Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Checkpoints and Tight Security in Jerusalem; Kenya Forces Refugees To Leave Dadaab; Tesla Provides Auto-Pilot Function to Model S. Aired 8:00a-9:00p ET

Aired October 15, 2015 - 8:00   ET

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

[08:00:42] MANISHA TANK, HOST: I'm, Manisha Tank in Hong Kong. A warm welcome to News Stream.

Checkpoints and tight security in Jerusalem after a string of attacks across the city.

We'll explain why Kenya is forcing people to leave the world's largest refugee camp.

And testing out the latest innovation from Tesla, an upgrade that allow cars to take over and drive themselves.

Fear hangs over Jerusalem after a string of knife attacks against Israelis. Security is tight around Palestinian neighborhoods where

checkpoints have been set up and heavily armed police are on guard.

This follows two attacks in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Police shot and killed a man who allegedly lunged at officers with a knife. Authorities

identified him as 19-year-old from the West Bank. Then, an elderly woman was stabbed at a bus station. Her attacker was also shot by police.

So, let's take a moment to look at what's happening there. Authorities say many of the knife attacks have been carried out by young

people.

On Monday, we saw four stabbings. One occurred near a religious landmark where police shot and killed a Palestinian man who stabbed an

officer. His family described the suspect as an 18-year-old from East Jerusalem.

In another attack -- and this happened inside a bus -- a Palestinian man allegedly tried to strangle and stab a soldier. And that was followed

by a number of attacks on Tuesday targeting bus passengers.

A man rammed his vehicle into a bus stop and ran over people. Then he got out of his car and stabbed them, killing one of them.

So, for the latest from Jerusalem now, and an update on what is a very tense situation. We can talk to Erin McLaughlin. She's there. She's been

following this story very closely.

And I would imagine that we've seen troop deployments where, you know, we have all of these sporadic attacks. People must be really fearing for

their lives.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORREPSONDENT: Yeah, there's fear and anxiety here in Jerusalem, Manisha and an illustration of that angst.

This morning on a train to Haifa, Israeli police say a group of Israeli soldiers thought they saw someone who was suspicious. Soldiers

yelled out on the train terrorist. And one of the soldiers fired his gun.

Now the train arrived at the station and was searched and there was nothing there, it was a false alarm. It really just shows you how people

here are on edge.

Now, there's been no new reports of violence today, but yesterday there were two separate incidents, one that took place outside the old

city, Damascus gate entrance to the old city. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man who they say attempted to stab a group of police

officers inadvertently. When they shot at the attacker, they also shot and injured an Israeli civilian as well as a tourist.

And then later in the day there was an attack at a bus station, police say, a Palestinian man stabbed, 72-year-old woman, wounding her. He was

shot -- the attacker was shot and killed as well.

And all of this taking place amidst a backdrop of incredible security. Thousands of additional police officers deployed not just in Jerusalem, but

also in cities across Israel. They've taken the unusual step as well of deploying in some cases soldiers to patrol alongside police officers in

Israeli cities. And there's also been these checkpoints that have been set up inside predominately Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.

And amidst all of that, these attacks are persisting. So what we're seeing is Israelis arming themselves, the people who have gun licenses are

carrying -- now carrying their guns. And in fact some cases government officials actively encouraging that. And stores in Jerusalem that sell

weapons, pepper spray completely sold out.

And Palestinians are saying they're scared as well. They're scared as well. They're very concerned about what could happen if, say, they reach

for their cellphone. And that's perceived by Israeli forces as something else.

So, what we're seeing right now is fear and anxiety on both sides.

[08:05:16] TANK: People very, very much on edge, aren't they, Erin.

But let's talk about the nature of these attacks. We're describing it as a wave, but there is a sporadic nature to them. And we're also noticing

that a lot of the perpetrators are youngsters. So, do we know why this is happening and why it's happening now?

MCLAUGHLIN: That's right. Some of the attackers have been described by Israeli police as being Palestinian teenagers, some as young 13-years-

old, many of the attackers are suspects coming from east Jerusalem neighborhoods. And many described -- Israeli authorities describing the

attacks as carried out by so-called lone wolves, very difficult to predict, very difficult to prevent.

Now what has sparked all of this, well it very much depends on who you ask. Israeli officials are pointing to incitement that they say has taken

place online. And they point to organizations such as Fatah and Hamas. They say they're producing videos online that they say are inciting

violent, that are encouraging people to go out and make their own videos as well as carry out these attacks.

Now Palestinian leaders, though, they're pointing the blame at the Israeli leadership, specifically Israel's policy towards the holy site

known to Jews as the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. And the Israeli government has in place a number of restrictions, age

restrictions on Muslim men who can access this site to pray. And they also have Palestinian leadership has been protesting what they say is increasing

pace of visits to the site from the Israeli far right.

All of that, Palestinian leadership pointing to as inflaming the situation. Palestinian leadership also saying that the only way to stop

the violence, in their words, is to end the occupation and the oppression.

TANK: Yeah. And U.S. Secretary John Kerry -- Secretary of State John Kerry says he will also go to the region soon. We'll leave it there for

now, though, Erin. Thanks very much to you and the rest of the team for keeping us up to date.

Now, the Russian media is quoting the President Vladimir Putin as saying he can't understand why the U.S. refuses to hold meetings on a

military and political solution to the crisis in Syria.

Both countries are carrying out airstrikes there, but independently chose their targets.

Now, a U.S. official tells CNN that they are close to an understanding with Moscow regarding pilot safety over Syrian airspace. Russia says it

has already begun joint training with Israel to ensure the safety of flights over Syria.

Now, to the conflict that has burdened the U.S. military for 14 years and counting. President Barack Obama had promised the number of U.S.

forces in Afghanistan would be down to 5,500 by year's end, but looks like that won't happen.

He's set to announce the troop drawdown will be delayed again as the Taliban and other groups are still a threat to Afghanistan's security.

Well, CNN senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns is with us now from the White House.

You know, Joe, I would imagine that these sorts of decisions, you know, they're a long time in the making, but there are a lot of people who

were trying things together here and saying after we saw what happened in Kunduz, was this proof that the U.S. needed to rethink its policy?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it was verification for sure.

The facts of the matter is this is a decision that the White House has been pondering for months. And they are essentially announcing a new plan

that is the same as the old plan. CNN's Jim Acosta reporting overnight that the administration now is going to keep the number of military

personnel in Afghanistan -- and it's there now, about 9,800 people through the end of 2016.

Then in 2017, right around the time the president is leaving office to reduce that to about 5,500, that is a big difference from what the

administration initially targeting. They were hoping to have only about 1,000 U.S. military personnel in the country around the time the president

was leaving.

They do say, Manisha, that there are a number of reasons for that, including the stubbornness of the Taliban and al Qaeda in the country.

They also want to continue their program to train and equip friendly Afghan forces on the ground there in that country. They're also concerned about

emergencies in Afghanistan including the type of thing we saw in Kunduz.

And there's also the question of just leaving open the options for the next president of the United States, whoever that may be.

So, a lot of reason for the administration to continue on the path they are on now. We do expect to hear from President Obama some time today

to talk just a little bit more about his reasons, Manisha.

[08:05:02] TANK: We will certainly look forward to that with interest.

Joe, thank you so much for that. Joe Johns there live from Capitol Hill.

You are watching News Stream. Still to come on this program, UEFA President Michel Platini under review. European football leaders are

meeting to discuss his suspension as FIFA vice president. And of course his future.

And North Korea may be struggling economically, but you wouldn't know it by Kim Jong un's latest gifts to his people. CNN takes you on an

exclusive tour.

Also, putting Tesla's Model S to the test. We go on a little road trip to try out its new driverless function.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TANK: European football leaders are now meeting in Switzerland to discuss the Michel Platini ethics case. The UEFA president was hit with a

90 day football suspension. This after allegations of bribery and corruption.

Other FIFA leaders, including President Sepp Blatter were also suspended.

Platini and Blatter have both lodged appeals in these cases.

Well, let's get the latest on this story and speak to World Sport's Alex Thomas, he joins us now from CNN London.

And Alex, what can we expect to happen at this particular meeting?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: We already know that the meeting has gone on slightly longer than planned, which perhaps is an

indication, reading between the lines, that Michel Platini's support within UEFA isn't as strong as it was last week. Initially they had rejected the

idea of installing an interim UEFA president, like FIFA have done now Blatter is suspended, because they had total support that Platini would

clear his name.

But since then, we've heard publicly from one Danish member of UEFA's executive committee who also sits on FIFA's audits and compliance

committee, which is very much involved with all the controversial allegations of corruption surrounding FIFA, and he has publicly said that

he wants a full detailed response of why it was that Michel Platini had no paperwork associated with this payment from Mr. Blatter to him in 2011, the

timing of which looks very suspicious, because it came shortly before Platini and UEFA pledged to support Blatter in that year's presidential

elections. The only challenger, Mohamed bin Hammam thrown out of the election just days before it on corruption charges himself.

Michel Platini insisted it's for work done almost a decade earlier, but because there's no paperwork it's been very hard for him to explain it

fully to the media and fans and now it seems UEFA's officials, too, Manisha are questioning it. While he is officially still suspending and the idea

of him going forward to next February's FIFA presidential election very much in doubt when he had been the hot favorite to become the next leader

of global football.

[08:15:21] TANK: Yeah, indeed. Many questions between now and then, but already people somewhat changing their tune by the sounds of it.

OK, we'll leave it there for now. Alex, we'll look forward to seeing you a little bit later. Of course, everybody out there, stay tuned to CNN.

We'll have more, of course, on this football scandal, the one at FIFA, and also the future of UEFA's president. That's on World Sport in just about

half an hour from now.

Now we turn to Kosovo where a dramatic scene played out in parliament. You can take a look at the pictures.

So, just to explain what is going on here, an opposition lawmaker released tear gas inside the parliamentary chamber. She and her political

allies are upset about a deal brokered by the European Union that gives ethnic Serbian parts of Kosovo more autonomy. This is the second time that

this has happened in the past week. Very dramatic footage there.

The man who was allegedly by police officers during the pro-democracy protests here in Hong Kong a year ago has been charged with assaulting

police and resisting arrest.

Ken Song, who is a member of the pro-democracy civil party told local media that police called him to be arrested via appointment.

Police tell CNN the seven officers involved in the incident are being jointly charged with one count of causing grievance bodily harm with

intent. One officer is facing and addition charge of common assault. They're due to appear in court next Monday.

Millions of North Koreans live in extreme poverty, many of them suffering from chronic malnutrition, even heat and electricity can be hard

to come by in the country. But those living in Pyongyang are seeing big benefits pop up in their city. CNN's Will Ripley took an exclusive tour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's lunchtime in Pyongyang. The North Koreans say we're the first foreign media to come aboard the rainbow,

four stories, eight restaurants and cafes, 11,000 square meters, all floating on the Taedong River.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong un's recent field inspection, a lead story on state controlled media. the announcer calling it a gift to the people.

So, this is where the leader sat. You marked this spot here.

At the revolving restaurant, and others inspected by the leader, you can probably guess the most coveted seats.

What are your customers say when they sit in this chair in particular?

"Everyone wants to sit here where the leader sat," she says. "They rush to grab it."

Look at that line.

A week after opening, the rainbow is seeing capacity crowds, 2,000 people in the first hour. Factory worker Song un (ph) brought his whole

family.

Is this affordable for everyday people here in North Korea.

"Anyone can come here. It's meant for all people," he says.

Menu items run the equivalent of a few U.S. cents to a few dollars. It's hard to calculate exactly how much the average North Korean earns.

Some estimates say an entire family might bring in about $100 a month. Housing, health care, basic food rations and other services all free from

the state.

Virtually nobody owns a car, but they can still pay up to $2 per ride at the Roomna People's Amusement Park (ph).

"I'm so happy to watch my daughter on the rides," says grandmother Kim Ahk-sun (ph). Her family among 3,000 people at the park, considered a busy

night.

"I've tried all the rides," says her daughter Chao Ahk-biol (ph). This one is my favorite.

Some may consider this an odd investment for a nation with regular food and electricity shortages, but it's part of a promise by the regime to

improve people's living standards.

We don't know what life is like in parts of North Korea we're not allowed to visit. Defectors and aid workers paint a far darker picture

than these sparkling lights. But here in the capital, there are more new amenities each year, more new rewards for absolute loyalty to the leader.

Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: Incredible insights there from Will and the team.

You're watching News Stream. Later this hour, it was supposed to be a temporary home, and those in this refugee camp said they'd live their long

enough, but now they don't want to leave.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:23:36] TANK: Hello, again.

Now, every day this week on News Stream, we've been looking at ways cities around the world have been improving their urban transportation. So

today, we're looking at how Japanese designers have come up with innovative methods to get passengers to and from their flights in a new terminal at

the Narita airport. David Molko has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the gateway to Tokyo, handling more international passengers, some 30 million a year, than any other

airport in Japan.

But Narita has a downside, and it's been there since day one, simply getting here.

Well, here we are, about an hour by train from the city center. It's something the residents of Tokyo to grumble about.

But with that distance comes a potential opportunity. Follow me, I'll show you the way.

The long way, I should say. And I have to tell you, it's a bit of a hike.

So, let's speed this up until we reach our next stop: terminal three.

Brand new, built exclusively for low cost carriers, the first of its kind in greater Tokyo.

TAKAO GOTO, ARCHITECT (through translator): We did not have a model to copy from, so we have to start from scratch to come up with something.

And from zero, we came up with the idea to create an airport that was nothing like any other airport.

MOLKO: There's no grand departure hall. There aren't even windows. The showpiece, architect Takao Goto says, is right under our feet.

GOTO (through translator): One thing about a track is that anyone in the world knows what it is. It's a global symbol.

MOKO: To get to your gate just follow the color of the sky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am happy.

MOLKO: Happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very happy.

MOLKO: But don't take his word for it, ask little Reuce (ph). He's about to turn 2 and flying with his parents to Okinawa. That is if they

can get him on the plane.

KENTA SHIMABURU, PASSENGER: The corridor was most impressive. It's made of rubber materials, so if children run and fall it's safe and not

painful for them.

MOLKO: Clever design may capture the hearts of the youngest passengers, but can style boost the bottom line?

Terminal three could potentially handle 7.5 million passengers a year. But budget airlines have only been around a few years in Japan and last

year accounted for just 8 percent of domestic travel.

Tomonori Ishii, the president of Narita-based Vanilla, sees the new terminal as a much needed springboard into the future, creating a clear

alternative to legacy carriers and an attractive option for inbound travelers from China and beyond.

But there's still at least one key challenge.

TOMONORI ISHII, PRESIDENT, VANILLA AIR: We need more effort to improve the access.

MOLKO: So, after the train and the track, time for the bus. Reuce (ph) and his parents seemed OK with the drill. For a cheaper ticket,

they're willing to sacrifice convenience, but not they say to give up what's still key for many Japanese: quality.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: Good stuff. I hope that little boy enjoyed his trip to Okinawa.

Still ahead here on News Stream, some Somalia refugees are given an opportunity to go home, but not everyone is jumping at the chance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:33] TANK; I'm Manisha Tank in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

Israel is on edge after a string of knife attacks. In Jerusalem, there's an increased police presence around Palestinian neighborhoods,

checkpoints have been set up, and 300 additional security guards are being recruited to protect public transportation.

Russian media quote President Vladimir Putin as saying he can't understand why the U.S. refuses to hold a dialogue on military and

political solution to the crisis in Syria. Both countries are carrying out airstrikes in Syria. The U.S. and Russia are to issue a memorandum on

pilot safety in Syrian airspace.

Another delay in bringing U.S. troops back from Afghanistan. The White House is to announce a 98 military personnel stay until early 2017

when the troop level drops to 5,500. Senior White House officials say the decision is based on months of talks with Afghan leaders.

Some news into us -- just into us here on CNN. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is to be released on parole on Tuesday. That coming to us from

the Steenkamp family lawyer. Pistorius has served nearly a year behind bars for culpable homicide in the killing of his girlfriend Reeva

Steenkamp.

It happened on Valentine's Day in 2013. He was sentenced to five years. The parole board says he will be under house arrest.

In South Africa, culpable homicide means a person killed someone unintentionally, but unlawfully. Pistorius says he mistook Reeva for an

intruder.

Now, Kenya's government has begun testing a program to send thousands of Somalia refugees back to their homeland. But many of the migrants don't

want to return to what, for them, is now a strange land.

As David McKenzie reports, for more than 20 years they've been sheltered at the world's biggest refugee camp.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They came to Kenya escaping war and famine, now they're heading back to Somalia on the United

Nations plane. For the youngest born into the Dadaab refugee camp, it's a home they never knew.

This is the first plane to Mogadishu this morning. It's a pilot program to resettle Somalis back in their homeland. They say they want to

send hundreds of thousands of refugees in the next few years, but many say it's just not an option.

Because for most of the refugees here, Dadaab has become home. The sprawling complex on the border of Somalia is a refugee city of more than

300,000, making it the largest refugee camp in the world.

Living crammed together, some have been here just a few years, some a lifetime.

And at first glance for those refugees can seem strangely normal here. 26-year-old refugee Mohammad Abdullah helps run a money transfer shop.

He's been here since childhood.

But as a refugee, he cannot buy his own goods to sell. He can't leave the camp without permission. He isn't allowed a formal job.

Abdullah says Dadaab is like a prison.

MOHAMMAD ABDULLAH, DADAAB RESIDENT: I don't know another country. What I know is only this refugee camp.

MCKENZIE: You know no other life.

ABDULLAH: No.

MCKENZIE: Abdullah's mother Haowu (ph) arrived with him in Dadaab with him in 94. His wife Sara (ph) was born here so was their daughter

Samia (ph). They are three generations of refugees living under one roof.

ABDULLAH: What I fear is going back to Somalia. So, right now there is no (inaudible) Somalia. There is war. So, I don't go back there.

MCKENZIE: He says he has no farm, no family, no reason to go back. And he wants a better life for Samia (ph) in Kenya or the west.

But some are willing to take a leap of faith. Each refugee is given about $100 to return to Somalia. They face an uncertain future in a place

they once fled.

David McKenzie, CNN, Dadaab Camp, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: Well, David's remarkable story about life in Dadaab continues online. And there you can learn more about the people who call the refugee

camp home. You can also find out why many residents say they feel abandoned by the agencies that are supposed to help them.

All of that and plenty more is at CNN.com/Dadaab. Do take a look.

A reminder that you're watching News Stream. And still to come on this program, if like me you hate parallel parking, then a Tesla might be

the car for you. the company just unveiled its autopilot functions, so we'll take you on a test run. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:03] TANK: Right, well, if you're a Tesla Model S driver, you can prepare to sit back and relax on the road, because the car can now

drive itself. The CEO, Elon Musk, just unveiled Tesla's autopilot function, so of course CNN took it for a test run.

And as Peter Valdes-Dapena finds out, the experience could feel a little unnerving.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VALDEZ-DAPENA, CNN MONEY: So Tesla cars, some of them, have this thing called insane mode where you can go zero to 60 in 3.somethin

seconds. This feels even more insane.

I'm driving down the Westside highway without touching the brakes, the gas or the steering wheel. It's driving itself. And it's doing a pretty

good job of it, it's just weird, really weird.

So this Tesla has got ultrasonic sensors in all four corners that allow it to see 16 feet away from the car in every direction so that it

knows when you're getting too close.

By the way, it also handles lane changes. I used the turn signal, it does the lane change for me. No hands.

But it does occasionally remind you you need to put the hands on the steering wheel. Here I've got to brake.

That is the importance of the driver paying attention. One thing this thing cannot do is know when the light is red.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: And that a key thing. As Peter said, the car can't tell whether a traffic light is red or green, so the car isn't fully driverless

just yet.

Instead, it's a little more like an advanced, very advanced version of cruise control. I can see why that was unnerving.

In comparison, Google's driverless car is actually capable of self- driving. It doesn't even have a steering wheel.

But there is one thing that Tesla does have, the auto-pilot function didn't come preinstalled in the Model S cars that are in use right now.

Actually, and this is the kind of fun bit, it was wirelessly by a software update, kind of like your smartphone getting an operating system patch.

Pretty good. and pretty efficient.

Now, in the year 2000, the Tate Modern Gallery opened in London and -- there it is -- and it is now one of the city's top attractions. It was

built from a diffused power station. And as Isa Soares reports, its latest exhibit picks up on the them of regeneration.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's one of the most visited museums in the world. And this, its most iconic space.

Today, the turbine hall of the Tate Modern in London transformed into a seabed of activity. 240 wooden boxes have been filled with soil from 35

locations around the city from Buckingham Palace to hamster teeth. It may not look like much right now, but Mexican artist Abraham Gruznyvillegas

intends to provoke ideas of change and hope by watering the beds daily to see what grows.

ABRAHAM GRUZNYVILLEGA, ARTIST: We are seeding nothing and we are planting nothing. It's all about a promise that something can happen. We

saw the other day a little mushroom growing there. So, even if you don't notice, there's something already happening there, you know, on the

microscopic thing. The final sculpture will be by the time when they will close it in April.

SOARES: Since opening in 2000, the turbine hall has welcomed over 60 million visitors and has posted some of the world's grandest and most

provocative conceptual art, including Ai Weiwei's 100 million porcelain seeds, Doris Alcedor's (ph) Subterranean Chasm, and Olafur Eliasson's

Artificial Sun.

Cruznyvillegas is best known for his sculptures built from recycled objects found in hometown of Mexico City, a concept inspired by local slum

dwellers who construct their homes from whatever materials they can source. Today's installation in the Turbine Hall will undoubtedly be his most high

profile project to date.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfailingly when you do a site visit with an artist once they've been asked, you can sense that they suddenly begin to

really wonder how they will cope with that volume of space and how to fill it, not so much to produce a big work, but make a work that fills the space

both physically and in a way metaphorically.

CRUZNYVILLEGAS: Turbine Hall is one of the spaces more visited in the world. They have 5 million people visiting every year. It is one of the

most attractive with more visibility the art venues in the world.

SOARES: The space had been without a sponsor since Unilever left in 2012, but today's installation marks the beginning of the Tate's longest

commercial partnership to date: 11 years with South Korean car giant Hyundai.

WAN-HONG CHO, EXECUTIVE VP, HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY: We are a manufacturing brand, but we believe we are also innovation and creative

brand. So, you know, throughout this collaboration I think we can get a creative insight from our society.

SOARES: Like the public, Cruznyvillegas will have to wait six months to witness his final masterpiece. For the time being, the outcome remains

buried underground.

Isa Soares, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TANK: And that's it for this addition of News Stream. It was good to have you with us. I'm Manisha Tank.

END