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Trump In China Talks Trade, North Korea; Fired Adviser Flynn Fearing For His Son; Another British Government Minister Resign; President Trump Change His Tone on China; Welsh Lawmaker's Death Shook British Parliament; Cuban and American Citizens Confused of New Trump Policy; Journalists Armed in Russia. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired November 09, 2017 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:10] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: Hello and welcome everyone. This is "CNN newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church at CNN center.
KRISTINE LU STOUT, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: And I'm Kristie Lu Stout at CNN Beijing. And we are seeing the U.S. President's delicate balancing act here as top leaders bringing up trade issues as well as North Korea.
CHURCH: And back home are we are learning that Mr. Trump's former national security advisor as serious concerns about his son's fate in the Russia investigation. Plus, more political turmoil for British Prime Minister Theresa May after another cabinet minister is forced to resign.
LU STOUT: It is a pivotal day of diplomacy for the U.S. President here in Beijing. He has spent the last several hours meeting China's top politicians and China's top business leaders. President Xi Jinping announced $250 billion worth of deals that were sign would the U.S. President Trump also met with China's premier. And earlier he attended bilateral talks with President Xi where he pressed China to do more on North Korea nuclear program. While no specifics were offered Mr. Trump said that he believed there is a solution to the crisis. Mr. Trump has been critical of China's trade practices and surplus, but he is toned down his rhetoric on his visit here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want a vibrant trade relationship with China we also want a fair and reciprocal one. Today I discussed with President Xi the chronic imbalance in our relationship as it pertains to trade and the concrete steps that will jointly take to solve the problem of the massive trade distortion. The United States is committed to protecting the intellectual property of our companies and providing a level playing field for our workers. At the same time our relationship with you and China is a very important one to me and to all of the people of our country.
XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (TRANSLATOR): As two distinctive countries our two sides may gave different views or differences on some issues, this is only natural. The key is to properly manage and handle them. There is far more common interest between our two countries than differentiates. It is important to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect each other's choice of developmental path and our difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: CNN's Beijing correspondent Matt Rivers is standing by for us. He joins us now live. And Matt just listening again to that sound bite from President Trump, taking this very measured approach on China trade, you can't help, but marvel at the difference in tone between Trump now and his first official visit with the President of Beijing and his tone as a candidate.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was cruel and harsh when talking about China on the campaign trail. He said things like the Chinese are raping the U.S. economically and they have really hurt the American worker over the years. It was that kind of language many people were expecting him to bring into the presidency. And yet we haven't really seen that in terms of his relationship with China and with Chinese President Xi Jinping. And a kind of more measured tone even took even a further approach when the President spoke at a signing ceremony talking about some of those deals you mentioned.
The President actually said that he did not blame China for unfair- trade agreement and the deficit. He went onto say that he blames past U.S. Administrations for allowing the situation to develop as it has, in terms of how he plans on correcting that imbalance as he puts it, he didn't really offer too many specifics. He really just pointed to those deals. But in terms of fixing things like intellectual property that, he didn't layout any specifics and Kristie I just came from an off camera briefing with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and the secretary of state didn't offer any further specifics either in terms of exactly what has gone behind the scenes with these ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and China on trade. Everyone say they want to bring the trade deficit down and everyone realizes it's a problem, but really no concrete steps have been out lined so far as to how it's going to be accomplished.
[03:05:05] LU STOUT: There is no concrete steps on how to reduce the trade deficit, but perhaps a new trade deals will be announced later on the day. Meanwhile the issue on North Korea, Donald Trump continues to make his position well known that China is the key. He wants China to use its leverage to further isolates North Korea. Is China giving any indication that it is willing to shift its policy in terms of Pyongyang?
RIVERS: Not fundamentally looked the Chinese have come to the strategic calculations that they don't want to do anything that could cause the kind of extreme instability within North Korea that could cause the regime to collapse. They are willing to take certain steps, though. They've gone along with the toughest ever sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council. And that is what they point to when the Trump administration levies accusations that China isn't doing enough, not using enough of its economic power to get North Korea to stop developing its nuclear weapons. But in that briefing Secretary of State Tillerson managed to stress -
he stressed over and over again that the objective between the United States and China is the same and that they want a complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Most analysts will tell you that is going to be extremely difficult to accomplish given North Korea's ultimate objectives here and the leverage that North Korea's has bringing nuclear weapons to the table. But the objective remains the same.
Where he says there are differences is the tactics and timing in all this. And what President Xi Jinping apparently told Donald Trump during this meetings is that he needs time for these sanctions to work. He said we have seen signs, and he didn't elaborate what these signs were, that these sanctions are hurting North Korea, but it's going to take time for North Korea to feel their full effects. And the Chinese believe that will eventually force them to the negotiating table. But in terms of really pushing and coming around to the U.S. side of things and taking further steps, no concrete action has seen announced on this particular trip.
LU STOUT: Thank you, Matt. Now, the dark cloud hanging over the meetings is of course, that looming issue of the ongoing stand up with North Korea. President Trump using opportunity to again call on his Chinese host and others to help pressure Pyongyang.
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TRUMP: All responsible nations must join together to stop arming and financing and even trading with the murderous North Korean regime. Together we have in our power to finally liberate this region and the world from this very serious nuclear menace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: North Korea has been paying close attention to Mr. Trump's trip to Asia and his rhetoric. Especially when he was in Seoul yesterday or the other day and President Trump warned Pyongyang quote, do not try us. And he said that North Korea is a quote, hell, no person deserves. And now North Korea is hitting back. Now, CNN is the only U.S. network reporting from Pyongyang during Trump's visit. Will Ripley has this exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
WILL RIPLEY, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: North Korea sharpening its personal attacks against U.S. President Donald Trump despite the President's more measured tone. He spoke in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea's leading newspaper finally acknowledging in its Thursday morning edition that President Trump did give a speech in Seoul. They didn't get into what the president said. There was not an official government response, but the newspaper did not mince words when talking about the President's speech to the South Korean national assembly. Likening his words to, and I'm quoting here, warmongering, filthy rhetoric, spewing out of his snout like garbage that (inaudible) of gunpowder to ignite war. North Korea media right now has been focusing more on the anti-Trump protest that has been happening in South Kore without mentioning of course that there are also pro-Trump demonstrations.
There's another article out ahead of the President's speech, yet again another personal attack on the U.S. President saying quote, the U.S. must oust the lunatic old man from power and withdraw the hostile policy. What we have not heard, at least not yet from North Korea are the threats that they made in recent months to annihilate the mainland United States with nuclear weapons? But they've continued to say it is the United States and not their own government that is pushing the situation in this region very close to an all-out nuclear conflict. Meanwhile in China the President Trump tries to convince the Chinese President Xi Jinping to crack down on North Korea over its human rights record. There are some indications here in North Korea that China is in fact tightening the screws. There are reports out by Reuters and NK news citing source that China has completely cutoff tourism to this country. That would not be necessarily major source of revenue, but certainly another symbolic act by China to cut off this regime even though there have been so cordial communications in exchange of letters between the leaders of North Korea and China. Will Ripley, CNN Pyongyang, North Korea.
(END VIDEO)
[03:10:25] LU STOUT: You know it is interesting there's been no fiery rhetoric from Donald Trump in regards with North Korea during his five nation tour of Asia and yet as you heard in Will's report, Pyongyang is not mincing its word when it comes to what it really thinks on the U.S. President. Back to you, Rosemary Church in Atlanta.
CHURCH: We are seeing a very different U.S. President there in China. Many thanks to you Kristine, we'll come back to you in just bit.
Let's turn now to the Russia investigation. It's normal of course for a father to be concerned about his son. But it's a bit different when that father is former U.S. National security advisor Michael Flynn. He is under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller. And CNN has learned he is concerned his son may be as well. CNN's Jim Sciutto has details.
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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm told by multiple sources familiar with the matter that Flynn has expresses concern about the potential legal exposure of his son Michael Flynn, Jr. who like his father is under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller. Flynn's concern could be a factor into the decision about how to respond to Mueller's ongoing investigation in the Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign and the business dealings of key Trump campaign advisers. I am told that Flynn's wife Lori shares his concerns about their son's possible legal exposure.
Two witnesses interviewed by special council investigators tell me questions regarding Flynn focus on his and his son's business dealings including their firms reporting on income from overseas. The Foreign Registration Act or FRA requires those acting as agents for foreign entities publicly disclose those relationships and any financial compensation that they receive for such work. Flynn Jr. who serves as his father's chief of staff and top aide was actively involved in his father's consulting and lobbying work at their firm, that included joining his father on overseas trips, such as one to Moscow in December 2015 when Flynn dined with the Russian President Vladimir Putin at a black tie gala for the Russian Today or RT television network.
Flynn senior also under legal scrutiny by Mueller's team for undisclosed lobbying during the campaign on behalf of Turkish government and Flynn's alleged participation and discussions about the idea of forcibly removing a Turkish cleric who's been living in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in exile. Flynn business dealings have been the subject of federal investigation since November. This is prior of course to Mueller's appointment. It is not clear that either of the Flynn's will in the end face charges once the investigation is complete. I should note that Flynn's attorney did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Flynn junior's lawyer declined to comment for the story. Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO)
CHURCH: And a mystery of sorts in the Russia investigation. He could be the link between the Trump campaign and the kremlin. But where is the man known as the professor? And Nick Robertson joins us u now. This professor allegedly claim, to have dirt on Hillary Clinton. Tell us more about him and what you're learning.
NIC ROBERTSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean this is a man whom the FBI has all but named in an affidavit against George Papadopoulos, the foreign policy advisor for then candidate Trump. So what the professor knows about his conversations with Russian officials would be a great interest to the FBI. But his stories have been contradictory. A week ago he dropped out of sight, but we've been learning a whole lot more about him.
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ROBERTSON: Professor Joseph (inaudible). A middle aged Maltese lecturer on diplomacy fitting the description of foreign contact won in the FBI's affidavit against then candidate Trump's foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos has disappeared, laying low. He was last seen around Rome's university where he is working. Three days after the affidavit was unsealed, the FBI affidavit alleges in the spring of 2016 and he told Papadopoulos that the Russian had thousands of e- mails relating to Clinton. The day before he disappeared he told the Italian magazine (inaudible) Papadopoulos claim was baloney. I absolutely exclude the fact that I spoke of secrets regarding Hillary Clinton he told them.
[03:15:04] ROBERTSON: Yet it appears to fly directly in the face of what a former associate of his told CNN that he bragged to him that the Russians had a bunch of stuff on Hillary right around the same time he was meeting with Papadopoulos mid-April last year. He appeared to enjoy being the center of attention, they said. Indeed he is been getting a lot of attention from the Russians for several years. Photograph here with the Russian ambassador from London in 2014 whom he introduced Papadopoulos to days after he had become an advisor to Trump. He was a participate in the kremlin connected club, attending conferences in Russia, occasionally given speaking roles often reserved for more qualified delegates. It was following an engagement in Moscow April 19th last year that Papadopoulos told him the Russians had dirt on Hillary. The FBI affidavit states the Russian government and its security and intelligence services frequently make use of non-governmental intermediaries to achieve their foreign policy objectives.
That description non-governmental intermarry does appear to fit (inaudible). His former associate say the he (inaudible) self- aggrandizement, name dropping and passing on pretty much anything he was told good have been used as a go between. Until he hit the headlines last week, his career had been an extreme track record. Since being dragged into the limelight as a controversial link to possible Russian malfeasance, he has become an object of ridicule in Russia. One TV host calling him a retired bottom feeder diplomat. For many Russia watchers such character assassination is suspicious and further clouds his already shaky reputation.
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ROBERTSON: As far at Sterling University go they believe he is what he is told them, which is someone who's got good contacts to ambassadors and other senior officials in many countries around the world. And this is really the picture that emerges of a man who's sort of traded on the ability to make connections, to introduce people to other people. You know, when you look at his professional background over the last dozen or so years he does seem to have moved from one position to another, working with the University in the U.K Sterling University in Scotland. That relationship fell through. The London academy of diplomacy that he was having in conjunction with the University of (Inaudible), that facility has closed.
(END VIDEO)
CHURCH: We hope to learn me on this as we move forward. Nic Robertson reporting for us there. Thank you so much.
Let's take a very short break here. Theresa May has lost another cabinet member. What prompted the British Prime Minister to call for the second resignation this week? That is coming up next.
And U.S. Democrats win big on election night 2017. The message some voters were trying to send Republicans. We're back in a moment with that and more.
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[03:20:48] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, a second member of British Prime Minister Theresa May cabinet house resigned. Patel left her post on Wednesday after admitting she had secret meetings with it Israeli prime minister and other officials in August. Dianne Magnay has more now from London.
(BEGIN VIDEO) DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rarely has the Nairobi flight path
been so avidly track, for a government minister to get this type of media escort on a short trip. So why you ask was this one? Because Priti Patel appears to be less than transparent about a series of meeting she had with Israeli officials while she was on holiday in Israel last summer. When their ministers meet with foreign officials, in this instance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their down time. It seems she still hadn't been informed, didn't know that Patel had floated the idea into departmental discussions of sending aide to the Israeli Defense forces to support humanitarian operations, impossible for Britain given it views the Israel's occupation of the Golan heights as illegal. It was only on Monday that Patel issued an apology for failing to follow the usual protocol having told Theresa May that he actually held 12 separate meetings in Israel, which might seem like an official business on her family holiday.
Theresa May then seem prepared to arrest but two days later revelations that they had in fact been more meetings at which point Mrs. May felt that she need to summon Patel back from Uganda and have a final reckoning with her. In an exchange of letters accepting Patel's resignation the Prime Minister she said as you know the U.K. and Israel are close allies and it is right we should work closely together, but that must be done formally and through official channels. Theresa May's government has never seen so fragile. A rare assertion of authority with a cabinet where it's in short supply. Dianna Magnay CNN, London.
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CHURCH: To U.S. Politics now. Tuesday's election gave Democrats their first major wins during Donald Trump's presidency. Democrats beat Republicans in high profile governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. And they also won smaller races around the country. Party leader say they are hopeful they can take control of the house and senate next year. Meanwhile - this victories were referendum on the president's performance. CNN's David Chalian explains. Mr. Trump is not faring well with the American public.
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DAVID CHALIAN, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, CNN: Let's start with the question that we ask people, do you have confidence in President Trump since he is taken office after watching his statements and actions after his presidency. Nearly two thirds of Americans 64 percent have a decreased level in confidence in his ability to serve, 30 percent increased, and 4 percent no change. How does this break down by Party? Nearly a quarter of Republican have a decreased level of confidence in President Trump's ability to serve.
Nearly two thirds of independents and of Democrats are completely done. They have completely decreased in their confidence. What about his promises kept? 40 percent of Americans in this survey say yes, President Trump is doing a good job of keeping his promises. But 55 percent, a majority say he is not doing a good job and take a look how that measures up from April. We asked the same question at his 100 day mark, down 8 points. Back in April 48 percent of Americans said he was keeping his promises. Now it's just 40 percent. So some backsliding there since April while President Trump overseas we asked, of course, do leers of other countries respect President Trump.
[03:25:03] Look at these numbers. 24 percent, only a quarter of Americans say, yes, the President is respected by leaders of other countries. 68 percent say no. And this in April was at 36 percent. So it's gone down 12 points since April. And that drop is largely driven by Republicans.
(END VIDEO)
CHURCH: Avid Chalian reporting there. Well, a number of first time female candidates won on Election Day in the United States. Many of whom ho ran campaigns in direct opposition to the President. Our Kyung Lah has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
KYUNG LAH, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Call this the aftershock to Trump's electoral earthquake. Newly elect, women storming in to Virginia state government from Jennifer Carol to Cathy Tran, Virginia's first elected Asian American women, Danica Roem elected as the state's first openly transgender lawmaker. And Hala Ayala, receiving calls of congratulations, she is one of two Latinas to be elected to Virginia's House of Delegates for the first time, Ayala is a first time candidate motivated to run because of Trump.
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HALA AYALA, VIRGINIA HOUSE DELEGATE-ELECT: I didn't know what was going to happen to our nation. I was afraid. I just knew that everything that Donald Trump represented could be in my own backyard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: Virginia of the more than a dozen Republican seat flipped, 11 were won by women. But it's beyond this one state. Across the country voters elected New Hampshire, to Charlotte, North Carolina to Seattle Washington.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is what we saw yesterday women all coming together and saying no, we are not going backward in this country.
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LAH: The women's March the day after Trump's inauguration may have been the beginning, an anger that moved protesters onto the streets into training for politics. Across blue and red states, organizations training women to run for office have seen exponential growth since November 2016.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women happened. Women rose up after the election of the most misogynistic President in history, and they decided to run. And they ran great races, and they unseated Republicans.
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LAH: Hala Ayala admittedly a little stunned after her historic win in Virginia predicts more ceilings crumbling throughout the Trump era.
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AYALA: A lot of us who are elected yesterday don't think our fight ends here. We must continue to fight and work with next year's election. We're going to work twice as hard.
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LAH: What she is talking about there is bench. Once they win state and local office, they eventually try to run for national office. And advocates also say that they have thousands of women they're training in the pipeline to run for office. A new generation made by engaged women. Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO)
CHURCH: And we'll have more news from CNN headquarters. But let's go back now to Kristine Lu Stout live in Beijing. Kristine.
LU STOUT: Rosemary thank you. The U.S. President wrapping up his historic visit to China in a couple of hours now with a state dinner. He will leave the country with $250 billion worth of new trade deals. We'll take a closer look at what he did and what he did not accomplish here.
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[03:30:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, HOST, CNN:
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, CNN: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Kristie Lu Stout, coming to you live from Beijing.
Now the most diplomatically sensitive stop on the U.S. president's Asia tour is winding down. Donald Trump will attend the state dinner with the great people here in Beijing in about an hour and a half from now.
Now the day has been filled with meetings with Chinese business leaders and its political elite. Now though President Trump and President Xi Jinping have key differences on North Korea and trade they projected a warm relationship after their talks. Mr. Xi downplayed their differences.
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XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): The Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate both China and the United States. The two sides needs to step up communication and cooperation on Asia- Pacific affairs to foster common friends and build constructive interactions and jointly maintain and promote peace and stability and prosperity in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Though Mr. Trump called China's trade surplus horrible and embarrassing, I mean, last week he offered a different view of relations here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Right now unfortunately it is a very one-sided and unfair one, but, but I don't blame China.
(APPLAUSE)
After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens? I give China a great credit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Now Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later told reporters that that remark was a little bit tongue and cheek.
Now with us is Wang Huiyao, he is the founder and president of the Center of China Globalization. Thank you very much for joining us in the program. And we just aired that sound bite from Donald Trump earlier today where he says he doesn't blame China for the surplus, he blames his predecessors.
Do you feel that given the warm welcome that Xi Jinping is offered Donald Trump that Xi Jinping had succeeded in winning Trump over?
WANG HUIYAO, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, CENTER FOR CHINA AND GLOBALIZATION: I think that the two does have a chemistry and the things that Donald Trump work, I mean, President Xi have in Mar-a- Lago, you know, early this April. I think now President Xi wants to have reciprocal treatment of course as a state visit.
STOUT: Yes.
HUIYAO: Plus, receive this plus have a great effect. Of course, we had Mr. Trump touring the Forbidden City. We had him also other at the Great Wall, people goes through the welcome ceremony. So I think there was -- there was a personal chemistry and a good relation that exist between President Xi and President Trump.
So that actually I think does have some effect. In terms of soft tone, Donald Trump's tones, but I think also Donald Trump has come to realize that China offers long history of such a big country complex and so much progress be made in the past.
He come for the first time to realize to see in person and to see is believing that China does has made a lot of the progress. And that seems kind of publicly needs to take China seriously, and also of course causing a different tune rather than harsh term in the past.
STOUT: China is succeeding on building this good relationship this great rapport between Xi and Trump and that is not going to translate into any type of policy change in regards to North Korea. We know that Trump wants China to apply more pressure to isolate Pyongyang. China is not going to do that.
Why is it that China thinks its policy on North Korea is working?
HUIYAO: I think that interestingly, you know, this time we didn't see North Korea launch any new missile. They normally do in any event.
STOUT: So that's progress.
HUIYAO: Or at least at this time they try to behave. But I think that President Xi and President Trump does send a strong signal that they are going to work, that they are going to, you know, really take this issue seriously.
[03:34:57] And of course also that this is one of the top issue that they are discussing today, and I think that North Korea has to take seriously.
Now the two country the largest -- the second country get together and then trying to solve this issue. I think where's the determination, where's the diplomacy this can be solve, you know. Ways to, you know, really the wisdom and also the measures to taken. Of course, sanctions also applied, plus of course, the U.S. and China probably can have more measures on that.
I think the two has been and also the world community support of this kind of new measures will have psychological impact on South Korea and North Korea as well.
STOUT: Yes, and heaven forbids that there is another provocative act by North Korea. In the meantime, on the issue of trade.
HUIYAO: Yes.
STOUT: We know that a number deals will be announced between U.S. and China on (AUDIO GAP) tone of $50 million deal at least, we're not going to see any headway on the larger structural issues like China's trade surplus.
In terms of trade relationship is China the winner here?
HUIYAO: Well, I would claim that China is the winner, but at least that we are having a more dialogue and more business community to meet each other. And also we see heavy trade of the business leaders coming, and actually before President Trump bring the delegation, we see the CEO of Apple, we seen Microsoft Bill Gates, all came in, (Inaudible) they all came around this time.
So actually it shows the business community it has really importance to the China-U.S. relations, I think this relation. So I think this kind of hot scene that we haven't seen for a long time can send good signals, can also warm-up the business community on both countries so that, you know, the government actually can end the pressure to find measures, policies to solve the issues.
So creating an atmosphere of friendly businesslike and those of, you know, deal making that is important, particularly for the U.S. as well. So 250 billion U.S. dollars is not a small deal but I think that that's a good beginning.
So, we hope that we could see more of that can happen and also we see more involvement of China into the U.S. investment infrastructure, you know, either one-by-one role so that we can have more collaboration between the multinationals from U.S. and multinational China so that we can really influence the government policy on that, and also hopefully we relaxed the restrictions on both sides and then we can get more balanced of the picture of the trade.
STOUT: All right, Wang Huiyao, thank you very much for joining me.
Now let's take it back to Rosemary Church in Atlanta. Rosemary?
ROSEMARY CHURCH, HOST, CNN: Kristie Lu Stout with that great coverage from Beijing where it is 4.37 in the afternoon. Many thanks.
We go to Wales now, and Carl Sargeant was among the many men accused of sexual misconduct in politics, the media, and Hollywood. The Walsh lawmaker was removed from his job and just days later he was found dead in his home of an apparent suicide.
Our Isa Soares has more now from Wales.
ISA SOARES, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The small town of Connah's Quay in rural Wales is a community now in shock and mourning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think so and a lot of people devastated. He was a lovely, lovely guy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've ever heard about him and what people say, he's lovely and it's really sad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Its local parliamentarian Carl Sargeant was stripped of his ministerial duties last week amid allegations of sexual harassment. Four days later he was found dead at home. His family said they're devastated beyond words.
"He was the glue that bound us together," they said in a statement, "he was the heart of our family we loved him so very much."
His last message on social media was posted on Friday, saying the allegations have been made about his personal conduct, claims he described a shocking and distressing. But he added that the details of the allegations had not been disclosed to him. His family said he was denied fairness and common courtesy. The Wales first minister, the man who sacked him was today saying very little.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARWYN HOWELL JONES, WELSH FIRST MINISTER OF WALES: We remember the family today. That's all I can say. It's important to show that respect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Here in northern Wales there is a sense of shock that this could have happen to a man who has dedicate his life to his constituents, a kind and passionate politician, a man of the people, a gentle giants as one of his friends told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK TAMI, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: With allegations it's never ever going to be easy and I'm not saying it's a really right road but we really do need to learn the lessons because Carl lost his life here and we really need to look at that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The circumstances surrounding Carl Sargeant's death have focused debate on how such claims should be dealt with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
You can't allege something without giving somebody the details. I mean, how it works in this country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's been an accusation he's not able to defend it because he doesn't know what that accusation is and that makes you of ignorance that can play on a guy's mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:39:59] SOARES: And on social media his death is already been used to justify arguments on both sides. One Twitter user describe Carl Sargeant as the first victim on the new guilty until proven innocent system. But others point out that while his death is sad the number of people who have harmed or killed themselves due to sexual abuse is infinitely higher.
At the top levels of government in U.K. there's been an acknowledgment that more needs to be done to encourage sexual harassment victims to come forward. But when the alleged perpetrator is a public figure there can be risk in naming them and for Carl Sargeant ultimately a tragedy.
Isa Soares, CNN, in Northern Wales.
CHURCH: And we're take a very short break here, but still to come a spate of violent attacks against Russian journalist is pushing one newspaper editor to arm his reporters.
Plus, President Trump tightened sanctions on Cuba, why the list of restrictions could cause more confusion than anything else were next, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. In Russia, a spike in violence against journalists has led the editor of the most prominent opposition newspaper to say he will arm his staff with non-lethal weapons.
Our Fred Pleitgen reports now from Moscow.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The aftermath of yet another attack on the Russian journalist. This CCTV footage shows radio host Tatyana Felgenhauer just seconds after this man stormed into the studio and stabbed her in the neck. The victim's boss, Alexei Venediktov, the head of Ekho radio which release the video blames Russian authorities for failing to stop violence against reporters and fueling hatred of independent and critical media.
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ALEXEI VENEDIKTOV, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EKHO MOSKVY RADIO STATION (through translator): State media journalists get killed in military zones and journalists working for media that is not controlled by the Kremlin die in Moscow St. Petersburg and (Inaudible) they are being attacked and injured and the authorities in my opinion enable this by not investigating these cases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: In this case the suspect, Boris Grits came to Russia from Israel, he's not yet entered a plea. Russian authorities say he's mentally unstable leaving the Kremlin to brush off any notion of government sanctioned hostility towards journalists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What does freedom of speech have to do with this? A sick person arrived from Israel and attacked this journalist. Echo Moscow is funded by the government, nothing like that even exists in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Ekho radio is owned by Russia's state oil giant Gazprom but is known for broadcasts critical of the government. There is a troubled history of violence against journalists in Russia, many harassed and some even killed.
[03:44:57] The most prominent with investigative reporter, Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down in the lobby of her apartment building in 2006. She worked for this publication, Novaya Gazeta, which holds its meeting under the pictures of six of its reporters who were killed doing their jobs.
Now their chief editor Dmitry Muratov is saying enough is enough and wants to arm his reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMITRY MURATOV, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, NOVAYA GAZETA (through translator): I know that my statement called a lot of controversy. Some people thought it's a metaphor but it is not a metaphor as the government cannot protect journalists and we lost six people to murderers. We made a decision to provide them with means of self-defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: He says he hoped Russian authorities would feel pressured by his announcement and pledged to better protect journalists. Instead, two Russian gun makers offer the paper a discount on easy to use weapons. Novaya Gazeta's management says despite the risks they won't compromise their journalism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURATOV (through translator): We participate in global investigations. We fight corruption and our journalist go to war zones. We achieve a lot because when civil society has given open and truthful information it starts to demand certain measures from the authorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Tatyana Felgenhauer shared her will to carry on two weeks after getting stabbed she was back on the air against the will of her doctors and her boss. Refusing to be silenced hoping she won't be attacked for doing her job again.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
CHURCH: Well, police in Australia have arrested five activists who scale the Sydney Opera House to bring attention to what they say as a growing humanitarian crisis on Mannes Island. Hundreds of refugees at a former Australian run immigration center have been left without food, clean water, and electricity for more than a week now.
The center officially closed on October 31st. It was where asylum- seekers found in Australian waters used to be taken and it was returned to the Papua New Guinea defense force which owns the land.
Now the refugees have been ordered to move to other transit centers but they refused to leave at this point, saying they fear for their safety from locals who don't want them living on the island. Authorities in Papua New Guinea now say the refugees have two days to leave the center otherwise they may be forcibly removed.
The United States is ending a program that helps children fleeing from violence in some Central American countries. It's called the Central American Minors program and it allows children in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to apply for refugee status before leaving for the United States.
The State Department will start accepting new applications at midnight Thursday. It will focus instead on more targeted refugee processing in Central America. The program began in 2014 when tens of thousands of children were fleeing the violence in their homelands.
Cracking down on immigration was a pillar of the Trump campaign and now he's following up on his promise to restrict business and travel to Cuba. Most solo travel is banned. Americans can no longer visit the island unless they are part of a sponsored group in the U.S. with specific permission.
Business, religious, diplomatic and other non-academic or people-to- people travel is heavily restricted. Americans also banned from certain establishments because they believe to be linked to the military or security services.
Our Patrick Oppman goes over those restrictions and why they may soon be causing a lot of confusion.
PATRICK OPPMAN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: We are outside the hotel of Ambos Mundos hotel in old Havana, this is where Ernest Hemingway at one point lived and did a lot of his writing. It's also one of the places that according to the U.S. government U.S. citizens are now no longer allowed to frequent.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration released a list of 180 entities, marinas, hotels, stores, and businesses as they say are too closely linked with Cuba's military and intelligence services and they are banning U.S. citizens from having any kind of -- doing any kind of business with these places.
They say the ideas to put the financial squeeze on the Cuban government, and also give more business from Americans to Cuba's emerging private sector. But for Americans in Cuba it's confusing because while this hotel is now on the banned list, just cross the Plaza Hotel that is also run by the Cuban government it is fine to stay at the hotel Santa Isabel.
And the reason may be that that hotel has a management agreement with Sheridan Hotels. None of Sheridan hotels in Cuba have been affected by these regulations. All U.S. officials would tell us as they head Cuba and U.S. interests into account.
[03:50:02] But for Americans visiting Cuba it's going to be up to them to know which hotels are banned and which hotels are not.
The new regulations could even affect your choice of beverage while visiting Cuba. On the list of banned companies is the maker of this government aid rum Ron Caney. And I tell you if you order the more he's telling came with this rum you'll be violating the new regulations. But if you order one with his other rum which was also made the Cuban government but it's not on the list of banned companies that would be fine.
No one expects that the Trump administration will be able to impose the regulations to this degree but for Americans who are wanting to come to Cuba and comply with the new regulations for American tour operators they are going to keep track of every transaction. It's going to create a lot more headaches and a lot of red tape.
One thing will not be changing is how Americans get to Cuba. U.S. official say that recently restored crews and airline service from the U.S. to the island will continue. And that's important because U.S. is cracking down on individual travel at the island so you may have to come and organized tours or in big crew ships like this one.
A lot of people that I talked to whose travelers say ironically that that's actually not a very good way to have genuine interactions with the Cuban people when you come on these big tours. So a lot of people may say that they are just going to skip coming to Cuba altogether because there's just too much uncertainty over this new regulations.
Cuban official say that that maybe the whole point of the new Trump administration policy towards Cuba keeping the Americans away.
Patrick Oppman, CNN, Havana.
CHURCH: We'll take another break but just ahead here on CNN, Barack Obama gets his day in court and is promptly sent home. We will tell you about the former president's dive into the jury pool.
And, an unusual development in facial recognition involving the ex- president and some very clever chip. We're back in a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back. Well, a jury of course is supposed to be a group of your peers, 12 average people with a solemn job, but imagine is one of those jury candidates was a top legal scholar who once have the top political job in the United States.
Jeanne Moos tells us what happened when Barack Obama reported for jury duty and why he didn't make the cut.
JEANNE MOOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: President Obama didn't arrive quite likely other the jurors. He came in a motorcade, news choppers track his progress to Chicago's Daley Center. He entered the garage and took in the elevator reserved for judges. But once inside the jury room he mingled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thanks, everybody for serving on the jury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: You know those how to be a juror movies they make you watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: While in the courthouse wear your juror badge. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: The former president and head of the Harvard law Review even sat through one of those. The Secret Service did one request of the other potential jurors, and actually was more of a demand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay seated, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay seated, ma'am. Ma'am, stay seated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Other former presidents have had jury duty, guess who showed up, tweeted a guy who post with George W. Bush in 2015, and Donald Trump served shortly after he announced he's running for president comedian Bobby Moynihan happen to have a jury duty at the same time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:55:01] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took a little creeper photo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Trump, Bush, and now Obama were all dismissed. Obama was at the courthouse less than two hours, long enough to impress the potential juror who shot this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGEL MARTINEZ, PROSPECTIVE JUROR: Luckily I got to take the pan so that was pretty awesome. I thought that was like the most highlight of my day, and probably of my life, you know.
MOOS: Now don't sell yourself short, who knows what could happen you got a lot of more years of that.
MARTINEZ: That's true.
OBAMA: This looks like Chicago right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Angel Martinez kept panning to himself, obviously delighted. One thing the juries not out on is Obama's handshake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTINEZ: He had soft hands. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
CHURCH: How about that? Well, Barack Obama's hands may be memorable to some people but to eight sheep in England it's his face that's unforgettable. Scientist from the University of Cambridge found they could train the animals to recognize human faces from photos.
The sheep was shown images of specific celebrities including the former president, then the celebrities face were shown next to an unknown person. Each time the sheep recognize the famous image it got a snap. It turns out the sheep could identify the familiar face about four times out of five.
Researchers say the findings could help them understand certain brain disorders that affect the memory such as Huntington's disease. How about that.
Well, a nine-year-old boy in the United States who is dying of cancer got an early Christmas gift, thousands of them to be exact. Doctors told Jacob Thompson's family in early October he probably only had a month to live, so Jacob made a wish. He wants the people to send cards to share in his Christmas spirit, and they have certainly delivered.
Since making his request he's received more than 40,000 cards from all around the world. The police in his area also saluted him on Wednesday with a drive-by parade pas his hospital and they even delivered more cards and gifts all in all truly a Christmas miracle.
And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. CNN Newsroom continues next with max Foster in London. Do stay with us, and have yourselves a great day.
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