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Clinton Cancels California Trip Over Illness; Deadly Airstrikes Ahead Of Syria Ceasefire; U.S. Stocks Jittery After Friday's Stumble; Europe's Central Bank Also Wrangling Over Interest Rates; French Police Thwart ISIS Plot On Notre Dame Cathedral; Paralympic Athlete Talks About Right To Die; U.S. Football Players Break Tradition During National Anthem; David Cameron Resigns From Seat In Parliament; Baby Born On Refugee Rescue Boat. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 12, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:16] ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here at the "International Desk." A health scare disrupts Hillary Clinton's campaign. Another
ceasefire is set to begin in Syria. And a rocky day for world markets.
Hi there. Welcome everyone. I'm Robyn Curnow.
And with a stumble, Hillary Clinton has put her campaign into scramble mode. A bystander's video on Sunday appeared to show Clinton feeling a bit
woozy. Well, hours later, her campaign reveals what it didn't known for days that Clinton is suffering from pneumonia. Now, health issues are
dominating the conversation and rewriting Clinton's schedule.
Jeff Zeleny reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFF ZELENY, SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton off the campaign trail this morning as she recovers from pneumonia, cancelling a
two-day trip to California. Her health thrust into the spotlight after aides said she became overheated and dehydrated while attending the 9/11
ceremony at ground zero.
This video shows Clinton leaving early. And as she tries stepping into her van, she wobbles and slumps. Secret service agents and aides quickly grab
her and hold her up. Two law enforcement sources telling CNN she appeared to faint. Clinton then taken to her daughter Chelsea's apartment three
miles away.
More than an hour later, Clinton emerged, smiling, even taking a picture with a young girl before climbing into her motorcade and heading home. Her
campaign says she was even playing with her two grand kids inside. Yet more than five hours later, her doctor revealing the 68-year-old was
diagnosed with pneumonia two days earlier.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Can I get some water?
ZELENY: After an evaluation for her prolonged cough.
CLINTON: Every time I think about Trump, I get allergic.
ZELENY: Despite the diagnosis on Friday, she continued a grueling schedule, holding two fundraisers in New York City, a large national
security briefing and press conference, along with an interview with our own Chris Cuomo and other media outlets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her health incident this morning?
ZELENY: Donald Trump just feet away from his rival at ground zero, unusually quiet over her diagnosis, after speculating about her health for
months.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think she doesn't have the stamina. Hillary Clinton does not have the stamina.
I watched Hillary, who doesn't have the strength or the stamina.
ZELENY: Trump addressing Clinton's health this morning and towing a respectful line.
TRUMP: Something is going on but I just hope she gets well and gets back on the trail, and we'll be seeing her at the debate.
ZELENY: Telling reporters that he is planning to release records about his own health soon.
TRUMP: Last week, I just took a physical. And I'll be releasing when the numbers come in, hopefully they're going to be good. I think they're going
to be good. I feel great. But, when the numbers come in, I'll be releasing very, very specific numbers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well, that was Jeff Zeleny reporting there. Our political analyst, John Avlon, joins us from now from Washington.
Hi there, John. What do you make of this reaction to Clinton's illness? I mean, in your analysis here, is this justified, or are there double
standards at play?
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first of all, Robyn, I mean, you know, politics is perception. And this is damaging for the Clinton
campaign because it dove tails with a steady drum beat of conspiracy theories around Clinton he's health that have been put out by the candidate
and people on the fringes sort of, you know, trying to fetishize her cough and other things. And the optics certainly are terrible.
But I do think you need a reality check. While the campaign's decision to hide the initial diagnosis, again, doubles down on narratives about the
Clinton campaign's lack of transparency, I think something larger is at work as well. One of the reasons these theories have percolated so much is
because we don't have an experience with an older woman running for president of the United States. We all know the hurdle of sexism that
Hillary Clinton confronts. What we haven't discussed as much is the hurdle at the intersection of that with ageism.
You know, we don't have a history of golden years for example in the United States. And so I think it makes critics of Hillary gravitate to the kind
of analysis and fixation on her health and stamina, as you heard Donald Trump say, which we wouldn't have that for a male candidate of a similar
age, as Donald trump is, as John McCain was.
CURNOW: Yeah, I think you make an excellent point there. So with Clinton, because she is trailblazing here, because she is an older woman and in the
U.S., at least, this is new. Was it a case of damned if she does damned if she doesn't? And either way, would she have been severely criticized for
being sick? Or is this as you say just about optics in the way they've managed this?
[10:05:13] AVLON: Well, I think, you know, the campaign ends up getting itself in a bit of a double blind. One could imagine that the campaign's
decision not to release the diagnosis of pneumonia, which clearly was mistake now, was because they didn't want to feed into narratives and
concerns about her health. But you know, when she goes to ground zero for the 9/11 ceremonies, that's a relatively long ceremony on a hot day, with a
candidate who apparently has pneumonia. There too it was about keeping up appearances, keeping up with the Donald, as it were. And those were
decisions they might not make if they weren't trying to confront the sort of steady drum beat of accusations and conspiracies around her health.
So the tail wags the dog in this regard and it leads to a series of some sort of cascading unforced errors as you see clearly 20/20 hindsight.
CURNOW: Exactly. And of course, Trump showing uncharacteristic restraint here. What does that tell you?
AVLON: Yes. Well, yeah, killing her with kindness. I mean, you know, restraint, respectability and discretion is not something we've come to
associate with the Donald over the course of this campaign. I think he is taking note, which is itself rare, from members of his staff who say, look,
you don't need to double down on this. Let's instead, let people fixate on what you've been saying to date and not add fuel to the fire.
What will be interesting to see over the course of the day, Robyn, is whether he's able to restrain himself. You know, all the surrogates have
done varied, the we wish her well message discipline all morning, it's not characteristic of the campaign. We'll see if the candidates able to
continue that throughout the day.
CURNOW: OK, keeping an eye in all of that. John Avlon, thanks so much for your perspective. Appreciate it.
AVLON: Thank you, Robyn, appreciate it.
CURNOW: Well, Clinton's campaign says she's now resting at home on doctor's orders. Well, our chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, says
it's typical treatment as any of you who had pneumonia know or bad flu. But he also notes that pneumonia is not an illness to take lightly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a serious diagnosis. It's not something to be taken lightly. And resting and typically while
taking these medications is going to be the general guidance the doctors are going to provide. We know that people over the age of 65 are going to
be more vulnerable to pneumonia. So, from an age perspective, it's not that surprising, especially given her grueling schedule that she'd had, you
know. I mean, that can put you at risk as well.
So, not entirely surprising that she has pneumonia. I think that with antibiotics and with the rest and recovery that we just talked about, I
think she could actually make a full recovery and it could, you know, a matter of days or maybe a week to do so. But again, it's one of those
things that also you can't blow off. You know, you've to actually be seen, you've got be checked, you've got to follow the guidance, otherwise it
could become a lot worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaking a little bit earlier on CNN about how serious the diagnosis could be or couldn't be for Hillary Clinton.
Well, now to another story we're keeping eye here at CNN where a ceasefire -- to Syria, where a ceasefire is set to start in less than two hours. The
U.S. and Russia broke of a deal on Friday which they hope will allow the thousands who need help to get it.
Well, state media released video of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attending Monday morning press in Daraya on the first day of the Eid
holiday. The Damascus suburb was held under siege by Mr. Assad's government until recently.
Arwa Damon joins us from the Turkish-Syria border with more on this.
Hi there, Arwa. There's often a spike in violence before a ceasefire. What do we know is happening now on the ground?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is, Robyn. And that has been the tragic reality of Syria over the last few years. And in
fact, since the ceasefire was announced, one of the monitoring groups says that around 200 people have lost their lives. This includes in both regime
and rebel areas. Above all, the vast majority of the casualties are in areas where opposition forces do coexist with the population.
And in fact, as we have seen time and time again, civilians have not been spared. And some would say even deliberately targeted. One of these
attacks happened in Idlib province over the weekend where people were just at the marketplace. They were going shopping for the Muslim holiday of the
Eid that actually began today when there were numerous air strikes that struck this marketplace, leaving at least 60 people dead.
And there's not a lot of faith or confidence in the validity of this agreement, of this upcoming ceasefire. But at the end of the day, Robyn,
people have no choice but to cling to some sort of hope. Because if they don't, then they literally actually have nothing. And even if this ends up
bringing with it just a few hours or a few days of respite from the kinds of violence that people have been subjected to for the better part of the
last five years, at least that's a little bit of something.
[10:10:05] But another, of course very pressing issue is allowing humanitarian aide to get into the areas that are under siege, especially
areas like eastern Aleppo where there are shortages of just about everything at this stage. And then, of course we need to see what happens
next if this ceasefire does, in fact, actually, surprisingly, end upholding. There's supposed to be more cooperation amongst the U.S. and
amongst Russia.
But at this stage, opposition rebel groups aren't saying that they won't sign up to the agreement, but they're not saying that they're fully behind
it either. There's a lot of skepticism and there's a lot of points that they find would eventually, down the line, possibly throw the battlefield
in the regime's favor.
CURNOW: You talk about skepticism on both sides. But, will this push for peace be any difference to previous attempts? I mean, is there a sense
that there's no real alternative here?
DAMON: Well, that's the problem, is that there is no real alternative, necessarily, except for these types of efforts to unfold. But then you
also have to look at the dynamics behind them and why it is that they're not necessarily succeeding. And they haven't succeeded in the past.
If we look at the issues that this key rebel group has with this current agreement, one of the main points, according to them, is the fact that if
this holds for 48 hours and then another seven days, the U.S. and Russia are going to be cooperating and intelligence sharing to a certain degree to
go after ISIS targets. But also go after the former al-Qaeda affiliates, the group that was known as the Al-Nusra Front that has since split with
al-Qaeda and renamed itself but is deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and by the Russians. They're going to be an ongoing,
legitimate target for both of these nations.
The concern for the rest of the rebel fighting groups is that in going after Jabhat al-Nusra which is now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, they
could also, quite possibly, end up inadvertently targeting other rebel groups because the front lines are very blurred in some parts of the
country. But also, if Jabhat Fateh al-Sham ends up being so heavily targeted by the Americans and the Russians, well that's basically taking
out one of the most effective fighting forces that exists on the rebel side, which is why they're so concerned about this swinging the battlefield
along the side of the regime.
And the other thing too is that, Robyn, the regime and Russia come into these negotiations with the upper hand to a certain degree which is also
great cause for concern at this stage.
CURNOW: Yeah, thanks so much. Such a complicated conflict and of course civilians as usual caught in the middle. Thank you so much Arwa Damon
there. I appreciate it.
Let's take a look at the stock market. U.S. stocks are now in the first hour of trading after Friday's big tumble of more than 2 percent. There
are the numbers. The Dow is up over eight points. The benchmark Dow has not actually made many big moves. You think kind of going backwards and
forth between positive and negative territory.
Now, the market just as due in part to comments out of the U.S. Federal Reserve suggesting that interest rates could rise as early at this month.
Now, it's important to note though that every key U.S. index hit a record high within the past month.
So, CNNMoney Correspondent Paul La Monica joins us to unpack these numbers.
You're at the New York Stock Exchange, walk us through the numbers and also why this really is all about interest rate guesses.
PAUL LA MONICA, CNNMONEY DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, definitely, Robyn. I think right now, what's going on, is that the Federal Reserve realizes
that rates have been so low for so long, going back to the 2008 financial crisis. They feel that the U.S. economy, while not in fantastic shape, is
steady enough to warrant rising rates at some point.
I still though think they're going to do it before the election, even though they're talking more about. I think December is more likely. But
investors are always nervous about higher rates because they fear that maybe the Fed goes too far.
I mean, when you look at the rest of the world, Europe is still very fragile. There are concerns about China and also the rest of Asia. So
European stock markets, as well as Japan and China this morning, they fell pretty sharply following what happened on Wall Street on Friday.
CURNOW: Yeah, because there's also questions about moves the ECB will make.
LA MONICA: Exactly. Mario Draghi last week didn't really sound like a man who is ready to extend some of the ECB's stimulus policies for much longer.
And I think that is also worrying a lot of investors because there are definitely a lot more questions about the health of the Eurozone economy
right now than the United States.
And a lot of people think that maybe the ECB should be doing more. And if that's the case, then the Fed should be doing less because they just got to
sit by and let other central banks around the world handle their own problems and not make it worse with rising rates.
[10:15:00] CURNOW: Yeah, and certainly the Dow there ticking up within positive territory as you're talking. But this implicates September, often
a particularly rocky month for stocks, I mean, as of now, I mean, this is nothing like 2008, for example.
LA MONICA: No, no, not at all. September is, for whatever reason, often very volatile, a lot of down months. And then the market tends to rally in
the fourth quarter, heading into the holidays, so, we'll see if that happens again this year.
Of course, the election is another big wild card. People wondering what a Trump presidency versus a Clinton presidency would do not just for the
economy or the markets but who would be the head of the Fed. You had Donald Trump criticizing Janet Yellen earlier again this morning yet again.
So, a lot of questions about the election.
CURNOW: Yeah, certainly. Paul La Monica at the New York Stock Exchange, thanks so much.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
CURNOW: Well, you're watching CNN.
And it's a warning no leader wants to deliver. France's Prime Minister tells his country they are a target for terrorists. Details on the latest
threat coming up
And the first weekend of the NFL football season in the U.S. brings new displays of protest and plenty of criticism.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: Well, the French Prime Minister has a clear warning for his country. "You are still a terror target." His comments come after a
teenager who was arrested on suspicion of planning an attack. A woman was also charged in connection with the thwarted plan to attack the Notre Dame
Cathedral in Paris.
Well, Jim Bittermann has been keeping an eye on all of these developments from Paris for us.
And give us some an updates of where authorities are now.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, in fact, as we're speaking, Robyn, there are four other suspects connected to that
Notre Dame Cathedral attempted attack that are before a judge. And he's going to decide whether they should be charged or not. Likely, they're
going to be charged. I think after, at least, from what we know about their attempt.
Apart from that, Manuel Valls in his statement on radio over the weekend kind of illustrated exactly how large this problem is. He said there are
15,000 people in this country who are in some stage of radicalization and are being watched by authorities. He noted there are 700 people off in
Syria that are part of the combat operations that the jihadists, as he called them, are taking part in Syria and Iraq. And among those, 275 women
and dozens of children. So, it's clearly a big problem for the authorities. Robyn?
CURNOW: Yeah. I mean, those numbers are stark. And certainly, must be concerning for French citizens. Also, let's talk about the comments
President Hollande made on 9/11. Sort of blaming U.S. policy for what France is having to deal with now.
BITTERMANN: Exactly. He indicated in his remarks, a statement that he issued on 9/11 that he believes that what France is facing is kind of
collateral damage for what the Americans did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. He said it this way. He said, "The responses the U.S.
administration brought to these attacks, far from eradicating the threat, have expanded it to a broader territory, in particular, Iraq. And while
France refused to join the intervention, even condemned it, the country was nonetheless victim of the consequences of the chaos it engendered."
[10:20:30] So, it was kind of an unusual statement. He also went on to sympathized with the United States on 9/11. But it was a very pointed
attack on U.S. policy. Robyn?
CURNOW: Indeed, very pointed. From Paris, Jim Bittermann, thanks so much.
Well, now to a Paralympic athlete bringing attention to the issue of assisted suicide. Belgium's Marieke Vervoort suffers from a degenerative
spinal illness and says that this year's games are her last. But she set the record straight about her plans on Sunday, telling reporters that
euthanasia is on the table but she's not ready to end her life yet.
Shasta Darlington joins us now from Rio. Extraordinary conversation to be having, extraordinary brave conversation to be having.
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Robyn. She's a wheelchair sprinter, Marieke Vervoort, who won a silver medal here at this
Olympics. It's her third Paralympic medal ever. And yet the real media focus has been on this alleged decision to take her life as soon as the
games were over.
Well, because of all this that speculation, she held a press conference and she really addressed the issue head on. She said she does not plan on
resorting to euthanasia the day the games are over, but the -- knowing that she can choose when and where to take her life really keeps her going.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIEKE VERVOORT, PARALYMPIC ATHLETE: I hope that euthanasia is also something that -- for every country that it means not murder, that it means
-- that it gives a feeling of rest to the people. If I didn't had got those papers, I think I did already a suicide because it's very hard to
live with so many pain and suffering and this unsureness. Every year, it's going more and more less. So, I'm really glad with those papers. And I'm
still alive and still can enjoy every little, little moment in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARLINGTON: And you could see during the press conference that she really does takes great joy in these moments. But the fact is Vervoort was
diagnosed with this degenerative spinal condition when she was 15. It's very painful. She says initially she lost the use of her legs. That each
year, it gets worse.
Her vision has been impacted. She can barely sleep because of the pain. And that's why she signed these euthanasia papers in her native Belgium in
2008. But that this isn't the moment yet. She said she is retiring from the Paralympic games. This will be her last but she still looks forward to
spending time with her family, her friends, her therapy dog, Zen, and knowing that she has control. She says that's what this is all about. And
that more countries should follow too, Robyn.
CURNOW: Yeah, it's about control. It's about choice, isn't it? And that's just Vervoort's key in terms of her argument.
Let's just talk about the Paralympics as a whole here. How are ticket sales? Are people enjoying it the way they enjoyed the London Olympics?
DARLINGTON: Well, you know, Robyn, it's pretty incredible. After all of the -- these forecasts, that these would be catastrophic Paralympics. At
the end of the Olympic Games, you'll remember just 12 percent to 13 percent of the tickets had been sold.
Well, this past weekend, there was a record number of visitors at the Olympic Park, more than we saw during the Olympic Games. They've now sold
76 percent of tickets. And the weekend competitions are completely sold out. We were there over the weekend. I took in a five-a-side, blind
soccer game. The crowds are impressive. Mostly Brazilian, but about 20 percent international tourists, as well. And people just very enthusiastic
about being there. In part because these tickets are so cheap that everybody can go.
So a lot of Brazilians were in the middle of this prolonged recession, who really couldn't afford to take in Olympic Games, are now heading to the
Olympic Park, to the track and field stadium, to catch some Paralympics and really getting inspired by all of these athletes' stories, by the games
themselves.
And, of course, in the five-a-side, you may have to be quiet. They're blind and they listen to the ball as it rolls around. And that's how they
keep track of it. But every time a goal was scored, the crowds just couldn't contain themselves, explosions of joy and enthusiasm. It's really
great to see, Robyn.
CURNOW: Indeed. The Olympic spirit certainly being played out there in Rio. Shasta Darlington, thanks so much.
[10:25:03] Well, like in many countries, it's tradition in the U.S. to stand for the national anthem. But that's not happening among a growing
number of professional football players. The National Football League began its season on Sunday under a cloud of criticism over its players who
choose to kneel, black arms and raised fist over the treatment of minorities in America. And all of this happened of course on the
anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Well, CNN Analyst and USA Today Sports Columnist Christine Brennan joins us now from Washington.
This has certainly hit a very raw nerve within the U.S. Why?
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Robyn, that's a great question. And I think it's the intersection of a sport and, in this case, the
American sport that is, by far, number one on everyone's list, the NFL, NFL football. And, of course, the issue of patriotism. And then the issue of
athletes' rights, individual rights, obviously the First Amendment and the right to be able to speak and say what you think.
So, it's really the perfect conversation, in a way. And it's played out, once again, as so many issues are in the United States and around the
world, in sports, on the playing field or in athletes speaking about issues. And I think, in many ways, that takes conversations, important
national conversations, on any number of social topics, that takes these conversations to a whole new level, and a whole different audience when you
talk about athletes and their activities and their protests and taking it from the field of play and into the sports fans conversation in a way that
really no other issue can quite reach that scope when you have athletes having these conversations.
CURNOW: Indeed. And we just heard Shasta Darlington there in Rio talking about the very serious conversation about euthanasia being put forth by one
of the Paralympics. So, sports and touching issues that are social hot button issues, it's certainly something that we've seen over the decades.
How is this going to evolve though? Because it started with one man who didn't want to sing the national anthem and it sort of now spread. And is
this going to be needing some official response from the NFL? Where does this go?
BRENNAN: Robyn, I think it's with us for quite a while. May will be the entire season. And I say that because 9/11, September 11th, was the day, I
think where a lot of people felt OK, that's where you saw athletes lock arms and stand together, as opposed to maybe having more individual
protests.
I think the individual actions will come back full force next week. We're still talking about a vast minority of athletes, but we're also seeing it
on the soccer field with Megan Rapinoe, one of the stars of the U.S. women soccer team, taking a knee. We thought we've seen at high school football,
college football. There've been little protest here and there.
I think it's going to increase. And the -- your question about the official response, I think the NFL, so far anyway is threading the needle
perfectly, so far. What they're saying is that they encourage and ask that their players stand at attention for the national anthem, but that also,
they said, the individual athlete has the right to do what he wants to do in this case.
So, the NFL so far, I think, is towing the exact perfect line. But let's see how this plays out because there's no league in the United States
that's more linked to the flag and to the military than the National Football League.
And, if this continues to be an issue, which is I think, as an American, I certainly would defend these athletes' right to do this and do what they
want to do, whether I disagree with it or agree with it. But I think if this continues to be an issue into October and November, more athletes,
more players start doing this which we don't know. But if that happens, I think we may reach a point where there comes a time where we may see a
little bit more conflict.
Right now, there's no conflict, and it seems like everyone is just moving along. Fans are voicing their opinion, but the NFL so far has been
supporting the players' right to do this.
CURNOW: OK. It is a fascinating debate and certainly touches many issues. Christine Brennan, thanks so much.
BRENNAN: Robyn, thank you.
CURNOW: Well, still ahead here at CNN, a serious illness may pose a serious threat to Hillary Clinton's campaign, or does it? Our media
correspondent takes a look at the intense focus, or the over intense focus on Hillary Clinton's health.
Plus, South Korea's worst case scenario plan. How Seoul is preparing for more possible nuclear missile testing by Pyongyang. Lots to talk about.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:32:07] CURNOW: Welcome to the "International Desk." Thanks for joining me, happy Monday. I'm Robyn Curnow. Here's a check of the
headlines.
A ceasefire in Syria is set to begin in just over 90 minutes. The aim of the truce is to get humanitarian aid to desperate areas like Aleppo. The
U.S. and Russia brokered the deal. Government air strikes rained down on the days and hours before the ceasefire.
And here's a live look at Monday morning trading in the U.S. The Dow is up over 50 points. Now, do you remember last week trading ended Friday with a
big loss of over 2 percent. That reaction was blamed on traders nervous about a possible interest rate hike as early as this month.
And the United Nations says at least 133 people have been killed in severe flooding in North Korea. The U.N. cited figures from the North Korean
government, nearly 400 people are missing and more than 35,000 homes have been damaged.
We go back now to our top story. Hillary Clinton's health appears to have put her campaign in a tough spot. Clinton ducked out early from a 9/11
anniversary event on Sunday, and bystanders video appears to show her stumbling. Her campaign said she simply overheated and went to rest at her
daughter's apartment. When she emerged, was all smiles. But hours later, the campaign revealed Clinton had been suffering from pneumonia for days.
Well, let's dig into what this could mean for the campaign with our Senior Media Correspondent Brian Stelter. He joins us from New York.
Hey there Brian.
BRIAN STELTER, SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
CURNOW: I mean, give us sense of the media coverage of this. It's almost been saturation coverage. Why?
STELTER: Absolutely. Saturation coverage of this story, partly because there's been questions for years about Clinton's health. Many of these
coming from fringe right-wing websites and from supermarket tabloids of "The National Inquirer." The theme of these stories which has been
discredited is that Clinton's on death's door. You know, that she's gravely ill and covering up her illness from the public.
So you take those stories, you take them off to the side, you acknowledge they exist, and then you take a very real hell scare yesterday and a series
of other issues in their past recently like a coffin fit the other day at a speech and you start to wonder what is her true condition. I don't think
that means that the just door stories are any less outrageous than they were last week because they're still outrageous. But the voters
increasingly are going to want more information about her health because the video we're showing here on screen is troubling and this worries them.
If you're a Clinton supporter, you're watching this and you're feeling a little bit of fear perhaps. If you're a Trump supporter, you may also be
very concerned about her well-being and wondering if she'll make it to the debate in two weeks.
Now, we have no evidence to say she won't. This is pneumonia. People recover from pneumonia all the time. But we're coming into a crucial
stretch of the campaign, 14 days until that first debate.
CURNOW: Absolutely. And many people saying, you know, the grueling nature of the American election is unique in many ways.
[10:35:04] STELTER: Yeah.
CURNOW: There are also critics that say that and even our analysts a little bit earlier, saying Mrs. Clinton is an interesting mix of people
perhaps projecting sexism or ageism on the first female candidate over the age of 60. And what kind of sense in the terms of the analysis of how
she's treated is different or do you think that this is a real issue, less about her health and more about transparency, for example?
STELTER: I think we do have to consider the gender dynamics here. Not to say this is all about sexism. Because let's be honest, if Donald Trump had
walked off that curve and he had slipped and he had stumbled and he seemed to almost collapse, it would be a gigantic news story.
Now, that said, let's be honest about the ways that women are treated differently than men in workplaces and in politics. There are stereotypes
about women's health, stereotypes about women being weaker than men. Hillary Clinton has talked openly in the past about what it is like for
women, having to power through no matter what whether as a mother in her personal life or whether as a woman in her professional life.
So there is a sort of gender dynamic at play here when you hear about people sayings Clinton is sick, she's two weak, she's not strong enough to
be a president. When you have the first female nominee of a major party, I think we have to pay attention to the words we use when talking about her
candidacy. After all, politicians are allowed to get sick, too. But I think it's a real issue here involving any candidates that slips like this,
has to leave a 9/11 ceremony early, had a hard time getting into the van. No matter who it was no matter what gender they are, it's going to get
scrutinized.
CURNOW: Thanks so much. Always good to have you on the show. Thanks so much, Brian Stelter.
Well, now, a story just in to CNN. It looks like former British Prime Minister David Cameron is getting out of politics completely. He's just
announced that he will stand down immediately as a member of parliament for his constituency of Witney. Cameron, if you remember, resigned as prime
minister after the U.K. voted to leave the European Union. We'll keep you posted on that.
And South Korea's Foreign Minister says North Korea's nuclear capability has grown to a considerable level. So Pyongyang is preparing to carry out
another test while our Paula Hancocks looks at how the South is preparing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ready to fight tonight, the U.S. military motto in South Korea. More than 28,000 personnel ready to defend
their ally at a moment's notice.
Now, South Korea says it has a plan of its own. The Defense Ministry says it's planning for the worst case scenario, assuming North Korea was at
least physically ready for nuclear test number six.
The Deputy Defense Minister saying we need to be aware that the biggest threat to the U.S.-South Korean alliance is Kim Jong-un himself, who
considers nuclear and missile as a tool of survival for the regime. The military says if they feel immanently threatened by North Korea's nuclear
weapons, they will directly target the leadership, meaning Kim Jong-un himself would be fair game. Not the first time Seoul has threatened this.
The plan also involves surgical missile attacks and exclusive special warfare units. Experts say it would be far more surprising if South Korea
didn't have a war plan.
DANIEL PINKSTON, TROY UNIVERSITY INTERNAL RELATIONS LECTURER: A president would want to have that option and make that decision. And -- so that
would be one potential option and not presenting that to the president, not training for it and having that capability would be a mistake.
HANCOCKS: South Korea's military says they are developing an operational plan with the U.S. which does include the concept of preemptive strikes.
Publicly putting North Korea on notice, but actually launching a preemptive strike is unpalatable to most leaders with expectations of an ensuing all-
out war and mass casualties on both sides. Miscalculation seems more of a concern.
PINKSTON: One side might begin to act for limited gains or limited objectives. And then on the other side, the retaliates that escalatory
spiral could happen very quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: Pyongyang has long claimed the only reason they're developing this nuclear and missile program is to defend themselves against U.S.
aggression. They also appear unconcerned by the prospect of further sanctions. On Sunday, they called that prospect laughable.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
CNURNOW: Thanks to Paula for that report.
Well, coming up, the miracle of birth and the reality of war. You'll hear the story of a baby born on a refugee boat. Yes, another one in the middle
of the sea. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:42:02] CURNOW: You're watching the "International Desk." I'm Robyn Curnow. Thanks for joining me.
Now, a baby boy, who was born in a rescue boat in the Mediterranean Sea is doing well. Good news this hour. A midwife with Doctors Without Borders
says it was a very normal birth in dangerously abnormal conditions. Well, the birth gives a glimpse into the difficult life of a refugee and the
choices some women have to make. Isa Soares has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some break in the high seas mid Mediterranean. It's not how you envision giving birth but that's exactly
how little Newman came into the world. Born on a Doctors Without Borders refugee vessel, rescued as his Nigerian mother made a dangerous journey
from Libya.
SARAH GILES, MSF EMERGENCEY PHYSICIAN: We alerted to the fact that there were two rubber dinghies that needed to be rescued. We brought on board a
total of 252 people which included five pregnant women. Two female were very pregnant. At 6:30 this morning, I was alerted that one of the women
was in labor. And by 7:00, we had a new member of our list of passengers.
SOARES: A dramatic entry recorded on a plain piece of paper. No scales to weigh him. No ruler for height, just longitude and latitude to mark his
place of birth. Born right here, straddling Libya and Malta.
GILES: We know where the boat was. I can't tell you his exact weight. I can't tell you he's a good weight for his size and he looks healthy and
happy. And at the end of the day, that's all that matters.
SOARES: Newman is not the first to be born on the high seas. Last month, these two premature twins were born on board of rickety boat off the Libyan
coast. They're now being looked after in Palermo, Italy with their 26- year-old Eritrean mother keeping a close eye on them.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 3,000 people have died in these waters so far this year. For once, a chance to
give life rather than having it taken.
Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well, on that note, it's goodbye from us here at the "International Desk." I'm Robyn Curnow. I'm going to hand you over to
"World Sport." That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
