Return to Transcripts main page
NEWS STREAM
British Prime Minister To Offer MPs No-Deal Brexit Vote; One Of The Most Powerful Men In The Catholic Church Is Convicted; Leaders From The U.S. and North Korea Will Meet For A High Stakes Summit in Vietnam; CNN Exclusive: The Taliban Are Laying Out Their Plans For Afghanistan Ahead Of A Potential U.S. Withdrawal. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired February 26, 2019 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, ANCHOR, CNN: ... in the last couple of minutes, as she said that there will be a meaningful vote on her deal, whatever she has
negotiated by March the 12th, at the latest. If that fails, if Parliament rejects it, then the next day, on March 13th, the Commons will be asked to
vote on whether they would be prepared to leave the E.U. in a no deal, with no deal on the table.
And if that then fails, as well, if Parliamentarians reject the idea of a hard Brexit and a no deal scenario, then by March 14th, so a busy week
there, there would be a vote in the House of Commons on possibly extending Article 50.
Phil Black, my colleague is in the London news room and he's been monitoring everything there. Phil, we now finally at least have a pathway
towards a possible delay.
PHIL BLACK, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Indeed, but that's only because the Prime Minister knows that that could have been taken away from her as early as
tomorrow. This was the Prime Minister desperately trying to maintain the initiative, and especially on that crucial point, and that is when will the
Brexit Day be in the event that there is no deal agreed with the European Union.
The Prime Minister knows that tomorrow, the House will vote on amendments that could have sought and quite very well likely could have won and forced
her to delay the actual Brexit vote of the 29th of March, taking no-deal off the table for the time being. That is what she is trying to avoid at
all costs.
And so she is saying to the members of the House, today, don't do that, don't support those amendments. I will give you a say in two weeks, if
that is necessary. You can still pursue that course of action, and vote for a strictly short-limited extension of that Brexit Day.
As I say, it's a desperate attempt to maintain the initiative because she wants to maintain control of this process and particularly whether or not
no-deal remains an option because that is from where she, at this stage, gets most of her leverage from in dealing with the European Union.
As she is pushing the E.U. for concessions that she hopes will enable her negotiated withdraw agreement to be voted on and receive a majority in the
House, she wants that threat of a no-deal scenario to sit there for as long as possible in the hope that it will nudge the E.U. into making concessions
that make all of that possible, Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: All right, Phil and Theresa May after she's finished up in the Commons, she will be heading back to Brussels to continue with those
negotiations. We now know that she will put a meaningful vote to the Commons as she said in the past, but a meaningful vote, the second one, by
March 12th at the latest. So we'll see how the Prime Minister gets on with those ongoing negotiations with her E.U. counterparts. Phil, thanks very
much indeed.
Now, to our viewers, you are watching "News Stream" and we turn to our top story in the conviction of one of the most powerful men in the Catholic
Church. Pope Francis is calling it painful and shocking. Cardinal George Pell was one of the Pope's closest advisers and he's been found guilty in
Australia of multiple historical child sex offenses. Pell denies all the charges. He plans to appeal.
The Pope confirmed that for now, the Vatican is forbidding Pell to serve in public ministry or indeed, have contact with children. We'll have more on
the reaction from Pope Francis with our Vatican correspondent, Delia Gallagher in just a moment.
But first, Anna Coren is in Melbourne, Australia, where this secret trial took place. Anna, just remind us of exactly what Cardinal Pell has been
convicted off.
ANNA COREN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Hannah, as you know, we have been sitting on this story for more than two months now. That suppression order
that was protecting a second trial that was lifted today. The reason being that second trial collapsed.
So the world found out today that George Pell is now a convicted pedophile. A jury here in Melbourne found him guilty of child sexual abuse. It
relates to an assault that took place back in 1996, several months after George Pell became the Archbishop of Melbourne. It's claimed that he
assaulted two teenage choir boys.
One of those boys said that George Pell after Sunday mass forced him to perform oral sex on him and the priest sacristy. He then indecently
assaulted the boy as well as his friend. He then claims that he was groped by George Pell in the Cathedral a month later.
Now, his friend, he died of a drug overdose five years ago and it was that that prompted this young man now to go to police and report this abuse.
Now, we heard from the lawyer of the father of the deceased man earlier today, and this is what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA FLYNN, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF ABUSE VICTIM: My client's son was subjected to horrific sexual abuse when he was just 10 years of age and it
was within a year that our client witnessed his son started abusing drug, started using drugs, started exhibiting really severe psychiatric symptoms,
not really understanding why that was happening.
[08:05:02]
FLYNN: And then his life continued down that path, like so many survivors of abuse until his tragic death five years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: And, Hannah, from the survivors that we have spoken to over the past week of clerical sexual abuse, so many of them have turned to alcohol
and drugs and destructive behavior. So his story is not alone.
Well, George Pell, whilst he's the number three in the Vatican. He still maintain that position. He says that he is still innocent and they have
lodged an appeal. And tomorrow, Hannah, George Pell will walk through the doors of Melbourne County Court behind me and this will be the last time we
see him as a free man. He will be remanded into custody and taken to prison where that's where he will learn his sentence probably last week --
Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Anna, thanks. Let's go over to Delia Gallagher who is standing by for us in Rome now. Delia, we have now heard from the Vatican,
Cardinal George Pell has not been stripped of his clerical status, his Cardinal status as the third highest Cardinal within the Vatican, and the
Pope released a statement saying he has the right to defend himself until the final grade of judgment. What exactly is that?
DELIA GALLAGHER, VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, that's right, Hannah. The Vatican releasing a statement with Pope Francis calling it painful
news, but essentially saying that they are going to wait until the final appeal. Let me just read you a little bit of that statement, Hannah. It
says, "As already expressed on other occasions, we have the utmost respect for the Australian judicial authorities. Out of this respect, we await the
outcome of the appeals process recalling that Cardinal Pell maintains his innocence and has the right to defense himself until the last stage of
appeal."
That is bound not to please many people, but the Vatican is going to wait until the final judgment of the appeal in order to do anything as regards
to Cardinal Pell, being a cardinal and being a priest.
However, Hannah, the fact that his term as Finance Minister officially expired two days ago, the Vatican spokesman confirmed that to journalists
just a short time ago, but there has been no official communication regarding replacing Cardinal Pell at that position. So technically, he is
still on a leave of absence from that position.
So that is one area where if the Pope wanted to show, after this four-day summit on child sex abuse at the Vatican, that he is serious and that the
Vatican has turned a page on this, that is one area where the Vatican might be able to make an announcement even before the end of the appeal to say
that there is a new Finance Minister in place. The Pope did remove Cardinal Pell from his C9 Council of Cardinals. That's the group that
advises Pope Francis.
Last year in December, that announcement was made for reasons of age, the Vatican said, and reorganization of that Council. So he is out of that
Council. At the moment, still on as Finance Minister. We will see what the next steps for the Vatican will be -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Delia Gallagher in Rome and Anna Coren standing by for us in Melbourne. My thanks to you both.
Now, to a major escalation of tensions between two nuclear powers. In the early hours of Tuesday, Indian aircraft crossed the line of control in
Kashmir to conduct airstrikes on Pakistani-controlled territory.
India claims the strikes hit a terrorist training camp. Pakistan denies the camp was hit, calling it a fictitious claim. This follows an attack on
Indian soldiers in Kashmir earlier on this month. We'll hear more on the Pakistani reaction to this from Ben Farmer who is in Islamabad in just a
moment.
First Nikhil Kumar joins us from New Delhi. Nikhil, what is India's justification in launching these airstrikes in the first place?
NIKHIL KUMAR, NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF, CNN: Well, Hannah, you mentioned that attack on Indian forces in the disputed Kashmir region, which occurred
on the 14th of February. Forty Indian paramilitaries were killed. Analysts say it was the worst attack on Indian forces in several decades.
India said today that the group that it blames for that attack, it says that that group, it had intelligence that that same group was planning
further attacks on India and that this camp it alleged was run by that group and that's why they had gone in there. It said that a large number
of militants had been hit in these strikes.
Pakistan, of course, as you say, denies that this happened. Pakistan acknowledges that Indian jets crossed over into Pakistani air space, but
they say that they repelled them, that they pushed them back. So right now, we have these two stories -- India saying that it went after this
terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is blamed for the attack on the 14th of February and which it says was planning further attacks, which is
why it did the strike which is called preemptive. But Pakistan saying no, that just didn't happen -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Okay, let's bring in Ben Farmer. Ben is in Islamabad for us. Ben, so the Pakistani military is saying that they repelled these
Indian jets. Was that action in defense of the training camp?
[08:10:04]
BEN FARMER, JOURNALIST: What the Pakistani military say is they do admit that Indian jets crossed over into Pakistani territory in the early hours
of this morning, but they say they scrambled their own fighters and they were chased off. Now, what they say is before, while they were being
chased off, they dropped what they call their payload and they admit that there were explosions inside Pakistani territory.
But they deny that a militant base was attacked, they say -- or indeed was hit or indeed that there were casualties. They say that the bombs, the
payload that fell from the Indian jets hit a deserted area of woodland and they've released photographs which appear to show a wooded hillside with
muddy craters on it. So they're saying that the Indian claims that there were successful airstrikes against the militant camp are reckless and
fictitious.
VAUGHAN JONES: We will wait to see how this tension escalates. My thanks to you both, to Ben Farmer in Islamabad, also Nikhil Kumar in New Delhi,
thank you.
We turn our attention now though to Vietnam where in less than this 24 hours, the leaders from the U.S. and North Korea will meet for a high
stakes summit. Kim Jong-un received a red carpet welcome when he arrived in his heavily armored train. Then he spent an hour visiting the North
Korean Embassy in Hanoi.
Donald trump will arrive in Hanoi in the next hour. The two will meet face-to-face for a second time on Wednesday after their first summit failed
to produce concrete action on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Let's bring in Paula Hancocks. Paula is live in Hanoi for us. Talk us
through what Kim Jong-un has been up to ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Hannah, he hasn't done too much today. He arrived here in Hanoi this morning, local time Tuesday morning.
As you say, he has been to the North Korean Embassy, which is just around the corner from his hotel. That was clearly one of the reasons why North
Korea was happy to have the Summit here. They have a presence. They have the Embassy. They feel comfortable in Vietnam.
And of course, you also have the fact that Kim Jong-un's grandfather, Kim Il-sung came to Vietnam, as well, in the 50s and in the 60s, so really
emulating that relationship from so many decades ago. So as you say, we will be seeing the U.S. President Donald Trump landing here within the next
hour or so as well. He'll go to his hotel this Tuesday evening. We are not expecting to see anything more of him until tomorrow and Wednesday is
really the key day here. This is when the two leaders will meet face-to- face once again.
We understand there will be a brief meet and greet Wednesday evening. They will have a small dinner, as well. We heard from Sarah Sanders, the Press
Secretary on Air Force One telling reporters that U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo will be there as well, the acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney
will also be involved. We don't know who on the North Korean side at this point, but that will really be the first time that these two leaders get
together to try and hammer out something a little more concrete as you say than they did in Singapore.
There was a huge criticism after that very vaguely worded statement in Singapore. The question is what can they come up with this time? The
historical parts of the meeting is over. History was made in Singapore. This is the second meeting. Now, critics and officials are hoping for a
little more progress -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: And we know you'll stay across it. A very busy couple of days there in Hanoi, Vietnam. Paula Hancocks, thank you. You are watching
"News Stream" and still ahead on the program, a CNN exclusive, the Taliban are laying out their plans for Afghanistan ahead of a potential U.S.
withdrawal from the country. We show you what that future might look like as our team gets rare access inside their territory.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:15:00]
VAUGHAN JONES: Welcome back to "News Stream" and as the latest round of U.S.-Taliban peace talks move into high gear, the Taliban are eager to show
they are not just fighters, but also effective civic leaders. Few have seen their world since 9/11, but CNN's chief international correspondent,
Clarissa Ward got rare access into Taliban territory where Western journalists almost never go. Clarissa filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN (voice over): This is what the Taliban wants you to know. Their moment is coming and they are
ready for victory.
This is a world you have probably never seen up close. And we are some of the only western journalists to enter it.
America's enemy in Afghanistan is best known for harboring Osama bin Laden as he planned the 9/11 attacks, for its brutal repression of women and for
meting out harsh justice under a draconian interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
We want to find out who the Taliban is today and if after 17 years of war with the U.S., their Islamic Emirate has changed.
Our journey begins in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The Taliban was forced to withdraw from here after a bitter battle in 2001. Now, they are
just a few miles away.
WARD (on camera): We're heading out now to meet up with our Taliban escorts. And as you can see, I'm wearing the full facial veil known was
the niqab. I'm wearing it to keep as low profile as is possible because there are no western journalists in the areas we're headed to.
WARD (voice over): The government controls the highway out of the city, but once you turn off the main road, you are quickly in Taliban territory.
To reach our host, we have to cross a small river on a ferry. Billions of U.S. dollars have been poured in to building up Afghanistan's
infrastructure. But little of that has trickled down here.
WARD (on camera): That's our escort just there on the other side of the river.
WARD (voice over): After months of negotiations, the Taliban leadership has agreed to give Afghan filmmaker, Najibullah Quraishi, myself, and
producer, Salma Abdelaziz, extremely rare access into the group's territory. As women we are ignored, seemingly invisible beneath the full
veil that is mandatory in public.
The Taliban has allowed us to visit these areas because it wants to show that it is in control. But in our first moments --
WARD (on camera): Whoa, that's a lot of helicopters -- one, two, three, four, five.
WARD (voice over): Our escorts tell us to stop. We are now on the other side of America's war. In recent months, the U.S. has dramatically stepped
up the number of air strikes on the Taliban. The militants' flag makes us a conspicuous target. But we have no choice but to push on.
Our first stop is a clinic that has been run by the Taliban since they took control of this area almost two years ago. A plaque at the door reveals it
was a gift from the Americans in 2006.
Suddenly, a young girl outside is hit by a motorcycle. A boy rushes over to help her. The driver is a Taliban fighter. He slings his gun over his
shoulder and wanders over, apparently unconcerned. Life here is brutal.
[08:20:10]
WARD (voice over): The girl is rushed inside, her frantic mother following behind.
WARD (on camera): Is she okay? Is she okay? Are you okay?
WARD (voice over): But no one seems as shocked as we are. The doctor gives her mother some painkillers and sends her away. After years of
fighting here, he has seen much worse.
WARD (on camera): Who's in charge of the hospital? Who's managing it?
WARD (voice over): He explained that the Taliban manages the clinic, but the government pays salaries and provides medicine. This sort of ad hoc
cooperation is becoming more and more common, and there have been other changes.
WARD (on camera): So this is something you wouldn't expect to see in a clinic under the control of the Taliban. It looks like some kind of sexual
health education, talking about condoms and other forms of birth control.
WARD (voice over): Twenty two-year-old midwife Fazila has worked under the Taliban and the Afghan government.
WARD (on camera): What has been your experience working under the Taliban here?
WARD (voice over): "The Taliban never interfere in our work as women," she says. "They never block us from coming to the clinic." In the waiting
area, these women say it's war and poverty that makes their lives miserable.
WARD (on camera): Has life under the Taliban changed now from what it was before? No?
WARD (voice over): "We are trapped in the middle," the woman says, "And we can't do anything."
WARD (on camera): It's just so sad to see how desperate people are here. The women telling me they don't have enough food to eat. They don't have
the proper medicines to treat their disabled children. All they want is peace and some improvement to their quality of life.
WARD (voice over): It's getting late and we need to get to our accommodation. The Taliban turn off cell phone service after dark. This
is when we are most vulnerable.
The next morning, we're taken to a madrasa or a religious school. Under Taliban rule in the 90s, girls were banned from going to school. But we
find boys and girls studying.
WARD (voice over): Raise your hand if you know how to read. Okay. One, two, three -- you can read and write. Do you know what you want to be when
you grow up? A doctor? Bravo. What's your favorite subject in school? Math. You're smart.
WARD (voice over): Teacher Yar Mohammed splits his time between the front lines and the classroom. His AK-47 never leaves his side.
"The Emirate has instructed education departments to allow education for girls of religious studies, modern studies, science and math," he says, but
there's a catch. Once they reach puberty, girls cannot go to school with boys. And the sad reality is that few in rural areas like this see women's
education as a priority. The Taliban's focus now is on showing it can govern effectively.
Across the country, the group has appointed shadow governors, like Mawlavi Khaksar. For his security, Khaksar is always on the move. When the
villagers hear that he is visiting, they quickly line up to air their issues. There are disputes over money and landownership. "Your petition
will be dealt with tomorrow," Khaksar says.
Corruption is rampant in the Afghan government. The Taliban has a reputation for delivering quick, if harsh, justice. "The Islamic Emirate
has laws," this man says. "It has an Islamic Sharia system in place."
Khaksar agrees to sit down with us. His bodyguard listens for security updates on the radio. We start out by asking about the Taliban's brutal
tactics and the U.S. concern that they could once again offer safe haven to terrorists.
MAWLAVI KHAKSAR, TALIBAN SHADOW GOVERNOR (Through a translator): Whether it's the Americans or ISIS, no foreign forces will be allowed in the
country once we start ruling Afghanistan.
WARD (on camera): Are there real efforts being made to stop killing civilians?
KHAKSAR: Those responsible for civilian casualties are the ones who came with the aircrafts, artillery, B-52 and heavy weaponry.
[08:25:05]
WARD (voice-over): In reality, the Taliban is responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in the last three years alone.
WARD (on camera): And what about these suicide bombings at polling stations, for example? These kill many civilians.
KHAKSAR (Through a translator): We deny this. This accusation is not acceptable to us.
WARD (voice-over): There are small signs that the Taliban is moving with the times.
KHAKSAR (Through a translator): I listen to the radio. Also Facebook and other media.
WARD (on camera): You're on Facebook?
KHAKSAR (Through a translator): Yes.
WARD (voice-over): But it's clear that the fundamental ideology has not changed.
WARD (on camera): So if somebody is found guilty of stealing, you cut off their hand?
KHAKSAR (Through a translator): Yes. We implement the Sharia. We follow Sharia instruction.
WARD (on camera): And if somebody is found guilty of adultery, you will stone them to death?
KHAKSAR (Through a translator): Yes. The Sharia allows stoning to death.
WARD (voice-over): As we're leaving the interview, the Military Commander for the district arrives and a dispute breaks out about us. "They should
have brought a man," one of them says.
WARD (on camera): So the issue right now is that they don't want us to walk outside with the government because I'm a woman. They think it's
inappropriate.
WARD (voice-over): We agree to follow the men at a distance, something I've never had to do in my career.
The Commander, Mubariz Mujahid, takes us to a nearby safe house to be interviewed privately. We are warned that political questions are off the
table.
WARD (on camera): Do you want to see peace between the Taliban and America?
MUBARIZ MUJAHID, TALIBAN MILITARY COMMANDER (Through translator): It would be better if this question was put to the spokesperson of the Islamic
Emirate.
WARD (on camera): Do you feel like the Taliban is winning the war?
MUJAHID (Through a translator): God willing, we are hopeful. We are supported by God.
WARD (voice-over): He wants to show off his forces for our cameras. His men are gathering just outside the village. It is exceptionally rare and
dangerous for dozens of fighters to congregate in one place.
WARD (on camera): I have been coming to Afghanistan for more than ten years. I never imagined that I would be reporting from here in the heart
of Taliban territory, but we're not going to stay long here because gatherings like this can be a major target for airstrikes.
WARD (voice-over): But the Commander says America's military might can't keep them from victory.
MUJAHID (Through a translator): We are ready for any sacrifice. We are not scared of being hit. This is our holy path. We continue our jihad.
WARD (voice over): Most of these men have been fighting U.S. forces since they were old enough to carry a gun. The question now is, are they ready
to put those guns down?
Our visit with the Taliban is coming to a close. It's time to leave. For a large part of Afghanistan, the prospect of a Taliban resurgence remains
horrifying. But for many here, it makes little difference who is in charge. After decades of war and hardship, they'll turn to anyone who
promises peace.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: Just extraordinary reporting, extraordinary access. I'm delighted to say Clarissa joins me now from New York. Clarissa, based on
your experience then with the Taliban, do you think that this group is equipped, has it evolved enough to negotiate and maintain a lasting peace?
WARD: I would not say that there was any indication from our time on the ground with the Taliban that they are equipped or evolved to offer a
lasting peace. What they are certainly trying to do is showcase pragmatism, to say that, "Listen, we can be grown-ups. We can sit at the
negotiating table with the U.S., we can cooperate with the Afghan government in terms of running institutions like schools and hospitals," as
we saw. "We can govern effectively. We can provide basic services. And we can sort of curb this impulse to go in and smash what was pre-existing
and essentially allow these basic services and these institutions to go on and this infrastructure to go on functioning and helping ordinary people."
But, Hannah, there is a big but. How long will this last? And how sincere is this? Or is it simply a case of the Taliban wanting to get what it
feels it is very close to getting at the negotiating table with the U.S. and once those U.S. troops withdraw, what exactly will happen?
[08:30:10]
WARD: These are the questions that many in Afghanistan are asking themselves now, Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: We thank you for your reporting on this, Clarissa Ward live for us in New York. Thank you.
Now, the trial of Australian Cardinal George Pell has brought the sex abuse crisis right to the steps of the Vatican. Just ahead, a look at the work
Pell once did for the church and why his conviction has shocked so many.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUGHAN JONES: Hello again, I am Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. Welcome back to "News Stream." Pope Francis has confirmed in a statement that
restrictions have been placed on Cardinal George Pell until after his appeals against his child sex abuse convictions are heard.
The Cardinal who was one of the Vatican's highest ranking officials is forbidden to serve in public ministry or indeed have contact with children.
He'll be in jail soon.
An Australian court found him guilty back in December on multiple counts of historical child sex offenses. Pell himself denies the charges. But it
was really the testimony of one survivor who brought the Cardinal down.
CNN's Anna Coren explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
COREN (voice over): No emotion on the face of Australia's top Catholic as he leaves court a convicted pedophile. A judge's suppression order to
protect a second trial now dismissed gave Cardinal George Pell time to come to terms with the guilty verdict delivered by a jury back in December.
On Tuesday, the world was told.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: CNN Breaking News.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have breaking news to bring you. One of the Vatican's most senior officials has been found guilty of child sex abuse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN (voice over): The Vatican Treasurer was brought down by the testimony of one man who says he was sexually abused by Pell in 1996,
months after he was made Archbishop of Melbourne. He doesn't want to be known, but his lawyer read out a statement on his behalf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIVIAN WALLER, ATTORNEY FOR ABUSE SURVIVOR: Like many survivors, I have experienced shame, loneliness, depression, and struggle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN (voice over): His childhood friend who Pell was also convicted of abusing died five years ago. Drug overdose ending a life shattered by
childhood trauma.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FLYNN: Today's conviction won't bring his son back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN (voice over): Pell maintains his innocence and has lodged an appeal. But as the highest ranking member of the Catholic Church convicted of
sexually abusing children, his full will have reverberations all the way to the Vatican.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MARR, JOURNALIST, GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA: It's kind of breathtaking that somebody could climb so high and fall so low.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:35:00]
COREN (voice over): But it was not only his piety that rocketed Cardinal Pell up the Church's hierarchy. In 1996, Pell created the Melbourne
Response after a tidal wave of reports of clerical sex abuse.
Pell's scheme offered a general apology to survivors and put a cap on damaged payments at 50,000 Australian dollars saving the Catholic Church an
untold amount of money.
Among them were victims of Australia's worst pedophile, Father Gerald Ridsdale who lived with Pell in 1973 and has since pleaded guilty to
sexually abusing more than 60 children.
Paul Levey was one of his victims. He was forced to live with Ridsdale for eight months and was abused every single day. He also believes Pell knew
what was happening to him and did nothing, a claim Pell denies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL LEVEY, ABUSE SURVIVOR: That's a man that's had his head locked on being than the Pope, I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN (on camera): In the morning, George Pell will walk through these doors here at Melbourne County Court and that's expected to be the last
time we see him as a free man. He'll be remanded into custody and taken to prison where he will wait to learn his sentence.
COREN (voice over): For now, the survivors of clerical sexual abuse take comfort knowing that even the most important men in the Vatican are not
immune from justice. Anna Coren, CNN, Melbourne.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: From Australia, we turn our attention now to the U.S. where some issues are about to intensify for President Donald Trump, even as he
focuses on his second summit with North Korea.
Starting today, Donald Trump's former lawyer and personal fixer, Michael Cohen begins three days of testimony before Congress. A source familiar
with Cohen's preparations tells CNN he is expected to discuss publicly for the first time Mr. Trump's role in some of the crimes Cohen pleaded guilty
to last year.
The source also says Cohen is expected to give behind the scenes details of Mr. Trump's business dealings when he was a presidential candidate.
Now, lawmakers on Capitol Hill will also be taking up the issue of President Trump's border wall today. The U.S. House of Representatives is
expected to pass a resolution against Donald Trump's national emergency declaration. The measure would block President Trump from using his
executive power to access government funds to build that wall on the southern border.
From there, the resolution heads to the Republican-controlled Senate where two Republican senators already say they will join the Democrats. One of
them is Senator Tom Tillis who says he cannot justify providing the President, quote, "with more ways to bypass Congress."
He also warns the same tactic could be used by a Democratic President in the future setting something of a precedent there. You are watching "News
Stream" and still to come, we take a look at the simple things some people in Japan are doing to live longer. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUGHAN JONES: CNN is partnering with young people around the world for a student led day of action against modern day slavery on March 14th. In
advance of "My Freedom Day," we spoke to American singer-songwriter George Clinton and we asked him what makes you feel free?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLINTON, SINGER SONGWRITER: Being able to live my life in the pursuit of happiness without the fear of being found fault with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: And we want you to tell the world what makes you feel free? Share your story using the hashtag, #MyFreedomDay.
There are many ways to spend quality time relaxing outdoors, and you might want to make it a priority because spending time in nature is proven to
benefit our health and longevity.
In this installment of "Live Longer," CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us to Japan to explore the art of forest bathing.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN (voice over): On a cold January day, the Okutama Forest outside Tokyo, Japan, has some visitors.
They are practicing forest bathing, the art of connecting with nature. There's even a term for it in Japanese.
YOSHIFUMI MIYAZAKI, PROFESSOR, CHIBA UNIVERSITY (Through a translator): The term " shinrin yoku" was invented in Japan in 1982 and had been loved for a
long time since then.
GUPTA (voice over): Professor Miyazaki has been studying forest bathing for more than 30 years. His studies have included hundreds of people in
more than 60 different forests across Japan where he says he has found signs of the brain relaxing and lowered rates of blood pressure.
MIYAKAZI (Through a translator): In Japan, people think human and nature are in equal position. The forest provides you with a positive type of
comfort. Some people like broad-leaved trees and others like coniferous trees. Some like the aroma and others like the sound of the stream.
You should look for and find the nature you like yourself. This would be the most effective way to enjoy forest bathing.
GUPTA (voice over): The group absorbs nature with all five senses and there's plenty of data that shows spending time outdoors is good for our
health.
A study from Harvard looked at 100,000 nurses. Those who lived in greener areas had a 12% lower risk of early death compared to those who did not.
There were also lower rates of depression and anxiety and, of course, less sitting, often described as the new smoking.
MIYAKAZI (Through a translator): Normally, people enjoy forest bathing in spring and fall during the leisure season. Forest bathing in winter also
has its own benefits. The trees have different colors and shapes. You can enjoy cool and clear air in the winter.
GUPTA (voice over): Being away from the fast pace of city life and all the distractions that come with it, forest bathing is a valuable lesson in
making quiet time for ourselves and hopefully adding time to our lives.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: And that is my cue to go outside. That is it for "News Stream." I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones. Thanks for your company. Don't go
anywhere, though, "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is up next.
(SPORTS)
[09:00:00]
END
