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World Headlines; Alleged Discrimination in Focus at Harvard Admissions Trial; Near Perfect Rectangular Iceberg Spotted in Antarctica; Exploring Sheikh Zayed Mosque, a Cultural Gem in the UAE; Meghan Markle Decided Not to Wear a Tiara for Her First State Dinner. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired October 24, 2018 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:00:00] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Welcome to "News Stream" and breaking news. We have new developments

from the investigation to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Turkey's Anadolu news agency is now reporting Saudi officials are refusing

to allow Turkish police to search a well in the garden of the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.

This is where Khashoggi was seen entering earlier in the month before he was murdered. We'll have a live report from the consulate in Istanbul in

just a moment. Now, the U.S. president, he has been slamming Saudi Arabia with his harshest indictment yet over the murder of the journalist Jamal

Khashoggi.

Donald Trump is calling the Saudi operation a fiasco and "the worst cover- up ever." He will be briefed by the CIA director in the coming hours on the findings from her trip to Turkey. This comes as the U.S. State Department

revokes the visas of all the Saudis link to casualties death and looks into possible sanctions, and just minutes ago, the British Prime Minister Teresa

May said Britain would follow suit and revoke any visas of Saudi suspects.

Meanwhile, the Saudi crown prince will make his first public speech since the crisis began. That's speech coming up in a couple of hours from now.

Now, he'll be making that speech at the Saudi Investment Conference in Riyadh, but first let's go straight to Nic Robertson in Istanbul. We have a

lot to go through.

And Nic, first, that breaking news line is being reported that Saudi officials are denying Turkish police access to a well in the garden of the

Saudi consulate residence there is Istanbul. Is this where the remains of Khashoggi are feared to be?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's not clear, Kristie, though the line coming from the Anadolu, semi-official state news

agency here, says that the Saudi officials refused the police investigators access to the well that night that they came in to do their search of the

whole premises.

So, it seems that they are referring back to that search, that nine-hour search when we saw many police vehicles around here. More than 10 forensics

experts go enter the building. We saw them taking forensic photographs inside the building through the night. They went is about 7:00 p.m. in the

evening. They came out again around about 5:00 a.m. the following morning.

We know that they removed at that time truckloads of rubble and dirt. It was taken away in a couple of trucks covered in tarpaulins. But this is the

first information that we are getting from the semi-official state news agency, Anadolu, saying that it was actually during that period of that

search that Saudi officials refused to allow the police to investigate as to look into the well.

We know yesterday, President Erdogan urged Saudi officials to complete if you will, and tell them what happened to the body and that if it was handed

over to a collaborator, then name that collaborator and it is really does seem to be sort of stymieing the Turkish investigators for sometime. What

happened to the body?

There had been this broad assumption that it had been (inaudible) because a Saudi official had said that the body was given to a collaborator that

perhaps could have been hidden in a forest outside of Istanbul, but of course, this new information would lead to the suspicion that there may be

something in that well that Saudi officials didn't want those investigators to find when they went in and looked to the consulate just about a week

ago.

We know when they went in to the consulate they discovered that there was some toxic chemicals. They also discovered that some of the areas that they

were searching have been painted over. So, it was anything, if you will, anything but the full cooperation from Saudi officials that Saudi officials

today had been saying that they been giving Turkish investigators even at that stage when the Turkish investigators got into the consulate.

They didn't get full cooperation. Things had been painted over and this now darkens that whole image that the Saudis are saying that they have this

cooperation with Turkish investigators, not being able to get into what may potentially -- we don't know -- what may potentially be to a vital area for

investigators to see, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yes. This new line from Anadolu certainly suggests something very suspicious here. We know that Donald Trump is calling this the worst

cover-up ever. He's getting increasingly impatient and frustrated by the fallout in the wake of the killing of Khashoggi. Is the pressure from the

White House going to force the Saudis to finally provide some answers?

ROBERTSON: Well, we may find out later today when the crown prince speaks to the investment forum.

[08:05:01] It would seem to be unlikely that he's going to get into any of the detail of the investigation or the cooperation. He may not even make

reference to it because this has been an absolute (inaudible) on the investment forum that many top CEO's have decided not to go, sent more

junior representatives attended. Our John Defterios has been reporting it's been about down a quarter of what it was last year.

So, it is not reaching expectations because of the shadow cast by Khashoggi's murder so, not clear if the crown prince will address it. But

questions remain and this is what President Erdogan has been pressing for. And it's not clear if pressure alone from President Trump is going to bring

a full accounting from Saudi officials and that pressure is not just coming from the White House. Of course, the State Department has issued those 21 -

- revoked 21 visas of people from the intelligence service in Saudi from the Royal Court, which is very telling.

The (inaudible) from the foreign ministry and the Treasury Department in the U.S. is working to freeze assets of those people. But is that going to

be enough pressure? The indication so far that the Saudi narrative has yet to firm up in such a way that it is credible to the people in the White

House or Theresa May in London, the prime minister there or Angela Merkel in Germany or in many other capitals of Saudi Arabia's allies.

The message that they're getting is your accounting is not complete and it's not credible. It needs to become so. But at what level does the

pressure for them to do that become significant. At the moment, the indication is that they are sort of digging in and finding a narrative to

fit the facts as they think that they have the facts.

Of course, President Erdogan here, we understand from officials who won't confirm that there is a tape of what happened during Khashoggi's murder, an

audio tape of it. But the indications are or have been from Turkish authorities that they have more information. And this other information

really hangs over the Saudi leadership at the moment. Has the CIA Chief Gina Haspel, who has been here and is expected report back to President

Trump, has she seen that information?

What we heard from President Erdogan at a speech today, he said that they had shared information that they been able to clarify and corroborate. He

didn't say we've shared everything, but only what was been able to verify. So even he in his speech today, that he may not have given a full showing

to be a CIA chief.

LU STOUT: Nic Robertson with the latest on the investigation, reporting live from Istanbul. Nic, thank you. Now by now, you have heard about dozens

of business leaders who have pulled out of the investment conference backed by Saudi's crown prince all in response to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

And the latest to pull out, the CEO of Softbank.

Now, take a closer look at your screen. You're going to see many key players are still there. They are still attending this event underway,

known as the "Davos in Desert." CNN Business emerging markets editor John Defterios is in Riyadh beside the conference, and John, as you heard Nic in

his reporting just then, the pressure is building on the Saudis.

We got this new line from Anadolu about the investigation, you know, that President Trump has called this the worst cover-up ever. What impact does

all this have on plans by the crown prince to the purpose of that conference there, attract investment?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, the key challenge right now they were facing, Kristie, is that the tempo, the

discussions being controlled outside Saudi Arabia. Day one it was controlled by President Erdogan and then overnight, President Trump saying

it's the worst cover-up ever.

Then again we have the drip, drip, drip, coming from Istanbul about the investigation and the lack of cooperation from Saudi Arabia. I'm in the

grand hall here, just to give a sense of place and time. This is the session room that the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman will be speaking at

in about two and a half hours time.

Interesting on the background, the organizers were telling me that it was not part of the original brief to discuss the death of Jamal Khashoggi and

then others that are quite involved with the session itself were suggesting that it may need to be because what we've seen out of Istanbul and what we

heard from Washington overnight.

It has been a challenge to keep the message onboard the Saudi Arabia is open for an investment. This is the author of the vision 2030 plan,

Mohammed bin Salman, that he launched two and a half years ago before he was crown prince and investment is fallen to a 12 year low as a result.

You talked about Masayoshi Son. He is the head of SoftBank. He had a fund that's worth $93 billion. He sent an underling here to come to Riyadh. It

was a similar story for Joe Kaeser of Siemens as well.

[08:10:203] Siemens has a representative here, but clearly not at the level of Kaeser himself and he said he had $30 billion on the table between 2018

and 2030. So this room is going to be filled mainly with Saudi's by the way as they filled the vacuum left by the international players that are not

here right now particularly if you listen very carefully to see the crown prince acknowledges what took place, how deep they'll get into the

investigation and whether they can turn the corner.

The CEO of Saudi Aramco told me yesterday in our exclusive interview, we need to move beyond Jamal Khashoggi, how tragic it is, but we have to kind

of break with the past, get to the bottom of it so we can keep the reform program on track.

LU STOUT: The world will be watching when the crown prince does give his address in that room right behind you, his first public comments since the

killing of Jamal Khashoggi. John Defterios, reporting live from Riyadh. Thank you. Take care.

Now, as we mentioned, the U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet several U.S. officials who recently traveled to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Among them, CIA director Gina Haspel who went to Turkey to address the Khashoggi investigation. Vice President Mike Pence said Haspel was, quote,

"reviewing the evidence." She is expected to brief Mr. Trump herself.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump says he will probably meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin next month. That is when they will be attending

the 100th anniversary of the World War I armistice in Paris. U.S. National Security advisor John Bolton met with Mr. Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. He

said the Russian leader expressed interest in speaking with the U.S. president on the sidelines of the armistice celebration.

The Kremlin also say it is ready to discuss a full summit between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin next year. But, Bolton's trip to Moscow was dominated by U.S.

President Trump's decision to pull out of the INF nuclear arms treaty. It was signed in 1987 between the U.S. and the then Soviet Union and led to

the destruction of nearly 2,700 ground launch intermediate-range missiles.

U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Russia of violating the agreement. The Kremlin denies that. And then NATO Secretary-General said allies are

not likely to take action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I don't foresee that an ally will deploy more nuclear weapons in Europe. All allies of course agreed

with United States. The United States is in full compliance with the treaty. But at the same time we state clearly that the most plausible

explanation is the question now is in violation of the treaty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Jens Stoltenberg there. Now, for more, let's go straight to CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Moscow. And Fred when Trump and Putin meet again in

Paris, assuming that meeting does take place, they will talk about the nuclear treaty. But can both sides reach common ground here?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think that they will be able to. You know, what is so interesting to see, John Bolton

here in Moscow yesterday having his talks that he did. And he did have a press conference later in the day and he was asked flat out, look, is there

any way to salvage this treaty if the U.S. at some point maybe, decides or gets information that maybe Russia is in compliance.

Maybe if Russia becomes more transparent and puts open some of the missiles that it has in a western or the western part of Russia then is there a

chance to salvage this treaty. And it seemed to me, being in that room with the press conference that John Bolton was saying essentially there is not.

On the one hand, he said, of course that the U.S. believes that the Russians have been violating that treaty, but I think the more important

point for that the Americans have been trying to make to the Russians as well by the way, is that they believe that this treaty in the current

environment, in the current global environment is not something that's conducive to America or conducive to any other country, and therefore is

obsolete.

They believe that it puts them at a disadvantage not just to countries like Russia, but especially to countries like China and the U.S. has been

accusing China of also manufacturing weapons that would be in breach of the INF treaty if Russia were member of the INF treaty, which of course China

is not. And that's why the U.S. believes that this treaty has no place anymore and that's why the U.S. was essentially saying here that it wants

to get out of the treaty because Russia is violating it.

But they also believe or John Bolton at least also believes and President Trump believes that the treaty is not good for Russia either. So, it

doesn't seem to us or it didn't seem to me, sitting in that press conference yesterday listening to John Bolton, listening to some of the

things that were coming out of the meeting with Vladimir Putin that this treaty has much of a chance of survival. And he did seem to also indicate

that the US would start a formal process to get out of that treaty very soon, Kristie,

LU STOUT: But, you know, John Bolton, you know, he's known for his confrontational approach and there in Russia you saw it. I mean, he

confronted Russia not just on INF but on election meddling. You saw him place a wreath at where Putin critic Boris Nemtsov was killed. That's a

pretty bold move. How did Russia react to all of that?

[08:15:03] PLEITGEN: Yes. Well, I'm pretty sure they weren't thrilled about this. Interesting because the Russian -- the Kremlin, the Russian

government was saying they knew that he was planning to do that. That doesn't necessarily mean that he -- if they thought it was a very good

idea. Also, Russian media, very absent from that part of John Bolton's visit.

I think though, Kristie, in total, the folks here in Moscow in the Kremlin and other places, they see John Bolton as someone who's extremely hard

line, but I do also think that they do respect some of the things that he says and also some of the gestures that he gives. You're actually right, he

did lay a wreath yesterday at the place where Boris Nemtsov was killed in 2015 right outside the Kremlin.

But then also just a couple of minutes later, he also went to the main World War II memorial, obviously commemorating Russian soldiers who fought

and died in World War II and also laid a wreath there as well. That certainly is a gesture that the Russians can appreciate. So, I think they

do believe that he is a very hard line politician. But I do also think quite frankly that people like Vladimir Putin take John

Bolton very, very seriously and that is certainly some of what we saw on the body language also when we have that public part of the meeting between

Putin and Bolton that was shown yesterday, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Interesting. That assertive stance and confrontational approach is something Russia apparently respects. Fred Pleitgen reporting live from

Moscow, thank you.

The U.S-China trade war, it rages on and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Just how long will it take for President Donald Trump to strike a

deal with China? Well, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro wouldn't offer a timeframe when asked the question on Tuesday but he did spill (ph)

the reasons why America is taking such a hard line against China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISOR: At the end of the day, China is a nonmarket economy run by an authoritarian regime. It engages in predatory

economics and economic aggression not just against us, but against the rest of the world and we see that manifest in all sorts of ways.

They dump all sorts of products into our markets. There used to be steel and aluminum, which they still do but increasingly it's going to be autos

and robotics. Everything in between they put us out of business. Every day as we sit here there is thousands of Chinese and the Chinese government

which are attacking us through cyber espionage, our government and our business.

It's like these are the kinds of things that one true visionaries of the Trump administration, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade

representative said this can't go on and he, under the president's direction, wants the Section 301 investigation which basically outlined all

these different things China was doing to us and said no, no, no, you can't do that anymore. If we lose our industries in the future, we lose our

futures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Peter Navarro there. You are there watching "News Stream." And still to come, as thousands of migrants continue their trek to the U.S.

border, President Trump has a warning for those in the journey. We have the latest on that, and how it's playing out ahead of the midterms, next.

[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream). With the U.S. midterm elections fast approaching, President Donald

says he is considering a military option beyond the National Guard to protect the border with Mexico. That's what he told reporters as thousands

of migrants continued to head north through Mexico toward the U.S. border.

Mr. Trump has said he thinks the U.S. has a, quote, "dumbest immigration laws anywhere in the world." Now meanwhile, the United Nations says as many

as 7,000 people wake up that migrant caravan. But the Mexican government says that number has now dropped to around 4,500. It all started in

Honduras, it passed through Guatemala and is now in the southern Mexican town of Huixtla. It will likely be weeks if not months before the migrants

even reach the U.S. border.

Patrick Oppmann has been traveling with the caravan. He joins us now live, and Patrick, that warning from President Trump, you know, he said that he's

considering a military option to protect the border. Is news of that circulating among the migrants?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, they are just taking it one day at a time or next Thursday. So you could see, a large group of people joining

me now on this arduous journey north. They have just begun and they will be marching all day long. They will be walking all day long. Some people try

to hitchhike, other people, I'm seeing many small children here, are just taking one step after another and what ever they say happens they will not

be going home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPES)

OPPMANN (voice-over): Another dawn at the migrant caravan heading to the United States, another night sleeping on concrete for thousands of people.

Some get ready for the day. Children play games as if they were still home. Others decide to sleep a little longer. Maria Antonia breastfeeds her two-

month old daughter Estrella on the pavement where they spent the night.

Maria Antonia says she's leaving Honduras through Venezuela and have a future. There isn't nay work here she says. We have nothing to live on. On

the same block, Kevin ask people for coins. He's travelling alone to join an older brother in the U.S. hoping to send money back home. He says he's

14 but looks much younger. We aren't showing his face to keep him safe.

(Inaudible) tells me so I could work and eat and help our family. Over the town plaza, Brian is figuring out how to get back to the U.S. We will walk

as long as it takes to unite with his three-year-old daughter, an American citizen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was the on who actually need me the most, you know, so. And I don't want her to go without me.

OPPMANN: With over a thousand miles to go to the US-Mexico border, but he will not be welcomed. The Trump administration is pressuring the Mexican

government to deport more than 7,000 members of these migrant caravan back home because they say the terrorist or dangerous gang members in their

midst.

But literally everyone every one we have talked to here says the exact opposite. They are not gang members. They are the victims. Antonia says

Honduras is out of control gangs, extort everyone sometimes for just few dollars.

That's why we came, she tells me. They charge more taxes there. If you don't pay they (inaudible). She says she hopes her baby daughter is too

young to remember the hell they are fleeing from and how they are living now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPMANN: And you can see these people behind me are getting a ride, that means they won't have to walk as far today, but it's only one leg in this

epic journey and it's going to take weeks or months before they reach United States and they are unsure of the reception they will received when

they get there.

LU STOUT: Well, this has been such a long and difficult journey for these migrants, some of them, the lucky ones behind you, able to catch a ride for

the day, but we saw small children just moment ago behind you walking on by. This has been an arduous trek for them. Patrick Oppmann, we thank you

so much for your reporting.

Now, for more on how this issue is playing out politically ahead of the midterms, our White House correspondent Abby Phillip joins us now from

Washington. Abby, the migrant caravan has certainly caught the attention of the U.S. president. Is this all because of politics?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the president has clearly calculated that this issue is a potent one for Republicans two

weeks before the election day, but in the process he's been making a lot of claims about these migrants that he hasn't been able to substantiate.

The president faced a lot of questions this week about his claim that members of Isis were part of the caravan. But he also acknowledged that

there was no proof that that was the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:25:06] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no proof of anything. There is no proof of anything, but they could very well be.

PHILLIP (voice-over): President Trump admitting there is no basis for his unproven claim that middle easterners are among the caravan of Central

American migrants making their way through Mexico in hopes of reaching the United States. But the president continuing to try to use the issue to

drive Republican voter turnout.

TRUMP: They don't have to necessarily be in that group, but certainly you have people coming up through the southern border from the Middle East and

other places that are not appropriate for our country.

PHILLIP (voice-over): Vice President Pence also floating a new conspiracy theory.

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The caravan is now making its way through Mexico headed for the southern border. It was organized by

leftist organizations and financed by Venezuela.

PHILLIP (voice-over): CNN has found no evidence to support either claim. The caravan is about 1,000 miles away from the southern border of the

United States and Mexico authorities say almost 3,000 people have requested asylum there so far, mostly women, teenagers and children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people that are in this caravan, many are in desperate situations as humanitarian need, the United States should be out

there to try to help.

PHILLIP (voice-over): Surrounded by senior military commanders, President Trump once again threatening to send the military to the border.

TRUMP: Not just the National Guard. The military is what I'm thinking about.

PHILLIP (voice-over): But offering no details about how that would work.

TRUMP: They can do a lot. They're the military.

PHILLIP (voice-over): The president also touting his new promise to impose a 10 percent tax cut for the middle class.

TRUMP: We're putting in a resolution probably this week.

PHILLIP (voice-over): A senior Republican aide tell CNN it's a talking point. It's something to talk about in the lead up to the election, nothing

more. Nevertheless, the president telling the "Wall Street Journal" the plan will be revenue neutral, but giving no details about how. The national

deficit has ballooned to $779 billion fueled in large part by the Trump administrations first round of tax cuts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wants to do over because as he travels around the country, he realized that middle-class and working folks aren't really

benefiting from that tax cut.

PHILLIP (voice-over): Democrats ceasing (ph) on remarks by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about cutting entitlement programs to address the

deficit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has been a bipartisan reluctance to tackle and (inaudible) changes.

PHILLIP (voice-over): President Trump also told the Journal that he sees the Federal Reserve as the biggest risk to the economy and understated the

size of the massive terrorist he's implemented, claiming that blaming terrorists is a good excuse for some incompetent guy that's making 25

million a year. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars of goods this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was CNN's Abby Phillip reporting. You are watching "News Stream." And still to come, an Ivy league school finds it admissions

process under scrutiny everything and it claims of racial discrimination. We'll breakdown the lawsuit against Harvard, next.

[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream." These are your world headlines.

Turkey's Anadolu news agency report says Saudi Arabia officials are refusing to allow Turkish police to search a well in the garden of the

Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate before he was murdered earlier this month.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. will revoke the visas of 21 Saudi suspects in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. It comes as President

Trump delivers his harshest indictment so far of the Saudis, calling the events leading up to Khashoggi's death "the worst cover-up ever."

A Japanese journalist captured by militants in Syria three years ago has been released. Japan's foreign minister says its embassy in Turkey

confirmed Jumpei Yasuda's identity and that he appears to be in relatively good health. Yasuda is to return to Japan after a medical check.

It is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and for the last week, we've been getting an inside look at how Harvard decides who

will be ale to walk its halls, thanks to a case that alleges that the school discriminates against Asian-Americans in its admissions.

A group of conservative activists backed by the Trump administration brought the lawsuit in Boston. But observers say that this issue

(INAUDIBLE) admissions may ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

My next guest wrote a column for CNN.com on this case. He says Asian- Americans should be angry about the allegations against Harvard. His name, Shan Wu. He is a CNN legal analyst, defense attorney, former federal

prosecutor. He joins me now from Washington. Shang, good to see you. Thank you for returning here to the program. Could you lay out some of the

allegations made in this lawsuit against Harvard?

SHAN WU, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah, the allegations that have been forth importantly at this point do not include a request that Harvard seize using

any type or race consciousness in what it calls its holistic admissions program.

The allegations are that the way Harvard implements its program for admissions discriminates against the Asians. The most notable area is there

is a category called "personal" and that's made up of different characteristics of people.

And the statistics that come out indicate that Asian applicants as compared to white applicants are scored lower for characteristics such as

likability, courage, maturity, even the work effervescence. And so that is very deeply troubling.

Harvard claims that that is not true. They claim that their own internal study that was done a couple of years ago that warned some of these

concerns was simply preliminary. So Harvard is defending itself saying that they do not discriminate against Asian-American applicants.

And more importantly, Harvard is basically spinning this as a frontal attack on affirmative action, on race consciousness and saying that if they

were to lose this case, that it could have repercussions that would eliminate the use of race altogether.

Now, there is some legitimacy to that concern because particularly for the makeup of the newly majority conservative Supreme Court that certainly the

Trump administration has been looking for a way to attack that.

But in this case, at this moment, that's not on the table because the judge already eliminated that request granting an early judgement to Harvard

saying that's not on the table. So really what we're looking at right now is has Harvard actually discriminated against Asian-American applicants

with the use of these types of scores?

LU STOUT: Got it. There is one side that says this is a discrimination case. There is another side that from action policies, race base policies,

that is up for discussion here. Now, if the plaintiffs win in this trial and race is no longer used as a factor in the admission process, in

practical terms, what will change? How would the student body change at Harvard? What would it look like?

WU: So, if that would happen and again, I would point out that it doesn't seem possible that direct result of this case could be that ruling because

that is not on the table, but either way, it's probably going to get appealed.

LU STOUT: Yeah.

WU: And if gets appealed, it make it broader (ph).

[08:34:58] The way that could potentially look, the great fears of people who want a more holistic look affirmative-action advocates is that you

would be looking at things just on the numbers, that you only look at test scores.

For example, the so-called racially blind policy. That would be very problematic. I mean, nearly all of the other Ivy League institutions have

weighed in saying that they very much support Harvard. They want race to be a factor.

And personally, I think race should be a factor. It's part of who people are. The race is not the issue here. As I say, it's the racism that is the

issue because the way that they are scoring Asian-American candidates if proven true is very troubling.

Those are code words for the kind of prejudice that Asians around the world, Asian-Americans have faced in the past, this idea that we're not

likable, that essentially we are boring people. I think there are some testimonies -- quote from admissions officer who talked about Asian-

American candidates saying, he wants to be a doctor, what's new?

I mean, those are all very harmful stereotypes and they don't allow Asian- Americans to be looked at holistically as human beings. It's just the opposite of what Harvard says they want to do.

LU STOUT: Yeah, and this trial, this could be the start of an appeal process. It could be a dress rehearsal for the Supreme Court. A huge

watershed moment for not just talking about admissions in America affirmative action but for Asian-Americans in fighting against anti-Asian-

American bias. That was the point of your piece on CNN.com.

Shan Wu, we got to leave it there, but thank you as always for joining us. Take care.

WU: Good to see you.

LU STOUT: Now, an object has been spotted in Antarctica. It was so seemingly flawless. Some people are doubting it's even real. We'll tell you

how this iceberg ended up as a near perfect rectangle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back, this is "News Stream."

Now, to an unusual discovery from Antarctica. NASA cameras involved in the decade-long iceberg survey captures this. A nearly perfect rectangular

shaped iceberg. The pictures are hid on social media. Some people are doubting anything like this could occur in nature. So we asked glaciologist

Sue Cook how this could happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUE COOK, GLACIOLOGIST, ANTARCTIC CLIMATE RESEARCH CENTER: Well, ice is a structure made up of crystals. So when it breaks up, it tends to break in

straight line. That means most aspect have quite a geometric shape. Rectangle is unusual but straight line don't.

The loss in ice sheet is that it has been losing a lot of icebergs recently. One very large one came up earlier this year. So, it's particular

area we're watching to see how many icebergs come off in the near future.

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LU STOUT: Glaciologist Sue Cook there. Now, before we go, CNN explores Abu Dhabi, in particular the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is quickly

becoming a cultural landmark in the UAE. Tales of its milky way marble exteriors have attracted some five million visitors last year. Artist and

curator, Ala Idris (ph), gave us a tour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a celebration of modern Islamic architecture.

[08:40:03] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The experience on the seaside as you walk in, all the details, I think, are amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): In 2017, over five million people visited the mosque making it one of the most visited attractions in the region.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. Let me show you around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): More than 1,000 columns run the length of the outdoor arcades.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really love the columns here. What is really special about them, the carvings had done all by hand. No machine was used.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You mean, the carving of the flowers?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the flowers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are made of million pieces of semi-precious stones from different countries around the world. Some of the centers of

the flowers feature mother of pearl.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, I noticed that. It's my favorite.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you can see around the domes, it has beautiful floral patterns made of arabesque which is a traditional Arabic type of

artwork heavily used in the mosque.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): The mosque includes 82 domes in various sizes that combined different harmonious homes of Islamic architecture.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So this mosque features not only one style. When people would come in, they will find parts of the mosque is featuring mogul

(ph) style, the other parts (INAUDIBLE) and adding to this is contemporary arts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't present (ph) only Islamic traditional art.

This is the main prayer room. It is the largest prayer room we use for special occasions like Ramadan, Eid prayers, and Friday ceremony which can

take up to 8,000 worshipers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): The prayer hall's main centerpiece is it's crystal chandelier, one of the world's largest in a mosque.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many pieces of the crystal they used in the chandelier?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fourteen million pieces of Swarovski crystals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a landmark that you have not to miss in your itinerary. I love the diversity of the people that come here to experience

the architecture and the beauty of the grand mosque of Sheikh Zayed. The place is breathtaking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Breathtaking. Now, Meghan Markle has attended her first state dinner as part of the royal family, but she opted out wearing a tiara.

Instead, the pregnant Duchess of Sussex showed off her baby bump at a banquet hosted by the president of Fiji.

She arrived in Fiji on Tuesday with her husband, Prince Harry, their first major tour as a royal couple. The duchess payed tribute to her host by

wearing what is known as Fijian Blue and not to the color at the center of Fiji's flag. Beautiful.

That is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Rhiannon Jones is next.

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[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

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