we are stuck. We have nowhere to go and we are just going to have to hide and hope that we can survive if the government does indeed try to take the rebel-held parts of the city.

A lot of people are sleeping in the stairwell of the buildings. They are the apartment buildings they live in, because that's the best place to hide if there is shelling or bombing in the area.

So the humanitarian situation is quite dire, and many people, as I said, have nowhere else to go -- Michael.

HOLMES: Yes. I appreciate your fine reporting from inside Aleppo, too -- Ben Wedeman there in Syria.

Well, here in the United States, the rich pay as much as 35 percent in income taxes. If you think that is high, try imagining a 75 percent tax. That is what France's president wants to bring in. We'll discuss when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back. The debate over taxing the rich isn't just playing out in U.S. politics. It is a big issue in France as well. Some of France's wealthy citizens, they're pretty worried about a proposal from President Francois Hollande during his campaign. It would impose a hefty tax on income above 1 million euros -- that's about $1.25 million.

Richard Quest joining us from London to chat about all of this.

Richard, we are seeing these reports about wealthy people thinking about moving out of France if this goes through. I mean, it is a hefty tax.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: Yes, it is. But it was always part of Hollande's policy. He went to the French people during the election with that policy. It would affect about 30,000 or 40,000 people in France who earn more than this 1.2 million, but -- euros a year, just like dollars here.

The point about it is what Hollande has done basically say higher taxes on the rich, increased spending on social programs and increasing the minimum wage, all of which is going to perhaps drive France's economy in the wrong direction, the critics say, which is already in a double-dip recession.

But you want to talk taxation, let me show you exactly what a 75 percent tax rate looks like. Now, then, there you have it. Imagine that is your 10 euro note. At 75 percent, that bit goes to the government, and you get to keep that bit. Just a little bit at the end.

And what lawyers in France are now saying is that the wealthy -- well, I'm hearing reports from France and from Paris and from bankers and from industrialists, everybody is saying the same thing. If there is a way to avoid, evade or simply escape, the wealthy are truly looking at it.

HOLMES: I am sure they are. The French parliament is going to take up the proposal in the next month. As you say, he ran on this platform. Everybody -- it's no secret, but is it likely to get through? I imagine there's all sorts of lobbying going on in the corridors.

QUEST: Well, there's lobbying, but at a time when the alternative is heavy cuts in social spending, then, yes, it has got a strong -- and don't forget Hollande not only had a strong victory in the presidential, but also in the parliamentary.

So he does have the wind behind him politically to get this done. The thing to remember, though, is 75 percent is eye-wateringly high by the sort of rates you are paying in the United States, but in the U.K., it is 50 percent is the top rate, going down next year.

And of course, countries like Belgium and Germany and many European countries, 50-55-60 percent is now starting to become the higher upper limit; however, France is on its own.

HOLMES: Yes, you are right. I mean, it is very high in other parts of the world. The U.S. tax rates are remarkably low when you make that comparison. But --

QUEST: Which --

HOLMES: Carry on?

QUEST: It means that you will be -- which means that with your lower tax rate and your bigger tax breaks, you will be buying the drinks next time we speak.

HOLMES: I think I bought them the last time, Questy. All right.

(LAUGHTER)

QUEST: Good to see you, mate.

Richard Quest there. All right.

Now some critics have called it one of the most powerful films of the year. "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" is out in theaters. We're going to have the director and her amazing story following this Chinese activist, Ai Weiwei. Stick around for that.

(VIDEO CLIP, "AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY")

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: He is one of China's best known artists, but Ai Weiwei is also one of the government's most high-profile critics and dissidents. He gained international prominence for his involvement in designing that, Beijing's Olympic Stadium, the Birds' Nest, as it was known.

But even as Ai's work was being hailed, he criticized the games, actually described them as a government-controlled empty event not shared by ordinary citizens.

Also in 2008, he defied the government by researching the names of thousands of schoolchildren killed in the Sichuan earthquake. He created a memorial, listing all of the children's names after the authorities refused to name them. On his blog he called for an investigation into the construction of schools that collapsed during the earthquake. Well, the Chinese shutdown that blog back in 2009. At the end of 2010, he and other political activists were told they could not travel abroad. In April of last year, he disappeared into police custody, quickly becoming China's most famous missing person.

After he was released some three months later, the government imposed a fine on him, $2.4 million. It was all about taxation, a case that supporters said was a set-up. Now to help defer some of those costs, some of those supporters literally have been throwing money over the wall next to his home. Of course, he is not allowed out.

Director Alison Klayman started shooting a documentary on Ai Weiwei in 2008. Little did she know what would unfold in the next three years. We are going to chat, but first, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have warned him there is a clear line where you are considered to be a human rights activist. Should you cross that line, that's where the fun ends with the Chinese government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): Film somewhere else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): You should talk about what happened today. Every night I can't sleep.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm worried they'll rough you up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are animals. They have this animal instinct.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you worried?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am worried and every day, there is people assigned which tells me I should be worried.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" recently opened in theaters across the U.S. Alison Klayman joining us from New York to talk about the film.

And Alison, it is just a terrific subject matter, too, for those who have followed the life and career of Ai. Now, first of all, could you seriously believe your luck? You started shooting this around the time that everything happened with him in terms of being both an artist and an activist.

ALISON KLAYMAN, DIRECTOR, "AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY": Definitely. I was living in China already from 2006, and the reason I went out there in the first place was that I was sort of an inspiring journalist and filmmaker.

So it's really the kind of case of intention meeting opportunity when I got the meet Ai Weiwei in 2008. It was really meeting him and just feeling the force of his personality and having a feeling that, you know, whatever he was doing, it was going to be interesting; it was going to be revealing even to me, something new about China.

So I just felt like it was worth following him. I was really interested in a character study, I think, at first, just because he is such a fascinating individual. And I quickly realized, that it was going to be a much more action-packed movie than I might have realized.

HOLMES: Worldwide name now, I mean Ai Weiwei has been very media savvy, I think it's fair to say, over the years, very comfortable in front of the camera as a public figure. And it's a recurring theme also in your film.

I am curious what you saw about him beyond that.

KLAYMAN: Yes. Absolutely. This is something that was really evident, even in the first weeks together. This is someone who is incredibly media savvy, charismatic, also someone -- you know, his company is called Fake Design.

He has a great sense of humor. He likes to be playful, his art plays with the idea of fake and real, which is, again, why I felt like coming at it at the angle of a really in-depth look at him as a person was going to be kind of revealing. There had been a lot of news stories about him, but to come with a critical eye and ready to follow him over time to see what Is genuine about him, and what was going to happen.

And, you know, I think that realizing that, you know, the work that he was doing in the end -- he has so many projects going on, he was not really able to micromanage what I was doing and I always felt like I was a very independent look at him.

HOLMES: You know, I am curious about a couple of things I want to squeeze in here. He has had this constant surveillance on him -- you cannot imagine what sort of surveillance -- nothing is private for him these days.

Has he changed in the time that you are with him? What is his mood now?

KLAYMAN: Well, I think, on the one hand, the time in detention and the events of the last few years, if anything, has made him double down on his belief that what he is fighting for is incredibly important, rule of law, transparency, freedom of expression, that these are things that need to be fought for and that he is on the right path, in terms of the values.

In terms of personally, it is really tough what has happened to him since his detention. His life, it looks very different than it did during the years that I captured in "Never Sorry." And I think it's really tough for him especially to be over a year our of his release and still not have his passport back, still be under constant threat of various investigations.

And, you know, he is back on Twitter and social media and giving interviews, but it is in a much more cautious way.

HOLMES: Yes. Fascinating man and a great film. It's called "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry."

Alison Klayman, thanks so much for joining us. A fascinating subject --

KLAYMAN: Thank you.

HOLMES: -- thanks.

All right. Well, buying used clothes can save hundreds of dollars, of course, and many people in the Dominican Republic rely on cheap fashion to save money, but that is going to change. We will tell you why after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: To the Dominican Republic, where a clothing war between the haves and have nots is being waged. Dominicans will no longer be allowed to import used clothes. People who count on those imports to make a living accuse the government of protecting Dominican clothing stores and manufacturers at their expense. Here's Rafael Romo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice- over): It's Sunday at this flea market in Santo Domingo and shoppers are sifting through mounts of second-hand clothes. Brand name jeans that normally cost up to $200 new are as cheap as $7 here. But the informal sale of used clothes is coming to an end in the Dominican Republic due to a government decision to abide by a law passed nearly four decades ago.

RAFAEL CAMIL, DOMINICAN CUSTOMS DIRECTOR (through translator): The only thing that customs is doing is establishing controls and taxing the merchandise to be sold in the domestic market. We also want to stop illegal merchandise from entering the country.

ROMO: Customs agents recently found $90,000 hidden in a shipment of clothes that they say was laundered cash. They also say they have found weapons and ammunition. But sellers of used clothes say the government is only trying to protect the powerful Dominican clothing industry.

JOSE CARO, PRES. USED CLOTHES ASSOCIATION (through translator): They are powerful interests fighting against us vendors and trying to make our business disappear.

ROMO: The Dominican Business Association says as much as 25,000 metric tons of used clothes are shipped to the Dominican Republic every year from places like New York and Miami, where many Dominican migrants live. A law prohibiting these shipments was approved in 1973, but has never been strictly enforced.

ANTONIO RAMOS, PRES., DOMINICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (through translator): Our position is in favor of compliance with the law. We have been asking for this since 1998 because the sale of used clothes has been increasing constantly.

ROMO: Many consumers say current president, Leonel Fernandez, who issued the executive order banning importation of used clothes, is robbing the poor to give to the rich.

INOCENCIO MENDEZ, CONSUMER (through translator): We are buying brand named clothes at a low price. I think the customs director is wrong. You know why I say that. Because us, the poor people, wouldn't be able to make ends meet without used clothes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Yes, and Rafael Romo joins us now for a chat about this.

Rafael, what's the government -- you've mentioned some of the reasons there, but what's the government's main argument for implementing what seems to be a fairly old law?

ROMO: Well, President Leonel Fernandez says that his main priority is to protect the health of the Dominicans. He mentions things like infections and germs may travel in the clothes and there's really no system to verify that they're safe for the public. He also says that there's a lot of money being laundered, being shipped through the clothes and also they have found weapons and ammunition. But people say, hey, it's been happening for four decades and --

HOLMES: Yes, why now?

ROMO: It's now until now that you start noticing that and you have a problem all of the sudden?

HOLMES: So what is their suspicion, why now? What do the people think?

ROMO: Well, what they say is that the government is trying to protect special interests, specifically the textile industries and the big clothing stores that definitely have competition on the part of these informal venues where they sell the used clothing. And what happens is basically that migrants -- Dominican migrants in the United States -- sell huge boxes of clothes and that not only helps their families, but also it has created a small industry of sorts. And you see the flea markets on Sundays where people get their clothes.

HOLMES: Yes.

ROMO: And also at prices that otherwise they wouldn't be able to afford.

HOLMES: Powerful interest groups are at play there too. Yes. Rafael, good to see you. Rafael Romo there with the latest on that. What a fascinating story.

All right. Now imagine this, being in a place with no daylight, virtually no daylight, a temperature of 20 degrees below zero. Well, that's what conditions are like in Antarctica right now. Imagine this. You've got a medical emergency. We'll tell you about it when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. In weather conditions that could kill you, a medical emergency at Antarctica's largest research station leaves a rescue crew no choice. They have to go in. This is all happening at this place here. It's called the McMurdo Station. An Australian medical team and government jet are being sent in to rescue an expeditioner -- that's what the scientists there are called. It's believed to be an American.

Chad Myers, you know, it is cold down there, of course.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is.

HOLMES: How extreme can the conditions be compared to how they are now?

MYERS: You know, I've seen stuff on Antarctica this year at 97 below zero.

HOLMES: No way.

MYERS: The same day that Petersburg, Virginia, was 108 above. So over 200 degrees difference across the world. So that happens. But, here, this is not the South Pole. This is on the top of the ice shelf as close as you can get to New Zealand. And the temperature right now, 29 degrees below zero. That's not bad. And I say that tongue and cheek.

HOLMES: Right.

MYERS: You don't want to be outside, you know, in a bikini, but, anyway it's not --

HOLMES: But it's not minus 95, yes.

MYERS: Fuel doesn't turn to jelly until minus 50. So that's OK. The issue is not the weather. The issue is that it's dark. The issue is that it's dark. In fact, here's a live shot.

HOLMES: Yes.

MYERS: What do you think?

HOLMES: Live. And it is. And it's most of the time. It gets -- what happens, you get a little bit of light.

MYERS: I can see something.

HOLMES: Yes.

MYERS: The sun will rise again August 19th, so that's a problem. And it's not so much of a problem that, you know, these guys can't land in the dark on most airfields. The airfield down here doesn't have any lights. It doesn't have -- it doesn't have a beacon. You can't do an IFR landing. There's no instrument flight rules because there are no instruments here. If you try to land -- let's go one more -- one more stop to this ice field. It's about, I don't know, 10,000 feet long. It's right there.

HOLMES: Right.

MYERS: I don't care how great of a pilot you are --

HOLMES: That (INAUDIBLE) things.

MYERS: If there are no lights and it's dark, you are not going to find that runway in the middle of a snow field, literally. And so that's why they haven't gone in yet. They're getting a little bit of light around noon, about 12:06 p.m. They think that's the best time, but they probably won't get enough light to get a plane that can see until Friday.

HOLMES: Right. Well, because every -- before we go, we've got to tell you, because everyone's asking, what are they doing there?

MYERS: Not much.

HOLMES: And there's a lot of international involvement here, too.

MYERS: Not much at McMurdo.

HOLMES: Right.

MYERS: that's a supply station that supplies all the other bases. In the summer you can get 1,000 people, 1,500 people that live there. There's actually an ATM at McMurdo. That is a big deal if you live in Antarctica. But right now this place is down to about 60 to 100 people. It's a supply station that supplies the other places. And there are no supplies coming in and out because there are no planes coming in and out because it's dark.

HOLMES: And I don't think we know yet what the specific problem is with this person --

MYERS: Correct. We may not.

HOLMES: But they're stable. Hoping to get them out.

MYERS: Yes.

HOLMES: OK.

MYERS: Hopefully by Friday.

HOLMES: Good to see you, Chad.

MYERS: Good to see you.

HOLMES: Thanks so much. MYERS: You bet.

HOLMES: He always knows stuff, doesn't he?

Now, you expect to see coats or keys in a lost and found, but what about a leg? Well, a prosthetic one anyway. We'll discuss when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. I want to take a look at what's trending globally right now.

Twitter users tweeting a lot about Henrique Capriles. He is the leading opposition candidate in the Venezuelan presidential election, which, of course, is coming up in October. Now, on Monday, president Hugo Chavez accused him of being tied to Nazis groups. Capriles' grandmother was a Holocaust survivor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRIQUE CAPRILES, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): I want to ask him for some respect. Not for me, but for my family. For my ancestors that are buried somewhere. They were killed by Nazis. My grandmother is a Holocaust survivor. And I think that President Chavez, regardless of his power, and even if he feels superior, he has no right to offend my origins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now Hugo Chavez, of course, has been battling cancer for a long time. He would serve another six-year term as president if he does win that election.

You know, several stories caught our attention today. Photos as well. Have a look.

This is the Philippines, of course. We're been reporting of the flooding. You've got there a group of men, women and children under a bridge, crammed in there to try to escape the rain and flooding. There was two and a half feet of water in 48 hours. And these (INAUDIBLE), you can see, just inches away from the floodwaters. And 800,000 people have fled their homes to stay in emergency shelters. This is a desperate situation particularly in the capital.

Now, you have here, a woman painting an idol for a Hindu god, Krishna. Statues like the blue ones here are going to be used right across India in a festival that's happening this Friday, actually, to celebrate his birth.

Let's go to Paris now, I'll take you there. Wouldn't you like to go? These prosthetic legs and old medical supplies are part of one of the biggest lost and found collections in the world. It's actually been around for 200 years, and we don't know who lost them or where.

The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, Don Lemon starts right now.