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Thai School Dorm Fire Kills 18 Girls; Iraqi Forces Launch Operation To Retake Falluja; Doomed Flight's Fuselage And Black Boxes Still Missing; Egypt: May Take Weeks To Find Identify Crash Victims; Austrian Presidential Runoff Too Close To Call; Obama Working to Strengthen Ties in Vietnam; Fishing, Friction in South China Sea; French Community Remembers Victim of Downed Jet; Viral Chewbacca Video Helps Kohl's. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 23, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.

(HEADLINES)

SESAY: Hello and thank you for joining us. I'm Isha Sesay.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. Another hour of NEWSROOM L.A. starts now.

SESAY: Eighteen young girls are dead after fire overtook a school dormitory in Northern Thailand.

VAUSE: The fire broke out Sunday night while 38 children were asleep in the dorm. Parents rushed to the schools to find out if their children were safe.

SESAY: Steve Herman is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for "Voice of America" and he joins us now from Bangkok. Steve, good to have you with us. We're hearing that these 18 girls have lost their lives. Can you tell us more as details start to emerge about what actually happened at the school?

STEVE HERMAN, SOUTHEAST ASIA BUREAU CHIEF, "VOICE OF AMERICA": Now, this fire, Isha, broke out about 13 hours ago. That was 11:00 p.m. local time on a Sunday night. There were 38 girls in the dormitory, and, unfortunately, 17, 18 did not make it out alive.

We're hearing now about one teacher who was on duty who rescued ten of these girls, in total 20 girls have been rescued. Five of them have been injured. This is an elementary school about 650 kilometer north of here.

I'm in Bangkok which is run by a Christian charity for impoverished girls from hill tribes, and this boarding house had what will we're told 38 girls in it at the time the fire. No cause yet known on the fire. The authorities are to have a news conference later today and are now restricting information to one official to give us any more details about what happened.

SESAY: No cause yet known. We're looking at the pictures there of emergency responders, but given the death toll and looking at 17, 18 girls, as you were just saying, what do we know about the emergency response? Do we know how quickly they were able to get on the scene?

HERMAN: No. The only information we have is that the actual building was not blocked. There did not appear to be any iron bars and that some of the girls were rescued by responders. That they were actually put through the windows of this building while it was still on fire.

So they did get there quick enough to be able to rescue some of the girls and bring them through the windows, so this is a -- a more rural area of Thailand, not a place where you would expect to get, you know, a big fire department response within a few minutes certainly.

SESAY: Yes. And for those that survive this, and you did mention some were injured. Do we know how seriously injured? Do we know what kind of -- where they are right now and what kind of help they are receiving?

HERMAN: We don't have any information on the five survivors who are injured, but apparently 15 other girls out of the total of 38 were unscathed relatively and did not require medical treatment.

SESAY: Steve Herman joining us there from Bangkok. We appreciate it. Thank you so much.

VAUSE: OK, Iraq's prime minister says an operation has begun to retake Falluja from ISIS. He went on television early Monday urging residents there to flee.

SESAY: The Iraqi military says planes have dropped safe passage leaflets on the city. Human Rights Watch says ISIS has barred people from leaving so the government is telling families who can't escape to raise white flags above their homes. Also they can call or text an emergency line to seek evacuation.

VAUSE: Joining us now is CNN military analyst, Major General James Marks. General, thanks for being with us. There is no time line on this operation, but we know ISIS has been in control of Falluja for about two years. How difficult will it be for the Iraqi forces and the Shiite militia to remove ISIS from that city and also the concerns that residents could be used as human shields?

MAJ. GENERAL JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Jonathan, this is going to be a very, very nasty fight. This is urban fighting by pure definition. Look, ISIS, as you've indicated, has been there two years, which means they have complete control of all means of access into and out of the city.

They probably most likely booby-trapped residences and locations where they are. [01:05:05]And of course, they will use as many citizens as they can as human shields so this is really going to be a very, very nasty fight.

There will be collateral damage. There will be images that you will not want to see. If the Iraqi forces pressed to fight, like they have to then there will be some serious damage that takes place in Falluja.

VAUSE: One way of sort of minimizing that collateral damage, if you like, is this tactic of ensuring that the Shiite militias stay on the city outskirts away from the majority Sunni population inside Falluja because of the fear of sectarian violence. Do you think that as a strategy will actually play out here? Can they stick to that?

MARKS: Yes. I think that they have to stick to that. That could become a real accelerant to a fire that already exists in Falluja, and you want to keep the Shia militia on the outside because what that affords them is the opportunity to try to control movement out of the city and certainly to block any additional movement that might be coming into the city to support the ISIS fighters.

VAUSE: That then leaves the Iraqi national forces to essentially retake the city center. Do you think that they are up to that task especially given that ISIS has had two years to dig in and they have proven to be really vicious in the past?

MARKS: That's a very tough call to make. Certainly the Iraqi forces would not be pressing the attack now if they didn't think they were at appropriate readiness level and also bear in mind the United States has a very significant, not necessarily large, but a very significant force to provide training and to provide assistance to the Iraqi forces.

So this decision has not been made exclusively by the Iraqis. Certainly they have believed that the United States is right there on their shoulder. This is going to be a very, very tough fight.

VAUSE: And then, of course, once, you know, assuming that they do take Falluja however long that may take, then what? Do they then move on to Mosul? I mean, how important is Falluja if they eventually want to eventually take Mosul, the last stronghold of ISIS in Iraq?

MARKS: Absolutely correct. You know, Jonathan, Mosul has to fall. Fallujah is the first target, but have you to not only take Falluja. You have to then hold it and then you have to build upon it, which was the strategy that the Iraqi and U.S. forces used probably six, seven years ago during the surge operations in Iraq, and that was to clear and to hold. That has to take place in Mosul.

That will be an additionally difficult fight so the Iraqi forces understand what they are getting into. This is very nasty fighting season, and, again, images that we're not going to want to see, but necessary for Iraq to continue to proclaim its independence. They have got to wrestle this thing back.

VAUSE: There are some bad days ahead by all accounts. General, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it. MARKS: Thank you, John.

VAUSE: The Egyptians are now using a submarine in the search for the black boxes from EgyptAir Flight 804. Searchers have found some wreckage as well as personal items about 290 kilometers north of Alexandria, Egypt.

SESAY: But the flight data and voice recorders that could provide answers as to what went wrong remain missing. The plane disappeared early Thursday as it flew from Paris to Cairo. There were 66 passengers and crew on board.

Well, to talk more about this is CNN intelligence and security analyst and former CIA operative, Bob Baer joins us from Telluride, Colorado.

VAUSE: And a criminal defense attorney, Brian Claypool, who joins us here in Los Angeles.

SESAY: Bob, to you first. MS-804 was once target of vandals who wrote in Arabic, "We will bring this plane down." Bob, is this merely a horrible coincidence or does it point to something far more significant in your view?

ROBERT BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: You know, it's difficult to tell, Isha, because the Egyptians have sort of denied any knowledge of this, but it's pretty clear of the reports that the plane was, feeding across it and as you know Egyptair has been under threat for a long time, really since the Muslim Brotherhood was overthrown in Egypt.

They have been doing security sweeps in the airport in Cairo and they are doing more right now, so, you know, Egyptians also had three security guards on that plane and they were searching cleaning crews so they were expecting some sort of attack, you know. How they got through, if indeed this was an attack, I just don't know.

SESAY: Yes. Just don't know. Still a lot to be discovered. You know, according to French aviation officials the plane sent automatic messages about smoke in the front of the plane before it crashed. Again, to stress we don't know what happened, what caused the smoke.

But as you know, Bob, everyone looking towards a terror strike, possibly a bomb. You know that this plane made stops in Eretria and Tunis before taking off from Paris for Cairo.

[01:10:05]Do those prior stops raise red flags for you or are you primarily focused on Charles de Gaulle being the possible weak link here?

BAER: Well, all four airports with a weak link, Asmara, Tunis, Paris and Cairo, and these bombs, you know, these groups that we're dealing with are very sophisticated, al Qaeda in Yemen for one. They can put a bomb on so it will go through multiple stops before it actually explodes.

They can even get a smaller bomb on that wouldn't necessarily cut the skin of the airplane, but let's just say, total hypothetical, would disable the avionics bay or you could use a thermite device of some sort, which would burn through it and explain the smoke.

But we have to find that airplane and see what occurred inside that cockpit and the airplane and see if there is any residue. Until then it's all pretty much guesswork.

SESAY: Yes. If this was indeed, again, again still speculation, still guesswork, but if this was the act of a terror group why has there still been no claim of responsibility? Does that make any sense to you?

BAER: Yes, it does make sense because the Islamic State for one is a franchise, and they just simply go out and attack Egypt, attack the airlines. And what's really scary is if this was sort of a test run, EgyptAir for the timers, the rest of it. Again, this is just hypothetical.

They may not want to alert people that, you know, it was put on in Charles de Gaulle or in Asmara or Eretria. So again what's interesting is the Airbus has come out and said they are completely mystified by the ACARS sequence of events. They have no ready explanation for it.

SESAY: Yes. That -- that is mind-boggling, and to this point if indeed it was a bomb, if indeed some individuals were able to do that, to get it on to a plane, whether it was in Asmara or in Tunis or Charles de Gaulle. I mean, what does that say about all the stepped- up security measures put in place since 9/11?

BAER: Well, you know, Isha, you know, the problem is that these airports are inherently insecure. You just simply at Charles de Galle you can't vet 85,000 employees completely. You look at the CIA, national security agency, they've got the best vetting in the world, and yet there is still moles in these organizations.

So the airports have the same problem and you know, there's a lot of people out there with grievances and they look at airplanes, civilian airliners as the perfect target.

VAUSE: Brian Claypool is with us, criminal defense attorney. So Brian, let's talk about the legalities here. If this was in fact was an act of terrorism, a bomb or something smuggled on to the plane at Charles de Gaulle Airport, where's the legal liability here? Is it with the airport or the contractors that handled the baggage workers, for example, or the airline?

BRIAN CLAYPOOL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What's controlling here is the Montreal Convention Act, an international treaty and both Egypt and France are members of that treaty, and that was developed in 2009, and that creates uniform laws for these types of tragedies involving airlines.

Now, the key thing is here let's assume it was a terroristic act. Is that considered an accident under the Montreal Convention and it is, because it's a very broad definition. Accident is defined as an irregular or unexpected event, external to the passenger.

And it was determined in the German Wings Air crash that the pilot driving that plane into the ground and killing everybody was considered an accident so this is going to be considered an accident.

Therefore, the Montreal Convention Act applies, and there's only a cap -- there's some confusion here that's been reported. There's a cap on non-negligence, in other words, called strict liability where you don't have to prove negligence.

Airbus will have to pay out in U.S. dollars about $175,000 to surviving members, but there's a cap on that, but if any of these family members can prove negligence either on the airline's part or a component manufacturer, possibly electrical subcontractors here, possibly cleaning crews, possibly cargo handlers, possibly security.

If there's independent security at these various airports they could possibly also be targets as well and there's no cap on that negligence.

SESAY: Just to be clear, in the parties, the families are unable to reach -- let me start that again. If the investigators are unable to reach a conclusive explanation for what brought down this plane, i.e., they don't know, it becomes one of those mysteries. Then what for the legal recourse of these families?

CLAYPOOL: If I'm representing those families I'm still filing a lawsuit against both Airbus and the security at these airports because, for example, how -- what we suspect that maybe something was placed in a restroom, maybe some kind of --

[01:15:11]SESAY: But you can't prove it.

CLAYPOOL: You can't prove it, but you can prove by inference as well. You can prove by inference. You're going to have a report that's done after this investigation. You can look to that report.

But important thing is we do now have a nucleus of -- there was possibly a fire started in a restroom and that triggers a possible either an electrical problem or a terroristic problem.

If it's an electrical problem then you can focus on the failure to maintain the plane. Why wasn't the plane properly maintained?

If it's a terroristic problem then you can sue the security at the airport possibly even the government for not undertaking more secure efforts to secure the plane and make sure this doesn't happen.

VAUSE: And our thanks to Brian Claypool and of course, earlier Bob Baer for some insight into this investigation.

A short break here, when we come back, Austria's presidential election more than just close, a small number of remaining ballots will make the difference in a race that just might shape the future of Europe.

SESAY: Plus, new polls show the White House race is closer than you might have guessed and nobody is happy about it especially the voters.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS: Hi there. I'm Patrick Snell with your world sports headlines starting off with the continuing speculation now surrounding Louis Van Gaal's managerial position at Manchester United.

Just a day after overseeing the Red Devils triumph over Crystal Palace, being widely reported that the 64-year-old Dutchman will be replaced by the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan head coach Jose Mourinho (ph).

As of late Sunday evening, Manchester United remaining silent. Man United won the FA Cup with ten men on Saturday and Barcelona have done exactly the same thing on Sunday in the final against Sevilla.

Seal red towards the end of the first half when the argentine was giving his marching orders and Barca strikes twice in injury time.

Former world number one golfer, Rory McIlroy finally with a confidence-boosting win at something he's never done before, tasting victory at the Irish open. He didn't have things all his way, the Scotsman Russell Knox with a one-shot lead with three holes to play, but Knox could not have seen the blistering finish that Rory would produce to seal a first success of the year. Birdie at 16 and superb eagle at the last seeing a four-shot lead meaning McIlroy wins by three shots in the end.

Thanks for joining us. That's a look at your CNN world sports headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.

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[01:20:12]

SESAY: Welcome back, everyone. Absentee ballots could decide who wins Austria's neck and neck presidential bun-off election.

VAUSE: (Inaudible) are a far right anti-immigrant party leader and a pro-European Union independent. Despite an almost even split in the vote, so far nationalist, Norbert Hoffa, is promising victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORBERT HOFFA, AUSTRIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): I want to tell you what I have learned in my life. Man must go on and on and on along his path and when basic values are right, when it was clear to you regardless of what you do, regardless of the outcome, that Austria is our greatest concern, then success will come on its own. Maybe today, maybe today, maybe the day after that. Life is short but long enough to serve of Austria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Jeremy Cliffe is the political correspondent for "The Economist." He joins us now via Skype from Vienna. Jeremy, good to have you with us. Many are looking at a situation in Austria right now --

JEREMY CLIFFE, BRITISH POLITICS CORRESPONDENT, "THE ECONOMIST": Good morning.

SESAY: Good morning. Look at a situation right now, the centrist party is rejected, a tremendously tight election between a candidate from the far right, Freedom Party, and his rival, a former Green Party leader. People are asking, how did Austria get to this point?

CLIFFE: Yes, the big story here really is polarization and that was the case even before we knew that the result was going to be on the (inaudible) that it now seems to be.

This has been a while in the making, the two conventional parties, the center right and center left here that have dominated us in politics for decades have become too cozy in office and have become complacent.

There's been a lot of clientelism (ph) and that combined with the refugee crisis, which has really driven immigration national identity of the agenda here has created a perfect environment in which the center falls out and is really nowhere to be seen and you're left with this clasp between conventionally left wing politician in Mr. (Inaudible) and this far right politician, Mr. Hoffa.

SESAY: So should Mr. Hoffa actually be elected? What will that mean for the future direction of Austria? Because while the position of the president is largely is ceremonial, he's looking to change that.

CLIFFE: That's right. Traditionally, it's something a bit like Britain's monarchy where the head of state has formal constitutional powers, which by conventional they don't use.

As you say, Mr. Hoffa says he wants to change that, and you have to really see his victory here if he secures that today as a springboard for his parting the FPO towards something greater, something that they have their eyes on which is the chancellorship at the next parliamentary elections here.

Mr. Hoffa is something of a protegee and some would even say a hand puppet of Mr. Hans Christian Stracha (ph), the leader of his party, who is hoping to become -- to form a government led by the far right, which would be a very momentous moment for Europe.

Now the elections are due within the next two years, but as president, Mr. Hoffa will be able to dissolve the governments early, bring new elections, and also undermine the conventional mainstream parties using the bully pulpit of the presidency.

He says, for example, (inaudible) to go to Brussels accompanying the chancellor to summits breath down his neck and so he could really influence the physical future of Austria from what it's traditionally been (inaudible) role.

SESAY: Yes. What about Europe? You mentioned Europe there. Many saying that his election, that of Hoffa, would bolster other far right parties in Europe. Can you really see other far right parties making political gains off the shift -- this possible shift in Austria?

CLIFFE: You know, in ways what's happening here is quite distinctly Austrian. It's quite an old Austrian party has been around for decades and form part of the government in 2000. But what's interesting is you contrast that when what happened today and when the far right went into government in Austria, the rest of Europe immediately imposed dramatic sanctions.

Austria was effectively outcast from polite society in Europe. These days there's no talk that have happening if Mr. Hoffa wins today and that's because Austria has become a lot more normal in so far as its strong far right goes.

So in France, you've got Marie Lapen (ph) who by the way endorsed Mr. Hoffa, who could just about win the presidency there next year. In Germany, the populist right are making gains at regional elections.

Equivalent parties are doing very well in Scandinavia and the lower countries and if Mr. Hoffa wins it will really embolden them.

It will I think make things possible that didn't seem possible not so long ago. So a lot of other parties the likes of Mrs. Lapen will be watching closely today to look for a sign that they can achieve similar successes in their countries.

SESAY: (Inaudible) huge chapter. We shall see what happens next. Jeremy Cliffe joining us there from Vienna. Appreciate it. Thanks so much.

[01:25:09]A couple of new polls show the 2016 race for the White House is a statistical dead heat at the moment.

VAUSE: At the moment.

SESAY: In a "Washington Post"/ABC News poll Republican, Donald Trump stands at 46 percent ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton at 44 percent.

VAUSE: Polls are reflective, not predictive, but let take a look at the NBC News/"Wall Street Journal" survey, Clinton came out on top, 46 percent to 43 percent and each poll shows more than half of America's voters have an unfavorable view of both party frontrunners.

SESAY: Those polls also revealed the most popular candidate in either party is Democrat Bernie Sanders.

VAUSE: The Vermont senator rallied supporters here in Southern California on Sunday, just over two weeks until the state's primary. Here's Sunlen Serfaty.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONENT: John and Isha, Bernie Sanders is certainly striking a defiant tone as he campaigns here in California in the middle of a five-day stretch of back-to-back events leading into June 7th primary here. And as he speaks to supporters he's really trying to make the case why he's staying in this race, how he thinks he has a path forward despite the fact that he's well behind in the popular vote, well behind in pledged delegates. Here's what he told his supporters Sunday night in Vista, California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We win when voter turnout is high. If voter turnout is high with your help we are going to win the lion's share of those delegates.

And if we -- if we can win big here in California, our largest state, one of our most progressive states, if we can win big here, we're going to have the momentum taking us into the Democratic convention to win the nomination.

And if we win the nomination, I assure you that Donald Trump will not become president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And Sanders is also taking on a much harsher tone towards the Democratic nominating process and the Democratic leadership. Now over the weekend that came in the form of Bernie Sanders speaking out against DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

He endorsed her opponent in her Florida congressional race instead of her which is a big affront to her and her leadership personally. Here's what he told Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Clearly, I favor her opponent. His views are much closer to mine than as is Wasserman-Schultz's and let me also say this in all due respect to the current chairperson, if elected president, she would not be reappointed to be chair of the DNC.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: So absolutely no mincing of words there coming from Bernie Sanders. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has responded. She says despite this she still will remain neutral during the democratic primary -- John and Isha.

VAUSE: Sunlen Serfaty, thank you for that. There's been a lot of fodder during this election campaign for the late night TV shows here in the United States and the season finale of "Saturday Night Live" we found out what happens when two Democratic candidates walk into a bar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember when I told everyone to stop talking about your damn e-mail. What schmuck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That could have taken me down. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, I'm so stupid.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And remember all the states like Wyoming where you beat me by a lot, but then I still got most of the delegates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was so stupid. It's rigged.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know, it's so rigged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Bernie Sanders played by comedian, Larry David. Later agrees to dance with Clinton in exchange for a few delegates but not before the battle over who should lead.

VAUSE: Something very funny is happening this year in that "Saturday Night Live" is getting the laughs again.

SESAY: It's doing well.

VAUSE: Get an inside look at America's remarkable race for the White House. Watch out, new program, "STATE OF THE RACE" with Kate Baldwin, weeknights at 7:30 p.m. in London, Tuesday through Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Hong Kong and here on CNN.

SESAY: Time for a quick break now, and yes, President Barack Obama is meeting with Vietnamese leaders at this hour hoping to strengthen ties with the government there. We'll have a live report from Hanoi just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:33:12] SESAY: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live, from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.

VAUSE: And I'm John Vause.

The headlines this hour --

(HEADLINES)

SESAY: U.S. President Barack Obama is in Vietnam, the first leg of his week-long trip to Asia.

VAUSE: He's meeting with the Vietnamese president as well as other leaders to talk about regional security and trade deals. Mr. Obama hoping to strengthen ties with Vietnam 40 years after the U.S. war with Vietnam came to an end.

SESAY: CNN White House correspondent, Michelle Kosinski, joins us now live from Hanoi, Vietnam.

Michelle, good to talk with you. The view among analysts is this trip is about much more than stronger defense and economic tries between the U.S. and Vietnam, that it's also about countering China's growing strength in the region. How is the White House framing this visit?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Every time the president makes a trip to this part of the world, of course, it's going to be about China. Even when it's not directly about China, even that China is not part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that big trade deal that's still being worked out, and even when the president is not meeting with China, it always about China. That means the U.S. wants to have a presence, not just in trade but also in security, especially since China has been having disputes with other countries in the region in the South China Sea, in the East China Sea. China made some aggressive moves towards a U.S. plane in the region last week. The U.S. wants make sure that the ties with allied here are strong because when the U.S. builds trade relationships, for one example, that helps to counter China's trade influence. So when the U.S. boosts other countries in this region security-wise, helping them militarily, that's also a counter to China's growing strength and the problems that have arisen here.

And one thing that's been overshadowing this trip is the real possibility that the U.S. will lift the arms embargo with Vietnam, something that would have been unheard of decades ago. The U.S. has been gradually opening that up. It's not going to be decided on this trip, but if the U.S. does start selling arms and planes to Vietnam, again, without engaging China directly, that's going to be a way for the U.S. to counter that power here -- Isha?

[01:36:10] SESAY: Michelle Kosinski joining us there from Vietnam. Appreciate it. Thank you.

VAUSE: As she said, the U.S. is seeking cooperation with Hanoi as China tries to expand its territorial influence in the South China Sea.

VAUSE: For Vietnamese fishermen who rely on the disputed waters for their livelihood, there's no steering clear of the turmoil.

Saima Mohsin has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like his father before him, Le Tan (ph) makes the living from the sea. He's fished these waters for 31 years, but lately his job has become a lot more damage.

LE TAN, SOUTH CHINA SEA FISHERMAN (through translation): First they took our fish then they took our equipment. If they liked it, they took it. And if they didn't, they threw it away.

MOHSIN: Tan described the day when Chinese men boarded his boat, stole his equipment, and threatened him and his son. This happened last year, but he says his boat has been targeted four or five times over the past decade. TAN (through translation): Once they threaten my son three times and

he's fine.

MOHSIN: Tan says he's being targeted because he fishes in the chain of islands claimed by Vietnam, China and Taiwan. Vietnamese authorities say hundreds of fisherman from the small island off the east coast of Vietnam report being intimidated, beaten or robbed by men on Chinese flagged boats within the island chain. Yet, despite the danger, the local government says it's encouraging men to keep fishing these waters, calling them defenders of Vietnamese territory.

The Chinese foreign ministry says it has no knowledge about Vietnamese fishermen being beaten or chased away and the islands are its sovereign territory, along with most of the South China Sea.

China is building manmade islands and laying down air strips and deploying surface-to-air missiles in defiance of competing claims by other regional players.

And the U.S. has waded into the fight, challenging China by running Freedom of Navigation Operations in the region and calling for an end to the militarization of the area. Washington's message seems to have done little to sway local opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Concerning America's idea of a about peaceful solution between Vietnam and China, even with this peaceful solution, the rights of Vietnam to these islands are undeniable.

MOHSIN: CNN wasn't allowed to speak to the fisherman without a government minder present. But Vietnamese officials are keen to though them off as victims of China's aggression.

TAN (through translation): We protect our country for the next generation.

MOHSIN: It's an elegant calling for the fisherman of the remote islands nightly song.

In its on going despite with China, Vietnam is mustering defendants wherever it can find them.

Saima Mohsin, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A short break here. When we come back, a French community is grieving and paying tribute to one of their own, a photographer of the local music scene. He was a passenger onboard EgyptAir flight 804. His story is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:42:36] VAUSE: A massive wildfire has exploded on the central coast of California spreading quickly to more than 1,500 hectares in Monterey County on Sunday. It's only about 20 percent contained. SESAY: A submarine is joining the search for the wreckage of EgyptAir

flight 804 in the Mediterranean.

VAUSE: Debris and personal items have been spotted 290 kilometers north of Alexandria, but the all-important flight data and cockpit voice recorders are still missing.

SESAY: There were 66 people on board.

VAUSE: Among them was a Frenchman, who was orphaned as a child, but he considered his entire community his family.

Atika Shubert reports now that community is in mourning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is where Pascal Hess, avid photographer of the local music scene in Normandy, France, would have been on a Saturday night, rocking out, camera in hand.

Musician Gene Clarksville was born in the same year and grew up in the same town and he remembers how Hess offered to take photographs of his band for free.

GENE CLARKSVILLE, MUSICIAN: He was a very, very generous man, the kind of guy you could see everywhere in every venue. He liked rock 'n' roll.

SHUBERT: 51-year-old Hess was a man of many talents, recording this interview for a music documentary, and he played also on the local volleyball team and worked at the hospital. That's when he wasn't restoring vintage cars.

He lived alone. His home is now shuttered. His parents died in a car crash when he was young, an only child. His friends were a family, along with a teenage daughter now in Germany.

Hess was booked on a Red Sea diving holiday when he lost his passport and told friends he was worried he wouldn't make his flight, but he did. EgyptAir flight 804, lost over the Mediterranean Sea.

Hess was popular and his lost was felt in the music cafes and bars. Residents held a moment of silence for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was very kind. Everybody wanted to be his friend.

SHUBERT: On Saturday night, local musicians dedicated a song to Hess, in memory to kindred spirit.

Atika Shubert, CNN, France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:48:40] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. A woman in a Chewbacca mask, one from "Star Wars," is taking the Internet by storm.

SESAY: Candace Payne went to a store and picked up a mask of the beloved "Star Wars" character and she showed a shot video of herself in the mask and put in on Facebook, and in four days, it had over 130 million views.

(LAUGHTER)

Here, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

CANDACE PAYNE, DRESSED UP AS CHEWBACCA: Oh, I'm such a happy Chewbacca.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK.

SESAY: Never gets old.

VAUSE: Never gets old. Neither does the Darth Vader one. Nor the Chewbacca video.

Sandro Monetti, managing editor of the "L.A. Business Journal."

(LAUGHER)

VAUSE: No one is buying it, OK? You're not going to get --

(CROSSTALK)

SANDRA MONETTI, MANAGING EDITOR, L.A. BUSINESS JOURNAL: The thing is the Chewbacca mark of has sold out.

(CROSSTALK)

MONETTI: Just can't get one. I could only get the Darth Vader.

VAUSE: 200 bucks on Amazon, apparently.

(LAUGHTER)

VAUSE: This is what Candace Payne posted on Facebook after this incredible response. 134 million hits. (CROSSTALK)

[01:50:04] VAUSE: Indeed almost.

"Let's keep belly laughing again and again. Never imagined finding my 'simple joy' would land me more views on a little Facebook video that Mark Zuckerberg has followers. Insane. Find your 'simple joy'."

That is what this is all about. It's just a bit of happiness, whether it might be, in the form of a $17.99 reduced "Star Wars" mask, right?

MONETTI: A happy story. And lots of joy for Kohl's as well, the department store who sold her the mask, who are really getting so much great P.R. out of this. They actually work with one of the bigger social media marketing agencies, called Huge, and their reaction to this has been to go around to Candace's house and find three more masks. They've given her one for her husband and two for her kids. She wouldn't give hers away. They've given her $2,500 shopping dollars to spend at Kohl's.

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: Let's play that Kohl's, because this is truly a great movement, viral videos being turned into marketing.

Here's a look at what he's talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want you to distress about having to share your Chewbacca mask. So we confiscated it for everybody.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Now we've got two Chewbacca masks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to thank you for being a loyal Kohl's shopper.

PAYNE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't tell you how much we appreciate that.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Now we both got our own Chewbacca mask.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We brought a lot of goodies for the kids.

PAYNE: Oh, my gosh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you all ready for all this?

PAYNE: It's like Christmas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think dad would want one, too?

(SHOUTING) (END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Sandro, you can't put a price on this kind of positive buzz. I mean, you have these ad agencies huddled around trying to create these viral moments and then you get a gift like this.

MONETTI: Kohl's is the number-two retailer in the United States in terms of department stores. They are in a war with the likes of JCPenny and Macy's, and it's publicity like this that can put them over the top and have people rushing to the stores tomorrow. They won't get the Chewbacca mask but they may pick up something else.

(CROSSTALK)

MONETTI: So as you say, marketing gold. And it's a perfect example of how social media, free publicity can be used for huge revenue gains.

VAUSE: Interesting, because the other big Facebook video moment, up until this point, with 11 million views, is when they were putting -- how many rubber bands it would take to explode a watermelon. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 679.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I see it bursting.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 679.

(CROSSTALK)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

VAUSE: Yeah. Which goes to Isha's point, no matter how hard you try as a marketer, you can't recreate this kind of stuff

MONETTI: You can't. This is what the public wants, this and cats falling off piano's. Here's how marketing is done these days. It's a huge audience out there on social media and one woman's joy has translated into a global phenomenon and into huge sales, I'm sure.

SESAY: The question is who tries to emulate it next? Because obviously, you see a moment like this and you see how you can copy it and that will be interesting in the days ahead?

MONETTI: It can't be repeated. Because it's so original that it's so popular. Yes, there will be clones and copycats. They won't work. Candace has done it. She's a true original. VAUSE: Who makes the most money out of this?

MONETTI: "Star Wars" doesn't need any more money.

(LAUGHTER)

But I'm sure, well, Disney, have about 20 percent of all the merchandising as they continue to fly off the shelves around the world.

VAUSE: What about Candace? We know that licensed this video, had to pay a fee for it. But that's peanuts compared to this kind of thing.

MONETTI: Candace has a huge opportunity here.

SESAY: Yeah.

MONETTI: She's clearly great on camera. I think you two might be looking to your laurels, you know.

(LAUGHTER)

Maybe -- maybe if she knows about the news --

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: She can come be the third anchor.

MONETTI: Yeah.

SESAY: We'll welcome her warmly.

MONETTI: She's great.

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: Yeah. Put your mask back on.

(LAUGHTER)

VAUSE: Good to speak with you.

SESAY: Sandro, always a pleasure.

VAUSE: Thanks for being here.

SESAY: Thank you.

All right, now, a moving rendition of Prince's "Purple Rain" to close the Billboard Music Awards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP) SESAY: Stevie Wonder unexpectedly joined Madonna on stage to pay

tribute to the iconic artist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:55:05] VAUSE: The night kicked off with a fan-pleasing performance by Britney Spears. What was she wearing, is the big question? She sang and kind of danced through a medley of some of her biggest hits.

What is she wearing?

SESAY: Don't look at me. I have no idea.

(LAUGHTER)

VAUSE: OK. Here's something you don't normally see blocking traffic here in Los Angeles. A giant NASA fuel tank journeyed through more than 25 kilometers of city streets on Saturday. The 30,000-kilo tank is more than 47 meters long.

SESAY: Being taken to a science center. It's going to be on display with its better known partner, the space shuttle "Endeavour," which made its same journey four years ago after its final mission.

I remember that. I covered that.

VAUSE: Exactly. It's one of those great moments. Where were you when the shuttle drove by you on the freeway?

SESAY: I was on television telling everybody about it.

VAUSE: There you go. Not quite the same.

(LAUGHTER)

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

SESAY: I'm Isha Sesay.

The news continues with Rosemary Church and Errol Barnett right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[01:59:44] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, there, everyone. I'm Errol Barnett, with Rosemary Church here at CNN Center.

We want to get you to a news conference that the U.S. President Barack Obama is holding with the Vietnam president, the start of his week- long tour of Asia. Let's listen in.

TRAN DAL QUANG, VIETNAM PRESIDENT (through translation): The state and the people of Vietnam, once again, I would like to warmly welcome President Barack Obama and the high-level delegation of the U.S. government on the official visit to Vietnam.