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World Headlines; Ongoing Investigation for Missing Journalist; Canada Legalizes Marijuana; Giant Floating Pipe Launched to Clean Up Ocean Plastic. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired October 17, 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] IVAN WATSON, CNN SHOW HOST: I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. Welcome to "News Stream."

America's top diplomat meets the leaders of Turkey, but still no official word from Saudi Arabia about their investigation into the apparent killing

of a journalist inside there Istanbul consulate.

Crunch time for Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May is headed to Brussels to face E.U. leaders while facing challenges in Parliament.

And reporting from Rakhine, we visit a part of Myanmar that Rohingya fled from in a crackdown involving murder, rape and torture.

OK, those stories in a moment, but first we are getting some breaking news from Crimea where there has been an explosion at a technical college in the

coastal city of Kerch. Now, we're joined now by our senior international correspondent Matthew Chance in Moscow. Matthew, I understand this news is

just starting to come in but the indications are that there has been substantial loss of life. What more can you tell us?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, that's right Ivan. It certainly has been. These very chaotic scenes that is

unfolding now as we speak in Crimea in the town of Kerch, which is very close to the Russian mainland part of that peninsula.

The latest casualty figures which are being constantly updated to us by Russian officials is that at least 13 people have been killed and at least

50 people have been injured in this explosion that took place at an educational establishment. I understand it's the Kerch Polytechnic College

and Russian officials say the majority of the victims both the injured and the killed are just teenagers.

And so, as I say, very tragic and chaotic events unfolding there. And already the authorities have said they're doing what they can to cater for

the dead and the injured. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president has given the order to the Russian Health Ministry to ferry the injured to whatever

medical establishment they can there in Crimea or elsewhere.

Three days of mourning have already been declared for the victims of this blast which the Russian authorities are characterizing as a terrorist

attack. The Russian investigators or prosecutors are saying that a criminal case is been launched under the heading terrorist attack and so they are

designating it as something that took place on purpose.

Previously they were saying it was a gas canister explosion. Now they've hardened their position on this and said it's likely to be a terrorist

attack. In terms of who may be responsible for that though, that has not been determined and indeed there have been no allegations at this point

made by the Russian authorities, although I expect they will be forthcoming in the hours ahead, Ivan.

WATSON: Matthew, Kerch is located on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. Russia has a long and tragic history of terror

attacks going back decades, but what is the strategic importance possibly of this city?

CHANCE: Well, it's an important city because it's one side of a very important and high profile bridge that was constructed by the Russians

after they annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, connecting the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland. Kerch is the Crimean side of that

bridge. And so it's got a sort of symbolic significance in that sense.

Whether or not the terrorist attack as it's being characterized by the Russian investigators is the (inaudible) where they'll blame Ukrainian

nationalists for this, whether they'll blame it being connected -- as being connected to the annexation of Crimea.

And indeed the recent tensions between Russia and Crimea over the schism in the orthodox faith is yet to be seen, but certainly, it is a very

controversial corner of this region and anybody at this point is rooting out anything when it comes to responsibility.

WATSON: All right, CNN's Matthew Chance live in Moscow. And we'll check back with you if you learn anything more about this deadly blast in Kerch,

Russia an ex-part of Crimea. Thank you very much Matthew.

Now let's turn to the mystery of the missing journalist from Istanbul. The evidence against Saudi Arabia appears to be mounting in the case and now

presumed death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

[08:04:58] Sources tell CNN that a high ranking Saudi intelligence officer with ties to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's inner circle organized the

mission that led to Khashoggi's alleged murder. And while it isn't clear if the crown prince authorized it several officials tell CNN the mission could

not have happened without his knowledge.

All of it comes as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Turkey's president and foreign minister saying the U.S. is willing to help the

country with its investigation into Khashoggi. Now, CNN is covering all angles of this rapidly developing story. Senior international correspondent

Sam Kiley, he's in Riyadh, chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is in Ankara.

But we're going to start in Istanbul because that's where our international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is now located. Nic, I was stunned by

accounts coming from Turkish officials that the Saudi consulate may have been repainted before Turkish investigators went in to search it Monday

night. What more can you say about this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, we know that just after it was announced that Turkish investigators would be allowed to

go inside the Saudi consulate after 13 days of waiting, a cleaning crew went in. But after the investigators went in, we've now learned that there

were toxic substances in there according to President Erdogan and much of the inside of the consulate had been repainted.

Further, the consul general's premises that were going to be searched by Turkish investigators yesterday, that raid if you will, failed to go ahead.

Not quite clear why, but what we do know is that the consul general fled just a couple of hours before the investigators arrived at his residence.

They were going to search his residence. They were going to search his vehicles.

So from a Saudi perspective not only does the narrative that perhaps Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince in Saudi Arabia was not -- did not

have knowledge or did not authorize what they see as the hit squad coming here and what they have told CNN -- described to CNN as being the

dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi's body inside the consulate within hours after he arrived.

Not only does that not pass the sniff test and Mohammed bin Salman wouldn't have been aware but what they are seeing that doesn't pass the sniff test

here is that Saudi officials have committed themselves to both President Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that they will go along and

help and support an open and prompt and transparent investigation.

And what Turkish officials here are saying is, that is anything but transparent, indeed, from their perspective it would appear to be -- it

would appear to be being obstructed and obstructed intentionally, Ivan.

WATSON: OK, Nic, thanks for that update. I'm going to turn now to the Turkish capital where our chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward,

has been following the diplomacy now. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State just left Ankara. It's a delicate diplomatic mission he's been on,

what have you learned?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he didn't stay here very long Ivan. He spent about 40 to 45 minutes with President

Erdogan, also another 40 to 45 minutes with the foreign minister. And essentially the impression we have is that he just relayed President

Trump's main talking points.

And reiterated what he has already said, which is that the Saudis are committed to a transparent and timely and thorough investigation, but I

think as Nic quite rightly just pointed out, it's quite clear that it has not been certainly timely.

It took 13 days for the Turkish investigators to gain access to the consulate. They still have not managed to gain access to the consul

general's official residence and it certainly doesn't appear to have been transparent. For the first week, Saudi Arabia essentially lying saying that

Mr. Khashoggi walked out of the consulate.

Well, no matter what happened inside that consulate, I think we all know that he did not walk out. So that smacks of a falsehood, and there's a

growing sense of impatience here as to when the Saudis are really going to give a thorough account of what exactly happened and when exactly the U.S.

is going to hold their feet to the fire and assure that that's done in a timely manner.

This idea that the Saudis are going to launch their own investigation into their own crime, to some people, I think, raises eyebrows. They want

answers and they want them soon, Ivan.

WATSON: All right. Thanks for that update, Clarissa. Let's turn now to Saudi Arabia to Riyadh, that's where Sam Kiley is standing by and we are

getting new details about one of the men that Turkish officials say, he is a suspect in Khashoggi's disappearance. Sam what are the Saudis saying

about these implications?

[08:10:03] SAM KILEY, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very interesting, Ivan, here in Riyadh as Clarissa was saying, there's been a

sort of 180 degree turn in some respects. There has been a consistent position here that Mr. Khashoggi as far as they're concerned must be still

alive because he left the consulate intact.

But privately, Saudi sources have been saying to anticipate a statement that admits a limited degree of liability suggesting perhaps that a rogue

element within the Saudi security establishment conducted some kind of an attempt to interrogate or arrest, deport, and render back to here Mr.

Khashoggi.

One of the key players in all of this is emerging from Turkish sources which we have been able to triangulate, Ivan. Now, he is a character who is

very close to the Saudi crown prince. His name is Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb. He's a known Saudi intelligence officer. He was the first secretary indeed

at the Saudi embassy in London some time back.

He is, as I say, closely connected with the Kings in a circle and according -- and strictly only according to the Turks -- the Turkish officials, he is

a person of interest. You might say a suspect in this case.

His movements have been traced according to Turkish officials to the aircraft -- one of the aircraft of the two that went into Istanbul, spent

the day on the ground, 15 members of a team. The Turkish authorities are saying he was one of these team members. There are a number of other people

who are being investigated.

Now, I put some of these names to Saudis and interestingly enough they are not responding one way or the other nor are they refusing to comment. They

are taking this information and putting it through their own systems, they say, and working to confirm the whereabouts and the roles of these

individuals.

And I think that's consistent with what they've been saying privately all along which is that they are going to come up with some kind of statement

whether it satisfies the international community and the critics of Saudi Arabia, whether it goes far enough in identifying who actually authorized

what now appears to be albeit potentially an accidental murder. They are working on trying to put that together and I can say that that is genuine

because I've had that conversation, Ivan, with Saudi officials here in Riyadh.

WATSON: And meanwhile it's been more than two weeks and no one knows where Jamal Khashoggi, that missing journalist is. I want to thank our crack team

of reporters there, Nic Robertson, Clarissa Ward and Sam Kiley, who will continue covering this mystery.

Now as the international crisis intensifies over Khashoggi's presumed death, more top business and financial leaders continue to pull out of the

Saudi investment conference known as "Davos in the desert." The most recent is Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund.

Lagarde's spokesman says her trip to the Middle East is, quote, "being deferred." It is still unclear if U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin

will attend. U.S. President Donald Trump says a decision will be made by Friday.

To the U.K. now and what could be another crucial moment in Brexit negotiations. British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing questions from

parliament members ahead of a dinner in Brussels with E.U. leaders. One thing that will not be on the menu is a withdrawal agreement between the

E.U. and the U.K. Both sides are struggling to strike a deal on the future of the northern Irish border with Ireland.

Coming up on "News Stream," CNN gets rare access inside a Rohingya refugee camp. Why these Muslims feel stuck in limbo and why they're terrified to

return home?

[08:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATSON: Welcome back to "News Stream" broadcasting live from Hong Kong. Nine nations including the U.S., Britain and France have requested a

meeting with the U.N. Security Council over an explosive inquiry that revealed Myanmar's military committed atrocities against Rohingya Muslims.

More than 700,000 Rohingya have crossed to neighboring Bangladesh in just the past year fleeing a military operation in Myanmar that the U.N.'s top

human rights official likens to ethnic cleansing.

Now CNN's Matt Rivers has been visiting an area between Myanmar and Bangladesh known as no man's land, and that is where 5,000 of the Rohingya

are stuck in limbo, too afraid to return home. And Matt Rivers joins us now from Beijing back from Myanmar. Matt, this was rare access to an area that

has seen tremendous suffering. What were you allowed to see there?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We were allowed to see what government officials wanted us to see, Ivan. This was a trip in where we were invited

in by the Myanmar government because the government there wants to change the narrative that you've just laid out there, that basically the entire

international community has signed on to, which is that the Burmese military and other local groups committed incredible atrocities against the

Rohingya people.

And so they invited us in to say, look, nothing really happened. So we listened to what they had to say. We judged them on their merits and we

come to a conclusion, Here's our story.

(BGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (voice-over): Most people are Rohingya Muslims, some of those who fled from what the U.N. calls a genocide. Myanmar's government wants you to

believe it never happened.

DIL MOHAMMED, REFUGGEE: Our main importance to save life, life. We are afraid of our lives.

RIVERS (voice-over): To meet these people it took several days and a rickety boat ride to get to this part of Rakhine State in remote western

Myanmar.

RIVERS (on-camera): So foreigners aren't allowed in this part of Rakhine. The only way we're here is on a government escort. We're only taken where

authorities want us to go. Our first stop the village Inn Din. There used to be more than 6,000 Rohingya living here. Their existence now all but

erased.

RIVERS (on-camera): OK, thank you. So this is what's left of the Rohingya village that was here. It's completely overgrown. It's hard to tell that

there were any structures here at any point. The only clues we have to the violence that took place here are trees like this one still a year later

bearing the scorch marks of the fires that burnt this village to the ground.

The governments said their forces did respond to Rohingya terror attacks here in 2017 but the Rohingya burnt down their own houses. Only local

Rakhine Buddhists remain now. This man supports that story.

NAY PHYU, RAKHINE BUDDHIST VILLAGER (through translation): The Rohingya started threatening the army, he says. The Muslims announced that they

would have a celebration by slaughtering and cooking the soldiers and Rakhine people.

RIVERS (voice-over): Though clear evidence shows it was the Rohingya who were the main victims of slaughter. Ten Rohingya men were hacked and shot

to death by Myanmar soldiers, a massacre the military has admitted to and that two Reuters journalists were jailed for investigating. The U.N. says

many more men, women and children were savagely killed here as well.

[08:20:00] The trip then continues through a barren empty landscape, makes sense when you remember the U.N. say 720,000 Rohingya fled when violence

broke out last year. A full U.N. report documents how the military and local groups engaged in rape, torture and the murder of at least 10,000

people to get rid of the Rohingya, a group many in broader Myanmar regard as subhuman non-citizens.

(on-camera): So do you continue to claim that genocide did not happen in Rakhine State?

YEE HTOO DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, MAUNGDAW DISTRICT (through translation): During the incident there was some damage. Regarding the army, they did

everything within the law. We cannot comment on whether it was right or wrong.

RIVERS: The question is very simple. Do you believe that genocide happened here or not?

HTOO (through translation): I'd say genocide didn't happen.

RIVERS (voice-over): Myanmar's civilian leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi also denies genocide. Her government says it's ready to

bring back Rohingya refugees like these, stuck in No Man's Land, forced out of Myanmar and not allowed across the border into Bangladesh. They're

staying put in part because security forces that would oversee their return are some of the same people accused of carrying out the killing in the

first place.

RIVERS (on-camera): The conditions inside that camp are obviously horrific. There's no access to education, no health care, no electricity,

food is scarce, and yet still they'd rather be on that side of the fence than this one because they're too afraid to come back.

RIVERS (voice-over): Myanmar might continue to deny ethnic cleansing but the evidence gathered by the U.N. and others is overwhelming. The

government sponsored trip does nothing to change that fact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (on-camera): Yes. So Ivan, clearly the government there is sticking to that story. It does not mean that we or anyone else frankly has to buy

it. Now moving forward, if we establish that the set of facts are what the U.N. and U.S. says happened, then moving forward, well, what happens to

these Rohingya people that are both refugees in No Man's Land and of course the hundreds of thousands that are in Bangladesh.

In order to come back in addition to being afraid that they could be killed if they come back, they also want citizenship and they want to go back to

the land that they were forced out of, but Myanmar's government has already basically said they're not going to get citizenship and they're not going

to be resettled on their old lands. So where do we go from here?

They can't stay in Bangladesh forever, presumably, but they can't come back, and so the answer unfortunately is this horrific stalemate in which

hundreds of thousands of people remain in limbo.

WWASON: Matt, thank you very much for this important update on this disturbing man-made humanitarian crisis. And I want all our viewers to know

that our special coverage on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar will continue Thursday here on "News Stream."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS: They're giving an armed escort by local police everywhere we go. They say it's for our protection and that is partly true. But it's also

that these guys are here to make sure that we don't go anywhere they don't want us to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Matt Rivers, he takes us inside a Rohingya refugee camp in Rakhine State where thousands of people have been kept for six years. People there

say it's like an open air prison camp and they have a message for their fellow refugees in Bangladesh. Be sure to tune into "News Stream" on

Thursday at 8:00 p.m. in Hong Kong and 1:00 p.m. in London.

And I'm going to turn to a very different story that takes place across Eastern Europe, in the Middle East, a modern day schism in the Eastern

Orthodox Church. It's threatening to divide some 300 million believers. This week, the Russian Orthodox Church said it is cutting ties with

Bartholomew in Constantinople. So Bartholomew, he's based here in modern day Istanbul, Turkey and he's this symbolic leader of Orthodox Christians,

but Bartholomew infuriated.

The Russian Orthodox Church leaders last week who are based up here in Moscow, when he announced he would recognize an independent Orthodox Church

in Ukraine on Russia's border. So now the power struggle between church leaders and Moscow, Istanbul, and Kiev is affecting Orthodox worshipers all

over the world.

Now priests from the Russian Orthodox Church are no longer allowed to pray with priests who follow Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch. And Moscow

says worshippers may not attend churches that follow the Ecumenical Patriarch.

So, joining me now is Robert Brinkley. He's the chairman of the Ukraine Forum Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House in London. Thank you for

taking the time to come on the program here. Can you help explain just some of the magnitude of this modern day rift which some have compared to the

schisms in the past in Christianity that divided Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church or even Henry VIII of breaking away from the pope

in Rome. How big a deal is this?

[08:25:13] ROBERT BRINKLEY, CHAIRMAN, UKRAINE FORUM AT CHATHAM HOUSE: Hello, Ivan. I think this is a very big deal, although I would hesitate to

make those historical comparisons. What happened was that in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine, among other states, became independent

-- politically independent.

What we're seeing now, although it's 27 years later, is Ukraine getting its religious and cultural independence because up to now the main Orthodox

Church -- and it's complicated. There are actually three in Ukraine -- but the main one has been subordinate to the Moscow patriarchate.

And particularly, after the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia four years ago and then Russia's interference in the east of Ukraine, which had

led to over 10,000 deaths, many people in Ukraine don't want to go to a church which is answering to Moscow and not to Kiev.

WATSON: This is supposed to be a matter that's spiritual, but politics is completely wrapped up in this question from both the Russian side and the

Ukrainian side and apparently the side of the ecumenical patriarch, Bartholomew. Can you please explain Russia's position vis-a-vis the

Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian government's position when it comes to wanting independence of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church?

BRINKLEY: Well, Ivan, you're quite right. The politics is very much bound up in this. The Russian Orthodox Church ever since it was re-founded by

Stalin during the Second World War has been close to the Kremlin. And under Putin, it's been used as an instrument to support his policies, both

at home and abroad. And from the Ukrainian point of view, particularly now they find themselves subject to aggression from Russia, they want a church

which is Ukrainian, not Russian.

There was an incident three years ago when there was a solemn commemoration of Ukrainians who'd been killed in the fighting in the east of their

country and then the parliament representatives of politics and the church stood up to honor those deaths, apart from the representatives of the

Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Moscow patriarchate. That was just a sign that they're not in line with the people of Ukraine. So, it has

become, unfortunately, very political.

WATSON: And at the center of this controversy, an elderly cleric in Istanbul, Bartholomew, quickly he doesn't have much of an immediate power

base but he has spiritual authority over these Orthodox Christians around the world.

BRINKLEY: Sorry, could you repeat the question?

WATSON: OK. I'm afraid we've run out of time. Thank you, Robert Brinkley, for taking the time to explain this complicated story that does

have implications for people -- for believers in large parts of the world. Thank you very much from Chatham House in London.

Now, coming up ahead, we're going to have the latest on the presumed death of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi as U.S. Secretary of State, Mike

Pompeo, visits Turkey to discuss the growing diplomatic crisis. Stay with CNN.

[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:00] IVAN WATSON, CNN HOST: Welcome back to "News Stream." I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. These are your world headlines.

Israel's latest round of airstrikes against targets in Gaza has now ended. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says one person was killed. Israel

launched the strikes after a rocket landed on a house in the southern part of the country. Hamas denies responsibility.

India's junior minister of foreign affairs has resigned from office after several women accused him of sexual harassment. MJ Akbar says he is

stepping down to fight what he calls "false accusations" and he is suing a former colleague for defamation. So far, Akbar is the most high profile

figure to be named in India's "Me Too" movement.

One of China's most famous actresses who has not been seen publicly since June has apparently resurfaced. CNN has not independently confirmed this

video from Baidu News, but it appears to show Fan Bingbing leaving Beijing's airport on Monday wearing a baseball cap. She has been ordered to

pay the Chinese government $130 million for tax evasion.

As we mentioned at the top of the hour, we are following breaking news from Crimea. A bomb reportedly packed with metal has exploded in the dining room

of a technical college in the coastal city of Kerch. At least 18 now are said to be dead, most of them teenagers.

We are joined now by our senior international correspondent Matthew Chance with the latest from Moscow. Matthew, what more have you learned?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, details are still dripping through to us bit by bit. Vladimir Putin is addressing

national television at the moment to give updates on what the official response will be. He sort of given an order to evacuate the injured to

various medical institutions, either in Crimea or elsewhere in Russia.

The death toll has been creeping up dramatically over the course of the past several hours since details of this explosion started to emerge down

in the Crimean peninsula.

As you mentioned, 18 people have been confirmed dead, according to Russian authorities. Another 47 individuals are said to be injured, the majority of

them are teenagers. The explosion took place at a technical college in the town of Kerch.

Kerch is interesting and significant potentially because it is one side of the town where the bridge terminates. It connects -- it was a controversial

bridge. It connects the Russian mainland to the Crimean peninsula which has caused annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014.

There are also details being broadcast on Russian media and Russian state television about the alleged perpetrator of this attack. Now, the

authorities are characterized as a terrorist attack. They are saying they believe the body of the alleged perpetrator has been found with gunshot

wounds and dead as a result of gunshot wounds.

They describe this perpetrator allegedly as a 22-year-old student who attended the technical college. No reason has been given. No possible

motivation has been given for this attack being carried out, but obviously this is a very controversial corner of the region. It could well be

connected with Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Task to the investigators to determine moments, will be given no line at this stage by the Russian authorities as to what's behind it. What they

have done though is declare three days of official mourning in response to the very high death toll as a result of this explosion, Ivan.

WATSON: All right. Matthew Chance live from Moscow on what has been a deadly day in Crimea and Russian authorities are not ruling out the

possibility of terrorism being behind this blast.

[08:34:59] Let's turn to Turkey now because U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has wrapped up his talks with the leaders of Turkey and Saudi Arabia

over the presumed murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Pompeo left Ankara a short time ago after meeting with Turkish president, Recep Tayyip

Erdogan.

It comes as we are learning new details about what may have happened. A source familiar with the investigation told CNN Khashoggi might have been

injected with some kind of tranquilizer and then died in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

To help understand this more, we are joined by CNN law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell to discuss the developments. Josh, you're standing outside

the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the focus of so much attention.

You are a former FBI agent. You used to conduct investigations of kidnapping and terrorism. What are your thoughts about what Turkish

investigators can accomplish so many weeks after this journalist went missing?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Ivan, great to be with you. As you mentioned, we are here at the alleged scene of the crime, the Saudi

consulate in Istanbul. To your question about the investigation, it really comes down to two key parameters or two aspects.

There is the actual forensic side of the investigation and then there is the "what it all means" part, which really falls into the political angle.

As you mentioned, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was here today meeting with Turkish officials and President Erdogan and Turkish foreign minister

for a brief visit.

We are told from Turkish officials that he was providing -- relaying message from President Trump as well as information from the Saudis. We

don't know what that information is, but that will be part of this investigation, the key aspect. What are the Saudis finding? What are they

willing to provide to Turk authorities as they work here on the ground?

With respect to forensics, behind me obviously, the alleged scene of the crime. We are learning new details last night, overnight. Turkish officials

were attempting to make access into the residence of the consul general here of the Saudi government. He has since left town, departed.

Residence has become a key of interest because CCTV from this scene behind me on the day the missing journalist disappeared shows vehicles moving from

this location over to the residence of the Saudi consul general.

Now, one theory could be that if they were attempting to exfiltrate evidence, perhaps a body, that may be a location they took it to. They

processed the scene. They have not yet made contact and evidence -- to gather evidence over the scene (ph) of the consul general.

That will be a key part of this because again, we are trying to look at all forensic information you can find, whether that's blood spatter, whether

it's DNA, whether it's hair fiber to really get an indication of what took place here and what happened.

Now, again, the larger question, Ivan, that is facing all of us here both from the journalism side and the government side is, will this

investigation be deemed credible? Regardless of what Saudis come up with, regardless of what Turkish officials come up with, will it be comprehensive

in nature that we can look and say this is precisely what happened? That's a question that remains to be answered, Ivan.

WATSON: Let me just ask you. From your experience involved in international investigations, did you ever work with Saudi and/or Turkish

counterparts? Can you share any insight on their professionalism and kind of thoughts about the allegations that some of the Saudis could have been

involved in the killing of Washington-based journalist?

CAMPBELL: Absolutely. So, in the bureau, my work was more so with the Turkish officials than it was with Saudi. You really had to deal with these

Syrian foreign fighter issue that obviously was a great concern for a number of years for western nations, nations from basically around the

world where you have foreign fighters that were coming through Turkey and Syria.

Obviously the Turkish officials are very sophisticated with their training. They are very sophisticated with a lot of the expertise that they have. So,

I have no doubt understanding how they work investigations, that their work here on the ground behind me processing the scene over at the Saudi consul

general's residence if they gain access is going to be comprehensive.

Again, the question will come down to, how much assistance will Saudi officials be providing? There are a lot of questions surrounding whether

this was something that was directed from the highest level of the Saudi government. Those will be key piece of information that officials here will

want to know. It is yet to be determined whether that information will be shared.

WATSON: All right. Josh Campbell, CNN law enforcement analyst, live from Istanbul, thank you very much for that viable insight. Now, stay with "News

Stream." We will have more news coming up after this break.

[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATSON: Welcome back to "News Stream" with live view of the night lights over Victoria Harbor here in Hong Kong. I'm Ivan Watson. Now, Canada is

known for mousse (ph), maple syrup, and now possibly Mary Jane. Because Canada is now the first major industrialized nation to legalize recreation

pot.

That's right. The only other country in the world with similar marijuana laws is Uruguay. As expected, cannabis growers are praising the

government's action. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE LINTON, CEO, CANOPY GROWTH CORPORATION: This is amazing, and it's going to be busy today. It's going to be busy tomorrow. I think the rest of

the country is going to be busy. And we are going to have to keep setting our stuff in (ph). We should respect the fact that this happened because a

lot of people are persistent and government action (INAUDIBLE). And so this is pretty affordable stuff (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Busy getting stone. Well, Canada has allowed medical marijuana since 2001. Now, people are allowed to carry and share up to 30 grams of

marijuana in public. Growers can now sell to anyone 18 years and older.

On a different subject, an ambitious effort to remove plastic from our oceans is now underway. The ocean clean up group has hold this giant pipe

nicknamed "Wilson" from San Francisco Bay to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

And that is the largest pile of floating trash on the planet. Twice the size of the U.S. state of Texas. The U-shaped pipe has a net underneath it

to trap floating plastic. Every three months, say, garbage boat will collect the trash and return it to shore for recycling. The group hopes to

collect 50 tons of trash by April.

Some experts doubt the project will make a dent in the 115 million tons of plastic already in our oceans. If you want to learn more about the effort,

turn in -- tune in to "News Stream" tomorrow for our interview with the young inventor behind this purposeful project.

And that is "News Stream." I'm Ivan Watson, but don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Amanda Davies is coming up, next.

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[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

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