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World Headlines; China Presidency; Cirque du Soleil Performer Dies After Fall; Destination India; Cherry Blossoms Bloom Across Southwest China. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired March 19, 2018 - 08:30   ET

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


[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Welcome to News Stream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Demanding assets from Russia, the E.U. wants Moscow to respond to allegations of the chemical weapons program after the Salisbury attack.

Putin celebrates. The Russian President wins a fourth term, the election commission calling it a landslide victory. And extending power, as China's

President Xi Jinping is reappointed with a list of the villages that become a shrine to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: The E.U. is telling Russia it wants answers and fast. European Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels say Moscow needs to provide, quote,

full and complete disclosure of its Novichok program.

Well, this comes as chemical weapons inspectors are due to arrive in the English City of Salisbury, where a former Russian spy and his daughter were

poisoned earlier this month. This British Foreign Secretary is in Brussels briefing his E.U. counterpart on the nerve agent attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Today the technical experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are arriving in

the U.K. to take the samples from Salisbury, and in the meantime the Russian denials grow increasingly absurd.

At one time they say that they never made Novichok, and at another time they say that they did make Novichok, but all the stocks have been

destroyed.

And then again, they say that they made Novichok, and all the stocks have been destroyed. But some of them have mysteriously escaped to Sweden, or

the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or the United States, or even America.

And I think what people can say -- or the United Kingdom. And I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russian strategy of trying to

conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson there. Well, Russia is hitting back, demanding an apology over the accusations.

And Nic Robertson is in London for us, and Melissa Bell is standing by in Salisbury, England. Nic, let's begin with you. We've just obviously heard

from Boris Johnson.

But we have also heard from the Kremlin, saying that the U.K. must back up its claims of Russian involvement in nerve agent -- in this nerve agent

attack or apologize. Clearly, Russia and the newly re-elected Vladimir Putin believe there is no case to answer for.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the back up that Britain is actually getting is from its allies, and partners in the European Union

issuing a statement saying that Russia has to answer these questions as well.

So the view from Moscow may be, as Boris Johnson puts it, that they can prevaricate, and put up a number of -- you know, a number of counterclaims,

if you will.

But at the moment, the preponderance of support is going to Britain's position, whether it's the European Union, we heard from the German

President today, the former Chairman, and Foreign Minister Walter Steinmeier essentially is talking about the relationship with Russia is in

very bad place.

And that's a continuing narrative. You know, comes the British government, they say they now support from 20 different countries on six different

continents for their version of events. So this is developing into something of a diplomatic standoff.

And perhaps the next significant move may come when OPCW inspectors have been able to do their job, and provide their analysis, which would then

give Britain a greater support for whatever other diplomatic actions it would want to take to Russia on this situation.

And it does seem that it's got, you know, the European Union and other support for what those actions may be. Because they're all saying, Russia

must answer the questions. And that is becoming the cross (ph) of it now.

COREN: Nic, obviously, Boris Johnson, he's already accused Putin of personally directing the attack. Now as we've heard from him then, he said

that the U.K. had evidence that Russia has been creating and stockpiling nerve agent for the past ten years, including Novichok. Where is this tit-

for-tat heading?

ROBERTSON: Well, again I think part of it comes to Britain building international support. And when we talk about Novichok, you know it's been

discussed that this was something developed in the '70s and 80's by the Soviet Union. But every international statement we see, whether it's this

one coming from the European Union, the one coming from NATO.

[08:05:01] And Boris Johnson will meet with the NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg later today, whether it was the statement from the United States, Germany,

France, and Britain last week.

They all say Russia is involve with Novichok, which seems to at least support Boris Johnson's position that Russia had been involved with this

nerve agent while it's been the Russian federation subsequent to the Soviet Union.

So where is it going? It seems to be going in the direction that Britain is going build an international support for its position that then may lead

to sanctions of some description against Russia, because it's widely acknowledged that Britain expelling 23 Russian diplomats is really nothing.

That it's not going to have a big impact. And the narrative emerging is that there is a growing consensus that Russia must change its behavior, and

perhaps it will coalesce around this use of nerve agent.

COREN: Well, Nic, if I can get you to stand by, and bring Melissa now into the conversation. Melissa, the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical

Weapons has arrived in the U.K., heading to Salisbury to test samples of this nerve agent used in the attack. What can we expect?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they -- Porton Down, which is a facility where the samples that have been collected here in Salisbury like

a sites -- like the one behind me, the restaurant where Sergei and Yulia Skripal had lunch on March 4th, there are still a number of them cordoned

off.

I am told by a police that they will remain cordoned off for a week. And it is here those samples were collected, and taken to Porton Down, and

those inspectors from the Organizations for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be examining them, will be testing them, and will be coming to a

conclusion.

And I think many people, including the Europeans, will be waiting to hear precisely what those inspectors find. This morning's statement was

extremely interesting.

The Europeans -- European partners of Britain said that they took extremely seriously the U.K. government's assessment that it was highly likely that

the Russian federation was responsible.

It didn't go so far as to say that it shared that assessment. The statement goes on to say that it supports Britain's move of getting these

inspectors in to prove its case. But the point is that we are going to get to the bottom of these claims and counterclaims.

And in a sense, this war of words, this ratcheting up of the rhetoric that we've seen from Moscow, and from London over the course of the last weekend

will be resolved by the inspection that is going on just a couple of miles outside of Salisbury, even now of those samples that were collected.

COREN: And, Melissa, any update on the condition of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and that local policeman who were affected by that military-grade

nerve agent?

BELL: Well, the local police Nick Bailey, who is one of the first responders to come into contact with the Skripals, and was hospitalized

with them, one of the three people who needed that hospital treatment is -- has improved.

He is able to communicate, and medical authorities say that they believe that he will recover. As for Sergei and Yulia Skripal, more than two weeks

from now since they were found on that park bench, and they remain in a critical, and it is believed life-threatening condition.

So there has been very little progress made on that front and indeed at this stage. It's unclear whether they will survive the attack on their

lives, of course, of March 4th.

But -- and the point has been made a number of times at Porton Down, this facility which specializes in these sorts of weapons not been as close as

it is to Salisbury, there's very little chance that they would have survived at all. Anna.

COREN: Melissa Bell in Salisbury, Nic Robertson in London, we thank you both for your reporting. Well, as the standoff between Downing Street and

the Kremlin intensifies, Russia's President is reiterating that Moscow was not behind the Salisbury attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through a translator): In the first place, if it had been a military-grade poisonous gas, they would have died

on the spot. That's absolutely obvious. You have to realize that.

Russia does not have any substances of this kind. We destroyed all our chemical weapons, and that was monitored by international observers.

Moreover, we were the first to do it, as opposed to many of out other partners who promised to do so, but unfortunately still have not fulfilled

their obligations thus far. So we are prepared to cooperate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Mr. Putin was speaking as he declared victory in Russia's presidential election. He'll lead Russia for another six years. The

country's election commission says Mr. Putin won in a landslide vote, topping his 2012 victory. His main political opponent was barred from

running.

Well, CNN's Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance joins us now live from Moscow. Matthew, the turnout was quite high considering there

was no question of the outcome. Why did so many Russians flock to the polls?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question. And you're right.

[08:10:00] The turnout was perhaps a little higher than was expected in the sense that the Kremlin was sort of almost paranoid that people weren't

going to come out, and cast their ballots because of the lack of democratic contest in this election.

And they went to some considerable lens to try and make sure that people did come out and cast their vote. For instance, the Russian President

Vladimir Putin appeared on national television a few days before the election, pealing to people directly to make their voices heard, and to

cast their votes in this election.

That appeal -- appears to have paid off. The turnout figures something in the region just under 68 percent, which is well within the upper range that

is quite normal within Russia.

And so, you know, I expect there's a sigh of relief on the Kremlin's part because they're looking to turnout to give them the kind of legitimacy they

weren't going to get otherwise because of the lack of democratic contest.

In terms of why people voted, that's a really good question, too. Because, you know, they could have just sat at home and let Vladimir Putin come to

power, but you know, there is a sort of hypernationalism mood in this county right now.

It's been encouraged by the Kremlin, and people very much see Vladimir Putin as a strong nationalist leader, who was -- brought the country away

from instability, and given the better standards of living.

Even though those standards of living have been diminished somewhat in the past couple of years since national sanctions have been in place. But you

still somebody who has restored Russia its pride. And they are still prepared to clearly scatter the ballot box and to vote for Vladimir Putin

in large numbers.

COREN: Matthew, with this power and overwhelming support, Putin no doubt feels emboldened. Can we now expect to see more aggressive Russia with

tensions of further rising with the west?

CHANCE: Well, I think that's something we're all waiting to see. What the next six years will hold, and what Vladimir Putin has installed for us all

who are watching his moves very carefully.

I mean for the past 18 years, where Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia as either President or Prime Minister, he's kind of had this social contract

as it's called with the Russian people. Whereby he delivers stability and economic growth, and they kind of agree to allow him to, you know, take the

political power.

The problem is he can't guarantee stability and economic growth anymore. The economy is more re-bundled, the prices are volatile, there are

sanctions, which could well be ratcheted up in the months ahead from the international community.

And so, you know, he's turned very much to this, as I say, nationalistic idea to rally the country and to unify the country. It's been very

effective when it comes to the annexation of Crimea for instance.

People still have got this nationalistic feelings about that. There have been foreign policy victories that have been perceived here as foreign

policy victories in places like Syria.

And so there is a sense in which Vladimir has turned away from the economy, and turned more towards foreign policy to create a sort of national --

sense of national unity around him. And so that may well continue in the six years ahead.

COREN: Matthew Chance joining us from Moscow, good to see you. Thank you as always for your insight. Well, representatives from the U.S., and

North, and South Korea are scrambling to get things ready for possible talks between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

We'll take look at the latest developments and what's at stake. And a rebel commander says the City of Afrin, Syria was taken without firing a

shot, but doctors claim a hospital was bombed in the process. We'll get a live update, next.

[08:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back to News Stream live from Hong Kong. South Korean prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant for former President Myung Bak.

He is accused of bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power.

Well the Prosecutor's Office it worries that Lee could destroy, and says they are acting now when he was president from 2008 to 2013.

Well there is a buzz of activity across Asia, the U.S., and Euro, as governments work to prepare for possible talks between U.S. President Trump

and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un.

Representatives from North, and South Korea, and the U.S. traveled to Finland to discuss denuclearization. The American representatives are not

members of government.

Well, meanwhile, South Korea's Foreign Minister met with NATO's Secretary- General and National Security Chief from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan met over the weekend. Russia's Foreign Minister heads to Japan on Tuesday.

Well, keeping track of all of these diplomatic efforts is our David McKenzie. He joins us now live from Seoul. David, a lot to have ground to

cover.

But let's begin with what South Korea's Foreign Minister told CBS News that Kim Kong-un has conveyed a commitment to denuclearization for the talks,

and that we should take him on his word, and certainly, placing a lot of trust in Kim Jong-un and the North Koreans.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anna, what we don't know is necessarily what the conditions that Kim Jong-un put to commit to that

denuclearization. In the past they have said that they felt safe or unthreatened, and they could just their aggressive posture outward.

So there was that sense though that the Foreign Minister speaking to U.S. media was optimistic about the prospect of talks. She also said that it

was surprising to many, including she said to Kim Jong-un, and President Donald Trump. Trump, in fact, agreed to that meeting so quickly. Now it

seems like the diplomats are scrambling to actually make it happen. Anna.

COREN: And, David, as you say, they are scrambling to make it happen, obviously, furiously working behind-the-scenes to lay the ground. Any

information coming out of these meetings?

MCKENZIE: Well, very little that is directly linked to that Trump-Kim proposed meeting. What we did see over the weekend was the meetings in

Sweden where the Swedes, which are the main diplomatic front for the U.S. and North Korea, were having high-level between the Foreign Minister of

North Korea and the Swedish Foreign Minister, as well as the Prime Minister of Sweden.

Now one issue they did say they brought up was the issue of Americans detained in North Korea, but no real clear indication of other concrete

things that have been discussed. There is this meeting nearby or next door Finland between nongovernmental representatives of the U.S. and others.

Now that's part of regular meeting of so-called 1.5, a mix of government and non-government. But one can be assure that this issue of the propose

talks will be brought up there and possibly through other channels that are less public between the U.S. directly with North Korea.

The question is now, with a limited window before at least the proposed date of this meeting, whether they can actually put it together with all

the complicated factors that will need to play into this meeting between the two leaders.

COREN: That's right, and (Inaudible). David McKenzie joining us from Seoul, many thanks for that. Well, the U.K. and the E.U. says much of the

Brexit treaty is now set and there is transition deal. They also agree that a backstop solution on island must be part of the Brexit treaty.

E.U.'s Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier says that that job will apply until another solution is found. Well Brexit Secretary, David Davis the U.K.

will be able to ratify new trade deals during the transition period, which ends on December 31st, 2020. Davis says the U.K.'s voice will be heard in

the E.U. during that time.

[08:20:00] While the White House prepares for a possible meeting with North Korea, the U.S. President is once again blasting the Russia investigation.

Donald Trump lashed out at Special Counsel Robert Mueller, accusing his investigation of being politically biased. Well, now some high-ranking

Republicans are warning Mr. Trump, don't go there. CNN's Kaitlan Collins has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: White House lawyer Ty Cobb insisting that President Trump isn't considering or discussing the firing of Special

Counsel Robert Mueller, after the President went after Mueller by name for the first time, repeatedly attacking him throughout the weekend.

The President making several misleading claims in his tweets, including that Mueller's probe, quote, should have never been started, and accusing

Mueller's investigators of being biased against him.

MARC SHORT, WHITE HOUSE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR: I think the President is expressing his frustration, which I think is well-warranted and merited.

COLLINS: The President's public criticism coming as his personal lawyer, John Dowd, issued a statement celebrating Attorney General Jeff Sessions'

firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, just two days before McCabe was set to retire.

Dowd calling for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to follow Sessions' lead and, quote, bring an end to the allegedly Russia collusion

investigation manufactured by McCabe's boss, James Comey.

REP. TREY GOWDY (R), HOUSE OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN: I think the President's attorney frankly does him a disservice when he does that, and when he

frames the investigation that way. If you have an innocent client, Mr. Dowd, act like it.

COLLINS: Multiple Republicans are sounding the alarm, cautioning Trump against firing Mueller.

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: Once he goes after Mueller, then we'll take action. I think that people see that as a massive red line that can't be

crossed.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency.

COLLINS: President Trump also renewing his attacks on former FBI Director James Comey while going after McCabe, questioning reports that McCabe

documented his interactions with him, calling McCabe's memos, quote, fake.

A source tells CNN those memos are now in the hands of Mueller's team, and are seen is as a way to corroborate Comey's account of his firing by the

President last May.

McCabe's attorney issuing a statement saying, quote, we will not be responding to each childish, defamatory, disgusting, and false tweet by the

President. The whole truth will come out in due course. The President praising McCabe's firing on Friday, calling it, quote, a great day for the

FBI.

Former CIA Director John Brennan blasting the President's response, tweeting, when the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and

political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dust bin of history. You may scapegoat Andy

McCabe, but you will not destroy America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Thank you to Kaitlan Collins for that report. And to Syria now where Turkey says it has gained control of Afrin. Turkey launched an

offensive on the Kurdish held area about a month ago.

Well it's in the far northwest corner of the country. It says the Kurdish militia that controlled it are terrorists, though they had the backing of

the United States. Turkey's President says his troops and Syrian rebel allies were taking complete control of the center of Afrin.

A spokesman for the YPG says it will continue fighting Turkish troops. Let's get the latest now on the situation with CNN's Ben Wedeman in the

neighboring Lebanon. Ben, more suffering, obviously, for the people of Syria. This does not end.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it doesn't seem to end seven years of bloodshed and chaos, with not an end in sight. Now, what we've seen since

the Turkish forces bond with their Syrian allies happened in Afrin is some widespread looting by particularly members of the Turkish trained and armed

Free Syrian Army.

But what we saw from footage that CNN exclusively gained from before the Turkish takeover of Afrin was indeed more suffering by the civilian

population. But we must warn viewers that some of the images in this report can be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN: Afrin's main hospital was a busy place. Until that is, doctors say Turkish jets struck it Friday, killing nine. Turkish officials deny

the hospital was hit.

CNN has obtained exclusive footage shot last week in the Kurdish Syrian town of Afrin. Early Sunday, Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies

took control of most of the town. Relatives tried to comfort Zainab (ph). Her 3-month-old son, Aziz (ph), was killed in an airstrike.

[08:25:02] "I lost my little child," she cries. "Where are you, my son?" The death of Aziz (ph) may be just another statistic in the slaughterhouse

that is Syria. Not to his mother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)

WEDEMAN (voice over): Asha Abdul (ph) can't take the sounds of jets and bombs anymore. Asha's (ph) wounds are inside her head. Dr. Mohammed Desai

(ph) is Afrin's last psychiatrist. He says the rest fled. He can only give his patients half doses. Supplies of medicine are running low.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are psychotic episodes, and depression, and anxiety, and something suicidal to get rid of this war. Some people try to

suicidal to injure themselves and kill themselves.

WEDEMAN (voice over): Further to the east, the Kurds were key American and western allies in the fight against ISIS in Syria. But here, alone in

their hour of need, they're at the mercy of the Turks and thee Syrian rebel fighters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)

WEDEMAN (voice over): "Trump, Macron, you're vampires who incited Erdogan to attack us," this man says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)

WEDEMAN (voice over): Bombs and rockets don't discriminate between soldier and civilians. Everyone is in the line of fire.

(SCREAMING)

WEDEMAN (voice over): Enduring the pain of war, tormented by the agony of those they love.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN: And of course, as all of this suffering going -- goes on, Anna, the United States has been silent.

COREN: The world keeps watching doing nothing. Ben Wedeman, as always, good to see you. Thank you for your reporting. Well, Chinese President Xi

Jinping is arguably the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, and he is enjoying quite a bit of the same hero worship. We'll take you on a

tour of a village that is now a shrine.

Plus, Facebook is under fire for not protecting user data. Now a whistle- blower says his data firm hired by the Trump campaign gained access to private information of millions of users.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Hello. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. These are your world headlines. The U.K. and the E.U. says much of the

Brexit treaty is now set, and there is a transition deal.

They also agree that a backstop solution on Ireland must be part of the Brexit treaty. E.U.'s Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier says the backstop

will apply until another solution is found. Brexit Secretary David Davis says the U.K. will be able to ratify new trade deals during the transition

period which ends on December 31st, 2020.

The E.U. telling Russia it wants answers about the nerve agent attack in Southern England this month. E.U. foreign minsters are meeting in Brussels,

where British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is briefing them on the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury. He calls

Russian denials of any involvement increasingly absurd.

Vladimir Putin is declaring another victory in Russia's presidential election. He will lead Russia for another six years. Russia's election

commission says Mr. Putin won in a landslide vote, topping his 2012 victory. His main political opponent was banned from running.

Mr. Putin isn't the only political strongman tightening his grip on power. In China, President Xi Jinping was unanimously reappointed by the Communist

Party. With the recent abolishment of term limits, he looks set to rule for life. The language used to describe him is bringing echoes of the adoration

saved for Mao Zedong.

Matt Rivers heads to a village in China that has now become a shrine for Mr. Xi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Critics call him China's new emperor. But in this small village, adoration abounds for

President Xi Jinping.

"All we need are Chairman Mao and President Xi," says this visitor.

Xi lived here for years in the early '70s, transformed recently from an unknown backwater to a shrine for a living president. The smartly dressed

tour guide showed us where she slept. An old picture on the wall. We saw a well he helped dig and a sewing shop he set up. Old farmers who knew Xi

back then still roam about the pseudo mascots of this bizarre theme park.

"Three of us including Xi and I joined the Communist Party together," says this man.

Communist cadres flood the village each day, paying homage.

(on camera): There is a practical purpose for making this visit if you are an ambitious Communist Party member. It shows that you want to learn from

the experiences of the party's most important person in decades.

(voice over): It's the kind of propaganda push driven by a cult of personality that the country hasn't seen since the days of Mao Zedong,

founder of Communist China.

Not far from Xi's village, we see where Mao once lived during World War II. Similar caves, similar old photos on the wall. Mao held up as a great

revolutionary leader with no mention of his ruthless reign that saw tens of millions die from starvation and political violence.

His unchecked power led to disastrous policies like the cultural revolution in the 1960s and 70s. Xi's father, a senior politician, was persecuted and

imprisoned. And like young people from cities across China, Xi himself was sent for, quote, re-education in a small village.

That's how he ended up here. His family was ripped apart, and yet his belief in the system has held firm, ever since he spent his nights in a

cold cave.

Xi's recent power grab has drawn inevitable comparisons to the perils of the past, with critics saying his clampdown on personal liberties and

jailing of political opponents harken back to a darker time. Only a brave few have spoken out in protest.

"I have a sense of historical responsibility. When my children look back and ask me how I reacted, I want to be able to tell them I was firmly

opposed to it," a former state-run newspaper editor told us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that guy is following us.

RIVERS (voice over): We were followed by security the entire time we spent in Xi's old village, even as we took photos with some visitors. They want

to make sure that no one criticizes the leader. In the China that once belonged to Mao and now to Xi Jinping, there is no room for dissent, a

system of one-man rule coming full circle.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Shanxi Province, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Cirque du Soleil has canceled performances in Tampa, Florida after a tragedy on Saturday night. An aerial performer fell during a show and

died in hospital. Last month, Yann Arnaud posted this video from a performance on Instagram. He spent 15 years with Cirque du Soleil. The

company is working with authorities to investigate what happened.

Up next, we travel to Northern India where an ancient form of entertainment is still laugh out loud fun today.

[08:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: This week, our special coverage brings us to India, exploring its diverse culture and tradition. Today, we travel to Rajasthan to look at the

ancient art of puppetry, one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): They say the history of Kaathputli dates back 2,500 years.

"I learned this craft from my father. I was born into this. This is our family profession. To make one good puppet, it takes around to or three

days. First, we cut the wood. Then we give shape to the face and what is left is hand painted."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The puppets that you see in Rajasthan are different from the puppets that you would see elsewhere. So here, even the clothes

that they are made to wear reflect the kind of clothes that women and men wear.

Especially (INAUDIBLE) and the moustache. So they have played to keep them as close to (INAUDIBLE) as possible.

The (INAUDIBLE) community has been practicing the art of puppetry over the years. And this started with the stories of Amar Singh who was Rajput ruler

who was known for his bravery and these puppeters would travel from village to village and relate the stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Kaathgputli is a lifeless puppet. When you make it dance, we are injecting our own life into it. It is important to us

because this is our natural art and it is also our folk art. In the absence of cinema and television in the olden days, Rajasthan is used to perform in

the villages and it was both educational and entertaining for kids and everybody else.

We cut two pieces of bamboo to make a whistle. There is coordination between the whistle and the puppet. People love it. God has given us a gift

and it brings joy to so many people. It is wonderful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Destination India there. Well, let's bring you now more on the breaking news coming out of Brussels. U.K and E.U. say much of the Brexit

treaty is now set and there is a transition deal. Bianca Nobilo joins us from London. So, Bianca, tell us more about this decisive step towards

Brexit. What does it entail?

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN PRODUCER: It is the most positive that we've heard from the U.K. and the E.U. for sometime if we consider the last time that we had

a press conference similar to this.

[08:40:02] Michel Barnier, the E.U. chief negotiator, was warning that a transition deal was not guaranteed, that there was a good chance it might

not happen after all. But today, both sides have heralded this decisive significant step forward in the negotiation and between them, they have

agreed on a deal for transition.

I have some of that deal here. It is a legal text which they have agreed jointly. And in fact, Michel Barnier put the texts up behind him on the

screen, highlighting all the areas that were agreed in green and then areas that were still up for discussion in other colors, in quite moments of E.U.

theater.

But if we talk about the content of what has been agreed today and what's new, well the E.U. has had to win on the issue of citizens rights because

they have now determined that E.U. citizens settling in the U.K. during that transition period will have exactly the same rights as those who have

been there before. That was a point that the U.K. was really challenging especially the Brexiteers.

But the U.K. also had a big win in terms of trade because David Davis has said that during the transition period, the U.K. will be able to negotiate

and sign trade deals which will come into force when the transition period is over. So there's quite a lot of movement on this today.

COREN: And Bianca, they have also agreed that a backstop solution on Ireland must be part of the Brexit treaty. What does this mean moving

forward?

NOBILO: This remains the most contentious issue in the negotiations, without question. So the backstop solution is that if a deal isn't agreed

upon between both parties which will solve the problem of Ireland and Northern Ireland, that being when Northern Ireland as being part of U.K.

leaves the customs union and single market and the Republic of Ireland remains in the custom union and single market, what to do about that border

and the movement of goods. That's the essence of the problem.

Well, the backstop solution is that if another solution isn't put forward which would solve that, that Northern Ireland would remain in full

regulatory alignment with the Republic of Ireland and that is to ensure because of the political history of Ireland that there is no hard border,

which is something that all sides of this are incredibly committed to and keep reassuring to get any point.

So that remains the most contentious issue and Barnier and Davis both said that that is the area that they will continue to negotiate one-on-one which

still isn't solved. So, we will have to keep an eye on that. But for now, the can has been kicked down the road and a transition deal has been

agreed.

COREN: Bianca Nobilo, many thanks for that update. Tourism season is blooming in Southwest China. Thanks in part to one small delicate flower,

the cherry blossom. Hundreds of thousands of tourists are flocking to the region to see them in full bloom. Thanks to all those people, the local

economy is saying a big boost. Plum and peach flowers are also in full display throughout many provinces.

That is your "News Stream." I'm Anna Coren. Thanks so much for your company. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" is coming up next here on CNN.

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