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NEWS STREAM
Thailand Mourns Loss of King; Donald Trump Denies Sexual Assault Charges; Samsung Increases Financial Loss Projections; Bob Dylan Surprise Nobel Prize in Literature. 11:00a-12:00p ET
Aired October 14, 2016 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:15] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, and welcome to News Stream.
Now, mourning Thailand's father: a grieving nation pays its respects to the late revered king. We have a live report from Bangkok just ahead.
Donald Trump says claims of sexual assault are lies and slander, but the newspaper that published allegations stands firm.
And finally free: these are the 21 Nigerian school girls released by Boko Haram. But can the government rescue the 200 still missing?
The body of Thailand's king is lying in the grand palace following a procession in the
streets of Bangkok. Crowds wearing black lined on the roadside as the hearse of their king made its way past them.
It is Thailand's first day in 70 years without the king at the throne. The revered monarch died in a hospital Thursday at the age of 88. And he was
considered a unifying force in a country that was so often divided.
Let's take you straight to Bangkok. CNN's Will Ripley joins us now live. And Will, you've been talking to people there in Thailand about the loss of
their beloved king. What have they been sharing with you?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Some people even a day later, Kristie, still find it impossible to believe that their king is
gone. This is the only king that most people in the country of 65 million have ever known. 70 years, and so it's not just grandparents and parents
and children and grandchildren who have known this king and thought of him as a part of their family, but you have entire communities that have come
out and they came out here to the grand palace today together.
It was remarkable to see that sea of black, because really everywhere around Bangkok people, most people were wearing black. And think about
that, as a society, the fact that pretty much everybody in the society would wear the same color to show respect for the loss of somebody they
cared about so deeply.
King Bhumibol, 88 years old. And his image is everywhere. And people were carrying his picture as they sat outside the palace together. This was not
allowed sobbing or wailing situation, despite the huge crowds, it was almost silent, aside from the ceremonial canons that were fired after the
king's body arrived at the palace and this Buddhist bathing ceremony began, which is still under way right now. You have one of the most senior monks
in Thailand overseeing this very sacred ritual where the king's body will be bathed and prepared for a public viewing that could last more than a
year, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yeah, a nation is grieving. And, Will, in addition to the grief, is there a feeling of uncertainty about what's next for Thailand
after the death of King Bhumibol?
RIPLEY: There is, because there is, obviously, no ability for people to discuss openly the issue of succession due to the country's very strict
enforcement of their les majiste (ph) laws, so people know that the crowned prince is the heir to the throne, but it was announced by the prime
minister last night that he would not be elevated to the role of king right now. And there's no time frame for when that when will happen.
According to the prime minister, the prince asked for time to grieve alongside his people.
And so people have very limited information about the 64-year-old Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who will become their new king. They know that he
spends a lot of time in Europe. He was in Germany on a trip when he came back early to be back by his father's bedside. He's a fighter pilot.
People know that he has been married three times and has seven children. But other than that, there aren't very many details about him, about this
man who will soon become the new king of Thailand, who will be replacing his father, who for 70 years was not only a
champion for not only the poor and people here in the urban areas, as well, but a unifier of this country during times of great
political division and people wonder can anybody fill those shoes?
And so there's certainly a lot at stake here for this country, for the role of the monarchy as the
country moves forward. And right now all people are their memories and their grief and their thoughts about moving Thailand forward despite a huge
loss.
LU STOUT: And, Will, the nation of Thailand, much loved country, it is a very popular tourist destination and for international guests who are
planning to visit Thailand as the nation and its people are in mourning, what do they need to know? What should they be mindful of?
[08:05:11] RIPLEY: There are several things that tourists should keep in mind when they come here to Bangkok, unlike recent royal funerals, the most
recent when the king's cousin died back in 2012, ad for a time alcohol sales actually ceased in Bangkok.
For the moment, businesses are open and they are selling alcohol, but they are asking people not to revel in the streets, which is why you see these
images from Bangkok's red light district, it's an iconic part of town known for a lot of celebrations that are quite loud and go into the early morning
hours people. Those celebrations are being are asked to move inside during this mourning period. And people are also asked to be mindful about
wearing black and being respectful as they come here to this country in mourning.
LU STOUT: All right, Will Ripley reporting live for us there as intense mourning in Thailand.
Thank you for that.
OK. Now to the race for the White House. And Republican candidate Donald Trump calls allegations that he grabbed, grouped and kissed women without
their consent slander and lies.
He says that they're all part of a smear campaign to ruin his chances for the White House.
Last week we heard that tape recorded in 2005 with Donald Trump saying celebrities get away with molesting women because they're famous.
And since then, several women have claimed Trump's comments are more than just words, that he actually made unwanted sexual advances on women he
didn't even know.
Now, CNN's Brianna Keilar joins me now live from Washington with more on the story. And Brianna, these allegations, they're not going away.
They're piling up. What is Donald Trump doing to address them and to try to shore up his campaign?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, he's denying it all and he's trying to shore up maybe not his campaign, but certainly his base.
But it's really hard to see him have a path to victory to the White House unless he expands beyond his base and the clock is ticking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a struggle for the survival of our nation.
KEILAR: Donald Trump issuing an apocalyptic call to arms to his supporters amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct.
TRUMP: Our campaign represents a true existential threat.
KEILAR: Portraying himself as the victim of a smear campaign, a conspiracy orchestrated by Clinton, the media and the establishment.
TRUMP: This is a crossroads in the history of our civilization.
KEILAR: The Republican nominee flatly denying the accusations against him.
TRUMP: These claims are all fabricated. They are pure fiction and they're outright lies.
KEILAR: Even suggesting that Natasha Stoynoff (ph), a writer for "People" magazine who says she was physically attacked by Trump in 2005 was not
attractive enough.
TRUMP: Look at her, look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so.
KEILAR: Trump's speech a stark contrast to Michelle Obama's emotional call to women to rise up against him.
OBAMA: I have to tell you that I listen to all of this. The shameful comments about our bodies, the disrespect of our ambitions and intellect,
the belief that you can do anything you want to a woman.
KEILAR: The first lady condemning Trump's lewd comments captured on tape about women and sexual assault.
OBAMA: It is cruel. It's -- it's frightening. And the truth is it hurts.
KEILAR: Speaking in deeply personal terms while refusing to mention Trump by name.
OBAMA: This isn't about politics. It's about basic human decency. (APPLAUSE)
It's about right and wrong. And we simply cannot endure this or expose our children to this any longer, not for another minute, and let alone for four
years.
KEILAR: President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden also taking on Trump while campaigning for Hillary Clinton.
BIDEN: His admission of what is the textbook definition of sexual assault is not inconsistent the way which he (ph) has abused power all along.
KEILAR: The president hammering Republican leaders who have just decided to withdraw their support.
OBAMA: You claim the mantle (ph) of the party of family values. And this is the guy you nominate...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ...and stand by and endorse and campaign with until finally, at the 11th hour, you withdraw your nomination? You don't get credit for that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Now today, Donald Trump has two rallies in battleground North Carolina, that's a state where the latest polls have him falling behind.
Hillary Clinton, Kristie, is off the campaign trail again today for a star- studded fundraising swing on the west coast. She has her husband Bill Clinton, her daughter Chelsea Clinton campaigning for her. And President
Obama, as well. He's in Ohio. He's going to rally voters in that state, which he won twice and he's trying to get them to vote early, because
already you have that as an option to voters there.
[08:10:15] LU STOUT: All right, Brianna Keilar reporting live from Washington for us. Thank you, Brianna, and take care.
Now, Jessica Leeds, she was one of the two women interviewed by The New York Times whose accusations Donald Trump denies and she describes a time
more than 30 years ago when she sat down next to Trump on an airplane and he grabbed her.
And she told CNN's Anderson Cooper even the man in the seat across the aisle could see what was going on but felt she couldn't say anything.
Now, earlier she spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: What would you want to say to Donald Trump if you could?
JESSICA LEEDS, TRUMP ACCUSER: Wow. If I thought he could recognize, could hear, but his -- his modus operandi, his character, has been established.
I think there was a piece in the newspaper about friends saying that he was this way in first grade. He's been this way his entire life.
I don't -- I don't believe he's going to change. And I resent some of the leadership that think, oh, if he gets in, they can manipulate him. They
won't be able to manipulate him. What you see is what you get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now, supporters of Donald Trump, they have been famously loyal to the nominee, and at a rally in Florida, CNN's Randi Kaye found they
showed little concern about these latest allegations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump supporters on defense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's never abused women, number one. He's a good father and a good husband.
KAYE (voice-over): How do you know he's never abused women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do I know? Because I know people who know him personally.
KAYE (voice-over): Still, the list of accusers is growing with more women coming forward with claims they were groped by the Republican nominee.
(on camera): Why would these women come forward if it wasn't true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does it really matter? Does it matter?
KAYE: What he allegedly...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the problems this country has, if he did grope a woman, is it that important, or do we have bigger fish to fry?
KAYE: Why would they come forward even if it wasn't true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who care? Who cares?
KAYE (voice-over): Many here, men and women, don't care if Trump ever tried to put his hand up a woman's skirt on airplane or suddenly kissed another
woman on the lips in an elevator or anywhere else. In fact, they don't even care if he was telling the truth on debate night when Anderson Cooper asked
him if he'd ever groped or kissed a woman without consent.
(on camera): Anderson Cooper had to ask three times if he had ever done these things, groped a woman. He said no. Does it bother you if that wasn't
true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't bother me.
KAYE: Would it matter if Donald Trump lied on the debate stage and --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary lies every single day. Hillary lies every day. Stop it.
KAYE (on camera): Many, like him, tried to shut down any conversation about Trump's troubles and pivot to attacking Hillary and Bill Clinton.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the rapist that's going to be in the White House if Hillary wins. Nobody seems to worry about this.
KAYE: After that interview, her friend chased us down in an effort to influence our reporting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All your questions were negative for Trump. Why don't you ask about Hillary?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you ask us what we think about Hillary?
KAYE (on camera): She said plenty of what she thought about Hillary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't ask it. That's my point. You didn't ask it.
KAYE: I'm doing a story about the latest allegations with Trump. I'm at a Trump rally. Not a story about Hillary Clinton today.
(voice-over): Most here believe these latest allegations against Trump are politically motivated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think if there was any merit to it at all, they would have come out long ago. And now, all of a sudden, 20-something days until
the election and, you know, come out like that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not saying that it's something that shouldn't be brought up. It is an important thing. But these are also things brought up
that 30 years later? Why wasn't it brought up before?
KAYE: And despite these salacious stories, supporters here, including women, are still firmly in Trump's corner.
(on camera): As a woman, would these latest allegations make you think twice about voting for Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not at all.
KAYE: Do you get a sense there's a pattern emerging here, though?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
KAYE: And that doesn't disturb you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
KAYE: You'd still vote for him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Twice, if I could. I think Hillary is a crook.
KAYE: None of this would make you think twice about voting for Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all. Not at all. I mean, it's a nonissue.
KAYE: What don't you like about Hillary Clinton?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: That was Randi Kaye reporting there.
Now, the Clinton camp is also under fire as WikiLeaks posted more hacked emails. Now, unverified documents from campaign chair John Podesta give
rare insight into views of Clinton's views on China when she was the U.S. Secretary of State. Clinton said she
warned China back then about North Korea's missile program saying if China can't control its ally, the risk means U.S. will have to, quote, ring China
with missile defense.
Now, the hack also shows Clinton's preference for Chinese President Xi Jinping over Hu Jintao, calling Mr. Xi, a more sophisticated, more
effective public leader.
That was shortly after he took office.
But there were also comments on some controversial decisions. Now Clinton says one of her proudest moments was when she helped Chen Guangcheng, the
blind Chinese dissident flee to safety in U.S. embassy in Beijing, despite warnings that her actions could hurt relations with China.
Now, Philippines senate committee has ended its inquiry into extra-judicial killings allegedly carried out as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's war
on drugs. The justice and human rights committee's new chair and ally of Duterte says a report will be issued out on Monday.
The committee will now focus on anti-drug measures like imposing the death penalty for drug
traffickers.
Now, the decision to stop the inquiry follows the ousting of Leila de Lima from her position as chair last month. Now, she's one of President
Duterte's fiercest critics. Since the president took office in June, hundreds of suspected drug users have been killed by both police,
as well as vigilantes.
You're watching News Stream right here on CNN. And still ahead, a bitterweet homecoming: 21 of Nigeria's missing Chibok girls are finally
freed and now their hopes that more than hundreds kidnapped may return.
And no way but my way. The president of Syria is defending his regime's campaign in Aleppo. We'll tell you how next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're watching News Stream.
Now, after an ordeal lasting almost 1,000 days, some of Nigeria's kidnapped Chibok school girls are returning home. 21 girls were welcomed by
Nigeria's vice president in the capital Abuja after their release on Thursday. One of them gave birth to a baby while in captivity.
Nearly 200 other girls who were taken are still missing and their release follows a series of negotiations between Nigeria and their captors: Boko
Haram militants.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YEMI OSINBAJO, NIGERIAN VICE PRESIDENT: The whole country has been waiting that one day we'll see you again. I am very, very, very happy to see you.
we're very, very, very happy to see you back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Yes, we've been waiting for over two years. And Nima Elbagir has been following this story closely for CNN ever since news of the girl's
kidnapping came to light in 2014. She joins us again from London.
And Nima, since we last talked here in the program, we learned that a baby boy was also released with these girls. What more can you tell us?
[08:20:00] NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was always be the feared fate for these girls, and the few glimpses that we got
about what their captivity and what their life would have been like while they were with their captors gave credence to these fears that they would
be forced to marry and forced to carry to term the children of the captors. And this appears to be a boy that was born to one of those abducted girls.
And this is really part of the trauma and part of the psychological assessment that will now being carried out for these girls now that they're
back safely in the custody of the government, and now that their families, finally -- this has been quite a painstaking process, Kristie, of
identifying the girls, cross referencing their names so as not to give anyone false hope.
But finally we understand that has now been done and all the families of those girls have been alerted and those girl's names have been made public,
Kristie.
LU STOUT: And Nima, it's taken more than two years to release these 21 girls and this young toddler boy. Scores of other women and girls also
being held. Why is it the Nigerian authorities and local forces struggle to save them and to stop Boko Haram?
ELBAGIR: Well, there was always an issue right at the beginning of this that the Nigerian government at the time, the then-administration didn't
move fast enough, and we see that even with just run of the mill kidnap investigations, where you're not dealing with an insurgency and you're not
dealing with a terror group.
Once you lose that crucial window of the first 72 hours, it becomes very, very difficult. So, first the authorities when they finally did start
searching for these girls were dealing with a trail that had gone cold in addition to an insurgency that knew the terrain oftentimes better than they
themselves did. And there was also a real sense of unwillingness within the military institutions within Nigeria to take the negotiated option, and
this is now what has resulted in those 21 girls being released, the negotiated option.
Luckily, thankfully, the Nigerian government has said that this is the option that they will stick with and they actually believe this really is,
Kristie, only the beginning, that the release of these 21 girls, whether they were swapped for prisoners or not, which the Nigerian
government denies, but we're hearing was quite possibly the case in this instance, these 21 girls are only the beginning, that the 200 hopefully
will be on their way home.
LU STOUT: Yeah, and if this is only the beginning, is there hope among the families of the missing? Are they optimistic that they will soon see the
safe return of their missing girls?
ELBAGIR: Absolutely. For many of the families, the initial challenge to overcome, if you want to call it that, is trying to get information from
these girls to find out if their daughters are still alive, if their daughters were seen within the group's held by Boko Haram.
Because what we have heard from the one girl who managed to escape recently is that unfortunately some of the girls didn't survive their captivity, so
that's going to be the very difficult first questions among the very difficult first questions that these families will be asking.
But, yes, I mean, the sense of joy and the sense, actually, of achievement because these families never gave up. These families for the last two and
a half years in the face often of hopelessness surrounding them, even amongst the officials that were supposed to be searching for these girls,
these families held on and believed that their daughters would come home.
And now for 21 of them that has finally happened, Kristie.
LU STOUT; Yeah. And renewed hope that more girls will soon come back home. Nima Elbagir reporting live from London. Thank you, Nima.
Now, for years we have seen parts of Aleppo razed by all-out warfare, but now the president of Syria says there's simply no other option than to keep
up the assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo. It has become a focal point for Syria's war suffering under a near daily barrage of air strikes.
An activist group reports another 160 people killed there since Tuesday. And Bashar al-Assad told a Russian newspaper that he has a wider strategy
in mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASHAR AL-ASSAD, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA: First of all it has political gain of the strategy, political gain naturally. Than from the strategy point of
view, military point of view, you know, you don't -- it is going to be the springboard as big city to move to another areas to liberate other areas
from the terrorists this is important (inaudible)>
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now a new round of cease-fire talks involving several nations, including the U.S. and Russia, that is to take place on Saturday. And with
the very latest on what's happening here, our CNN's Muhammad Lila joins us now from Abu Dhabi.
And Muhammad, first, I want to get your thoughts on those comments we just heard from
Bashar al-Assad about Aleppo and the way that he is defending the regime's brutal campaign there.
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, kristie, you know what's really interesting about that is that notice the distinction he
made. Normally when you're in the middle of a major military conflict you're talking about a military goal,
but the first thing he mentioned there was that this would be a political gain for him.
So on that political side, Aleppo is crucial for him because it shows the rest of his country, his supporters, the people in the Syrian armed forces,
as well as all his neighbors in the region, that if he can take Aleppo, it means he's winning. And that's a very big political price that he's trying
to earn right now to show the rest of the world that, look, this conflict that's been going on for four
years. There have been ups and downs. But by taking Aleppo, he'd be getting those political points and showing people that he's winning.
And of course militarily, which was the second thing that he talked about there. We all know how important Aleppo is. That's a city that's been
bombed almost every day for the last four years, a quarter million people are reportedly trapped in eastern Aleppo. They've been under siege for a
number of weeks, so that city and the eastern part of that city has a major symbolic presence and it plays a major symbolic role in this campaign, both
for the rebels and for the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
[08:26:02] LU STOUT: Yeah, Bashar al-Assad we say political points may be gained with the ongoing bombardment of parts of Aleppo, but lives are being
taken. The fierce fighting goes on there. There have been constant air strikes ahead of what's to be a new round of peace talks this weekend.
What's your latest understanding of just the human suffering still underway in Aleppo?
LILA: Yeah, well, I mean, you mention some of the numbers, right, 160 people killed according to activists in Aleppo just since Tuesday when
these air strikes restarted. And, of course, on the humanitarian side 250,000 people there, food shortages, medical shortages, fuel shortages,
you name it. It's a very dire situation.
The Assad regime recently did work out a deal with the United Nations to provide humanitarian relief to a number of areas in the country, but
Aleppo was not included in that. So the suffering that we're seeing in Aleppo is probably going to continue for quite some time unless there's
some sort of agreement that's reached, but right now there's no indication that either side is willing to budge.
LU STOUT: Muhammad Lila reporting live for us from Abu Dhabi, many thanks indeed for
that.
Now, the United States says that its forces will keep hitting back if they are threatened again from inside Yemen. Now, the Pentagon says missiles
fired at an American warship in the Red Sea came from areas in Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels. On Thursday, the U.S. retaliated with a
missile strike on rebel-controlled parts of Yemen. Now, the Pentagon says that three radar installations were destroyed.
Now, you're watching News Stream. And news of the U.S. election it travels to nearly every corner of the globe. And coming up we're going to take you
to the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region where spectators are watching the scandal surrounding Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as if
it were a soap opera.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[08:31:29] LU STOUT: Now, it's hard not to talk about the U.S. election now. And the presidential race is one of the most contentious, most
divisive in recent memory, so much so, it is being discussed all over the world, particularly in countries, for example, in Iraq bearing the brunt of
U.S. policy.
Now, CNN's Ben Wedeman takes us to one town where there is no shortage of opinions on Clinton and Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Irbil's oldest cafe, Thaowat (ph), a retired engineer, reads the latest
news from the U.S. presidential elections. He is confident Donald Trump will win.
"Hillary has a lot of question marks hanging over her," he says, because of her husband's many scandals. But scandals are normal for the Americans."
A self-described Lakers fan agrees, insisting that no politician or anyone else should be throwing the first stone.
"No one is without scandal," he says, "even you."
(LAUGHTER)
(on camera): America's a land far, far away. And comprehending the electoral process is sometimes difficult. Nonetheless, people here are
paying attention this year in a way you might pay attention to a particularly salacious soap opera.
(voice-over): This man follows the campaign closely. "The last few days, I heard reports about Trump's alleged sexual harassment of women," he says.
"It's embarrassing to even talk about it and it will cost him votes."
Across the street, a group of actors hold court in comfortable chairs. Some don't like what they've heard from Donald Trump.
"He wants to stop Muslims immigrating to America," he says. "He wants to take our oil wells because America spends so much on the Middle East. What
kind of talk is this?"
Irbil, the capitol of Iraq's Kurdish region, is one of the world's oldest cities. For hundreds of years, its ancient covered market, renowned for its
dried fruit and nuts. Here, they say, they know they're nuts.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Irbil.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Chatter about the election happening all over the world. Now, China is at a British about on Hong Kong's legal system. Now, in this
report, the British foreign secretary Boris Johnson voiced concern over Beijing's influence in Hong Kong.
Now, the city enjoys an independent judicial system under the Sino-British declaration, but five booksellers who were critical of China went missing
from Hong Kong last year and reappeared after months in Chinese custody.
Now, Boris Johnson says that this shows a serious breach in the one country, two systems agreement. And China lashed back telling the UK to
stop meddling.
The decision by Samsung to kill off its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is getting more and more costly. Now, the losses were initially estimated
around $2 billion. And now the company says it could rise to more than twice that.
Now, Paula Hancocks looks back at a devastating week for Samsung.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This has to be one of the worst weeks for Samsung, finally giving up on the Galaxy Note 7 just two
months after a triumphant launch of its latest smartphone, the South Korean company had to admit that it was best to dump this faulty product.
Now, this was after the phone was found to be prone to overheating, even bursting into flames, and then the replacements that Samsung was sending
out were also believed and reportedly had the exact same problem.
So on Wednesday of this week Samsung said it expected this disaster to knock about $2.3
billion off its third quarter operating profits, and then on Friday it added to that financial woe, saying that it forecast a further hit of
around $3.1 billion in operating profits for the six months through march of next year.
Now, it still hasn't figured out exactly what is wrong with this phone and that's crucial, according to many experts, because Samsung needs to be able
to tell its customers this is what went wrong and we can guarantee it will not happen again, so you can buy our future products.
Now, they are certainly in crisis mode at this point. They're trying to rebuild their credibility, trying to hold on to the customers that they
once had. And we're seeing, for example in the United States, they are offering a financial incentive of $100 for every customer who gives back
their Galaxy Note 7 and swaps it for another Samsung product.
Now, interestingly, here in South Korea, it's believed that this financial impact on Samsung may
actually seep into the wider South Korean economy. And it's not necessarily surprising when you hear that the widely quoted figure that
Samsung accounts for about 15 percent of South Korea's GDP.
And we did hear from the Bank of Korea governor on Thursday. He said that what has happened at Samsung with the Galaxy Note 7 is expected to have a
negative influence on export and growth, but at this point it's far too early to figure out just how much that impact would be.
So, all in all, a dreadful week for Samsung, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer.
Paula Hankcocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. Up next, Bob Dylan and his songs have been anthems of social movements for decades and now he receives
international recognition for his way with words. The reaction to his Nobel prize, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now after more than 16 hours in surgery, two babies conjoined at
the head have been successfully separated. Now, a team of surgeons in New York carefully cut apart brain tissue to separate Anais (ph) and Jaden (ph)
McDonald. Their skulls are being reconstructed, and the boys' mother wrote on Facebook not long ago that she aches with uncertainty for the future,
but she's looking forward to seeing their smiles again.
And for the first time, a songwriter has won the Nobel Prize for literature. Bob Dylan's had been whispered a possible winner for years,
but he was still a surprise choice. Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We'd love to ask Bob Dylan --
(MUSIC PLAYING)
To win the Nobel Prize in literature, but we couldn't get a hold of him. There was shock when the Swedish Academy made the announcement.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bob Dylan.
MOOS: A week earlier, the New Republic asked who will win the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature and their answer was Not Bob Dylan. Yet now he'll have
another medal to hang with his medal of freedom.
The news left writer Jason Printer tweeting, "If Bob Dylan can win the Nobel Prize for Literature, then I think Stephen King should get elected to
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Round one.
[08:40:25] (on-camera): The fight boiled down to the question are lyrics literature? Some critics said no, rifling on Dylan's own song.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MOOS: "The times they are ending," wrote one journalist, to what someone replied "Delete your account, Dylan, the greatest poet of the 20th century,
undisputed genius."
Some worried naming a songwriter would open the flood gates so 2034 Nobel for Literature could go to, you never know, posting repetitive Rihanna
lyrics.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MOOS: The British paper "The Telegraph" imagined a Nobel Prize being awarded to Donald Trump for lyrical tweeting. In defense of Dylan, a writer
for "Rolling Stone" tweeted "They'll stone you when you've won the Nobel Prize." But "The Telegraph" sniff, "This is the Nobel Prize for Literature,
not Sweden's Got Talent."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think of yourself primarily as a singer or as a poet?
BOB DYLAN, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR LITERATURE WINNER: I see myself as a song and dance man, you know.
MOOS: A prize in literature goes to a man better known for words delivered on the stage than on the page.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: It is an acquired taste to some.
Now, before we go, Star Wars fans you have got to feast your eyes on this. We have got the latest trailer for Rogue One. It unleashed on to the
Internet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are rebels, are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Save the dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Oh, just a little sampling there. Now, Rogue One is a stand alone entry in the Star Wars series. The film had been plagued with rumors
of problems, but Disney says, quote, we love what we've seen.
Now, you can judge for yourself on December 15th, that's when Rogue One opens, at least here in Hong Kong.
And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere, World Sport with
Alex Thomas is next.
END
