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Pope Francis in Mexico; Indonesia's Take on the Doughnut; U.S. Blaming pro-Government Force for Hospital Attacks in Syria; Singapore Air Show. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET

Aired February 16, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:25] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to News Stream. Now, charges of war crimes after a deadly

attack on schools and hospitals in Syria. The clash over who is responsible just ahead.

The 12-month-old little girl is at the heart of an immigration storm in Australia. Why Baby Asha's case is causing such is an uproar.

And stealing the show: a child prodigy captivates music's finest at The Grammys.

A day after air strikes in northern Syria left at least 46 people dead, nations are trading accusations over who is responsible. Now, four

hospitals and a school came under fire on Monday. The rights group Amnesty International calls the attacks a war crime. Russia is strongly denying

claims that it is responsible.

Now, the U.S., meanwhile, says pro-government forces are to blame in one of the attacks. Troops under Bashar al-Assad have been gaining ground

with Russian support. The Syrian president says a planned ceasefire is unlikely to happen this week.

Now, we are covering all angles of this conflict. Jomana Karadsheh is standing by in Amman, Jordan. Fred Pleitgen is joining us live from the

Syrian capital Damascus. Let's go to Fred first. And Fred, as accusations fly over who is behind these deadly strikes on Monday, Syria's army is

calling Russian intervention a blessing.

How is the regime viewing all of this?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, certainly the regime does and the military does as well. That the quote

actually came from a military commander that I spoke to on the regime's front line with ISIS only a few days ago. But you hear the same thing from

Syrian officials, because they say, and they acknowledge, that it was Russian air power that has turned the tide on so many

fronts here in this civil war.

But at the same time, of course, you do have a massive humanitarian crisis on your hand. And those hospital attacks, of course, in many ways

are something that is now even causing even more controversy there on these battlefields as the accusations fly back and forth. The regime here, for

instance, accusing the U.S. of bombing one of the hospitals. The U.S. saying its planes were nowhere near there. As you said, the U.S. saying

that it was the Syrian government that's responsible for one of these bombings.

At the same time that all of this is going on, these accusations are going back and forth, civilians here in this country continue to suffer, of

course from attacks that happened on those hospitals and those schools, but also in general as more and more people make their way towards the Turkish

border, towards other places as well as the fighting intensifies on so many battlefields.

And, Kristie, just a couple of days ago I was on the front line up there in the north of Syria. And at this point in time it's very, very

complicated who holds which territory, about who is shooting at who, about who is trying to gain

ground up there. It is a place that's very complicated, but at the same time where a lot of very vicious fighting is going on, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, the fighting is getting increasingly hostile, increasingly complicated. The humanitarian need here, very urgent. They

United Nations and the World Food Program, they are ramping up its relief effort for Syria. But as the battlefield grows more chaotic, how is the

aid going to get delivered?

PLEITGEN: Well, it's very difficult. And you know, when we look at what was agreed upon in Munich at the end of last week, one of the main

things was getting aid to everybody in besieged areas. There's areas that are under siege by the government, by some rebel groups, by ISIS as well.

And one of the main things was getting goods to all of those people.

It's a complicated process at this point in time. The UN special envoy to this crisis is here in Damascus trying to sort out getting these

convoys going.

Some of them could leave very quickly. I was at a UN aid distribution center yesterday where they said, look, we're getting the aid ready, we're

packing it, we're putting it in trucks, we're sealing those trucks, so those trucks are ready to go the minute we get permission to bring this aid

to anywhere. But at this point in time that hasn't happened yet. They hope if happens very soon. And they say that if it does happen, things can

go very quickly.

You look at, for instance, a town like Madaya. It is very close to Damascus. It is a place that if they have the permissions they could reach

very easily. There's other places like, for instance, Deir ez-Zor, which is a regime-held area that is under siege by ISIS where things are more

difficult and where even the UN says it would have to airdrop aid in there.

But certainly it is something that has been recognized as a priority and where certainly the international community says something needs to

happen very, very quickly. Because on top of all the fighting, of course, we have seen

in the past couple months people die of starvation as well.

[08:05:13] LU STOUT: Urgent need for aid amidst all this fighting. Fred Pleitgen reporting live for us in Damascus. Thank you, Fred.

Let's go to Jomana Karadsheh next. She joins us live from Amman. Jomana, a rebel alliance, a group that calls itself the Southern Front, is

condemning Russian air strikes in Syria. What exactly are they saying? And what are they saying about what could happen next?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the regime has not only been making advances in the northern part of the

country, they have also been making gains in the southern part of the country in the province of (inaudible) that is close to the Jordanian

border.

And we were able to sit down with a top rebel commander of what is known, as you mentioned, of the Southern Front. And he spoke to us about

the situation on the ground there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARADSHEH: Rolling through the rubble, regime forces declare victory in Sheikh Maskin, or what's left of it.

After weeks of heavy fighting, Syrian rebels last month withdrew from the

small strategic town that lies on the supply route for government forces. And since then, another town in the south, Athman, was also lost to regime

forces.

Rebel commanders say Assad's allies in the sky have shifted the balance. And with this air cover, opposition forces believe regime troops

are now moving to retake the country's border with Jordan. A move, they say, mirrored tactics and advances in northern Syria.

BASHAR AL-ZOABI, FREE SYRIAN ARMY TOP COMMANDER (through translator): We can only be the so-called friends of the Syrian people who are sitting

back as spectators and watching us getting killed day and night. The Russians are killing in the north and the south. They claim to have come

to Syria to fight ISIS, but most of their strikes have targeted the moderate Syrian opposition.

KARADSHEH: Bashar al-Zoabi, the top opposition commander fighting under teh banner of the Fre Syrian Army. His group, al-Yarmouk Brigade

(ph) will adapt and change tactics, al-Zoabi says, but his concern is with the civilians in and around Daraa living in a constant state of fear. Tens

of thousands of them, according to local officials, have fled in recent weeks.

With Jordan's citing security concerns, it is admitting 50 to 100 Syrian refugees a day. There are about 20,000 others massed on the

country's northeastern border. So, aid officials say it is unlikely that those fleeing the violence in Daraa would head towards Jordan.

They are moving into towns and villages within the province. But unless there is a pause in violence, they warn that could quickly change.

As for the ongoing peace talks, al-Zoabi takes a dim view.

AL-ZOABI (through translator): As rebels and then opposition we agree to go for a political solution. But where is that political solution?

They are now negotiating to allow food in? Basic human rights now need negotiations (inaudible) by world powers?

KARADSHEH; The United States needs groups like al-Zoabi's as partners in the fight against ISIS, but this commander says his fighters need more

than just words, they need weapons desperately.

AL-ZOABI (through translator): Unfortunately we are on our own with no intervention from the friends of Syria to help us. Most of the support

comes from the regime's friends to kill. We hold western countries, especially the

United States, responsible for the humanitarian disaster because only the U.S. can stop the Russians.

KARADSHEH; al-Zoabi says they have long lost faith in the international community, but with no other alternative they wait for help,

he says, from countries they still call friends.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARADSHEH: And, Kristie, that rebel commander also warning saying as the situation worsens across Syria and people feel abandoned, it is that

kind of atmosphere, it is that kind of situation that extremist groups like ISIS exploit and try to recruit more people.

LU STOUT: Jomana, thank you for that very revealing interview with the Southern Front leader there. Jomana Karasheh reporting live for us

from Amman.

Now, the plight of one migrant girl in Australia has put the country's controversial immigration policy back into the headlines. This 1-year-old

girl, who is hospitalized for severe burns, faces deportation on her discharge. And that is why staff at the Brisbane hospital have refused to

release Baby Asha until a safe home has been identified for her.

Now, the fear is that she may be sent back to an immigration detention center on the Pacific Island of Nauru.

Now, earlier I spoke with senior international correspondent Ivan Watson and

started by asking him why Australia wants to deport this child.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a bizarre situation, because this 12-month-old baby, born in Australia, she and her

family were then deported to a detention center on this Pacific Island country called Nauru. And it wasn't until she was injured a couple of

weeks ago with some hot water, scalded, that she was medivacced back to Australia. And now she's at this hospital in Brizbane. And it is there

that the hospital staff, basically, issued this challenge to the Australia government.

They said, we don't feel appropriate discharging this patient because, quote, she needs to go back to a suitable home environment.

So, basically the hospital a judgment that the detention center in Nauru, which has been repeatedly criticized for being bad for the mental

and physical health for children and adults, is not appropriate for this 12-month-old child who was born in Australia and does not have citizenship

in Australia.

And what's even more strange, is there are guards at the hospital where the child and her mother are, Baby Asha. And they are keeping an eye

on her for the immigration department because they are officially in detention at this hospital.

[08:10:58] LU STOUT: This is incredible. You have defiant hospital staff that are standing up against Australian immigration policy. There

are growing protests in Australia in support of the fate of Baby Asha. Is there growing momentum to shut down these offshore detention centers?

WATSON: There is. There is this campaign, #letthemstay. And this has been a response to a high court decision earlier this month where the

high court shot down an attempt to argue that the offshore detention centers at places like Nauru,m that they are unconstitutional. And with

legal avenues closed, now you've got a campaign to try to stop the Australian government from deporting at least 267 refugees, migrants,

asylum seekers like Asha and her parents from Australia to other offshore detention centers like Australia.

The Australian government has countered. And the prime minister has said

that they are going to manage this policy with great care, with great compassion but also still holding this very hard line and saying that they

don't want to give any encouragement whatsoever to human traffickers, smugglers, who may

try to once again start moving people on boats to Australian shores, repeating the kind of scenes that Australia has seen in years past and that

the Mediterranean is seeing on such a massive scale going into Europe.

LU STOUT: The Australian government says that they want to manage the situation with compassion but they are going to keep this controversial

immigration policy in place. Is it because they believe that it is still working?

WATSON: It sure seems like that. And what you do see is that since the offshore detention policy was resumed a couple of years ago, the number

of boat people, that boat traffic does appear to have decreased, if anything, the human rights lawyers for some of the 267 people who may be

deported, they are seeing that the Australian government is trying to strip a three-day warning before potential deportation.

And they're protesting against that saying, wow, the Australian government is ready to spirit people away any minute now. And that's part

of why this campaign is under way. That's why you have got the highest official in the state of Victoria he's written an open letter to the prime

minister of Australia saying, listen, our state is willing to take in these deportees, house them, feed them, school them. No response yet from the

Australian government to that offer.

LU STOUT: Ivan, thank you.

WATSON: Thanks.

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. Still to come, China's new plan

to improve the lives of millions of so-called left behind children. We'll explain what the problem is.

Also ahead, Pope Francis continues his visit to Mexico with a walk to the U.S.-Mexican border. We'll show you how locals are turning an empty

fairground into an outdoor sanctuary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, China is moving to tackle a crisis facing millions of families. The government is encouraging parents to take their children with them when

they move to cities to work and if they can't, rural governments are being asked to monitor the welfare of these so-called left behind children.

The numbers here are simply staggering. 61 million children are considered to be left behind, that is 1 in 5 nationwide. At more than half

these cases, there's only one parent to care for them. Many will only see both parents together once a year.

And then there are those left without a mother or father. Grandparents end up having to take care of these children. 1 in 3, some 20

million children, are in this situation.

And why does China have so many left behind children? Well, it is largely due to something the Hukou. It is a rigid household registration

system that divides China's population into rural and urban residents. And under the Hukou system, rural workers cannot access social services in the

cities they work in. As a result, most migrant workers leave their children at home in the countryside because they often cannot go to public

schools in the cities.

David McKenzie visited one of these children.

(BEIGN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 6-year-olds are often hard to handle, but Liu Li Ming (ph) is perhaps more of a handful than

most. And wherever Liu (ph) goes, his granny has to follow.

TANG XINYING, GRANDMOTHER (through translator): I have a lot of trouble with him. He is so difficult. Raising this child is a huge

headache.

MCKENZIE: She takes care of Liu (ph) because his father left to find work and his mother abandoned him.

XINYING (through translator): I can't teach him well. This boy should be educated by his father and mother. I can't even catch him when he runs

away from me. I can't discipline him when he misbehaves.

MCKENZIE: In China, a generation of children like Liu (ph) are raised without parents. The numbers are staggering. There are more than 60 million

left behind children in China, that's one in five. More often than not, they're cared for by aging grandparents.

When you visit these villages you see something extraordinary. It's only the very old here and the very, very young. All those who are working have

left for the big cities.

Rural villages like this one in Anhui Province are almost empty. The surrounding fields polluted, jobs non-existent.

Recent studies show that left-behind children do worse at school, have behavioral problems as they grow up and are prone to depression.

The Communist Party it's trying to help, but many say their policies made it worse.

XINYING (through translator): It's not good, but we don't have a choice. I don't want to, but I have to raise him. What other options do I

have? Where would I leave this boy if I didn't take care of him?

MCKENZIE: In the race to build a modern China, China's oldest generation and its very youngest are left behind.

David McKenzie, Chaohu Village (ph), China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And still ahead, the leader of the Catholic Church paid a visit to the least Catholic place in Mexico.

Why he is asking the people there for forgiveness straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:00] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now, U.S. President Barack will host a second day at the ASEAN summit in California in the coming hours. It is the first meeting on American

soil between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Now, President Obama has sought to foster closer ties of the group to counter the growing military and economic might of China.

Now, ASEAN member nation Indonesia is an economic powerhouse in its own right. And one popular franchise there is finding success by focusing

squarely on the ASEAN market.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Doughnuts, original glazed, sure, but also on display here: green tea, Oreo cheesecake and chocolate caviar, a mouthwatering selection

that's the bread and butter of Indonesian brand J. Co.

NATASHA LIU, J. CO: When J. Co first opened, it was just a shop. It was everybody just being the (inaudible) 24 hours (inaudible) because

customer they will come at 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. in the morning to be in line to get our dougnuts.

LU STOUT: The popularity of the American snack in the corners of Indonesia might be surprising to some, but not for founder Johnny Andrean.

Now, the Indonesian entrepreneur started the company aptly named after himself in 2005 when he recognized the potential to master the

confectionery to local tastes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, Indonesians usually prefer sweet things. And then like J. Co offer a lot of flavor, like sweet flavor, so

that's why we like it.

LU STOUT: Investing in the country's sweet tooth and love for fried food has seen J. Co open 180 outlets in Indonesia and many more across

ASEAN, including in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. A local brand thriving on a western concept despite brands such as Krispie Kreme and

Duncan Donuts having outlets in the archepelego.

LIU: We know the local market. We know the people. We know the culture. We have connections.

LU STOUT: That connection means catering to a new type of consumer. Analysts have said Indonesia's rising middle class is set to become one of

the world's most prominent in size and spending power.

LIU: The Indonesians, they're willing to spend more on food and beverage. It's creating a new lifestyle.

LU STOUT: With some estimates putting nearly 60 percent of the country's population that's under 30, the company says cafe culture

represents a huge opportunity, one they are continuing to capitalize on with new franchises and even more localized snack foods aiming to feed a

very evident growing appetite in Indonesia and across the ASEAN region.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, Pope Francis is beginning his fourth full day of his Mexican tour. He is preparing now to depart for the city of Morelia where

supporters are waiting for him with excitement.

Now he spent the previous day in Chiapas Mexico's poorest and least Catholic state. It's home to many indigenous people.

Now he has encouraged them to use their native language in Catholic worship. He also asked them for forgiveness for years of exclusion and the

destruction of their land.

Now, the final day of his trip will take him to the city of Juarez on the border with the United States. Now, CNN's Polo Sandoval has a look at

the welcome being planned for him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is where Pope Francis's final mass of his trip to Mexico will take place, the heart of the city of

Juarez. Cruz have been working around the clock day and night transforming what was once a dusty fairground into a massive outdoor sanctuary.

Pope Francis will be standing on this spot as he addresses a sea of faithful followers. But perhaps one of the most critical and symbolic

moments won't happen here, it'll take place as he breaks away and heads towards the border.

Francis's (inaudible) to this path, according to local church officials tell me that Francis will walk straight to the end of this route

here where a makeshift memorial to migrants will be set up on that day. It is there that he will pray for the people who made it across the border and

those who did not. And that single, symbolic moment expected to renew focus on the issue of immigration, something that's very important to the

papacy of this pontiff, very important to Mexico, and of course highly debated right next door.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, Juarez, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that very special mass will be part of our extensive coverage of the pope's final day in Mexico. You can watch it right here on

CNN.

And while in Juarez, Pope Francis is to use chairs unlike any you've seen before. They are the work of one family-owned shop that spent more

than 400 hours crafting them by hand. You can learn more in a special section of our website, CNN.com/popeinmexico.

Now, we will be going live to Singapore after the break where Asia's biggest commercial air show is now underway. We have got the latest on the

big deals that are in the works among the industry's major aircraft makers.

Also ahead, a showdown over the U.S. Supreme Court. Now the White House has responded to Republicans who say they will block anyone President

Obama nominates.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:30:28] LU STOUT: Now, Asia's aviation market is enjoying staggering growth these days with increasing numbers of travelers taking to

the skies. And that is being celebrated at the Singapore airshow that kicked off earlier. Airbus and Boeing are among the major plane makers

taking part this year as are high level government and military delegations.

Now for more, CNN Money's Asia-Pacific editor Andrew Stevens joins us now live from Singapore. And Andrew, what's the mood there? People are in

the mood to spend at the airshow?

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is not wildly optimistic, Kristie, and that's understandable given the fact that

we've got so many concerns about the global economy. It is slowing. This plunge in oil prices has really rattled people, particularly investors.

We're are seeing stock markets plunging, economies starting to shrink. And also we are seeing these

more and more desperate measures seemingly from central banks.

So, against that back drop, trying to sell big machinery like airplanes, you would think it would be a fairly tough sell at the moment.

It is not. I would say the mood in Singapore is cautiously optimistic. I've been speaking to Boeing. I've been speaking to Airbus. They say that

there are still deals being done, that there has -- they still have a massive backlog of orders to fill, in the thousands. I mean, Airbus alone

has nearly 2,000 planes on order just for just Asia-Pacific airlines just to give you an idea, Kristie.

I also spoke to the head of IATA, that the International Air Travel Association, Air Transport Association, Tony Tyler, and I asked him about

what he sees happening in Asia in the short and longer term as far as growth and the whether current economic concerns are going to throw things

off.

This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY TYLER, CEO, IATA: We haven't seen much impact from the slowdown in China. The Chinese are still traveling. And business is still pretty

good in that part of the world. When you look at the growth we're forecasting for overall traffic over the next 20 years, a huge portion of

that is going to to-from and within china.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: The numbers are staggering, Kristie. By 2020, they're talking about 1 in every 5 planes being made actually heading to China.

It's not just China, too, it's now India. India is growing actually more quickly than China these days. Southeast Asia, some of the big low cost

carriers are really ramping up their capacity as well.

So, there is reasons for optimism here in Asia. But still, they're keeping a very close (inaudible) eye on what's happening around the rest of

the world. It doesn't operate in isolation here anymore, so I would say if you're looking at optimism, it is more optimistic here than it is in most

other parts of the on world.

LU STOUT: Yeah, especially because of reports of growth in India, growth in China, that's why we have this tone of cautious optimism there at

the Singapore air show.

Andrew, what kind of deals have been announced there?

STEVENS: Well, none yet. We are hearing, though, there is going to be a deal announced tomorrow. But it is important to remember, Kristie,

this the Singapore show, it is commercial. It's also got a very heavy defense angle to this as well. There is a lot of military machinery out

there as well.

So given the time of the year, it gets towards the end of the financial year when Singapore

has its airshow. And Singapore has this show once every two years, I should add. But it's at the end of the financial year, so you don't get

those big deals being announced. They tend to happen at (inaudible) in England, at Paris, the big air shows in Europe, that's where you get the

really big deals.

So, Singapore it's more about the exhibitors, 1,000 companies are here showing what they've got. And those deals will follow a few months down

the line.

LU STOUT: All right, CNN's Andrew Stevens live in Singapore, thank you.

The battle over replacing a U.S. Supreme Court justice is not showing any signs of simmering.

Now, the White House says that President Barack Obama fully intends to nominate a successor

to late Justice Antonin Scalia. But Senate Republicans promise to block any nominee.

Our senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This morning, Senate Minority Leader Harry reed taking aim at the Republican leadership for saying they will

block anyone nominated by President Obama to succeed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In an op-ed for the "Washington Post" Reid writes "If my

Republican colleagues proceed down this reckless path, they should know this act alone will define their time in the majority. Thinking otherwise

is fantasy." Reid and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have been trading jabs since the first news of Scalia's death, with members of the

Judiciary Committee confirming party lines have been drawn.

[08:35:14] SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) JUDICIARY COMMITTEE RANKING MEMBER: The Republicans are talking about to be Republican playbook. This is the

playbook we should follow, the constitution of the United States.

SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, (R) SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: President Obama's gotten two activist judge appointments to the court, capable, intelligent

justices, but share deeply his philosophy. JOHNS: Reid and other Democrats are hoping the White House pick will be someone Republicans would

ordinarily support to point out the opposition is politically motivated because it's an election year.

ERIC SCHULTZ, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: The constitution does not include exemptions for election years or for the president's last

term in office. There are no exemptions for why a vacancy can tip the balance of the court.

JOHNS: The White House confirming the nomination process is already underway as the vacancy intensifies the presidential race. Ted Cruz, a

member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, amplifying what he says is at stake with a new ad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life, marriage, religious liberty, the Second Amendment -- we're just one Supreme Court justice away from losing them

all.

JOHNS: The 2016 presidential hopefuls are digging their heels in on the issue that is now shaping the race.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Irrespective of what President Obama does, we're not moving forward on a nominee until after the

election.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Barack Obama is president of the United States until January 20, 2017 whether the Republicans like it

or not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was CNN's Joe Johns reporting.

Now, China has threatened the United States with serious consequences over the naming of this plaza in Washington.

Now, the U.S. senate unanimously voted to rename a stretch of road in front of the Chinese embassy after the pro-democracy activist and Nobel

Peace Prize-winner Liu Xiaobo. If approved, the address will be changed to 1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza. Now, Beijing describes the decision as a political

farce and whats this proposal struck down.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, it was a night of stirring performances, spectacular music and some pretty triumphant wins.

We will recap the glitz, the glamour, the much anticipated Grammys next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, some fiery performances lit the stage for the 50th Grammys on Monday.

Taylor Swift one big with three awards, became the first woman to win best album of the year twice. Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud scored best

song. And Meghan Trainor was named best new artist.

Now, music's biggest night also paid homage to stars past. Lady Gaga, she gave a stirring tribute to David Bowie. And the surprise highlight of

the night, however, was a performance by the Indonesian jazz prodigy Joey Alexander. And while the 12-year-old didn't win the jazz awards he was

nominated for, he did win this: a standing ovation from the crowd.

Now, let's get more on the highlights. Joining me now is our senior media correspondent Brian Stelter. Brian, good to see you.

Taylor Swift, we know she won the big prize. There were a number of moving tributes. Some technical issues too. From your point of view, when

you were watching the Grammys, what were the stand-out moments.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, to me, that performance you just mentioned was one of them, the other was Kendrick Lamar coming on

stage in chains on a set designed to be like a prison. He is the dominant rap artist of the moment,

winning all the major rap awards last night. And he really stands out, I think, because well if you think about it what's the difference between

music and art? Well, he really stands out, I think, because well if you think about it what's the difference between music and art? Well, with art

you have something to say, you have a message, and clearly Kendrick Lamar has a message. In fact, his words, his songs, have been appropriated in

some cases by Black Lives Matter protesters.

And you can see on stage last night the fire on stage was very provocative. So, I thought that stood out.

I thought Taylor Swiftt was OK. She opened up the show. It was sort of an easy performance by her, singing her hit song Out of the Woods. And

as you mentioned, she won one of the final awards of the night for album of the year.

Her album came out in October 2014. So it's been a while, but the way the Grammys are set up, it actually was eligible now, so it was a very,

very big night for her. And she sort of sub-tweeted Kanye West by saying that other people might take credit for your success, but really it is you

that is responsible.

Kanye has recently been saying once again that he is responsible for creating Taylor Swift, making her into the celebrity she is today, but he

doesn't deserve that much credit.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it was a rousing speech. Interesting comments from Taylor Swift there.

Many viewers they didn't want to miss the action at all. And some of them opted to livestream the Grammys. What was the experience ultimately

like for them?

STELTER: There was some trouble with the livestream. I think it's a reminder that internet

streaming is is not always ready for primetime, that in many ways we are still in the 1950s when television was introduced in America with some of

the initial problems of broadcasting. Well, now that's what we see with live streaming.

Most major events go just fine nowadays, debates, the Super Bowl recently. But the CBS live stream had a lot of trouble for viewers in the

U.S. and eventually that was worked out halfway through the performance. Ii saw a lot of complaints about that, though. And it is a reminder that

sort of the old-fashioned antenna or satellite connection is still the most reliable

way to watch TV in many cases.

LU STOUT: Yeah, live streaming not ready for primetime, not just yet.

Brian Stelter, as always, thank you. Take care.

Now, the Philippine government has given the go ahead to auction a jewelry set that's worth some $21 million. The jewelry once belonged to

the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos.

Now, there are three collections, two of those are still being contested in court. And it includes a rare pink diamond said to be the

size of a grape.

Now, Marcos's husband was ousted in 1986, the family accused of stealing billions of dollars from the people of the Philippines. And the

collection will go on public exhibition before the auction.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. World Sport with Amanda Davies is next.

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