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Pope Francis to Address Congress; Security Tight for Pope's Visit; E.U. Countries Pledge $1 Billion to Help Countries with Migrants; Chinese President in U.S., Says Secure Cyberspace Important; Chinese President to Meet with Obama; Mosque Bombing in Yemen Kills 29; Volkswagen CEO Quits Amid Crisis; Cyber Security Tops List in Obama, Xi Jinping Meeting; Young Saudi Arabian Man Sentenced to Beheading, Crucifixion; Bono Works to End Poverty in Africa. Aired 2- 3a ET
Aired September 24, 2015 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
[02:00:31] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Rosemary Church. We have breaking news for you. A bombing in a crowded mosque in Yemen's capital killed at least 29 people. Officials say that number could rise. The attack happened as wore shoppers attended prayers for the Muslim holiday. The mosque serves both. Ad no one claimed responsibility for the bombing. This is the sixth mosque attack in three months. We will continue to follow this story.
We go to Washington now where Pope Francis will soon be the first pontiff in history to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress. He will deliver that highly anticipated speech just hours from now. As part of his six-day tour of the U.S. on Wednesday, the pope did not hesitate to take side on a series of controversial issues as he toured Washington.
As CNN's Rosa Flores reports, it may be a sign of what's to come when the pope addresses Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Francis not holding back on his first full day in the United States. Hear this, tackling immigration, climate change, religious freedom, even canonizing the first Hispanic American saint in the basilica.
Today, he has another action-packed day. He starts off with a much anticipated speech before Congress. There, of course, we're wondering how Democrats and Republicans are going to react to what he says, especially after he has made some critical comments about capitalism, saying it is the dawn of the devil.
Now we know that Francis is not very comfortable in stuffy situations. He prefers to be with the regular man. What is he going to do? In very much Francis fashion, right after that, he meets with the homeless at catholic charities. Then he heads over to New York where he is going to speak before the United Nations. Another much anticipated speech there. He has been very critical of Christians, and so we are expecting that perhaps he is going to make some comments there. That could put countries in the hot seat, asking them perhaps to do a little more to help the refugees in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Of course, we don't know what Pope Francis is going to say. No one really knows. That is exactly who he is. We do know if he speaks off the cuff, these countries should prepare for a coming-to-Jesus moment.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: On Wednesday, Pope Francis canonized a controversial 18th century priest as a saint, the first such ceremony in the United States. To Francis, Junipero Serra was a Spanish missionary credited with spreading Christianity in California. To Native Americans, Serra was the man responsible for the mistreatment and brutal deaths of his ancestors as he converted their communities to his way of thinking. The pope met with Native Americans after Serra's canonization.
Pope Francis met with the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington on Wednesday. The Catholic News Agency reports the sisters filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration for its 2012 mandate that employers provide insurance for birth control and drugs that can cause abortions. The pope's visit was seen as a sign of support for the women.
Dozens of agencies are handling the pope's security detail, while he is in the United States.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick got an inside look at what's being done to protect the pope.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened in a split second, several people breaking from the crowd, one of them able to reach into the popemobile in Havana -- the sudden security breach, handled quickly by the pontiff's security detail -- underscores how high the stakes are and, how much greater they will be when the pope arrives in New York City to address some 170 world leaders, all with security details of their own.
Security will be tight in the air, on the rooftops, the waterways, the city streets. All eyes zeroed in on Pope Francis.
[02:05:09] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The implied threat is significant. Nobody wants to have a protectee go down on their watch. The United States Secret Service is coordinating 50 agencies in a massive security operation. For a two-day period from Thursday through Saturday, Pope Francis will visit six locations, all of which will be swept, secured, and locked down long before he arrives.
BILL GAGE, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: It's almost looks like a military operation. They're going to post this with agents. Officers kick everybody out and sweep for security threats. CHURCH: Bill Gauge, a former Secret Service agent who protected Pope
Benedict on this tour.
(on camera): You have balconies, rooftops, trees, what's not to say that somebody can simply hide in though areas, and wait?
GAGE: Each one of these buildings, someone from the service is going to visit and do an assessment. Do windows open out? Do windows open in? Do they even open? How do you get on the roof? Who controls roof access? There is also going to be plain-clothes agents as well as NYPD officers patrolling some roofs.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The NYPD will provide manpower, protect the city, coordinate street closures and, as in this drill, respond to potential attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- IED explosions. Again, reports of 48 DOA and 200 injured.
WILLIAM BRATTON, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: They're out there trying to kill us, the terrorists, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Islamic radicals. We need to be constantly mindful of that.
FEYERICK (on camera): Only ticketholders will get close enough to St. Patrick's Cathedral to get a glimpse of the pope. They will have to go through multiple security check points, including magnetometers, because there are so many buildings, so many pedestrians, there will be a fence and to ensure nobody slips through contraband like a weapon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fencing is used by the Secret Service routinely to, to -- identify those that have been screened versus those that haven't been screened.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Along with the joint operation center, every agency will have its own command post with teams monitoring intelligence, social media posts, and the comings and goings of people on various target lists. Surveillance cameras are posted throughout Manhattan. And radiation detector will be positioned at bridges and tunnels.
The FBI's most recent bulletin said there is no known threat surrounding events.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Colombia's government is taking a major step toward ending its 50-year war with leftist rebels. The two sides signed a peace commitment Wednesday in Havana, Cuba, aimed at reaching a final deal within six months.
FARC rebels have been fighting the government since the 1960s in a conflict that killed more than 200,000 people and forced millions from their homes. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN MANUEL SANTOS, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): We have reached an agreement on the basis of a judicial plan which allows me to say with conviction we will achieve maximum possible justice for the victims, the most satisfaction possible of their rights. We have agreed to create special tribunals for peace, that will guarantee the crime committed during the conflict, especially the most serious and significant, will have no impunity. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Pope Francis is getting some credit for the timing of the agreement. He made a final appeal to negotiators during his visit to Cuba on Sunday.
European Union leaders are pledging $1 billion to nations dealing with people fleeing the fighting in Syria. E.U. President Donald Tusk is predicting, quoting here, "The greatest tide of refugees and migrants is yet to come." Mr. Tusk announced the aid package at an emergency summit to discuss a proposed quota plan.
The U.N. Refugee Agency says, as of August, four million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries and North Africa. The agency and the World Food Program will use the aid money to help Lebanon, Jordan, and other countries in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN PRESIDENT (through translation): In the face of a big challenge, Europe can't say we cannot handle this. That would be wrong. That is why I always say we can do this. And Europe has the might to find sensible solutions. But that would mean that we have to become more active in foreign policy. We have to be more active when it comes to tackling the reasons for refugees to flee. I believe Europe is strong enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:09:55] CHURCH: Powerful words there from chancellor before she went into the emergency meeting in Brussels. In an hour, she will address the German parliament on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Europe and she faces criticism from state leaders and communities over a lack of funds to address the migrant crisis. We'll be covering that.
China's president will head to Washington today, on the latest leg of his U.S. visit. Xi Jinping addressed the Apple CEO and Facebook founder, among others. He told the executives a secure cyberspace is important around the world.
We have team coverage of President Xi's visit. Kristi Lu Stout has what is coming up at the White House.
But let's begin with Asia-Pacific editor, Andrew Stevens in Hong Kong.
Andrew, a lot to cover here, of course. Let's start with Mr. Xi's meeting with the big leaders of the tech sector and their concerns with cybersecurity and intellectual property rights. What came out of that conference, the big headlines if you like?
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: I don't think any concrete action came out of this one, Rosemary. Certainly, the Chinese president will be heading to Washington with his ears ringing from the criticism that many of the tech leaders did express about the U.S. and its access to the China markets. Discrimination against U.S. companies in China. There were two meetings, two key meetings. The first one held or put together by a former U.S. treasury secretary. And it really did get the big beasts from both the U.S. tech world and also the Chinese tech world, 30 executives in all sitting down together. Some of the big names there, getting together with Xi Jinping about, use in the tech sector of the U.S. and how it can play a bigger role, play a bigger part, grab a bigger slice if you look, of what its perhaps the world's most dynamic tech market, internet market. It is growing faster than any other. But there are massive problems there. The Americans complain about market access, about the fact that they are being discriminated against. They also complain obviously about hacking, intellectual property rights and cybersecurity in general.
Mr. Xi, for his part, was saying he wants U.S. companies to be able to compete on a more level playing field that. He has concerns himself and China has concerns about the level of cybersecurity. It really looks a little at this stage. Both talking past each other in the fact there is no key concrete steps being taken so far. We heard President Xi in his keynote address when he arrived in Seattle talking about wanting to set up a high level dialog to discuss cybersecurity a part from that. Nothing, nothing, has been delivered.
And it is interesting to note, a double-edged sword for the U.S. companies. China is such an important market. They have to tread fairly carefully. They don't want to antagonize China to the point where China will move on without them. They don't want to sell the crown jewels, company jewels by getting into the market. A difficult one. A lot of American executives making the position, making their, concerns, pretty clearly felt -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yeah, clearly still a lot to work through there.
Andrew Stevens, reporting there from Hong Kong. Many thanks to you.
Let's turn to Kristi Lu Stout, also in Hong Kong.
I want to take a look ahead here, of course. And, Kristi, China's president will have dinner with Mr. Obama tonight. Then they have the scheduled frank conversation Friday on cybersecurity. What's expected out of the meetings between the two leaders?
KRISTI LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're going to have a very frank discussion on the issue of cybersecurity. I mean the timing is impeccable here. You have Xi Jinping, met with top American tech executives, and a new bombshell cybersecurity report has just been released which links a well known cyber hacking group to a Chinese military officer base in Quinming, China, it's a hacking group, Naicon, believed to be responsible for using these e-mail attachments to break into the computer networks of countries that are competing with China. In the South China Sea, U.S. researchers were able to make the link between Naicon and a Chinese military officer after monitoring his activity where he talked about his Chinese military background. This follows a string of recent cyberattacks traced to or believed to be caused by Chinese cyber hackers including the one at office of personnel management which compromised the accounts of 22 million American. When Mr. Xi and Mr. Obama sit down, expect a frank discussion on cybersecurity. Perhaps mention of the latest report that links a cyber attack to the Chinese military.
Back to you.
[02:15:] CHURCH: Yeah, interesting there.
Kristi, a number of China tech executives are traveling with Mr. Xi. How are they answering charges from U.S. politicians that they're copycats, not innovators?
STOUT: That's right. Just a couple of months ago, on the campaign trail, Carly Fiorina said they're not innovators, that Chinese tech companies are copy cats. Recently, I was in Beijing and I talked to a couple executives, including Kai Fu Lee (ph), the original head of Google China, who brought out the Microsoft research lab in Beijing and now heads up a venture capital firm. He has tens of millions of followers on social media, very influential tech commentator and investor. And he told me that the view that China tech is -- is not innovative is simply outdated. And you know, a lot of examples have been cited whether it's the Wi-chat app, the phantom drone, image recognition apps, that China is an innovator. But China has a big muscle behind its innovation drive, and that's the Chinese government. This is what Kai Fu Lee (ph) had to say about the blueprint from the government to drive innovation in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAI FU LEE, FORMER CHINESE HEAD, GOOGLE: I think the government is now putting all of the word behind a single arrow of innovation and is putting all kinds of policies forward that help create spaces like this one. Policies that help early stages investors, who have can have down-side protection. We have incentives that helps return these, telling all industries they need to be Internet-plus. It is very enlightened, very aggressive, very determined and fairly strong in ability to execute in terms of turning into reality. Lots of dollars are going into this. More so than any other country that I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: And the Chinese government, they have to do this right now because of the slowing economy. It has to unleash innovation to transform all sectors in China.
Back to you.
CHURCH: Certainly, the relationship between the United States and China is at a very interesting fork in the road.
Kristi Lu Stout, talking to us from Hong Kong. Many thanks to you, as well.
We'll be back with more on breaking news out of Yemen, at least 29 people dead after a bombing at a crowded mosque.
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PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's Thursday. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. Thank you for joining us on CNN. This is "Weather Watch."
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[02:21:20] CHURCH: Back to our breaking news this hour. A bombing at a crowded mosque in Yemen's capital has killed at least 29 people and officials say that number could rise. The attack happened in Sanaa as worshippers attended prayers for the Muslim holiday.
Hakim Almasmari, editor-in-chief with the "Yemen Post" newspaper, is joining me now via Skype from Sanaa with the latest.
What information are you able to gather on this?
HAKIM ALMASMARI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, YEMEN POST: This is incredible. The attack, the sixth mosque attack in three months. The casualties are very high. Dozens killed, injured, at least 29 as of now. It was unexpected. The hospitals now were closed because this was a Muslim holiday. Those who were injured were taken hospital to hospital to get treatment. Though there was tight security on the mosques. It did take place. And the casualties could rise. As of now according to three local security officials the death toll is 29 with many of them, the injured, hard to reach medical attention. At take shows that Yemen is, very fragile, security-wise. And such attacks will continue because of the lawless situation happen right now in Yemen, government in the south, government in the north, a war happening nationwide. This is the result where civilians are paying a price. The mosque was not a majority Shiite mosque or Houthi mosque, a mixed mosque with Sunni and Houthi. The last two attacks, the mosque has not only been one or the other, they're a mixture. This is what driving Yemenis crazy because these mosques are not supposed to be targeted. And Muslims killing Muslims on this day, just dramatic and sad for this war-torn country.
CHURCH: Hakim Almasmari, many thanks to you for joining us.
Repeating for our viewers, 29 people killed in this bombing at a crowded mosque in Sanaa, capital there in Yemen. We are keeping a very close eye on this. We will bring you more detail as they come into us.
Volkswagen's chief executive has quit as the crisis worsens over the company's diesel engines. Martin Wintercorn says he accepts responsibility, but that he is not aware of any wrongdoing on his part.
Isa Suarez reports on the scandal and the damage control in Germany.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crisis at Volkswagen is escalating into a scandal with global repercussions. Governments and regulators from countries are asking whether they were also deceived. This, after the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States found that V.W. used clever software that lowered emissions only when being tested.
The U.S. and E.U. have different testing methodology. The U.S. has stricter emissions regulations for diesel fueled vehicles. In order to meet these standards, testing in the U.S. is carried up to three times per model, only once after the car has been built. For V.W., North America, a lucrative market.
And former COO of Ford, Europe believes deceit was their way in.
MARTIN LEECH, FORMER COO, FORD, EUROPE: The reason they developed it is that it is extremely challenging to meet the U.S. emission requirements, particularly for diesel engines. So, at some point in time they had probably believed they cannot reliably put a system into the marketplace. And so they have found a way to make the system only work part of the time by triggering the full after-treatment system only when a test is being made.
[02:25:30] SUAREZ: Concerns over V.W. diesel engines are not yet rattling Europe. That's because testing in the E.U. is done at an earlier stage in development than that of the U.S.
LEECH: In Europe, the manufacturers put forward a design. They say this is a design and they test that design. And then they want conformity of production. What the manufacturers send then say is that every car they produce will be to the same standard as the one that they test.
SUAREZ (voice-over): While other European car makers are assuring the public that they are clean, with all the companies here telling CNN their cars do not have so-called defeat devices.
(voice-over): For now Volkswagen is trying to contain the crisis. The most recent step in cleaning up its act, the resignation of its CEO, Martin Wintercorn, who hopes his departure will lead to a fresh start for the company.
Isa Suarez, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Saudi Arabia set to behead and crucify a young man at any time now. Just ahead, what the government says he did to get such a harsh sentence and why his family says he is not guilty.
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[02:30:12] CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to viewers here in the United States and of course all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. We do want to update-up on the main stories we are following this hour.
A bombing at a mosque in Yemen's capital of Sanaa killed 29 people and injured dozens more. The attack hit the mosque while worshippers were attending prayers for the holiday. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing. The mosque served Sunni and Shia worshippers.
Pope Francis will be the first pontiff in history to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in a few hours. It is all part of his six-day tour of the United States.
Colombia's government signed a peace commitment with rebels to end more than 50 years of fighting. The plan announced in Cuba aims for a final agreement within six months. More than 200,000 people have been killed in that conflict.
China's President Xi Jinping met with top executives at Microsoft headquarters in Washington Wednesday. He assured them Beijing is making cybersecurity a priority. Earlier, he announced a multibillion dollar deal to buy 300 jets from Boeing.
There is a long list of issues that have strained relations between Washington and Beijing. Cybersecurity is expected to be a leading topic of discussion between President Xi and Obama.
Saima Mohsin has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We can choose to make this an area of competition, which I guarantee we will win if we have to.
SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not mincing word, President Obama makes it clear the U.S. will not be victim to cyber espionage. It's top of the agenda when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translation): China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity also a victim of hacking. The Chinese government will not in whatever form engage in commercial theft or encourage or support such attempts by anyone.
MOHSIN: The White House has threatened sanctions against China. A little harsh? Well, some say they have been a long time coming. Last year, the U.S. indicted five members of the People's Liberation Army for allegedly pilfering intellectual property from six U.S. companies. And in August, this year, China was the leading suspect in what's been described as the worst breach of U.S. government-held data, nearly 22 million people.
But is the U.S. being hypocritical?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States is one of the best if not the best computer network exploitation operators in the world. This has been known and clear for quite a long time. Of course, the revelations of Edward Snowden made it clear how extensive and sophisticated U.S. cyber intelligence operations were.
MOHSIN (on camera): It would seem for classic intelligence gathering for national security purposes is acceptable, there is a crucial difference. China, the U.S. says, is using cyber espionage to steal blue prints and business plans to help state-owned firms gain an unfair competitive advantage.
(voice-over): Beyond a commercial threat, experts say China's cyber power is often exaggerated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rhetoric often slips into imaging that Chinese spies are planting logic bombs throughout U.S. critical infrastructure and the power grid is about to go down. That is very unlikely.
MOHSIN: China and the U.S. aren't alone. Take a look at this, a real-time look at cyber attacks around the world.
Experts say Chinese networks themselves are highly insecure. And its huge populations make it an ideal target. But it is the range of targets and number of cyberattacks coming out of China that is unprecedented.
There will be some tough talking between the two presidents in the next few days.
Saima Mohsin, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Now to a very disturbing story. U.N. experts and human rights groups are urging Saudi Arabia not to go through with the beheading and crucifixion of a young man. The government calls him a terrorist. His family says he was just a teenager when he was arrested protesting for social reform.
Becky Anderson has the story.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friends and family describe Ali al Nimr as an optimistic outgoing young man who loves photography, movies, cars, motorcycles. Today, he sits in a Saudi prison condemned to death over crimes he allegedly committed as a teenager.
(SHOUTING) [02:35:05] ANDERSON: Al Nimr was arrested in 2012 during pro- democracy protests inspired by the Arab Spring. But he was just 17. Convicted of charges, including belonging to a terror cell, attacking police with Molotov cocktails, incitement and stoking sectarianism, according to Saudi state media, now he is set to be executed, beheaded in the public square in Riyadh, with the added rare punishment of crucifixion, his body displayed after his death as a warning to others.
A source close to the family tells CNN, although he took part in the protests, he is innocent of the charges, and that his conviction and harsh sentence are, quote, "revenge against his uncle," Sheik al Nimr, a Shiite cleric, a sheik, and a protest leader, convicted last year and also facing the death penalty.
CNN reached out to Saudi officials comment on the case, but there has been no response. Previous attempts by CNN to contact officials for comment on the case of Ali al Nimr's uncle also went unanswered.
Human rights groups, journalists and politicians have expressed outrage over the case on social media, with many activists calling on Saudi Arabia's king to commute the young man's sentence.
A London-based legal charity says much of the case has been held in secret. His final appeal, denied last week, without the young man, or his lawyer present.
His parents are expected to visit him in prison on Friday, the Muslim holiday.
With all of his legal options exhausted, it is feared al Nimr could be executed and crucified any time.
Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We are joined now, Sanjeev Bery, advocacy director for Amnesty International here in the United States.
Thank you, sir, for talking with us.
It is, of course, a very disturbing case of a 20-year-old man facing a public execution for crimes he is accused of committing three ago. And your organization is calling on Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of Ali al Nimr. How likely is it that Saudi authorities will listen to your plea for this man's young life?
SANJEEV BERY, ADVOCACY DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Thank you for having me. Saudi Arabia needs to listen to the global chorus of people and organizations that are calling on the Saudi Arabian government not only to drop the execution and potential crucifixion of the young man but stop all executions in the country. Saudi Arabia has a long record of executing people following repeated reports of torturing people into confessing to crimes that they may not have committed. Time for the Saudi Arabian government to stop this practice, this brutality. And let the young man go.
CHURCH: The nature of this is what makes it so particularly disturbing. He was 17 at the time. They plan to behead him and then crucify him. U.N. Experts have also joined with various rights groups in calling for a halt to the execution of -- of the young man. What more needs to be done to apply pressure to Saudi authorities. And talking to CNN by the way, what political power perhaps can be applied?
BERY: Amnesty International and members around world are calling on the Saudi Arabian government to stop the execution, have a retrial and investigate the serious allegations that, the young man was tortured into confessing to crimes he may not have committed. By the way, the crimes include protesting the government. So it is important to see that -- so it is important to see just how the Saudi Arabian government applies the death penalty. Half of the people executed in Saudi Arabia this year were executed for nonlethal crimes accused of committing. After trials in which people are frequently tortured into confessing.
CHURCH: As Becky Anderson mentioned in her report, the nephew of the sheik. Is the young man being made an example of by Saudi authorities because of his uncle and uncle's actions?
BERY: It is certainly possible. The uncle, the sheik, in eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia who are very critical of the government's brutality and repression. His uncle given the death sentence for the so-called crime of disobeying the ruler. Shows how the Saudi Arabian government plays the death penalty. Just one of many cases in which people are facing at death penalty, extended prison sentences for engaging in freedom of speech, expression. There is, of course, the case of another, the Saudi Arabian blogger given lashes and ten years in prison. The list goes on and on.
Western governments need to end their cozy relationships with Saudi Arabia's government and start standing up for human rights.
[02:40:11] CHURCH: Sanjeev Bery, thank you for talking with us. We appreciate it.
BERY: Thank you.
CHURCH: A horrifying situation. We will watch that story very closely.
When we come back, a look at the U.S. Republican presidential race. Mike Huckabee comments on Barack Obama's faith, and doesn't call him a Muslim, but he does think Obama's pretending. We'll explain when we come back.
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CHURCH: U.S. Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, is going after Barack Obama's faith, saying he pretends to be a Christian. Huckabee was answering a question about Republican rival Ben Carson's recent comments, that he would not support a Muslim as president. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR (voice-over): There is no religious test to hold public office in America. I am less concerned about what faith a person has, I'm more concerned about the authenticity of their faith and how that plays out. And concerned about a guy who claims to be a Christian, pretends to be and says he is, then does things that makes it very difficult for people to practice their Christian faith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Ben Carson, meantime, says the money is pouring into his campaign despite his comments about not supporting a Muslim president. He says the mainstream media is distorting his position. On Wednesday, Carson said, I am quoting, "We have an American culture and Constitution. Anyone occupying the White House should live within that."
A tropical storm projected to strengthen dramatically over the next three days impacting parts of Southeast Asia.
Let's turn to Meteorologist Derek Van Dam with more details on what is going on exactly there -- Derek?
[02:45:10] DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Rosemary, typically, August is the peak of western Pacific typhoon season. Here we are edging closer to October. We have yet another tropical storm that is developing and strengthening, expected over the next three days. Quite rapidly. The latest, 95 kilometer per hour wind. 500 nautical miles east of the Philippines. See the visible satellite loop starting to get rotation within the center of the storm system. We expect that to continue, overcoming an environment with a significant amount of upper level wind sheer. Change in wind direction with height or altitude. That starts to erode storms. This will overcome and continue to strengthen. Now what we have projected this path out, over the next, three to five days has potentially impacting the northern sections of, Taiwan. Remember, Taipei had a typhoon impact that particular region. Not over a month ago. We also have southeast China, Fuchoi and Winchoi, going forward in the future as well. If we look at the topography of Taiwan, we have over 300 mountains roughly 3,000 meters or higher. Taipei protected by a mountain range. This is going to bring significant rainfall to this region. Perhaps 100, 200 millimeters of rainfall. An already saturated environment. Here is the recent storms, impacted the area. That is the one that brought the heavier rainfall to northern Taiwan a month ago.
Here is the projected storm track. You can see southwest China in the path of this particular storm. But really not until, Tuesday and Wednesday of this upcoming workweek. But we have a significant threat on top of the strong wind that we are forecasting with this particular storm. Something we are going to monitor very closely. Speaking of climatology, our peak season, and drops off quickly. But remember this is a strong El Nino season. Warming of Pacific Ocean waters. That means it has a favorable environment for development and potential to become a strong category 4 equivalent typhoon over the Western Pacific.
Rosemary, I want to end with one thing from Scott Kelly, our favorite astronaut, a few hours ago. As some of our viewers, tune in this evening from the West coast of the United States. Well, here is a picture of, well, look at this, Los Angeles. You can also see Las Vegas in the distance there as well. This is southern California, the Baja peninsula. Bottom portion of the image. Spectacular to see that from outer space.
CHURCH: Yeah, wonderful isn't it. Wonderful pictures.
Derek, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
VAN DAM: Thanks, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Poverty a big topic at the U.N. meeting this Friday. How U2's Bono is doing his part to bring awareness. CNN got the exclusive interview. We'll be right back with that in just a moment.
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[02:49:37] PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi, there. I'm Patrick Snell, with CNN "World Sport" headlines.
A dramatic night in European Football. Japan wins 2-1. And the reigning European and league champions since 2008. The coach's worse lost. To England, Arsenal victorious, 2-1, both scored by the Frenchman.
After a break, the Rugby World Cup returning on Wednesday, but the fairy tale story couldn't lose with Japan. The Cherry Blossoms came back down to earth by a Scotland who trashed them 45-10. Scoring five tries in the process. One of the tournament favorites, Australia, making a stuttering start to their campaign. Failing to earn a bonus point in their 2 points. 29th victory against the Fijians.
The PGA golf season coming to a head in Atlanta. Jason Day, whatever he is doing is preparing him to win tournaments, it is clearly working. On the tear. Day joining Jordan Spieth for at least the first two rounds there.
Thank you so much for joining us. You are bang up to date. That's a look at your global sports headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: A man in Saudi Arabia escaped death when a pane of glass fell next to him. The man stopped to check something on the bottom of his shoe, moments before. Then, look at this. The glass falls from above, apparently skimming the side of his head. The man can be seen walking away afterward and appears to be OK. Just extraordinary. Life is all about good timing, right? There is evidence there.
Pope Francis is expected to address extreme poverty when he speaks to the U.N. Friday.
It is a cause the lead singer for U2 has been working on for years now through his work in Africa. Bono spoke exclusively with CNN during his most recent trip.
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(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how most people know Bono --
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: -- as the in-your-face rock star from U2.
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UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: But away from the lights, this is Bono's other main stage, the continent of Africa.
BONO, LEAD SINGER, U2: I started to work for Nelson Mandela. And he said, you know, poverty is not natural. It is man made. And it can be overcome.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is through the One Campaign, seven million strong worldwide, that improving the lives of people living in the poorest region of the planet is happening. But there is still a lot more work to be done.
BONO: Poverty is -- is an easy word to throw around. But it is not, not simple to understand. It can be, you know, a famine or conflict. But the thing that really offends us is, I suppose, when there are structures in place that keep people poor. That's the thing that, that really gets me going.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: CNN met up exclusively with Bono in Nigeria after a stop where a small bipartisan U.S. delegation saw firsthand the progress and the plight facing first responders on the ground.
It had been 10 years since Bono last visited Rwanda but promised he would be back.
BONO: When I first went to Rwanda we had finally got across the line universal access to AIDS drugs. And I was in the hospital, teaching hospital there, and I witnessed six people on the bed. Three of them patients. Under the bed. On top of the bed. The despair of people receiving their diagnosis and realizing it was a death sentence. An accident of geography, where you live, was deciding whether you live.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bono also made a promise to this woman, a nurse.
BONO: What's your name?
This is actually Florence Nightingale.
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[02:55:08] UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: The two were reunited.
UNIDENTIFIED NURSE: You promised you would come back again. Nobody comes more than once. It's wonderful.
BONO: It was very moving, challenging for me to realize just how significant the gap is in the quality of care available here and the quality of care available in this, which really its Rwanda's best children's hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senator Chris Coons of Delaware was on the trip, a trip that comes ahead of the pope addressing the United Nations General Assembly where eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 will be one of the top global developmental goals.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That ambitious goal by 2030 is possible if we wisely deploy the devil of the dollar, assistance by the United States and Western countries and embrace and leverage the power of the private sector.
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BONO: I'm not really motivated by charity as much as I am motivated by justice. That's where I came in. Christ only speaks of judgment once. About the way we will treat the poor. So I think it is the second most-important theme of the scriptures, after redemption, is how we treat the poor. So I am just doing what I am told.
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CHURCH: And thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. We are back in a moment.
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