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UK Gears Up To Vote; ISIS Claims Responsibility For Texas Shooting; Mapping a Disaster With Drones; Secretary of State John Kerry Visits Somalis. Aired 8:00-9:00A ET

Aired May 05, 2015 - 8:00   ET

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

[08:00:23] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now for the first time ISIS claims responsibility for an attack on U.S. soil and warns that future attacks will be worse.

Plus, CNN' speaks exclusively with the New York University student who has been detained inside North Korea. Hear his first message home.

And drones are used to map out remote areas that are in desperate need of aid after the devastating earthquake in Nepal.

Future attacks are going to be worse. Now those words are part of a new statement from ISIS that claims responsibility for a failed attack in

Texas against a group that was holding a Prophet Muhammed cartoon contest. Now the warning contains other threatening language. And we'll have more

on what it says in just a few minutes from now.

But first, what we've learned about the two gunmen who launched the attack, but were shot and killed by police outside the exhibit hall.

Now CNN's Kyung Lah spoke with people in Arizona who knew them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI filled a van with evidence from the gunmen's Phoenix apartment,

investigators scrubbing all items, hoping to piece together a timeline of this plot. Neighbors in their apartment complex saw nothing outwardly

alarming from the two roommates except one of the men, Elton Simpson, put his car up for sale.

ARIEL WHITLOCK, NEIGHBOR: I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it right now.

LAH: Ariel Whitlock exchanged texts with Simpson.

WHITLOCK: You don't think maybe he is going to go and plot something and you're giving the money to help them go plot something.

LAH: But he changed his mind, instead driving it to Texas. Shortly before opening fire, Simpson tweeted an oath of allegiance to Amirul

Mu'mineen, a pseudonym for the leader of ISIS.

But the first clues date back to a 2011 arrest. Talking to an FBI enforcement over years, court records show Simpson wanted to go to Somalia

to fight, recorded on wiretaps saying "If you get shot or you get killed, it's heaven straight away. Heaven, that's why we here for, so why not take

that route?"

Nadir Soofi was the other gunman, a pizza shop owner and father to a young son, says his mosque president. A Pakistani source with knowledge of

the family tells CNN when his parents divorced, he moved to Pakistan with his father where he attended a prestigious private school in Islamabad.

Soofi's grandmother tells CNN affiliate KPRC that he never felt persecuted for his religious beliefs, and blames the other gunman for

instigating the crime.

SHIRLEY DROMGOOLE, GRANDMOTHER OF GUNMAN NADIR SOOFI: Whoever he was with talked him into it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's how you feel about it?

DROMGOOLE: Yes. There's no other way it would happen.

LAH: Their plan so secret that mosque president Usam Shami spent years with both men at services and never saw either as a threat.

USAMA SHAMI, PRESIDENT, ISLAMIC COMMUNITY CENTER OF PHOENIX: When that happens, it just shocks you. How good did you know these people? That's the

question that people ask themselves.

LAH: A question Elton Simpson's family is also asking. In a statement released Monday night, they write, "Just like everyone in our beautiful

country, we are struggling to understand how this could happen."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Kyung Lah reporting.

Now we mentioned how ISIS has claimed responsibility for that attack in Texas. And CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following that new development and

joins us now live from Beirut.

Nick, ISIS may have claimed responsibility for that attack, but was any contact made before the attack between ISIS and these two suspects?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what we don't know. And it's not something that ISIS claims to be the case in

the short announcement they made on Al-Bayan (ph) radio.

Now that is their official radio network, thought to be broadcasting out of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul that ISIS swept into in the middle

of last year.

Now the announcement is short. It goes on to refer to the brothers behind the attack as, quote, soldiers of the caliphate. That's reference to

area of northern Syria and Northern Iraq that ISIS has self-declared as being their, quote, Islamic State. And it, of course, refers to details

anybody reading the media would be fully aware of -- that they died in an exchange of fire and injured a security guard.

But it doesn't show any intimate details that would suggest familiarity with the planning of the attack. And it doesn't have, for

example, a photograph or anything else that might suggest intense prior communication.

That's what investigators have to look at, because there is a world of difference, troubling still, but a world of difference between an attack,

which ISIS leaders asked for and assisting in the planning, and an attack carried out by lone wolves attracted to the ideology of ISIS that perhaps

they only saw on social media online. They put a tweet out before the attack and then it's only after, potentially, that ISIS become aware of

these attackers and their plans.

That's the key difference here potentially the later possibility that ISIS were only aware of this after it happened, much more troubling for

investigators because it gives so much less of a command and control pattern for them to try and tap into to try and stop these sort of attacks,

Kristie.

[08:05:22] LU STOUT: And Nick, that ISIS announcement on radio, it also ended with a warning of more attacks in the United States. Your

thoughts on this, does ISIS have the ability to launch attacks in the United States?

WALSH: Well, there's two elements to that. I mean, the first thing we should address that kind of have (inaudible) we hear from ISIS a lot of the

time. And this is very redolent of that. Their statement ends with we say to the defenders of the cross, the United States, that future attacks are

going to, quote, be harsher and worse. The Islamic State will inflict harm on you with the grace of god, the future is just around the corner.

Now when we obviously accompanying this online, we've seen images of an ISIS soldier looking almost like Godzilla trampling across the remnants

of Manhattan on fire. That's always part of ISIS's bid to suggest that they have greater potency in the United States.

This may be, though, the first time that they are linked to an attack in the U.S. And it raises key questions, too, about their capabilities.

They're not doing particularly well in Northern Syria or Northern Iraq. They are pushing forward in some areas, but they're losing ground in

others. Their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi hasn't been seen in public for quite some time. And I think the key question is this franchise, this

brand that they have globally extended, maybe being picked up by lone wolves like we saw in one of the attackers in Paris and elsewhere

afterwards, but does it actually translate into global potency, or are we in fact seeing in Northern Syria and Northern Iraq ISIS very much on their

back foot, Kristie?

LU STOUT: All right, Nick Paton Walsh there separating hyperbole from fact. Many thanks indeed for that.

Now, a third detainee in North Korea is now speaking exclusively to CNN. Will Ripley was given access to South Korean citizen and permanent

U.S. resident Won-moon Joo.

Now the New York University student has been detained in Pyongyang for two weeks after North Korean state media reports that he crossed into the

country illegally from China.

South Korea is calling for his immediate release. Will Ripley has more now from Pyongyang.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ever since he was detained here in North Korea last month, Won-moon Joo, that 21-year-old NYU student, has not

been able to make a single phone call. So this interview is his first opportunity to send a message to the outside world, his friends, his

family, and the South Korean government explaining why he decided to enter this country illegally.

WON-MOON JOO, NYU STUDENT DETAINED IN NORTH KOREA: I understand my parents and my loved ones are worrying a lot about me. But I would like to

say that I'm well. And there's no need to worry.

RIPLEY: North Korean state media reports Won-moon Joo, the 21-year- old New Jersey resident and South Korean national entered the country illegally, crossing a river on the China-North Korea border.

Joo says he made it passed two barbed-wire fences following a large river until North Korean soldiers arrested him.

JOO: I thought that by my entrance illegally I acknowledge, but I thought that some great event could happen and hopefully that event could

have a good effect in the relations between the North and South.

RIPLEY: So, what kind of great event did you think could happen?

JOO: I -- of course, I am not completely sure yet.

RIPLEY: This is the first time Joo has been able to send any message to his family and friends since he was detained. South Korea's government

demanding the immediate release of the college student, and that of two other detained South Koreans who gave exclusive interviews to CNN. They're

being held by the North Koreans on espionage charges, allegations South Korea calls baseless.

Joo remains under investigation, but he's hopeful his arrest will bring about some good.

JOO: But I hope that, you know, I will be able to tell the world how an ordinary college student entered the DPRK illegally, but however with

the generous treatment of the DPRK that I will be able to return home safely.

RIPLEY: Joo has lived in the United States since 2001. He's a permanent resident. His family lives there. However, because he's a South

Korean citizen, it's up to the South Korean government to figure out how to get him back home.

We reached out to South Korea's unification ministry. They tell us their position on Joo remains unchanged from yesterday. And while this

young man had a vision of creating some sort of a great event, the reality on the ground here is that he could potentially be in a lot of trouble.

This is a really big mess and nobody knows what's going to happen next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Will Ripley reporting there.

Now Will, and CNN photojournalist Brad Olsen (ph) traveled to North Korea after the country extended them a surprise invitation to return. You

can check out this online photo gallery of their time and one of the world's most mysterious nations. And you could also find Will's report

from the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea. It's all at CNN.com.

Now Nepal's government is calling for foreign rescue teams to go home saying there's little hope left for survivors. And now authorities are

switching focus to relief efforts. We look at how drones are helping quake victims.

And, it is the final dash in the tightest UK election in decades just two days until voters decide who gets to live at 10 Downing Street. I

break it down for you a little bit later in the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:12:15] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now in Nepal, the hope of finding more earthquake survivors has faded. At least 7,500 people were killed and more than 14,000 were injured.

Now meanwhile, survivors in remote areas of Nepal say that they are still not getting any aid.

Now there's been a lot of criticism of the government that says it's doing the best that it can.

Here's Sumnima Udas reporting from Kathmandu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the first 72 hours, the focus was on search and rescue, sending rangers to the worst

affected parts of Nepal, bringing back the injured. A week on, as Nepal moves to the relief and rehabilitation phase, criticism is rife.

The Nepali government is receiving a lot of flak right now. There are accusations of stockpiling, of bureaucratic bottlenecks, but on the ground

here we're seeing goods move quickly. In fact, most of these temporary warehouses are empty.

This is the staging area set up by the United Nations World Food Program weeks before the earthquake hit.

ALEX MARIANELLI, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: The problem is getting enough aid, to meet the scale of this disaster, into Kathmandu, that's very

challenging. The airport is small and the roads are difficult. That's problem number one. The second problem is, of course, reaching the affected

population, most of which are in very, very remote mountain communities.

UDAS: Is there an issue of customs, or stockpiling, is there inefficiency in terms of the government here?.

MARIANELLI: No, not that we've seen. We have customs facility extremely well. The aircrafts that arrived last night their cargo is here

and is ready to go. So we haven't had the bureaucratic challenges that one may think we could have.

UDAS: The Nepali army says 60 percent of the relief material has been delivered. On average, helicopters are doing 100 sorties a day and trucks

the same

This is where all the relief material is being airlifted from to areas inaccessible by roads. So you've got dried fruits from India, blankest from

China over there, rice from Myanmar, all of this materials are waiting for the helicopters to arrive so they can be dispatched.

The helicopters take some time to arrive, and there are only 20 of them.

Desperation and frustration is increasing though, because many of those who need aid most have yet to receive it.

SAGAR MANI PARAJULI, JOINT SECRETARY, NEPALI HOME MINISTRY (through translator): It's true many villages have not received relief because

almost all villages are destroyed and our villages are spread out in many small hamlets.

UDAS: People hear about all this relief coming in to Nepal and it's not getting to them in the villages so they're getting frustrated, they're

getting desperate, so where is the hold up?

PARAJULI (through translator): It's not that there is a hold up, we just haven't received enough supplies. We need tarpaulins. In the early

days, we also had a problem moving goods because of the weather. There was a crisis, but now it's running smoothly.

[08:15:10] UDAS: The UN says there's still a backlog. Many relief planes from all over the world are waiting to land, but Kathmandu airport's

single runway is simply not fit to accommodate the demand. Nepal says it's doing what it can to its best ability because the people affected are their

own. But for those who need it, the aid is not moving fast enough.

Sumnima Udas, CNN, Kathmandu, Nepal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now over the past week, CNN has used drones to cover the destruction of Nepal's earthquake. And this video shows that some of the

worst hit areas cut off by rubble or landslides. Aid groups are also using drones to get a better understanding of where help is needed.

Information such as where survivors are, or which roads are blocked are absolutely critical to provide a timely response.

And for more on that, I'd like to bring in Patrick Meier. He is a director of social innovation at the Qatar computing research institute.

He's also the founder of the humanitarian unmanned aerial vehicle network. And he joins us now live.

Patrick, thank you for joining us here on CNN. And tell us more on how drones are being used to help the quake victims of Nepal.

PATRICK MEIER, QATAR COMPUTING RESEARCH INSTITUTE: HI, Kristie. Thanks for having me.

And while having a bird's eye view of a disaster affected area is very, very key, because there's only so much you can see when you are

standing in front of some huge debris, and that's why we use satellite imagery. And sometimes satellite imagery can be pivotal, but when you have

cloud cover, it becomes a little difficult.

So having very high resolution bird's eye view of the disaster damage, of displaced populations and so, can give you an immediate sense of how bad

the situation is and what the priorities might be.

LU STOUT: And is this aerial imagery generated by drone better than satellite imagery?

MEIER: You know, it's not an either/or. They're both very complimentary. They both have advantages and disadvantages. The

advantages of drones, or UAVs, is that you can get very, very high resolution aerial imagery. With satellites you're getting to about 32

centimeter resolution, and with UAVs, with drones you can get down to one centimeter resolution, which gives you a lot more detail and a much better

angle as to what's been affected, how badly and where.

And you're not limited to just having a vertical view down like we're used to with satellite imagery, we can have aerial imagery at an oblique

angle, which gives you a lot more information on potential disaster damage, which is really, really key.

So, it's not an either/or. They're both very, very useful.

LU STOUT: Got it. So, aerial drones can provide a much needed visual assessment of the need on the ground, the devastation on the ground, but

what about aid delivery by drone? Have UAVs or drones been used to actually deliver aid to remote parts in Nepal?

MEIER: A number of people have asked that. Not that I know of yet. A number of groups that approached me. There are a number of companies and

organizations that are in this space and offering their services.

I'm waiting to basically get in contact with a core, credible group on the ground that's ready to make this happen.

I've got groups on standby that's willing to provide UAVs, drones for small payload transportation. You could be -- it could be medical

equipment, it could be vaccines, it could be other public health kind of -- medication and so on.

Right now, we've not seen anything happen in terms of payload transportation, but it's inevitable that this will happen in future

disasters.

LU STOUT: Well, it's great to hear that at least it's being investigated for future potential disasters.

And what have been the challenges of using humanitarian drones in Nepal? Have the challenges been mainly technical? Were there any legal

challenges?

MEIER: They -- do you have an hour? Every single challenge that could be a challenge is really happening. And this is because this is a

new technology. It's a disruptive technology. The institutions, the regulations have not kept up with the innovation.

So we're doing the best we can to organize and self-organize as professionally as possible. We've got a code of conduct with the

Humanitarian UAV Network. We've got best practices, lessons learned, standard operating procedures. But the fact is the legal situation in

Nepal is unclear. This is not a criticism against the Nepalese government. Many governments and countries around the world are still figuring out what

the best drone regulations are. So there's no clarity on that, so there's no single point of contact within the government or within humanitarian

organizations, within the international humanitarian community. There are still no single point of contact to mediate flight permissions, flight

requests between humanitarian UAV groups, the humanitarian UAV network and others.

Technical, yes, connectivity, internet connectivity has been a huge challenge. Not, again, unique to Nepal by any means, but particularly

problematic when you've got gigabytes worth of aerial imagery that you're trying to push to the cloud.

And then, frankly, you've got some reporters on the ground that are taking too many risks with drones. And they don't understand that they

also need permission and they can't just be cowboys and so on.

So it's important and -- it's important that folks, organizations, companies and other liais (ph) with the humanitarian UAV network. The UN,

the World Bank, the Red Cross are all on the advisory board of the Humanitarian UAV Network. This is our best shot right now to organize as

responsibly and ethically as possible.

[08:20:25] LU STOUT: Yeah, it sounds like the use of humanitarian drones very much a work in progress, but very important work indeed, so do

keep it up. Patrick Meier joining us live. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us right here on News Stream. And take care.

Now after the break, America's top diplomat makes an unprecedented visit to Somalia, a nation struggling for stability as it battles the al

Shabaab terror group. What Secretary Kerry hopes to accomplish when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

John Kerry has made an unexpected stop in the Somali capital Mogadishu. This is the first ever visit to the struggling east African

nation by a sitting U.S. Secretary of State.

Now CNN's Robyn Kriel is monitoring developments from neighboring Kenya where Kerry just wrapped up security talks in Nairobi earlier today.

And she joins us now live.

And Robyn, again John Kerry is in Mogadishu. Just remind us and walk us through the significance of this visit.

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's been many steps that we've seen in the past sort of six months, Kristie Lu to indicate that the

United States was really becoming quite committed to cementing relations between Somalia. They've announced a new ambassador. She has yet to be

confirmed, but she will be the first ambassador since 1991. There have even been hints at opening up an embassy or sorts, probably within the

airport, very well secured airport compound in Mogadishu.

So, the State Department saying that they're committed to these relationships, that they are extremely interested in deepening the

relationship. But also the State Department did have some harsh words, I suppose, for the Somali government in general, particularly the president.

He's been through three prime ministers in his three years in office.

And they are desperate for an election next year in 2016. The political process must go forward, an election must occur. And the State

Department saying Somalia needs to get its political house in order.

[08:25:07] LU STOUT: Now earlier, Secretary Kerry was in Kenya for these high level security talks. And while in Kenya he said this, quote,

Kenya will be safer if Somalia is more stable. Could you expand upon that. What will it take to bring stability to Somalia?

KRIEL: Well, obviously Kenya shares a massive border, a very porous border with Somalia. And that is how a number of al Qaeda-linked al

Shabaab, but militants, insurgents are sneaking across to launch these attacks in Kenya because of Kenya sending its defense force across Somalia

in 2011 to fight the insurgent group.

Now the Garissa attack where 148 students occurred about a month ago, Kristie Lu. Secretary of State Kerry offering his condolences there as

well as well as offering his condolences at the site of the U.S. 1998 embassy bombing. So definitely cross pollination from Somalia, al Shabaab

moving across to fight and launch attacks on civilians, soft targets here in Kenya.

But this is what Matt Bryden -- he's a terror analysts here in Nairobi -- had to say about Shabaab sort of spreading its wings and influence

across this region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT BRYDEN, SECURITY ANALYST: Al Shabaab used to be an essentially Somali organization. And it attracted foreign fighters, it had links to al

Qaeda and foreigners from al Qaeda East Africa. But today al Shabaab is no longer simply a Somali organization, it's increasingly East Africa. There

have been hundreds, well over 1,000 East Africans from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda in Somalia training and fighting in recent years. And they are now

coming back. They bring to Al Shabaab their own agendas for their own countries.

And so Al Shabaab is no longer about Somalia anymore. It is a regional organization. It presents a regional threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KRIEL: Of course President Obama will be here in July. So Kerry is also paving the way for that visit, Kristie, as well as just in general

saying that the Americans are here to help with this regional threat of Al Shabaab hoping that one of al Qaeda's most violent and active affiliates

does not bring its terror threats and terror attacks to American and European soil as well.

LU STOUT: All right, Robyn Kriel there reporting on the threat posed by Al Shabaab and this historic visit by Secretary Kerry there in Somalia.

Thank you, Robyn.

Now an Israeli advocacy group accuses the military of inflicting massive and unprecedented harm to Palestinians during the war with Hamas in

Gaza last year.

The group Breaking the Silence interviewed more than 60 Israeli war veterans. Based on their testimony, the group's director accused Israel of

a policy of, quote, "indiscriminate fire" that led to the deaths of innocent civilians.

The Israeli Defense Forces responded saying the group did not provide proof of its claims.

And in Syria, Amnesty International has issued a damning new report detailing atrocities against civilians in the city of Aleppo. The report

says serious human rights abuses are being committed by the Syrian government and armed opposition groups. Amnesty says the government's

violations point to a deliberate policy of targeting civilians and constitute crimes against humanity.

The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied claims his forces have used barrel bombs.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, UK voters have only two days left to decide who should move into 10 Downing Street and the race

is going down to the wire.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:13] LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack on a group that held a Prophet Muhammed cartoon contest in Texas. Now the militants broadcast a

statement describing the two gunmen as brothers. Both men were shot and killed by police after wounding a security guard.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, South Korean citizen and permanent U.S. resident Won-moon Joo says he intentionally crossed illegally into

North Korea from China. The New York University student has been detained in Pyongyang for the past two weeks. A North Korean government minder was

present during the interview.

Hundreds of migrants have just arrived on the Italian island of Sicily after being rescued in the Mediterranean by a privately funded vessel. But

separately, the aid organization Save the Children says dozens of migrants are feared to have died on Sunday after falling off their boat and

drowning.

Now there is a potentially encouraging development concerning the crisis in Yemen. A top Houthi official says there is now a dialogue

between leaders of the Houthi rebels, western powers and the UN. Now that official says it has been ongoing for more than a week with the goal of

reaching a ceasefire and restarting talks between Yemen's rival factions.

Less than 48 hours to go until the closest general election the UK has seen in decades. And the polls show the race is a dead heat between the

Conservative and Labour parties.

Now potentially tipping the scales ahead of the vote Labour's Ed Milliband has just won the support of UK actor and comedian and comedian

Russel Brand, but it remains to be seen whether that celebrity endorsement will break the deadlock.

Now, let's go straight to London where CNN political contributor Robin Oakley is tracking the campaigns final hours and joins us now.

Robin, so good to see you. And I have to start with a question about Russell Brand and his YouTube interviews with the party leaders.

You know, interesting fodder for discussion, definitely, but what influence has he had on the election and on public sentiment ahead of the

vote?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: We won't really know that until voters go to the opinion polls. If we see a growth in the youth vote

in this election of young voters, then it's possible that Russel Brand will have had some influence on that. He's got 9.6 million followers on

Twitter.

Of course, he's somebody who has until now has despised the whole political process. Now he's suddenly converted and says, oh, democracy is

a dialogue with the people. And he's endorsed Labour. But not all that thoroughly, Kristie, because he refused to give an opinion on the voting in

Scotland, said that was for the Scots, where all the signs are that Labour is going to be devastated by the Scottish National Party.

And he's also said that in the seat held by the Greens then he would advise people to vote for Carolyn Lucas, the one Green MP in the House of

Commons.

Otherwise, though, he said, yes, vote for Ed Milliband. And Ed Milliband, the Labour leader took a risk in going to visit Russell Brand

and it may just pay off for him in mobilizing some youngsters to the polls who wouldn't otherwise have bothered to vote, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it's interesting how he's turned into a political pundit for the YouTube generation. Robin, in this final push the two major

party leaders, they have been making these appeals mainly to their core following. We know Ed Milliband was in Bedford earlier today. Can you

tell us more how they're making this appeal? What is their main message?

OAKLEY: Essentially the main message from Ed Milliband is that his is the only party, Labour, that can be trusted to give enough funds to the

national health service. And he said that conservatives who have admittedly offered more money haven't costed how that extra money will be

found for the national health service.

So stick with Labour to defend the health services, his pitch.

David Cameron for the conservatives says, look, we're the party who have helped to stabilize the British economy, haven't quite wiped out the

deficit yet, but we've made progress. Don't let Labour ruing it.

And David Cameron is also insisting he's the one party leader who is offering a referendum on Britain's future in the European Union in or out.

Liberal Democrats, their position is, look, we're hear and available. We would moderate Labour's spending, we would moderate any cuts proposed by

the Torries in a continuing austerity budget.

And then of course you've got UKIP, a key influence on these election in marginal seats, the United Kingdom Independence Party. And they could

take votes off either of the major parties, we just don't quite know how that will play out.

And interesting that today a former conservative leader, Ian Duncan Smith (ph) has appealed to UKIP voters and said, look, you're not going to

get the policy you want unless you vote Conservative. So don't do us down, Kristie.

[08:36:09] LU STOUT: A question about the Liberal Democrats, is it true that Nick Clegg may not win his own seat?

OAKLEY: He has certainly been at risk. Until the last couple of days, the opinion polls have suggested that Labour could capture his own

parliamentary seat in Sheffield Hallam. But the interesting thing there, and this is one of the factors that could just upset the poll findings, is

that the conservatives who would perhaps like to see Nick Clegg continue in the House of Commons as a potential ally in coalition, if they need him,

the conservatives in his own seat are making -- building a tactical vote and switching their allegiance to Nick Clegg to help him save his

parliamentary seat, Kristie.

LU STOUT: You know, it's been so interesting to watch from outside looking in. UKIP and the Scottish National Party, they've really been

dominant and in focus throughout the UK election cycle along with the two major parties, of course. The Liberal Democrats not so much. What

happened?

OAKLEY: Well, really, the Liberal Democrats have suffered from being partners in coalition. Previously, they were as it were on the outside

looking in. They could be a receptacle of protest votes for people who'd had enough for the two major parties, Labour and Conservative. Until 2010,

some people would say, oh well, we've had enough of them, let's vote Liberal Democrat, they seem a pretty reasonable lot. The moment they

entered government, they probably sacrificed any hope of picking up protest votes anymore. They paid very heavily for having to make the compromises

they did as the junior partner in a coalition. And particularly the promise they gave on cutting university tuition fees. That's been held

very much against them.

But it can be said for the Liberal Democrats, they have been responsible for one of the best achievements of the coalition government

and that is raising the threshold for tax on the lower paid people, which has seen many more people move out of benefits and into work and has been

partly responsible for Britain creating 2 million jobs in the last five years, which is more than the whole of the rest of the European Union put

together, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Good inside analysis there as always from Robin Oakley. Thank you, Robin.

Now CNN is the place for extensive coverage of the vote. We'll have live coverage all week and special coverage Thursday from when the first

votes are cast to when a new government takes shape, all happening right here on CNN.

You're watching News Stream. And we'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:11] LU STOUT: All right, welcome back.

Celebrities swarmed the red carpet in Chinese haute couture and Chinese inspired haute couture on Monday night as New York's Metropolitan

Museum of Art threw open its doors for its famous annual gala.

Now this year's theme China through the looking class. It lent itself to rather liberal interpretations.

These are just a few of the bold choices made by guests at this year's Met Ball, an event fittingly designed to raise money in support of the

museum's costume institute.

Now I had the chance to speak to one of the event's co-chairs, American Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour before the event while she

was on a visit to Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA WINTOUR, VOGUE: We're going to be obviously acknowledging the source of the exhibition and China in terms of how the galleries and the

dining room will look. But we only suggest how people might dress. And obviously usually that's very much influenced by the theme of the

exhibition. So we hope to have many guests from China, very many celebrities, many of our supporters. And the co-chairs obviously are going

to be myself Wending Deng Murdoch (ph) Marissa Meyer from Yahoo, Gong Lee and Jennifer Lawrence.

So those are sort of -- I have four remarkable co-chairs. And you know obviously they will be inviting their own guests and their supporters. So

it hopefully will be a very multicultural mix.

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LU STOUT: And you can hear our complete conversation on Talk Asia. Catch the premier Thursday 4:30 p.m. here in Hong Kong.

And finally, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expanding his social media footprint to China. He joined the Chinese microblogging site

Weibo on Monday and now has more than 34,000 followers. Now many users immediately began posting confrontational comments, many along the lines of

this, quote, South Tibet belongs to China.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. World Sport with Christina Macfarlane is next.

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