Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Protests at COP21 Climate Change Summit; Turkey Hopes for Talks Easing Tensions With Russia; Pope Francis Visits African War Zone; Safety of Indonesia Airlines Questioned; Search Continues for Salah Abdeslam; World Leaders Meet for COP21 Climate Conference; China Issues High Pollution Alert; China Commits to Reducing Carbon Footprint; Macau's Financial Problems; Michael Fassbender Discusses "Macbeth" with PTSD. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 30, 2015 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:08] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Countdown to a climate change showdown. World leaders gear up for a Paris summit with big implications for the future of the planet.

Promoting peace in a country at war. We will assess the impact of the pope's risky visit to the Central African Republic.

And double, double, toil and trouble. Actor Michael Fassbinder shares how his new version of "Macbeth" has something for those who are not Shakespeare fans.

Hello, and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. Thank you for joining us.

World leaders are converging on Paris at this hour for the COP21 conference, a potentially historical summit on climate change. A few hours ago, French President Francois Hollande accompanied U.S. President Obama on a visit to a memorial for the victims of the November 13th attacks. Mr. Hollande has just arrived at the conference venue where he is now welcoming arriving world leaders. You see him there.

Now, about 150 world leaders are expected to attend this summit. It will begin with a moment of silence, of course, for the victims of the Paris attacks. Now, after that, each leader will then get a chance to make a brief address. So looking there at those live pictures.

Now, meanwhile, hundreds of climate activists clashed with police on Sunday after finding ways around new restrictions on mass demonstrations in Paris.

CNN's John Sutter has more on the message they want to send to world leaders at the COP21 summit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN SUTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of shoes fill Paris' Place de la Republique in silent protest. On many of them, messages about climate change, "Stop pollution, protect future generations." (on camera): You see all the shoes here demanding a stop to pollution

and action on climate change at the Place de la Republique, very close to where the terror attacks happened.

(voice-over): Paris is still in a state of emergency after the November 13th terror attacks, and mass demonstrations have been banned by authorities.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: So we showed with all the shoes that we wanted to take part in this march and that we wanted world leaders to take action on climate change.

(CHANTING)

SUTTER: But ahead of a major U.N. climate change summit in the city, climate act activists here have found creative ways to make their message heard.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: I have to apologize for being taken for granted, always taking and never giving, telling them stories about animals we used to have.

SUTTER: Activist angels from Australia passed through the display. Others formed a human chain.

(CHANTING)

SUTTER: But the mood got tense.

(SHOUTING)

SUTTER: Somber demonstrations gave way to conflict as other protesters denied the ban on marches and challenged the police.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: To change the mind of the people and, of course, of the leaders of the world.

SUTTER: The climate summit COP21 may be the world's best chance to figure out how to avoid disastrous levels of global warming.

(SINGING)

SUTTER: Many activists say they're sick of the talk. They're eager to see the world take bold steps towards a cleaner future.

John Sutter, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we talked to people in several countries about what they think the summit leaders need to do to prevent a climate catastrophe. Here is what they said on our open mic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever we commute to our offices or anywhere, we find loads and loads of petrol, the buses, the metro.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it would definitely, definitely help. Ultimately they are the ones who have to take action.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe giving out subsidies for renewable sources of energies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Educating people on the disasters and how climate is changing very quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Carbon emissions need to be cut by probably 50 percent. And all transportation based on fossil fuels should be turned into alternative energy sources.

[02:05:10] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The international bodies, what they need to do is adhere to the societies and the environmental rules by specific countries.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Teaching people so that we can have a total behavioral change as it starts from a mind change, into the mind of every other citizen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the governments need to care about the subject. Put aside and put away the political discussions and religion. It affects all around the globe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do more on recycling. Use less plastic bags and less hairspray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think many cities are just concrete jungles. We should incorporate more nature parks as an interim part of the city where people live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not allowing large companies to buy and sell carbon points to each other.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To buy more locally to reduce the carbon footprints.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's one of those questions that until we look back another three or four or five generations it won't be clear what we should have done and then it will perhaps be too late.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A variety of views there from across the globe. And we will have more on the climate change summit from Paris later in the program.

And Paris may also be the venue for some other important talks. Turkey's president suggested the climate change summit as a possible moment to patch up relations with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. Tensions have been high since Turkey shot down that Russian jet near Turkish/Syria border.

I want to bring in senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, live in Moscow for more on this.

Matthew, how receptive is Russia likely to be to a fence-mending effort from Turkey? And what economic punishment does Vladimir Putin have planned for the downing of the Russian jet now and in the days ahead?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, to that first part of that question, they don't seem to be receptive to the suggestions that the Turkish President Erdogan has been suggesting. The Kremlin has rejected the suggestion. What Vladimir Putin wants is an apology from Erdogan, for the loss of the plane and the compensation for the families of the pilot who was killed and the Marine on the ground who was killed in the rescue efforts, and neither of those things have been forthcoming from the Turks, and that has led to the force of the crisis and the deepening of it. Within the past few days the Kremlin is asking wide ranging sanctions against Turkey, and economic sanctions and putting restrictions on work and doing businesses in Turkish areas, banning the Turkish visa-free travel to come to Russia. Previously they didn't need this. These are all serious measures that the Russians are taking as retribution for the downing of their airliner over the Turkish/Syria border last week -- Rosemary?

CHURCH: And how long might these economic sanctions remain in place?

CHANCE: Well, I mean, there is no indication been given about how long they will remain in place. I mean, certainly we're still in the phase of the crisis if you like. That is still escalating. So there are still further measures the Russians could take unless the apology and compensation discussions are forthcoming. So it really will depend on the next few days and weeks to see how far the two leaders can go. Putin and Erdogan can go. At the moment, the signs are not good. But time I suppose heals the wounds, there will later have to be diplomacy between the two sides to try and put this behind them. At the moment the Russians are very angry, the Turkish people refusing to apologize.

[02:09:36] CHURCH: Our Matthew Chance watching that relationship between Turkey and Russia very closely, and joining us live from Moscow. Many thanks to you.

Well, not long ago, the Chinese territory of Macau had one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Find out why they're now suffering a major downturn.

Plus, Pope Francis is wrapping up his tour of Africa in an active war zone. See how he is trying to send a message of religious tolerance in the Central African Republic. We'll be right back with that and more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley, with your CNN "World Sport" headlines.

For the first time in 79 years, Great Britain has won the Davis Cup after overcoming the host nation, Belgian. Andy Murray taking on the Belgian number one in what would be the pivotal singles encounter. The 28-year-old Scottish world number two was not in a mood to let things slip. He simply had no answers as Murray wins in straight sets. He joins John McEnroe and Matt Willand (ph) as the only men to have an 8 and 0 singles record in a Davis Cup year.

To England where Arsenal has failed to move level on points with Manchester City to top the Premier League table after be held to a 1-0 draw at Norridge on Sunday. Scoring for the visitors before the match is leveled. They suffered further injuries to Sorin and Sanchez.

And Germany's Roseburg (ph) celebrating a second consecutive victory after winning Sunday's Abudabi (ph) Grand Prix. The German went into Sunday's race on poll position and was not about to relinquish his advantage. He went on to make up a 14th career victory despite it being the 6th win of the season His great rival's teammate clinched the title a month ago.

And that's all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Pope Francis' African tour coming to an end in the Central African Republic. And these are pictures from a mass celebration in the capital Sunday. This hour, the pope is scheduled to visit a mosque, repeating his message of harmony in a nation divided by religious violence.

Well, the pope's visit to the Central African Republic marks his first trip to an active war zone.

CNN's Delia Gallagher tells us more about his first day in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the first day of Pope Francis' trip to the Central African Republic, he visited those most affected by the decade's-long civil war and armed conflict in this country, the children of the refugee camp, only some of the one million people who have been displaced or fled, creating one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. "My wish for you and for all Central Africans is peace," the pope told

them. It was a message he took to the leaders, too, meeting the imam, the leader of the capital city, along with Protestant and Catholic leaders.

[02:15:09] Security has been very tight here with U.N. and French peacekeeping troops and reinforced Vatican Secret Service but it has not stopped the pope from riding in an open pope-mobile and mixing with the crowd.

In a symbolic gesture, the pope opened the doors to the Catholic cathedral.

(CHEERING)

GALLAGHER: This gesture is connected to the pope's call for a special jubilee year. He made an appeal that all people waging war here and around the world put down their instruments of death.

Delia Gallagher, CNN, Central African Republic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And in the next hour, Pope Francis will hold his final mass in the country before leaving for the Vatican.

CNN's Robyn Kriel joins me now to talk about the pope's African tour. She has been following it from the start in Nairobi and Kenya.

Good to see you, Robyn.

It is the pope's first visit to the African continent. How well did this trip go and what will be the takeaway from it, particularly in the war-torn Central African Republic?

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, just from a regular citizen's perspective, Delia (sic), I think it went very well here in Kenya, following on the ground in Uganda, and seeing him now in the Central African Republic has felt very, very connected to him.

We have been watching the video of Pope Francis in various situations. We were obviously at the major events doing live shots and talking about the excitement in the crowd. But it's really when you watch those little moments that were not shown to the world, when he met with little girl on the side of the road he stopped his very modest Honda here in Nairobi, blessed the little two girls who turned out to be orphans dressed in white dresses. He said it will be a moment he will never forget, moments when he reached out to thousands of street children who grabbed his hand and almost high-fived him. His message to people of peace, reconciliation, of needing to look after the poor, his stern message to the politicians, and even to the members of Vatican itself to stop corruption. Some really amazing moments there. As I said he connected and spoke the language of the people. Despite often not speaking English, he still connected with people in a very positive way.

CHURCH: And that is what he does, isn't it, Robyn?

Let's talk about his visit to a mosque in the Central African Republic. Let's talk about that very clear message that he sends and how different that makes him to so many others, particularly previous popes.

KRIEL: Well, exactly. What we understand from Pope Francis, one of his biographers told us that Pope Francis, this is not a new thing, that he's reached out to religious leaders. He has done this throughout his career in Argentina. It's really a new thing for a pope, especially visiting this region, Kenya and Uganda, which we have had issues of religious intolerance, let's say, in the past. The terror group al Shabaab attacking locations here in the Kenya as well as in Uganda, and the sectarian violence that has erupted and really surged in the last month in the CAR. He has brought messages of reconciliation. He met with various leaders here in Nairobi. And today, he will visit a mosque in an incredible moment of mercy, of his asking for forgiveness.

And just some of the quotes he has said have been very profound. He said to religious leaders here, "The God whom we seek to serve is a God of peace. His holy name must never be used to justify hatred and violence." And also he said when it comes to the issue of radicalization of the youth, "that God is stronger than any single recruitment campaign." So he is not singling out any religion saying you're bad, you're not like us. He's saying we have to work together and God would never want the violence that certain groups are infiltrating in various countries. In the wake of terror attacks in Paris and across the world, this really resonated with a lot of people. And we hope that today's message, I'm sure it will be an incredible visual watching a pope walk into a mosque.

[02:19:32] CHURCH: Yes, the optics will be extraordinary. And his message is very clear. And, of course, in the middle of this was the fear of security. But it has certainly so far gone very smoothly.

Talking there with Robyn Kriel, who is there in Nairobi, Kenya. Many thanks to you.

Well, 150 world leaders are heading to France with one ambitious goal ahead. Ahead, we are live from Paris.

Plus, as we await a report on what happened to Air Asia flight 8501, questions loom on the safety of Indonesian airliners. We'll have the details for you. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to you all. Now, this week, Indonesia is expected to release a report on the deadly Air Asia flight 8501 crash. 162 people were killed when that plane plunged into the Java Sea last December.

Indonesia's airline is one of the fastest growing in the world but it also ranks at the bottom on safety.

CNN's David Molko reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCAS JOKOPREMAJONO (ph), LOST BROTHER IN ASIA AIR CRASH: The flight -- I still can't believe it has been flying.

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And then you knew?

JOKOPREMAJONO (ph): Yeah, I'm still not believing it.

MOLKO (voice-over): Lucas Jokopremajono (ph) relives one of the hardest days of his life. The day he lost Nenang (ph), a brother, a husband, a father. Killed last December when Air Asia 8501 crashed into the java sea. No one onboard survived.

JOKOPREMAJONO (ph): I started to realize we have cannot just go. We have to stop this and let's fight the fight.

MOLKO: A fight, Lucas says, to make sure other families won't suffer the way his did, in a country that's lost more than 300 people to crashes in the past year alone.

Indonesia is a country with a rising middle class who can now afford to fly. It's forecast to be the world's sixth-largest aviation market within two decades, but with that rapid growth comes significant concerns.

(on): When it comes to implementing safety guidelines, Indonesia ranked near the bottom of the list. A category two ranking in the U.S. means carriers based here can't expand there even if they wanted to. And all but a handful of airlines remain blacklisted by the European Union.

(SHOUTING)

[02:25:05] MOLKO (voice-over): The flight carrier Garuda Indonesia was on that blacklist until 2009. It's now ranked among the best in the world.

ARIF WIBOWO, PRESIDENT & CEO, GARUDA AIRLINES: The culture of the safety is not the only responsibility of the air crew, cabin crew, but of course, all the members.

MOLKO: But while Garuda voluntarily complies with an international airline safety audit, widely considered to be the industry gold standard, its subsidiary, Citilink, does not.

(on camera): Help me understand. Why not? Why not lead by example with your low cost arm too?

WIBOWO: I think the issue is not only on the airline's issues. But of course, regarding the E.U. ban, the whole issue in the country as well.

MOLKO (voice-over): While Indonesia takes issue with its international ranking, the transportation minister concedes there are areas for improvement.

IGNASIUS JONAN, INDONESIA TRANSPORTATION MINISTER: For me, it's non- negotiation. We have made some regulations that will not allow any airlines to expand their business if they make any serious incident or accident.

MOLKO: Since the Air Asia crash, the government says it has stepped up safety inspections and announced a slate of reforms. Those include requiring airlines to have a minimum fleet, to retire aircraft more than 30 years old, and to shore up their balance sheets or risk suspension.

But even with the reforms, concerns remain.

JOKOPREMAJONO (ph): Still not enough, I think. I think it's long to go.

MOLKO: Lucas believes his brother Nenang's (ph) death won't be in vain, that it's helped set the country he loves on course to a brighter and safer future.

JOKOPREMAJONO (ph): Don't give up. Don't give up.

MOLKO: David Molko, CNN, Jakarta, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we'll take a brief break here. But still to come, a key suspect in the Paris attacks is still eluding police, but more details about his actions before the killings are emerging. And we'll have an update on that.

Plus, we hear from China's chief negotiator at the COP21 climate summit about how his country is dealing with climate change.

We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:40] CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to upgrade you now on the main stories we have been watching this hour.

World leaders are arriving now on the COP21 climate change meeting in Paris. Nearly 150 heads of state will discuss ways to limit the global warming. The conference will begin with a moment of silence for the victims of the Paris terror attacks.

Elsewhere in Paris, environmental protesters clashed with police. Officers fired tear gas to break up the demonstrations. The protesters threw bottles, shoes, and police say even candles taken from the memorials.

A source says a key suspect in the Paris terrorist attacks bought detonators in France. A French newspaper reports Salah Abdeslam made the purchase at a fireworks store just north of Paris. Abdeslam remains at large.

Well, it's believed Abdeslam headed to Brussels after the killings. Six people are being detained in Belgium in connection the attacks.

CNN's Alexandra Field has new details from the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For more than two weeks, Salah Abdeslam has been the most-wanted man in connection with the Paris attacks. Authorities have already identified his brother as one of the suicide bombers. They say, together, both brothers rented the cars used in the attacks. But sources say that Salah Abdeslam also purchased detonators prior to the attacks. A French paper reported the detonators were bought at a store north of Paris and that the owner contacted the authorities when he saw Abdeslam's photos in connection with the manhunt. Abdeslam was able to leave France entering Belgium in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and that is before police knew exactly who they're looking for.

But one U.S. lawmaker believes that investigators could be closer to finding the man they've been searching for.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL, (R-TX), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: I do think they are closing in on him. That's the good news. There are many involved with this plot. It's a very sophisticated plot, an external operation that we've seen from is. You mentioned the bombing of the Russian airliner. This is a new ISIS, a new chapter for them to be able to conduct three external operations in just recent times.

FIELD: The search for Salah Abdeslam has prompted raids and arrests across Belgium. Already authorities have arrested six people in connection with to the Paris terror attacks. They have arrested two men who they believe drove Abdeslam from France to Belgium, another man who is believed to have picked him up once he arrived from Belgium and drove him to another location. And while they continue their hunt for Salah Abdeslam, they're also looking for another man, Mohamed Abrini, who has seen with him also.

Alexandra Field, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Right now, Paris is gearing up for the COP21 conference. World leaders are arriving at the French capitol to attend the climate change summit. About 150 leaders are expected to attend for at least the next few days. The conference will continue for two weeks. U.S. President Barack Obama arrived just a few hours ago. French leader, Francois Hollande, took him to visit a memorial to the victims of the terror attacks.

I want to go now to senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, who joins us live from Paris.

So, Jim, next hour U.S. President Obama meets with Xi Jinping, the prime minister of China. What is expected out of those discussions and how broad might they be?

[02:34:32] JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, you're right. The president did arrive overnight here in Paris. He was immediately whisked over to the Bataclan, right down from the memorial where he laid a flower in memory of the victims of the Paris attacks.

He does have a very heavy schedule and will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They will talk about this climate summit that they will both attend. They are the two headliners at this summit. Partly why is because roughly a year ago the U.S. and China agreed to a pretty broad climate deal between the two countries under which both countries would lower their carbon emissions over the next ten to 15 years. That was considered a very big deal for the Obama administration because as we know China has not always been involved in the climate deals in the past. Under previous climate agreements China and what were called other developing countries were not part of the discussion because it was thought inside China and inside places like India that because those economies were developing so quickly they could not be constrained by climate deals that would contain what type of carbon emissions they put out in the atmosphere. So what we believe that U.S. and Chinese officials are trying to do is show that the U.S. and China are on the same team trying to set the tone for the rest of the countries around the world that, yes, it's OK, the water feels good, come on in when it comes to these large climate agreements. Because even though these two leaders are not going to sign on any deal today or tomorrow, this is likely to take place over the next couple of weeks before something reaches the stage of being fully culminated. They do want to set the right tone at the beginning of the climate talks. And that is basically why they're getting together early this morning.

CHURCH: Yes, very symbolic, the two leaders getting together.

Jim, what is the U.S. offering in the effort to curb the emissions and reach an agreement to global warming?

ACOSTA: Well, what I think you will see and what we've heard from Obama officials in the past few years hearing from these climate talks is that they want to incentivize some of these smaller countries who may not have the same resources. To go ahead and sign on to the same types of agreements that would lead to reducing carbon emissions. What that means is foreign aid and public private partnerships that the White House announced overnight. That involved folks like the Gates Foundation. We're going to see those types of deals I think baked into this climate agreement that they will be working on over the next couple of weeks. But really what they're hoping for, it's really historic if they can get to the finish line just to have about every country on earth involved in this, sort of link arms and commit themselves to lowering the carbon emissions over the next couple of decades. And if they can do this, the White House feels it can be a defining moment for this administration.

The problem is when the president goes back to Washington if this agreement is seen as being too heavy-handed, Republicans have threatened to starve the president of the money he needs inside the U.S. federal budget to basically execute the U.S. part of this deal. So the president will have to deal with the politics of this when he heads back home.

But of course, there is a lot of other news for the president to deal with. There is the war on ISIS. He is not expected to have a formal bilateral discussion with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, while in Paris, but he may meet with the Russian president on the sidelines. And the White House has indicated that could occur.

So while the president will focus on the climate issue while in Paris, he will be looking at ISIS as well, having dinner with the French president later on tonight. They will also be talking about Hollande's French President Francois Hollande's meeting with Vladimir Putin last week. So a lot on the president's agenda over the next 24 to 48 hours --Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yes, and certainly many challenges for the U.S. president.

Jim Acosta, senior White House correspondent, joining us live from Paris. And, Jim, we will talk to you again next hour. Many thanks.

Well, Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in France for the conference. And back home, Beijing has reportedly issued its highest smog alert this year, a record-breaking smothering haze has been hanging over China for several days now.

And Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us to talk about this, because the irony is quite is extraordinary, isn't it. He's there talking about climate change in Paris and will be making some deals while, back home, he's got some big problems.

[02:39:31] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, it's as bad as we've seen it all year, as you said, Rosemary. It's about 20 times more unhealthy that the World Health Organization believes is fit to breathe. So beyond extreme, and it's reached beyond index. One of my producers says he has never seen it this high of a level during one of the shows. We've had to increase it beyond the charts as far as our graphics are concerned.

The question is, why do we get here? Why does it happen so often in Beijing? You have to keep in mind the city is the -- the country is the highest consumer of coal in the world, the highest producer, the highest input of coal in the world. You talk about pollutants being very, very high in the country. You talk about two thirds of the energy consumption. The incredible appetite for coal is through the roof when it comes to what occurs in China and Beijing, in particular. You talk about the gas, the nuclear issues, when it comes to the energy source. There you go, beyond index, well above it. Air quality, you could really see how the industry impacts this. This is in the last 24 hours. Notice the drop as we head into the evening hours, late evening, afternoon hours, the industry wakes up and produces the massive amounts of pollutants we see. This area extends to 500,000 square kilometers of land around China. Look at this, seven million people lose their lives due to the air quality issue, according to the World Health Organization. That is roughly equivalent to taking four commercial airlines and having them fall out of the sky every single hour, all year, that is the number of people who lose their lives when it comes to the pollution on our planet.

And a major irony, Rosemary, Xi Jinping is attending for the first time at one of these summits. So we're seeing it at the highest level. So it's like some fate at work saying, hey, this has to be the top, top discussion right now. You see the numbers are incredible when it comes to fatalities.

CHURCH: Yes, very clear, for sure.

All right, Pedram Javaheri, always a pleasure to talk with you.

JAVAHERI: Thanks.

CHURCH: Many thanks.

And last week, CNN's Steven Jiang spoke with China's chief negotiator at the COP21 summit, Xei Zhenhua, and he talked about the country's commitment to reducing its carbon footprints.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

XEI ZHENHUA, CHINESE CHIEF CLIMATE NEGOTIATOR (through translation): As China gradually completes its industrialization, carbon emissions from industries may reach their peak earlier than expected but the country has a long way to go when it comes to urbanization, so the expectation is rising. Looking at the broader picture, we fear the goal of having emissions peak around 2030 is a scientific one.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But there seems to be contradictions. We have seen reports about the government issuing more than 150 permits to build new coal-fired power plants this year alone.

ZHENHUA (through translation): In the past decade, the capacity of the coal-fired power plants that we've shut down is more than the nationwide capacity of Great Britain. As we close those backward and inefficient power plants we have replaced them with cleaner power plants and our total carbon emissions won't go up much.

JIANG: China has built one of the world's largest renewable energy sectors, solar, wind power, hydropower. Tell us a bit about the progress you have made in that field.

ZHENHUA: In the past decade, our hydro powered capacity doubled, and wind power capacity increased 60 fold, and solar powered capacity soared 280-fold. The sector has been developing very fast and had a great impact on cutting the cost of renewable energy globally by over 50 percent.

JIANG: One thing that has been on the mind of people is the recent economic slowdown. How will this affect your commitments and your policies in terms of climate change?

ZHENHUA: We are changing our development model and lifestyle by improving the economy's quality and efficiency. Whatever you're worried about, we already thought about it when formulating our climate policy.

JIANG: Many critics in the U.S. look at China's continued driving initiatives and use that to argue against Mr. Obama's commitment when he signed that agreement with Mr. Xi. What do you say to those critics?

ZHENHUA: Our cooperation in the area of climate change benefits the people and the economies of both countries. I'm actually worried that after the next U.S. presidential election, if a Republican wins, will the U.S. keep its commitment to the climate change issue? You don't have to worry about China's commitment. It's the U.S. that you should be concerned about. Will it keep its current policies intact? That is what worries me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And as we mentioned, U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to meet with the Chinese president in the coming hour. We'll bring you the details.

The Chinese territory Macau used to have one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The gambling industry was huge, since it was the only one in China where it was legal. But Beijing's corruption crackdown is causing a major economic downturn, and now Macau has the unwanted distinction of the worst-performing economy in the world.

CNN's Matt Rivers gives us a closer look at China's casino capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

[02:45:13] MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You could call this the big brother of Las Vegas in Asia. Macau, until 1999, a relatively small Portuguese colony, it now dwarves Sin City. It knocked Vegas off the top spot back in 2006. Today, Macau boasts revenues nearly five times as high as its cousin in the state.

There was only one player here until 2002. That is when the government changed the rules and allowed foreign casino operators to enter their turf for the first time. That, plus being the only place in China where gambling is legal meant gamblers flooded the floor.

The likes of Wind and Sands cashed in, and as their fortunes grew, so too, did Macau's. The territory has averaged 11 percent annual growth since 2002. But then came China's crackdown on corruption. It stemmed the relatively unabated flow of cash from the mainland to this playground for the rich. Visitor numbers are down. Daily revenues outgrew the floor, and the economy is in freefall.

But here is the thing. For the average worker from Macau, things are not that bad. In fact, according to official figures, unemployment numbers are below 2 percent.

As for the casinos, they're still making plenty of money, just not as much as before. But the rules have changed. The Macanese government wants to see less

dependence on gaming and, instead, wants to see more people in shops and seeing more entertainment rather than on the casino floor, an integrated model of the resort, kind like Vegas.

So operators are being forced to change their strategies, yes, but that is not keeping them away. In fact, Macau's version of the Las Vegas strip is a veritable sea of construction cranes. So while they have may have been dealt a tough hand, Macau is not ready to fold just yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And Macau is set to reveal the extent of its economic troubles pretty soon, in fact, when it posts its third-quarter GDP numbers. And we'll post them when they are posted

Hollywood is putting a new take on the classic Shakespearean tragedy "Macbeth." Star, Michael Fassbender, shares why he could not resist stepping into the role. We're back with that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:49:47] JAVAHERI: Good Monday morning to you. Pedram Javaheri, for CNN "Weather Watch."

(WEATHER REPORT)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Thousands of New Zealanders gathered to pay their respects to one of the country's greatest rugby players, Jonah Lomu. The All Black legend was remembered in a ceremony Monday. The 40-year-old died from of chronic kidney disease. His former coach explained the magnitude of Lomu's persona.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HART, FORMER ALL BLACK COACH: Will there ever be another New Zealander whose sudden passing hits CNN breaking news, who receives an obituary in "The New York Times," whose passing was recorded on the front page of major newspapers around the world, and who has had superstar and legendary figures of sports, stage, and politics around the world expressing their respect and condolences?

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Lomu was the youngest-ever player to represent the All Blacks when he made his debut at age 19.

Well, Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is the tragic tale of a man obsessed with fulfilling a prophecy, but a new movie looks at the main character through the prism of PTSD.

CNN's Max Foster interviewed the actor, Michael Fassbender, about the role.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL FASSBENDER, ACTOR: I suppose in a way of trying to appreciate and sort of respect what it would have been like to be a soldier at that time. And so the previous life coming into the play as it starts or the film, in this instance, so what you know has made him the man he is when we meet him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FASSBENDER: That sort of gruesomeness was very much a part of his characterization in the sense that I had never thought of it before until Justin said that this was the approach he was going to take in terms of dealing with a character who is suffering from PTSD from battle. So it was almost like Shakespeare had an insight into this condition even back then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: And the bold one that they look upon.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Pray thee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: So it has more to do with PTSD, his character, you feel at the beginning of the film where you lose the baby?

(CROSSTALK)

FASSBENDER: I think that is a driving force, more to do with their relationship that their kind of -- their relationship has not collapsed but it has -- it's disintegrated in a way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Stir the country around. Hang those that talk of fear.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FASSBENDER: In a way, it's like a couple that are trying to find each other again and the fact that he is never there, you know, because he is out in battle for many months on end. And the fact that they haven't really had the opportunity to mourn this loss. And when they come together in that first scene, it's almost like they're starting to learn what it's like to be with one another again. Both sort of physically and emotionally.

FOSTER: You have put so much energy into the film. It looked absolutely exhausting. Was it hard to keep up?

FASSBENDER: Hard to kind of to keep warm.

(LAUGHTER)

A lot of energy just dealing with the elements.

I think you know it requires the work really if you're attacking such a piece, to really show respect to Shakespeare's work.

[02:55:29] FOSTER: And still relevant. It's extraordinary, isn't it?

FASSBENDER: That is the thing, and we really wanted to make it a relevant piece, the idea for me that I have always wanted to make it a piece that would draw a younger audience in, in the way that they could sort of relate to it. Sometimes, I think at times with Shakespeare, there can be a tendency for a block to be there when you just look at the text on the page and it seems so alien. So we definitely wanted to make it less alien and a lot less dramatized as we've seen it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Applaud the deed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Very powerful there.

And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.

Do stay with us, though. I'll be back for another hour right after this short break with much more from the COP21 climate summit in Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)