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Four Days Until Rio Olympics Begin; Refugees Aiming for Gold in Rio; Pro-Erdogan Supporters Rally in Cologne; Trump Under Fire for Comments on Khan Family; Commission Defends U.S. Presidential Debates Schedule; Infrastructure Coming Together at Last Minute in Rio; Team Korea Wears Shield Against Zika; Yuriko Koike Is Tokyo's 1st Female Governor; Pope Francis Wraps Up World Youth Day Celebration; Muslims Attend Mass to Mourn Slain Priest in France. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 01, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:12] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Rio approaches the Olympic spotlight determined to overcome its bad press and make headlines for all the right reasons. We'll have a live report in just a moment.
Turkey's president faced down the challenge to his authority at home. And he is finding plenty of support among ex-patriots in Germany.
And Donald Trump starts a debate over debates. Why the Republican frontrunner isn't happy with the schedule for his showdown with Hillary Clinton.
It's all ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. We're live in Atlanta. Thank you for joining us, everyone. I'm Natalie Allen.
The city of Rio de Janeiro is brimming with anticipation for the Olympics. The 2016 Olympics are about here. Look at that picture of Rio. The games are getting started this Friday. But plenty of questions remain about Rio's readiness.
The state of the Olympic Village has been under heavy scrutiny and the public transportation system still isn't done. And that doesn't even factor in mounting concerns about the health of the athletes and spectators.
Well, even with all that, the Olympics are still the Olympics. And fans are excited to see things getting under way. Our Christina MacFarlane joins us now from her live shot in -- you're there -- Copacabana. There she is. Because you've got the lucky draw, Christina. And despite all of these issues that we talked about and talked about, the athletes are arriving, and it is here. Game on.
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Absolutely, Natalie. Game on. I do have the lucky job. It's a little over 2:00 a.m. in the morning here. But you can see behind me the beach of Copacabana completely lit up in readiness for the games that get under way in just four days' time. But as you say, perhaps unlike any other Olympic Games in history, there have been so many problems in the buildup to these games. The impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, deep economic recession, and of course concern over the Zika virus, to name but a few. But I've been here on the ground now for about a week. And the mood
is quite different from what I was expecting. There is an air of anticipation, of excitement that's been building with every day that the athletes have been arriving here in Rio. In the past few days, we've seen the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, arrive in the airport to some fun fare I have to say. He, of course, going for that historic triple, triple here in Rio de Janeiro, the 100 meters, the 200 meters, and the relay for the third Olympics in a row.
We've seen the U.S. gymnasts out here on Copacabana yesterday shopping, taking autographs, taking pictures with the fans. And just today, early today we saw the Rugby Sevens Team arrive for their first ever Olympic Games. Rugby Sevens, of course, along with golf making its first appearance here at the Olympic Games in Rio.
So the mood really shifting now, I think, Natalie, looking ahead to the sports, perhaps letting those problems drift somewhat into the background as the countdown continues.
ALLEN: And -- but there is one other issue and that has to do with athletes. And it is the fact that some Russian athletes who have arrived there still don't know if they'll be able to compete.
MACFARLANE: That's absolutely right, Natalie. Four days until kickoff and we still don't know whether Russian athletes are going to be able to compete because of the doping crisis looming over this Olympic Games. Now the IOC have been criticized for taking a fairly light stance on this issue after it was discovered by water in that McLaren report just a few weeks ago that there was state-sponsored doping in Russia.
Well, the president of the Olympic -- the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, faced the press today here at the Olympics for the first time. And he faced many questions as to whether this doping crisis has really ruined the credibility of these Olympics. And if the IOC themselves have been too slow to respond to this. He was very much on the defensive. And he said that they've done the best they could do under the circumstances. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS BACH, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: I trust the people that they realize the difficulties we are in. They realize that, again, it was not an easy decision to take and that they realize that we did our best to address these situation in a way which allows to protect all clean athletes all over the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Now, Natalie, just a few hours ago, 13 national anti- doping agencies issued a strongly-worded article in "The Guardian" newspaper, that's a UK newspaper, criticizing the way the IOC have handled this, and saying that they let their commercial and political interests get in the way of influencing their decisions.
[01:05:14] The IOC, however, will still have the final say over this. But this is going to be an issue that plays out in the days to come as we count down to that opening ceremony at Americana on Friday.
ALLEN: All right, thanks so much, Christina MacFarlane live overlooking Copacabana. Thank you, Christina. We'll see you again.
Well, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games there will be a team of athletes united under a flag that belongs to no country. Instead they'll be competing in the name of refugees everywhere around the world. They've come from countries and now they're going for gold in Rio.
Our David McKenzie checked in on their training back in Kenya.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Morning training in the Ngong Hills, a Mecca for Kenya's Olympians. But these runners are refugees. They ran from their homelands from war and famine. They have no flag of their own.
JOHN ANZRAH, COACH: When they came in first, we went out training with their elite athletes at the stadium. And people were laughing at the athletes. These are not athletes. Coach John, what are you doing with these people? That was very discouraging. And at the beginning, as I thought, are we going to make it?
MCKENZIE: Coach John Anzrah is molding raw talent. Refugees selected from South Sudan, Somalia and the Congo, training for a chance to make it to the Rio Olympics. It's the first ever refugee team.
(On camera): And you see that their times improved a great deal.
ANZRAH: It has. One day they said that it was not the way they're running now.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Rose Nathike has been running her whole life. When the war came to her village in South Sudan, she fled the killing on foot, then in the back of a truck.
ROSE NATHIKE, OLYMPIC RUNNER: People undermine refugees as they are not the human beings like them. But now I can say maybe, if they can discover their talents and make it like maybe perfect like other people so they cannot be undermined.
MCKENZIE: Rose says her tough training can't compare to the hardship she has already gone through. Growing up in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya's outer fringes. A city of refugees who fled from South Sudan's old and new wars.
Here Rose took care of her brothers and sisters, volunteering for an NGO, going to school, and running.
TOM NATHIKE, ROSE'S BROTHER: (GRAPHICS) Rose loves to run. She used to run to a hill near us every morning and then come back to rest. And then sometimes in the evening she would run there again.
MCKENZIE (on camera): So they're very nervous today? ANZRAH: Yes, they're nervous. But I would not just let them sit in
the camp.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Forty-three athletes from around the world were selected for training, only 10 will go to Rio. Overcoming a lifetime of trauma to compete on the world's biggest stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rose Nathike.
(APPLAUSE)
MCKENZIE: Rose will run the 800 meters. She'll be running for her family, for the refugees of Kakuma, and for every one of the 21 million refugees around the world. Given the chance, Rose says, they can achieve anything.
David McKenzie, CNN, Ngong, Kenya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: How about that one? And the refugees will be among the first athletes to enter the arena at the opening of the Rio Olympics.
In other news we're following, Syrian rebels are battling to regain control they lost in Aleppo last week. A major offensive is under way. It looked like that the government might finally take over Aleppo. But the rebels are fighting back. And as the fighting heats up, witnesses say people inside the city are setting fires, hoping the smoke will keep government warplanes from hitting their targets.
Here's Ian Lee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A major military operation is under way to break the siege on Aleppo. This according to the military spokesman of the rebel group Ahrar al-Sham.
Aleppo has been under siege by Syrian government forces, although there have been at least three humanitarian corridors, according to the Syrian government, for civilians and rebel fighters who want to lay down their arms and be granted amnesty to leave the besieged city. But talking to people inside of Aleppo, they are skeptical the Syrians will live up to their promise.
Meanwhile, the situation grows more dire inside the besieged parts of the city. Food is running short, going to a market you can't find fruits, vegetables, any sort of food products. Doctors are saying there is a lack of medical supplies and medicine.
[01:10:02] One-time use items like syringes are being sterilized and used over and over again. There are also a lack of petroleum, gasoline for cars and ambulances to ferry passengers to hospitals. Also a lack of diesel fuel for the generators at the hospitals.
The U.N. has called for a 48-hour ceasefire so humanitarian assistance can get inside the besieged part and people who want to leave can leave. No word from either the Syrian regime or the rebels if they're going to go through with any sort of ceasefire.
Ian Lee, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Turkey's military is now facing tighter government control after a series of new decrees following the failed coup attempt two weeks ago. Hundreds of soldiers detained in the fallout have now been freed according to Turkish state media. They had provided testimony on their involvement in the plot. A judge called the soldiers' detention unnecessary.
The cleric accused by Turkey's president of masterminding the coup is speaking with CNN. Fethullah Gulen lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. He told CNN's Fareed Zakaria some supporters may have been involved, but he again denied any direct connection. He is calling for an investigation to look into the Turkish government's claims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FETHULLAH GULEN, LEADER, HIZMET MOVEMENT IN TURKEY (Through Translator): Let an international organization investigate this matter in depth. If there is anything I told anyone about this verbally, if there is any phone conversation, if 1/10 of this accusation is correct in fact, I will bend my neck and will say they are telling the truth. Let them take me away. Let them hang me. But I am talking with certainty. I have neither talked to anyone nor did I say anything to anyone on the phone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Following Gullen's comments CNN asked for a response from the office of the Turkish president. So far we have not received one.
The president received a strong show of support at rally in Europe. Our Fred Pleitgen was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tens of thousands of members of a Turkish community here in Germany showed up in Cologne for this rally. Now the main message that they're sending is that they want to show support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the coup attempt that happened in Turkey which of course was a failed coup attempt. The message that they're saying here right now is yes to democracy, no to the coup. That's what people are chanting here.
On the one hand they say they want to show President Erdogan that they're on his side. There's also a lot of artists that are singing as well. But on the other hand there is also a lot of criticism of Germany as well. Many Turks here in this country felt that Germany didn't support President Erdogan enough after the failed coup attempt. There was some criticism that came from German politicians about some of the aftermath of the coup, some of the purges that took place and the Turkish military and also in the Turkish education sector as well. Many Turks here in Germany felt that that criticism was not fair.
Now the German authorities here were quite concerned about this demonstration. There is a massive security around this demo. There is about 3,000 police officers that are on the street. Eight water cannon trucks around this venue alone. On the one hand, but that's because they fear that potentially this demo could get out of control. But also because there were four counter-demonstrations as well. One of them by a right-wing group that in the past has called for the ban of building mosques here in Germany. And their march actually went straight past this venue here. So the German police were fearing that there could be some trouble between these two crowds. But in the end, that did not happen.
Now we have to keep in mind that Germany is really a power base for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is about three to four million people who are either of Turkish descent or have Turkish passports who live here in Germany. And many, many of them support the Turkish president.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Cologne, Germany.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Donald Trump's war of words with the father of a fallen U.S. soldier heats up. Ahead here, how other Republican leaders are responding to the bitter feud, next.
Plus, how Pope Francis says young people should live their lives in a world at war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SPORTS)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: The U.S. presidential election is now less than 100 days away, and the battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is in full swing, as you can imagine. But it's Trump's latest war of words that is sparking backlash from the leadership of his own Republican Party.
The feud began when the father of a fallen Muslim U.S. soldier, Khizr Khan, spoke at last week's Democratic convention. He denounced Trump for proposing a ban on Muslims and said Trump had sacrificed nothing. Trump later criticized Khan's wife for remaining silent on stage.
U.S. House speaker and Republican Paul Ryan spoke out in defense of the Khan family, saying, "Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan should always be honored, period."
Senate majority leader, another Republican, Mitch McConnell, offered similar sentiment saying, "Captain Khan was an American hero and like all Americans I'm grateful for the sacrifices that selfless young men like Captain Khan and their families have made in the war on terror."
And Khan's father isn't stopping with the Democratic convention. He is calling on Republican leaders to withdraw their support for Trump. He addressed them earlier on CNN saying they have a moral obligation to repudiate him, and that history will not forgive them if they don't. Khan also had some stinging remarks for Trump's criticism of his wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN MUSLIM U.S. SOLDIER: This person is total incapable of empathy. I want his family to counsel him, teach him some empathy. He will be a better person if he could become, but he is a black soul. And this is totally unfit for the leadership of this beautiful country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:20:07] ALLEN: Khan's wife also addressed Trump's accusation in a "Washington Post" article saying, quote -- about her not talking on stage, "Walking on to the convention stage with a huge picture of my son behind me, I could hardly control myself. What mother could?"
Hillary Clinton is weighing in on the feud between Trump and Khizr Khan. Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar is on the campaign trail with Clinton.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton's approach to the Khizr Khan-Donald Trump controversy really seemed to evolve here over the last day. During her first stop yesterday in Pennsylvania, there was a line in her teleprompter about it and she skipped over it. It wasn't until her last stop last night at about 11:00 p.m. where she even mentioned it. And even then it was just a passing reference.
Well, fast forward to this morning, she went to church. She talked about it when she talked to reporters, and she had some pretty sharp words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He called Mexicans rapists and criminals. He said a federal judge was unqualified because he had Mexican heritage, someone born in the neighboring state of Indiana. He has called women pigs. He has mocked a reporter with a disability.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Ridiculed a POW, John McCain.
CLINTON: That's right. And I mean, any one of those things is so offensive. And then to launch an attack as he did on Captain Khan's mother, a Gold Star mother, who stood there on that stage with her husband, honoring the sacrifice of their son, and who has in the days since spoken out about the overwhelming emotion that any mother would feel as her son was being honored?
And then to have Trump do what he did, I don't know where the bottoms are -- I don't know where the bottom is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: There seemed to be a reticence yesterday for Clinton to wade in and perhaps make this even more political than it's become. But what may have changed the calculus between last night and today were a couple of things. Donald Trump's reaction that the campaign views, that statement that was put out, the campaign viewing it as Donald Trump sort of continuing to dig a hole on this issue.
And then Ohio Governor, John Kasich, condemning these things that Donald Trump has said, the Clinton campaign actually re-tweeting what Kasich had said, hoping that it will play well for those that she is hoping to court here in Ohio.
ALLEN: Brianna Keilar for us there.
Well, in another story regarding the election, the Commission on U.S. Presidential Debates is standing firm against calls by Donald Trump's campaign to reschedule two of the debates later this year because there are football games going on at that time.
Brian Stelter has that one for us.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Hey there. Yes, the debate about the debates is under way. Almost two months remain before Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet on stage for the first of three highly-anticipated presidential debates. But this weekend, Donald Trump started to challenge the debate schedule saying he is willing to debate three times, but he does not like the dates that have been selected.
So let me tell you what is going on here. The debates in the United States organized by a nonpartisan group called the Commission on Presidential Debates. It's been around for about three decades. And actually its model has been borrowed by other countries as well.
This commission made up of Democrats and Republicans sets the dates for the debates about a year beforehand. And it also selects the moderators, the formats, and the locations. So the commission chose four days, three for the Presidential debates, one for the vice presidential debates, last September and two of them conflict with NFL football games. And that is the thrust of Donald Trump's complaint. He says it's unfair to have the debates up against football because it will take away viewership from the debates.
Now initially Trump told ABC News that he received a letter from the NFL complaining about the schedule. Well, that turns out not to be true. The NFL says there was no letter sent. And today Trump's campaign backtracked and said actually it was a source close to the league that told him about this overlapping.
As for the scheduling issue, well, it is a real issue. Two of the games are scheduled on the days of the debates. But the commission says it had no other choice. This happens all the time, including in 2012 when Mitt Romney and Barack Obama debated. Let me show you part of the commission's statement. An unusual
statement they issued about this subject. They said, "It is impossible to avoid all sporting events and there have been nights on which debates and games occurred in most election cycles. A debate has never been rescheduled as a result."
Now the indication from the commission is we're not going to go ahead and change the dates this year either. But what's really happening here is the beginning of a negotiation, the beginning of seven weeks, seven long weeks perhaps of haggling between the campaigns and the commission that organizes the debates.
[01:25:10] Normally these negotiations happen in private. The campaigns argue over everything, even the temperature of the air conditioning in the debate hall. But as with everything about this election in the U.S., Donald Trump is doing it differently. Donald Trump is starting the negotiating in public.
Back to you.
ALLEN: Brian Stelter there for us. We'll keep you posted on debate gate there.
Well, there is a typhoon headed for Hong Kong but its precise path will be critical in terms of who gets hit hardest.
Karen Maginnis has that for us from the Weather Center -- Karen.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and, Natalie, there are about seven to eight million people that inhabit this very tightly congested and populated area right around Hong Kong.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MAGINNIS: Back to you.
ALLEN: OK. Hong Kong, be warned.
MAGINNIS: Exactly.
ALLEN: Thanks, Karen.
The Olympics, of course, can be a race against time for many cities getting ready. Some construction projects, though, in Rio are coming down to the 11th hour. We'll highlight them in just a moment here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:30] ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen. We want to update you on our top stories right now.
(HEADLINES)
ALLEN: Hosting the Olympics takes a staggering amount of infrastructure just getting the spectators from place to place. It's also a major undertaking.
Shasta Darlington went for a trial run to see whether Rio is ready.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a beautiful day. So we're going to head to some Olympic stadiums and test out the public transportation system, which is coming together at the very last minute.
Olympic transport tickets cost about $49 for a week, or $8 for a one- day card. So for the first leg we're taking this journey underground on the metro.
And here we go.
So we're going to head up to the escalator and up to the train that will be our next leg of this journey. So there are no signs yet for the Olympic Parks. A tourist is going to be pretty lost. They would probably head over here to the information booth. So we'll head over here. Which is also empty. So let's ask security if they know.
Excuse me, Olympic Park? Olympic Park?
Part two, getting on the train.
ANNOUNCER: Will depart from platform eight.
DARLINGTON: So this used to be the Can of Sardines train. Obviously it's looking better now. They've put more cars on the tracks, especially as we get close to the Olympics, and more security.
So if you're coming to see track and field, this is your stop. And let's see if, if you calculate the time to switch trains, it's about 50 minutes from your hotel door to right here at the stadium.
If you continue on to the Deodoro Park for BMX or rugby, give yourself a good hour and 15 minutes from the hotel.
So if you have just seen an equestrian event or maybe a canoe slalom and you want the get to the main Olympic Park, you're going to take this dedicated bus line. Right now it's empty. In fact, it looks like they're still finishing it. But once the Olympics starts, this is going to be a really important trajectory. It's going to connect to all of the Olympic Park right there, the main one, all of the hotels on Rio's south side.
The good news, this has its own exclusive lane. So hopefully, we won't be sitting in traffic.
That was fast, comfortable, and air conditioned. I'd be getting on the metro now, but the new line won't be open until four days before the Olympics start. For now, stuck in traffic.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:35:08] ALLEN: Well, South Korea is taking extra precautions to protect its athletes in the Olympics. They're wearing special uniforms with built-in mosquito repellent. The idea, to prevent Zika, and they're not talking about how they were able to do that.
Paula Hancocks went inside the factory where the uniforms are made there in Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The national flag, the team logo, and encouraging messages from people sewn into the lining, this is South Korea's Olympic uniform. 600 are being made here just outside of Seoul for athletes and officials to wear in Rio this August.
And there is something else that makes this outfit unique. It is apparently Zika resistant. But aside from the long sleeves and the long trousers, keeping skin off limits to mosquitoes, the rest remains a bit of a mystery.
(on camera): The Zika resistant part of this uniform is apparently top secret. All we've been told is once the uniforms are finished, they're shipped off to an unnamed company, and there they coat the uniforms with an insect repellent chemical. We're not allowed to film that part.
(voice-over): We're told it has been tested to repel mosquitoes and it works. No lab results or footage available, though.
Designer Kim Su Chong says she was going for protection and comfort, and something truly Korean.
"I wanted our athletes to look classy and stylish," she says, "as they're on a global stage. Next, I wanted it to be in the unique Korean style. Lastly, it had to be functional and comfortable."
South Korea's Olympic Committee says so far no athlete has dropped out through fears of the Zika Virus, but medicine, insect repellent and mosquito nets are being prepared, as well as a uniform that leaves little exposed for the mosquitoes to bite.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Japan's foreign defense minister made history when she took that position, and now she can add another historic role to her political career. Voters in Tokyo have elected Yuriko Koike as their first female governor.
Anna Fifield joins me now. She's the chief Tokyo reporter for "The Washington Post." We should say the governor elect, 20 years in politics. Prior to that
she was a TV newscaster for what it's worth, Anna. That let's talk about her success. In politics, and what got her to the point where she was elected governor, with men as her fellow candidates.
ANNA FIFIELD, CHIEF TOKYO REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Right. Well she achieved the remarkable feat as kind of running as an insider and an outsider at the same time. She has been on the political scene for a long time, more than 20 years. She was a member of parliament. She was defense minister, environment minister. So she has been around and she is a known character here. But she was not chosen by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party as its preferred candidate for this election. So she was running as something as an outsider against the selected candidate. And she said that she could offer a fresh start for Tokyo after a series of scandals involving the two previous governors, both of whom had to step down because of financial irregularities.
So Yuriko Koike has come in promising to restore stability to Tokyo, a city of almost 14 million people, and to put the Olympic Games, which is scheduled to come here in 2020, back on track.
ALLEN: Yes. She's got a big job there because that's four years away, and she'll be traveling to Rio, I know, to accept the flag and the torch to bring it back to Tokyo. But what else has she pledged to do as far as helping children and women there?
FIFIELD: That's right. So Japan is facing those demographic time bombs here. Women are not having enough babies, and the population is aging so rapidly. So to try and deal with this, she has promised to increase the number of day-care centers available to look after young children, to make more nursing facilities available for older people, and just try and make life easier for the residents of Tokyo.
ALLEN: All right, thank you, Anna Fifield with "The Washington Post."
Thank you for joining us, Anna.
Pope Francis says he knows what's to blame for terrorism, and it isn't Islam. We'll tell you what he had to say to reporters, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:42:50] ALLEN: His five-day trip to Poland is over and Pope Francis is back at the Vatican. He spent the week meeting with young people who came from all over the world to celebrate World Youth Day.
CNN Vatican correspondent, Delia Gallagher, highlights the trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A light in the darkness. More than 1.5 million lights held by kids from nearly 200 countries, who came to see the pope and hear his message. "Strap on your boots" he said, get off the couch, get away from your computer screens. Go out and leave your mark on the world.
POPE FRANCIS (through translation): Would you like other people to decide for your own future? Would you like to be free? Would you like to be awake and with it? Would you like to fight for your own future? Yes, you don't seem that convinced. Would you like to fight for your own future? Yes.
(APPLAUSE)
GALLAGHER: Urging them to unite in the face of terror, a response to what he called a world at war. Some of them shared the realities of living in a country at war, like Rand Mitri, from Aleppo, Syria.
RAND MITRI, ALEPPO RESIDENT: Others who died, including my friends, Noah, Antoine, William, and many other young men and women who could only be faulted for daring to have faith in humanity. They are all murders in this bloody war of no reason that has destroyed our souls, dreams, and hopes.
(SHOUTING)
GALLAGHER: World Youth Day is not just an opportunity for young people to see their pope, but also a chance for the pope to simply be a priest again and do what he loves best, meet the homeless, the poor, and the disabled.
That same simplicity was seen in his choice not to speak at Auschwitz, the former Nazi German concentration camp, a gesture of humility in the face of unfathomable evil.
He met survivors and Poles who risked their lives during the holocaust to save Jews.
At his final mass in Poland, the pope called for a new humanity in the face of evil.
[01:45:17] POPE FRANCIS (through translation): Our father may his sunshine on the good and the bad and invites you to true courage and is stronger than evil. And he loves all of us, even enemies.
GALLAGHER: And announced that Panama had been chosen as the site for the next World Youth Day in 2019.
This gathering, which in itself is a response to terrorism, more than a million youth choosing to celebrate their world, pray, and party with their pope.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Krakow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: On board the pope's plane, Francis spoke with reporters and talked about his impressions of Poland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) POPE FRANCIS (through translation): The polish people were so enthusiastic. This evening, even with all that rain, they were all along the road, not just the young people, but also the elderly. They are a good people. I have an experience with Polish people when I was younger, and after the war, they arrived to work where my father was working, many polish people. They were a good people. And that has always stayed in my heart. And now I have found again this goodness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: The pope also said identifying Islam with violence is wrong and untrue. He said terrorism has its roots in societies that worship what he said was the God of money, driving some people who are left out to violence.
People are coming together in solidarity as they mourn the death of a Catholic priest in France. This weekend in Paris, Muslims ascended mass at Catholic churches to show their support.
Alexandra Field has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An iconic cathedral, a powerful symbol. Catholic and Muslim leaders coming together at Notre Dame in Paris, appealing for peace, calling for unity, while the nation reels from another terror attack.
Mourners are holding vigils to honor of the life of Jacques Hamel, the 86-year-old priest slaughtered earlier this week in his own church in northern France. Official says the assailants who stormed Saint- Etienne-du-Rouvray, taking several hostages, acted in the name of ISIS.
On the first Sunday since the killing, a cathedral nearby Rouen opened its doors to everyone, one of many Catholic Churches across the country working this with this week Muslim leaders to invite Muslims everywhere to join them at mass.
UNIDENTIFIED PRIEST (through translation): We received this message of love, this message of fraternity, which has reached far into our hearts.
UNIDENTIFIED PRIEST (through translation): We have been touched, it is true by the attitude of our Muslim Brothers, who have as of last night come to participate in our services or simply to say hello and show their sympathy.
FIELD: Security is high during the services at Notre Dame. France has remained under a constant state of emergency since the deadly attacks of November 13th.
The leaders from both faiths now say it's the responsibility of all clergy to teach lessons about peace to counter mounting threats. UNIDENTIFIED MUSLIM LEADER (through translation): We feel that we
Muslims must make a final effort to reach out to our brothers and to our sisters, and those who have not heard us yet, to Muslims throughout France so as to combat terrorism, combat disrespect for religion, and combat barbarism.
FIELD: Earlier this week, Pope Francis responded to the death of the Catholic priest with his own sobering message: "The world is at war because it has lost peace. A war for religion it is not. All religions want peace. Others want war."
Since January 2015, France has been the target of repeated attacks carried out by Islamist militants. Following yet another kill, French Catholics and Muslims hope by standing together they'll send a message to those trying to tear their country apart.
Alexandra Field, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:49:30] ALLEN: You could call it the best and worst of American politics. Coming up here, the unscripted moment of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:53:30] ALLEN: Political conventions in America are well orchestrated, but things don't always go according to script, as we all know.
Jeanne Moos looks at some of the most awkward moments of this year's Democratic and Republican conventions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is nothing that nails a grand entrance or exit like a PDA, political display of affection, punctuated with a billion balloons. Hillary and her posse were drowning in them. She was batting them. So was Bill. Even kicking them.
But entrances and exits can be hit or miss, like this miss of an air kiss.
On the other hand, Hillary's shattered glass ceiling entrance was a hit and had the audience chanting at her screen image.
But sometimes a miss can be memorable.
For instance, when Baltimore's mayor was supposed to gavel the Democratic convention --
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE, (D), MAYOR OF BALTIMORE: To order.
-- but she forgot to use the gavel. She walked off, and 15 seconds later, came back with a bang. It happened two more times. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is it?
MOOS: When the convention was being recessed. Someone yelled "gavel" to remind the chair to return and swing that thing.
Taking a page out of Hitchcock --
(MUSIC)
MOOS: -- Donald Trump's somewhat less portly silhouette made an entrance --
(MUSIC)
MOOS: -- so dramatic, it was parodied by Actress Elizabeth Banks at the Democratic convention.
The women on "The View" spoofed it.
So did Jimmy Fallon with Michael Jackson moves.
(MUSIC)
MOOS: And Stephen Colbert made shadow puppets, got in a fight, and met a girl.
(CHEERING)
[01:55:14] MOOS: From dancing entrance to dancing exit, check out how acting DNC chair, Donna Brazile, sashayed off stage.
Howard Dean's exit was a scream.
HOWARD DEAN, (D), FORMER VERMONT GOVERNOR & FORMER CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: And Michigan, and Florida, and Pennsylvania, and then we're going to the White House!
MOOS: Though he left off the actual scream.
DEAN: Yeah!
MOOS: From 2004.
And then sometimes there are things that cause you to make an exit. In this case, a premature one.
(on camera): When a protester poured a bottle of water on Geraldo Rivera's head --
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX CORRESPONDENT: You don't even know what I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: -- his security guy hustled him away. Childish, yes. But at a convention, even potential and past
presidents sometimes behave with all the delight --
(CHEERING)
MOOS: -- of kids.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Everyone loves the falling balloon moment at the conventions.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen.
Stay with us here. My colleagues, Rosemary Church and George Howell, will be here in a couple of moments and two more hours of our news. Thanks for watching.
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[02:00:10] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Four days until the Rio Olympics, and athletes are arriving in Brazil.
