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Tragedy on the Hajj; Famous North Korean Farmer; Latest 2016 Election Poll Numbers; New Zealand Continues Rugby Roll; FIFA General Secretary Suspended; Newest iPhone Release

Aired September 25, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:01:00] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: A deadly stampede at the Hajj Pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia orders an investigation after more than 700 people died there.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: The Pope is now in New York City after speaking to the U.S. Congress and having dinner with the homeless.

HOWELL: And later in this broadcast, a deadly crash in the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington. Four international students are dead after their bus collides with a tour vehicle.

ALLEN: And hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Natalie Allen.

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

Good day to you. It is 10:00 a.m. in Saudi Arabia where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are wrapping up the final day of the Hajj. We have these live pictures to show you from the site, where at this time on Thursday there was mass chaos. More than 700 people were killed and another 900 injured in a stampede during a holy Muslim ritual known as the Stoning of the Devil.

ALLEN: Iran, which says it lost at least 131 citizens, is blasting Saudi Arabia over the disaster. The country's supreme leader has declared three days of national mourning in Iran. We spoke earlier with a woman who was taking part in the Hajj when the stampede happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's being said that happened yesterday is you had 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 site where they performed a previous ritual. They're tired, they're exhausted, and a lot of people who don't have money to stay in tents, you know, it's extremely overheated, dehydrated. A lot of them are elderly, are young, infirm. And I talked to 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 shoving and screaming that happened and the panicking, if you fell you weren't going to get up again. And that how one of them he was literally on top of piles of bodies. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Let's bring in Senior International Correspondent Arwa Damon now. She's following developments for us from Istanbul, Turkey and joins us now live. Finger pointing about how this perhaps happened, Arwa. And certainly Saudi Arabia has tried to prevent this since it's happened before. But here we are again with quite a disaster.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is. No matter how you look at it, this is absolutely tragic and horrific. The Saudi authorities are still saying that they're investigating the exact cause of the surge that then led to the stampede. What we do know is that two large groups of pilgrims appear to have come together at one of these smaller crossroads, intersections. Some blame being put by Saudi authorities on perhaps the pilgrims themselves for not necessarily following the paths that they are meant to be following. But just to give our viewers an idea of how densely packed these rich sites are as the rituals take place, we're talking about upwards of 2 million people trying to get to these various different sites, this particular stampede happening as pilgrims were approaching the Jamarat, which is where they throw small stones and pebbles at three large pillars.

It's called the Stoning of the Devil, symbolizing the rejection of evil. And having been to the Hajj a few years ago covering it, then there is a massive density of humanity as they especially get closer to these various different areas. And over the years because this has yes, happened in the past, Saudi officials have spent upwards of $1 billion trying to expand and develop the areas around these various different sites. In Jamarat itself, for example, building these massive bridges and overpasses to try to decrease the density of people as they are moving through, and also just organizing and coordinating the entire Hajj in and of itself is a colossal event and undertaking, made especially more challenging because of the propensity that does exist for these types of stampedes to take place.

And for so many of those who do undertake this pilgrimage, it is one of the five pillars of Islam. Many people, Natalie, save their entire lives to be able to go on this journey, at the end of which they do believe that they will have cleaned their slate, that they're getting a second chance, a second lease on life, and to have it end for those 700-plus people in such a tragic way is most certainly very difficult, raising a lot of questions can and also putting a lot more pressure on the Saudi authorities to ensure that this does not happen again.

[03:05:01] ALLEN: Absolutely. And Arwa, we're told that women and children are among the dead. If you watch the video, as most of us can only do every year, you only see men. You've been there. Are women and children in the vicinity?

DAMON: They are. And they're a part of the rituals in it of themselves. In many cases you have entire families that go together performing this at the same time. In some instances yes, you do have groups of just men. But most definitely women and children are in the crowds. This is something that is especially when you know, we were there when we did cover it back in 2008, when you spoke to people that went as families they talked about how much more spiritual and fulfilling it was as a family. I remember one family I spoke to way back then when the father had gone and performed it and had decided then to bring his entire family with him, including his smaller children who I believe were around 10 and 11 years old, a brother and a sister, because he wanted them to experience this as a family.

So you know you do get people from all walks of life. You get those who are the wealthier Muslims, and then you get poor people from the far reaches of the world who literally have saved their entire lives just to make this one journey coming from small villages, having never been in a plane before but saving everything that they have to be able to come and fulfill this key pillar, because they do fundamentally believe in the need for it, they fundamentally believe in what it is that they're undertaking. They're retracing the steps of the prophet Abraham through all of these various different rituals, retracing the steps, visiting these very holy sites that prophet Muhammad stood in as well.

And it is such an emotional journey for everybody who ends up undertaking it. And again, just so devastating that this year it had to end like this.

ALLEN: Absolutely, a solemn event, religious event, millions of people and more than 700 dead. Saudi Arabia promises an investigation. Hope they can figure out what happened, why, and it never happens again. Arwa Damon following it for us from Istanbul, thank you, Arwa.

HOWELL: Volkswagen's supervisory board is meeting today to appoint a new CEO as it deals with a crisis over fraudulent emissions testing.

ALLEN: Right. They really messed up. And it was on purpose. The German automaker has reportedly picked this man, Mattias Mueller to lead the company. Martin Winterkorn stepped down Wednesday. Mueller is currently the head of Porsche sports car brand.

HOWELL: Let's go live to Berlin, our Senior International Correspondent Atika Shubert is standing by following the story for us, Atika, good to have you with us. So the German chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for quick decisive action to protect the brand integrity of that German company. Could this change be the first of many more to come?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think there's no doubt that there is going to be changes in the way vehicles are tested in Europe. The German transport minister said as much yesterday, that they would begin not just lab testing but also road testing, and also random testing of vehicles across roads. Of course because Germany part of the E.U., this means it would have to be part of E.U.-wide regulations, but it has definitely shaken the automobile industry to the core. And you're absolutely right. Chancellor Angela Merkel, the fact the head of the country had to come out and call on Volkswagen to be more transparent goes to show just how important this is, how deeply disappointing and embarrassing it is for many here in Germany that take such pride in the made in Germany brand, standing for such solid engineering like this. So there's a lot of concern that this could have wider repercussions.

The hope is that by appointing a new CEO, possibly today, and by sort of stemming the damage, they'll be able to try and have a recovery. I should also point out that Volkswagen has called for the German prosecutor to launch a criminal investigation to get to the bottom of this.

HOWELL: Atika, what more can you tell us about the person who is reportedly next to lead this company as it seeks to right wrongs and turn the page?

SHUBERT: Well, Mattias Mueller has been in charge of the Porsche brand now for about five years and has done so successfully. He's really increased sales and profits. He's known as a straight shooter, and a safe pair of hands, perhaps the most important quality is that he is well known and close to the Porsche family, which is of course the family that is behind the Volkswagen brand. So he is seen as a safe choice going forward, but the key really is who else is going to be blamed or possibly even fired in the next few days for this crisis? I think there are a lot of questions being asked about Volkswagen's U.S. leadership, for example. Also of course the research and development team. The fact that they were able to put in an algorithm that's specifically was designed to cheat emissions testing, it's just a flagrant violation of the rules, George.

[03:10:08] HOWELL: Atika, it is interesting to point out that Volkswagen shares ahead of this announcement of the CEO are up four percent, so some interesting news as we wait to hear what happens next with the leadership change there. But the question is far as consumer confidence, how has all of this affected people's confidence in the brand?

SHUBERT: Well, I think there is no doubt. It's taken a very deep hit on the brand. This is the world's number one automobile manufacturer, and the fact that it was knowingly cheating these emissions test is a huge problem. Now to be fair, the vehicles involved are diesel cars, this is not the kind of car you would see most of often in the United States but they're very popular here in Europe. And its 11 million cars that seem to have this cheating software, so there are a lot of repercussions from that. Perhaps the bigger problem however, is whether or not it's just Volkswagen. This is the question many in the automobile industry are particularly worried about. Is this an indication of a wider problem, comparisons for example to the doping scandal in sports, is this a case of where Volkswagen was just the ones that got caught?

HOWELL: Are they the ones that got caught, that is the question. Atika Shubert live for us in Berlin this hour, Atika, thank you so much for your reporting there.

ALLEN: Pope Francis is in New York City. Not many people can steal the show when they arrive in New York City.

HOWELL: Pope can.

ALLEN: He has. It's his second stop on his six day U.S. tour. HOWELL: And he got an enthusiastic reception during his arrival to

the nation's largest city. Thousands of people lined Manhattan's 5th Avenue to greet him as you see here. Pope Francis then led an evening service at the newly renovated St. Patrick's Cathedral.

ALLEN: He began by offering prayers to the victims of the Mecca stampede we just talked about.

POPE FRANCIS: In this moment I give assurances of my prayers.

HOWELL: And then in the coming hours the Pope 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.

On Thursday Pope Francis delivered a moving and powerful address, a very rare event, a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

ALLEN: Right. And during his speech he brought both Democrats and Republicans to standing. And he also had the Supreme Court standing. They don't normally do that when they attend these things. But he urged lawmakers to use their power to promote peace and justice and to resolve the world's many crises. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more on the Pope's message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the corridors of power to a mission for the homeless, Pope Francis tended to all of his flock during a whirlwind day in Washington, hailed by thousands as he stepped onto the balcony of the capitol. A divided Congress in a city that's often cynical paused today for the Pope's historic address.

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Supreme Court justices and members of the President's cabinet joined Republicans and Democrats in paying respect. There were at times gentle scoldings like on the politically charged issue of immigration.

FRANCIS: The people of this continent are not fearful of foreigners. Because most of us -- because most of us were once foreigners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wove American icons like Martin Luther King into the challenges of today, particularly immigrants in search of a better life.

FRANCIS: It's not what we want for our own children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were moments of discomfort for both sides, from abortion...

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To climate change. FRANCIS: I'm convinced that we can make a difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yet Pope Francis waded only gingerly into the partisan waters, delivering a message that soared above the conventional lines of our politics.

[03:15:01] FRANCIS: A good political leader is one who with the interest of all in mind seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. Amen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His effect on lawmakers was clear, from Republican speaker John Boehner to one of the top Democrats, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I think everybody is a citizen of the world today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beneath a dome where humility is often in short supply, lawmakers stood watch for a final glimpse as the Pope moved on. To St. Patrick's in downtown Washington and the home of catholic charities. He bid farewell to the crowds with time ticking away before diving back into the crowd for even more handshakes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: That was Jeff Zeleny reporting.

ALLEN: Nice to see him with the children there. He always wants to get up close and personal.

HOWELL: He does. He likes to get out. Secret service, I know they don't like that part, but it is something this Pope really loves to do, get out and interact.

ALLEN: Makes their job more challenging. But what can you say when the Pope likes to do that?

Congressional leaders invited Pope Francis to have lunch with them after his speech, but being this Pope, he chose to eat with Washington's homeless.

HOWELL: That's right. He visited a catholic charity shelter and told people that there is no justification for homelessness in the United States. CNN's Carol Costello reports.

CAROL COSTELLO: Catholic charities' plan was so well orchestrated. These humble doors would open, those gathered the homeless and the destitute would stand and applaud respectfully. Pope Francis would have none of it.

FRANCIS: Bon appetite.

COSTELLO: After blessing a simple lunch, the Pope in an extraordinary yet maddening move for the secret service launched into the crowd. People swarmed around the Pope, everybody dispensing with the advice to address him as your holiness. As far as kissing his ring, forget about it. Selfies ruled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They brought dignitaries and people like that to see the Pope and the Pope said no, he wants to see the common people. He wants to see the people that he serves. Imagine that, me, coming out of the ghetto.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt something. I'm not lying. I felt something.

COSTELLO: Pope Francis made a beeline for children, and they came prepared. Eight-year-old Steven who lives in a shelter with his mother and sister came armed with a letter. It reads, Dear Pope, can you please pray for me and my mother for a better life and a better job? Pope Francis took the letter with him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What was that like?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't expect any of this.

COSTELLO: All of this vintage Francis, an expert at using his grace to inspire. Did you feel something too?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt a little vibe of positive energy. Yes, a lot of it. And I hope it flows through the city.

COSTELLO: What did this mean to you, this whole experience?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It meant the world to me because it's like that's the Pope. And me being in the situation I'm in, like I get to meet the Pope and then I -- I didn't get no picture.

COSTELLO: Does it give you hope?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it does. It gives me hope. But I'm full of hope and I'm full of joy and happiness. So it's just added on.

COSTELLO: Pope Francis leaving that impression I've heard so many times, a man so human yet divine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Doesn't it seem, George that he enjoys getting up close and personal and talking to people as much as they enjoy talking to him.

HOWELL: It makes a big difference, too. Instead of meeting with members of Congress he decided that this is what he wanted to do.

ALLEN: He does it his own way. And he will be addressing the United Nations today. CNN will provide coverage of that.

HOWELL: And as CNN Newsroom continues, China's president, Xi Jinping, arrives in Washington for a state visit that could feature some very tough talks. A live report as the news continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:22:01] DEREK VAN DAM: Good day. I'm CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam with a quick look at your weather watch. Starting off in the early week and across the United States, we're going to have an unsettled weather pattern from the Carolinas through Georgia. You can see the showers in our forecast for Atlanta, temperatures cooler than average this time of year, only a daytime high of 19. Perhaps you're traveling in or out of the New York City region, 24 degrees today, Chicago at 24 as well. Lots of sunshine over the Rockies and over the west coast, San Francisco to Los Angeles topping the middle and upper 20s for the afternoon, here's the unsettled weather across Georgia and the Carolinas. It's all thanks to a very typical fall-like weather pattern that is setting up across this region. High pressure to the north bringing sunshine to the New England coast but a slow-moving low pressure bringing the chance of rainfall against again to the mid- Atlantic states or just to the south of that.

We anticipate the wet weather to continue across much of Central America. Guatemala City and Belize city, chances of showers and thunderstorms. More of the same for Havana, Cuba, Nassau in the Bahamas, Kingston, Jamaica you should stay dry, and temperatures in the lower 30s this afternoon. You can see the typical tropical thunderstorms that form across this area. More wet weather expected across the northern sections of South America.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Welcome back. A little snafu, you might say, on the road leading to the Olympics in Japan. Japan's sports minister is resigning over plans for the national stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The minister is a close ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He said Mr. Abe asked him to stay on until a cabinet reshuffle next month.

HOWELL: Here's the deal. In July that stadium was scrapped because the cost soared $2 billion. That is nearly twice the original estimate. The minister had this to say about his salary for the project. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first time I received word regarding the possibility of the stadium's cost blowout and construction delay was in April, which is why I have decided to return the six months' worth of pay that I received from that day onward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The stadium was also meant to be the centerpiece for the 2019 World Cup.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, he is in Washington, D.C., where he attended a working dinner with President Barack Obama at the White House. Later today, Mr. Xi is expected to unveil a cap and trade program for carbon emissions. ALLEN: Under that program, China would cap carbon emissions for

individual companies. Firms exceeding their quotas could buy permits from companies that have reduced emissions.

HOWELL: Let's go straight to Beijing, our Saima Mohsin standing by live for us this hour, Saima, good to have you with us. Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in that meeting? So carbon emissions -- that might be a good jumping off point for these leaders to start their talks, but there are some thorny issues on the table from territorial disputes to cyber crimes. Talk to us about the list of tricky topics that they will have to discuss.

SAIMA MOHSIN: Yeah, incredibly tricky. Of course climate change, the cap and trade system that China will announce later today alongside President Obama. A huge feat for President Obama to convince China to do this as well, something that he's been working toward for the Paris conference later in the year, that's the positives. Then as you say wouldn't it be great to be a fly on the wall? The tough talking and President Obama hasn't been mincing his words. Neither has anyone alongside him. Susan Rice saying very clearly this has to stop. President Obama saying you want to make this a competition? Well, if we do, we will win it. So there's a lost tough talking. President Obama said he will not paper over the cracks with this one. He's going to address it head on. Whether they make headway on cyber crime nobody really knows, George?

HOWELL: Saima, can you also talk to us about the interest that has certainly been garnered about the official state dinner, the menu among the Chinese public. What more can you tell us about that?

MOHSIN: Yeah, you know, George, alongside the South China Sea military engagement, cyber crime, there's a lot of interest in the food too. There's a lot of buzz on Chinese social media leading up to the banquet, what were they going to eat, what would it be. And then when the menu came to light a lot of Chinese people saying this food doesn't seem good enough, there's not enough of it because in Chinese culture the more you want to welcome someone into your house, at your table, the more dishes you prepare. Of course western cuisine is very much a set, entree, starters, fish course, meat course, and dessert. There is a lot of fusion in this menu. We're told it's a mixture of autumn and fall seasonal vegetables and meats on the plates. Alongside Chinese influence like lobster and Mayer lemons which are said to have originated in China and brought to the U.S. in the 1900s.

HOWELL: To be a fly on the wall and also to be seated at the table. It seems like a pretty nice meal, Saima, thank you so much for your reporting.

[03:27:01] ALLEN: We have this from Seattle, Washington. Four international college students are dead after their bus collided with a tour vehicle on a highway. And this is the scene. It was on a bridge, actually, near downtown Seattle. Dozens were rushed to hospitals. Two remain in critical condition. Authorities say all of those killed were on the tour bus.

HOWELL: That's right. And at this point it's not clear what caused that crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate. One witness explained what he saw. Well, we're not hearing from that witness, but the company has pulled all of its duck boats. That tour vehicle, they pulled all of those from the city streets, and those duck boats, they are vehicles that float on water and also roll on streets.

Still to come here on CNN Newsroom, inside North Korea, that nation's most famous farmer shows off a farm cooperative decades in the making.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, this is CNN Newsroom. I'm George Howell.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Yes, thanks for being with us. I'm Natalie Allen. Let's check our top stories for you. Pope Francis is in New York City. The second stop on his six-day U.S. tour. In the coming hours, we'll speak to the U.N. General Assembly and visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum. He'll also celebrate mass at Madison Square Garden, take a little walking tour of Central Park and meet with families of migrants in Harlem.

HOWELL: Good time in New York.

Japan's sports minister is stepping down over the ballooning cost of a stadium for the 2020 Olympics. The prime minister asks the minister to stay on until next month. The National Stadium was scrapped when the cost of the design skyrocketed to more than $2 billion.

ALLEN: 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. They were trampled in a stampede near the holy city of Mecca. It happened during a ritual known as the stoning of the devil.

HOWELL: And this is the scene right now in Saudi Arabia, people gathering for the final day of the Hajj. We're also expecting Friday prayers at the grand mosque in Mecca. An estimated 2 million people are taking part in the Hajj this year. Earlier, we spoke with journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with El Arab TV, and he explained exactly what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMAL KHASHOGGI, EL ARAB TV JOURNALIST: It happened about 24 hours or before, with the sunrise in Mina, it is the most difficult day for the Saudi security team to move around more than 2 1/2 million Hajis pilgrims out of their tents, out of their camps into two locations. One is called Jamarat and the second location is the Grand Mosque. And then bring them back. So you are talking about organizing the movement of a huge masses, so the Saudi government went through its experience in over the years, developed a very complicated system that involved the security people, involved them with the (inaudible) the tribal agents, who should take a regiments of the (inaudible) of the pilgrims, of compromise of other thousands. They go in a certain time of the day. They have to move into a certain direction, come back through a certain street. If any mistake happens, if a group makes a wrong turn, that will cause a disaster. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. The government promised an investigation, they (inaudible) about it and announce it soon. Who made that mistake and the -- into the Hajj (inaudible) who according to the minister of health will defied the order of the police and went the wrong direction from a certain street to another, or is it the travel guide? That is still under investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: We will have continuing coverage of the disaster near Mecca throughout the day here on CNN. And you can get the latest updates on our website anytime. Just go to cnn.com/international.

[03:34:59] ALLEN: The long-time manager of Pyongyang Cooperative Farm just might be North Korea's most famous farmer. Over decades, she has met dozens of times with North Korea's leaders. She has survived hardship and famine, and now oversees a modern super farm. CNN's Will Ripley got an exclusive tour. He joins us now from North Korea's capital. And we know Will that you've gotten this tour and you've been able to tell this story, but still, your access and where you go is closely monitored. We should point that out.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Natalie. We are accompanied by government officials on these various shoots, as we have been in every visit I've been here now. This is my fourth time and just over a year. And for awhile now, we've been asking about access to a North Korean farm because we want to talk about the food situation in this country. It's no secret and North Korea has acknowledged economic struggles and acknowledged the fact that there are many people here who at times do not have enough to eat. It's because of the fact that they have a hard time producing enough food to feed the entire population. At times, the situation is quite dire for some people, but there is hope that farms, like the one you're about to see, will provide more food for people in the future here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: What are you growing right there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a little...

RIPLEY: Surrounded by green tomatoes and red peppers, we're touring one of North Korea's very first greenhouses.

You're not kidding. It's hot in here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is.

RIPLEY: With a farmer who remembers when they barely had seeds to plant. First, after the Korean War, and again, during the great famine, when hundreds of thousands died of starvation.

KIM MYONG YON, COOPERATIVE FARM MANAGER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): "We had no fertilizer, no electricity. We had to eat grass porridge," says Kim Myong Yon. "We really struggle to survive." Kim says poverty was a way of life at this cooperative farm village, her home for more than half a century. Today, irrigated fields, more than 600 greenhouses, brand new housing and schools, all of it built in 8 1/2 months, 4,000 workers a day acting on orders from Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, who envisioned a farm of the future.

YON (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): "Our dream has been achieved by the leader," she says. "In the old days, we were so poor, so barren. We never imagined we'd grow this many vegetables."

RIPLEY: This co-op considered a model for North Korea's 2,000 other farms, making Kim something of a national celebrity. Pictures in the farm museum show many of her 44 meetings over the years with all three North Korean leaders. The nation's Founder Kim Il-sung made her farm manager at 23, when she says she gave him honest feedback about the poor conditions of the farm at that time. Today, the 69-year-old expresses absolute devotion to his grandson, a third-generation leader.

YON (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): "If we only eat a few grains of rice without many vegetables, we're still satisfied as long as we have our leader," she says. Despite recent gains, the U.N. World Food Program says North Korea still struggles to produce enough food for its 24 million people. Estimating 70 percent of the population is highly vulnerable to food shortages.

RIPLEY: Oh, there they are.

This farm complete with a fully stocked fishing pond is just minutes from the capital Pyongyang, home to many of North Korea's most privileged and some might say, well-fed citizens. Farmers get cash and prizes for productivity, incentives to grow more food and feed more people. This farmer says all in the name of the leader.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: And Will Ripley is back with us live from the Capitol there in North Korea. Will, I understand you have some breaking news. What is it?

[03:39:01] RIPLEY: So back in May, Natalie, I interviewed Won-moon Joo, who's a New York University student who crossed -- he admitted to crossing illegally into North Korea from China, saying that he was curious about this country and also, had a desire to accomplish some sort of a great event, now Won-moon Joo, 21-years-old, a permanent resident of the United States, but he is from South Korea, but his family lives in the U.S. He attended NYU. We spoke with him a few months ago, and I believe we have video of that interview. He held a press conference here in Pyongyang, and it was attended by a number of different news agencies, including North Korean state media. They showed him on camera. We were not present, but I did listen to the press conference, which was in English. And Won-moon Joo said, and I'm just going to read you some things that he said, quote, "I'm not very sure about my future, but because I broke the law by illegally entering, I will accept my judgment as given." He also talked about the fact that the North Korean government took him to Kim Il-sung University, which is the number one university in this country, and also to the grand people's study house, where he spoke with other college students in English and he says that they told him, he was no enemy to them. Him, surfacing right now is significant because in just a couple of weeks or so, North Korea has a major national holiday coming up, the founding of their workers party. And North Korea has a history of providing amnesty to detainees around national holidays. So given that he's surfacing now, even though he said he doesn't know when he's going to go home, but he said he hopes to be treated generously. We may have some indication that his release could be treated forthcoming. Of course, we'll continue to work to get more information. We've just learned about this within the last hour or so.

ALLEN: All right, Will. Well, thank you for bringing us the latest on that story. We certainly hope he does get amnesty. We know that you'll continue to follow it. This your fourth trip to North Korea. Will Ripley for us live, thanks; more news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: And welcome back. We have new poll numbers for you from election 2016. And it looks like democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is losing ground to contender Bernie Sanders in the key state of New Hampshire.

HOWELL: That's right. A new CNN/WMUR survey shows Sanders, has the support of almost half of likely voters in next year's primary with 46 percent, 36 percent say that they back Hillary Clinton, and 14 percent has support U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Should he decide to run on the republican side of things? The polls show that Donald Trump continues to hold a wide lead in New Hampshire over his primary competitors, but the rest of the field is shifting. Trump leads with 26% among likely voters to vote in the nation's first primary.

[03:45:00] ALLEN: But second position now goes to businesswoman Carly Fiorina with 16 percent. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, third with 9 percent. Retired Neurosurgeon Ben Carson was in second, is in fourth place now with 8 percent. So try to keep up -- shifting numbers.

HOWELL: Something Donald Trump probably didn't like, he got a less than glowing reception on the streets of New York on Thursday, and our CNN New York cameras were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Boo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Trump met with -- he's met with more jeers than cheers, as he walked into the Trump tower through a crowded field there, like gathered for the pope. Later, the republican presidential hopeful could be seen there at the top of the tower, waving to the crowd below.

ALLEN: Well, Trump is not happy about CNN's reporting of a campaign appearance in South Carolina this week. The feud was triggered not over who came to the event, but how many came or didn't come. Here's CNN's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just excited about seeing him in person.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The enthusiasm was there, but the turnout was not. We arrived at the North Charleston Event Center, capacity 1,500, about 90 minutes before the scheduled start time of 2:00 p.m. And 30 minutes before the speech was to begin, the hall still looked like this, more than a third empty -- at least.

Hello, Mr. Trump, Randi Kaye with CNN.

When Trump arrived, he was happy to see us.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here's CNN. Come here, CNN.

KAYE: But that happiness turned to something else, entirely overnight, after he saw our report, noting the room was only about 2/3 full. It had hundreds of empty seats. Listen to Trump on CNN's New Day.

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TRUMP: Your reporter in South Carolina, who was absolutely terrible. She covered my speech. I made a speech to the African-American Chamber of Commerce in South Carolina.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TRUMP: Wonderful people. And the room was full. Every seat was full.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Every seat full? Not so much. This picture was taken while Mr. Trump was speaking. Here's some video around the same time. Notice, he's on stage. And notice the many empty seats in the back of the room. Again, Mr. Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: When I went to the stage, everybody rushed forward. They all rushed to the front of the room. It was a ballroom. They all rushed to the front of the room. And when they did that, you had half of the seats in the back was empty because everybody was standing in the front.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: For the record, not everyone was standing and the empty seats were empty because they were never occupied. We weren't the only ones who noticed. This New York Times headline read, "A day of empty seats and Donald Trump in full attack." The Washington Post headline, "Donald Trump says he didn't speak to a half-empty room, but he did." The Post's writer, Phillip Bump noted Trump's comments about our reporting, then fact-checked it, posting this photo from the Associated Press. Notice all the empty seats? Trump is at the podium. The Post noted this one too. "Some people standing, most, not." The Post summed it up this way, "CNN's assessment appears to have been the correct one." We also pointed out in our reporting that the event was sponsored by the South Carolina African-American Chamber of Commerce, but the crowd was overwhelmingly white, with only a handful of African-Americans. But on CNN's New Day, Donald Trump denied that too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, they had many African-Americans. They had many white people too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Here's another angle of the crowd. Note the ethnicity and yet, another angle. In television, pictures tell the story, especially, this story -- Randi Kaye, CNN, Charleston, South Carolina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The facts are the facts are the facts, and there were empty seats in that hall -- Randi Kaye reporting there.

Still to come here on CNN Newsroom, Pope Francis pays a visit to the U.S. Congress and one top politician had a hard time holding back the tears. You're watching CNN Newsroom.

[03:49:19] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PATRICK SNELL, SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN World Sport Headlines. Defending Rugby World Cup champs, New Zealand have made it back to back went to easily overcoming the tournaments lowest rank, Team Namibia. In London, the old back scoring nine tries, making it 26 matches unbeaten in the group stages of the World Cup, which s a record, by the way, stretching back to the first tournament in 1987. Namibia, though, by no means disgraced. The highlights for the African team, an excellent second half try by Johan Deysel.

An update now to a story we brought you last week, when we told you FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke had been suspended from his post at football's world governing body. The Swiss-based Association saying it has given investigators now 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 talk of the town of PGA's tour championship in Atlanta. The top three players in the world, Jason Day, Rory Mcllroy and Jordan Spieth are going all out for the lucrative FedEx cup crown. The day one dominated by the Swede Henrik Stenson. He shot 7-under 63, he held a two-shot advantage over Paul Casey. Mcllroy tied for third. Spieth and Day have some work to do further down the field. Thanks for joining us. You're bang up to date, way look at your sports headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ALLEN: Well, the new iPhone 6s is on sale today. I already have a 6. Holding with the one I have, George. And analysts, though, expect 12 to 13 million of them to go flying off the shelves this weekend. Fans from San Francisco to Hong Kong, camped out for days to be among the first to pick one up. The phones are the same size as last year's models and have improved cameras and 3D touch. They range in price from $199 to $299 in a contract with the service provider, of course.

HOWELL: I might be in the market to upgrade. There it goes. The moment, though, after they went on sale in Hong Kong, they were already on the black market. Street vendors were making a profit on resales, not far from the Apple store's doors.

In Sydney, Australia at least one Apple fan wasn't willing to spend time waiting in the rain. So she spent -- she sent what may be a stand-in of the future. Lucy Kelly stayed at home dry while her telepresence (ph) robot stood in line for the new iPhone. How about that?

ALLEN: That's so genius. Lucy operated the robot while she had chores around the house. And yes, she did get her new iPhone from her robot. Glad to see nobody cut in line on the robot.

HOWELL: A telepresence (ph) robot. That's the best way to stand in line.

All right, so it is not unusual for the Catholic faithful to be moved to tears when they come face to face with the pope, the Holy Father.

ALLEN: And there were people crying in Washington as he spoke. Here's Jeanne Moos.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Usually, the pope produces smiles or a bubble of intimacy, but in his speech to Congress he brought a couple of members to tears. Deploy that hankie, Mr. Speaker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS: A hostile more responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: From the moment he met Pope Francis...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOEHNER, UNITED STATES HOUSE SPEAKER: Your holiness.

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[03:55:00] MOOS: John Boehner seemed emotional. A devout catholic, he was the one who invited the pontiff to address Congress. And by the time they got to the podium, Boehner seemed to be holding back tears. And then the pope opened with this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: That's when it became the land of bravely trying to fight back tears, "It's my Congress and I'll cry if I want to," tweeted one person. And when the pope came out on the balcony to greet the cheering throngs, the struggle intensified. Boehner used to be an altar boy. He told the Cincinnati Enquirer, a picture of the pope hung in his boyhood home. And most every day we prayed for the pope. Speaker Boehner wasn't the only one to shed a tear. The difference is Marco Rubio seemed to shed only a single tear. It was caught on camera when the pope spoke of immigration. Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants. And Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, another catholic, looked teary as the pope spoke of the importance of family. For his past episodes of crying...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOEHNER: Chasing the American dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Boehner has been dubbed the weeper of the House. During the pope's speech, even liberal writer Joan Walsh tweeted, "Watching Speaker Boehner fight tears is incredibly moving." A conservative website once summed up Boehner's tendency to cry this way, "Boehner is crying." In other news, the pope is catholic. Standing next to the real live pope, no wonder the speaker was sprinkling holy water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): To pray for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: And that is our news. Thank you for watching CNN. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell.

[03:57:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)