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World Headlines; Big Tech Caught in Trade War Crossfire; High-Speed Rail Station Opens in Hong Kong; Trump Speaks on World Drug Problem at U.N. Event; Yoga in it's Most Traditional Form. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired September 24, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:00:00] ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Welcome to "News Stream."
Denying new allegations, a second woman accuses U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.
Blamed for bullying, China blasts the U.S. over unfair trade practices as new tariffs take effect.
And rescued at sea, an Indian yachtsman is saved after a storm leaves him injured and damaged his boat.
We begin in the United States where Democrats say the nomination process for Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick should be delayed immediately. Judge
Brett Kavanaugh is denying a new allegation of sexual misconduct made by a second woman, as reported here in "The New Yorker." The woman says
Kavanaugh exposed himself at a party when they were students at Yale in the early 1980s.
And this comes as his original accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, is set to tell her story before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The man
who picked Kavanaugh for the high court, Donald Trump, is in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly.
And that's where we find our Abby Phillip. Abby, Judge Kavanaugh has labeled this a smear, plain and simple. Those were his words, and is
digging in, but has this latest allegation rattled Republicans?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anna. You are right, President Trump is here at the United Nations with a full week of foreign
policy agenda items, but it is on the domestic front that he is facing some real head winds.
Over the weekend our sources say he was briefed by his team on these latest allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, but the White House says that the
president is still standing firmly behind him still while multiple officials last week told CNN that they believed Kavanaugh was going to be
confirmed, these new allegations are prompting fresh concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIP (voice-over): The ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee Dianne Feinstein calling for an immediate delay in Judge
Kavanaugh's confirmation proceedings and an FBI investigation after "The New Yorker" published new allegations of sexual misconduct from a second
accuser,
"The New Yorker" reports that Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh at Yale says she remembers Kavanaugh exposing himself to her at a drunken
college dormitory party. Kavanaugh categorically denying the claim writing in part, "This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. This is a
smear, plain and simple."
The White House throwing their full support behind President Trump's nominee saying, "This 35-year-old uncorroborated claim is the latest in a
coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man."
Ramirez told "The New Yorker" that at first she was unsure of Kavanaugh's role in the alleged incident, but after assessing her memories and
consulting with her attorney, she is confident in her recollection. A classmate who was not at the party told the magazine he is 100 percent sure
that he was told at the time that Kavanaugh was the student that exposed himself to Ramirez.
But a number of other classmates denying any memory of this party, including a student Ramirez said egged Kavanaugh on. A spokesman for
Chairman Chuck Grassley tells cnn he has plans to look into the accusations but has no plans to postpone Thursday's hearing with Professor Christine
Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexual assaulted her at a high school party, a claim Kavanaugh denies.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D), HAWAII: I would be wanting to hear what kind of environment it was in high school. Apparently there was a lot of drinking
and partying going on. This is why we need an investigation.
PHILLIP: Ford has committed to testifying despite Grassley offering no details about who will be questioning her, and the committee's refusal to
subpoena other witnesses like Mark Judge, who Ford says was in the room when the alleged assault occurred.
CNN has learned that Kavanaugh plans to use calendars from 1982 as part of his testimony. And Grassley is seeking any written, audio, visual or
electronic materials related to the allegations from both parties.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Unless there is something more, no, I'm not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh's life over this.
[08:04:58] PHILLIP: Meanwhile, sources tell CNN that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called President Trump on Friday to tell him that
these tweets attacking Ford were not helpful. Criticism echoed by senators on both sides of the aisle.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: I was appalled by the president's tweet. We know that allegations of sexual assault are one of the most unreported
crimes that exist.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIP (on-camera): And this morning as this story continues to be reported, we're hearing a new talking point from White House aides that
this is all a conspiracy against a good man, intended to smear his name as Kavanaugh signaled in his own statement last night.
But meanwhile, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are continuing to investigate Dr. Ford's claims. Now, they've interviewed a trend of Ford,
a lifelong friend of Ford, who says she has no recollection of the party where Ford alleges the assault occurred.
Meanwhile, President Trump is here in New York until Thursday. This morning he's going to be delivering a speech on the world drug problem followed by
several meetings including with the foreign leaders of South Korea, Egypt and France. Anna?
COREN: Abby, let's return to Christine Blasey Ford because she has agreed to testify on Thursday at that public hearing. I mean, this is a woman who
has received countless death threats since going public with her accusation. Do we know the procedure and who will be asking her questions
about her alleged sexual assault on Thursday?
PHILLIP: Well, that is one of the big questions that remain unanswered. We don't know who is going to be asking the questions of her come Thursday.
That hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning, that's the part that we know has been hammered out with the committee.
But the committee has been considering bringing in an outside lawyer, potentially a female lawyer to question Blasey Ford in part because all of
the Republicans on that committee are all men. They are concerned about the optics of that situation.
But Ford's lawyers are also concerned that if there is an outside lawyer brought in that that might be unfair to her, that she might be placed in a
situation where she is being questioned by a prosecutor-style attorney and that will put her at a disadvantage. So there is still a lot of negotiation
happening between the two teams on that.
But as of right now, this hearing is going to move forward and I think the biggest issue that they needed to hammer out was whether or not she was
willing to testify in a public setting and now it's clear that she is.
COREN: Abby Phillip at the United Nations in New York. Many thanks for your reporting.
Well, as Abby just mentioned, the controversy surrounding Brett Kavanaugh isn't the only item weighing on President Trump this week. He will be back
at the United Nations where later this week he will chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Iran.
Mr. Trump will also hold a series of bilateral talks with his foreign counterparts. One of the expected topics diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.
CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me now from new York with a preview. Nic, good to see you.
A year ago Donald Trump described North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a rocket man on a suicide mission and threatened to destroy his country. Well now,
Trump describes his new friend Kim as very honorable, despite thee evidence that he continues to build nuclear weapons. Certainly a lot has changed in
12 months, wouldn't you say?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: A huge amount has changed. I mean, it's a complete reversal of the situation. Indeed,
President Trump really seems to be perhaps one of the only people that still believes that Kim Jong-un and North Korea is acting in good faith and
keeping his word.
But I think what President Trump or how President Trump reacts following his meeting with President Moon Jae-in from South Korea is going to be key
because President Moon has become now essentially the interlocutor in this sort of stalled process that kicked off in that Singapore summit in the
summer with President Trump and Kim Jong-un.
So, President Moon comes hot foot from Pyongyang where he has had a three- day summit with the North Korean leader. There was a lot of agreement on Korean issues there, some important issues for President Trump and getting
the detail on those.
And Kim Jong-un's desire to have another speedy summit with President Trump based on, you know, whether or not President Trump thinks that he hears
enough. I think, you know, from President Moon that enough progress has been made.
You know, I think this is going to be the meeting to watch to see and read whether President Trump gets the sense that he should be having another
summit very quickly with Kim Jong-un, given that Kim Jong-un hasn't made good on some of the things that he promised to do.
But the key points that President Moon will probably put across that Kim Jong-un has agreed to dismantle a missile engine test facility with
international monitors from certain countries, although no date has been set yet and we don't know which countries those monitors will come from and
what expertise those monitors will have as well as Kim's offer to dismantle a nuclear test facility.
[08:10:12] Again, the details on that aren't clear, but we do know that Kim wants something from President Trump before he gets into that.
COREN: Nic, on the issue of Iran, in light of the deadly weekend attack on that military parade that claimed 29 lives, Iran is accusing foreign
mercenaries backed by the United States for the attack. Will this further complicate this situation?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think we could always expect that if there was one country that was going to sort of feel the tart end of President Trump's
tongue as North Korea felt it at the last UNGA, this year it was going to be Iran. Last year, he and President Trump said essentially watch this
space. I'm going to pull out of the JCPOA, the internationally agreed multi-national nuclear deal with Iran.
He went ahead and did that and I think everyone would expect or was expecting, is expecting him to further try to isolate Iran, call it out for
meddling in the middle east, call it out for backing terrorism in countries beyond its borders in the Middle East.
But given that President Rouhani has used such tough language directed at the United States saying that it's behind and responsible for that attack
over the weekend in Iran that killed almost 30 Iranians, many of them soldiers, civilians as well, you know, I think we could expect President
Trump to dial up his rhetoric there.
So, do expect Iran to come in for a high degree of criticism, but the aim diplomatically of course, those writing the speech for President Trump will
be trying to deliver on what he wants which is to isolate Iran, get the European countries and the other signatories for JCPOA to stop doing
business with Iran.
And at the moment, they are resistant to that. We've already heard from the German minister who said we should find another currency, not the dollar,
so that we can continue doing business with Iran. You know, this is going to be a difficult one for President Trump to deliver on because his
credibility at the U.N. is waning with international leaders.
COREN: Nic Robertson, as always great to get your insight. Many thanks for that.
Well now to China where Beijing is accusing the U.S. of unilateralism and intimidation as the newest and biggest round of tariffs on Chinese goods
have kicked in. China published a white paper laying out its position on trade and economic relations with the United States.
Meantime, U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods take effect. For more, Steven Jiang joins us live from Beijing. What has been the
reaction to this latest round of tariffs?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, Anna, the Chinese counter tariffs came swiftly, one minute after the U.S. tariffs, the latest round, went
into effect. But as you mentioned, the Chinese government also took the unusual step of issuing that lengthy policy paper on this increasingly
heated trade war on a national holiday, no less.
In this 36,000 word document, the Chinese have some harsh words for the U.S. government and I read in part, "The U.S. has brazenly preached
unilateralism, protectionism, and economic hegemony making false accusations against many countries and regions particularly China,
intimidating other countries through economic measures such as imposing tariffs and attempting to impose its own interest on China through extreme
pressure."
So, very harsh words, but the paper also left the door open for further trade talks between the countries, although saying these talks only take
place in an environment of mutual respect. But one thing, Anna, many people have noticed that it's increasingly difficult for Beijing to match the U.S.
tariffs dollar for dollar because the U.S. obviously imports a lot more from China than the other way around.
But right now, according to many analysts, the government here still has a few tricks left in its sleeves dealing with a situation that could do a
number of things, charging higher tariffs, impose import quotas, restrict its citizens from traveling to the U.S. for study or tourism or providing
tax relief for companies affected by U.S. tariffs. But one thing is clear, Anna, neither side is backing down and there is no end in sight.
COREN: No end in sight and trade wars don't end well. Steven Jiang, great to see you. Many thanks for that update.
Meanwhile, Chinese consumers and businesses are bracing for the impact of these latest round of tariffs. Right now the effects may not be completely
visible to the average person. CNN's Matt Rivers spoke to people in Beijing to get their take on the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: If you want to talk to lots of people quickly in Beijing, take a scooter. Seriously, the traffic here
is horrible. So it might not look great but it does work.
[08:15:03] Our mission today, to find out how the average person in Beijing feels about the U.S.-China trade war. We start in one of Beijing's many
outdoor workout areas where we spot this 77-year-old (inaudible) going strong on the leg press. She says China is strong, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): We are powerful now and we aren't weak like in the past. Chinese people aren't easily bullied. The
U.S. can't handicap China's developments.
RIVERS: Chinese state media says that a lot, too. On August 10th, "The People's Daily" newspaper wrote, "The U.S. is unwilling to see China
develop and prosper and then surpass it. No hardship has ever stopped China from standing up, growing rich and becoming strong. The anti-American drum
beat in state media is loud and consistent, though (inaudible) doesn't entirely agree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): We can't generalize them. People in the U.S. aren't all bad. There are nice American people, it's
just their leaders are bad.
RIVERS: Post workout, it's over to a cafe on the other side of town where the coffee is strong but support for the trade war is weak.
What do you think of the trade war?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's wrong. It's only about politics.
RIVERS: Movie director (inaudible) says China's policies could hurt ordinary people by hurting the economy overall. In Beijing's narrow winding
alley ways, the trade war can feel pretty far away, but think about it differently.
Do tariffs make those playing cards more expensive? Does the delivery guy's petrol bill go up? Are veggies harder to source or export? Maybe, maybe
not, it's too early to tell. But it is a lot to think about, enough to make you hungry.
Can I have one American pulled pork sandwich? Lunch break.
This sandwich is more expensive now because American pork is on China's tariff list. I'm still going to eat it because it's good, but still.
It's still lunchtime when we are back on the bike and over to the central business district, the natural habitat of white collar workers, trade war
panic, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I didn't feel I'm affected so far.
RIVERS: Actually, it's a common sentiment around here, most haven't felt the crunch yet. Several people we spoke to said that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): I think our country hasn't been affected that much so far. China doesn't really rely on the U.S. like it
did in the 2000s.
RIVERS: But China's economy is already slowing down and its stock markets aren't doing great, either. The trade war certainly won't help with that
and for that reason some around here are worried about the long-term.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It definitely have an impact on Chinese economy.
RIVERS: So in the end if your question is how do Chinese people feel about the trade war, there is no one way to answer that question. How people feel
depends on what job they have, their political views, you're talking short or long-term impact and a million other reasons. But what is clear is that
people are increasingly aware that a trade war is on and that the trade tensions could last a long time. Matt Rivers, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Still ahead on "News Stream," a yacht race around the world turns dangerous for an Indian sailor stranded at sea. Details on the rescue to
bring the injured naval commander home, that's coming up.
The battle for Brexit is under way as the U.K. prime minister faces yet more challenges to her Brexit vision. We are outside number 10 with the
latest, next.
[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Pope Francis is in Latvia as part of a four-day visit to the Baltic States. He has been holding a prayer ceremony at Riga cathedral. On Sunday,
the pope paid tribute to the victims of the Nazis and Soviet Union in Lithuania's capital. Pope Francis is expected to answer questions about the
ongoing child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church during the flight home on Tuesday.
We are now looking at pictures of Donald Trump. He is arriving at the United Nations where he is expected to give remarks on the global drug war.
We are expecting the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to join him there.
But obviously he is speaking either to reporters or to other diplomats. Now, we saw some camera flashes there, so it looks like he has been giving
some remarks. Nikki Haley is there, U.S. ambassador to the Unied Nation. We might just listen in for a moment. We will be joining Donald Trump as he
gives those remarks at the United Nations shortly.
Well, the battle for control of Brexit has intensified yet again. Prime Minister Theresa May is facing growing pressure to change her government's
Brexit policy. Leading Brexiteers have released a Brexit plan a plus. It's a direct challenge to the prime minister's Brexit vision.
Mrs. May will sit down with her cabinet on Monday for the first time since a (inaudible) summit with the E.U. in Salzburg last week. Well, Bianca
Nobilo joins us outside Number 10 Downing Street. And Bianca, what do the Brexiteers have to say?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have a lot to say, Anna and none of which the prime minister particularly would have wanted to hear. Their
plan, this plan, a plus for Brexit is essentially a Canada style deal. So a loose free trade agreement with the European Union, dissimilar to what the
prime minister is suggesting.
But they didn't just criticize the content of the prime minister's strategy for Brexit. The fact that she is taking this path of moderation between a
very close alignment and one with a lot more autonomy like what the Brexiteers want, but they also criticize her strategy and the way that she
was approaching it, particularly the tone. Let's take a listen to what one of the leading Brexiteers, Jacob Rees-Mogg had to say just a few moments
ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACOB REES-MOGG, BREXITEER: So much of what we have about these negotiations has been about managing decline, has been about how do you
have the least bad Brexit. This is about how you have a fantastic Brexit that sets us up for the next generation and ensures our prosperity.
So it's a really exciting and good paper, looking at Britain's position not just in the European context, but globally. And the key to it to my mind is
that it is deliverable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Now, Anna, all of the Brexiteers which were in attendance like the former Brexit secretary David Davis alongside Jacob Rees-Mogg, they kept
underscoring that they needed to grasp the prize of Brexit, meaning to break away enough from the E.U. that they would be able to strike
independent free trade deals and join trade partnerships like the trans- pacific partnership or NAFTA.
So the tone of this event was markedly different from a lot within the prime minister's own party and in her cabinet meeting which will be taking
place behind me in just about half an hour. There's likely to be more splits as well because her cabinet are split between wanting what the
Brexiteers were advocating today and being more aligned with the prime minister's own strategy.
What we do know for certain at this point is that there is no certainty about what the future deal with the European Union and indeed whether or
not Britain will get one at this point.
COREN: I can't say I've ever heard anyone describe Brexit as exciting. That was a rather interesting sound bite there. Bianca Nobilo, good to see
you. Many thanks for that.
Well, a drama played out on the high seas has a happy ending. A badly injured Indian sailor has been rescued from the middle of the south Indian
Ocean. The 39-year-old was competing in the Golden Globe Yacht race, a non- stop 30,000 mile solo competition when his boat hit a storm off the coast of Australia.
He sent out an SOS from his yacht telling rescuers his back was hurt and he could not move. Well CNN's Nikhil Kumar is live for us in New Delhi.
Nikhil, this man, he is lucky to be alive.
[08:25:03] NIKHIL KUMAR, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: He really is, Anna. Absolutely. So, he sent out the SOS on Friday. As you say, he was
participating in this race, 30,000 miles solo yacht race. His yacht as under the rules of this race, his yacht didn't have any modern technology,
he didn't have satellite navigation aids, and so on Friday, that his yacht was hit by a storm, 80 miles per hour winds, 46 foot seas.
And as his mast was broken, he was injured, severely injured. He had a severe back injury when he sent out the message. He said his last message
to the race organizers, he said that he was vomiting, so there were concerns about his health, and so an international rescue effort was
mounted.
Australian vessels were involved, French vessels, Indian ships were sent out. He was marooned somewhere about 3,000 kilometers off the Australian
coast. It was finally today, earlier today, that a French fisheries patrol boat arrived at the scene. They managed to rescue him, moved him off his
yacht using a stretcher.
The Indian defense minister here in Delhi, she said on twitter that she was very relieved, that he would now be moved on to an Indian Navy ship which
would then take him to the island of Mauritius for medical care. So you're absolutely right, very lucky to be alive. And what could have been a
tragedy, but has ended up thanks to this international rescue mission, of being a very, very happy ending. Anna?
COREN: Nikhil Kumar, appreciate the update. Good to see you. Many thanks for that.
Well, Apple may be in the clear for now, but others in Silicon Valley are finding themselves ensnared in the trade war between the U.S. and China.
How big tech is getting caught in the crossfire when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Welcome back. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. You are watching "News Stream." These are your world headlines.
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the White House are vehemently denying a new allegation made by a second woman who accuses
Judge Kavanaugh of inappropriate sexual behavior dating back to the 1980s.
This comes after her first accuser says she is committed to testifying publicly in a senate hearing on Thursday. Kavanaugh also denies her
allegations.
All eyes are on the United Nations General Assembly this week. U.S. President Trump is expected to meet with a slew of world leaders including
South Korean President Moon Jae-in. That follows Mr. Moon's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Beijing is accusing the Trump administration of unilateralism and intimidation as the newest and biggest round of U.S. Tariffs on Chinese
goods have kicked in.
[08:30:00} That is according to Chinese state media who say that these accusations were made in an official white paper that laid out China's
views on trade with the U.S.
Big tech is caught in the crosshairs of the trade war. Right now, Silicon Valley is waking up to higher prices for number of raw materials used to
make consumer goods like computers and household electronics. Samuel Burke joins us now. Samuel?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Anna, we can't lose sight of the fact that this is essentially the United States
taxing itself. It's estimated that Americans will have to pay between three and six percent more for these goods down the line that are receiving these
tariffs today, but it was supposed to be even more goods just a few weeks ago until a tech titan swooped in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURKE (voice-over): Tim Cook's touch.
TIM COOK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, APPLE: Thank you.
BURKE (voice-over): The Apple CEO's lobbying the Trump administration saved the iPhone from the latest round of Trump tariffs. Also spared, smart
watches and other Bluetooth devices brought to the U.S. from China.
WILBUR ROSS, U.S. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE: Well, we were trying to do things that would be the least intrusive on the consumer.
BURKE (voice-over): Today's tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods is hitting other parts of Silicon Valley hard.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time to take a stand on china. We have no choice. You know, it's been a long time they've been
hurting us.
BURKE (voice-over): The new levy's target, the Chinese hardware fueling the tech sector, everything from semiconductors to electronic circuits.
JOSH KALLMER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY COUNCIL: There are certain kinds of machines that you and I never come
into contact with, but that underpin a lot of the high-tech products that people buy.
BURKE (voice-over): They're the key components that make computers, household appliances, and home security systems hum.
(on camera): Even your favorite Netflix series could be hit. The streaming company's videos are played from Amazon's Cloud servers. That equipment
comes from China.
(voice-over): Apple may not be in the clear for long. The president has said he's ready to tax almost all Chinese imports, calling out Apple
directly in a tweet. "Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting."
The administration says the tariffs are meant to pressure China to fall in line. Experts say a levy on the iPhone would be counterproductive. Even
though the device is assembled in China, it is designed and manufactured in the U.S.
KALLMER: Ninety percent of that tariff falls on value created by Americans. There is no other way to say it than to say that literally the
United States is taxing itself.
BURKE (voice-over): And Apple may have the most to lose if China retaliates with tariffs of its own. Twenty-one percent of the company's
sales are in China, leaving a clear target on America's most valuable company.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURKE: Anna, right now these tariffs are 10 percent today, but January 21st, they will go up to 25 percent. The Trump administration saying that
they wanted to give businesses time to adjust.
You've seen me a lot on e-scooters lately that come from China to many countries, including the United States. They've been spared. They were on
the list, but they made it off of the list.
Just one other thing I want to point out, we were talking about Netflix and the fact that the videos that you see on Netflix are from Amazon servers.
That equipment comes from China.
Well, think about it. If you are in Mexico, Colombia, any other country in the world and you are watching Netflix, well, eventually you may have to
eat some of that cost because those servers are in the United States.
So these trade wars could affect everybody, not just China and the United States. So maybe people will be saying Netflix and chill out on the
tariffs.
COREN: Samuel Burke, many thanks for your report. Well, if you go 200 kilometers an hour and take you from Hong Kong to Gwangju in just 47
minutes. But even though it's been pretty smooth sailing for this city's first ever bullet train to China, for some it still feels like a rocky
road, one they fear could become a slippery slope. We hopped on board to find out why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COREN (voice-over): After eight years of construction and $11 billion, the controversial yet groundbreaking West Kowloon station is open to business.
Bullet trains can now take people between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese cities in a fraction of the time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I just want to see something new. I've never seen anything as spectacular. The inside is so large,
totally different from normal train stations.
COREN (voice-over): The station in Hong Kong is huge, 400,000 square meters mainly underground for an expected 80,000 passengers a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Although it's only 26 kilometers long, the Hong Kong high speed line can directly reach 44 stations in the
mainland, Guangzhou South and Shenzhen North station.
[08:35:01] We can reach all the high-speed rail stations in the whole country.
COREN (voice-over): Stations within easier reach include the capital Beijing and it's that city's increasing influence on Hong Kong that has
some people worried. Hong Kong has its own constitution with the basic law, which allows for rights not seen further north like freedom of speech.
A small group demonstrated at the opening. They are against having mainland immigration offices at the Hong Kong terminus who are able to officially
enforce Chinese law on the city's soil for the first time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We believe that that practice would undermine the basic human rights of Hong Kong people.
COREN (voice-over): There are also economic considerations. There are nine massive Chinese cities just north of the border in an area known
collectively as the Greater Bay Area. The new trains as well as a newly built but yet to be opened Zhuhai (ph) Bridge connects Hong Kong to these
cities more directly.
GARY WONG, CO-CONVENOR, PATH OF DEMOCRACY: We look at the Greater Bay Area which has around 66 million people all together, so opportunities are
there. We need to be flexible, but at the same time without losing sight of our core interest. I mean, the core interest which is safeguard in the
basic law is our freedom, our freedom of speech, our freedom of assembly, et cetera.
COREN (voice-over): Whether for better or worse, Hong Kong's future just got a lot closer to mainland China with the opening of the station. A new
era is rolling in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: We now go to New York where President Trump is making remarks at the event -- the U.N. event, focused on fighting the global drug problem.
Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: -- the financial lifeblood for vicious transnational cartels. In the United States, we're taking aggressive actions, securing or borders,
supporting law enforcement, devoting record funding to the opioid crisis, and promoting treatment and recovery.
Many nations here today are also taking bold action. Newly-elected president Duque, Colombia, campaigned on an anti-drug platform and won a
very, very impressive victory. Congratulations. We look forward to partnering with his new administration to eradicate coco production in his
country.
All of us must work together to dismantle drug production and defeat drug addiction. For this reason, last month the United States announced a
"Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem."
The call is simple, reduce drug demand, cut off the supply of illicit drugs, expand treatment, and strengthen international cooperation. If we
take these steps together, we can save the lives of countless people in all corners of the world.
And when I say countless, I'm talking about millions and millions of people. I'm thrilled that every country in the room today has agreed to
answer our call and I want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to this important initiative.
The United States looks forward to working with you to strengthen our communities, protect our families, and deliver a drug-free future for all
of our children. Thank you very much and thank you for being here. We appreciate it. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: We just heard the closing remarks from President Trump, talking about the global drug problem there at the United Nations. He has Nikki
Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations beside him, who is going to make remarks. He is making remarks as we speak.
But as he said, they want to dismantle drug production and drug prediction, ensure that the future is drug-free. Of course, the president of the United
States will be addressing the U.N. general assembly tomorrow morning.
Moving on now, CNN is exploring the growing trend of wellness tourism in India. The world's seventh largest country is said to be the birthplace of
yoga. The practice has become extremely commercialized, but we want to show you where yoga is being practiced in its most purest, most traditional
form. Here is "Destination India."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yoga, a spiritual discipline of body postures and breathing that can be traced back over 5,000 years. And there may be no
better place to master the craft than India.
[08:39:59] SANDEEP AGARWALLA, HEAD OF YOGA, ANANDA SPA: I would say we all have limitations within our body, within our minds. And at one point of
time, we realized that we want to overcome those limitations. And the whole science of yoga was to come out of that limitations and to be free.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sandeep Agarwalla is the head of yoga at Ananda Spa located in the state of Uttarakhand.
AGARWALLA: I think this is a perfect location. You can switch off your phones and just be with yourself, be with the peacocks, be with the
monkeys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This location on the outskirts of Rishikesh is considered by many to be the birthplace of the very activity which
Agarwalla practices, teaches, and continues to learn.
AGARWALLA: Rishikesh is a very important center (INAUDIBLE) spiritual knowledge because the origin may have been here and then spread out to
different parts of the country and the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As yoga spread, so did its variations. But at Ananda which sits in the foothills of the Himalayas, there are no gimmicks. Yoga
is presented in its most pure and traditional form.
To walk the path to wellness, Argawalla says you must focus on your breathing using a technique known as Pranayama.
ARGAWALLA: Prana is the energy, the vital energy which is basically responsible for everything that we are doing. For every movement, we need
energy. For every thought, we need energy. So yoga says that prana is inherent in us and through the breath the energy can be harmonized.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A better self, one breath at a time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, that is "News Stream." I'm Anna Coren. Thanks so much for your company. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" is coming up.
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