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Death Toll Rising in Hajj Stampede; Pope Francis Visits New York City; Chinese President Arrives in Washington; Father and Brother of Mexican Film Director Found Dead; World's Fastest Racing Car Debuts in London; Interview with David Beckham. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired September 25, 2015 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:09] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: The death toll keeps rising. More than 700 people dead after a stampede ensues during the Hajj.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Pope Francis is now in New York. The Holy Father lands in the city after preaching compassion before U.S. lawmakers.

HOWELL: And Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington, D.C. Tough talks are ahead. Cybercrime at the top of the agenda.

ALLEN: And we welcome our viewers around the world. You're watching with CNN live coverage. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

ALLEN: It is 7:00 a.m. in Saudi Arabia and the country is promising a thorough investigation into the deadly stampede near Islam's holiest city.

HOWELL: It happened during the holy pilgrimage called the Hajj. More than 700 people are dead and another 900 injured as a large crowd of pilgrims converge on the city of Mina. Thursday these pictures, though, from the scene. They are graphic.

ALLEN: Hundreds of bodies piled up in the streets. People crushed and trampled in the chaos after the stampede rescue workers struggled to find any survivors.

HOWELL: The disaster took place during a ritual known as the "Stoning of the Devil."

ALLEN: Hala Gorani has our report, but we warn you the images are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pilgrims, hundreds of them, lie lifeless in the streets. This is the horrific aftermath of Thursday morning's stampede in Mina, just outside the holy city of Mecca.

According to Saudi state media, these worshippers had been walking together during the Hajj when there was a sudden surge in the crowd. People fell and were crushed. One pilgrim described how rescue workers spent hours trying to help the hundreds of injured.

UNIDENTIFIED WITNESS: I saw the ambulances, I saw bodies. Lots of responders. I see like I just told you, a helicopter landing. At least 20, 30 ambulances passed me by. Ever since I arrived, the sound of the sirens hasn't stopped.

GORANI: The stampede happened during a ritual known as the "Stoning of the Devil." World leaders extended their condolences.

BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I'd like to join the presence of the General Assembly in expressing my deepest condolences to many hundreds of people who died. And I sincerely hope that under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, there will be immediate necessary assistance for those people.

GORANI: It's not the first time lives have been lost during the Hajj, which attracts more than two million Muslims each year and is considered one of the five pillars of Islam. Over the years, hundreds of people have been killed because of overcrowding. In 2006, another stampede killed at least 363 pilgrims, prompting the Saudi government to make the area safer. Those improvements, though, failed to prevent Thursday's tragedy.

Hala Gorani, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Let's take a closer look now at the path that these pilgrims travel at the Hajj after what starts with a series of rituals performed in Mecca. Pilgrims set out for Mina, a giant tent city just a few kilometers away. Next, one of the most important days of the Hajj, pilgrims trek to Mount Arafat for prayer and meditation.

ALLEN: After sunset, they head to Muzdalifah for the night. In the morning, they move on to the Jamarat Bridge for the symbolic "Stoning of the Devil," which you saw in Hala's story there. Pilgrims then return to the Grand Mosque in Mecca but there is little time for rest. They must remain encamped at Mina. It takes a full five days for pilgrims to complete their Hajj.

HOWELL: Let's bring in Hajj pilgrim Ethar El-Katatney, joining us now live on the line from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Very good to have you with us. So you were nearby when the stampede happened. What did you witness in the aftermath?

ETHAR EL-KATATNEY, HAJJ PILGRIM/JOURNALIST: So I'm not actually in Jeddah. I'm actually in Mina. I'm only a couple hundred meters away from where the stampede actually happened.

HOWELL: What did you witness?

EL-KATATNEY: And I'm still there. We spent the night there.

HOWELL: Tell our viewers around the world what you saw. EL-KATATNEY: So we arrived about -- like an hour after the stampede

had happened. I mean, we're collecting the bodies. So my bus line did just over where the ambulances were. So we saw bodies being put onto stretchers and cars, the ambulances, the sirens were overwhelming for hours and hours. We hear them constantly. It was so extremely hot. The temperature over 40 -- 30 degrees Celsius, which over 110 Fahrenheit.

[00:05:02] I was out for a couple of hours just kind of taking photos, recording, and just two hours standing in the sun makes you so dizzy and so incredibly faint. But regardless people were still continuing to continue on in their ritual where the stampede happened.

So I went to do the stoning ritual myself. Only a couple of hours after. So I last came here awhile ago when Saudi Arabia hasn't yet changed the infrastructure enough to make it easier for pilgrims to go. So currently there's supposed to be a way where you go and then a different way where you come back. But unfortunately, a lot of these rules aren't enforced. So what happened yesterday is that you have two groups of people coming from both directions.

And as you were just saying there's so little time for us to complete the rituals so people have been coming from the previous sites where they performed a previous ritual. They are tired, they're exhausted. A lot of people who don't have money to stay in tents, you know, they are extremely overheated, dehydrated, a lot of them are elderly, are young, are infirmed. And I talked so some men who were actually in the stampede and they told me, you know, how if you fell, if you weren't strong enough to withstand the pushing and the shoving and then the screaming that happened and the panicking, if you fell you weren't going to get up again.

And that how one of them was literally on top of piles of bodies. Then if you have seen the footage, it's horrendous, it's literally a pile of bodies of people who, you know, they pushed, they shoved, they panicked, they screamed. It was hot. Someone fell, others trampled and they got stampeded. So it's pretty horrendous.

HOWELL: Ethar El-Katatney, telling us about what she saw in the aftermath. And as we see in these images, people who were stampeded, quite frankly, in the streets. Hundreds of people who were killed.

We appreciate your insights and your perspective of what happened from what you saw.

ALLEN: All right. We want to take you now and show you live video that we are getting in from Saudi Arabia right now. The pilgrimage goes on, despite that report you just heard about the stampede.

Today is the final day of the Hajj pilgrimage. Part of the ritual, as we have said, is the "Stoning of the Devil."

HOWELL: And we're also expecting final prayers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam's holiest city. All Muslims who are able are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives to atone for their past sins. ALLEN: And we certainly hope the remainder goes peacefully and

safely.

Pope Francis is in New York City where he offered prayers to the victims of the stampede during the service at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADER (Through Translator): In this moment, I give assurances of my prayers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: New York is the Pope's second stop in his six-day tour in the United States. In the coming hours, he will speak with the U.N. General Assembly. And he will also visit Ground Zero, the 9/11 Memorial Museum. He also plans to celebrate mass at Madison Square Garden and to meet with families of migrants in Harlem.

ALLEN: Thursday the Pope delivered a moving, powerful address to a rare Joint Meeting of the U.S. Congress in the nation's capitol. At one point, he paid homage to U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS: King continues to inspire us all. And I am happy that America continues to be for many a land of dreams.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The Pope also urged Congress to focus on the war against poverty and to promote a fairer world economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS: The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its cause. I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem. It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: No doubt it was a historic joint meeting there with Congress. Pope Francis also urged lawmakers to take action on some key issues that he holds dear from immigration to climate change.

ALLEN: CNN's Dana Bash is in Washington with more on the Pope's speech and how it was received by Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the Pope of the Holy See.

[00:10:05] DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Words never before uttered in history to introduce a figure who came to prod this partisan institution to work together for a better future.

POPE FRANCIS: Renew spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.

BASH: Citing beloved American figures like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Pope Francis reminded lawmakers of the country's past and its promise.

POPE FRANCIS: As a son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descendents from immigrants.

BASH: Eliciting emotion even on politically divisive issues like immigration.

POPE FRANCIS: Thousands of persons have left to travel north in search of a better life.

BASH: Francis delivered his signature caution about capitalism and warnings about climate change that made some Republicans uncomfortable.

POPE FRANCIS: And the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity.

BASH: Liberals like presidential hopeful, Bernie Sanders, were ecstatic.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's the issue of poverty, the issue of environmental degradation, immigration, the death penalty, the need to do everything we can to create a peaceful world. And I think he did it in a very dignified, nonpartisan type way.

BASH: Still, the Pope also mentioned church stances Republicans historically agree with, like opposition to abortion.

POPE FRANCIS: To protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

BASH: Francis, a student of politics, had the usually unruly chamber hooked from the start with this.

POPE FRANCIS: In the land of the free and the home of the brave.

BASH: That even brought four Supreme Court justices, who almost never clap during political addresses, to their feet. In fact, even Catholics like Senator Mike Rounds, who pressed colleagues to treat the speech like a sermon, no clapping, couldn't help themselves.

SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: We found ourselves saying, look, we're agreeing with what the pontiff is saying and so found ourselves standing up and sitting down more than we had anticipated.

SEN. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Your Holiness, welcome. BASH: The Pope was invited by House Speaker John Boehner, a Catholic

who's been trying to get a Pope to speak to Congress for 20 years. The man known for being emotional couldn't hold back his tears.

POPE FRANCIS: And God bless America.

BASH: Especially on his own capitol balcony with the Pope looking down at thousands below.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Well, the Pope's white certainly stood out there, didn't it, in the sea of dark suits.

HOWELL: Absolutely.

ALLEN: I don't know, it had an aura about it. Well, earlier I spoke with Father Chapin who's a parish priest in West Virginia. He attended the Pope's event Thursday including his speech to Congress.

Father Chapin, thank you for joining us. I want to start by asking you, has there been a singular moment for you in the Pope's trip so far to the United States that has touched you or stood out?

FATHER CHAPIN, PARISH PRIEST, WEST VIRGINIA: Well, I think when he said the yardstick of which we judge others in time will be the yardstick that we are judged by. Yes, that would be it.

ALLEN: That's a good one. He has spoken to Washington, to congress, which is unprecedented to speak to both Houses of Congress.

CHAPIN: It was amazing. Amazing.

ALLEN: It was amazing. And he touched on many issues. Many people are saying he tilted left, but I read one comment in the "New York Times" that said, someone said, I'd like to think he just tilted human.

(LAUGHTER)

CHAPIN: I would agree.

ALLEN: What do you think about that?

CHAPIN: I would agree. No, I do, because, you know, they call it a political issue, but, you know, when you're talking about climate change or immigration, or whether you're talking about poverty, these types of things. But it's not a political statement. It's a human statement, you know? We're called for stewardship in this world and the people that lived in it.

ALLEN: Let's break down the issues start with climate change because he discussed that yesterday. And he talked about it in front of Congress today and encouraged Congress to vote through environmental legislation. When he first came out as a passionate person behind climate change a few months ago, the hope was that it would trickle down to the masses and throughout churches, throughout this world.

Do you think that message is being taken out the way he had planned?

CHAPIN: I'm not quite sure. With the whole climate change issue, you know, because I'm not a scientist, and, you know, I'm not going to go against the boss, but I will say that it is a very, very divisive issue. You have passionate people on both sides. Both absolutely convinced that they are right.

[00:15:08] And we have an inability in this world to dialogue with each other without, well, getting all upset about it. And I think that hopefully Pope Francis is showing us that we might not necessarily agree on an issue, but we can still talk about it.

ALLEN: There have been people of other faiths that have talked about it since he's been here and using the message that this is God's earth he gave to us, and despite where you fall on climate change, what's wrong with protecting it. What's your response to that?

CHAPIN: I would agree that it is our responsibility to take care as best we can of this world and the people in it. Absolutely, yes, I would.

ALLEN: And I want to talk with you about the fact that he did talk -- really talked about immigration and said that people traveling north on this continent are looking for a better life like so many of our parents and grandparents did. That's why we are here. So that was something very important to him. He asked that the two sides in Congress move away from gridlock. And as soon as he stopped talking, sadly, they move right back into their gridlock way.

So the question is, how much of the Pope's words and messages will really resonate after he is gone? And how much of this is just the pageantry of the pope?

CHAPIN: You know, it's a good question. It's a good question. But we should keep in mind that Joseph and Mary were immigrants and homeless. You never know. You never know who you are entertaining. You know, I hope it makes a difference, I really do, but only time will tell. But I think the idea of bringing up the conversation is amazing. At least he puts the whole issue in the forefront, and it needs to be.

ALLEN: Father Chapin, thank you so much for giving us your time.

CHAPIN: Well, thank you. It was wonderful to be here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: A deadly crash in the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington, after a bus carrying international students collided with a tour vehicle. It killed four people.

ALLEN: Two remain in critical condition. It happened on this busy bridge near downtown Seattle. Officials say all of those killed were on the tour bus. You can see it right there where it was impacted. Seattle Duck Tours has put all of its duck boats from city streets which are vehicles which can roll on land and float on water. They're quite popular.

HOWELL: They are quite popular there in the city. Nearly 50 people, though, were hospitalized after that crash.

As CNN NEWSROOM continues, China's president arrives in Washington, D.C. for a state visit that could feature some tough talks. A live report straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:03]

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back. China's President Xi Jinping is in Washington, D.C. for a second leg of his U.S. trip. His state visit comes as a number of issues have strained relations between the two countries. Mr. Xi arrived at the White House for a working dinner where cybersecurity is expected to be top of the agenda.

ALLEN: Washington is threatened to sanction Chinese companies accused of stealing trade secrets from the U.S. President Xi has vowed to work with the United States on cybercrime.

HOWELL: Let's go straight to Beijing. Our Saima Mohsin standing by for us live.

Saima, good to have you with us. So clearly there will be tough topics to talk about from cyber attacks to human rights. And territorial disputes in the China Sea, but there are also optimistic issues like climate change. Talk to us about what is on the table and the question that we'll be waiting to see. Will these leaders make progress?

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's often talks but no progress, isn't there, George? Hello, from Beijing. Yes, there is a wide ranging number of issues for them to talk about. It is the first state visit by President Xi Jinping to the United States and the range, as you say, is quite extraordinary. But the priority for the United States has to be and will be, and they keep on saying it, those few weeks running up to this visit, it will be cyber espionage, cyber spying.

China is the number one suspect due to the range, George, and the unprecedented number of attacks that come out of China. China says these are not state sponsored. That it's not responsible or behind them. President Xi Jinping speaking in the speech in Seattle a few nights ago.

Now when they come face-to-face of course there will be some tough talking about that. The U.S. says it wants it to stop. President Obama has not minced his words as far as that's concerned. Now President Xi Jinping has suggested some kind of working together. President Obama said let's work out some rules of the road as well. But that's a really murky area, George, because everyone is involved in cyber espionage. It's just a new way of taking a look at what your allies as well as rivals are doing around the world. That the issue is, is the parameters. Is it financial security or is it stealing your competitor's business plans? That's the murky issue.

And the climate change issue on the other side of the spectrum, you mentioned, there's going to be a breakthrough in that. The U.S. officials are telling CNN that China is expected to unveil plans Friday after the meeting with President Obama on Friday about climate change. They are going to introduce a cap and trade system, George. Now that is basically a number of permits, there'll be a set number released to all those perpetrators on releasing carbon emissions across China.

If they want more permits either they're going to release more emissions they're going to have to buy those, which is in effect a penalty from other businesses which are not using up their permits which are effectively reducing their emissions. So that's sort of cap and trade system is. They are going to announce that tomorrow. Big announcement there -- George.

[00:25:02] HOWELL: Saima Mohsin, live for us in Beijing. Hopefully that will be a good topic to start with, given the thorny topics that they also have to discuss.

Saima, thank you so much.

Tropical Storm Dujuan has just been upgraded now to typhoon status.

ALLEN: Let's go now to meteorologist Derek Van Dam. He is following that story for us and he joins us now.

Hello, Derek.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's right, Natalie, George.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOWELL: Derek, thank you.

ALLEN: Thanks, Derek.

An investigation in Mexico after the father and brother of a prominent Mexican film director are found dead. And they're related to a former Miss USA, as well. We'll have that for you. We're live in Mexico City right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:31:23] HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Good to have you with us. I'm George Howell.

ALLEN: And I'm Natalie Allen. Here are our top stories this hour. The king of Saudi Arabia promises a speedy investigation into the

deadliest tragedy at the Hajj in 25 years. At least 717 people were killed in the stampede near the holy city of Mecca. It happened during a ritual known as the "Stoning of the Devil," and it was tremendously hot at that time.

We have this live video to show you right now from Saudi Arabia. People continuing to gather in Mina for the final day of the Hajj pilgrimage. We are also expecting Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam's holiest city.

HOWELL: Pope Francis is in New York City. The second stop in his six-day U.S. tour. In the coming hours he will speak to the U.N. General Assembly and visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum. He will also celebrate mass at Madison Square Garden and meet with families of migrants in Harlem.

ALLEN: Take you out now to Washington state in the U.S. and this scene on a bridge there. Four international students were killed in Seattle, Washington, after their tour bus and a tourist vehicle called a duck boat collided. Nearly 50 people were hospitalized. Two of them remain in critical condition. The tour company has pulled all of its boats from city streets.

HOWELL: Volkswagen's Supervisory Board will meet on Friday to appoint a new chief executive. Martin Winterkorn stepped down on Wednesday. Volkswagen admitted last week that it cheated on emissions data for as many as 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. Media reports suggest the CEO job may go to Mathis Mueller who currently is the head of Porsche.

ALLEN: The brother and father of one of Mexico's best-known film directors have been found dead after they were kidnapped and held for ransom. It happened in an area known for violence between rival gangs.

HOWELL: While the overall murder rate in Tamaulipas has fallen in recent years, families are still losing loved ones.

Our Rafael Romo has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): A father-son moment shared on Instagram. Mezcal in their cups and kind words on their minds. Alejandro Gomez Monteverde calling his father his best friend, his mentor, and the wisest man he knows. That was nine months ago. Now the sweet snapshot taking on a somber meaning.

This weekend, the bodies of his kidnapped father and brother were found in Pueblo Viejo, Mexico, a tiny coastal town on the border between Tamaulipas and Veracruz States. The pair had suffered apparent head trauma and had been dead for several days.

The Veracruz attorney general says they were discovered Saturday night, more than two weeks after being abducted while leaving their home in Tamaulipas. The deaths are under investigation. And CNN affiliate, Telavisa, reports the family paid a ransom. Police have also found the car they believe is connected to kidnappers. It has Tamaulipas plates and is being tested for evidence.

The region, which borders the United States, is among the most violent in Mexico thanks to ongoing disputes between rival gangs over lucrative drug trafficking routes, though it's not yet clear if gangs or cartels are involved.

Monteverde is married to Ali Landry, an actress, model and former Miss USA. He most recently directed the drama "Little Boy," which stars Eduardo Verastegui. The actor shared his condolences on Twitter requesting prayers for his friend.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:35:07] ALLEN: Raphael Romo now joins us live from Mexico City.

And hello to you, Rafael. Let's talk about violence and crime in the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas where the victims lived. How prevalent is it? What's the root cause? You mentioned the drug situation, the drug cartels. And how often do you see kidnappings related to the violence and ransom?

ROMO: It's very important to understand their location. And we just saw on the map a moment ago that Tamaulipas is just south of Texas, and right next to the Gulf of Mexico, and has been traditionally a transit point for a drug cartel known the Gulf Cartel. In the late 2000s, that cartel split and their former enforcers, Los Zetas, began finding Gulf Cartel and that -- thus started creating all the violence that we now see.

The problem was that not only that fighting fragmented the cartels, but also the Mexican government sending soldiers to the region. And crimes that we didn't used to see before, like kidnapping, the one we're talking about, but also extortion, prostitution, criminal gangs, stealing cars, all kinds of different crimes.

That started appearing a number of years ago. And that's the situation right now. Just a couple of days ago the State Department issued a travel warning saying that Tamaulipas has the highest rate of kidnappings in all of Mexico. So definitely a place to avoid and a place that has been mired by violence for the last seven years or so -- Natalie.

ALLEN: All right. Thanks for putting it in perspective. We certainly hope that they can find the killers in this particular case.

Rafael Romo, joining us from Mexico City, thank you.

HOWELL: Straight ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, it looks like a rocket and it's fast it could travel 80 kilometers by the time we get back from this commercial break. Meet the Bloodhound, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:40:24] ALLEN: Welcome back. Imagine a car so fast, George, it takes an Air Force pilot to drive it.

HOWELL: I cannot imagine a car that fast. But here's the story. The Bloodhound, the SCC, it is going on display at Canary Wharf in London this weekend.

Our Sherisse Pham has the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERISSE PHAM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like something out of the latest "James Bond" movie. And there's even a cube-like character. But this is reality.

Say hello to the Bloodhound, billed as the world's fastest racing car, making its world debut in London.

RICHARD NOBLE, PROJECT DIRECTOR, BLOODHOUND SCC: Zero to 1,000 miles an hour in 55 seconds. And then when we go through the measured mile 3.6 seconds. A mile in 3.6 seconds. Then we've got to think about stopping.

PHAM (on camera): This is going to be driven by an RAF pilot. As you can see it's not quite done yet but when it is it is going to be supersonic.

(Voice-over): This race car is part jet and part rocket.

NOBLE: This is known as a hybrid rocket. It's very, very clean and 98 percent efficient. It's amazing thing.

PHAM: It was built by a team of Formula One and aerospace experts with help from the British Royal Air Force and Army Engineers. The goal, to smash the current land speed record of 763 miles an hour. The outside is sleek and aerodynamic. And the inside, well, we'll let an expert tell you all about it.

NOBLE: You've got a most impressive jet engine, the EJ200, coupled with the next generation of space travel, rocket motors are being built in the European Space Agency and then the most extraordinary aerodynamic design.

PHAM: Next up for the Bloodhound, a trip in South Africa to race on a track built especially for the supersonic machine. The goal is to hit 800 miles per hour next year and 1,000 miles per hour in 2017. No doubt this race car is already on 007's wish list.

Sherisse Pham, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: I'd say put your seatbelt on if you're in there?

ALLEN: Yes. I think I would like to bring that to work. Get here a little faster.

HOWELL: And it's eco-friendly to boot. ALLEN: Little bit.

HOWELL: Pretty cool.

All right. So if you're looking for some motivation to lace up your running shoes, look no further than this. 105-year-old Japanese runner, Hidekichi Miyazaki, he just clocked the Guinness Record as the world's oldest competitive sprinter. He took up track and field at age 93, more than three decades after he retired. Look at him. Looks great.

ALLEN: How about that one. Three decades after retiring he decides to start running at 93. This is our favorite part. Back at age 96, Miyazaki started doing the classic because he says, quote, "it's cool." He says he wants to win a gold medal.

HOWELL: He looks great and just more power to him.

ALLEN: He is our cool guy of the day.

HOWELL: Absolutely.

ALLEN: Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more news from CNN NEWSROOM. But first "WORLD SPORT" straight ahead.

You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, there. I'm Patrick Snell with the CNN WORLD SPORTS update.

They are the talk of the town at the PGA Tour Championship this weekend in Atlanta. The top three players in the world, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, all going for the lucrative FedEx Cup Title II with a cool $10 million bonus up for grabs, as well.

Let's take you to day one action at the East Leg Golf Club, the world's number from Australia, Jason Day, into the groove and quickly. Nice approach shot from him to set up the birdie opportunity that he would make. In fact he also would birdie the first three holes. I said he was into the groove and quickly.

Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy looks like a man who means business. Watch this sublime approach to the 17th. It's the par four there right at the hole. Birdie from there for the four-time major winner. He gets himself to four under at that point. Really strong field here this week in Atlanta. Our field, by the way, now down to 28 players. Rickie Fowler, with a sensational tee shot at the 18th, this is the par 3.

The young American, he won the players championship at Sawgrass recently. Well, he is in the groove, as well. Almost a hole in one. Rickie, has got one on the U.S. Open and master champ Jordan Spieth now at the 12th. The 22-year-old nice approach from the rough. He would end his day at 2 under par with a 68 on Thursday.

Have to say, though, the round of the day belonging to the ice cool sweet Henric Stenson, an eagle opportunity for him and he would make no mistake. He moves to six under par at that point. Seven under, in fact, by round's end.

2013 FedEx cup champion one of five players, then who will win the cup by winning the tour championship. England's Paul Casey is just two back. Rory has got four under after a 66 on Thursday. Spieth and Day have work to do, though. They are at two under and one under par respectively.

Now an update to a story we brought you last week when we told you FIFA general secretary that Jerome Valcke had been suspended from his post at football's governing body. Well, now the Swiss based association saying it's given investigators access to the Frenchman's e-mails dating back to May of this year. It comes following allegations the 54-year-old had been implicated in a scheme to sell Brazil 2014 World Cup tickets for higher than face value. Valcke denies any wrongdoing.

Well, the eyes of the Formula One world will be on the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. And it comes almost a year since the tragic accident of Marussia driver, Jules Bianchi, off the track. The Frenchman died in July after nine months in a coma and the 25-year- old's father says he still can't bring himself to watch the sport.

Philippe Bianchi telling the BBC, "Perhaps in a few months, a few years, I can see again a grand prix. I don't know. But for the moment it is too difficult. It's a difficult moment because it marks one year now that Jules had his crash and that this week is not a good week for the Bianchi family. Jules is missed a lot by all his family, all the fans, all his friends. It is very difficult."

Want to head to England now for the very latest from the Rugby World Cup where defending champions New Zealand have made it back-to-back wins overcoming the tournament's lowest ranked team Namibia. Very easily indeed in London on Thursday. No surprises with the outcome of this contest. The New Zealand has run a resounding win scoring nine tries in the process. That wasn't the deluge the tribes were many expecting, though, but they did get the job done.

The impressive Nehe Milner-Skudder going over for not one but two tries before the halftime integral but really want to credit Namibia who simply did not give up, actually managed to score one of their own. A great moment this for Johan Deysel, the 23-year-old center going over for a second half score, 58 points to 14. New Zealand would win it.

The All Blacks have never lost in the group stages of the World Cup dating back to 1987. Steve Hansen's side remaining on course and for a likely quarterfinal showdown either with the French or the Irish. But the New Zealand coach believes his team do have room for improvement. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE HANSEN, NEW ZEALAND COACH: Very hard to play rugby when you've got a stop-start going on like that. And -- so you become a little frustrated. So we got through that and we have to deal with that. It'll be a good learning curve for us. We have to deal with stuff like that going forward. Really happy for Namibia. They are a good bunch of guys.

[00:50:03] JACQUES BURGER, NAMIBIA CAPTAIN: As soon as you don't enjoy the days like this and as soon as you don't find any pride against playing the best side, the All Blacks, then you can stop playing this game. You know, I think so a lot of these boy s and to play on the world stage is a special moment for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: We have much more to come here at CNN WORLD SPORT including football legend David Beckham heading to the big apple where up close and personal with the former England captain and his role as UNICEF ambassador.

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SNELL: Welcome back to you. The defending champion of the Pan- Pacific Tennis Open in Tokyo Ana Ivanovic will meet Dominica Cibulkova in the quarterfinals of the tournament. This after the Serbian overcame the challenge of the Italian player Camila Giorgi. The first set was really tight, though. Giorgi's forehand misdirecting off the net and Ivanovic is there to pounce making the producer a brilliant win, really nicely crafted by the former world number one. As we see it again. Really nicely done. She clearly enjoyed it.

Ivanovcic would break to take the opener with a backhand. It goes over the net, lands just in inside the line. Ivanovic goes on to win in style as well. All her experience showing through there. 7-5, 6- 2. She's very happy she's through. They're on their feet.

All right. Former England football captain David Beckham has worldwide fame. He's won trophies all over the world. He's a father of four, too. He's also -- he's been a UNICEF ambassador for more than a decade now. Beckham is in New York City at the moment with a loud and clear message for world leaders to protect and put children first at all costs. He's been speaking with CNN's Richard Roth.

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DAVID BECKHAM, UNICEF GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: I think the U.N. do a lot of great work, but my involvement with UNICEF has been for the last 10 years as ambassador. And my involvement here today is something that is very important to myself to UNICEF, to the U.N. and to everybody around the world. But this is about children. We're focusing on children and their needs and it's one of the reasons why we have the installation that we have here because --

RICHARD ROTH, CNN U.N. CORRESPONDENT: What is this? What is Google's involvement? What's -- how are they and how are you going to help children get a message out to world leaders?

BECKHAM: Well, the youth assembly is all about bringing children's voices into the United Nations. And we could not physically bring all the children here, so what we've done is brought their voices.

ROTH: How do you feel watching these pictures of children -- young children washing up on beaches, hundreds of thousands desperate to get out of Syria and elsewhere in Africa? How do you feel about that and what could turn the situation around? European governments fighting amongst each other about the best solution.

BECKHAM: Well, you know, I'm not a politician. I've always said that is never my strongest point. But what I am is a father. And when you see the images and as a goodwill ambassador, you want to do something about that. You know, as a father, to be in a situation like that where you are that desperate to put your children in a situation like that, there must be something that we can all do.

[00:55:08] And there's a lot of hard work to be done. And whether they're refugees, they are human beings and they're children.

ROTH: You have a lot of interests, including business interests, sport s interests. Can you give us an update on your efforts to put a football soccer team in Miami? Is that ever going to happen?

BECKHAM: The soccer team will happen. It's taken its time but anything as big as this takes its time. We've come up against a few speed bumps along the way. But we are getting there. We are in a very positive position now. We found a site that we like. Found a site that we really -- that is possible to build a stadium and hopefully everyone -- everyone in Miami gets behind it because so far they have been. They're excited. It is a great city that needs a soccer team. And it will happen.

ROTH: Alex Ferguson didn't mention you among the elite, I mean, it's always a judgment call in his book. Are you disappointed? Does it matter?

BECKHAM: It doesn't matter. I'm not disappointed. I was able to play for one of the biggest and best clubs in the world. I'm with -- I'm being managed by one of the best managers in the world. So no. I'm happy that I played under him for the amount of years I did. And he said I was a pretty good player from time to time. So I'm more than happy with that.

ROTH: Was a 19-year-old worth all that money?

BECKHAM: Well, we'll see. He's doing well so far.

ROTH: Are you going to be the next James Bond or a future James Bond?

BECKHAM: Definitely not.

ROTH: OK. Good to highlight your presence. You may not be well known enough.

Thank you very much, David Beckham, goodwill ambassador for UNICEF for 10 years. That's a long run.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNELL: The iconic David Beckham talking to Richard Roth.

Thank you for joining us this Friday. You're bang up-to-date. Do stay with CNN.

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