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Syria Defends Civil War At U.N.; Bulldozers Destroy Homes in Syria; Suicide Bombing Kills 14; More Protests in Greece; Chile Weighs in on U.S. Economy; Lose the Pounds or Lose the Job; New Documentary on Sex Trafficking; Hugo Chavez's Youthful Image; Comedy About Quadriplegic Wins Praise

Aired October 01, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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


SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. We're taking you around the world in 60 minutes. Here's what's going on right now.

Syrian activists say at least 87 people have been killed already today, including at least a dozen children.

(VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: This video shows a man crying beside a truck full of dead bodies. We have blurred these images. They are just incredibly gruesome. The man is crying, "my child was killed." He is calling out to God and to anyone who will listen. This is in a town in northern Idlib province. This is after government war planes dropped several bombs on the people there.

And a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan leaves 14 people dead, three NATO service members are among the victims. We do not know their nationalities yet. Now, the Taliban is claiming responsibility for this blast. The Afghan interior ministry says the attacker drove a motorcycle packed with explosives into a group of soldiers and Afghan police on patrol.

In Moscow, this was the scene outside a hearing for the punk rock band Pussy Riot.

(VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Protesters, you can see there, scuffled with police. Some got hauled away. While that was going on outside, inside the hearing was being postponed until October 10th. Now, one of the members says she wants to fire her lawyers because she disagrees how they're actually handle this case. You probably remember these three women in the group, they were sentenced to two years in prison for performing a song critical of President Vladimir Putin in a cathedral. The women are all appealing their sentences.

At least 28,000 people killed so far in the civil war in Syria. The world finally hearing now from the Syrian government. Its foreign minister says he's going to be addressing the U.N. General Assembly. Our foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott, she's joining us in New York.

Elise, good to see you in person.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER: It's nice to see you on set.

MALVEAUX: But it's always bad news. It is just incredible. What do we expect to hear from the foreign minister? And also, are people going to be listening to what he has to say?

LABOTT: Well, actually, Suzanne, he's speaking right now on the floor of the U.N. General Assembly talking about how the Syrian regime understands that it needs to have political reforms, but is really -- says that extremists and insurgents are hijacking the process and stopping the regime from making these reforms and killing people in the process.

Let's take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALID AL-MOUSALEM, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I've returned today to tell you that the state and Syria has taken serious and important reform measures that were culminated in a new constitution that embraces political (INAUDIBLE) -- this is the terrorist bombing that recently took place in Damascus on the 26th of September in 2012.

A terrorist group with the name of (INAUDIBLE), one of al Qaeda's arms, took the responsibility for this attack. And it is not surprise that a Security Council has failed to condemn this and other terrorist bombings because some of its members support such acts.

This terrorism, which is externally supported, is accompanied by unprecedented media provocation based on igniting religious extremism sponsored by well-known states in the region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LABOTT: Now, of course, he's talking about Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey. These counties are supporting the rebels, giving them aid in Turkey. They're letting them organize there. And they're saying that these states are just as much to blame for the violence there. And here the Syrian government is trying to institute these reforms, but being hijacked by these extremists, these terrorists, if you will. That's always been the explanation.

MALVEAUX: When he talks about reforms, what is he actually talking about here?

LABOTT: Well, of course, you know, there have been all these calls for President Bashar al Assad to step down. The Syrians are saying, no, he's not going to step down, but we understand that there needs to be a dialogue with opposition. We need to accept some of the demands of these peaceful protesters. The problem is that these peaceful protesters that have been out on the streets were killed by some of the regime forces. So the opposition doesn't want to have any talks with the regime. They say that's over. But, obviously, if any diplomatic solution is going to be found here, and it's not going to be found on the battlefield, at some point they're going to have to get together and agree on some kind of way forward. But certainly we see what's happening on the ground as we were opening this show. It's (INAUDIBLE).

MALVEAUX: So he's talking now. Does he have any friends in that audience? Who are the people that are actually supporting him? And do people believe him when he talks about, well, these are people who are either extremists or terrorists or outsiders who are coming in and creating all of this chaos?

LABOTT: Well, as with President Ahmadinejad, they do have an audience there. We're talking about the rogue states. The minister, this morning, met with minister from Belarus. He met with the minister of Sudan. They meet with the Zimbabwe's, the Mugabe's of the world. And these people see in a front (ph) to their own sovereignty. So when they say that insurgents or terrorists are trying to hijack our political reforms, it resonate with some of these groups. But they don't have too many friends right now. And you could see there's not that many people in the hall.

MALVEAUX: All right, Elise, thank you for an excellent report, as always.

LABOTT: Thanks very much.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

Well, the Syrian minister is here, of course, defending his government. All you have to do is just take a look at some of the government's latest attacks on its own people. Bulldozers demolishing buildings in Hama. We're also told they have torn down 120 buildings so far. Now, this area is once home to about 30,000 mostly poor folks. Also the center of opposition activity in the city. Now, forces are going door to door essentially telling people to evacuate before the demolition begins. Thousands more Syrians are now displaced.

Intense fighting also being reported in Syria's main cities, Aleppo and Damascus. Want to go on to neighboring Lebanon. That's where our Mohammed Jamjoom is.

And, Mohammed, first of all, you look at these pictures. I mean, we see the demolition taking place. Displacement. It really does remind you of what happened 30 years ago when you had Syrian President Bashar al Assad's father, Hafaz al Assad, brutally suppressing a revolt in that very same city.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Suzanne. And that's what we've heard from residents in Hama that are being affected by this. The massacre that happened in Hama 30 years ago is still very much fresh in the minds of residents in Hama. And they are concerned that what's happening now might be a precursor to a repeat of that. Now, in 1982, you had Syrian security forces at the orders of Hafaz al Assad, Bashar al Assad's his father, putting down a revolt there. There were never any official numbers, but estimates ranging from between 3,000 to maybe 40,000 people, casualties of that revolt that was put down by the government.

Now, you have this campaign. Activists are saying that it is systematic displacement. That the Syrian regime is going in there. The tanks have surrounded that neighborhood. And that bulldozers have entered in the past week. That they have been razing buildings. That people are displaced. It's very concerning for the people there. They say they have nowhere to go and they want the world to try to do something about it to help them.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, Mohammed, tell us who these people are because, you know, you see the foreign minister of Syria. He's speaking, talking about these terrorist groups, these organizations. But when you take a look at these pictures, it looks like these are poor families, that these are just regular towns folks who are now losing their homes.

JAMJOOM: That's right. Definitely on the lower end of the economic spectrum in Syria. We've spoken to so many residents there who have said they have nowhere else to go.

We spoke to a woman there earlier in the day who said that her husband was arrested, taken away, and that she didn't have the means to flee to any kind of neighboring town or village. That she's been living on the streets there with her kids for the past several days. And we've heard eyewitness accounts of very similar incidents with others that are there. People that are poor, that don't have anywhere else to go.

The people that do have the means, the limited means to go somewhere else, seem to be fleeing the town. But many can't. And people are saying, why are you going after these people? Yes, this is an opposition stronghold. Has been for a long time. Has been sort of the epicenter of a lot of the activity against the government since the start of the uprising in Syria. But the people that are there are saying we're peaceful, you shouldn't come knocking down our homes, we have nowhere else to go.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: That is a very powerful statement that the government is making, and clearly one that seems to be intimidating a lot of folks there. I mean, this is just the working class, the underclass, if you will, who are now losing their homes.

Mohammed, thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

Want to talk about Pakistan. It is now giving an ultimatum to its police officers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drop the pounds or risk losing your job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not more than 40 inch waist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty inch waist?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. So what are we talking about? Jumping jacks, push-ups, weightlifting. All a part of a new program to turn some of Pakistan's fattest back into Pakistan's finest.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, he is campaigning for re-election, but he's taking some of his tactics a bit to the extreme, including the baby kissing.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I read "Half the Sky," and I thought that's really what I want to do. I want to go and see things for myself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had the traffickers holding a gun to your head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're going to take their own money. The girls, their money. No wonder they are not happy with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Young women sold into sexual slavery, but those women are now fighting back. The emotional stories behind a new documentary "Half The Sky."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We are marking a grim milestone in the Afghanistan War. The U.S. death toll has reached 2,000. We are seeing more of these so- called green-on-blue attacks. Inside attacks by Afghan soldiers and police officers. When I last talked to General John Allen last year in Afghanistan, he was a lot more optimistic. Well, now, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, he is angry, very angry. Here's what he told "60 Minutes" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ALLEN, CMDR., INTL. SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE: Well, I'm mad as hell about it, to be honest with you. We're going to get after it. It reverberates everywhere across the United States. You know we're -- we're willing to sacrifice a lot for this campaign, but we're not willing to be murdered for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: Hmm. Very powerful words. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, he is calling these attacks sad. He says terrorism in his country has increased, not decreased.

As we take a moment to reflect the losses in Afghanistan, there is now another brazen suicide bomb attack to tell you about. Fourteen people now dead. Three of those victims, NATO service members. It happened today in the country's volatile eastern region. The Taliban is claiming responsibility.

I want to bring in journalist Ben Farmer. He is covering this story from Kabul.

And, Ben, what do we know, first of all, about this latest attack?

BEN FARMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, the NATO headquarters says that three (INAUDIBLE) service men were killed with one interpreter. They say it was in the east of the country. They're not saying anymore. But the Afghan (INAUDIBLE) more details.

It happened at about 8:30 this morning in Khost province, which is in the southeast of the country. A suicide bomber on a motor bike, laden with explosives, attacked a joint patrol. That was the coalition service members and Afghan policemen. He attacked it in a crowded street, detonated his explosives. There were the three coalition casualties. Also six civilian dead, four police dead, and somewhere between 40 and 50 civilians wounded. Really a horrible blast in a very crowded area. That death toll with the civilians is likely to get far higher.

MALVEAUX: Ben, tell us how people are coping knowing that these random attacks happen, these senseless attacks happening. And many of the civilians are now caught up in this as well.

FARMER: Yes, well, you're absolutely right, it really is the Afghan civilians who are bearing the brunt of the violence in this terrible conflict. And they really are very, very concerned. These attacks -- these bomb attacks by the insurgents, these indiscriminate bomb attacks, whether they're the IEDs or whether they're suicide attacks like this are responsible for the great majority of casualties.

You talked about insider attacks, but the biggest threat to NATO troops and Afghan civilians still remains these indiscriminate attacks from the Taliban.

The coalition says violence is slightly down this year, but we're still seeing very, very high numbers of attacks, hundreds each month and, sadly, those casualties, particularly for the Afghans are still very, very high.

MALVEAUX: One of the things, clearly, that people are feeling and they wonder, 11 after the war, whether or not they're any safer than they were back then.

Do they have a sense that things are now worse? FARMER: Well, the coalition says it's getting better. They say that the number of attacks by the enemy has fallen slightly this year, but the figures are small. They really are.

They say that there were five percent fewer attacks in the first eight months of this year than last year, but that five percent decrease still means there are hundreds going on and it's very difficult for the Afghans to believe things are getting better when they have these sort of attacks going on all the time.

Civilian casualties, which are monitored by the United Nations here, are still very high, and last month, August, was the worst month for civilian casualties in at least three years.

A great majority of those are caused by the Taliban, which the NATO troops are supposed to be fighting to protect the Afghans.

MALVEAUX: Ben, do you get a sense from the people there that they are concerned when U.S. and NATO international forces pull out in major numbers and they are simply left with the Afghan police and their own military to protect the people?

Are they worried that it's going to get worse? Are they afraid? Do they want the Americans to stay?

FARMER: I think they're certainly very proud of their Afghan police and their Afghan soldiers, but they are very worried that they will be abandoned.

Hanging over them is the terrible memories of the 1990s when they were abandoned to civil war and then the Taliban.

Now, the coalition and the -- Hamid Karzai's international backers promise they will not be abandoned, but there's a great deal of fear here. People are really eyeing the future very warily.

MALVEAUX: All right, Ben Farmer on the ground there in Kabul. Thank you so much, Ben. Appreciate it.

It was far from a warm welcome. Angry protesters greeted bank inspectors from the European Union as they arrived in Greece. They are there to discuss even more budget cuts.

And the president of Chile tells CNN why the U.S. plan to stimulate spending is not going to work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Greek protesters angrily shouting down members of the so- called Troika today. This happened in Athens.

The Troika is a group of three European entities that need to give Greece approval for financial aid. They were visiting the finance ministry to discuss Greece's new budget that makes more cuts in pensions, salaries and jobs. The country is seeking aid to keep from going bankrupt after years of being in a recession. Now, Greece's prime minister has vowed this is the last round of cuts.

Chile isn't just the only one of the fastest growing economies since South America. Also, one of the hottest economies in the world and for the last year-and-a-half the country has been run by Sebastian Pinera.

He's a Harvard educated billionaire who made his fortune bringing credit cards to Chile in the late '70s.

Richard Quest joining us from London. Tell us a little about this Pinera. First of all, pretty impressive resume.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Not only impressive, but, of course, made international status, hero status, when he led his country's search-and-rescue of the famous Chilean miners last year.

It was the sight of the president constantly always being there with the families that actually moved so much of the world, as well as the rescue itself.

But here's the thing, Suzanne. Now, Chile, which is a free market, free trade, highly market economy is starting to criticize the United States, specifically, quantitative easing and, of course, that's the printing of money by the Federal Reserve.

In an exclusive interview with me, President Pinera said that simply printing money in America will not do the trick of rescuing the U.S. economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT SEBASTIAN PINERA, CHILE: Yes, we are concerned because you can you print money and maybe you can solve the short-term problems, but you will never solve the American problem just by printing money.

You need to do much more than that, which is not being done yet. You need to take account of the fiscal deficit, which cannot go like that anymore, and the same thing with the external deficit, and that will require, of course, some adjustments, and nobody wants adjustments.

People want miracles, but in economics, you don't have miracles. You just have good policy and hard work.

QUEST: Are you encouraged by the policies that you are now seeing from both the Europeans and the Americans or, really, do you sit here thinking more, more please?

PINERA: We're not encouraged because I think that we have lost the last three years. Since the crisis that started in '88 -- '98 and '99, really, we have not been able to tackle the real causes of the crisis.

It has not been done in Europe. It has not been done in the U.S. We are talking too much and doing too little.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Now, if this was any leader in Latin America, perhaps the world, everyone would ignore him, but this is Sebastian Pinera who is running strong, free market economies and policies and that's why when somebody like this Harvard PhD economist speaks, president, as well, Suzanne, people listen.

And, of course, it reinforces what countries like Brazil have said, which is simple. That the U.S. and others are now leading to a currency war.

MALVEAUX: So what happens here? I mean, he's doing a lot of spending in the budget here, especially on education, but then you see these student protesters who are coming out.

Does he have a problem? I mean, people want more and more from him.

QUEST: Yes. And for a man who was -- I mean, I wouldn't say he went from hero to zero, but he was such a hero after the miners rescue and, now, of course, his ratings are languishing, although he can't stand for reelection in 18 months time.

What happened, of course, is expectations. Chile is just on the verge of reaching developed-country status. It's a member of the OECD. It's got rising GDP per capita.

All the economics, if you like, pieces of the jigsaw are all there, but as you know, when people's expectations rise, when they're not fulfilled, that's when you get into trouble.

MALVEAUX: Yeah, it happens to the best of them.

Thank you, Richard. Good to se you.

So, we've all heard those jokes about cops, donut shops, but one police force actually taking the weight problem very seriously. Either get fit or get fired.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Lose the belly or lose the job. That's the order of hundreds of thousands of officers in Lahore and across Pakistan's Punjab Province.

As Reza Sayah reports, officers have gotten so heavy the department, now, has had to crack down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORREPSONDENT: Pakistan's street cuisine, melt in your mouth treats, deep-fried in oil, often served swimming in oil, food that's guaranteed to add inches to your waist and that has the government here worried. Some of the expanding waist sizes belong to police officers, Pakistan's finest assigned to protect and serve the nation fast becoming Pakistan's flabbiest.

They have to do this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course, they are bound to do this.

SAYAH: Sheikh Iftikhar, the Punjab police force's second-in-command says the department has put in place a mandatory exercise program with this ultimatum for police officers. Drop the pounds or risk losing your job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not more than 40-inch waist.

SAYAH: Forty-inch waist?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

SAYAH: Not more?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

SAYAH: Daily workouts start here in the weight room, a barking trainer watching every move. . The equipment isn't the best here and maybe they don't have perfect form, but they're working up a sweat, their heart rate is going and that means they're getting a workout.

What if some people can't get to the required weight?

SHEIKH IFTIKHAR, PUNJAB POLICE DEPARTMENT: Legal action will be taken against them.

SAYAH: Legal action?

IFTIKHAR: Of course. Why not?

SAYAH: They could lose their job?

IFTIKHAR: Yes.

SAYAH: And, now, we're out in the exercise yard. Let's see what these guys do next.

After the weightlifting, it's time for aerobics and other fat-burning workouts. It's no secret many often make fun of overweight police officers.

If anyone's considering making fun of these men, they should remember that they only make $10 a day. They put their lives on the line and, now, they've committed themselves to getting in shape.

Muhammad Azad says the last time he worked out was 20 years ago. Today, Muhammad has three children and suffers from diabetes, but he'll do anything to serve his country, he says.

Our hearts are made of stone, he says. No matter what we're asked, we'll do it.

SAYAH: That includes slimming down, getting in shape.

For Muhammad and hundreds of other Pakistani police officers, their jobs depend on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Reza Sayah is joining us live from Islamabad. That's kind of cool.

You know, I know a lot of police officers, they get a hard time. It's a stereotype, you know, eating donuts and all of that, but it does look like they're trying to do something about this, right?

SAYAH: They are trying to do something about it, but based on what we saw, there's a lot of them that are overweight and it looks like they've got a long way to go before getting to that 40-inch waist size.

So, my guess is not all of them are going to make it, but the good news is the police department seems to be understanding. They're working with them and these guys seem committed.

And we should also point out there's a big cultural difference here. In the U.S., many are obsessed with the way they look. These police officers aren't worried about looking sexy in their uniform. Otherwise, they wouldn't invite us in the weight room to shoot their bellies.

They just say they want to get in shape to keep their jobs and serve their country and they were all gentlemen.

MALVEAUX: And, so, they're getting in shape. They're getting in better shape here. What is the priority?

I mean, is the idea that -- I mean, there's so many problems in Pakistan when you've got these extremists and militant groups and all the violence that is happening in Pakistan.

Is this meant that they can be better equipped or in shape to take on all those big problems?

SAYAH: Well, it means they'll be better in shape, but not necessarily better equipped.

Some of the critics of the Pakistani government say that these police forces are underfunded, undertrained. That's why this country continues to struggle in the fight against militants.

And these critics say until and unless the Pakistani government starts investing and spending more money on these police forces, they'll continue with their struggle. Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: All right. Yeah. Well, at least, they'll be getting in shape. That's a good thing. That's a good beginning, at least.

Reza, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

SAYAH: Yes, they will.

MALVEAUX: So, what brought together half a dozen Hollywood stars, including Meg Ryan, America Ferrera and Olivia Wilde. Well, it's the movement behind a new documentary called "Half the Sky."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A best-selling book that looks at the violent treatment of women and girls around the world has now turned into a two-part documentary. It's airing tonight on PBS and the book is called "Half the Sky."

Our Soledad O'Brien spoke with the authors this morning, "New York Times" columnist Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and she asked what the inspiration was for the book.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERYL WUDUNN, CO-AUTHOR, "HALF THE SKY": Well, it really started many, many years ago when we were in China and we had found out that there were some problems in the countryside with women.

We had covered Tiananmen Square. We saw students killed on campus, which was a horrible thing, but the next year when we went to the countryside, we started discovering that there were 30 million missing female girls -- female babies from the Chinese population, which was a stunning number. Partly ...

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR, "STARTING POINT": Thirty million?

WUDUNN: Thirty million. Partly through infanticide, partly because a lot of the Chinese mothers abort female fetuses when they discover that it's a female, but still that was a huge number.

We did a lot of reporting on that. We thought that it was just China and, so, you know, this is -- China's a very big, complicated country.

We moved to Japan and we started discovering a lot of discrimination against women there, as well, in Japan and Korea and went down to Cambodia and discovered sex trafficking.

We thought this was just Asia and so then ...

O'BRIEN: You realized it's the globe. It's the globe.

So, what made you focus on these women's stories? And, in the book, what was the story that was the most moving to you? NICHOLAS KRISTOF, CO-AUTHOR, "HALF THE SKY": Well, I think what we thought is that there's so many problems and there's no silver bullet, but maybe the best leverage you have to address all these problems is to educate girls, bring those educated women into the formal labor force and there were so many heroic women around the world who we saw and we wanted to be able to -- what we have, essentially, is a little spotlight. We wanted to be able to spotlight those.

And there's so many Americans who would like to engage in this issue, but they're worried about corruption, worried about ineffectiveness and, if we can connect those well-meaning Americans with all these extraordinary heroic people out there, you know, that's an incredible service.

RON BROWNSTEIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, NATIONAL JOURNAL: ... incredible journalism and I think your column has reinvented the form. I mean, it's just been incredible, path-breaking and genre-shattering kind of way of doing this.

But let me ask you. When you look at these societies, what differentiates the societies where opportunity has expanded for women and where these issues are being dealt with from those that don't?

WUDUNN: Well, it's exactly what Nick was saying earlier. It's education, and then also giving opportunity to women on the job hunt. Jobs and education, what we care about here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The documentary airs tonight and tomorrow on PBS.

So, I want to turn now to what's happening in the markets right now. We are seeing a jump after the manufacturing report this morning.

Want to bring in Alison Kosik. What does this mean for us?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, you're seeing Wall Street kind of sit up and take notice because manufacturing is a huge part of the economy.

How it does has the potential for a big ripple effect and what we learned this morning is that September's reading shows that for the first time in four months manufacturing in the U.S. is expanding after contracting for the previous three months.

So, if this keeps up, it could boost overall economic growth, meaning GDP.

Now, to just put it in a little more perspective here to know just how important this reading is, it's also good to remember where we came from because manufacturing wound up getting us out of the recession in 2009 because what it did was you saw manufacturing activity pick up. It stayed that way for almost three years. It led to more hiring.

But then, in June of this year, we saw that contraction that continued for three months. So, what essentially happened today is this a good surprise, you know, and analysts say it could mean that the summer slowdown was just a summer phenomenon.

But, of course, you've got to throw in wild cards in there that could put manufacturing off-track again and that includes those big concerns about what's going to happen with the fiscal cliff.

Of course, weak growth in Europe, that could keep GDP growth here from really taking off, but as far as the day goes, Wall Street is focusing on the positive. The Dow is rallying 150 points, so a strong day for stocks.

Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Alison. Good news.

He has rock star appeal at his rallies.

With this much support for the Venezuelan president, you'd think Hugo Chavez would have his re-election bid in the bag. Well, we'll tell you why he's worried.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Voters in Venezuela area are heading to polls on Sunday. President Hugo Chavez is trying to reinvent his image as he runs for re-election.

Our Rafael Romo takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN LATIN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: During a recent cabinet meeting, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez interrupted the proceedings to sing a folk song.

At a campaign event, he got on stage to rock with the band.

Venezuela's holding its presidential election on October 7th.

Although the socialist leader enjoys fiercely loyal support throughout the country, the undecided, especially young people, are 23 percent of the electorate and could turn it around.

His campaign has carefully crafted a new image which shows Chavez in campaign posters riding a motorcycle, playing basketball, and even as a rap artist. A public appearance with American actor Sean Penn over the summer didn't hurt either.

It's a sharp contrast with the image of a sick man who was diagnosed with cancer last year and underwent two surgeries. He recently objected to a reporter's question about his health.

PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ, VENEZUELA (via translator): Here I am and every day I feel in better physical condition and I firmly believe that that expression about physical limitations that you used, it's not going to be a factor in this campaign.

ROMO: Jose Antonio Gil, the director of a Venezuelan polling firm, says Chavez has used his bout with cancer to his advantage.

JOSE ANTONIO GIL, DIRECTOR, DATANALISIS: He has handled his sickness, his illness, has handled it in terms of communication with the public in a very a cheerful way and pervasive way.

He's always present and trying to prove that he's not sick, that he's winning another battle, as he calls it.

ROMO: Crafting a youthful image is also important because Chavez is 18 years older than his political rival, Enrique Capriles Radonski.

Capriles, a former governor, turned 40 over the summer and is campaigning throughout Venezuela by bus.

HENRIQUE CAPRILES RADONSKI, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): Venezuelans are looking for a new way. It's been 14 years of the same government. This government has already completed its cycle and has nothing more to offer. They're only recycling promises.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Rafael Romo, he's joining us from Atlanta.

Rafael, good to see you.

We understand there's a lot of colorful characters as a part of this campaign, but there was also violence over the weekend where you had people who were killed. What do we know about that?

ROMO: Well, unfortunately, three campaign workers for opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski were shot on Friday. All three of them died, unfortunately. And this speaks about the polarization of the campaign with both candidates launching accusations against each other. But at the same time, Suzanne, what we see here is that both candidates have fiercely loyal supporters who are willing to do apparently anything, as we saw over the weekend.

MALVEAUX: And what do we know about Hugo Chavez and how he's doing in the race?

ROMO: Well, it all depends who you ask. The reality is that the polls in Venezuela are notoriously unreliable. There are some polls that give him 20 percentage points advantage. There are others that show them neck and neck. And the reality is that, according to the opposition, some of these polls aren't reliable because, for example, state workers are pressured into voting for the official candidate, and so it is very difficult. And there's a lot of fear. There's voter intimidation. So we won't really know until October 8th, the day after the election, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So, Rafael, we're looking at these pictures of Hugo Chavez and the baby and all that. And we know tens of thousands of people have been showing up for these rallies. How do they really feel about him? I mean is this -- it's about coming out and being a big part of a party here, is it that they're afraid to support somebody else, or is this genuine real affection for him? ROMO: Well, when it comes to Hugo Chavez, there's no middle ground. People in Venezuela either adore him because he is a populist, he has certainly helped a lot of the poor people in Venezuela and has brought many changes for them, but those in the opposition say that at the same time he has driven away international investors. He has expropriated and nationalized many companies that used to be functioning very well and used to be very productive. So those people you see at the party are completely against them, but you can rest assured, Suzanne, that you can just as well create a party for the opposition who is going to be just as vocal and excited as they were for Chavez.

MALVEAUX: All right. We're going to be watching real close that election. Thank you, Rafael. Appreciate it.

It's an unusual international hit.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never seen a movie where they tackle a subject like this with such disregard for what the maybe -- what is politically correct. But I found that so refreshing.

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MALVEAUX: See why people with disabilities say they're among the film's biggest fans.

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MALVEAUX: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Already trending on Twitter. Even the queen of England getting involved. Buckingham Palace calling October Breast Cancer Action Month, asking everyone to turn awareness into action. Take a look at what Buckingham Palace just tweeted. Buckingham Palace will turn pink at 7:00 p.m. tonight to mark the start of Breast Cancer Action Month. Good for them.

A freak accident leaves a man paralyzed from the neck down. It may not sound like the basis for a blockbuster comedy, but a French film built on that premise has been racking up some awards, shattering box office records around the world. Neil Curry reports it's also shattering stereotypes.

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NEIL CURRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Untouchables" is based on a true story about a French millionaire who becomes paralyzed from the neck down and a street-wise young man who reluctantly becomes his career. The film has taken a staggering $317 million at the box office. It has been chosen as the French entry in the foreign language section at next year's Academy Awards in Hollywood. The directors had no idea their film would become such a big hit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE UNTOUCHABLES" (through translator): Relax, pal. UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE UNTOUCHABLES" (through translator): I'm relaxed, but I want to be down there.

OLIVIER NAKACHE, CODIRECTOR: We knew that it's meeting between two people very different. It's something very strong. But we didn't know at all the future of this story, of this film. So we put heart and comedy in this story and --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE UNTOUCHABLES" (through translator): Can't be so lazy. You have to throw some back.

CURRY: But for the filmmakers, its greatest success is the warm reaction they've received from disabled viewers.

ERIC TOLEDANO, CODIRECTOR: We received many, many letters from people were saying that when I came to the theater, people were not looking at me, not (INAUDIBLE) --

NAKACHE: The door.

TOLEDANO: They were not handing the door for me to pass. And at the end of the movie, everyone was looking to me differently.

CURRY: It's a reaction echoed by wheelchair users at the British premier of the film in London.

ALEX VAN HOLK, CRITIC: The film, I think, really captured the spirit. If you feel alive inside, if someone can make you feel alive inside, then, you know, you are alive, irrespective of whether you can move your arms or your legs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE UNTOUCHABLES" (through translator): Have you finished playing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE UNTOUCHABLES" (through translator): You can't feel a thing?

LUIS GONZALEZ-BUNSTER, COFOUNDER, WALKABOUT FOUNDATION: I had never seen a movie where they tackle a subject like this with such disregard for what the -- maybe what is politically correct, but I found that so refreshing, so, so new, and I thought it was a great approach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE UNTOUCHABLES" (through translator): OK, after your classics, let's listen to mine. Earth, Wind & Fire. It's a killer.

CURRY: The characters on whom the story is based also love the film. But its success has left the directors with a problem. What to do for an encore.

TOLEDANO: We feel something special. We are proud. And we know that's going to be difficult to do with another movie (INAUDIBLE) but we --

NAKACHE: So we stopped.

TOLEDANO: So we stop and we decided to open a bakery. NAKACHE: Yes, a bakery.

TOLEDANO: A French bakery in London.

NAKACHE: In London.

TOLEDANO: (INAUDIBLE).

CURRY: Neil Curry, CNN, London.

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MALVEAUX: Love it.

It is (INAUDIBLE) the Guinness World Record for the most liked YouTube video ever. Now the singer known as Psy and his hit "Gangnam Style" getting another tribute.

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MALVEAUX: South Korean musician Psy burning up the charts, hitting number one now in the U.K.

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MALVEAUX: You might remember him, of course, and his "Gangnam Style." People all over the world joining in his song and video. He's the first Korean artist to top the U.K. charts. His video has been viewed more than 250 million times. And if imitation isn't the sincerest form of flattery, check it out.

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MALVEAUX: Well, he'd be blushing by now. These are inmates at the prison in the Philippines following in his footsteps. Yes.

Several stories caught our attention today. Photos as well. Take a look at this.

The red wheel making its way across London for the beginning of stop- tober. It's a 28-day challenge created by England's Department of Health to get people to stop smoking.

And this is China's Red Beach. You can see why. The beach gets its color from a seaweed that turns red as it matures as its brightest. It is at the end of September.

And Hindus in India are celebrating the festival of Ganesh. They dance, pray, and celebrate for 10 days to honor Ganesha, a god who is often depicted as an elephant.