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U.S. Embassy in Cuba to Reopen Today; Investigations Into Whether ISIS Used Chemical Weapons; U.S. Officials Examining ISIS "Hit List"; Devastation in Tianjin, China; Political Outsiders Leading US 2016 Race; Seven Militants Sentenced in Pakistan; "Sesame Street" Moves to HBO. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 14, 2015 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:30]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: We do want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and of course all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

And we begin in Cuba where in just a few hours the U.S. will raise its flag symbolizing restored diplomatic ties between former enemies. The U.S. Embassy in Cuba is formerly reopening this morning.

It's been closed since 1961. For the past few months U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro have been hashing out plans to reopen embassies in each country. Secretary of State John Kerry will be at the ceremony.

Former leader Fidel Castro has different thoughts though. These new photos show the 89-year old Thursday on his birthday. Castro published a letter in Cuban media telling the U.S. it owes Havana millions of dollars because of a decades old trade embargo.

We are about to give you an exclusive behind the scenes look at the new embassy. Patrick Oppmann spoke to a few Embassy employees and the man in charge at the diplomatic center.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the new embassy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA-BASED CORRESPONDENT: Words that for over a half century, U.S. diplomats in Cuba were unable to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to the new embassy.

OPPMANN: The day Cuba and the U.S. officially restored diplomatic relations officials at the embassy greeted their colleagues with hugs and American flags. CNN was granted exclusive access to the reopening.

Members of the Cuban staff marveled that the cold war era hostilities have been overcome. And did you ever think you'd work here and see change that we've seen in the last six months?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I really never, never thought that I would see this in my lifetime.

OPPMANN: The head of the embassy says he and his staff are taking part in history.

JEFFREY DELAURENTIS, U.S. EMBASSY CUBA, CHARGE d'AFFAIRES: It's really a privilege to be part of all this. It's a privilege to be part of an administration that has made a courageous decision to make this change. And it's also a privilege to be able to lead this mission as it -- as it transitions from an intersection to an embassy.

OPPMAN: That transition is more of a sprint as staff get everything ready for Secretary of State John Kerry's visit. Redoing the long unused flag pole.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But they will use the Spanish feedback.

OPPMANN: Hosting an influx of foreign press and planning for every contingency.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After a CMR, that anybody would want to go back to see if the WIFI there, and that Justin should still be around holding spaces.

OPPMANN: A long list of challenges in a country where few things ever seem to go right.

MARTINA POLT, U.S. EMBASSY CUBA, MANAGEMENT OFFICER: This is where we keep everything running.

OPPMANN: Management officer, Martina Polt takes us to the basement to get a first look at the sign and the seal that will go on the entrance to the embassy.

POLT: Pretty cool sign, isn't it.

OPPMANN: What I'm walking next to is something that hasn't been seen in 54-years in Cuba. It's a sign to the U.S. Embassy in Havana. She says, reopening the embassy is the high point of her career.

POLT: This is fantastic. This is a -- I think there are so many foreign service officers that have waited to be here. And I think I'm being envied by a lot of people who say, well this is the culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people.

OPPMANN: The work will continue until the last moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mark time.

OPPMANN: Nothing is left to chance. The marines even practice raising the flag. But as the big day arrives American diplomats say the U.S. Embassy in Havana is ready to step back into the spotlight. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And the ceremonial American flag goes up at the embassy but we also caught glimpses of it all over Havana. The stars and stripes of the American flag showed up across the city.

Cubans have overwhelming shown their support since Washington and Havana decided to restore ties.

And we will have much more on this landmark day later this hour. And stay with CNN for the historic moment itself. We will have special live coverage of the American flag raising at the embassy in Havana. It all begins at 9:30 a.m. eastern for our U.S. audience. That's 2:39 p.m.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. is now investigating what it says is credible information that ISIS may have used chemical weapons specifically a mustard agent, or mustard gas against Kurdish forces during an attack earlier this week in northern Iraq.

The attack took place near the town of Makhmour. This near Erbil. Some of those Kurdish fighters exhibited breathing problems after the attack and it was determined that those problems more consistent with the possibility of a mustard agent, rather than chlorine gas.

There had been previous reports of ISIS using chlorine gas. The question now, and it is still being determined definitively is that how would ISIS have gotten mustard agents. Number of possible explanations.

They may have found shells from the Iraq Army in Iraq, or possibly from the Syrian Army in Syria. It is also possible U.S. officials say, that ISIS may have developed the ability to manufacture mustard gas.

Again, no confirmation but U.S. officials taking these reports very seriously. It would be a significant new threat on the battle field. Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The top Democrat on the U.S. House Intelligence committee spoke with CNN about the investigation. Representative Adam Schiff says, it's very possible ISIS obtained the chemical agent in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF, (D), CALIFORNIA: I think if they do possess these kind of weapons and I can't go into specifics, but if they did my guess is they're more likely to have gotten them as old weapons left over in Iraq from the old WMD program there, then they were likely to obtain them in Syria in some kind of a hidden cache of the regimes.

But again, we're obviously going to explore any of these reports and continue to all we can to get to the bottom of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime the groups reign of terror does not appear to be letting up. ISIS is claiming responsibilities for a truck bombing that killed at least 36 people in a crowded market in Baghdad.

ISIS says it was striking at Shia militias who were fighting alongside Iraqi government forces. Thursday's attack follows several other recent ISIS bombings near the capital.

Well back here in the United States, the FBI and the Pentagon are investigating an alleged ISIS hit list containing personal information about more than 1,000 Americans. Though the legitimacy of the list is questionable, it does have many people on edge. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A dry looking spreadsheet with sensitive, potentially dangerous personal details. A group calling itself the Islamic State Hacking Division has published this list online.

About 1,400 names, email addresses, phone numbers and alleged passwords of U.S. military personnel and civilian government employees. At the top a message, "O Crusaders, know that we are in your emails and computer systems, watching and recording your every move."

It says they're extracting confidential data, passing it to ISIS and its soldiers, "Will strike at your necks in your own lands."

MATTHEW LEVITT, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: This drives people to follow up on this information. Maybe it will get a hit on someone. Maybe it won't. It also does really freak out U.S. government, military and law enforcement personnel.

TODD: The FBI is investigating. U.S. military and Australian police officials tell CNN, they're looking into how it's effecting their people on the list.

RAYMOND ODIERNA, GENERAL, U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: I take it seriously because it's clear what they're trying to do. And so it's important for us to make sure that all our force understands what they're trying to do.

TODD: Neither CNN or the global security firm Flashpoint Intelligence can confirm the authenticity of this claim or the accuracy of the passwords and other sensitive information on the list.

We called and emailed several people on the list. Some emails bounced back as being old addresses. Others went through. One retired serviceman confirmed to us the phone number for him on the list is accurate.

And he said, the Pentagon alerted him. One Australian computer security expert says, this is likely not an actual hack.

TONY HUNT, INTERNET SECURITY RESEARCH: It's quite evident that it's an aggregation of data from multiple sources and most of it is publicly discoverable, so.

TODD: But analysts say it doesn't have to be a hack of protected information. Given the recent attacks targeting American's in the their homeland, the message to potential lone wolfs is a dangerous one.

LEVITT: You can stay where you are, do something where you are and even if not a single one of these leads actually pans out, they are creating a sense for someone sitting in their momma's basement, you are part of us.

TODD: A U.S. military official tells CNN, following the publication of this list, they have told their personnel to protect their personal information online and in social media. Don't put anything on Facebook or Twitter indicating who you are, where you live, who your relatives are.

And it's not the first time they've had to do this. Officials say this is at least the second time this year, that a group claiming affiliation with ISIS has bragged about doing this.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Syria is criticizing the expanded U.S. bombing campaign against ISIS call it a mistake and in an exclusive interview with our Frederik Pleitgen, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister explained how far his government is willing to go to end the violence plaguing his country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAISAL MEKDAD, SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGH MINISTER: Yes, the Syrian government is ready to sit with the opposition, but with the real opposition. Now with armed groups. We are ready to sit with all kinds of opposition, but not with terrorist groups. Not with ISIS. Not with Jebatan Nosraq (ph).

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now the United States has also ramped up its fight against ISIS. What do you make of the additional jets that the U.S. has stationed at Incirlik and the additional airstrikes. Is that something that will have a big effect?

MEKDAD: I believe the United States is committing again the same mistake, adding, I mean, six, seven fighters or, I mean planes and so on, will not effect, unless there is real cooperation on the ground, between the respective governments of Iraq and Syria.

With all those, who are trying to fight against terrorism, nothing will happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. warplanes are using a Turkish airbase for man strikes against ISIS targets. The first jets took off on Wednesday.

Want to turn to China no where there is a scene of total devastation today in Tianjin. Some is still rising from a chemical warehouse where massive explosions erupted Wednesday night.

At least 50 people were killed in that blast. More than 500 others were hospitalized. For those living in this populated city, the sheer devastation is now slowly coming into focus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You can understand why residents of Tianjin are nervous about the possibility of another explosion. When you think about the fact that this huge twisted charred piece of metal was thrown as a projectile after the blast and this car over here, well you can see what happened to it.

And keep in mind, we're standing more and a mile away from the blast site itself. The smoke plume is lower and there's a biochemical response team on the ground here right now to figure out exactly what toxic chemical mix sparked the huge explosion that has created so much damage, and cost so many lives.

One day after a series of massive explosions destroyed so much of Tianjin, a black cloud continues to hang over the city. The air thick with a chemical stench.

A sea of cars destroyed. They're paint stripped off by the intense heat. Broken glass covers streets and sidewalks for miles around, and when the wind blows more glass rains down from apartments and homes.

Today, new images of those amazingly powerful blasts. This cell phone video records the moment of impact. The first blast around 11:30 at night. Fire officials say, hazardous chemicals stored in a warehouse were ignited by fire.

The bright flash followed by a tremendous explosion waking people all across this port city of more than 13 million. Another explosion followed just seconds later, seven times more powerful. The equivalent of 21 tons of TNT according to a Chinese datacenter.

Buildings shook. Windows blown out. The blast felt more than 2 miles around the epicenter. Some likened it to a nuclear explosion even as a mushroom cloud rose over the blast site.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (CHINESE SPOKEN). The house collapsed. We didn't know what happened, says one survivor.

RIPLEY: Surveillance video obtained by ABC News captured the explosion's sudden fury. This man buried under a wall of glass. At least 50 people killed. Hospitals said to overwhelmed by the hundreds injured. More than 1,000 firefighters ran to the danger. At least 17 died. And dozens are missing. Emotions are running high. I was reporting outside a hospital when a small group of people challenged me, demanding to see my phone. Police arrived but I was temporarily forced off the air.

A statement from the environmental group, Green Peace expressed what many fear, "We are concerned that certain chemicals will continue to pose a risk to the residents of Tianjin." The company that owned the warehouse was in the business of storing dangerous chemicals.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Thousands of people had to spend the night in shelters which are set up all across the city, and you can see with damage like this, to so many buildings, why it may be quite some time before some people can return to their homes.

These apartment blocks, all the windows are blown out and with so many lingering concerns about the air quality from the site of that toxic chemical fire and those explosions, well there are many people, many families that wonder when it will be safe for them to go back.

Or if it will be safe for them to live here long term, questions that as of yet, are still awaiting answers from the government and others. Will Ripley, CNN, Tianjin, China.

(END VIDEOPTAPE)

CHURCH: Such disturbing images. There we will of course continue to follow that and hope to bring you more information on what exactly caused those blasts. While some stock markets around the world have rebounded from a bad week, the price of oil continues its slide.

We will explain why. That's just ahead. Plus Republican outsiders are surging in U.S. Presidential polls. We will see what's behind their growing appeal. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well Greek lawmakers are locked in a marathon debate over the country's third bailout package. A live look inside parliament there. It's after 8:00 a.m. in Athens right now and they've been there all night.

Parliament is expected to approve the $95 billion agreement to help Greece avoid bankruptcy. The proposal involves tax increases and spending cuts, but there are some other hurdles to overcome first. Euro zone finance misters will meet later today where they will have to sign off on the loan.

Meanwhile the IMF is pressing Europe to provide the debt relief for Greece. Well in the U.S. oil prices hit a new six year low Thursday, trading just below $42 a barrel. The falling prices reflect the surplus of American oil, the devaluation of the Chinese Yuan, plus reports of high Iranian oil production. CNNMoney's Paul La Monica has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL LA MONICA, CNN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Oil continues to plunge a new six-and-a-half year low at one point below $42 a barrel. Many of the same factors are still at play here. There are concerns about over supply.

OPEC continues to pump a lot of oil, particularly Saudi Arabia. Now we're worried about Iran, which has a lot of oil sitting there waiting to be exported, having their oil going on to the market as well, that would put more pressure on prices.

At the same time, there's an shale explosion in the United States. Many companies still pumping a lot of oil from the U.S., so you add all that up and there is definitely a supply glut, one of the main reasons why we went from $100 a year ago all the way down to $42.

But the new wrinkle that has people more concern, China. China's economy is a bit of a question mark right now and if the Chinese economy is weakening a lot more than people thought, that will lead to lower demand for commodities like oil.

And you're already seeing other commodity prices tumbling, too. Copper, Corn, Wheat. So it's not just oil. It's the demand part that's now a big problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And again that was CNNMoney's Paul La Monica reporting. Well the 2016 race for the White House is gaining steam as Republican candidates set their sights on the primary state of Iowa.

And polls show the political outsiders are keeping the more established candidates on their toes. CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent, Dana Bash has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson, Donald Trump. All climbing in the polls. All with one key characteristic in common. None has been elected to office. All are worrying the Republican establishment.

Trump is well ahead in Iowa, according to CNN's latest poll, and the Tea Party Senator who was supposed to be the outsider is lashing out with an impersonation of sorts.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have now people up there who say such profound things as, you're stupid. You're fired. You're a pig. You look terrible.

BASH: Trump responded Trump-style, saying, Senator Paul has no chance of winning the nomination and the people of Kentucky should not allow him the privilege of remaining their senator. Rand should save his lobbyists and special interest money and just go quietly home. And Trump is even getting it from John McCain, who had tried to stay above it all when Trump attacked his military service last month.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't like to respond to Mr. Trump because there's an old line about, I don't want to get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.

BASH: Another candidate climbing in the Iowa polls, Neurosurgeon Ben Carson is now in a line of fire from a fellow doctor accusing of him of using tissue from aborted fetuses for medical research. Something he told CNN is unnecessary.

BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Virtually everything that can be contributed to progress by using fetal tissue can also use other types of tissue.

BASH: Today in New Hampshire Carson defended his research.

CARSON: Tissue specimens, tissue banks are maintained everywhere and it would be irresponsible to throw the tissue away.

BASH: Meanwhile Jeb Bush is still trying to answer questions about his brother's controversial policies, like torture of terror suspects, something President Obama stopped immediately after taking office.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTAL CANDIDATE: I do think in general that torture is not appropriate. It's not as effective and the change of policy that my brother did, and then was put into executive order form by the president, was the proper thing to do.

BASH: And he's talking Iraq again. The question, if the U.S. had not invaded Iraq in the first place, would ISIS now be a problem?

BUSH: Who knows? I mean that's just such a, you know, complicated hypothetical. Who knows? I can't answer that. I'll tell you though, that taking out Saddam Hussein turned out to be a pretty good deal.

BASH: It's always been clear, that to be politically viable, Jeb Bush would have to convince voters that he is different from his brother. But over the past few months it's also become clear, how hard it is understandably so to do that personally for him.

Especial on controversial issues that are tough for George W. Bush. So Jeb Bush made one statement today that he hopes that people will take away, that he believes the country is safer because of his brother, and it's not just because he's a Bush. Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And it's worth pointing out, Republican Candidate Carly Fiorina has surged to the top tier of the polls and now she's taking on Hillary Clinton. In an editorial for CNN, the former Hewlett Packard executive blast the Democratic frontrunner. Fiorina says she is working hard to earn votes while Clinton believes

she's entitled to them. And you can read the full article at CNN.com. All right, well we have video now of an incredible rescue to show you out of eastern China.

A three-year old boy was left dangling after he fell out of a fourth floor apartment window. And you can see, he's hanging by his neck every he became stuck in the window's iron security bars. One man climbed up the side of the building to help.

Now eventually the boy's father was able to pull his son inside. Amazingly the three-year old was not seriously hurt. Unbelievable pictures there. Well more on our top story just ahead. The U.S. embassy reopening in Cuba. Hear from three U.S. Marines who took down the American flag 54 years ago.

Plus, good news in the campaign to adopt an abandoned disabled boy in China. We speak to the couple preparing to welcome him into their home. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. We do want to check the headlines for you this hour.

(HEADLINES)

CHURCH: The New York Times' Ernesto Londono, joins me now to talk about U.S./Cuba relations. Thank you so much for being with us. So let's start with Fidel Castro's defiant birthday message telling the United States, it owes Cuba millions of dollars.

And significantly his open letter fails to make any mention of the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana Friday and comes after diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored last month. So what are we to make of this, and what's in the timing of this letter?

ERNESTO LONDONO, NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER: Well the timing was certainly striking in the fact that he released this statement just the day Secretary Kerry's coming to Havana, was intended to send a message.

And I think the message he intended to say was, look, not everything has changed. There's still big issue that divide us. There are still deep grievances that we have that as a nation should not be forgotten.

I think what I read into that is, I think a lot of people in the old guard of the Cuban government system, are very apprehensive about what this change represents. The risk that this change represents to their ability to remain in control.

We've seen Cubans react ecstatically to this -- to this new era and to this change in policy, and I think the Cuban government and in particular, some of the older guard folks within the Cuban government are very scared about what that means for them. CHURCH: So on this money issue that Fidel Castro raises, and it's not the first time of course. Is he expecting it to be resolved in some way financially or is he just trying to make a point here?

LONDONO: Look, I think the Cuban government for years has been saying that the embargo has cost them an untold number of millions of dollars in damages.

On the other hand, the U.S. and American businessmen and Cuban Americans have been saying that the properties that the government nationalized after Fidel Castro took power cost them a fortune, and that they want to see some of that money back.

They want to see some of those land titles back. So this is a two-way dispute and both sides have been clamoring on this issue for a long time, and I think now that we're seeing a change, now that we're seeing these countries start to look at each other differently, starting to treat each other differently, you're going to see posturing in both ends of this argument.

I would be very surprised if either side gets any real traction. And these are very old grievances. These are very complicated grievances, and my best guess is at the end of day it will be a wash.

CHURCH: All right. We'll let's take a closer look now at the significance of the upcoming opening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana. For the first time of course, in 54 years, Friday's flag raising will signify the normalizing of ties between the two nations, so what changes are likely to come as a result of this move forward?

LONDONO: I think the most important change is that in long run it becomes harder each day for the Cuban government to credibly say that the United States is an enemy, and an enemy that everybody needs to band together to protect themselves from.

I think as the U.S. diplomatic mission starts operating like a normal embassy, and they can have more regular, routine contact with Cubans of all walks of life, Cuban officials, but also members of civil society, Cuban artists.

You know, as we see people manage to approach the U.S. Embassy, manage to approach U.S. Diplomats without being suspected of being traitors, without being accused of working against the best interest of the state, that will be a C (ph) change.

I don't think it will happen overnight, but I think the U.S. government is planting the seeds for this to happen in the long run. And I think we're already starting to see some pretty interesting steps in that direction.

CHURCH: All right. We'll be watching very carefully. Ernesto Londono, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

LONDONO: My pleasure.

CHURCH: And in 1961, three U.S. Marines lowered the American flag at the embassy in Cuba. They just didn't realize it would be the last time the ritual would be performed there for more than a half century.

Those same marines are now back in Havana and will watch as the stars and stripes flies over the embassy once again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: There's only three marines in the United States Marine Corp that took the flag down. There's only three marines that's going to watch it go back up. When we stepped out to lower the flag, we looked at the pole, we looked at the people, we looked at the pole.

And they just spread off the sidewalk. They knew we were going to go get the flag and they just got out of our way. All they wanted to do was get in and try to get a piece of it. Try to get out of the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: We knew it was closing up, but we had no idea as to all the particulars behind it. You know, as far as we -- I was concerned, it was sad day, turning that flag down for the last time. I made a lot of friends, you know, and a lot of good people that I met there. You know.

It's just something you didn't want it to happen but it happened.

Castro marks the second anniversary of his revolution with the biggest military parade ever staged in Cuba. Shortly afterwards, Castro demanded the United States Embassy drastically reduce its staff to 11 persons.

It was the last straw. President Eisenhower broke off diplomatic relations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: I didn't think, well I'll be going back down. No. Fifty-four years, you know, have a century, you kind of put it behind you but when someone calls and tells you, say look we're going back.

This one called me up and said, we're going to go to Cuba again, you know. I said, no. I didn't really think it was going to happen, but hey, I don't pinched myself, and I say, hey, we're here. You know, so we're on our way down.

It is my hope and my conviction that in the not too distant future, it will be possible for the historic friendship between us once again to find reflection in normal relations of every sort.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: We're going to watch the security guard detachments that's there put the flag back up, because that's their job now. They'll be protecting it, just like we did in our time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: God knows, there's going to be happy thoughts going through my mind, you know, to just see Old Glory go back over Cuba. It's going to be great.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: And I'm sure you'll all be watching. Well in just about three-and-a-half hours, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to deliver a statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. And we will bring it to you live, of course.

Well there's a lot of speculation about what Mr. Abe will say, especially after he pushed measures through parliament's lower house last month to allow Japan to send it's military on overseas missions.

According to the Japan Times, he plans to include the worlds apology and aggression in todays' speech. Previous Japanese leaders have apologized for Japan's war time action. China and South Korean have said, these statements did not go far enough.

Well they've raised the money and filed the paper work. Now an American couple hopes to soon adopt a special needs child from China named Jiajia. CNN first brought you his story several days ago. The boy was abandoned by his parents after a botched surgery left him paralyzed.

He's the oldest child at a home for children with disabilities. And our Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very, very hard to find a family for Jiajia. We waited for nine years. He waited nine years.

RIPLEY: A family that promised to adopt him backed out. Many of his friends found homes and moved away. Now finally, an American family is filing paper work to adopt Jiajia.

Dad, mom, three sisters and grandparents. Wow, that's a big family. The Wilson's from the Kansas City area are trying to raise $36,000 in adoption costs.

JIAJIA: (CHINESE SPOKEN).

RIPLEY: If I have parents, he says, I can live. I can have a life. Jiajia's new life is still likely months away. An eternity for a young boy who's been waiting nine years for a family. Suddenly no more words, only tears.

Pain felt by far too many children. Abandoned. Desperate to find parents, to have homes, to be loved. Will Ripley, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: An incredible story and what a family. So heartwarming to know that Jiajia will be joining his new family, hopefully soon. A little while ago his adoptive father, Brian Wilson, told my colleague Michael Holmes why Jiajia is so special to them. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN WILSON, ADOPTIVE FATHER: Jiajia just -- he really touched a special place in our heart. There's a family -- friend of ours that they adopted Jiajia's best friend, and that's how we got to know him, and you know, as soon as we met him, he just -- there was something -- something about him that just really touched us. God told us that was our son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And what about this. The Wilson's have now surpassed their fund raising goal, thanks to a Go Fund Me page. It's raised more than $46,000 in just a few days, and they plan to donate any extra funds to other families who wish to adopt. Great story there.

Well now to a case that has stunned Paraguay. And 11-year old girl, who allegedly was raped by her step-father has given birth to a baby girl. The infant was born by C-section yesterday and doctors say mother and child are doing well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO VILLABA, PARAGUAYAN RED CROSS DIRECTOR: A baby girl weighing three kilos, 50 grams was born without any complications or external anomalies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: She's a very strong person. Emotionally she's doing very well, and seems to understand everything that is happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The step-father is now in jail. He is charged with rape and abuse of a child. He insists he's innocent though. The girl's mother faces charges of child neglect.

The forecasters say this year's El Nino could be a record breaker. Coming up, a detailed look at the system that could impact weather all around the world. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. In Pakistan, seven militants have been sentenced to death for attacks that killed more than 100 people. Authorities say the militants were involved in a horrific massacre at an Army run school in Peshawar last December.

That Taliban assault killed 145 people. Most of them school children. After the attack, Pakistan lifted a seven year moratorium on executions.

A new report predicts the months ahead may bring the worst El Nino on record. For more on what to expect, here's our Meteorologists, Derek Van Dam. So Derek, what are the worst areas across the globe that are likely affected?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEROLOGIST: Well, it can range anywhere from the draught in California, to the brush fires in Australia and the heavy rain events across South America. But I think it's important Rosemary, that we start with what is El Nino, first and foremost. It is simply put, the warming of the eastern Pacific waters. The term El Nino actually came from fishermen who were seeking their annual harvest of cold water fish, right around the Christmas time.

And when their nets were filling up with those mackerels, well they were getting disappointed, and they started to name the warming of the ocean water with El Nino. And if you directly translate that from Spanish to English that means the child, or the Christ child, again coinciding with Christmas time.

Under normal conditions we would have our trade winds across the equator blow from, the eastern portions of the Pacific to the western pacific. But this has been far from an average season. In fact, El Nino allows for the trade winds to relax, or ease.

So what this does, is it takes the warm pool of ocean water, which is typically over the western Pacific. And it starts to move it gradually towards the east. And it takes the convection, or thunderstorms, or southwest monsoon that typically impacts sought East Asia, along with it.

I've got some hard evidence to prove my point here as well. Take a look at this. Anywhere you see that shading red, right off the west coast of South America and into North America. That is above normal sea surface temperatures, and that's exactly what we've been experiencing over the past several months.

Now we've studied this phenomena for several years. In fact records date back to 1950. So let's compare this to the last strong El Nino. Which is you recall was back in 1997 to 1998. That's when we had roughly $43 billion U.S. Dollars attributed to this strong El Nino.

Over 2300 fatalities, unfortunately. That's when set record water temperatures of 2.3 Celsius above where we should be, and projections, actually expect water temperatures to warm even further than that this particular year. We've got a long way to do.

This is going to have major impacts, on again, a drought in California. But look at that Rosemary, 71 inches to make up for that big deficit.

CHURCH: Unbelievable. And no, we'll keep a very close eye on that, Derek. Many thinks.

VAN DAM: Thanks Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God, he's going to eat the boat. Wow. It's like he wants the bag and I than off he may. Wow you are looking at incredible video of two teenagers assisting a wale in Sidney Harbor in Australia.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: The gentle giant swam next to their fishing bolt and tangled in a fishing line and some track. And it seems in its own way, the whale asked the teams to help to get out of the sticky situation. The teens removed the debris and the whale slapped it's fin in apparent gratitude.

Well the movers have been sent to Sesame street. The legendary Children's Show and all its famous residents find a new home they're new address just ahead.

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CHURCH: Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street. Just tune into HBO. The beloved children's show is moving to the U.S. cable network this fall, under a five year deal. The nonprofit group that makes the show, Sesame workshop has moving money lately. But the move to pay TV will give it more cash.

Well his face is always everywhere and now we are seeing more people impersonate the most out spoken candidate for U.S. President. Jimmy Fallon, Rosie O'Donnell and even a baby in his high chair are getting in on the action. Jeanne Moos reports.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Everybody's doing Donald. Not that Donald. The Donald.

JIMMY FALLON: I was fantastic. The rating were huge.

MOOS: And we're not just talking professional comedians like Kyle Dunnigan.

KYLE DUNNIGAN, PROFESSIONAL COMEDIAN: Gandhi? Loser. Mother Teresa? Idiot. Jesus Christ? Hippy loser.

MOOS: Non-comedians likewise, can't resist doing Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rosie's a loser. She's been a loser for a long time.

MOOS: Even presidential candidate, Rand Paul made a lame effort at imitation.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I just be smart. I'm rich.

MOOS: While actor Brian Cranston barely bothered with the voice.

BRYAN CRANSTON, PROFESSIONAL ACTOR: I actually like his candor. You're an idiot. I'm a winner. You're a loser.

MOOS: One of the memorable trump impressions actually helped fuel the Rosie/Donald feud.

ROSIE O'DONNELL, PROFESSIONAL COMEDIAN: Did you ever see his hair, looking going everywhere. Everyone deserves a second chance.

MOOS: Impersonators have even posted how to videos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you always see those bottom teeth. Those bottom front teeth. He's always --

MOOS: Some limit themselves to the Donald's face.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Max, make your Donald Trump face.

MOOS: But Donald doesn't seem to mind being imitated. He's even mentioned a couple of impersonators he finds funny. For instance, Darrel Hammond.

DARRELL HAMMOND, PROFESSIONAL COMEDIAN: I'll tell you who would be a loser on any team. That sasquatch Rosie O'Donnell.

MOOS: Trump also likes Frank Caliendo.

FRANK CALIENDO: I'm so excited. I think my hair just moved, really.

MOOS: While Conan chose impersonator John Di Domenico.

JOHN DI DOMENICO, PROFESSIONAL IMPERSONATOR: I'm Donald Trump, to do a voice over on a bit featuring the Donald Trump ovulation kit.

MOOS: But this baby's a winner after being egged on to give Donald Trump lip.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Got to get used to it. He's not going anywhere just yet. Well Air New Zealand has teamed up with the national rugby team for its latest quirky safety video.

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CHURCH: That will get people watching, right. The spoof of the '90s movie, Men In Black, features players and coaches from the team. There's even a cameo from England's World Cup Winning Captain, Marty Johnson. And that's for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.

Another two hours of NEWSROOM starts now, with my colleague, Natalie Allen. You're watching CNN.