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Race for the White House Down to the Wire; South Korean President Park Apologizes; Parliament May Control Whether Britain Leaves E.U.; Iraqi Forces Attempting to liberate Mosul; Russia Declares 10-Hour Humanitarian Pause in Aleppo; Turkey Cracks Down on Journalists. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 04, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: The race for the White House is going down to the wire for white nationalists to WikiLeaks. The twists and turns continue.

Plus, scandal in South Korea. President Park apologizes and insists she is not immersed in a cult.

And later, a big problem with Brexit. Parliament may get to control whether Britain can leave the E.U.

It's all ahead here this hour on CNN NEWSROOM. Welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Natalie Allen. We're live in Atlanta. Thanks for joining us.

The U.S. presidential candidate and their campaign surrogates are out in full force as you might imagine with just days to go now until the election. Nationally the race remains tight.

In CNN average of polls, Hillary Clinton is edging Donald Trump by just four percentage points. The presidency could come down to a handful of battleground states, including North Carolina. And that's where Trump and Clinton spent Thursday with a series of rallies.

Meantime, 30 million people across 38 states have already cast their ballots. That's according to Catalysts, a data company CNN has partnered with to receive detailed information on early voting.

Democrats are pushing hard for the African-American vote in North Carolina and they are painting Trump as a racist. Stomping for Clinton, Bernie Sanders said they are trying to prevent racial discrimination from being normalized.

Clinton also mentioned in intimate case in New York in 1989 the Central Park Five. A group of black and Hispanic teenagers were convicted of raping and beating a white female jogger.

At that time Trump bought newspaper ads saying deserved the death penalty. They were exonerated more than a decade later when someone else confessed, but Trump still says Trump they're guilty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not only did Trump

refuse to apologize for what he said about them and even calling for their executions. He actually said they should be still in prison.

Evidence didn't matter, the law didn't matter. To him, those kids would always be guilty. So think about it. If he wants to keep exonerated people in jail, how can we trust him to fight for the rule of justice and fairness and criminal justice reform in America?

(CROWD CHEERING)

ALLEN: Trump meantime, had his family hit the campaign trail on his behalf while he reminded himself to stay on point.

Here's Sara Murray from the trail.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Donald Trump past to the White House is looking a little less treachery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In five days we are going to win the state of Florida and we are going to win back the White House.

(CROWD CHEERING)

MURRAY: He barn stormed Florida. The latest polls show a narrow path for Trump to hit 270 but he's in the hunt nationwide. A new survey from Colorado and New Hampshire hold glimmers of hope for Trump in states where he's been trailing.

The GOP nominee using his final stretch to cast Hillary Clinton as a candidate shrouded in scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Here we go again with Clinton. Do you remember the impeachment and the problems? She's likely to be under investigation for many, many years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: And blasting President Obama for hitting the trail on Clinton's behalf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He's down here campaigning for crooked Hillary. Now why -- why isn't he back in the office, sometimes referred to as the Oval Office? He's campaigning every day I actually think considering that she is under criminal investigation, I think he's actually got a conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: With the days dwindling Trump now openly reminding himself to stay on message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We got to be nice and cool. Nice and cool, right? Stay on point, Donald, stay on point. No side tracks, Donald.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: And he's fanning out his family for a battleground state blitz, sending Ivanka Trump to New Hampshire, Donald Trump, Jr. to Colorado and Eric Trump to Wisconsin. Even his wife Melania now on the trail delivering a rare solo speech, her first since plagiarizing Michelle Obama at the GOP convention.

Melania Trump using the limelight to preview her focus if she becomes first lady. Cyber bullying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:04:56] MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: Children and teenagers can be fragile. They are hurt when they are made fun of or made to feel less in looks or in intelligence. Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough, especially to children and teenagers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: She made no mention of her husband's s prolific Twitter use. His preferred platform for hurling insults at his rivals in both the media and the political arena.

Also on the trail today, a former Trump foe turned ally, Texas Senator Ted Cruz who snubbed Trump at the GOP convention now campaigning alongside his running mate Mike Pence in Iowa.

Even though Cruz couldn't bring himself to say Trump's name at the campaign rally, he insisted to reporters the GOP's wounds have healed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Some of you, guys, want to write stories suggesting divisions among republicans. I make a point. I'm getting ready to get on a gigantic airplane that has Donald Trump's name on the side of it. On Monday this of this week I voted for Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Joining me to talk about all of this is James Pindell, a political reporter for the Boston Globe. James, thank you for being with us.

JAMES PINDELL, BOSTON GLOBE POLITICAL REPORTER: Thank you.

ALLEN: You cover a lot of New Hampshire politics. That's a battleground state that's crucial to Hillary Clinton. Look at this poll from your paper, The Boston Globe and Suffolk University. It shows Clinton and Trump tied at 42 percent with Johnson at 5 percent and Stein at 2. A whopping 8 percent undecided or neither. Why is it so close when it hasn't voted republican since Bush in 2000?

PINDELL: That's right. You know, I think one of the most fascinating stories what's going on in the last just few days is the story in New Hampshire. Because Hillary Clinton has been bracing herself against a very bad week of news. But she's always been able to calculate that she will have the number of votes from the different states that's necessary for her to become the next U.S. president.

However, that calculation involved the state of New Hampshire. And for much of this general election campaign when she is facing Donald Trump, she has led him in every single poll until last 24 hours. And we had a series of three or four different polls that have come out showing her lead in that state collapsing to become essentially a tie.

And when that happens, that may also mean that her entire -- the idea that she could be president begins to collapse. So, there's a lot of people in American politics right now who are scratching their heads and trying to get a sense of where things exactly stand right now.

So many of them have felt the reality that Hillary Clinton would likely be president. And today they are asking themselves some very serious questions, largely because of these polls coming out of New Hampshire.

ALLEN: Right. New Hampshire, right. You wouldn't think that would be in play, and yet she is still in play in a state like Arizona, so it's very interesting, isn't it, in the last few days.

PINDELL: Yes.

ALLEN: Well, the democrats are going after Latino voters in a typically republican state of Arizona as I've mentioned. Listen up to this and we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE, (D-VA) U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (translated): She is ready. Hillary Clinton is ready to be president of the whole community.

(APPLAUSE)

On the other hand, on the other hand, there's Donald Trump.

(CROWD BOING)

Someone who -- someone who thinks that reaching out to the Latino community means turning a picture of a Taco bowl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Mr. Kaine habla Espanol as we all know, but we've been -- we've seen Latinos skeptical of Clinton and that some are still supporting Trump. How key is this constituency?

PINDELL: Yes, overall though, Latinos and Hispanic voters have been largely with Hillary Clinton, mainly in the idea that they are really against Donald Trump. If you watch Spanish language television in the United States, it is non-stop Trump. And it's none of it is really all that positive.

And one of the reasons why Arizona is even in play right now is two factors, one, the fact that some republicans, high-profile republicans including their two U.S. senators are very much -- you know, have a very complicated relationship with Donald Trump, I would say one of them is openly not voting for him.

And then the second part has been this Hispanic population which has really been mobilized in this race. Arizona has only voted for one democrat since 1948. That would be Bill Clinton.

ALLEN: Yes.

PINDELL: And voted for once. But the idea of Donald Trump is really making Arizona in play right now.

ALLEN: That's so interesting. Trump's problem with continued support from white nationalists came up again this week. Listen to how Trump's son, Eric responded when a radio host suggested Trump supporter and former KKK leader David Duke deserves a bullet to the head.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: If I said exactly what you said I'd get killed for it, but I think -- I think I'll say it any way. The guy does deserve a bullet. I mean, these aren't good people. These are horrible people.

(END VOICE CLIP)

[03:10:03] ALLEN: Well, the Trump campaign has repeatedly tried to distance themselves from white supremacist as we heard Eric doing it, is it working?

PINDELL: Well, what we are talking about here is it working for swing voters, particularly suburban white women in swing states. That's what we are talking about in terms of it working. There's no doubt that Trump has tried to distance -- or said the word he distanced himself. He said the words that he disavowed support from white supremacist groups. Yet white supremacist groups say they are very comfortable with the way he disavows them.

Apparently there's doodling wedge they are very much still supporting him. So, they're not getting the hint. That maybe that's not the point. Maybe the point is can he convince enough white suburban, you know, white women that he is not exactly a white supremacist?

And you know, that is part of the definition of this race right now, is whether or not you believe Donald Trump is a person who is going to take the United States to a bad place, or whether or not you think he is actually the representation of throwing again -- throwing up a system that a lot of people are, you know, have problems with right now. ALLEN: Right. Exactly. And finally Clinton's e-mail problem, it won't

go away. A hacked e-mail released by WikiLeaks show that Clinton ally abide that Sanders, quote, "needs to be ground to a pulp," end quote, during the democratic primary.

Also a batch of Clinton State Department e-mails from her private server was released today. None of which were classified. My question is, do voters care about the nuance in all of this, or does every new story about Clinton e-mails help the Trump campaign narrative?

PINDELL: Yes, look, I mean, these e-mails have not been helpful. But the reality is, the latest batch have been mainly embarrassing but not damaging. But when we actually talk to a regular everyday voter they can't exactly process all of the different nuances. I mean, they are smart, very smart people but they have busy lives and it gets very confusing.

So they conflate that her keeping shares leaked e-mails that may have been on the private server which wasn't the case then you can spend all day trying to correct all that. But the point is every single day there's a story that says Clinton and e-mails it does, as you mention, reinforces the notion that there is something going on with Clinton and something probably bad with Clinton.

ALLEN: Right. Yes. That's what I've been hearing from, you know, people at the grocery store and such. Thanks so much, James Pindell. He's a political reporter for the Boston Globe. We'll be looking forward to reading your stories up until Tuesday and beyond. Thank you so much.

PINDELL: Thank you.

ALLEN: Well, it's not U.S. voters on edge over the outcome of this bizarre and polarizing election. The whole world is watching. Now while many countries seem to be anti-Trump, Clinton isn't too popular either.

Here's Clarissa Ward.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The rest of the world doesn't get to vote in next week's election but it is watching the race with rough attention. And it's easy to see why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D. TRUMP: We can't continue to allow China to rape our country.

CLINTON: Well, that's because he'd rather have a puppet as president.

TRUMP: No puppet. We will build a wall. Mexico's going to pay for the wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: The American election has global consequences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm really rich.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: Donald Trump initially seen as something of an amusement is now in many countries a figure of fear and loathing. In Mexico Easter celebrants this year chose to burn effigies of him rather than the traditional Judas.

While in Germany, activist took pleasure in tearing down their own Trump wall, as the foreign minister called him a creature of hate. The French president didn't mince words either saying Trump's excessiveness makes people want to retch.

Or as one Canadian newspaper summarized it, we're terrified.

But Clinton is not popular everywhere either. In Russia, which has been accused of hacking Democratic Party e-mails to influence the election, he has been denounced by one lawmaker as a cursed witch, while President Putin has publicly praised Trump.

And in Israel, Trump supporters are so confident of his popularity they have set up shop to get out the vote amongst expats. It seems everyone no matter where they live has something to say about the U.S. election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATED): Hillary is more predictable and because of that, markets would react in a positive way. If Trump wins, Brazilian markets would certainly fall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: So what's the bottom line? The world looks to America for leadership on everything from economic issues to the fight against ISIS. And while Donald J. Trump may be good at grabbing international headlines, few overseas believe he can provide stability.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, London.

ALLEN: Clarissa mentioned ISIS in that story. We'll move on to looking at what's happening in Mosul next.

[03:15:02] We have one story about a girl who was a prisoner there. She was raped. She now has a son by one of the terrorists. Arwa Damon with her story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

ALLEN: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. Iraqi forces are now trying to liberate parts of eastern Mosul from

ISIS control. An Iraqi commander tells CNN they have started clearing three neighborhoods.

The Iraqi army finally entered the key city on Thursday for the first time in more than two years. Hundreds of civilians have fled, but more than one million are believed to be trapped inside of Mosul.

CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins us live from Irbil, Iraq. And you've said all along, Nic, that once this mission gets into the city and it goes, as we just reported, neighborhood by neighborhood, it could get extremely brutal. Is that what we still expect to see, or have many ISIS fighters left?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The evidence seems to point to the brutality of the conflict now. What we are hearing this morning air strike, heavy air strikes against ISIS positions in the east of Mosul, artillery fired in support of advancing Iraqi troops.

[03:20:06] Of course, as you say, about a million people living inside of the city there. And what the army is saying, these elite counterterrorism units at the forefront now pushing in to the districts on the east of the city are saying that ISIS is firing mortar rounds at them.

This -- this is artillery that goes up, comes down in a relatively short distance. And some of that is falling on civilian housing. The army is also saying that ISIS snipers are operating from the rooftops of buildings where civilians are living. That makes it hard for the army to fire back.

So, absolutely, the civilians are being caught up in the middle of this. A family leaving the city this morning said that ISIS was telling them to remain in their houses. But they were saying how could we do that? We don't have water, we don't have food? It's impossible. And they are taking a risk, they say, by leaving. So, absolutely the intensity and the broader front of the fight for Mosul now really underway, Natalie.

ALLEN: Yes. And as you say, they've been told the civilians to stay in their homes but that's very hard for them to do. Then they are staying at their houses, although run the risk of the forces bombing their houses. And what about human shields, do we still have reports that ISIS is using that tactic?

ROBERSTON: Absolutely. There's a town just south of Mosul where residents say that ISIS was telling them to get out of their home and head to Mosul city itself. You know, for ISIS, civilians are a just defensive shield, if you will. They are something to hide behind using the rooftops of building where civilians are living.

ISIS knows that that means that the army is less likely to go for a sort of full-fledged advance. And if it was open conflict you would just shell the building until the building was gone and ISIS would no longer be a threat. The army can't do that. So, ISIS is using people as human shields and it seems to be a tactic

that they've used many times before. And Mosul is going to give them many, many opportunities to do that, Natalie.

ALLEN: All right. I really feel for the people that kind of stuck there as the troops move in. but thank you, Nic Robertson for us live in Irbil, Iraq.

Well, as hundreds of civilians flee Mosul, we are hearing about some of the atrocities they faced under ISIS control.

CNN senior international correspondent Arwa Damon has the story of a woman who was held as an ISIS prisoner, raped and now has a son.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For some, there will be no escape from the memory of ISIS's brutal rule. Omalat (Ph) does not want her identity revealed. She says her neighbors in Gogjali on the outskirts of Mosul were all ISIS supporters. But she and her family refused to pledge allegiance. ISIS fighters would regularly come to their home and threaten them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): They came and beat my daughter. They tore off her head scarf, they ripped her clothes and they said "let's rape her." But one of them, the top guy, the big one, he did not allow them to, and said we want the mother.

DAMON: A few days later, they got her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): They took me from the market. They told me to get in the car and when I got in, I thought they will slaughter me. After they took me they said "you will be our slave."

DAMON: For a year and a half she lived like that, a prisoner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): I lived with them like a dead person. But they had not killed me yet.

DAMON: She says one fighter raped her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): I tried to fight. I cried a lot. There was a lot of pain. I was beaten a lot but I could do nothing.

DAMON: eventually she was released. That moment she reunited with her children was like being reborn, she says, but she was pregnant with their half-brother. The offspring of rape by an ISIS fighter. She named him Muhammed (Ph) after her husband. He was killed on Tuesday amid the battles on Mosul's eastern outskirts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): He left me a lot. My best memory of him was how much he loved me and respected me.

DAMON: That happiness but a fleeting memory still her humanity endures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): I'm not going to tell him who his father is that his dad is ISIS. He's my son, he's not the son of ISIS.

DAMON: Arwa Damon, Gogjali, Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Well, Russia declared what it calls a 10-hour humanitarian pause in Aleppo. It was set to begin this hour and comes as deadly fighting in the city there in Syria continues.

[03:25:02] On Monday, the Syrian government said rebel assaults killed 84 people over the weekend. Despite its unilateral move to pause the fighting, Russia's role in Syria continues to be criticized abroad.

On Thursday, demonstrators in London piled mannequin limbs outside the Russian embassy. They say it's to protest against Russia's military actions there in Syria.

For more on the potential ceasefire in Aleppo, I'm joined now from Moscow with CNN's Clare Sebastian. Clare, hello. I want to ask you first of all, explain Russia's decision today. What's happening?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Natalie. This is a 10-hour, as you say, humanitarian pause. All weapons, according to Russia, to be laid down. It's daylight hours in Aleppo 9 a.m. local time until 7 p.m. and as well as giving civilians the opportunity to leave through 6.30.

The humanitarian corridors, Russia has also opened two corridors for rebels to leave. They've issued a call for rebels to leave the siege east of Aleppo. But of course, there is some skepticism about whether this will work. We had a look. They put up a couple of live streams as they did the last time it happened.

Nothing -- no huge amount of activity as yet, but it has only just started. But of course, the last time this happened that was back in October, it lasted October 20th to 22nd. Few, if anyone, took Russia up on the opportunity to leave the city.

There's an issue, of course, of civilians don't know who to trust and Russia has blamed rebels in Aleppo for stopping civilians from leaving, from using them as human shields. There's the fear that Russia, in the west that Russia could be using this humanitarian pause as a precursor to a major offensive on Aleppo.

Russia has denied those allegations but a great deal of skepticism here, Natalie, about whether or not this will work.

ALLEN: And of course we'll wait and see what are the next diplomatic steps to try to stop this. Thanks so much, Clare Sebastian for us, live in Moscow. Thanks, Clare.

Next here on CNN, why South Korea's president is issuing a tearful apology to her nation. We'll have a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00] ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers from around the world. I'm Natalie Allen. Let's update you on our top stories this hour.

The U.S. presidential election is just days away and it is very tight. The CNN poll of polls gives Hillary Clinton a slim four-point national lead over Donald Trump. Meantime, the candidates are battling for North Carolina which has 15 electoral votes. It is a must-win for Trump.

Protesters in the Afghan City of Kunduz have protested U.S. airstrike they say killed dozens of civilians. The NATO-led mission twitted the U.S. conducted strikes to defend friendly forces. Officials say two U.S. groups and four Afghan soldiers were in anti-Taliban operation in that area.

Rescuers have pulled hundreds of migrants alive from the Mediterranean sea, but more than 200 others are feared dead. Survivors say two boats they were on sank off the Libyan coast. A quarter million people have crossed the sea so far this year as they try to escape the turmoil in the homeland and reach Europe.

An explosion has injured at least six people in southeastern Turkey. It went off near a police station in the mainly Kurdish City of Diyarbakir. The cause of the explosion is not known but the region has seen violence between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish militants. Turkish authorities have detained at least 11 members of parliament from the main pro Kurdish opposition party.

The arrests were made during raids on Thursday night. The Turkish government accuses the party of having links with the Kurdish military group, the PKK. The party denies any direct ties with that group which considers a terrorist organization. Will Ripley joins us now live from Istanbul with more about it. It seems at least nine others from the same political party have also been detained, right?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Really extraordinary and for many here unsettling scenes overnight as the police began arriving at the homes of these lawmakers around midnight breaking down the doors, dragging them out, sometimes surrounded by crowds who were chanting that they need to fight, that they need to resist.

This is extraordinary and significant in this country because the president and co-chair of the third largest political party along with at least nine MPs have now been taken into custody in the middle of while parliament is in session. So essentially, they are now detained for up to 30 days and unable to do their jobs.

The official reason that is being given by the government is that they are under investigation for ties to terrorism, ties to that militant group, the PKK that the Turkish government has been fighting for more than 30 years. These are Kurdish in the country who say they deserve more rights.

But what you have seen is really a silencing of any opposing voices ever since the military coup back in July, Natalie. Ever since then, President Erdogan has enacted a state of emergency that has allowed him to fire tens of thousands of public servants. He is now going to be able to appoint the heads of universities. Just over the weekend, at least 15 opposition news outlets were shut down. The editor-in-chief and more than 10 journalists of an opposition newspaper were taken into custody. Two pro-Kurdish mayors also detained just over the weekend. And now you have the heads of this major political party that 6 million people voted for sitting in a prison cell possibly awaiting charges.

Many say this is just one more step towards this country becoming increasingly authoritarian under President Erdogan, Natalie, who is trying to seize more power and looking actually to change the law to give him even more power than he already has.

ALLEN: Yes, he certainly has been rounding up people now and then before of course after the coup and held them for some time. And it seems no coincidence that also silenced social networks there in Turkey.

RIPLEY: That's right. Shortly after these arrests overnight, some of the -- some of the opposition party leaders were actually tweeting ahead of their arrests. But then social media, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook was blocked and continues to be blocked. So people have to use a VPN to communicate. It is much slower.

The government says that they are trying to discourage negative activity over social media. And we have seen even before the attempted coup this government really cracking down on people for negative Facebook posts, arresting people for posting the wrong thing about the President Erdogan and his regime.

[03:35:00] And so that continues now today which could potentially discourage people from being able to communicate and being able to gather in groups. Because these arrests could trigger significant unrest in the streets which is what the government wants to crack down and avoid ahead of time.

ALLEN: Thanks for keeping us straight on the story. It is unreal what is happening there. Will Ripley live from Istanbul. Thank you, Will.

Thousands of protesters are marching through Jakarta, Indonesia demanding the ouster of the city's governor. They accuse the Christian and ethnic Chinese leader locally known as "Ahok," of blasphemy against Islam.

"Ahok" is alleged to have insulted the religion by criticizing his opponent's use of a Quranic verse in a stump speech. As many as 18,000 police are on hand to make sure the demonstration remains peaceful.

South Korea's leader Park Geun-hye says she will cooperate with investigators in a corruption scandal that is engulfing her administration. The president's friend, Choi Soon-sil, was arrested and charged with abuse of power and attempted fraud for meddling in state affairs. Park apologized again for the scandal.

(START VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought I was improving the economy and lives of the people. But in this process, a certain individual has committed corruption for personal gain. Everything is my fault and my mistake. And I feel huge responsibility for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Let's bring in Paula Hancocks who is following the story from Seoul of course with more about it. Paula, hello, thanks for being with us. I want to ask you, what's the reaction from voters, from citizens to this scandal? Is there any chance she might resign?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is certainly possible, Natalie. I mean, the trust in the president at this point is really at an all time low. Gallup Korea had an approval rating which they did between November 1st and 3rd, and they find the approval rating was 5 percent, which is the worst approval rating of any South Korean president in history.

That shows the level of anger at what has happened. We have been seeing many people on the streets of Seoul daily protests calling for her resignation. On Saturday, there's expected to be another big one as there was last Saturday. Organizers hope to have something like 100 people on the streets, although they can't say that for sure.

It shows that the South Korean people are not happy with what they see. The fact that President Park Geun-hye had this confidant, the fact that this confidant has had access to exclusive government documents and of course used that allegedly for her own personal gain. There really is a very high level of anger here in South Korea and the credibility of the president has taken a beating.

ALLEN: Yes. And speaking of credibility, there's also been a rumor that she was part of a cult.

HANCOCKS: This is something that President Park Geun-hye felt the need to address in this apology this Friday. It really was quite remarkable. The president of a country having to stand up in front of her own people and saying, I do not belong to a cult. Also having to say there have been no shamanistic rituals in the presidential policy. It really was quite a spectacular moment that she felt she have to say that. But there have been so many rumors and speculations here in South Korea.

The confidant who she had given this exclusive classified access to of government documents, her father actually set up a cult-like religion back in the 1970s. It's believed he also mentored President Park Geun- hye when she was in her 20s.

That family had a remarkable influence on President Park Geun-hye's family and this is where the rumor and speculation has started from. But it really is quite remarkable that she felt she had to bring it up in this this speech. This shows how many different levels there are to the story and how bizarre some elements are, Natalie.

ALLEN: Right. 5 percent approval rating. That shows the anger, as you say, that is there in Seoul over all of this. Thank you, Paula, for that report. We appreciate it. A Chinese conglomerate is making another big push in the U.S. entertainment market. The Dalian Wanda group has announced its $1 billion purchase of Dick Clark Productions. Wanda already owns the U.S. cinema chain AMC and Legendary Entertainment, which has produced such hits as "Jurassic World." Dick Clark Productions is known for the golden globes and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Next here on CNN Newsroom, there is a new wrinkle in the U.K. plan to part company with the European Union. A British court issues a ruling that could show Prime Minister Theresa May's departure time line. We will have live interview for you.

[03:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: People in the United Kingdom are waking up to morning tea and uncertainty. That is because Britain's high court Thursday told Prime Minister Theresa May she needs parliament's approval before she can go forward with Brexit. May's government is counting on a speedy appeal for next month. CNN Diana Magnay has more for us from London.

(START VIDEO CLIP)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brexit means Brexit has always been Prime Minister Theresa May's message. It has never been a question of if but when and how. The high court ruling that parliament must be consulted before May officially start the process certainly goes against her government's plan.

It may also test her promise that article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty will be triggered by the end of March, effectively the first step towards Brexit. The legal challenge came from an unlikely source. An investment manager and a hairdresser led a crowd-funded campaign against the might of the British government.

GINA MILLER, FUND MANAGER BEHING ARTICLE 50: The result today is about all of us. It's not about me or my team. It's about our United Kingdom and all our futures. It's not about how anyone voted. Every one of us voted for the best country and the best future. This case was about process, not politics.

MAGNAY: The people's challenge group had always insisted that it was not arguing against Brexit.

DAVID GREENE, PRESIDENT OF LONDON SOLICITORS LITIGATION ASSOCIATION: I never challenged the result of the referendum. In fact, I voted for Brexit in the referendum for the soul reason that I wanted power to be returned from Europe to the British parliament.

But I did not think it was right for the government to justify false parliament and try to take away my legal rights without consulting parliament first.

[03:45:00] MAGNAY: The government says it plans to appeal the high court ruling and will likely meet the people's challenge again next month in the Supreme Court. If it doesn't overturn the judgment, parliament will have to be consulted before triggering article 50. That process will involve several steps of debates and voting. The government will hope that ultimately a majority of MPs and lords respect the result of June's public vote.

LIAM FOX, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: The government is disappointed by the court's judgment. The country voted to leave the European Union in a referendum approved by an act of parliament.

The government is determined to respect the result of the referendum. This judgment raises important and complex masses of law and it is right that we consider it carefully before deciding how to proceed.

MAGNAY: Theresa May could face the daunting challenge of battling Brussels over trade while battling parliamentarians back home. Some conservative MPs for an early election is something that Theresa May has always resisted. But if she can't get anything through the house without it, she may think again. Diana Magnay, CNN, London.

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ALLEN: Let's break this down. Joining me now from London bureau is John Peet. He is a political editor for "The Economist." John, thank you for joining us. My goodness. The government is going to appeal to the Supreme Court. If their appeal is denied, part of it could have a much bigger role. How might this play out?

JOHN PEET, POLITICAL EDITOR FOR "THE ECONOMIST": I think delay is the key from this judgment. The government wanted to invoke the process of Brexit without having to get the approval of parliament. But they were told by the high court they couldn't do that. I expect the Supreme Court will agree with the high court because the judgment was a strong one. They will have to have a parliamentary bill in order to trigger this article 50 that leads to Brexit. That could certainly take two to three months at the beginning of next year.

ALLEN: What kind of blow is this to the new Prime Minister Theresa May and does this keep her on schedule for pulling out of the European Union officially?

PEET: I think it may delay it. So it may be a blow to her. She said at the conservative conference that she wanted to invoke article 50 that triggers the Brexit procedure by the end of March of next year. I think that is an extremely tight timetable and could easily slip one or two months.

But I don't think it will stop Britain leaving the European Union. I think it will still go ahead. We will have another year and a half, after she starts the process but Britain will probably leave by the middle of 2019.

ALLEN: 100 percent, they will be out. Is there any talk of a softer approach to Brexit and what that might look like? Do you think that is a possibility?

PEET: Yes, there certainly is talk of a softer approach to Brexit. I mean, it has been notable that the people that wanted to leave the European Union said what they wanted to return from Brussels to the house of parliament in Westminster. And yet they haven't given parliament much of a role. They want to just go ahead without parliament getting involved.

Now that parliament will be involved, thanks to the judges. I think there is quite a strong possibility that more members of parliament and House of Lords will start to say, we want to stay in a single market, we don't want to do any economic damage to the country as a result of Brexit. So I think they much more likely to push a softer Brexit than some wanted.

ALLEN: I want to ask you if politicians would be pressured to support Brexit now or just the votes of their constituents?

PEET: I think the having had a referendum of the subject and the referendum having had produced a clear majority to 48 percent in favor of leaving, I think it is unlikely, not impossible but unlikely that MPs will choose to ignore that. But as many people have pointed out, through this process, a vote to leave the European Union is one thing.

A vote to walk out on a single market and take back sovereignty from the European code of justice is another. The manner of Brexit was not on the ballot paper. And I think the argument will now shift to what form Brexit should take and how close the relationship Britain should keep with the European Union after it leaves.

ALLEN: And what about Scotland in all of this? That's been a big question.

PEET: Indeed Scotland and indeed Northern Ireland. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the European Union and of course there are many people in Scotland who think that Scotland should become independent of the United Kingdom.

I think they will be cheered by this court ruling because it will delay the process of Brexit and might raise more questions of what form the Brexit should take. I don't think that Scotland is gonna go for an early independence but the issue of independence is more strongly on the table than it was before the June 23rd vote to leave the European Union.

[03:50:00] ALLEN: Finally, John, how does this affect negotiating with the EU to make a post-Brexit deal like other countries involved in this?

PEET: I don't think it will have a big impact on this negotiation because they're gonna be very tough any way. The government was putting down some fairly firm red lines. We want to control migration from the rest of EU. We don't want to pay into the European budget. We don't want to be subject to the European Court of Justice. They put those red lines down.

The other countries were I think gearing up to be tough on that, on the basis of if you have those red lines you can't be a full member of the European single market. So I think the negotiation will be tough and go ahead.

I would guess the mood in Continental Europe will be slightly boosted by the fact the judges have taken this decision and they will be hoping for a softer approach from the British government than they might have otherwise had.

ALLEN: You will have some interesting stories to write in the days ahead as political editor for "The Economist" for sure. John Peet, thank you so much for joining us from London. Thank you.

PEET: Thanks.

ALLEN: Next here on CNN, see how one of the tiniest babies ever born anywhere is beating the odds and thriving.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

[03:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Finally this hour, a baby boy weighing less than half a kilo at birth is finally at home in the State of Nebraska. More than 300 days after he entered the world. Our Nebraska reporter from WOWT Malorie Maddox spoke with the happy parents.

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MALORIE MADDOX, ANCHOR/REPORTER AT WOWT: When Nathan Kepley (ph) came into this world, he was one of the smallest babies ever born.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His first picture I have my pinky right next to his hand and my nail of my pinky is as big as his hand.

MADDOX: He weighed just 14.99 ounces. His skin was nearly translucent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the minute I saw his first ultrasound, I knew he was going to be a fighter. He had his hands up to his face in the ultrasound like he was fighting, fists up.

MADDOX: And fight he did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Say hi.

MADDOX: This is Nathan today. After 307 days in the hospital, he is out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's doing amazing and we're home.

MADDOX: Nathan Kepley (ph) now weighs in at 15 pounds, 12 ounces and has lovable chubby cheeks to prove it. But his journey home was more than they ever expected.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had some health issues come up with our heart and lungs.

MADDOX: Nathan spent the first 10 months of his life in the hospital. It didn't stop his parents from creating special memories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had his newborn pictures done. He was finding Nemo. We went outside for our first stroller ride.

MADDOX: Although there are reminders all over his nursery about Nathan's continuing fight from the list of medications to the machines he's still hooked to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This allows us to be able to help our lungs grow and do what they need to do since he was so tiny and our lungs were so sick.

MADDOX: They are hopeful within a year Nathan can get off every machine. Until then they are cherishing their life as first-time parents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been amazing. After 10 months, it's so good to finally be home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Cannot imagine how good that feels. We wish them all the best, especially little Nathan. I'm Natalie Allen, thank you for watching this hour. The news continues next with Max Foster in London.

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