Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles to Marry This Spring; Potential Impact of Report of North Korea's Withdrawal from Talks
Aired February 10, 2005 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, a huge announcement out of London. Prince Charles will, indeed, marry Camilla Parker Bowles. We're going to take you live to London.
Plus, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton -- she's running in '06. But the big question is will she run in '08, as well?
And Fashion Week in New York City, a rite of passage for designers. We'll tell you what it takes to make fashion spotlight.
It is Thursday, February 10.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Let's get more on this breaking news out of London, the planned marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
Live now to our own personal royal watcher, Richard Quest -- good morning, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
The announcement absolutely out of the blue. You don't expect this sort of thing on a cold Thursday in February. But the leaks started, I would say, just about an hour, an hour and a half ago. And the British domestic news agencies basically saying that Camilla and Charles would wed.
Now, we are waiting for a statement from their official residence. It's known as Clarence House in central London. And it's expected to say that the wedding will take place possibly as early as April the 6th.
Carol, I'm going to pause for breath to let me ask you what you find interesting or want to know, because, frankly, there are so many facts, there are so many tidbits, there's so much to be offered up on this in terms of problems and interesting intricacies that, really, we could go on all morning.
COSTELLO: Well, it's funny you should say that, because I do have many questions, Richard. The first being I know that most Britons aren't really thrilled with the idea of Camilla Parker Bowles becoming queen. So that brings up the question, will Prince Charles step aside in favor of his son?
QUEST: The chance of that, I would dare say, is very unlikely. But then, you know, you've got to take what I say with a pinch of salt. I wouldn't have told you yesterday they were going to announce marriage today.
No, Charles believes he's destined, it his role in life, it is almost unthinkable that he will step aside for Prince William. Be prepared for me to eat those words in the hours ahead, but I don't think I'm going to have to.
Far more likely, the big question, Carol, is whether or not Camilla succeeds to the throne. When the queen dies, Charles becomes King Charles. Does she become Queen Camilla? The experts I've been talking to this morning suggest that, yes, that is, indeed, what is going to happen, because that is the way the system works. You know, you can't have a president who's got a wife who doesn't become the first lady. You can't have a man who becomes king without A following Band she becomes the reigning monarch's queen.
So the question is does she become queen of England when he becomes king? And also, let me throw in another one, what sort of marriage ceremony is it going to be? You know, it's pretty certain, Carol, that it won't be a big Paul's (ph) wedding al a Princess Diana. They've both been down that road before. They've both done the white wedding dress.
Far more likely to be the sort of wedding we saw with Princess Ann when she married her second husband, Commander Timothy Laurence, a smaller, more intimate, more family affair.
COSTELLO: Fascinating news out of London.
We'll get back to you.
Richard Quest, thank you so much.
The big news this morning, Prince Charles is, indeed, going to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, a woman he's had a long time relationship with. And there have been so many rumors swirling around that I'm not even going to get into them this morning.
Now, let's get to other news this morning.
North Korea says it is dropping out of nuclear talks and bolstering its nuclear weapons arsenal. The statement marks the first time North Korea has publicly admitted to having nuclear weapons. President Bush has been pushing the North Koreans to give up their nuclear ambitions. We'll have a live report for you on the North Korea situation at the half hour.
President Bush is campaigning all over again, but this time it's to win converts to his Social Security agenda. The president is traveling to Pennsylvania and to North Carolina today. He's already passed through six states to put pressure on senators who oppose privatizing Social Security accounts.
The Iraqi government says it will close all borders from February 17 through February 22. That's according to Reuters. This after three people died after a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad. Three others were wounded.
Some female interrogators have been using sexual tactics on suspected terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The "Washington Post" reports today that a Pentagon investigation and declassified documents confirm detainees' accounts of those tactics.
To the forecast center and Chad, who's, I'm sure, still reeling from the big news out of Britain this morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It proves that love is blind, Carol.
COSTELLO: Chad.
MYERS: Carol.
COSTELLO: Was that really necessary?
MYERS: I'm just -- nothing.
Sorry.
Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning.
MYERS: How are you?
COSTELLO: I'm fine.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Some tough talk out of North Korea this morning. The nation's official news agency says Pyongyang is dropping out of those six nation nuclear talks and it will add to its nuclear weapons arsenal.
Our Andrea Koppel is a former Beijing bureau chief. She is familiar with this matter.
Andrea is in Luxembourg covering Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip, but this morning she's going to talk North Korea -- Andrea, good morning.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, so far the only response that we've had from Secretary of State Rice has come in an interview with a local television station here in Luxembourg. Actually, in her comments, she says that she had only recently seen the North Korean statement and that the U.S. would be taking a look at it. But if it were true, then the North Koreans are, in her words, only deepening their isolation because everyone in the international community, and most especially North Korea's neighbors, have been clear that there needs to be no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.
A somewhat cautious response from Secretary Rice. In addition, she repeated the longstanding U.S. position, at least of the Bush administration, that the North Koreans have no reason to believe that anyone wants to attack them and that they've been told that they simply need to make the decision that it's time to give up their nuclear weapons and their nuclear weapons program.
In a nutshell, Carol, the Bush administration has been insisting, much to the chagrin of the North Koreans, that they participate in multi-party talks with their neighbors, the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Chinese, and with Russia. But North Korea wants to deal directly with the U.S.
These talks, these six party talks have been on hold since June. Each -- we keep hearing repeatedly that the talks could happen. They were supposed to take place in September, then everyone thought the North Koreans were waiting for the U.S. election, the November election. And finally, perhaps, they were thinking maybe after the president's State of the Union.
And noticeably, President Bush, in his State of the Union address last week, said that -- did not make an explicit reference to the axis of evil, of which he had said North Korea was a member three years ago. And Condoleezza Rice, in her confirmation hearings before the U.S. Senate last month called North Korea an outpost of tyranny.
The -- sort of the early analysis could be that North Korea is trying to play for attention, they feel, perhaps, that there's too much focus on Iran and, after all, North Korea wants to get something from the United States. It wants to get diplomatic recognition. It wants to end its international isolation and try to revive its economy.
It's one of the most isolated countries in the world -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Andrea Koppel reporting live for us this morning.
Thank you.
Another important overseas story we're following, the health of Pope John Paul II. Word is he could be leaving the hospital very soon.
Alessio Vinci live in Rome with more -- hello, Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Yes, the pope's health is said to be improving slowly, but nevertheless it is improving, we understand. The Vatican is expected to issue a new medical bulletin in about an hour's time. It is the only one this week, ever since Monday. So we are expecting that announcement with some kind of trepidation, because we need to know more about the pope's health. A Vatican official telling us that we should expect "positive news" and another Vatican official telling the media that this should be the last bulletin before the pope can return home.
So we understand even from reports from inside the Vatican that the pope could return to the apostolic palace (ph) as early as tomorrow, or perhaps Saturday.
So definitely this morning here, from the Gemelli Hospital, it appears that the pope doing quite well, could return to his apostolic by the end of this week -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alessio, I hear the pope had an unexpected guess. Tell us about that.
VINCI: Absolutely.
A wonderful story yesterday. The pope, who is on the tenth floor here in the hospital behind me, as you can see, it is a public hospital, and right next to where the pope stays, there is a pediatric cancer ward. And yesterday the pope's personal secretary, a very powerful man inside the Catholic Church, toured that ward, distributing rosaries to the little kids who are being treated there for cancer.
And one of the kids approached the secretary and saying, look, is it true that the pope is here? Because they had been knocking on that door all morning and nobody has come out to answer. And so the secretary took the kid, brought him to the pope and the two met. And the little kid asked the pope to make him feel better. And the pope delivered a special blessing for the little kid, told the little kid bring back this blessing to all the kids who are back there with you.
So a very nice story here at the Vatican -- here at the hospital.
COSTELLO: Oh, that is a very nice story, and thanks for sharing it this morning.
Alessio Vinci live in Rome.
In News Across America now, Ohio Governor Bob Taft is calling for an expansion of the state's school voucher program in his next budget. The program would allow up to 2,600 students to leave schools that continually fail to meet standards in math and reading. The students would be given scholarships to attend private schools of their choice starting in 2006.
The developer of this neighborhood in Springdale, Arkansas is suing one of the residents for $2 million. The resident is a registered sex offender. The lawsuit alleges that house sales stopped after police posted fliers saying that a sex offender had moved into the neighborhood. The man has offered to move if the developer pays him $250,000.
Las Vegas cab drivers have been asked to help keep their city secure. The state wants taxi and limo drivers to be on the lookout for overly curious or nervous individuals. They're also being asked to watch for unusual behavior by other drivers. It's all part of Nevada's homeland security effort.
In California, rescue crews made a dramatic rescue of a teenager who fell down the side of a cliff. Look at that. The 14-year-old was stranded some 150 feet off the ground. Rescuers hooked her up to that harness and then they used a helicopter to carry her to safety. In the end, she suffered only minor injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF PAUL SCHUSTER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: She lost her footing, slipped and went sliding down while she -- you actually should see her shoes. She had worn through parts of her leather shoes trying to stop. If she had gone probably another five foot, she would have gone over a cliff that was about 100 foot sheer drop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Scottsdale, Arizona school district has found a new way to make money. It's allowing advertising on the side of school buses. So far, only a local car dealer is on board, but officials say the revenue already could cover the salary of a full- time teacher.
She's famous, she's rich and she's got the resume. Will the former first lady be the next bridge builder for the Democrats? We'll look at Hillary Clinton's prospects for 2008 in six minutes.
And now you, too, can sleep on the same sheets as the rich and famous, but for a fraction of the cost. It's the MTV cribs collection in 34 minutes. There's nothing like used sheets.
And in 41 minutes, Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the all too common risk of misdiagnosing heart disease in women.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
After years together, Britain's Prince Charles is going to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. The prince and the divorced Parker Bowles have been living together for some time. The wedding might be in April.
And we're going to go live to Diana Muriel in London right now to talk more on this -- Diana, I wasn't sure if you were there or not, but I'm happy that you are.
Good morning.
Does this come as a shocker?
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Absolutely. A bolt from the blue. No one was expecting this announcement. In fact, we're still waiting for the official announcement from Clarence House, which is, of course, the official residence of Prince Charles here in London. We're expecting that very shortly. But already the speculation is mounting here in Britain as to when the royal wedding might take place. And it could be as early as April the 6th. That's the date that's being talked about at the moment.
We're still waiting for official confirmation, though, on the forthcoming marriage of Prince Charles and his long-time mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles.
COSTELLO: You know, Diana, her image has been greatly improve.
Do Britons like her now?
MURIEL: Well, her image has certainly been changing over the past few years. And, indeed, the Clarence House, the Prince and Camilla have been working very hard in order to achieve that. What happened, of course, was that they were involved in a relationship prior to the death, the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. And, in fact, it was one of the reasons that led to the breakdown of that marriage.
And immediately -- that happened back in August of 1997. The two kept a very low profile, especially Camilla Parker Bowles.
But two years later, Prince Charles gave her a very lavish birthday party for her 50th birthday at his country house and since then the two have been seen in public on official engagements and have often been photographed together. And, indeed, Camilla Parker Bowles has got apartments at Clarence House and spends a lot of time in the country at Prince Charles's residence there, Highgrove, with him and his family.
And over that course of time, we've seen the opinion of the British public start to change, start to mellow toward this woman, who clearly works very hard. She does a lot of work for charity, clearly has a good relationship with the Prince's sons, which, of course, is very important. And it's quite clear, also, that the Prince absolutely adores her -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Diana Muriel live in London.
We're going to have another royal watcher coming your way in the minutes to come on DAYBREAK.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is the top choice of Democrats for president in 2008. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll has Senator Clinton ahead, followed by Senators John Kerry and John Edwards, in that order.
CNN's Candy Crowley reports on what Senator Clinton has been doing lately.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary -- it is all you need on the door, all you need on the buttons, all you need to start the conversation. Is it Hillary in '08?
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I am focused on 2006.
CROWLEY: It would be both unwise and unnecessary for her to publicly eye the '08 presidential race, unnecessary because she doesn't need to raise her profile, unwise because she can't be seen as taking her '06 Senate reelection bid for granted.
We are left with tea leaves.
CLINTON: You've made my morning.
CROWLEY: We are talking a first-term senator who has a think tank, a fund-raising committee and a political action committee which has raised millions for several hundred Democrats. She has scores of still loyal Clinton administration officials and former campaign aides stashed in various Democratic institutions in Washington and New York.
Oh, and a husband who wants her to run, with a Rolodex to die for.
And now, consider the New York senator's January speech to family planning advocates in Albany.
CLINTON: Our research shows that the primary reason teenaged girls abstain from early sexual activity is because of their religious and moral values. We should embrace this and support programs that reinforce the idea that abstinence at a young age is not just the smart thing to do, it is the right thing on do.
CROWLEY: And consider her words to a leadership forum in Boston, where she spoke of her own prayers and of respecting the faith of others and enabling people to live out their faith in the public square. Friend supporters in the Hillary '08 crowd say this is nothing more than Hillary being Hillary, saying things she's has always said, always believed.
Still, red state words in blue state forums have put up antennas across the political spectrum. BEN SMITH, "NEW YORK OBSERVER": She spent 2000, when she ran for election the first time here, convincing people that she could represent a Northeast liberal state. And now she's reminding people that she grew up a Republican in the Midwest, that she was the first lady of Arkansas. And she spends a bunch of time up in the bits of New York state that are closer to Ohio than they are to New York City, and...
CROWLEY: It is the beauty and the curse of being Hillary. Everyone assumes she's running for president.
CLINTON: I'm running for reelection to the Senate. I have more than I can say grace over right now. There's just so much work to be done. And, you know, I just have to say that this budget debate is not just about, you know, numbers. It's about values.
CROWLEY: And everything she says is just another tea leaf.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: And we can't talk about the Democrats without touching on the Republicans. And just who do you think the Republicans like for '08? How about the former mayor of New York City? Yes, it's Rudy Giuliani. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll finds Giuliani is the choice of 34 percent of Republicans polled this past week. Behind him at 29 percent is Arizona Senator John McCain, and it drops from there. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist fill out the poll. The sampling error is plus or minus five percentage points.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's Chad's favorite week. No, not NASCAR week, but Fashion Week. It's in full swing in the heart of New York City. And, Chad, I know that you wish you could be here.
Celebrities, designers and journalists all rubbing elbows in a dance designed to sell duds.
CNN's Mary Snow tours the catwalk to see what the fuss is all about.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Hollywood chic to political elite, they line the catwalks. With them comes the paparazzi, the fans and the clout to make or break a designer.
FERN MALLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, "7TH ON SIXTH": This is your moment in the sun. This is your 20 minutes.
SNOW: For an upcoming designer like Derek Lam, New York's Fashion Week is a rite of passage.
DEREK LAM, DESIGNER: What Fashion Week means to me is really high school graduation. It's everything, you know, for designers.
SNOW: Everything means getting noticed.
(on camera): What does it take to get a show here?
MALLIS: It takes a little chutzpah. It takes a little cash. And it takes a lot of talent.
SNOW (voice-over): From backstage to front, it takes more than just a little cash to model your latest threads, such as the new Bill Blass collection.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll spend $500,000 in 15 minutes.
SNOW: And that's about all the time you get on the runway from well-known names like Oscar de la Renta.
OSCAR DE LA RENTA, DESIGNER: What is exciting to me about fashion, as you know, is that there is no frontier, that there is no limit.
SNOW: To lessen-known ones like Yigal Azrouel, who worked for months to get from the showroom...
YIGAL AZROUEL, DESIGNER: I want to see you one more time walking.
SNOW: ... to this audience.
AZROUEL: Everything was the way that I wanted it to look like. All the girl looks very rich, very decadent, very modern. So...
SNOW: Decadence, a theme for the next season, even with the formerly controversial fur making a comeback, with designers hoping to make their mark on an audience ranging from fashionista reporters to Wall Street bankers and a growing number of celebrities, designers hoping their moment in the sun will attract financing, celebrities and fame to get from the runway to the red carpet.
TOM JULIAN, TREND ANALYST: The red carpet is the perfect opportunity for that fashion designer to dress a celebrity and keep their story going. And thanks to the Oscar world today, that red carpet has really become the Super Bowl of fashion.
SNOW: And a first for this year's finale, Sweet Face from singer, actress and now fashionista Jennifer Lopez.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Women and heart disease -- why are heart attacks in women often misdiagnosed? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers that question later on DAYBREAK.
Plus, Saudi Arabia holds democratic style elections. But there is one specific group of individuals who are not allowed to vote. Guess who? We'll have all the details for you in a live report from Riyadh.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 10, 2005 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, a huge announcement out of London. Prince Charles will, indeed, marry Camilla Parker Bowles. We're going to take you live to London.
Plus, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton -- she's running in '06. But the big question is will she run in '08, as well?
And Fashion Week in New York City, a rite of passage for designers. We'll tell you what it takes to make fashion spotlight.
It is Thursday, February 10.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Let's get more on this breaking news out of London, the planned marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
Live now to our own personal royal watcher, Richard Quest -- good morning, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
The announcement absolutely out of the blue. You don't expect this sort of thing on a cold Thursday in February. But the leaks started, I would say, just about an hour, an hour and a half ago. And the British domestic news agencies basically saying that Camilla and Charles would wed.
Now, we are waiting for a statement from their official residence. It's known as Clarence House in central London. And it's expected to say that the wedding will take place possibly as early as April the 6th.
Carol, I'm going to pause for breath to let me ask you what you find interesting or want to know, because, frankly, there are so many facts, there are so many tidbits, there's so much to be offered up on this in terms of problems and interesting intricacies that, really, we could go on all morning.
COSTELLO: Well, it's funny you should say that, because I do have many questions, Richard. The first being I know that most Britons aren't really thrilled with the idea of Camilla Parker Bowles becoming queen. So that brings up the question, will Prince Charles step aside in favor of his son?
QUEST: The chance of that, I would dare say, is very unlikely. But then, you know, you've got to take what I say with a pinch of salt. I wouldn't have told you yesterday they were going to announce marriage today.
No, Charles believes he's destined, it his role in life, it is almost unthinkable that he will step aside for Prince William. Be prepared for me to eat those words in the hours ahead, but I don't think I'm going to have to.
Far more likely, the big question, Carol, is whether or not Camilla succeeds to the throne. When the queen dies, Charles becomes King Charles. Does she become Queen Camilla? The experts I've been talking to this morning suggest that, yes, that is, indeed, what is going to happen, because that is the way the system works. You know, you can't have a president who's got a wife who doesn't become the first lady. You can't have a man who becomes king without A following Band she becomes the reigning monarch's queen.
So the question is does she become queen of England when he becomes king? And also, let me throw in another one, what sort of marriage ceremony is it going to be? You know, it's pretty certain, Carol, that it won't be a big Paul's (ph) wedding al a Princess Diana. They've both been down that road before. They've both done the white wedding dress.
Far more likely to be the sort of wedding we saw with Princess Ann when she married her second husband, Commander Timothy Laurence, a smaller, more intimate, more family affair.
COSTELLO: Fascinating news out of London.
We'll get back to you.
Richard Quest, thank you so much.
The big news this morning, Prince Charles is, indeed, going to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, a woman he's had a long time relationship with. And there have been so many rumors swirling around that I'm not even going to get into them this morning.
Now, let's get to other news this morning.
North Korea says it is dropping out of nuclear talks and bolstering its nuclear weapons arsenal. The statement marks the first time North Korea has publicly admitted to having nuclear weapons. President Bush has been pushing the North Koreans to give up their nuclear ambitions. We'll have a live report for you on the North Korea situation at the half hour.
President Bush is campaigning all over again, but this time it's to win converts to his Social Security agenda. The president is traveling to Pennsylvania and to North Carolina today. He's already passed through six states to put pressure on senators who oppose privatizing Social Security accounts.
The Iraqi government says it will close all borders from February 17 through February 22. That's according to Reuters. This after three people died after a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad. Three others were wounded.
Some female interrogators have been using sexual tactics on suspected terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The "Washington Post" reports today that a Pentagon investigation and declassified documents confirm detainees' accounts of those tactics.
To the forecast center and Chad, who's, I'm sure, still reeling from the big news out of Britain this morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It proves that love is blind, Carol.
COSTELLO: Chad.
MYERS: Carol.
COSTELLO: Was that really necessary?
MYERS: I'm just -- nothing.
Sorry.
Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning.
MYERS: How are you?
COSTELLO: I'm fine.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Some tough talk out of North Korea this morning. The nation's official news agency says Pyongyang is dropping out of those six nation nuclear talks and it will add to its nuclear weapons arsenal.
Our Andrea Koppel is a former Beijing bureau chief. She is familiar with this matter.
Andrea is in Luxembourg covering Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip, but this morning she's going to talk North Korea -- Andrea, good morning.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, so far the only response that we've had from Secretary of State Rice has come in an interview with a local television station here in Luxembourg. Actually, in her comments, she says that she had only recently seen the North Korean statement and that the U.S. would be taking a look at it. But if it were true, then the North Koreans are, in her words, only deepening their isolation because everyone in the international community, and most especially North Korea's neighbors, have been clear that there needs to be no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.
A somewhat cautious response from Secretary Rice. In addition, she repeated the longstanding U.S. position, at least of the Bush administration, that the North Koreans have no reason to believe that anyone wants to attack them and that they've been told that they simply need to make the decision that it's time to give up their nuclear weapons and their nuclear weapons program.
In a nutshell, Carol, the Bush administration has been insisting, much to the chagrin of the North Koreans, that they participate in multi-party talks with their neighbors, the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Chinese, and with Russia. But North Korea wants to deal directly with the U.S.
These talks, these six party talks have been on hold since June. Each -- we keep hearing repeatedly that the talks could happen. They were supposed to take place in September, then everyone thought the North Koreans were waiting for the U.S. election, the November election. And finally, perhaps, they were thinking maybe after the president's State of the Union.
And noticeably, President Bush, in his State of the Union address last week, said that -- did not make an explicit reference to the axis of evil, of which he had said North Korea was a member three years ago. And Condoleezza Rice, in her confirmation hearings before the U.S. Senate last month called North Korea an outpost of tyranny.
The -- sort of the early analysis could be that North Korea is trying to play for attention, they feel, perhaps, that there's too much focus on Iran and, after all, North Korea wants to get something from the United States. It wants to get diplomatic recognition. It wants to end its international isolation and try to revive its economy.
It's one of the most isolated countries in the world -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Andrea Koppel reporting live for us this morning.
Thank you.
Another important overseas story we're following, the health of Pope John Paul II. Word is he could be leaving the hospital very soon.
Alessio Vinci live in Rome with more -- hello, Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Yes, the pope's health is said to be improving slowly, but nevertheless it is improving, we understand. The Vatican is expected to issue a new medical bulletin in about an hour's time. It is the only one this week, ever since Monday. So we are expecting that announcement with some kind of trepidation, because we need to know more about the pope's health. A Vatican official telling us that we should expect "positive news" and another Vatican official telling the media that this should be the last bulletin before the pope can return home.
So we understand even from reports from inside the Vatican that the pope could return to the apostolic palace (ph) as early as tomorrow, or perhaps Saturday.
So definitely this morning here, from the Gemelli Hospital, it appears that the pope doing quite well, could return to his apostolic by the end of this week -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alessio, I hear the pope had an unexpected guess. Tell us about that.
VINCI: Absolutely.
A wonderful story yesterday. The pope, who is on the tenth floor here in the hospital behind me, as you can see, it is a public hospital, and right next to where the pope stays, there is a pediatric cancer ward. And yesterday the pope's personal secretary, a very powerful man inside the Catholic Church, toured that ward, distributing rosaries to the little kids who are being treated there for cancer.
And one of the kids approached the secretary and saying, look, is it true that the pope is here? Because they had been knocking on that door all morning and nobody has come out to answer. And so the secretary took the kid, brought him to the pope and the two met. And the little kid asked the pope to make him feel better. And the pope delivered a special blessing for the little kid, told the little kid bring back this blessing to all the kids who are back there with you.
So a very nice story here at the Vatican -- here at the hospital.
COSTELLO: Oh, that is a very nice story, and thanks for sharing it this morning.
Alessio Vinci live in Rome.
In News Across America now, Ohio Governor Bob Taft is calling for an expansion of the state's school voucher program in his next budget. The program would allow up to 2,600 students to leave schools that continually fail to meet standards in math and reading. The students would be given scholarships to attend private schools of their choice starting in 2006.
The developer of this neighborhood in Springdale, Arkansas is suing one of the residents for $2 million. The resident is a registered sex offender. The lawsuit alleges that house sales stopped after police posted fliers saying that a sex offender had moved into the neighborhood. The man has offered to move if the developer pays him $250,000.
Las Vegas cab drivers have been asked to help keep their city secure. The state wants taxi and limo drivers to be on the lookout for overly curious or nervous individuals. They're also being asked to watch for unusual behavior by other drivers. It's all part of Nevada's homeland security effort.
In California, rescue crews made a dramatic rescue of a teenager who fell down the side of a cliff. Look at that. The 14-year-old was stranded some 150 feet off the ground. Rescuers hooked her up to that harness and then they used a helicopter to carry her to safety. In the end, she suffered only minor injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF PAUL SCHUSTER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: She lost her footing, slipped and went sliding down while she -- you actually should see her shoes. She had worn through parts of her leather shoes trying to stop. If she had gone probably another five foot, she would have gone over a cliff that was about 100 foot sheer drop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Scottsdale, Arizona school district has found a new way to make money. It's allowing advertising on the side of school buses. So far, only a local car dealer is on board, but officials say the revenue already could cover the salary of a full- time teacher.
She's famous, she's rich and she's got the resume. Will the former first lady be the next bridge builder for the Democrats? We'll look at Hillary Clinton's prospects for 2008 in six minutes.
And now you, too, can sleep on the same sheets as the rich and famous, but for a fraction of the cost. It's the MTV cribs collection in 34 minutes. There's nothing like used sheets.
And in 41 minutes, Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the all too common risk of misdiagnosing heart disease in women.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
After years together, Britain's Prince Charles is going to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. The prince and the divorced Parker Bowles have been living together for some time. The wedding might be in April.
And we're going to go live to Diana Muriel in London right now to talk more on this -- Diana, I wasn't sure if you were there or not, but I'm happy that you are.
Good morning.
Does this come as a shocker?
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Absolutely. A bolt from the blue. No one was expecting this announcement. In fact, we're still waiting for the official announcement from Clarence House, which is, of course, the official residence of Prince Charles here in London. We're expecting that very shortly. But already the speculation is mounting here in Britain as to when the royal wedding might take place. And it could be as early as April the 6th. That's the date that's being talked about at the moment.
We're still waiting for official confirmation, though, on the forthcoming marriage of Prince Charles and his long-time mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles.
COSTELLO: You know, Diana, her image has been greatly improve.
Do Britons like her now?
MURIEL: Well, her image has certainly been changing over the past few years. And, indeed, the Clarence House, the Prince and Camilla have been working very hard in order to achieve that. What happened, of course, was that they were involved in a relationship prior to the death, the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. And, in fact, it was one of the reasons that led to the breakdown of that marriage.
And immediately -- that happened back in August of 1997. The two kept a very low profile, especially Camilla Parker Bowles.
But two years later, Prince Charles gave her a very lavish birthday party for her 50th birthday at his country house and since then the two have been seen in public on official engagements and have often been photographed together. And, indeed, Camilla Parker Bowles has got apartments at Clarence House and spends a lot of time in the country at Prince Charles's residence there, Highgrove, with him and his family.
And over that course of time, we've seen the opinion of the British public start to change, start to mellow toward this woman, who clearly works very hard. She does a lot of work for charity, clearly has a good relationship with the Prince's sons, which, of course, is very important. And it's quite clear, also, that the Prince absolutely adores her -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Diana Muriel live in London.
We're going to have another royal watcher coming your way in the minutes to come on DAYBREAK.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is the top choice of Democrats for president in 2008. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll has Senator Clinton ahead, followed by Senators John Kerry and John Edwards, in that order.
CNN's Candy Crowley reports on what Senator Clinton has been doing lately.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary -- it is all you need on the door, all you need on the buttons, all you need to start the conversation. Is it Hillary in '08?
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I am focused on 2006.
CROWLEY: It would be both unwise and unnecessary for her to publicly eye the '08 presidential race, unnecessary because she doesn't need to raise her profile, unwise because she can't be seen as taking her '06 Senate reelection bid for granted.
We are left with tea leaves.
CLINTON: You've made my morning.
CROWLEY: We are talking a first-term senator who has a think tank, a fund-raising committee and a political action committee which has raised millions for several hundred Democrats. She has scores of still loyal Clinton administration officials and former campaign aides stashed in various Democratic institutions in Washington and New York.
Oh, and a husband who wants her to run, with a Rolodex to die for.
And now, consider the New York senator's January speech to family planning advocates in Albany.
CLINTON: Our research shows that the primary reason teenaged girls abstain from early sexual activity is because of their religious and moral values. We should embrace this and support programs that reinforce the idea that abstinence at a young age is not just the smart thing to do, it is the right thing on do.
CROWLEY: And consider her words to a leadership forum in Boston, where she spoke of her own prayers and of respecting the faith of others and enabling people to live out their faith in the public square. Friend supporters in the Hillary '08 crowd say this is nothing more than Hillary being Hillary, saying things she's has always said, always believed.
Still, red state words in blue state forums have put up antennas across the political spectrum. BEN SMITH, "NEW YORK OBSERVER": She spent 2000, when she ran for election the first time here, convincing people that she could represent a Northeast liberal state. And now she's reminding people that she grew up a Republican in the Midwest, that she was the first lady of Arkansas. And she spends a bunch of time up in the bits of New York state that are closer to Ohio than they are to New York City, and...
CROWLEY: It is the beauty and the curse of being Hillary. Everyone assumes she's running for president.
CLINTON: I'm running for reelection to the Senate. I have more than I can say grace over right now. There's just so much work to be done. And, you know, I just have to say that this budget debate is not just about, you know, numbers. It's about values.
CROWLEY: And everything she says is just another tea leaf.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: And we can't talk about the Democrats without touching on the Republicans. And just who do you think the Republicans like for '08? How about the former mayor of New York City? Yes, it's Rudy Giuliani. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll finds Giuliani is the choice of 34 percent of Republicans polled this past week. Behind him at 29 percent is Arizona Senator John McCain, and it drops from there. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist fill out the poll. The sampling error is plus or minus five percentage points.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's Chad's favorite week. No, not NASCAR week, but Fashion Week. It's in full swing in the heart of New York City. And, Chad, I know that you wish you could be here.
Celebrities, designers and journalists all rubbing elbows in a dance designed to sell duds.
CNN's Mary Snow tours the catwalk to see what the fuss is all about.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Hollywood chic to political elite, they line the catwalks. With them comes the paparazzi, the fans and the clout to make or break a designer.
FERN MALLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, "7TH ON SIXTH": This is your moment in the sun. This is your 20 minutes.
SNOW: For an upcoming designer like Derek Lam, New York's Fashion Week is a rite of passage.
DEREK LAM, DESIGNER: What Fashion Week means to me is really high school graduation. It's everything, you know, for designers.
SNOW: Everything means getting noticed.
(on camera): What does it take to get a show here?
MALLIS: It takes a little chutzpah. It takes a little cash. And it takes a lot of talent.
SNOW (voice-over): From backstage to front, it takes more than just a little cash to model your latest threads, such as the new Bill Blass collection.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll spend $500,000 in 15 minutes.
SNOW: And that's about all the time you get on the runway from well-known names like Oscar de la Renta.
OSCAR DE LA RENTA, DESIGNER: What is exciting to me about fashion, as you know, is that there is no frontier, that there is no limit.
SNOW: To lessen-known ones like Yigal Azrouel, who worked for months to get from the showroom...
YIGAL AZROUEL, DESIGNER: I want to see you one more time walking.
SNOW: ... to this audience.
AZROUEL: Everything was the way that I wanted it to look like. All the girl looks very rich, very decadent, very modern. So...
SNOW: Decadence, a theme for the next season, even with the formerly controversial fur making a comeback, with designers hoping to make their mark on an audience ranging from fashionista reporters to Wall Street bankers and a growing number of celebrities, designers hoping their moment in the sun will attract financing, celebrities and fame to get from the runway to the red carpet.
TOM JULIAN, TREND ANALYST: The red carpet is the perfect opportunity for that fashion designer to dress a celebrity and keep their story going. And thanks to the Oscar world today, that red carpet has really become the Super Bowl of fashion.
SNOW: And a first for this year's finale, Sweet Face from singer, actress and now fashionista Jennifer Lopez.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Women and heart disease -- why are heart attacks in women often misdiagnosed? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers that question later on DAYBREAK.
Plus, Saudi Arabia holds democratic style elections. But there is one specific group of individuals who are not allowed to vote. Guess who? We'll have all the details for you in a live report from Riyadh.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
