Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Tide of Migrants Pours into Germany and Austria; Iran Nuclear Agreement Looks Every Bit Like a Done Deal; Pope is calling on Catholic institutions across Europe; Interview with John Barrowman. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 07, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Rosemary Church, this is CNN NEWSROOM.

Fear and desperation is giving way to safety and hope for thousands of migrants. More than 12,000 people have made their way to Germany. Thousands more are in Austria, waiting to make that final leg of their long, dangerous journey into Germany. Relief workers in Austria are providing them with food, clothing and encouragement.

Those inside Germany are also receiving warm greetings and support. The leaders of both Germany and Austria are warning that all this support is simply unsustainable. They say the level of aid will be pulled back. CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Vienna, Austria with more.

So Fred, talk to us about the situation with the migrants and the refugees. And also, we're hearing from Australian and German leaders that this isn't sustainable and yet we see so many volunteers, so many people from those countries who want to help these refugees and migrants.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You're absolutely right Rosemary. There has certainly been an outpouring of support. And you know, we really saw some great scenes here at the Vienna West train station yesterday and also this morning.

You know, this place here at Vienna West was really a focal point of the effort to help these refugees get from Hungary to Germany, where most of them want to go. Many of them crossed the Hungarian border into Austria into a little town called Nicosia and then all of them are brought here to Vienna West.

And actually, what you see behind is one of those special trains that the Austrian Railway company has put into service to help transport these people, then on to Munich. And yesterday was really one of the main days for people pouring here.

This place was absolutely packed. There were an immense amount of people trying to help. Let's have a look at how that day unfolded. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Hundreds of refugees are still pouring here into the railway station in Vienna. Many of them with their children and all of them of course, looking to complete that very difficult journey that they have undertaken.

Now what the authorities here have done is they've designated this platform here for trains, for the refugees. What we're seeing here also is an outpouring of support from the Austrian population. As many people bringing food, bringing water and just helping these people along.

We've spoken to some of the refugees. And they've told us about the difficult journey that they've had to make it to here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): From Hungary, we went through a torture. We walked a 110 kilometers with the children. They didn't allow us to take cars or trains. The government fooled us, but the people are very nice. We arrived here safely and we are comfortable here and we like the people and the government of Austria.

PLEITGEN: One of the things that's extremely important to speed up the process and just make everything work more efficient is, that they have a lot of people here who speak the local languages of the refugees. You have people who speak Farsi, Dari, a lot of people who speak Arabic.

Because for the refugees also, it's important for them to know the process. It's important for them to know what will come next. What will happen when they get to Munich? How do they get on the trains best? That is something that is very, very key to making this whole process work.

Now, one of the things that we have to keep in mind is that things are going very well here at the Vienna train station, but Europe is still facing a major challenge in dealing with the tens of thousands of people who have already come here. I spoke earlier with the spokesperson for the UNHCR, Melissa Fleming. And she says that Europe needs to find a common approach to make all of this work.

MELISSA FLEMING, SPOKESPERSON FOR UNHCR: UNHCR has suggested for example, big reception registration centers in Greece and Italy and then Hungary, run by the E.U., supported by UNHCR, where people could go there and register. And if they are refugees, they could be distributed and relocated to all different countries in Europe.

PLEITGEN: Now of course as these thousands of people come here to Europe, the material aid that they get from the folks here in Austria, in Germany, that's something that's important for them: the food, the water, the toys for the children.

But in many ways, what we find, what's even more important to a lot of these people is to be received here with a smile and to be welcomed and shown that they have a chance to integrate here in Europe and possibly start a new life. (END VIDEOCLIP)

PLEITGEN: And of course, Rosemary, this situation is very difficult both for Germany and for Austria and both of those countries have said, that's it's not going to be sustainable in the long run. They're obviously calling for other European countries to take in more refugees as well.

They are thinking of calling for an emergency E.U. Summit to try and get some sort of way to get other countries to take in more migrants as a way of distributing them to other countries as well.

Now, the Austrians have also said that in light of the fact that they were actually able to move so many of the refugees through Austria this weekend, they are going to be stopping these emergency measures.

Which means that, for instance, the emergency trains are going to stop running, simply because, they say, that at this point, the situation is starting to get under control for them. But of course, they do know that the flow of people is not going to stop coming. That this is not going to be the problem that's going to go away, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Indeed. We're certainly seeing that all the heavy lifting being done by Austria and Germany. Frederick Pleitgen reporting there live from Vienna, Austria. Many thanks to you.

And for many of these migrants, Germany is their final destination. The country has a robust economy, a strong democracy and a history of taking in those in need. In fact, a new poll shows the majority of Germans are willing to donate money, clothing and time to the migrants. And senior international correspondent, Atika Shubert, has been in Munich where the migrants are being processed and she joins me live.

And Atika, we're seeing a similar situation there in Germany and even more so where so many volunteers, so many people from the German population, want to help and volunteer their time. It is extraordinary. But at the same time, we hear from the German leadership, that this is not sustainable.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what the German leadership has made clear is that this is very much a temporary solution so far. In fact, we just learned that we do expect to hear from German Chancellor, Angela Merkle, in about an hour and a half. There will be a press conference.

We'll stay on top of that for you. In the meantime, this is Munich station and right now, it's quiet, but up until late last night, we still saw hundreds of people coming in off of every train, refugees from Syria, but also Afghanistan and any number of countries.

And the process is, they register inside the station. Then, they line up here, they get medical checks. And often, they're either bused or taken by train to temporary shelters. And you're absolutely right. We've seen 150 volunteers here, we've seen crowds of people coming in to applaud the refugees when they get off the trains. Give them sweets, snacks.

Children also coming to give toys to other children who are coming off the train. So, it has been a very welcoming atmosphere. Having said that however, there is tension here still in Germany. I have to point out that very early this morning in the small town of Rothenberg, on Necar (ph), there was an arson attack on a refugee shelter.

It damaged about 50 of these container homes and none of them are usable now. There were about 80 refugees living in that shelter. And these kinds of arson attacks do happen on an almost daily basis here.

So while much of the German public is here in support of the refugees, you do see these flashpoints. And there is concern by German politicians that you will start to see those tensions rise the more refugees come in.

CHURCH: Yes, that is certainly a big concern. Atika Shubert joining us there from Munich, Germany. Many thanks to you. And apologies for some audio issues we had there.

But a substantial percentage of the refugees now flooding Europe are from Syria, the country has lost millions of its citizens since the uprising against the Assad regime began more than four years ago.

Back in 2011, Syria's population was estimated to be 22.4 million people. Well, since then, at least 7.6 million have been internally displaced, meaning they have fled their homes but stayed in the country.

Another four million have fled Syria altogether, most going to neighboring countries, including Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in the continuing war and that leaves about 10.6 million Syrians, roughly half the population, remaining where they were four years ago.

While refugees continue to stream out of Syria, the Kremlin is allegedly moving military hardware in. U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the weekend.

Washington is expressing concern about reports Moscow is moving military infrastructure into the war-torn country to support its ally, the al-Assad regime. Kerry's message to his Russian counterpart: if this is true, it will only make the misery worse.

Well, for more, let's bring in senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, he joins us now, live from Moscow.

So Matthew, explain to us, what we know about what is possibly happening here.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, first of all the reports that we're referring to are unconfirmed. They've been denied by the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin, speaking on Friday, the Russian president saying it's premature to speak of any kind of Russian engagement that militarily -- in Syria, against Islamic State. Nevertheless, social media has been, you know, full of reports of Russia stepping up its military presence there. Those reports, giving more credibility - more credibility, by the fact that John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, articulated them and voiced his concern to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Friday, talking about, as you mentioned, how if they're true, these reports could lead to all sorts of complications, including escalating the conflict, the greater loss of innocent life and increased refugee flows which is obviously very pertinent to the situation at the moment.

But also, a concern expressed by John Kerry, that if the Russians are there and if they do bolster the Syrian army, that could lead to an unwanted confronted between the anti-ISIS coalitions over there, of course, led by the United States and Turkey, who are carrying out airstrikes on IS positions.

And so that's a big concern as well. That that would not be able to continue or at least it would complicate that process. And so, if it's true and again, we haven't had any confirmation yet that it is, it could be an important development in the Syrian civil war. It would obviously be something that would be dangerous for reasons I just mentioned.

But it could also be decisive as well, because if the Russians do intervene on the side of the Syrian army, which is at the moment, somewhat on the back foot when it comes to its military progress. That could shift the military balance. It could bolster the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and it may even turn the tide against the rebels.

CHURCH: All right. Matthew Chance keeping a very close eye on that story from Moscow. Many thanks to you.

And in an exclusive interview with our Becky Anderson, Turkey's president weighed in on the situation in Syria. He says there has never been international resolve to deal with the so-called tyrant ruling of Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY: This is of course a result of being a mere spectator to all the developments in Syria and all the developments in Iraq. And intervention in Syria was not wanted since the beginning. Syria is led by a tyrant and this tyrant has always been protected.

What we have to do to move him out of there was never thought about. I always talked about this with our friends. They are things Russia should do. They are things Iran should do. They are all countries that are supporting them.

Daesh's biggest supporter right now is the regime. And those who make an effort to keep this regime standing are the ones who carry this responsibility. Why do they feel themselves in debt to Assad? We are facing a Syria that is destroyed, burned and its own people wiped out.

They are still trying to support such a Syrian president who supports a separatist, terror organization. I've talked to them about this. I've told them, this cannot go on. I told them, come withdraw your support, remove your hand and you'll (ph) fall in 24 hours.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: And Turkey believes the establishment of a terror-free zone within Syria is still one of the most viable ways of fighting ISIS and President al-Assad.

Well, it looks like the Iran nuclear deal has enough pass in the U.S. conquest but the decision was not an easy one for some Democrats. Coming up here on CNN, an emotional moment from one politician.

Plus, former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, is serving up her opinion about the 2016 presidential race and she's got her eye on a cabinet position in one Republican's potential administration.

And a Kentucky woman jailed for refusing to approve same-sex marriage licenses, is appealing the charge against her. That story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERICAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. The Iran nuclear agreement looks every bit like a done deal since U.S. President Barack Obama secured enough support in Congress last week to side with him. Should Republicans to block the agreement?

The head of Democratic National Committee told CNN her choice to back the agreement was not automatic. Debbie Wasserman Schultz got choked up as she talked about how important the decision was for her as a Jewish woman.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are a lot of constituents of yours, there are a lot of Jews who are going to say, you sold out Israel. And what are you going to say to them?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D) FLORIDA: You know, I'm the first Jewish woman to represent Florida in Congress. I'm a Jewish mother. And I wrote an op-ed today that's in the Miami Herald, one of my hometown papers, that talks about my Jewish heart and how important this was to me, that as a Jewish mother, that we have a concept of lador (ph) vador (ph), from generation to generation.

There's nothing more important to me as a Jew to ensure that Israel's existence is there throughout our generations. And I am confident that the process I've gone through to reach this decision is one that will ensure that Israel will be there forever. It is the homeland of my people. I'm an American citizen and I believe fervently in protecting America's national security interests. And there is no way that we would be able to ensure that better than

approving this deal and ensuring that Iran is not ever able to get access to nuclear weapons and that we can shift our focus with the rest of the world, on going after their terrorist ambitions.

And most importantly, I had the privilege of talking with President Obama last night, who assured me, that as we move forward and discuss with Israel, the enhanced security package that will absolutely be essential for us to provide to Israel, as well as ensure that we tighten our ability to enforce this deal, that I'll be a part of a group of members of Congress that will be working with him and his administration on that. That's critical for me.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: As we heard, though Schultz expressed she is satisfied, the nuclear deal will ensure Iran will be years away from being a nuclear state and the U.S. can now focus more on their terrorist activity.

On NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, former secretary of state, Colin Powell, also said he's in favor of the deal. Powell's support didn't go unnoticed at the White House, with Mr. Obama expressing his thanks to the former secretary in a tweet.

Well now, to the 26th day in race for the White House, new polls on the democratic front, showing Bernie Sanders overtaking Hillary Clinton in the key state of New Hampshire. The Vermont Senator is leading Clinton by nine points according to a new NBC Marist poll. Sanders credits the growing support to his stats and economic issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a very specific set of ideas and programs that take on the billionaire class and say, you know what? Enough is enough. This country belongs to all of us and not a handful of billionaires.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, on the Republican side of things, neurosurgeon Ben Carson is gaining ground on frontrunner Donald Trump in Iowa. Trump is still leading in the state but only by seven points. Jeb Bush has lost roughly half his support since July. Senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, has more.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPODENT: A new poll shows that Bernie Sanders is continuing to hold his advantage over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, holding a 9 point lead over Hillary Clinton. This is pretty remarkable for this Democratic, socialist Senator from Vermont. Of course, it's next door to New Hampshire and he's well-known there, but still so striking given Hillary Clinton's command over this campaign.

Now, here in Iowa, where's she campaigning today, she does have a lead over Bernie Sanders, but that lead has dropped from 24 points in July to only 11 points now. Almost cut in half here. So, Hillary Clinton knows that she has her work cut out for her here over the next five months before the all-important Iowa caucuses that start this presidential campaign.

And on the republican side of this field, Donald Trump is still leading in New Hampshire and in Iowa. This new NBC Marist poll shows, he is still in command of this race in both states. But the coming on strong is Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who has been campaigning so much in Iowa, he's appealing to even evangelical Republicans, those Christian conservatives who are so important in any republican primary campaign where voters are clearly sending the signal that they are looking for anyone but a politician, an anti-establishment figure.

That's why Donald Trump and Ben Carson, coming on so strong in Iowa.

CHURCH: Jeff Zeleny, reporting from Iowa there. And candidate Trump is already looking ahead to President Trump and who might make up his first cabinet. He says he will seek out great minds like former vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, possibly as secretary of energy. On CNN, Palin hinted at the jobs that she would like, adding, she wouldn't have it for long because she would scrap the department and give responsibility back to the states.

She also defended Donald Trump after he was caught last week not knowing the names of many prominent world figures. He said they were just gotcha questions and Palin seemed to agree, saying the U.S. needs a strong leader, not someone who's good at Trivial Pursuit.

She also backed Trump after he said his republican rival, Jeb Bush, should lead by example and stop speaking Spanish.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

SARAH PALIN, (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF ALASKA: It's a benefit of Jeb Bush to be able to be able to be so fluent in Spanish because we have a large and wonderful Hispanic population that, you know, is helping to build America. On the other hand, you know, I think we can send a message of saying, you want to be in America, A: you better be here legally, or you're out of here. B: when you're here, let's speak American.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: Palin also plans to be part of a rally in Washington this week, protesting the Iran nuclear deal.

Well lawyers for the woman at the center of a fight over same-sex marriage licenses in the U.S. state of Kentucky, are appealing the contempt charge against her. U.S. county clerk, Kim Davis, was jailed last week by a U.S. district judge for refusing to issue the licenses as required by her job.

She says same-sex marriage is against her religious beliefs. The lawyers argue the judge in the case has not yet entered a written order, despite Davis already being incarcerated, and some Republicans agree.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a check and balance system. Do we have three equal branches or do we have one supreme branch, not just the Supreme Court. That's the fundamental question.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: On Friday, the first same-sex couple in that county was issued a license by a deputy clerk.

Well, a man from the U.S. state of Minnesota who killed the famed lion, known as Cecil, says he's ready to get back to work. Walter Palmer killed the lion in July during a hunt in Zimbabwe and has taken a lot of criticism for it. On Sunday, Palmer did a joint interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Associated Press.

He told them he plans to reopen his dental practice on Tuesday and he reiterated the hunt was legal in Africa and that he needs to get back to his life, saying quote, "I am a health professional. I need to get back to my stuff and my patients, and they want me back. That's why I'm back."

The Pope is calling on Catholic institutions across Europe to offer shelter to thousands of refugees and the Vatican is leading the way. The details, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to have you with us in the United States and all around the world. This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church and it is of course, time to check the main stories that we have been following.

The July 31st arson attack against a Palestinian family in the West Bank has now claimed a third victim, a toddler. The child's father and now the mother have now all died from their injuries after the firebombing of their home, blamed on suspected Jewish extremists. The family's four year old boy is the only survivor and remains in the hospital.

It looks like Guatemala's presidential election is headed for a runoff. Officials there are tabulating Sunday's vote and none of the fourteen candidates is expected to win. The 50 percent plus one needed to secure the presidency. Last week, former President, Otto Perez Molina resigned over a bribery scandal and he's currently in custody.

Leaders from Austria and Germany are warning that they will have to scale back aid for the migrants streaming into their countries. Government workers and volunteers have offered food and clothing to the migrants. More than 12,000 of them over just the last two days. But officials say that level of support is not sustainable.

Well, Pope Francis is calling on the tens of thousands of Catholic churches and monasteries across Europe to open their doors and take in refugees. His request came Sunday during an address in St. Peter's square. He says the Vatican will host two refugee families in the coming days. The Pope also encouraged every religious community to show mercy.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, CATHOLIC CHURCH (via translator): Faced with the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing death from war and from hunger and who are on the road in the hope of a better life, the gospel calls us and asks us to show solidarity to the smallest and the abandoned and to give them a real hope.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: And we turn now to CNN's Vatican correspondent, Delia Gallagher. She joins us live from Rome. And Delia, again, we see Pope Francis leading the charge, this time, calling on families, not only Catholic families, but all institutions and beyond that, other religious groups, to play a role here.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: That's right Rosemary. And the Pope says he will start in his own backyard. The Pope has two parish churches at the Vatican. One of them is St. Peter's Basilica. The other is a small church called St. Ann's just inside the gates of the Vatican and he says that each of those parishes will host one family.

I spoke to the Vatican spokesperson, Father Lombardi, yesterday, who said that those families may not necessarily stay inside the Vatican, that they could be hosted in the homes of other families who attend Mass at the Vatican parishes. Because the Pope's appeal was not just to priests who run the churches but to the whole parish community, to welcome the refugees.

You know, there are some 120,000 parishes across Europe, and that's not including the monasteries, the covenants and the religious institutions that the Pope has called upon and in some of those parishes, it's already underway that they have been welcoming immigrants for some time now.

In Milan for example, the Catholic church there has opened up some 900 places for immigrants. In Vienna, another 1,000 have been identified for refugee families. So, obviously the Vatican's hope for the Pope's appeal is that Catholic institutions across Europe will heed the Pope's call.

There is no specific plan the Vatican spokesman told me, for the Pope's appeal. But they hope that everyone will adhere to it.

Rosemary?

CHURCH: And Delia, how significant is this? How many times in the past, going back over papal history, have we seen a pope take such a stand, particularly here in a refugee migrant crisis situation?

GALLAGHER: Well, the Vatican has always had an attention towards migrants. They have an office for immigration and migration which pays specific attention to these issues throughout the year. And of course, they also have Catholic groups that work on the front lines, offering food, health care, water and so on for immigrants throughout the world.

John Paul II in 2004 made a similar appeal that religious institutions open their doors to immigrants. Of course, now with this kind of explosion in Europe of immigrants from the Middle East and from Africa, obviously, Pope Francis' appeal has a special kind of echo.

And indeed, coming from a Pope who is an immigrant himself, his parents immigrated to Argentina. He has kind of a special place, as we know, in this pontificate and in his heart for the plight of refugees.

CHURCH: CNN's Vatican correspondent, Delia Gallagher, reporting there live from Rome. Many thanks to you. And of course, as the charity and support pours out in Germany and Austria, there are questions about the Gulf states. Many of the migrants comes from nations close to the Persian Gulf countries, but as Becky Anderson reports, the oil- rich Gulf States have offered very little in the way of refuge.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exhausted and drained, but determined to make it. Most are marching towards Germany, where they are being welcomed with open arms. The majority are Syrian and have travel thousands of miles in search of a better life, often paying the ultimate price. And now, questions being raised about why these people fleeing war couldn't find suitable refuge closer to home, namely, in rich, Arab Gulf countries that can afford to house them.

The uproar has gained momentum in social media. Images like these were widely circulated, with hashtags such as welcoming Syria's refugees is a Gulf duty, calling on leaders to do more. And the U.N. has voiced its concerns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that is why we have been asking that not only the borders of the region are open, but that all other borders, special in the developed world, are also open. And this is true in Europe; it is true in the Gulf. It's true everywhere, where countries have the capacity to receive some Syrians and to integrate them into their societies.

ANDERSON: There are more than 4 million Syrian refugees in the region. But according to Amnesty International, six Gulf countries haven't offered any resettlement locations to the refugees. They have been getting money though and lots of it. Since the war broke out, Q8 alone has donated to almost a $1 billion to the U.N. to help Syrians, making it the fifth largest donor worldwide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But there is a lot that the Arab Gulf states have done that has not been recognized by the international community. I don't think anybody, any country, any state, have helped the Syrian refugees, more so than the Arab Gulf states.

ANDERSON: But Gulf countries don't recognize refugees as they're not signatories to the 1951 refugee convention. So anyone who wants to enter has to meet standard visa requirements, which tens of thousands of Syrians do. And there are security concerns about hosting large populations from Arab states.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Having refugees also feeds into ISIS appeal and it feeds into the violences in the region, which is already, you know, the most violent region on earth. So all in all, anything that goes in the neighborhood impacts the security and the stability of that of Gulf estates who are, by far, the most stable and the most secure, of all Arab countries.

ANDERSON: We have spoken to officials here in the UAE, who say that they have given almost a half $1 billion, citing their efforts to help Syrians in Jordan and in Iraq as examples. For the moment, it seems the money will continue, but the doors are staying closed. Becky Anderson, CNN. Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: And we will take a very short break here. But still to come, we have new details in the case of the 43 missing students in Mexico. Why the country is launching a new investigation into the key claim about their disappearance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The families of 43 missing colleges students are demanding a meeting with Mexico's president, after a new report concluded there is no evidence the students were burned at landfill last year after they disappeared. Mexican officials announced on Sunday, that they will launch a new investigation. Nick Valencia has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Mexican government says it will launch a new investigation into the disappearance of 43 college students in the state of Guerrero, Mexico last year, after a freshly released independent investigation found inconsistencies in the government's official account. The new report, released by the Intra- commission on Human Rights, included investigators from Latin America and Europe.

The report goes on to say that there were contradictions in the government's findings, including casting doubt on why the students were targeted. The government said the attacks were a case of mistaken identity. But this report says that not only did the federal police and state police know that the students were there, but they did nothing to intervene when local police shot the unarmed civilians.

Government says also that police thought the students perhaps were rival cartel members. The independent report cast doubt on that, saying that more likely, this vicious attack was due to students inadvertently hijacking a bus linked to the movement of drugs and cash in the city. Late Sunday, the Mexican government's attorney general's office posted a press conference responding to this report. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to the information regarding the specific findings of the ashes in the Coachella landfill, I have ordered an additional investigation about the fire regarding the absolute necessity of a new investigation with the highest level of investigators who have the experience needed for an issue of this magnitude.

For this reason, we will request a new investigation led by a group of forensic investigators of the highest prestige.

VALENCIA: Also on Sunday, Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, took to Twitter to say thank you to the investigators from the independent Intra-commission on Human Rights and also says that the Mexican government is now looking into it. Nick Valencia. CNN. Atlanta.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: A powerful storm is dumping heavy rain over Japan and there is more on the way. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is joining us now with more on that. How bad is this likely to be?

(WEATHER HEADLINES)

CHURCH: All right. Thank you so much Allison, appreciate it.

Well, from the stage to the small screen, actor John Barrowman has gained a legion of fans across the world. And he and his sister Carol, are big fans of CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

JOHN BARROWMAN, ACTOR: Good evening everybody, I'm John Barrowman and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I'm going to need that to stop, cause it's my show...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No it's not. It's Scottish. Start my show (ph).

BARROWMAN: CNN International.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scottish...

(END VIDEOCLIP) CHURCH: And he joins me right here on CNN after this short break.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Now, if you happen to be wondering the streets of downtown Atlanta this weekend, you could have been forgiven for thinking you had entered a parallel universe.

About 50,000 sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming enthusiasts invaded the city for the annual Dragoncon and the costumes they bought with them were an attraction in themselves, but the event also attracts some famous faces from the big and small screens.

Among them, this man, John Barrowman. His TV exploits have earned him no shortage of fan boys and fan girls. He himself is a fan boy of CNN NEWSROOM and decided to pay us a visit. Let's take a look at the moment on the BBC hit, "Doctor Who", when Barrowman first caught the viewing public's attention.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Add some and bottom.

That's not bad. There's a time and a place. Look, shouldn't we be off?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry old man, I've got to go meet a girl. But you've got an excellent bottom too.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CHURCH: And John Barrowman joins me now. It is a pleasure and a thrill to have you here in CNN studios.

BARROWMAN: Thank you very much, I'm very excited.

CHURCH: Thank you. Now we want to talk about your character. BARROWMAN: Yes.

CHURCH: Captain Jack Harkness, who you played back in 2005 on "Doctor Who".

BARROWMAN: Correct.

CHURCH: And it was such a special role, wasn't it. As an omnisexual character, quite a turning point for that show. Talk to us about the impact of that.

BARROWMAN: Well, the impact that it was the first time an openly gay man was playing a character, a hero on television in this big sci-fi drama that was then reaching out worldwide to many, many different countries.

And we weren't apologizing about the character being what they called on the show in the sci-fi world, omnisexual. But basically he was a ground-breaking character and it was nice to have this character as a hero because not many people in that position are portrayed as heroes.

There's always -- they're either the funny guy. Or they're the funny girl. Or they're somebody that is looked upon, as you know, being a little bit on the -- well shall we say, the not so nice end of things. And this guy was a hero. And it was really great.

It was ground-breaking. It changed attitude for gay and lesbian and bisexual and transgender people all over the world because they were looking at someone who they could actually identify with which was really, really awesome.

CHURCH: Yes, that's incredible. And of course, as you've mentioned, you know, you've worked as a gay activist.

Yes.

CHURCH: You were an author, a singer a dancer.

BARROWMAN: Yep.

CHURCH: An actor of course, a comedian. And you have an MBE.

BARROWMAN: I do.

CHURCH: Now, tell us about that.

BARROWMAN: Well, MBE, it was given to me for my service to entertainment and also to charity. And, you know, you mentioned the vast array of things that I've been doing. When I got the letter and I opened it up in my manager's office and I looked at it. Well, actually, my manager looked at it first and he started going, he went, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

And I said, what's wrong? Did something happen to someone? And he said, no no, you're getting an MB! And I said, what have I done? What have I done?

CHURCH: What have I done to deserve it?

BARROWMAN: What have I done to deserve it, really? And he said, well let's you know , and I -- we looked at everything and you know, I thought, it's the biggest honor and something that I'm exceptionally proud of that you can be given by, you know, the United Kingdom and the Queen and it's -- I was really bowled over.

I took the three most important people in my life to the ceremony, to Buckingham Palace, my mom and my dad and my husband, Scott. And when I walked out in front of the -- it's the throne room you go in to get the award and I walked out, and I thought, I just got to look at them.

And so I looked over at the three of them all sitting there, beaming and looking at me. And it was one of the most memorable and I shall say, proudest moments of my career thus far.

CHURCH: Yes, it's very cool. And you mentioned the charity work. You've done a lot of stuff with animals but also, you are helping a young boy who has cerebral palsy aren't you?

BARROWMAN: Yes, yes. Well, Dewey (ph) James, sorry. Dowey (ph) James, he's from Pantacreed (ph) in Wales, you know, part of the United Kingdom and he's coming over to the U.S. and he was having trouble.

His family were having trouble paying for the flight. So I am taking care of the flight along with British Airways to bring him to the states to receive this operation. And it seems so simple. When I was doing my concert tour, his family approached me and they needed money for the operations. And so, on one of my evenings of my tour, about 3000 people, 4000 people in Wales, in Cardith (ph), they donated money.

We were able to get part of the operation paid for. It's a simple operation. When a child goes to his mother and says, why can't I walk like my brothers and sisters? And there's an operation that can do and fix it? You just get that kid the operation no matter what. So we're flying him over and he's going to get his operation with a lot physical, physiotherapy and a lot of work, he will be on his feet and will help this young man walk.

CHURCH: That is very cool indeed. And just before you go, any breaking news for us on Captain Jack, or of course, Malcolm Merlyn from "Arrow", we must not forget him.

BARROWMAN: No, well for all the Captain Jack fans, there's going to be some audio plays that are coming out and although Captain Jack might not be on your TV screens, he never goes away.

For Malcolm Merlyn, if you enjoyed season three of "Arrow", you're going to love season four. It's going to be like a nice little con ride that's going to shoot up in the air, going to throw you all off balance. And Malcolm will surprise you an awful a lot. I mean, there's - I can't tell you. I really can't tell you anything because I'll get in trouble.

CHURCH: Before you go, last line and best line from Captain Jack.

BARROWMAN: Well, he would say, the 21st century is when it all changes, and you've got to be ready.

CHURCH: So true. John Barrowman, thank you so much for joining us.

BARROWMAN: Thank you very much and it's a pleasure. I watch you all the time. One of the best new shows on the air.

CHURCH: We like that.

BARROWMAN: Yep. Love it.

CHURCH: Thank you.

BARROWMAN: Thank you.

CHURCH: He is such a wonderful person. Thank you so much for watching CNN, I am Rosemary Church. The EARLY START is coming up for our viewers in the U.S. and for our viewers elsewhere stay tuned for more from the CNN NEWSROOM. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)