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At Least 17 Dead in Kolkata Bridge Collapse; South African Court Orders Zuma to Repay Public Funds; Opponents Slam Trump's Abortion Comments; Brazil's Rousseff Scrambling to Hold onto Power; Hundreds Recovering from Park Attack in Pakistan; Sanctions Impact Activity along North Korea-China Border; Security Summit Aims to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism; Mr. Trump's Go-To Phrase. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired March 31, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROBYN CURNOW, CNN HOST (voice-over): Ahead at the INTERNATIONAL DESK, the search for survivors after a bridge collapses in India.
A court rules that South Africa's president violated the constitution.
And Donald Trump faces a firestorm over his comments on abortion.
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CURNOW: Hello, everyone, welcome. I'm Robyn Curnow at the CNN Center.
And we begin with the desperate rescue efforts now underway after a bridge collapsed in Kolkata, India. You're about to see video of the
moment it happened. A warning: it is disturbing. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW (voice-over): The streets were crowded at midday when the tons of concrete and steel came crushing down. So far we know more than a dozen
people were killed. More than 100 are injured, devastating images. And as many as 100 are also still missing. Our Mallika Kapur is following
developments from Mumbai.
Hi, there, Mallika. These are very dramatic, devastating images.
MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Robyn, very disturbing images. As you said, this incident took place at midday, a time when this
area is really, really crowded, it's really busy. It's one of the most congested areas in the city of Kolkata.
I have been to this area a few times. And when you walk in this area, it's absolutely impossible to walk without bumping into people, without
jostling into five people at every step.
And it's not just pedestrian traffic we're talking about. We're talking about trams, cars, buses, taxis; it's an extremely congested area.
The whole idea behind building this flyover was to ease congestion in the area.
And right now, as you mentioned earlier, we know that we have more than a dozen casualties. Government officials have told us that 15 people
are confirmed dead. There could be a lot more people confirmed dead over the next few hours.
Rescue efforts are underway. There are ambulances on the scene. Military soldiers -- soldiers from the Indian military have been called in,
they're on the scene. Local residents are pitching in to do what they can.
It is really now a race against time. It's 7:30 pm local India time; it's dark outside. And it's getting tougher and tougher. But as we know,
it's these first few hours that are absolutely crucial. So rescue efforts are underway to see if they can pull anybody else out from under that
rubble alive.
CURNOW: Indeed. And you say rescue efforts are underway but as we can see from those images, it looks chaotic, also extremely difficult under
those huge chunks of concrete and sort of mixed-up steel all gnarled there. We're seeing a car trying to be pulled out.
What kind of equipment and how long do you think is this going to take?
KAPUR: Yes, it is. It does look absolutely very chaotic. And I spoke to somebody who was witnessing the rescue efforts and he did say,
yes, it's chaotic and when you ask the police questions, they don't really seem to be very forthcoming with information or they don't know much.
A lot of people locally are just pitching in and doing whatever they can. People using their hands and trying to see what they can find, if
they can move stones, if they're seeing a hand popping up from under the rubble, they're trying to pour water over that so that there's at least
some sort of nourishment, some hope.
(INAUDIBLE) what they need is gas cutters because, remember, this was a construction site. So there's lots of concrete. There's lots of steel
and iron rods, a lot of metal. And we need to cut through these iron rods and cut through the metal here to be able to sift through the rubble. So
they need these gas cutters. They do have some on the scene but they are expecting some more.
There's this eyewitness told me there are lots of gas and oxygen cylinders around. You can see a lot of (INAUDIBLE) because that's what's
helping the gas cutters and (INAUDIBLE) rescue efforts.
CURNOW: No doubt questions then being asked about standards and construction, the quality of materials here.
KAPUR: Yes, there's obviously lots of questions being asked about that because, as you know, we've talked about it so many times before,
about infrastructure, infrastructure really being India's weakest link.
When we talk about rapid economic growth in India, the country developing, the one thing that's always held India back, Robyn, is
infrastructure, whether it's at the implementation stage. It take years to get approvals in place or permissions. And when it comes to building
bridges and roads, flyovers, you know, that can take a long time.
This bridge was under construction for five years, which may sound like a long time in other parts of the world. But in India, as you know,
five years for a flyover, that's pretty much par for the course. In terms of what quality was used, well, the company, IBRCL --
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KAPUR: -- which is based in the (INAUDIBLE), now this company had the contract to build this flyover. And one of the officials had a press
conference, a spontaneous press conference, it looked like, at the scene of the accident. And he said, you know what, we build so many bridges before
and they've all been fine. What's happened today is an act of God.
So there could be a lot of questions, whether it was just an act of God or an act negligence. And I'm sure we're going to hearing a lot about
that in the coming days.
CURNOW: Meanwhile, many people are concerned about missing loved ones. Mallika Kapur, thank you so much.
To South Africa now, where the constitutional court, the country's highest court, has ruled that President Jacob Zuma must repay public money
he spent renovating his private home. Now the updates included a swimming pool, amphitheater and a chicken run. Now it's just the latest in a long
line of scandals dogging Mr. Zuma. David McKenzie joins us now live from Johannesburg.
Hi, there, Dave. What I think is important about this ruling is it's far more than a chicken coop or a private swimming pool. It's about power
being checked. It's about the judiciary flexing its muscles.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. It was a profound moment, said the high court judge, Robyn, about this judgment, a
unanimous one, it must be said, a scathing judgment against Jacob Zuma, saying that he acted unconstitutionally in the way that he ignored the
corruption watchdog and their calls for him to pay back the money on his palatial private homestead, that he had used taxpayers' money to fund.
It was also a judgment against the parliament in South Africa. A parliament ruled by the ruling ANC, Jacob Zuma's party, saying they and so
on acted unconstitutionally by not checking the power of the executive.
Both cases are damning for the ruling ANC and certainly the opposition parties are circling, Robyn. I spoke to the leader of the official
opposition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOUTH AFRICAN OPPOSITION LEADER: It's a significant day for South Africa. It means it affirms the separation of powers, that the judiciary
certainly can make judgments of this nature without fear or prejudice. I think that's significant for a nation and certainly for anyone who's
watching all over the world, we welcome the judgment.
But the second thing is that actually the president, as we have always maintained, acted outside the prescribe (ph) of the law and there's a great
opportunity now, we believe we begin the process of impeaching the president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Well, the ANC and Zuma have been far less hasty at this point. President Zuma saying he appreciates and reaffirms the powers of
the constitutional court as a final arbiter of matters of the constitution and went on to say that, in fact, they want to reflect on this ruling
before they make any further comment -- Robyn.
CURNOW: This is a watershed because as Mmusi Maimane (ph) was saying there, this, again, reinforces what many people have been saying about
President Zuma's government, that there have been repeated overstepping of constitutional boundaries here. So this is important.
But what does it mean for him politically?
What happens next?
MCKENZIE: Well, moves out of the courthouse and into the arena of politics, which, at this stage in parliament is run by the ANC, Robyn. So
really would it take an internal change of heart by the ruling ANC to turf Zuma out.
The impeachment proceedings, and they will bring them, they say, against Jacob Zuma, they won't win those. The DA and the EFF will not be
able to get the two-thirds majority necessary to get rid of Zuma from an impeachment process unless members of the ANC turn their backs on the
president.
And a head of key local elections here in South Africa, it's possibly unlikely they will. They want to try and make any decision about Jacob
Zuma seem like it's their own decision. But this real result from the constitutional court puts them in an extremely tight corner because if they
defend Jacob Zuma, they are defending a president who acted unconstitutionally, rode roughshod over the law here. And if they throw
him out, they will be looking like, in fact, the ANC is incapable of governing -- Robyn.
CURNOW: OK. David McKenzie in Johannesburg, thanks so much.
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CURNOW: Donald Trump's opponents are criticizing the Republican presidential front-runner for comments he made, then retracted about
abortion. Phil Mattingly has more on Trump's latest and perhaps biggest campaign controversy.
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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There have been very few things that have been consistent throughout this really unwieldy Republican
primary process. But one of them has been that Donald Trump does not backtrack. He does not apologize. He does not reverse his positions.
Often when other campaigns would be curling into the fetal position, maybe going on the defensive, Donald Trump going on offense.
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MATTINGLY (voice-over): That all changed Wednesday.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: This is not something you can dodge.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Donald Trump smack in the center of another controversy. This time, abortion at a town hall. MSNBC's Chris Matthews,
the front-runner stating that women who get abortions should face, quote, "some form of punishment" if the procedure were to be outlawed.
MATTHEWS: Do you believe in punishment for abortion, yes or no, as a principle?
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The answer is that there has to be some form of punishment.
MATTHEWS: For the woman?
TRUMP: Yes, there has to be some form.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: That I don't know. That I don't know.
MATTHEWS: Why not?
TRUMP: I don't know.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): The backlash: fast, furious and bipartisan. Trump's rivals on both sides of the abortion issue quick to pounce and
reject the notion.
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), OHIO: But of course women shouldn't be punished. I don't think that's an appropriate response and it's a
difficult enough situation than to try to punish somebody.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Donald's comments, they were unfortunate, they were and I strongly disagree with them.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Anti-abortion groups and Democratic presidential candidates, all lining up to criticize the comments.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When he was asked whether women should be punished, he said yes. And that
is absolutely unacceptable. It is outrageous.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VT., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To punish a woman for having an abortion is beyond comprehension.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Amid the firestorm, Trump's campaign uncharacteristically backtracking, quickly issuing this statement,
attempting to clarify his remarks.
Quote, "This issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination. Like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions."
Within a few hours, another statement, a complete reversal of the first, saying if abortion were made illegal, quote, "the doctor or any
other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman.
"The woman is a victim in this case, as is the life in her womb."
His son, coming to his defense, tweeting, "Be fair. He was asked if it was illegal. Should there be punishment? Shouldn't there be
consequences for breaking laws?"
MATTINGLY: Now it's important to note that Donald Trump's comments on abortion comes just one day after his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski,
was charged with a misdemeanor for simple battery for grabbing a female reporter. And this is part of what a lot of people are seeing as a theme.
If you look across the country, voters, female voters with a 70-plus percent disapproval rating when it comes to Donald Trump. And that is a
major problem for him should he get to the general election. But it's also worth pointing out that it's a problem for him in the Republican primary as
well.
If you look at this state in Wisconsin, Donald Trump in the most recent polling, trailing Ted Cruz by as many as 10 points. Now voters go
to the polls here in just five days. Donald Trump with not only a lot of ground to make up but a lot of questions to answer, based on some of his
comments and some of the actions of his campaign. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Now lots to talk about. CNN Politics senior correspondent Chris Moody joins me now from Washington.
Three positions in three hours.
How does Donald Trump recover from this one?
CHRIS MOODY, CNN POLITICS SENIOR DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Robyn, that's the question Americans have been asking this entire campaign.
How does he recover?
How does he recover when he criticizes prisoners of war and says that he doesn't like it that they got caught. Why are they heroic?
How does he recover when he says he doesn't understand what the nuclear triad is?
It goes on and on.
The question, is this the moment when he doesn't recover?
History has shown that he continually just powers through and these things just wipe off on him. Although now the stakes are getting higher
and higher and he's not just a front-runner among 17. It's getting tighter and tighter. He has to be able to accumulate delegates, a significant
amount of them, state by state, to clinch this nomination or else he faces a fight at the convention. And that is something Donald Trump does not
want to do.
CURNOW: Let's just talk about this abortion issue. This is a big issue for the Republican Party. And it seemed like he hadn't really
prepared or thought about it. It was quite off the cuff. This is not an issue that you should be speaking off the cuff on.
MOODY: Well, that's another theme is he seems to be coming up with his policy positions as he goes along. You're right. The abortion issue
is a hot button issue on both the Republican side and the Democratic side.
However, Donald Trump did something I have never seen before and that is somehow find common ground between pro-abortion rights groups and anti-
abortion rights groups. Unfortunately for him, the common ground was condemning him.
He said that women should be punished for having abortions. On the Republican side or the pro-life side, as they would call it, their position
is that the doctors should be punished, not the women.
And of course the pro-abortion rights groups do not think there should be any sanctions.
But within a matter of just an hour, there were statements released from groups on both sides of the aisle against his comments. Robyn, that's
just not something we see very often. Usually there's a gulf of difference between these two groups. But yesterday we saw them coming together
against Trump's comments.
CURNOW: Yes, as normally a very divisive, emotional issue. So then let's talk about a wider general election and getting there. He's behind
in Wisconsin.
Is a contested convention becoming --
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CURNOW: -- more likely?
And is it not just wishful thinking from journalists who are looking for a good political fight here?
Do you think it's a real possibility?
MOODY: Well, as I talked about earlier, Donald Trump needs a significant percentage of delegates going forward before the convention in
order to clinch it without having to get a fight on the convention floor. We are going to have to see how he does in Wisconsin with the delegates.
Obviously a win for him would make it much easier. But a loss here makes it easier for his opponents, like Ted Cruz or John Kasich.
Ted Cruz and John Kasich know that it's going to be almost impossible for them to clinch it before the nomination for themselves. So they just
have to hold him back from getting 1,237 delegates before the July convention. And a win in Wisconsin for Ted Cruz, which the polls suggest
could be the case, will really help that effort.
Now Donald Trump is going to have to make that up in the states in the future heading east as the primary heads that way. That's more pro-Trump
territory but as he continues to make comments like this, there's no telling how those polls can change.
CURNOW: Indeed. Thank you so much, Chris Moody there from Washington.
MOODY: Thank you.
CURNOW: Well, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is facing yet another political setback. The country's sports minister has resigned just
months before the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. It comes as Ms. Rousseff faces calls for impeachment. CNN's Paula Newton joins us now from
Rio de Janeiro.
What has the sports minister said?
What's the reaction been?
Hi, there, Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not exactly -- hello, Robyn, nice to see you -- not exactly a transparent process here. It had been rumored
that he was going to be forced out. The reason, that's a very prominent cabinet post that Dilma Rousseff wanted in her hands in order to entice
other parties to support her.
The largest Brazilian political party has basically pulled their support of her and that means she's much more likely to be impeached in
several weeks' time. Let's deal with first, Robyn, with the fact that we have the Olympics going on here in a little bit more than four months.
Most people here say it was actually his deputy that dealt with the IOC and he will now likely take over as sports minister.
He has done that already in the interim. So so far, so good, on the Olympics. Going back to the political situation, though, what a mess. It
continues to be much more opaque by the minute.
Dilma Rousseff right now, trying to get more votes in Congress in order so she can avoid having to go through impeachment. And that
impeachment process has a lot of people rattled here, Robyn. Brazilians thinking through what has been a tumultuous corruption scandal, they are
really looking at all of their political parties and their politicians and wondering who do we trust -- Robyn.
CURNOW: Yes. Good question.
With that in mind, let's talk about Lula. We expected to hear the former president will be chief of staff.
What's happening there?
What impact will that have?
NEWTON: The Supreme Court is supposed to hear whether or not Lula, Dilma Rousseff's predecessor, will be allowed back into her cabinet.
What will that do?
That will shield him from prosecution except in the highest court of the land. He is under investigation right now again as part of this
colossal kickback investigation that's going on in this country right now.
We don't know if we'll get a ruling on that today or not. What is important is that later this afternoon and throughout this country you're
going to see some protests in support of both Dilma Rousseff and the Workers' Party, the one that Lula da Silva brought to power here.
He's well known as many people saw it, was the savior of modern Brazil. Now even he is seeing record lows in terms of his approval rating.
Brazilians here, Robyn, say maybe we just need to turn the page. Maybe we just need a clean slate.
The problem is when you look at the country's constitution and its institutions, it's unclear that a very tidy mechanism exists to be able to
change anything at the highest corridors of power, Dilma Rousseff saying this entire process, she's saying, looks like a coup to me and says she is
not going down without a fight.
CURNOW: OK, keeping an eye on things there in Rio de Janeiro, Paula Newton, thanks so much.
You're at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Robyn Curnow. Still ahead, world leaders are gearing up to take on the threat of nuclear terror.
We'll take you to Washington ahead of the nuclear security summit.
Also ahead, allegations of widespread abuse of migrant workers at the World Cup venue in Qatar. The details revealed in a report by Amnesty
International. Details coming up.
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CURNOW: You're watching CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow. Thanks so much for joining us.
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says he's ready to hold an early presidential election if that's what the Syrian people want. Now he made
the comments to Russia's state-run Sputnik news. Mr. Assad has faced growing pressure to hold an election in hopes that will help end Syria's
five-year civil war.
Talks in reaching a political solution to the conflict are set to resume next week in Geneva, Switzerland.
A French court has indicted a recently arrested citizen on terrorism charges; 32-year-old Reda Kriket was arrested last week for allegedly
plotting an attack on France.
Officials accuse him of being in the advanced stages of planning. The French prosecutor says police found a cache of weapons and bombmaking
materials in his home. A Belgian court previously convicted Kriket in absentia for being part of a jihadist network.
Meanwhile Belgian prosecutors say police carried out a new raid in Northwest Belgium in connection to Kriket's case.
And Turkey's president says European countries are operating with blinders on when it comes to the threat of terrorism. Recep Tayyip Erdogan
talked about that when he sat down with our Christiane Amanpour for an exclusive interview. He says Belgium missed an opportunity to avoid the
attacks in Brussels, ignoring a warning from Turkey months ago about one of the bombers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST: Why do you think they did not pick up your intelligence and particularly, the Dutch say that your government did
not alert them to the fact that he had jihadi tendencies?
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Of course both the Netherlands and Belgium, for someone having a jihadi
intention or not, first they need to know what jihadi intention means. We have to identify whether these are foreign fighters or jihadists. The
Netherlands nor the Belgians seem to have understood what jihadist stands for. We have been calling the nations for a common stance against
terrorism and many of the European member states seem to have failed to attach the significance that this call for action deserves.
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CURNOW (voice-over): You can watch the whole of Christiane's exclusive interview with the Turkish president coming up on "AMANPOUR."
That starts Thursday at 7:00 pm in London, only on CNN.
And Pakistani police have arrested 17 suspects in connection with Sunday's suicide bombing in a local park. Intelligence officials and
police began a series of raids late Wednesday. They say more arrests are expected.
The Easter Sunday attack left at least 74 people dead, including many children. A Pakistani Taliban splinter group has claimed responsibility.
The attackers said they were targeting Christians but most of the victims were Muslim.
Almost 400 people were hurt in that bombing and, again, since the target was a popular park, many of the wounded were children. A warning
now: some viewers may find the images in our next report disturbing. Saima Mohsin went inside one of Pakistan's hospitals, where people are
recovering from traumatic injuries.
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SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 3-year-old boy that can barely be held because he's covered in burns.
[10:25:00]
MOHSIN (voice-over): Tears stinging his face, Shabalza's (ph) cries ring out across the ward. He's inconsolable, in extreme pain.
Shabalza's (ph) mother is in intensive care with severe burns. His father, split between two wards, this man is a neighbor. He's been at
Shabalza's (ph) bedside since the attack. Sharing the bed, his cousin, Bermina (ph), just 4 years old, shrapnel wounds on her skull. Her uncle
tells me she has special needs. She doesn't know her father and sisters have died.
"I have lost count of how many family members have died," he tells me.
Kiza's (ph) chest is peppered with ball bearings. He and his friends were just deciding which ride to go on when --
KIZA (PH), ATTACK VICTIM (through translator): I felt like something was on fire. And there was an explosion. My friend grabbed me and pulled
me to the ground. He saved my life.
MOHSIN (voice-over): His friend is lying in a bed opposite him.
In each ward, we found friends, complete strangers, family, tending to their loved ones.
"He shouted, 'Mama,' down the phone. Oh, his voice," his mother tells me.
"My heart sank as he told me, 'A bomb's gone off. Please come to me. I'm in hospital.'"
MOHSIN: You'll notice this is a mixed ward. Young children, men and women are being kept in together because the doctors are keen that these
traumatized families are kept together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a horrible picture. There were about 137 patients within 20 minutes and with every patient we had 20 other people,
who were well-wishers or their relatives. So we had to bring immediately about 30 doctors and 40 nurses and we had to open up 20 more operating
rooms.
MOHSIN (voice-over): Many of the patients agreed to talk to us but others are in intensive care. We didn't film them. They haven't regained
consciousness since the attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had to open up the abdomen of these patients because sharp things had gone into them and we had interrupted their
intestine. And we had about 10 patients who had serious head injuries because their brain had been entered by these sharp objects.
MOHSIN (voice-over): Local people are coming together to deliver food and toys to the families and children like Shabalza (ph), who will live
with the physical and mental scars of this bombing forever -- Saima Mohsin, CNN, Lahore, Pakistan.
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CURNOW: Hi, everyone, welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Robyn Curnow. Here's a check of the headlines.
(HEADLINES)
CURNOW: Dozens of world leaders are convening today in Washington for a nuclear security summit. Some of them are already getting together on
the sidelines. U.S. President Barack Obama was due to have a meeting about right now with South Korea's president and Japan's prime minister. Now the
three are expected to discuss North Korea's continued nuclear bluster despite new U.N. sanctions.
Our Matt Rivers reports on the impact and implementation of the sanctions from the Chinese-North Korean border.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They drive across the old, narrow bridge around 9:00 am each day. Chinese trucks carrying goods
into North Korea. They leave from Dandong, the border city on the Yalu River. It's the economic lifeline of North Korea, China the only country
left willing to do significant trade with Kim Jong-un's regime.
New U.N. sanctions levied against North Korea's nuclear program have impacted that relationship. For example, North Korean coal exports --
important revenue for the country -- are now banned if any profits from them might be funneled to sanction programs.
China must also now inspect all shipments into and out of the country; criticized in the past for not enforcing sanctions, officials deny that but
say they will strongly implement this latest round.
We watched as North Korean trucks drove into China around midday, mostly empty. They end up in yards like this, loaded up with Chinese goods
that get sent back across the border.
We asked how officials specifically plan to inspect those, making calls to authorities in Dandong and at the ministry of foreign affairs.
Neither would provide details.
Security guards we met outside the yard were not keen to talk with us, either.
And trying to see for ourselves how these inspections are done can prove to be difficult, as you can see. We try and talk to ordinary people,
truck drivers, even, to talk to them about these inspections but none of them would agree to speak with us.
RIVERS: And we constantly face harassment like you're seeing right now.
RIVERS (voice-over): It's near impossible to determine if the inspections are effective. What is clear, though, is the continued
struggle of those inside North Korea. For ordinary people, poverty and hunger remain chronic. The heavily sanctioned Kim Jong-un regime can't or
won't provide supplies to its people.
So others do, seeing a business opportunity. We met this man in secret along the border at night. He illegally smuggles goods into North
Korea for a living. He tells us he deals in basic living supplies, focusing on everyday grains and car parts. For him, the sanctions don't
mean much but for other smugglers he works with, the added restrictions are good for business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The North Koreans have to buy lots of goods from us because there are fewer legal shipments through the
border, more from us.
RIVERS (voice-over): He says since the latest sanctions began, there's been more requests from North Koreans for industrial chemicals and
steel. He has no idea what they are used for but he knows who is buying them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Not ordinary people. It's the military and their families. Everything is completely corrupt there.
Ordinary people have no money so all the goods are purchased by wealthy people.
RIVERS (voice-over): He thinks China has stepped up its inspections since the newest sanctions but doubts that any sanctions, enforced or not,
will ultimately do any real harm to Kim Jong-un's regime -- Matt Rivers, CNN, Dandong, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: A good piece from Matt there.
Well, President Obama is also scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later on today. I want to bring in our global affairs
correspondent, Elise Labott, to talk more about this. She joins me from Washington.
Hi, there, Elise. We have just seen with Matt's piece here the difficulty --
[10:35:00]
CURNOW: -- in ratcheting up pressure.
What more can be done about North Korea?
ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: On the sanctions front, Robyn, they didn't do everything that they could do at the U.N.
Security Council. Officials tell me they did save a little bit their powder, keep their powder dry, if they will, so that they could ramp up if
North Korea continues these provocations, continues with the long-range missile launches or nuclear tests.
And the kind of financial sanctions that you've seen the international community place on Iran, for instance, they haven't really gone there. So
I think if North Korea were to continue some of these actions, you could see them ramp up like that.
But these are really, as Matt was saying, some of the toughest sanctions you have ever seen. And China is really seen as key to
implementing them.
On the diplomatic front, there's always this offer to talk to North Korea. The regime has shown no interest really in doing that but at the
same time, the U.S. is continuing to ramp up its military posture in the region.
It's looking to deploy the THAAD missile defense system. Missile in Korea, missile defense in other areas, so even as they try to ramp up the
pressure on North Korea and keep this diplomatic avenue open, they are also hardening their military posture in case of any threats from North Korea.
CURNOW: Yes, indeed, and of course Japan and South Korea, who are meeting with President Obama now, concerned just because of a mere fact of
their location. Let's also talk about what is no doubt going to be a very big issue at this nuclear summit and that's the concern over unsecured
weapons grade nuclear materials, stuff that could make a dirty bomb.
What kind of action does Mr. Obama want to see out of this?
LABOTT: Well, that's really topping the agenda. And I think the attacks in Brussels show all the more how important this is because in the
investigation we have learned that one of the suspected planners of the Paris attacks in November, which is also connected to this ISIS cell that
is believed to be responsible for the Brussels attacks, they found at his - - raided his home this 10 hours of surveillance video of a top Belgian nuclear scientist, who works at this plant, where there's a lot of
radioactive material. There's no evidence yet of a specific plot but the fear is that ISIS is trying to secure some of this radioactive material
that could be used for a dirty bomb.
And so President Obama, when he called this summit, started convening these world leaders six years ago to be summits every two eyras, ISIS was
barely on the radar. But now you see what a global network it is. It does have the ability to recruit nuclear experts and others and secure some of
this material.
So President Obama really kind of asking the international community to redouble their efforts to secure not just nuclear material but this
radioactive material that is in hundreds of commercial health locations, industrial locations; 12 countries have eliminated their nuclear materials
since the summit was called in 2010.
But there is unsecured material in 25 countries. So President Obama really looking for a recommitment to try and secure this to keep it out of
the hands of terrorism.
CURNOW: Thanks so much, Elise Labott coming to us there from Washington, appreciate it.
Well, this is the INTERNATIONAL DESK. Up next, he's been called Teflon Don for most of the U.S. presidential campaign.
So why is Donald Trump excusing himself so much? Jeanne Moos has the answer -- after the break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:40:00]
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CURNOW: U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz sparred over policy with comic and TV host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday. It was Cruz's
first visit to the late-night talk show where Kimmel asked the candidate a burning question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC HOST: Who do you like better, Obama or Trump?
(LAUGHTER)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: I dislike Obama's policies more.
KIMMEL: I see.
CRUZ: But Donald -- Donald is a unique individual. I will say I was watching the early part of the show and if I were in my car and getting
ready to reverse and saw Donald in the backup camera, I'm not confident which pedal I would push.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Some comic timing there.
Well, Donald Trump tends to get in hot water for saying things. Now he's getting some attention for a phrase that's usually polite. He said
"excuse me" 20 times in the span of an hour, mostly to interject his point. Here's Jeanne Moos and she's counting it down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: Mind if I read you --
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When a Trump interview gets intense.
TRUMP: I mean, give me a break --
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Come on --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Come on Anderson --
COOPER: -- politically motivated?
MOOS (voice-over): You have to excuse The Donald for excusing himself.
COOPER: A 5-year old is --
TRUMP: He started it.
You would say that --
COOPER: You're running for President of the United States --
TRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me --
MOOS (voice-over): He may sometimes sound like a little kid.
TRUMP: I didn't start it.
I didn't start it.
COOPER: Sir, with all due respect, that's the argument of a 5-year old.
TRUMP: I didn't start it.
MOOS (voice-over): But a 5-year old with manners.
GLAMOUR BEE: You said "excuse me." You used good manners.
MOOS (voice-over): And if this sounds familiar.
TRUMP: Oh, excuse me --
MOOS (voice-over): -- that's because we first focused on Trump's favorite verbal lesson last summer, making this --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Excuse Me."
MOOS (voice-over): -- the sequel.
We thought it deserved a sequel when "The Washington Post" counted 18 "excuse me"s in just one hour of a CNN town hall.
COOPER: Whether or not you think it was battery or not --
TRUMP: Excuse me --
MOOS: One.
COOPER: -- you've suggested you might --
TRUMP: -- excuse me, excuse me. I didn't suggest --
MOOS: Two, three.
COOPER: So it doesn't concern you that --
TRUMP: -- excuse me --
MOOS: Four.
TRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me --
MOOS: Five, six --
TRUMP: We're supporting Japan.
COOPER: But it's been
TRUMP: We're supporting -- excuse me, excuse me, we're supporting --
MOOS (voice-over): Actually when you add them all up...
COOPER: -- do you trust --
TRUMP: -- excuse me.
MOOS (voice-over): -- 18 was an undercount.
TRUMP: -- excuse me --
MOOS: Twenty.
Sort of makes Bernie Sanders' lonely single interjection --
SANDERS: Excuse me, I'm talking --
MOOS (voice-over): Seem like a poor excuse for an "excuse me," compared to Trump's 20. Maybe The Donald could add a little variety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excusez moi.
MOOS (voice-over): Break down those cultural walls.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Desculpe.
MOOS: Even when he interrupts himself, his own story, The Donald excuses himself.
TRUMP: But when he said we had a big day, we won Utah -- excuse me -- I won Arizona.
MOOS (voice-over): Mr. Trump, you are excused.
TRUMP: -- it's my -- excuse me --
MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos --
TRUMP: -- excuse me, excuse me --
MOOS (voice-over): -- CNN --
COOPER: -- 5-year old --
TRUMP: -- excuse me.
MOOS (voice-over): -- New York.
TRUMP: Excuse me. Excuse me. I didn't suggest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Classic.
Well, thanks for joining me. I'm Robyn Curnow. You have been watching the INTERNATIONAL DESK. "WORLD SPORT" is up next.
END
