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Little-Known Group Claims it Kidnapped 5 Contractors in Iraq; President Bush in Asia for Economic Summit; Cruise-Holmes Wedding Excitement
Aired November 18, 2006 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," developments this morning out of Iraq. Claims aired on Iranian TV just hours ago that a little known Shia militia abducted western contractors in Iraq on Thursday. No evidence, however, was offered to support that claim. Four of the contractors, including this man, are Americans.
More details live from Baghdad straight ahead.
An evening of entertainment, a day of diplomacy. President Bush and Pacific Rim leaders are in Vietnam for an economic summit. Earlier, they agreed on a statement to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, but Mr. Bush failed to win South Korea's compliance with part of that plan.
And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Vietnam as well with the president. In a speech to business leaders, she urged North Korea to follow Vietnam's lead and open up to the rest of the world.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, take a look at this. Violence to tell you about this morning in Melbourne, Australia. The city is playing host to the G20 economic summit -- and trade summit as well. Now, some protesters broke through police barricades, pelting the police with rocks and bottles. Police had cordoned off several blocks around the meetings.
Well, the FDA has approved silicone breast implants once again. Safety concerns led to the FDA to ban similar implants from the market some 14 years ago. But these silicone implants made by two different companies come with a new restriction. And here it is: They cannot be used in breast augmentation surgeries for any women under the age 22.
Let's get you over to CNN's Bonnie Schneider for a quick check of the weather outside.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: In the meantime, we do run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN NEWSROOM, with in-depth coverage all morning long. So your next check of the headlines, that is coming up at 10:15 Eastern.
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Crazy is right. It is the wedding of a decade. People are there to watch and see the stars. We are live in Italy for all the details.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM. It is Saturday, November 18th, the day TomKat is married. 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 4:00 p.m. in Bracciano, Italy, where that wedding is supposed to take place in just I guess an hour or so from now.
HOLMES: Absolutely. We're told.
NGUYEN: So we here.
Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
Thank you so much for starting your day with us. We're going to be talking about them plenty a little later.
But first, we start in Iraq for an unconfirmed claim of responsibility for the kidnapping of five Western hostages. Iranian TV is airing claims by a little-known Shia militia that it abducted five Western contractors from a fake police checkpoint Thursday.
CNN's Arwa Damon joins us now live from Baghdad.
Arwa, what can you tell us about these contractors?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., that claim came out a few hours ago, broadcast on (INAUDIBLE), which is, as you just mentioned, an Iranian satellite television station that broadcasts in Arabic. The video showed a man whose identity was concealed by a head scarf. You couldn't hear his voice, but according to what the anchor was saying, he is a representative of the Islamic Mujahideen Battalion.
The satellite TV station is also saying that in that broadcast he is claiming, the group is claiming to have the five hostages in their custody. However, they're offering absolutely no evidence and no proof of life to back that claim.
Now, the Islamic Mujahideen Battalion is a little-known group, a Shia group, that operates in southern Iraq. They were only made public about six months ago.
They are believed to be, along with a number of other Shia militias and groups that operate in that area, responsible for attacks against British forces, and they also have threatened to attack security companies moving through their area. It is also said that they receive their training in Iran, but again, no evidence to back their claim that the five are in their custody. There are still ongoing search operations to try to rescue those victims: four U.S. contractors, one Austrian contractor who were kidnapped on Thursday after their convoy came upon a fake checkpoint -- T.J.
HOLMES: And Arwa, this is certainly not the only abduction, kidnapping we have seen in recent days and weeks. There was another incident involving some other contractors who were abducted. What do you know about them?
DAMON: That's right, T.J. And actually, that incident came 24 hours after the first one, the one that we have the five hostages from. And it happened in the same general area, in the same vicinity.
That happened about 24 hours later. Again, they came upon a checkpoint. It could have been Iraqi police, it could have been an armed group masquerading as Iraqi police.
The details are fuzzy, but what we do know is that there were five -- five operatives from the security company. They were not armed.
They came upon this checkpoint. They were taken away in two vehicles. At that point, the details become unclear.
However, the company has accounted for all five of its operatives. One of them was killed. The other four were wounded -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right.
Arwa Damon keeping an eye on it all for us in Baghdad.
Arwa, thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Well, for the families of those kidnapped, there is not anything else to do but wait and worry.
Paul Reuben of Minneapolis is the one American who has been identified. Our Ed Lavandera visited with his family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNNIE REUBEN, PAUL REUBEN'S MOTHER: I was really tired, and then I found this note on my door.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This little scrap of paper has never meant so much to Johnnie Reuben, let by her son when he was just a high school senior.
REUBEN: It said, "Important. Please open immediately. I love you very much. Love, Paul, 1985." And he was always like that.
LAVANDERA: Twenty-one years later, Paul Reuben is an American contractor held hostage in Iraq. This simple note is one of the few things that brought a smile to her face as we talked with her and his sister in their Minneapolis home.
REUBEN: I thought about him so much last night. I said -- wondered if he's cold, if he's hungry, if he's injured or if he's here.
LAVANDERA: Before heading to Iraq, Paul Reuben spent eight years working as a police officer in a Minneapolis suburb. Three years ago, he was lured by high-paying security contractors to work in Iraq. His family says the longer he stayed the more he loved the work.
But a week ago, Paul called to say he was done and that he would be home in a few days. The job was becoming into dangerous, too violent. Paul's family could sense something had changed.
REUBEN: I always saw his strength every time when -- that part of that fear, that was the reality fear, but not let it overtake him.
LAVANDERA: Paul Reuben's family says they're receiving updates from the U.S. State Department, but there is little information, leaving them fearful and upset.
SUZANNE REUBEN, PAUL REUBEN'S SISTER: I cry in spurts. And I just hope that my brother, whom I love very much, comes home safe and sound.
LAVANDERA: To those holding Paul rueben hostage, his mother pleads for mercy.
J. REUBEN: If there's any goodness or kindness left, or anything you can show a fellow man, show it. Because that kindness will come back to you, too.
LAVANDERA: Johnnie and Suzanne Reuben say they're holding onto shreds of hope that Paul will soon be home alive to celebrate his 40th birthday with a twin brother.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: There's a huge rally planned for U.S. troops at Georgia's Fort Benning today, and it's sponsored by the founders of GodBlessFortBenning.com. The event is scheduled to start in about two hours. Some 30,000 people are expected there.
We'll have a life report from Columbus, Georgia, in our next hour.
NGUYEN: Well, check this out. CNN's Warrior One will be there as well. It's the very Hummer our correspondents used to report on the war in Iraq. And we gave it a makeover and put it on the road. So, before we auction it off in January, the proceeds from the auction will go to the Fisher House.
You can check out the overhauled Hummer online -- it's quite a sight -- at cnn.com/warriorone. You can also read all about the Fisher House Foundation and how it is supporting our troops and their families.
HOLMES: And the situation is Iraq is the focus of tonight's "LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK." If the election outcome was based partly on frustration with the Iraq war, why are more troops being sent? Find out tonight at 6:00 Eastern. Then and at 7:00 Eastern, John Roberts hosts "THIS WEEK AT WAR." CNN correspondents discuss military options and the war of words on Capitol Hill over U.S. troop levels.
NGUYEN: Is just after 10:00 at night in Vietnam, where an economic summit is taking place. President Bush has -- had an evening of fine dining and cultural entertain. But earlier in the day it was all business. And much of that centered on North Korea's nuclear program.
CNN's Elaine Quijano reports now from Hanoi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Trade was not the main focus here in Hanoi, Vietnam, host city to this year's annual Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Instead, one security issue dominated the discussions President Bush had today with his Asian counterparts: what to do about North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.
Now, the president's day was capped off by a gala dinner here in Hanoi with the 20 other leaders of Pacific Rim countries that are APEC members. Earlier, though, Mr. Bush sat down with the president of South Korea, President Roh Moo-hyun. And though he tried, Mr. Bush was not able to persuade the Korean leader to support intercepting ships suspected of carrying nuclear weapons supplies headed to North Korea. Instead, Mr. Bush emphasized after the meeting that the two leaders do agree on the overarching goal.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our desire is to solve the North Korean issue peacefully. And as I made clear in a speech as recently as two days ago in Singapore, that we (INAUDIBLE) nuclear weapons ambitions, that we were willing enter into security arrangements with the North Koreans, as well as move forward with new economic incentives for the North Korea people.
QUIJANO: On Sunday, North Korea will once again be the focus when President Bush sits down with China's president, President Hu Jintao, as well as Russian president Vladimir Putin. Also expected on Sunday, a statement from all 21 member nations of APEC expressing concern about North Korea's nuclear activities. The White House has endorsed that statement.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, with the president, in Hanoi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Everybody wants it. You probably already know what I'm talking about. Some people are...
NGUYEN: One of those things.
HOLMES: Yes. Some people are even fighting over this thing. But is this new PlayStation 3 worth the mega hype and worth the mega bucks? Or is the Nintendo Wii this year's hottest new gaming system? We're testing them both out live in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Going to be fun.
But first, the stars, they are a shining, as we watch this decade's biggest wedding. We're talking about Tom and Katie.
In fact, though, we just got in this picture of Katie Holmes arriving with baby Suri. You can see her there.
HOLMES: OK, there's the baby.
NGUYEN: The left portion of the picture, you see the baby on her shoulder. So cute.
So it appears this wedding may be taking place for real in this beautiful castle setting near Rome. There's another live picture of it.
There's some speculation that maybe this is just a ploy to get the media's attention there and not where the wedding is really taking place. But...
HOLMES: You got our attention.
NGUYEN: ... we'll see where it plays out. Stay with us.
We'll have all the details, live from Italy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Here's what's happening right "Now in the News."
An evening of entertainment, a day of diplomacy. President Bush and Pacific Rim leaders are in Vietnam for an economic summit. Earlier, they agreed on a statement to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. But Mr. Bush failed to win South Korea's compliance with part of the plan.
The search for Western contractors taken hostage Thursday continues in Iraq this morning. A new development, though, to tell you about that happened just a few hours ago. Iranian television reports a little-known Shia militia group claims it is holding the hostages. But no hard evidence has been offered.
We'll keep on track of that.
Britain's treasury chief is in Iraq this morning. Gordon Brown is expected to place -- or replace Prime Minister Tony Blair when he steps down next year. Brown is meeting with top Iraqi officials and is promising more money for reconstruction.
HOLMES: On Capitol Hill, Republicans are already threatening discord in the next Senate if Democrats cause trouble over President Bush's judicial nominations. Incoming minority leader Senate -- Senator Mitch McConnell pointedly reminded Democrats that their 51- seat majority is still nine short of the 60 needed to break a GOP filibuster.
Vice President Cheney on Friday assured conservatives that the president's judicial philosophy remains the same, despite the change of leadership in Congress.
The FDA now clearing the way for the return of silicone breast implants. The silicone implants were taken off the market 14 years ago due to health concerns. Now two companies have their new and improved silicone implants approved by the FDA with some extra restrictions, including age limitations.
And of course we run down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN NEWSROOM, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 10:30 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Oh my. So much palpable anticipation this morning. You know what we're waiting for, the Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes wedding, of course.
The couple known as TomKat are expected to get hitched today at a 15th century Italian castle. It's just beautiful.
Alessio Vinci is live in Bracciano, Italy, about an hour north of Rome.
And Alessio, hey, we have just gotten word. Brace yourself. Tom Cruise has arrived in the medieval town. Is this true?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: That is true. We can finally report that Tom Cruise and soon to be his wife, Katie Holmes, are here in Bracciano.
She arrived a couple of hours ago. A local television station grabbing just a few frames of her smiling through the window.
And then, just within the last few minutes, a motorcade of four different cars brought here, Tom Cruise. So, the couple is here. The wedding will take place inside this magnificent castle overlooking (INAUDIBLE) Lake here in Bracciano.
We're still not clear about the number of guests. I've seen numbers anywhere between 150 and 300. Several cars have arrived here throughout this day. We're seeing tenor Andrea Bocelli arriving earlier today, and we understand he will be singing during the ceremony.
We do know it will not be a Catholic ceremony. Katie Holmes is indeed Catholic, but it will be most likely a Scientology-like ceremony, officiated by a Scientology minister. We do know that Tom Cruise is a member of that church.
Now, among those who have not been seen here yet -- either here or in Rome, is John Travolta. We were led to believe that he was going to arrive here with his own jet, carrying even more VIPs from Hollywood. He has not been seen. And so everybody wonders whether the original guest list of about 300 probably will be more likely in the 100s -- around 100 or so.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Oh, we're all on watch, just waiting with anticipation. Let me ask you this, though -- while we all wish this happy couple the best, this castle in particular hasn't had the best track record when it comes to weddings, correct?
VINCI: Well, that is correct. It was built in the 15th century. And in the 16th century, a princess, Isabella Medi (ph), she was murdered by her husband because he fell in love with someone else.
NGUYEN: Wow.
VINCI: Now, more recently, back in 1979, director Martin Scorsesi married here with Isabella Rossellini. Back then she was an actress and a model. And their wedding only lasted four years.
After that, we also know that an Italian pop star married here. And their wedding lasted only four years.
So, there is not a great track record. However, I can tell you that I have a friend, and you probably know her, too. We won't tell the name, but she got married here in the year 2000, and we know that she is happily married. We know she is happily married. They have a beautiful child, and therefore we know that there are some successful marriages that do take place here in Bracciano.
So, there is still some hope.
NGUYEN: This is true. Yes, there is hope, because everything is well with her. Well, we won't mention what her name is.
But we do wish this couple the best. Hopefully they can last longer than four years, which seems to kind of be the average, according to the history behind the castle.
Alessio, we thank you so much. And, of course, we'll be checking in with you.
Well, the Cruise-Holmes wedding is the focus of our e-mail question this morning. We want to know, do you have TomKat fever? I mean, are you just lapping all of this up, just can't get enough? Or do you have TomKat fatigue? Are you just sick of it all?
E-mail us. And we've gotten plenty of them, folks. Really good ones, and people are being quite honest about this. Here's the e-mail address: weekends@cnn.com. We're going to read some of those replies out loud in just a little bit. .
HOLMES: You remember earlier when we started the morning I was -- had the fever?
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: I've kind of got the fatigue. NGUYEN: You're all fatigued-out, huh?
HOLMES: I'm kind of sick of it.
NGUYEN: You're ready for the wedding to be over already.
HOLMES: All right.
We will move on now to a holiday mystery that has been solved. Up next, this real-life secret Santa reveals his identity and his random acts of kindness.
NGUYEN: It's a great story.
And later, PS3 or not to be? That is the question. We're going to cut through the hype and tell you which game is hot, Nintendo's Wii or PlayStation 3. They'll battle it out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: In news "Across America" now, one college student is dead, three others are in critical condition following a fire at a fraternity house at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Thirty-five other people inside the Phi Kappa Tau house, well they got out.
HOLMES: In Texas, a father is overcome with emotion as he is reunited with his 3-year-old son after a car-jacking. Police say the dad left his keys in the ignition and his little boy in the car for a split second yesterday, and that was all the time it took for somebody to grab that car. Police say the car-jacker apparently dropped the little boy off at an elementary school shortly after the car was stolen.
After 26 years and more than a million dollars, we can now reveal the identity of Kansas City's secret Santa. Here it is: 58-year-old businessman Larry Stewart.
Unfortunately, Stewart is now battling cancer. But he still plans to give $165,000 to needy strangers this year. And you can learn more about his remarkable life of generosity at CNN.com, AOL.com, and Stewart's own Web site, secretsantausa.com.
HOLMES: And rebuilding New Orleans one block at a time. It's a new New Orleans built by kids with LEGOs.
Earlier this year children across the country were asked to donate their LEGO blocks to students in New Orleans. Thousands of kids all over the country sent their legos. And here is their finished product of a new New Orleans.
NGUYEN: Look at that. That's nice.
HOLMES: Hey, it takes a little longer to rebuild the real thing, but...
NGUYEN: It takes some skill to do that, though, alone. HOLMES: Yes, that's great.
NGUYEN: Bonnie Schneider joins us now with a look at the weather outside.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Comic relief now for a city that's certainly in need of a bit of laughter. Up next, Billy Crystal takes a trip to New Orleans for a special Katrina fund-raiser.
NGUYEN: Plus, long lines, high, high prices, all for the new PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii. But are they worth all the hassle? We're going to cut through the hype and test out the games live right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: "Now in the News," the search for Western contractors taken hostage Thursday. Well, that continues in Iraq this morning. A new development though to tell you about. Just a few hours ago Iranian television reports a little known Shia militia group claiming that it is holding the hostages. But no hard evidence has been offered.
President Bush and Pacific Rim leaders are in Vietnam for an economic summit. They have agreed on a statement to ratchet up pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
And things, well, they are getting pretty ugly down under. Look at this. Riots breaking out in Melbourne as the G20 economic summit gets under way there. Protesters face off against police throwing rocks and bottles. Representatives from major economic powers such as China and U.S., they are attending this trade summit.
HOLMES: The best place in the U.S. to watch tonight's Leonid meteor shower will be in the Northeast. Astronomers expect the night sky to be especially busy, averaging two shooting stars per minute for two hours beginning just before midnight. If you plan to watch, do us a favor, take your digital camera or camcorder and submit your images to I-Report on the CNN Web page. We might just put them on the air for everybody to see.
And it will take more than a little rain to dampen the excitement in Italy today. Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, they are going to get married. Katie is believed to be somewhere in that little gaggle of umbrellas.
NGUYEN: Holding Suri.
HOLMES: The one with the child is -- should be Katie with her daughter, Suri. They're all arriving at the castle in Bracciano, Italy. The wedding comes more than seven months since the couple welcomed the arrival of their new child, Suri.
And you know how we do it here at CNN. We run down the top stories every 15 minutes on CNN NEWSROOM with in-depth coverage all morning long. You're next check of the headlines coming up at 10:45 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Are you ready to laugh today? Well, the nation's comedians banding together tonight for a new edition of "Comic Relief." This time they're doing it for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, looking to fill a need, a need for help. And many places still devastated 15 months after the storm.
CNN's Thomas Roberts takes a look at one of the show's hosts and his trip to the Lower Ninth Ward.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Billy Crystal is used to playing to bigger crowds. But when he showed up on this street in the Lower Ninth Ward...
BILLY CRYSTAL, COMEDIAN: Until you're here and you get a feel of the smells of this neighborhood, the music of this neighborhood. I mean, this is Sunday, you should be hearing the Saints game coming from everybody's house.
ROBERTS: The only person there is Herbert Getrich (ph). Getrich is 83. Married 67 years, has six children, 36 grandchildren and no home. That's why Crystal came, to shoot this segment for Saturday's "Comic Relief."
CRYSTAL: And now you plastered and painted all (INAUDIBLE)?
ROBERTS: The show has featured top comedians such as Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno and others, and raised millions for humanitarian causes. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, HBO is bringing the show back after nearly a decade off the air, to get you to open your wallet for Katrina victims.
CRYSTAL: And I just think it's an enormous job that is almost -- I don't know even how you begin. But it feels like it is forgotten, it feels like -- well, Herbert, would you say that? Would you feel that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looks like somebody, or whoever, forgot about New Orleans. Especially New Orleans in the Lower Ninth Ward.
ROBERTS: But Getrich can't forget his house. He's got no place else to live. So he's rebuilding. And he shows Crystal why the good memories outweigh the bad.
CRYSTAL: It's astounding to me. So the fact that we're able to do this show and get people reacquainted with what's going on in the Lower Ninth and other areas of New Orleans. But this is profound.
ROBERTS: And as they sit on the front stoop, two men from very different worlds share their stories like old friends and a desire to make a difference here. In New Orleans, Thomas Roberts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, before tonight's "Comic Relief" show, be sure to check out "CNN PRESENTS." Our own Kathleen Koch returns to her devastated hometown in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, to see how they're coping now. "CNN PRESENTS: The Town that Fought Back," tonight and Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
All right. Our I-Reporters working harder than -- not some of our reporters. But...
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ: Worker harder...
HOLMES: ... the I-Reporters.
DE LA CRUZ: ... than you, maybe. Just kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: No -- OK. Maybe that is what I was (INAUDIBLE). Veronica, good to see you, as always.
DE LA CRUZ: It is nice to see you. As you know, cnn.com/exchange, we were just talking about it, it is the place online where you can send your pictures, video, and your thoughts. And we're letting you out there pick the best I-Report each month. Yesterday little Matthew Cheek, our September winner, stopped by the studio. He drew a picture after the "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin passed away. He didn't even tell his parents. He was watching CNN, heard about I-Report, and faxed us his picture. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: Matthew, you won the I -Report for September.
MATTHEW CHEEK, SEPTEMBER I-REPORT WINNER: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: And we're actually looking at a picture here. Tell us about it. What is it, exactly?
CHEEK: I was kind of just tore up. I wanted -- every time I'm like sad or something, I just draw. And my feelings just told me, just draw. But then I saw on TV, I was like, well, I'm done with this. So I put it on the copier, pushed fax, and I got your guys' number, put it in.
DE LA CRUZ: Can you describe the picture?
CHEEK: There's a crocodile holding a sign with a snake on it.
DE LA CRUZ: And what does the sign say?
CHEEK: We'll miss you, Steve Irwin. I was going to put Steve-O (ph).
DE LA CRUZ: Steve-O, why Steve-O?
CHEEK: Well, that's kind of his nickname.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: Congratulations, Matthew. Matthew says he wants to be just like the "Crocodile Hunter" because he educated people and left all animals. Matthew's dad says that he recently caught a three- foot baby gator by using a rope and a piece of roast beef.
HOLMES: Whatever works.
DE LA CRUZ: Take a look at that? I'd say he is well on his way.
HOLMES: Are you kidding me?
DE LA CRUZ: Did you see that?
HOLMES: Yes. Is that for real?
DE LA CRUZ: And do you know what else he said to me. I said, were you surprised when you found out you won? He said, yes, I can't believe I got picked out of all of America.
HOLMES: OK. That's...
DE LA CRUZ: It's too cute. It's too cute.
HOLMES: Yes. That was cute.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Let's move on. We're going to take a quick peek at the nominees for best I-Report of October. This one from Sourabh Banerjee. He shot this video from his apartment window. This is of Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle's plane as it crashed into a Manhattan high rise. Willis Mattei sent us this video of the Atlas Fire in Northern California. And then Darrell Spangler sent us this picture. This is Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado. He calls the image, "Fairy Tale Forest." That's a nice one, right? So you can log onto cnn.com/exchange to vote. Good choices.
HOLMES: I'll get to vote. And thank you. We do have some good options.
DE LA CRUZ: Of course.
HOLMES: Well, we are going to talk about the games now. We are going to let the games begin. This weekend of course, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii hit the stores. And they're the next generation video console. I believe that's Betty on the right there. Can we see Betty on the right? She's down there testing out this game. And we're going to put -- oh, there she is. Oh, look at that swing. Poor thing. We're going to play these side by side and help you decide. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Now in the News. Dinner at night, diplomacy in the day. President Bush and Pacific Rim leaders are in Vietnam for an economic summit. Earlier they agreed on a statement to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. President Bush's trip takes him to Indonesia on Monday. Security in the mostly Muslim country is especially high. Some Islamic groups have already promised trouble during the president's visit. Indonesian police say the terror threat in Jakarta has increased dramatically in recent days, though no specific plot has been revealed.
A claim but no proof. Iranian TV is reporting that a little- known Shia militia group claims it has five contractors kidnapped Thursday in Iraq. The report offers no evidence the group actually has the hostages. Four of the kidnapped, including this Minnesota man, Paul Reuben, are Americans.
And the countdown is on for the TomKat wedding. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are expected to tie the knot today at a 15th Century castle north of Rome. Holmes and daughter Suri arrived at the castle just a little while ago. There is also plenty of security on-hand for the nuptials.
And we run down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN NEWSROOM with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is at the top of the hour.
NGUYEN: All right. It is time to decide, the PlayStation 3 or the new Nintendo Wii. Which one is the better of the two? Well, we have an expert here to talk about that. Just so you know, PlayStation went on sale last night. People stood in line forever. And then the Wii goes on sale tomorrow. So, again, to talk about which is the best, we have Scott Steinberg, a professional gamer, right?
SCOTT STEINBERG, GAME REVIEWER: Yes. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
NGUYEN: Boy, yes, could we switch just for a day? I think it would be great to walk in your shoes. But let's talk about the PS3. Because this thing is expensive. Is it worth the money? I mean, what does it bring to the table that the PS2 didn't?
STEINBERG: Well, it has got a supercomputer brain, the cell (ph) processor. It has also got a next generation Blu-ray drive. So basically what it can do is play games that two or three years down the road from now are going to surpass anything we can see today. You can also go online, you can browse the Web, you can shop for new contents, such as new characters, cars and levels. And on top of this, you also get a six-axis motion-sensing controller. So I can tilt my hands to steer vehicles or space ships. Or in this case...
NGUYEN: And I see there's no cord.
STEINBERG: No cord. Perfectly wireless. As long as you charge it up front, you can enjoy about 30 hours of play.
NGUYEN: Check out the graphics on this. Now, in order to get this high-resolution, do you have to have an HDTV to do that?
STEINBERG: Yes. NGUYEN: Or are they going to look the same on your regular TV at home if you don't have the HD capability?
STEINBERG: Well, we're actually not in high definition right now. So as good as it looks...
NGUYEN: That's pretty good.
STEINBERG: Yes. This is from the basic system. However, to enjoy high definition graphics to the fullest, you will need an HDTV and the proper cables. You need component or HDMI cables.
NGUYEN: OK. And then you can get on the Internet. Can you record any movies or anything like that with this console?
STEINBERG: You can actually download movie trailers. You can grab music, all sorts of goodies. Or you can play multi-player with people around the world. The neat part is they will be able to add features via online updates. They are perfectly free. They're automatic. So you will be able to enjoy, who knows, in the future. They can add just about anything.
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk a little bit about the Wii, if you will. Because this is quite a difference when it comes to the money that you're going to spend on it.
STEINBERG: Yes.
NGUYEN: What does this have that maybe is comparable to the PlayStation 3?
STEINBERG: So Wii, which sells for about $250, or half the price of the PlayStation 3, is all about accessibility. It's designed to get new people into the gaming fold. So you may not consider yourself a gamer personally, but...
NGUYEN: No pro like you, Scott.
STEINBERG: But mom, dad, or even grandma or grandpa can pick this right up and begin playing. You can also play all your old favorites. You can play games for the Super Nintendo, NES. Even the Turbo graphics...
NGUYEN: So the old school games you can actually play on the new version?
STEINBERG: Yes. Yes. You can download them online and play them via software...
NGUYEN: What about the PS3?
STEINBERG: PlayStation 3 will play all your PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 1 games. There have been problems with 100 to 200. But with a back catalog in the thousands, it's being fixed right now and it shouldn't be a problem up front. But the really neat part about the Wii is this 360-degree motion-sensing controller. NGUYEN: Yes, let's check this out.
STEINBERG: Well, we're going to play a little tennis here. So I swing as I would in real life to serve...
NGUYEN: Wait, wait. But I was better a while ago. Hold on, do that again.
STEINBERG: See if you can get it.
NGUYEN: Oh, it was out.
STEINBERG: Now it's back in.
NGUYEN: OK. Is it my turn to serve?
STEINBERG: No, no, no, not yet.
NGUYEN: Oh, now it's going to do a replay and show how bad I was.
STEINBERG: But you can actually...
NGUYEN: There you go.
STEINBERG: ... use this like a fishing rod...
NGUYEN: Now I'm back into it.
STEINBERG: ... or wield it like a gun or a scalpel or you can use it to bowl as you would naturally in real life. It's amazing how responsive it is.
NGUYEN: And so is this more for like a teenager than, say, a professional gamer?
STEINBERG: Yes, this would not be for the high-end gamer. The PlayStation 3 is more of a luxury item targeted at that market. The Wii is all about accessibility. It's meant for just about anybody in the family, perhaps the younger gamer. Great selection of software.
NGUYEN: Yes. I'm serving.
STEINBERG: It's a lot cheaper and certainly a lot more available this holiday season. They say there will be 4 million in stores by the end of the year versus a million of the PlayStation 3.
NGUYEN: This is great stuff. And you know, you have got the expensive version, you've got the cheaper version. It just depends on what you want.
STEINBERG: Your preferences, yes.
NGUYEN: What you're looking for. But the graphics in both seem pretty comparable. STEINBERG: They're fantastic. Actually, though, they're better on the PlayStation 3. This can go up to a full 1080P (ph) the highest definition graphics possible a graphics possible at this point. Whereas this is only about twice as powerful as Gamecube, Nintendo's last system. However, this one is about fun and accessibility. It is not so much about the home theater experience.
NGUYEN: Gotcha. Well, it is quite an experience. And I love the fact that you don't have a cord. You just play however you want.
STEINBERG: Swing away. Exactly.
NGUYEN: Oh, you had better catch that. I'm going to win. So there you have it, T.J., I mean, either one of them, not a bad gift this holiday season.
HOLMES: Well, do your thing, Betty. You're looking good down there.
NGUYEN: Well, I did better before we went live. It always happens like that. I don't know why.
HOLMES: It's all right.
NGUYEN: I was kicking his tail. Right, Scott?
STEINBERG: Yes. I will admit...
NGUYEN: See?
HOLMES: Oh, my goodness.
NGUYEN: Just like a man. All right.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Betty, calm down. The competitive side comes out.
NGUYEN: I know. That is what the gaming does to me. It brings out the worst.
HOLMES: Well, we will let them play. But coming up next, we are going to head back to "The Watercooler" and we are going to tell you why this children's book about an adoptive family of penguins is giving some parents fits. Many people call it adorable, but others say it's inappropriate for small children. We'll tell you about it and try to get Betty back up here to the set. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, "The Watercooler," it is back with another batch of odd stories that you may have missed.
HOLMES: And, again, welcome back. You were doing well down there.
NGUYEN: I'm out of breath. That was a long ways down there.
HOLMES: So welcome back. Yes. We have got a few things to tell you about here. This is about Area 51. You thought it was strange before.
NGUYEN: Yes?
HOLMES: I have got something even crazier to tell you about. Eleven secret herbs and spices to keep under wraps here.
NGUYEN: Yes. For reasons unknown to mere mortals, a giant image of the Kentucky Fried Chicken logo has been laid out in the Nevada desert.
HOLMES: Yes. It made of 65,000 square-foot tiles and is intended to be visible from space. So just in case an alien is flying by, they can come on down and get some finger-licking good chicken. That's good stuff, by the way.
All right. If you don't want to go for the PlayStation or the Nintendo Wii for a gift, here's another Christmas gift for the aspiring rock god in your family, a real air guitar.
NGUYEN: No joke. It is a high tech shirt with wireless sensors in the fabric. Now the arm movements are transmitted to a nearby computer which then cranks out actual power chords. Yes. I can do some damage with that. May not make much music.
And listen to this, have you heard about the children's book, "And Tango Makes Three"? Well, it is based on a true story about a pair of penguins at the Central Park Zoo who hatched an abandoned egg and raised the chick as their own. It is a real cute story.
HOLMES: Got a catch here, though. Unsuspecting readers sometimes upset to learn that the adult penguins are two males in a lifelong relationship. The gay theme has prompted some parents to try and get the book removed from the children's section of their libraries.
NGUYEN: And that's why this is "The Watercooler."
HOLMES: Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, of course, we were talking this morning, do you have TomKat fever or fatigue? I started with the fever first thing this morning.
NGUYEN: Now you're fatigued.
HOLMES: Yes. We were talking about it a little too much. But we got e-mails, we got a ton of e-mails. We want to share some with you now. Up first, one from Wynetta. This is a nice one. It says: "I don't have TomKat fever or fatigue. I just hope this cute couple's marriage lasts longer than the average celebrity marriage. Congratulations and good luck, Tom and Katie!" That is very nice.
NGUYEN: Well, not so quickly, Wynetta. From Georgia, says -- you know, actually this is another person, this is Valerie, not to be confused. She says: "My husband and I could care less about those pompous, phony, self-centered jerks and what they are doing today. We have leaves to rake."
HOLMES: All right there, Valerie. And finally, Adam said: "I would be more entertained by watching Jack Cafferty discussing his personal hygiene. Enough already!" We can arrange that for you, actually, Adam.
NGUYEN: Yes. That actually might be interesting.
HOLMES: Sorry, Jack.
NGUYEN: Yes, Jack, hope you're not watching right now.
A military rally to show support for U.S. troops. We're going to be talking about that. Because it's taking place in Columbus, Georgia.
HOLMES: The organizers promise a day of family fun with live music and games. Also, CNN's hummer, Warrior One, will be there on display. CNN's John Zarrella is covering the rally. We'll take you to the Army's Fort Benning live in just a few minutes here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," the search is on in Iraq for five private security contractors kidnapped by insurgents. A former police officer from suburban Minneapolis is among those abducted Thursday. Here is his picture, abducted at a fake police checkpoint. We'll stay on top of this story for you. Paul Reuben is his name. And his family says that they are trying to stay hopeful. We'll have a live report from the situation -- we should say a live report from Baghdad on this situation coming up in just minutes.
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