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Turkish Airstrikes Targeting Kurdish Forces in Syria; One Couple's Wedding Pushes Through Despite Earthquake; Trump in Spotlight for Stance on Immigration; Clinton Faces Pay-to-Play Accusations; U.S. Army General Loses Post After Sex Scandal; Brazil's Rousseff to Speak at Impeachment Trial; Hangzhou Prepares to Host 1st G20 in China; Mexico's Music Icons Juan Gabriel Dies; U.S. Rules for Commercial Drone Use Going into Effect. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 29, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:09] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey claims new success in its fight against terrorists in Syria but it's not entirely clear who is being targeted.
Surviving residents in Italy's earthquake zone face an uncertain future, but we bring you a story of hope and love amid the devastation.
And the MTV Video Music Awards were Trumpeted as Britney's big comeback, but Queen B stole the spotlight from Miss Fierce. We'll have the VMA's highlights for you coming up this hour.
Hello, and welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Natalie Allen live from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Turkey state media say their military is helping rebels in Syria clear terrorists from villages near the Turkish border. But what's less clear is whether they're referring to ISIS or Kurdish groups that Turkey considers terrorists. They say one airstrike near Jarabulus killed 25 members of one Kurdish militia, the YPG.
Our Nick Paton Walsh has more from the border.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PAYTON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Erdogan clear in his speech in this fight for the border city of Gaziantep that they will fight both ISIS and the Syrian Kurds that his military are now in confrontation openly with, with, quote, "the same determination." Saying, too, they've hunt out ISIS cells in this city, but really, it appeared the focus of his speech was to mourn those lives lost in a recent wedding bombing here that killed over 50. ISIS took responsibility for that. And at the same time to thank the city for the support it gave him during the recent failed coup attempt.
The question really now is where the Turkish military and those Syrian rebels working alongside it moving inside of northern Syria. Fast movements today. We heard from the deputy prime minister the desire for them to move along the border toward the town called Mare that could potentially have a lot of the border in control of Turkey and those Syrian rebels are getting backing from them.
At the same time, too, they appear to be moving southeast towards the city called Manbij. That's important because Syrian Kurds moved into it recently to flush out ISIS with American support. And now claimed to have mostly left, yet those near it appear to be in clashes with this advancing Syrian rebel force and Turkish military, too.
Those clashes claimed one Turkish life the previous night and also today we are hearing from Turkish state media that an air strike may have killed 25 militants in that particular area, although activists are saying those people were in fact civilians. It's unclear really what happened there.
What is clear is that the Turkish military and those rebels working alongside them purport to be taking more and more villages hour by hour. They are clearly in confrontation with those Syrian Kurds, but also receive American backing. And this puts U.S. policy in a great dilemma here. They'd been backing the Syrian Kurds for quite some time in their fight against ISIS. But at the same time, they've also been supportive of the same Syrian rebels that the Turkish are now backing as well.
It's a very confusing dilemma of this war and it does suggest that this potential Turkish intervention here is not over in a matter of weeks, but months. They're seeming to be wanting to staking out a large amount of territory here. They have two adversaries and many hoped they would focus on ISIS, but at the same time, it does look like that the broader threat that they see are the Syrian Kurds who they consider terrorists may take up a lot of their manpower.
Complicated and potentially dangerous times ahead here for Turkey and President Erdogan's trip here, very much a sign, I think, of how important this military action is.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Gaziantep.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Turkey's incursion into Syria is further complicating the big picture in the Middle East, many consider the fall of ISIS a matter of when not if, and that's leading countries to try and guess what will happen in their absence.
Earlier I spoke with CNN intelligence and security analyst Bob Baer about the conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Turkey when they went into Syria promised they'd take over the Islamic -- they'd get the Islamic State. But now what they're doing is they pivoted east and gone after the Kurds, right now our allies. I mean, they are protecting Special Forces in eastern Syria and they're telling the Kurds to back up all the way across the Euphrates, which they're not going to do. And I think Turkey is being drawn into the quagmire without any clear plan. And they look at the Syrian Kurds as terrorists, we don't. They look at the PKK, the Turkish Kurds, as terrorists.
So we're -- you know, and another thing that's happening is that Erdogan is allying with Russia on this. So they're supporting Damascus and we are really in a bind because it's hard to find good allies in the Middle East.
ALLEN: Right, this follows, of course, many months after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane. So the bigger pick of foreign intervention, Bob, you have the foreign secretaries of the U.S. and Russia meeting in Geneva this weekend talking about a ceasefire. But that is mainly about Russia and U.S. involvement. There are many other parties at play here.
[01:05:03] BAER: Yes, exactly. Now that we've got Iran who's got a different agenda and Iraq has a different agenda in Damascus, and that's to support Hezbollah, and we consider Hezbollah a terrorist group. So without the Iranians at the table, you're not going to come to any clear settlement. And frankly the Russians, you don't know which way they're going. If they're going to go and ally with Turkey, with Erdogan, fighting in Syria, that's a whole new, you know, part of this war, this war on terror as it's called.
ALLEN: Right, because the bottom line is this is not a two-sided war, not two, not three, not four, and foreign intervention really it has not done much except make it more complex and yes, diminish ISIS, take ground back from ISIS which is a good thing, of course.
BAER: Well, I mean look at "The New York Times." It's called Saudi Arabia both the arsonist and the fireman, and it's true. Saudi Arabia's fighting on both sides. The Iranians have different agenda, the Turks do. And it's a mess. You could look -- you could look to the State Department and say, why don't you come up with a coherent policy, and the reason they can't is because there is none to be had.
ALLEN: Right, because I was going to say, "The New York Times," as you mentioned, did a story about the fact that it's still going on five and a half years later. There are still support for war, war is continuing, and it makes you think, what is going to bring it to an end even after ISIS is shoved out of this region?
BAER: I think ISIS will fall. Mosul will fall. The question is, what do you do with the Syrian Sunnis and the Iraqi Sunnis? Are they going to be driven to Turkey? Are they going to be driven into Kurdistan? We have no control over the policy in Baghdad.
A lot of this fighting in Iraq is being done by Shia militias just as it is in Syria. So -- and we're not dealing with those militias. So we can't -- we can't control it in any sense, but even reach a compromise and that's what disturbs me.
ALLEN: And what can the U.S. at this point control? You just illustrated how Turkey is doing its own thing and if anything aligning with Russia in this latest incursion into Syria to shore up its border.
BAER: The whole Middle East is a quagmire, you know. And if I had a solution, I would tell you, but I don't see any clear one. I have never seen the Middle East in such a mess since -- it's even worse than 1967 war. And, you know, there is no clear predominant side, and again, I'll say it, we have nobody to deal with that can -- has authority in the battlefield because there's too many groups. Even the Kurds are divided into multiple groups. And we have a very hard time keeping track of them as are the Sunnis in Syria.
So we can bomb Islamic State all we want. They will disappear one day. They are too violent to exist for long. But what do you replace it with? And that's what the State Department right now is scrambling for.
ALLEN: That is the question. CNN intelligence and security analyst, Bob Baer. Always appreciate your insight. Thank you, Bob.
BAER: Thanks, Natalie.
ALLEN: Eleven more children have been killed in another devastating attack in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian monitoring groups say the children were among two dozen people who died Saturday when two barrel bombs hit a funeral. They were mourning people who were killed in an earlier barrel bomb attack in the same neighborhood Thursday. Hundreds have been killed in Aleppo in recent weeks as fighting between government and opposition forces has intensified.
Libyan forces say they are close to recapturing the coastal city of Sirte from ISIS. The militants have been pushed back into a small residential area, at least 34 Libyan fighters were killed Sunday and more than 150 wounded. ISIS used multiple suicide bombs to try to stop Libyan troops from advancing.
Rescuers are giving up hope of finding more survivors at central Italy's powerful earthquake. At least 291 people were killed and the search continues for bodies in the debris. Teams are also working continue to clear the rubble before the ongoing aftershocks cause any more damage and rebuilding can begin.
But as Frederik Pleitgen reports, for some communities the decision is whether to rebuild at all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The grueling work continues for Italian search crews still pulling bodies from the rubble. Whole communities have been shattered by the loss of life and infrastructure.
Massimo Parazzi (PH) was in the hardest hit town of Amatrice when the earth began to shake.
"It was my daughter's birthday the day of the quake," he says. "We'd organized a party. Five of the girls who were invited were killed in the quake. She had played with some of them the night before the disaster."
More than 200 people died in Amatrice alone. Italy's prime minister has vowed to rebuild this ancient town, but some of the smaller villages in this mountainous area may not be so lucky.
[01:10:06] This is Capricia, just down the road from Amatrice.
(On camera): Like so many villages in this area, this one's been evacuated after the earthquake. But the residents here face a much more fundamental question, and that is, whether they'll ever be able to return to their homes, whether this village will be viable in the future.
(Voice-over): Rosella Santorelli (PH) is one of only 12 residents of Capricia. She's been staying in this camper van since the quake struck afraid to enter any building because of frequent aftershocks.
"I don't think there will be a future," she says. "Our village is poor. There are no people and no jobs. Amatrice is five miles away, but there's nothing left of that."
As Rosella and the others survey the damage to their houses, Italy has some tough decisions to make. Should villages like this one with a tiny population in an area prone to earthquakes be fixed or is it better and safer to abandon them?
"There are villages that were already empty before the quake," Rosella says. "There are almost no young people anywhere. The towns are old. I think now they will really depopulate."
For many tourists, villages like Capricia epitomized the beauty of the Italian countryside. On top of the horrible human toll this earthquake has caused, in the long run it may have accelerated the demise of a piece of this country's rich ancient heritage as well.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Capricia, Italy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Sad to see it go if it indeed does. Well, state funerals were held over the weekend. A number of grieving families say goodbye to loved ones they lost but in another part of the quake zone, one couple took a major step toward their future together.
Atika Shubert has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ramon Adazza is nervous. He's getting married today and his wedding suit has just ripped. He's trying on a back up, but he's not happy. And he's also worried about aftershocks.
RAMON ADAZZA, GROOM: You can know, you can know an earthquake, just only if you feel it. You feel it. And there is no word to describe. You can do nothing. I remember the day when the earthquake -- it does, that I call my friends, and she was at her house.
SHUBERT: Ramon was supposed to get married here in the village church of Acquasanta Terme right in the heart of Italy's quake zone. But Father Giovanni told him no, absolutely not. The altar is covered in rubble. There are cracks running up the wall. And its 16th century fresco now torn open and crumbling.
ADAZZA: When Don Giovanni tell me that this church is unsafe, I talked with my wife, and I say, I want to celebrate my wedding over there because they to need -- a moment to do the other thing, you know.
SHUBERT: Instead, the wedding will happen here in the open area of the village piazza with the mountains standing witness. All good and well, but Martina, his bride, was not so sure getting married in a village damaged by the earthquake was such a good idea, especially with heavy aftershocks continuing to this day.
"At first I was shocked," she said. "We've been organizing this for more than a year. Of course I was worried and nervous and I didn't want to create even more problems for the village, but everyone has been so wonderful and welcoming," she says.
Soon it's time. Martina's father carefully escorts her to the village, where Ramon is waiting, beaming, his wedding suit freshly repaired. The band begins to play the wedding march, and the bride walks down the aisle. And the village cheers.
ADAZZA: I love the people. I know the people -- everybody beautiful people. Everybody love me, so why I take my wedding in another city.
SHUBERT: The sun shines and the earth stands still. Today at least, this mountain village scarred by disaster can enjoy a quiet moment of peace and joy.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Acquasanta Terme, Italy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: We like that one.
In the U.S., presidential race, Donald Trump supporters are defending his shifting tone on immigration. Why his running mate Mike Pence says it's been consistent all along. We'll hear his thoughts next.
Plus Brazil's suspended president will testify in the next stage of her impeachment trial. What she may say in her defense. That's ahead as well.
Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SPORTS)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:19:00] ALLEN: In the U.S. presidential race, Republican Donald Trump is in the spotlight for his stance on immigration and what see as an inconsistent plan for how he would deal with undocumented immigrants. In recent days the Republican candidate appears to have backed away from these earlier calls for a deportation force.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're going to have a deportation force. And you're going to do it humanely and very inexpensively.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI, "MORNING JOE" CO-HOST: What, are they going to get ripped out of their homes?
TRUMP: Can I tell you --
BRZEZINSKI: How?
TRUMP: They're going back where they came. If they came from a certain country, they're going to be brought back to their country. That's the way it's supposed to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Trump's running mate Mike Pence insists Trump has remained, quote, "completely consistent." Pence defended Trump's immigration plans in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE PENCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump will articulate a policy about how we deal with that population. But I promise you, he is going to remain completely focused on American citizens and people who are here legally and how we get these --
(CROSSTALK)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: I don't understand why --
PENCE: -- to be working for people who play by the rules.
TAPPER: I don't understand why it's the fault of the media for focusing on an issue that you're crediting Donald Trump for bringing to the fore.
[01:20:07] The idea is, Mr. Trump won the primaries in no small way because he had this very forceful position saying all 11 or 12 million undocumented immigrants will be forced to leave the country. Now you, right this minute, are not saying that that's the policy. You're saying he's going to be unveiling it in the next few weeks. It's 72 days until the election.
PENCE: Well, the way you characterize his position is one thing. I think he's been --
TAPPER: We just ran the clip.
PENCE: Look, Jake, he's been completely consistent in the principles that he's articulated. Nobody was talking about illegal immigration when Donald Trump entered this campaign. He was attacked from day one for putting the whole issue of the violence that is derived from certain individuals that come into this country illegally on the table. He has made it clear, we're going to secure our borders, we're going to build a wall, we're going to enforce the laws of this country, stand up and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.
But what you see going on right now and I think at a certain level, it's very refreshing because it's the Donald Trump that I see every day, is you see a CEO at work. You see someone who is engaging the American people. Listening to the American people. He is hearing from all sides. But I promise you, he is a decisive leader. He will stand on the principles that have underpinned his commitment to end illegal immigration in this country. And that's what people will learn more about in the days ahead. But let's be clear.
TAPPER: Yes.
PENCE: Hillary Clinton supports open borders, amnesty and even wants to increase Syrian refugees in this country by 550 percent.
TAPPER: OK.
PENCE: You couldn't have a more clear choice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Mike Pence there and speaking of Hillary Clinton, she faces yet new criticism over more e-mails. Newly released messages have renewed allegations she gave access to top officials as secretary of state in return for donations to her husband's foundation.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher is following this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Conservatives are calling this latest batch of e-mails yet another example of the blurred lines between the State Department under Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. One particular exchange between Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin and then Clinton Foundation executive Doug Band included a list of names that Band seemed to suggest as invitees to a State Department lunch with Chinese Hu Jintao back in January 2011.
Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek whose representative says never got an invite, then UBS CEO of Wealth Management, Bob McCann, and Rockefeller Foundation president, Judith Rodin. Now each of those executives headed up companies that have made large donations to the Clinton Foundation. Band asked Abedin in a subsequent e-mail about Rodin, quote, "Can we get her at Biden's table?" To which Abedin responded, "I'll ask." Now State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau tells CNN, quote,
"The State Department does not believe it is inappropriate for the administration to consider individuals suggested by outside organizations when deciding who to invite to an official function." Still close contact like this has remained a point of criticism from Clinton's opponent Donald Trump.
TRUMP: It is impossible to figure out where the Clinton Foundation ends and the State Department begins.
GALLAGHER: Clinton has said the foundation donors had no influence on her decisions at the State Department.
CLINTON: I know there's a lot of smoke and there's no fire.
GALLAGHER: In Washington, Diane Gallagher.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: A U.S. Army general has lost a top post in Europe amid allegations he carried on an affair and led a swinger lifestyle.
CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott has our story. First we warn you, this report includes details that might be inappropriate for some viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER (voice-over): The Army Inspector General's report reads like a salacious novel, including allegations of group sex, an illicit affair, and tawdry talk over government e-mail, all involving this man, Major General David Haight. Experts questioned why it took 10 years for the government to uncover his double life and only after someone filed multiple complaints against him.
MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: When you talk to the guys who knew him as an officer in combat in very tough circumstances, he was calm, he delivered, he was a great commander. So it truly was a conscious decision on his part to create this other existence.
LABOTT: According to the inspector general, Haight's double life began in 2005 while serving in Iraq. That's where he allegedly met this woman, Jennifer Armstrong, whose name was redacted from the government report but who confirmed her identity to "USA Today." Armstrong told "USA Today" that she and Haight carried on an
extramarital affair lasting more than 10 years, backed up by e-mails, photographs and other documents.
Affairs are against the Army's Code of Conduct and are especially frowned upon when they involve officers, but sources tell CNN it wasn't just the relationship that drew the interest of the Pentagon.
[01:25:05] According to the inspector general Haight and his girlfriend exchanged explicit e-mails over Haight's government account. At times discussing specific types of sexual activities and making, quote, "naughty movies." Haight is also accused of using his government cell phone 84 times to call her, racking up 1400 minutes at the Pentagon's expense during just one six-month period.
But the most damming allegations revolve around the couple's, quote, "swinger lifestyle," which the report goes as far to define as, "engaging in group sex." It says the couple's photographs was posted on this Web site for swingers. That same photo was later found in Haight's e-mail. And the government report said the couple visited swingers' clubs as far back as 2012 when Haight was stationed at Fort Banning, Georgia.
Experts say Haight's alleged behavior could have put U.S. national security at risk because Haight held several important positions in the military, including running America's response to Russia in eastern Europe, sources say that if the affair and the swinging had been discovered by another country, it would have left him vulnerable to blackmail and espionage.
MARKS: Russia, as we know, has an incredible intelligence collection mechanism and would exploit behavior like this in a heartbeat. Number one, he should have been smart enough to realize that. Number two, he should have realized that even if he is going to have this double life, he becomes extremely vulnerable.
LABOTT: Elise Labott, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: The Army pulled David Haight from his post at European Command for failing to exhibit exemplary conduct and army values. He is set to retire but could be forced to do so at a lower rank.
Haight refused to answer questions from the Army inspector general, but in a statement to "USA Today" he said, "I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused my wife and family."
CNN tried to reach both Haight and Jennifer Armstrong but we're unable to reach either of them.
Coming up here, Brazil's suspended president could be impeached as soon as next week. But not before she testified before the Senate in her defense. That story is coming up here.
Plus Juan Gabriel, an icon in Latin American music, has died. Just ahead, more of the legendary performer whose songs touched millions of people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:42] ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen.
Let's update you on the top stories.
(HEADLINES) ALLEN: Brazil's embattled President Dilma Rousseff takes the floor Monday to present her defense to the country's Senate. She was suspended in May on allegations of corruption and mismanagement of Brazil's finances. She said she has done nothing wrong. The impeachment trial has been expected to culminate in Ms. Rousseff being removed from office next week.
CNN's Shasta Darlington has the latest from Brazil.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suspended President Dilma Rousseff about to take her last stand in the long-running impeachment battle. On Monday, she appears here in the Senate to defend herself that she doctored the budget to hide a short fall. She said that she did not do anything illegal and points out that some of the lawmakers spearheading the impeachment effort are being investigated for corruption.
The impeachment proceedings have been dragging on for months. And Rousseff was suspended in May, temporarily replaced by her vice president, one of the people she accuses of trying to orchestrate her being ouster. The final vote will begin on Tuesday. Two-thirds of the 81 Senators have to vote in favor of the impeachment for her to be removed from office. That is expected to happen.
Remember, Rousseff was re-elected by a narrow margin in 2014 and, after that, her popularity went down as the country went in to a deep recession, and a corruption investigation engulfed several parties. If they confirm the impeachment, the vice president will take over until the term ends in 2018, inheriting an economy in at that taters and a country divided.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Brasilia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Dilma Rousseff will be absent next Monday as world leaders gather for the first G-20 summit hosted in China. They will spend two days in the economic boom town of Hangzhou.
Andrew Stevens shows us how China is keeping affirm grip on the area leading up to the event.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR (voice-over): Hangzhou, one of the seven capitols of China. It's historic Westlake, a source of inspiration for poets and painters for centuries, now the centerpiece of the G-20 summit, hosted for the first time by China. World leaders looking for inspiration in an uncertain economic landscape will be cocooned here on the lake.
(on camera): Beijing also wants to show Hangzhou as the face of a new China, a China that is home to giant online companies like Alibaba, founded by Jack Marr. The success of Ali has led to an explosion of online services companies, which is providing a powerful new economic growth model.
(voice-over): Young Chinese across the country have been attracted to this fast-growing city to join companies like Ali and other online operators that cluster here and fill China's vision of services-led economic growth.
This city of nine million is booming. GDP growth was more than 10 percent in the first half of the year. The national average less than 7 percent.
But showcasing the area has a flip side. A city in virtual lock down and being emptied out. Factories have fallen silent, and attempts at clearing the air, construction projects around the city are now in a stand still and shops are closing. Security is tight, and getting tighter.
Our CNN crew was frequently questioned by police and security, stopped from filming, and asked for credentials.
[01:35:08] The real thing time for security it seems is migrant labor. This migrant neighborhood is deserted. Many left ahead of the G-20, and those that remain are saying they are pushed to leave as well.
This man said that he and 30 other families had their cooking gas taken after being told it was unsafe. The two rooms he shares with his wife and two children is now one room. Police declared the second room an illegal structure.
"I don't know why it's illegal had," he tells me. "It has something to do with the roof. But we have been here for 10 years and nothing like this had has ever happened before."
For those who stay, getting supplies is also becoming difficult.
The city's central wholesale market, usually a teaming mass of shops catering to the migrant population, is now just about empty.
For the residents who want to stay in their city, a visit to the Westlake now involves long delays and heavy security screening. Police taking no chances ahead of the summit, a summit that China hopes will reveal its old world charm and new world economic prospects to its most important guests.
Andrew Stevens, Hangzhou, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Lovely pictures there.
Pedram Javaheri joining us because he has his eye on Japan.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Once again, you know, four times, four tropical storms in four weeks, Natalie. It's incredible. In Japan, we think of the Philippines as the ones that are right in the path of them. And they have been fortunate in recent weeks and now, of course, Japan taking the brunt of the activity. We will show you what we think will happen.
Great news, with the storm system, it is falling apart significantly in the past six hours. It's good news here. You look at the storm system and the last couple of frames of the satellite. It was a stunning presentation on satellite imagery. It was equivalent to a category 3 or category 4 storm. It could have been bad news all the way around. The fourth storm, first 29 days in the month of August. This first one reaching typhoon status. We think it will make land fall. That would be near -- winds near 175 kilometers an hour. It goes right over, still a city of one million people. That is a significant impact across the region and beyond that it will work its way in to the Sea of Japan and could produce a lot of rainfall. I will pause it for you, as we transition in to the morning hours in Japan on Tuesday, see the yellow area, those are tropical storm force winds. You will feel them in Japan. Again, notice, how the direct impact will be around that area. It points to the north. And the big story of course is the flooding concern and notice, Tokyo gets minimal rain out of this, this was not the case when they had them making land fall, it lights up like a Christmas tree, when you go to Sunday and then beyond that, where you get rainfall the next couple of days. That's the story to follow, worth noting to that region.
And also following what is happening with the tropical depression. That is sitting near Cuba. And want to show you the water temperatures. That is 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit. That is how warm the waters are. It only needs to be 80 for a tropical storm to form. It's bad news potential, but what is happening up stairs, above the storm, the winds are shredding it apart. It's weakening the storm. Parts of Florida could see a tropical storm make land fall later this week. We have seen worse, so we are hoping it stays to that at this point.
ALLEN: Pedram, thanks so much. We hope so.
One of Mexico's biggest music icons has died. A look at the hit- making career of Juan Gabriel. That's ahead.
Plus, Beyonce wins big at the MTV VMAs. The major highlights coming next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:42:21] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ALLEN: Following breaking news out of Belgium right now. CNN affiliate RTL is reporting an explosion just outside Brussels at the National Institute of Criminology and Forensics. They say no one was there at the time of the blast. It appears to have been caused by a vehicle ramming in to the site. But investigators are not sure who was driving or what was behind it, we will continue to follow it and bring you more details as we get them. That coming from Brussels.
Fans of Juan Gabriel are remembering the man. The Mexican singer/songwriter had a career that spanned four decades.
CNN's Polo Sandoval has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A spokesperson for the Los Angeles county coroner confirms that Juan Gabriel died of natural causes in Santa Monica. It has sent tremendous shock waves around the world, particularly in his native Mexico where the president took to Twitter with sympathies, saying, "We lament the death of one of the biggest music ally cons of the country." The president adding he was a voice and talent that represented Mexico. His music is a legacy to the world, he left us too soon. May he rest in peace."
Gabriel was 66 at the time of his death. Sold more than 100 million albums during his career. Now, the international music community, not just remembering him as the performer but the songwriter. He wrote lyrics for the likes of other major musical icons in Mexico. And also, most recently, he covered CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," an indication that he leaves a tremendous musical footprint around the world for those living south of the border, including myself. His lyrics serving as a sound track of much of their lives and now, Mexico prepares to say goodbye to somebody who was a tremendous influence for the last several decades, Juan Gabriel.
Reporting in Atlanta, Polo Sandoval, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: It was all about the performances at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Yep, Beyonce stole the show with a jaw-dropping 16-minute performance.
She took the award home for best female video of the year. And Britney Spears is back, hitting the stage for the first time since 2011.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
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[01:45:29] ALLEN: Britney was criticized for a lackluster performance for her last performance. Rihanna performed throughout the night, opening and closing the ceremony. She received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. And video of the year was none other than the star of the evening, you know her, Beyonce. If you own a drone in the U.S., you will finally be able to use it to
make money. Details on the new federal rules for commercial drone use, coming next here on CNN NEWSROOM.
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[01:50:00] ALLEN: Get ready, the skies are about to get more crowded with drones. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's new rules for the commercial use of drones go in to effect on Monday, making it easier to be a drone pilot.
"CNN Money's" Samuel Burke spoke with people in the industry about the new rules.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have always dreamed of being a pilot.
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: How did you go from flying real planes to flying drones? Obviously you did not dream of on it as being a kid?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of, as a kid, my kid bought me my first airplane. I crashed my first remote control airplane. That was 30 seconds of flying and two hours of repairs.
BURKE (voice-over): As you can tell, this was not shot from the ground. Drone footage is a hot commodity and now new opportunities.
(on camera): You have a job that did not exist a few years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is right. I invented it.
BURKE: The rise of drones has created new path ways.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Picking up a drone was sort of a natural thing to what I was doing already. But once I saw the possibilities and the capabilities of what drones were all about, I kind of did a pivot and focused my energy on the drone industry.
BURKE (voice-over): Until today, becoming certified to fly drones commercially was not easy. You needed a pilots license, the same as to fly a real airplane and an exemption from the government.
(on camera): It took quite an investment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: $20,000 at a minimum.
BURKE: So it was cheaper to hire you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
BURKE (voice-over): But that is all changing under FAA regulations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A new law just came out. There's going to tens of thousands of people who will be legal to fly, so, I think the hay day of charging, $10,000 a day is gone. Except for maybe, major motion picture industry where they are requiring custom things that you cannot buy off the shelf.
BURKE: But Cohen believes there's plenty of money to be made flying drones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important for people to understand, it's a tool. You are democratizing the skies. The people doing the best cinematography, they were doing that already. The people that latch on the survey service and mapping services and things like that, those are kind of un-plucked fruit if you will.
BURKE (on camera): They could be cashing in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They could be cashing in.
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ALLEN: Thank you to Samuel Burke for that. And look out for the drones, I guess.
Well the police department in the state of Wisconsin is struggling after the death of the favorite K-9 recruit, but now the Green Bay squad is getting help finding the dog's replacement and it's coming from a surprising source.
George Rusko (ph) from our affiliate, WBAY, has that.
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GEORGE RUSKO (ph), REPORTER, WBAY (voice-over): Ethan Ingum (ph) may have met his match. Green Bay K-9 Officer George is stronger than the 7-year-old. Officer Derek Wicklund (ph) said these days that the department is gaining strength through Ethan.
DEREK WICKLUND (ph), GREEN BAY K-9 OFFICER: It takes a long time for the dogs to learn the job and for us to figure out what we want to do with them. That is what is devastating about this, he was just getting to be the dog that we needed him to be, he was in the prime of his life and now he will never reach that potential.
ETHAN INGUM (ph), RAISES MONEY FOR NEW POLICE DOG: He died, so then we are going to raise money to get a new dog for them.
RUSKO (ph): Ethan started a Go Fund Me page for the department. So far, he has donated $520 to help pay for a new dog.
WICKLUND (ph): When he decided to do it, it was a pleasant surprise, given the difficult time our unit is facing with the death of the dog. It's great about we do things like this. It rejuvenates you a bit and makes you want to come to work, and you see the good in people and not just the bad.
INGUM (ph): I feel good. Feel like I'm helping them.
RUSKO (ph): Ethan had a chance to bond with the k-9 officers here at the green bay police department. So much so, he wants to be a k-9 handler when he grows up. INGUM (ph): I would like to do it, chase the bad guys and then work
with the drug sniffing dog.
WICKLUND (ph): You could see his passion and it was contagious. I got roughly 14 years left and in 14 years, he will be 21. Maybe he will start when I finish and we can work together for a few years or a month or so before I call it quits.
RUSKO (ph): Seems that training is already under way.
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ALLEN: Cute little boy there.
And sticking with a talented children, we are talking Little League here. It came down to the teams from Seoul, South Korea and Endwell, New York. The South Koreans were looking for the second title. In the end, it was the team from New York coming away winners in the Little League World Series. It's the first time in more than 50 years that the New York team has gone all the way. The final score only 2- 1.
Thanks for joining us. I'm Natalie Allen.
Stay with CNN. My colleague, Rosemary Church, is up next with more news from CNN NEWSROOM.
And we will leave you with some of the eye-catching outfits from this year's MTV VMAs.
