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New Zealand PM Urges The Public To Focus On The Victims And Vow To Never Utter The Attacker's Name; Investigators Find What They Call Clear Similarities Between The Ethiopian Airlines And Lion Air Crashes; Tram Shooting In Utrecht, Netherlands. Aired: 8-9a ET

Aired March 19, 2019 - 08:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, NEWS STREAM: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Christchurch and welcome to the special edition of "News Stream." It is one in the

morning here in Christchurch. And later today, the Prime Minister of New Zealand will return to the city in mourning to meet with first responders

and families of the victims as they prepare to lay their loved ones to rest.

Fifty people were killed in the massacre on Friday when a gunman opened fire at two different mosques. Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister met with

religious leaders in Parliament on Tuesday, giving embraces and offering a message of solidarity to the Muslim community.

In an emotional speech, she urged the public to focus on the victims and vow to never utter the attacker's name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER, NEW ZEALAND: He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist, but he will, when I speak, be nameless, and

to others, I implore you, speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He may have sought notoriety, but

we in New Zealand will give him nothing, not even his name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And joining me now is Azam Khan and Sahida Ali, two friends who were also at the two separate mosques when terror took hold. They are

eyewitnesses to terror. They're survivors as well. Gentlemen, thank you for joining me and my condolences to you and to your community for what

you've been forced to endure.

Assam, on you were at the Al Noor mosque when the terror attack took place. What did you experience?

AZAM KHAN, SURVIVED MOSQUE ATTACK: Well, I was the mosque at the time when the gunman came and he started shooting, and all of a sudden everybody

started to run and in the process, I also ran towards my right and then everybody -- a lot of people fell down and I also fell in the process, you

know and there was a lot of pile of people all on top of the other and the gunman started shooting everyone and then all of a sudden, everybody stood

up and ran outside and not -- because not everybody was able to leave the mosque because some people was trapped by the door, so he came in and shot

a lot of brothers, you know, while they were waiting to get out of the mosque.

LU STOUT: And Sahid, you were at the Lynwood mosque.

MOHAMMED SAHID ALI, SURVIVED THE MOSQUE ATTACK: Yes, we were already in the Lynwood mosque, already -- it's already after maybe three minutes later

and the guy is shooting my best friend, it's the same place he already seat and that guy straight away die shooting in the head. And later already

outside, shooting with three people die and inside shooting small kids, maybe five years old kids and fathers already sitting in those chairs

straightaway die and I see inside and that guy, another of my friend already getting the gun and that guy already run away.

Cops coming. There's a lot of help out for me and thanks, everybody is coming, a lot of people safe side is -- a lot of people is already in the

hospital. And not found anybody -- they said, and I'm going already outside and I see already lot of people in the driveway already died. Two

ladies and the driver already die.

LU STOUT: You witnessed so much senseless death. The murders of children, of friends. These are people you worshipped with in your mosques. It's

been almost five days since the terror attacks, but you must still have traumatic memories, very vivid memories of what happened.

KHAN: Yes, we do. You know, because we are a very close community, you know, we used to meet in the mosque on a daily basis, you know, and very

good and very close friends. You know, and most of the time, they used to be in the mosque, whenever we go we used to find and we used to greet and

hug each other.

[08:05:05]

KHAN: So it is very difficult now for us to move forward, but slowly we are, you know, we are. As a community, we are discussing and we are

talking to each other. We console each other. We support each other you know and we grieve together, you know as a community. So this does help,

you know, to move and yes, and the support we get is you know, there is a lot of support from the public and from the New Zealand community. You

know, everyone is giving us that support so it helps us with the process you know.

LU STOUT: Sahid, how are you healing? How are you coping?

ALI: I am already -- everything is good and a lot of show -- a lot of people help out for Muslim people, outside countries people coming to help

out for this and everybody is friendly and everybody is liking and I am stay here a long time. There is no anybody fighting this style and first

time, I see these, people is killing here.

LU STOUT: And that was Azam Khan and Salid Ali, survivors of the mosque attacks. Two friends who were at two separate mosques when these attacks

to place. Witnesses the terror and yet when I asked them the question, it's the question that we posed to many survivors here in Christchurch --

how would they react if they saw the suspect or the suspect's grandmother or mother? Their reaction was, that they would react with no hatred, they

would react with compassion, because that is their belief system.

Now, joining me now is CNN's Ivan Watson who is here in Christchurch closely following the story. And Ivan, there was an extraordinary moment

earlier on Tuesday, it's already Wednesday here in Christchurch where the Prime Minister talked about the suspect. And she said, "He is an

extremist, a terrorist, he'll be nameless."

IVAN WATSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: And a criminal and she doesn't want to say his name and wants to focus the attention on

victims. Victims like Fareed Akhmed, whose wife was killed, he had to explain to his daughter about her mother's passing, and then said, "If I

saw the suspect, I would hug him. If I saw his mother, I would hug him." And that is this message that we've been hearing here amid these flowers

that love should conquer all.

And we've seen the people coming up here and now it's Tuesday, it's been days since and they're still crying, as they lay their flowers and it was a

Muslim community leader who made this very interesting point to me that it isn't just this tiny Muslim minority in New Zealand that makes up 1% of the

population that has been traumatized. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALIYA DANZEISEN, WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION OF WAIKATO MUSLIM ASSSOCIATION: This is everybody in New Zealand, so there are over 4.5 million people impacted

by this and it's not just the Muslims that are feeling, you know, hurt -- it's everybody and everybody is grieving here and from the Prime Minister

down to young children in the schools who are aware of it, everybody has been impacted. And so, we're all in mourning.

WATSON: And you're a high school teacher.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So, let's just give you one example of that. The threat levels are still high here. The authorities say, they're concerned about the

possibilities of some copycat acts of violence, so the police we see on the streets are carrying rifles.

New Zealanders are not accustomed to their police being armed this way. This is part of how New Zealand, sadly, is catching up with the rest of the

world. This new normal militarized police in response to atrocious acts of violence.

LU STOUT: Ivan Watson, we thank you for your reporting. The terror attacks that took place here in Christchurch on Friday, Javed, thank you

very much indeed for joining us. My sympathies to you and your family. First, could you tell us about your cousin? Who was he and how will you

remember him?

JAVED DADABHAI, COUSIN KILLED IN MOSQUE ATTACK: His name was Jinead Motella (ph). He came from -- his family name is Motella (ph) so born and

raised Canterbarian, so very, very proud to be from the city. He was father of three very young children. The youngest being one, the oldest is

only five, still to start school. Birthday exactly is actually in a couple of weeks so, yes, quite to take. He is survived by a window who is going

to take care of those three and a widowed mother who he has been the support for.

[08:10:10]

DADABHAI: He's been her guardian.

LU STOUT: He was a husband, a father, a cousin, a son, a brother as well. He had a twin brother.

DADABHAI: He has a twin brother. He has a twin brother. He has got an older brother and sister as well. So a fantastic family. They are all

kind of rallying around each other. They're doing the best they can in these circumstances, but you know, it's obviously still a very trying time

for them.

LU STOUT: Their trying time -- it's been five days since the terror attack. So the remains of your cousin has been returned to you and your

family yet?

DADABHAI: No, unfortunately. We are hopeful soon because we're hearing of bodies obviously being -- having completed the process going through the

coroners and reaching, I guess the community's hands because they're now going through the ablution stage. But it's early and it's kind of a luxury

as to what number you know, your deceased is going to be between one and fifty.

LU STOUT: You're here to help with your family, but also with the wider Muslim community. You're here to help with the burials also.

DADABHAI: So I'm currently involved in the actual burial site. So just liaising with about a half a dozen individuals where we're trying to, I

guess, manage what we foresee is going to be a very big event. We would never have in the past done this many burials in such a short time two or

three years, you know, if it's a car accident or something of that nature, but nothing of this magnitude and also from the other point of the support

that's coming down, the people that want to be involved, we envisage thousands to be there.

And so just working with the ministry, working with the police to make sure that we can do everything to prepare for it and make sure it goes as easy

and smoothly as possible.

LU STOUT: And the families, they want to see the return of the remains with their loved ones. So that they could say farewell, but also to

prepare the body in accordance with Muslim tradition. What does that mean? What does that entail?

DADABHAI: I mean, as you may know, traditionally, the Muslim burial process is very quick. We endeavor to get the body to the families and

then within the 24-hour space or you know, like over the next day or sometimes, two if there are circumstances, so this is very unusual, but at

the same time you know, it's extenuating circumstances. We are quite aware of the difficulties that the police and the coroners face, and the

resources being quite strict for them as well.

But there is obviously within the community, a sense of urgency. They want to have it, they want to have the -- they will get back to them. And I

think not just there's one aspect of the rituals but it ties into the fact that they probably cannot stop grieving properly until, until the bodies

are in the ground. There's a sense of unfinished work to be done.

LU STOUT: And when the funerals take place, there will be a prayer. What is that prayer?

DADABHAI: Yes, in a general sense, it's a reminder to us that we all are going to be following this person. That we came into the world with

nothing and we will be leaving this world with nothing. The Islamic practices that we are wrapped in a simple white cloth and that's it when we

are lowered into the ground. There is nothing that goes on with us except for our good deeds and our bad deeds.

So, you know it's -- every funeral is a reminder to each of us that we've all got to go through the same process.

LU STOUT: That's beautiful and also so deeply heartbreaking. Javed Dadabhai, thank you so much for joining us.

DADABHAI: Thank you.

LU STOUT: And just ahead, Prime Minister Jucinda Ardern is taking her call for gun control reform straight to New Zealand's Parliament and

investigators find what they call clear similarities between the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes. Now, one aviation expert says Boeing could

have done more to avoid this second disaster.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:00]

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Christchurch. Welcome back to "News Stream." Now, New Zealand's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern is expected to

propose changes to the nation's gun laws by next Monday. Earlier on Tuesday, she addressed Parliament for the very first time since the terror

attack on two mosques that killed 50 people.

She said that the massacre that took place during Friday prayers, exposed weaknesses and the country's gun laws and says her government will address

those.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARDERN: Part of ensuring the safety of New Zealanders must include a frank examination of our gun laws. As I've already said, Mr. Speaker, our gun

was will change. Cabinet met yesterday and made in principle decisions, 72 hours after the attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: The Prime Minister has pledged action and I could can tell you here at this site, this vigil site, I met a woman who lost her uncle in the

terror attacks and she said, action is needed to make sure that the horror of what took place here would never happen again.

Let's turn now to CNN's Robyn Curnow at CNN headquarters for more on other top stories, including another shooting in Europe -- Robyn.

ROBYN CURNOW, ANCHOR, CNN: Yes, we certainly, Kristie, have been seeing some extraordinarily compassionate leadership from Jacinda Ardern, haven't

we? We will check back in with Kristie in just a moment. But I do want to get you up-to-date on these new developments from the Netherlands.

The police are seriously considering terror as a possible motive for a deadly tram shooting in the city of Utrecht. Now Dutch say a letter that

was found in a getaway car is one piece of evidence that seems to point to terrorism as the gunman's potential reason for that attack. But they are

not ruling out other possibilities.

The main suspect is a 37-year-old Turkish born man. He was arrested on suspicion of shooting dead three people and wounding five others on Monday

morning. Three of the people who were hurt are still in a serious condition and by Dutch law, he must be brought before a judge by Thursday.

And now to investigation into what caused the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a French Aviation Safety expert tell CNN, he believes there's a

design flaw in Boeing systems. Investigators in Paris say last week's deadly crash has similar clear similarities to the October Lion Air crash.

Now that's based on early analysis of the flight data recorder, though the exact cause of the Ethiopian crash is yet to be determined. The aircraft

in both incidents was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which has been grounded across the globe until more is known about the safety of this plane.

The former President of the French Aviation Safety Agency says he thinks the second crash may have been avoided if more action had been taken after

the incident in Indonesia. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-PAUL TRAOADEC, FORMER PRESIDENT, BEA: I think that the design of the system is not satisfactory as it relies only on one sensor. In case this

sensor fails. Of course, the system doesn't work and in this case, it could be difficult for the pilot to overreact to the system.

The fact is that the pilot should be -- should have been informed of the information from Boeing saying that in this case, you have to do such a

maneuver and most probably, the pilot was not aware of what to do in this case.

[08:20:09]

TRAOADEC: So there could be a problem with training of the pilot, maybe a problem with the maintenance of the system and what happens in fact is that

the measures taken by Boeing after the first accident were not enough to avoid a second accident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Meantime, Boeing CEO is trying to reassure flyers his company is taking action to ensure the safety of it 737 MAX fleet. Here's part of the

statement posted on Boeing's website.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS MUILENBERG, CEO, BOEING: When an accident happens for any reason, we focus relentlessly to determine why. We're united with our airline

customers, international regulators and government authorities in our efforts to support the most recent investigation. Understanding the facts

of what happened and help prevent future tragedies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: A hundred and fifty seven people were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash and the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau is expected

to release an early report on the crash within the next 30 days. Well, let's go to Nairobi, Farai Sevenzo is standing by of course.

Hi, Farai, that flight was going from Addis to Nairobi and the fact that some people are saying that that crash could have been avoided if Boeing

had made different decisions, how's that going down in Nairobi, particularly with the families?

FARAI SEVENZO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Of course, the families are still in that space of mourning and closure, some of them came back, some of whom we

heard from last week came back from Addis just yesterday having given their DNA samples and that will take up to six months they told CNN.

But of course, this new information for the Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation, it breeds many, many questions. Remember what we have

just now from that gentleman in Paris is about the pilot that we know from our end that the pilot had according to the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines over

8,000 hours of training.

Now whatever happened on October the 29th to the Lion Air Flight 610 and whatever lessons should have been learned from that, the families are

worried that they were not learned come March the 10th for Ethiopia Flight 302.

And there are many questions of course being asked about how even as they left Nairobi to go to Addis to pick up the remains, how so many of them

found nothing, how everything was so completely obliterated and whether or not this was a human failure or a mechanical failure, of course, we wait

for the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau to give us more details. The French have been very much to forefront, it's the Ethiopians Europeans

who are handling this accident inquiry.

But the information which they gave to CNN yesterday is going to be very crucial in the next few days.

CURNOW: And meanwhile, we've been seeing these burials, but coffins that are essentially empty.

SEVENZO: Well, absolutely. I mean the families of that tragedy two Sundays ago offered the option of just taking a little bit of soil from

where this crash happened and some families wanted, for religious reasons, to have the remains of their loved ones.

Others were happy with a bit of soil in a coffin, but it's a story that has affected so many nations as you know, 35 across the globe, 32 Kenyans dead,

18 Canadians and then the story and the toll goes on and on.

So I think that the final closure will be what is the results of this investigation? What was at fault and whether the blame really lies at

Boeing's door?

CURNOW: Farai Sevenzo there live in Nairobi. Thanks so much for that update, Farai.

Now, I want to take you to Mozambique, where eight official say 90% of the city of Beira has been destroyed by a powerful cyclone that hit the country

last week. The President called it a real humanitarian disaster. Just take a look at these images. The President is saying he saw victims'

remains floating in the water after two rivers broke their banks, wiping out essentially entire villages.

The President also said more than a thousand people could be dead far more than the current official death toll of 84. If that is confirmed, this

would make it the deadliest tropical cyclone on records to have hit Southern Africa. We have more details. Here is Tom Sater.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TOM SATER, CORRESPONDENT, CNN (voice over): This used to be housing, people didn't stand a chance here.

Misery in the wake of the storm.

These are coffins outside. There are more coffins and bodies inside. Lots of people suffering.

This church like more than 2,000 square kilometers in East Africa wasn't spared from Cyclone Idai with its whipping winds and drenching rains that

cut a trail of destruction through Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.

[08:25:04]

SATER (voice over): The storm began on land over a week ago then moved offshore, strengthened and then powered back as a named cyclone. The

President of Mozambique warns that the death toll alone in his country could exceed a thousand.

The town of Beira, home to half a million people was directly in the storm's path. A dam also burst here adding to the devastation. The Red

Cross says some communities are completely cut off with no communications and no way to reach them as many roads have been washed away.

Rescuers in dinghies are searching for survivors, finding a lucky few clinging to the trees above the waters. Mozambique's President says more

rescue equipment, as well as doctors and volunteers are on the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FILIPE NYUSI, MOZAMBIQUE PRESIDENT (Through a translator): I spoke with people and they are calm and aware of what is happening. They said water

is a problem and that we need to reinforce food supplies and also medicines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SATER (voice over): Still with so many missing in an area that was previously struggling from dry conditions, the scale of the damage from

Cyclone Idai may only just be merging. Tom Sater, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks for that update, Tom and we will give you more information on that in the I-Desk in two hours' time as well.

Meanwhile, Facebook, Twitter and Google are under the microscope after the horrific attack in Christchurch. Now, they've been taken to task by

telecom companies in New Zealand what they're demanding that's next.

Plus Theresa May's Brexit plans may have been dealt another big blow, leading to fresh concerns over a constitutional crisis in Britain and

exasperation from the E.U.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Christchurch. Welcome back to "News Stream." Now, three of New Zealand's biggest telecom companies have

written an open letter to the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter and Google after the heinous attack here in Christchurch.

In the letter, the three companies, Vodafone New Zealand, 2Degrees and Spark ask for a quote, "urgent discussion" on the social media giants

influence over content. They also call on Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai to take steps to set time guidelines for removing terrorist

content on their platforms.

The same telecom companies pointed out that they took unprecedented steps after the Christchurch massacre to suspend access to websites that were

hosting the gunman's horrific video footage.

Our CNN business and technology correspondent, Samuel Burke joins us now live from London and Samuel, Facebook has a lot to answer for.

[15:30:05]

LU STOUT: We are still waiting for that public statement from Mark Zuckerberg. But ahead of that, there was an updated statement released by

Facebook this day with some chilling metrics in it.

SAMUEL BURKE, BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, it's an interesting position that these New Zealand telecoms companies are in

because one could make the argument that they also need to act fast, as fast as the social media networks might need to act. And I think, you're

seeing a lot of pressure from many different places -- from users from these telecoms companies -- but also from advertisers. And it is that type

of effect that those groups can have together on these social media platforms to invest more money both in human moderators and AI, because

however much they've invested, isn't enough.

I just want to put up on that on the screen that new information that you reference that we're getting from Facebook. Every day, there is a drip of

new statistics out about what Facebook has been doing. One that really bothered me, Kristie, is to know that no user has reported the video during

the live broadcast of that attack.

So as humans, we do have a lot of responsibility to talk about as well as the algorithms. The original video was viewed around 4,000 times before it

was removed. That was in just 29 minutes, Kristie, of course, we know that 300,000 more copies of it made it up to the platform in the 24 hours that

preceded it.

And before Facebook was alerted, a user on 8chan was able to post a link to a copy. It all just goes to prove that even a short amount of time,

Facebook keeps on saying we had this amount down in 24 hours, even in just 30 minutes, if it's up on that platform, people can take it, make copies of

it and share it. I think at the end of the day, the social media companies especially Facebook still have a lot more to answer from for when it comes

to the role of social media and this attack and certainly, I think it's becoming more imperative to hear from Mark Zuckerberg.

LU STOUT: Absolutely. He needs to speak out. It has been -- it is Wednesday morning here in Christchurch, five days since the terror attack

and still no public comment from him. Samuel Burke, we thank you for your reporting.

Now, I'll send it back to a Robyn Curnow standing by at CNN Center -- Robyn.

CURNOW: Thanks so much, Kristie. So I want to update you on Brexit and yes, boy, oh boy, the road to Brexit and getting a deal seems to be getting

harder and harder for the British Prime Minister, Theresa May. She's already lost two votes on her withdrawal plan by huge margins after failing

to win the support of large parts of her own Conservative Party. A third vote on Mrs. May's deal had been expected this week. But the Speaker of the

House of Commons has presented a fresh obstacle laying down a condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERCOW, SPEAKER, U.K. HOUSE OF COMMONS: What the government cannot legitimately do is to resubmit to the House the same proposition or

substantially, the same proposition as that last of last week, which was rejected by 149 votes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: E.U. leaders are scheduled to meet for a Summit on Thursday. But diplomat say they may now postpone any decision on whether to delay Brexit

as they wait for fresh demands from Mrs. May.

Well, Anna Stewart has been following all the twists and turns of this. You're outside Parliament. Wow. It's a bit of a hot mess, and this latest

curveball has made it even more complicated -- Anna.

ANNA STEWART, REPORTER, CNN: Just when you think that the Brexit saga couldn't get any more dramatic as we really go down to the wire, 10 days to

the deadline and we get this latest twist from the Speaker of the House of Commons saying Theresa May, the Prime Minister can't keep forcing through

the same vote again and again and again, unless it is substantially different.

We were expecting her deal as we put it to the House of Commons once again today, her defeat was expected, but the margin is narrowing as she gets

some MPs back on side. We expected them to put a vote through next week before the deadline. Perhaps she could have made it through, but now we

have this from the Speaker of the House comment that she can't put it through unless it's different.

Question is, can the government do something to get around this and meanwhile, she heads to Brussels on Thursday to ask for an extension --

Robyn.

CURNOW: Yes, so what are the options now? I mean, really you were coming down to the wire here. What does she have as a choice? What next?

STEWART: Well, it's very tricky. This came as a surprise yesterday, the options as we see it are one, she does what John Bercow is saying and say,

"You know, I've come up with something substantially different," but we know from the last few months and months of reporting that the E.U. is not

going to give her anything different anytime soon. Certainly, not before that deadline at the end of next week.

Second option -- can the government play with the words substantially different? Can they offer something on their side, something minor,

changing of wording for instance, that would make it different. We heard from the Brexit Secretary on various U.K. media outlets today saying that

if the circumstances were different then the same motion could go to the House of Commons, some confusion there. Or there are all sorts of very

dull technicalities that could be used.

[08:35:10]

STEWART: This convention, Robyn, dates back to 1604, it is pretty ancient. There are other things that could be used. For instance, this convention

relates to this current session of Parliament. That means it normally runs from one springs the next spring. The government could essentially crash

this session of Parliament and reopen another one immediately and try and force the same motion to that way.

All the sorts of strange options on the table, not clear how the government is going to react at this stage, but what we do know is that she's got a

tough time asking for extension when she goes to Brussels -- Robyn.

CURNOW: Just so much uncertainty. Anna Stewart there outside the Houses of Parliament. Thanks for that update. Turning to the U.S., Special

Counsel, Robert Mueller's Russia investigation report is expected to be delivered to the Attorney General Bill Bar anytime now.

Now, President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that he expected the report to reveal the probe is a sham. Nevertheless, White House attorneys want to

get a look at it before the Attorney General sends anything to lawmakers.

PAMELA BROWN, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: We have learned that White House lawyers expect to review whatever version of Mueller's report

Attorney General Barr submits to Congress before it reaches lawmakers and the public. And this is up a potential flashpoint, a political battle over

the hotly anticipated document.

The attorneys want the White House to have an opportunity to claim executive privilege over information drawn from documents and interviews

with White House officials over the last couple of years, these sources said, but the White House's review of executive privilege claims are within

its legal purview. But this could set up this political battle over the perception, at the very least of President Trump trying to shield certain

information from the public about an investigation that has swirled around him since the first day of his presidency.

As one source close to the White House put it, there's always been tension between what looks best politically and what represents the interests of

the institution, but preserving executive privilege, Trump's political optics and the White House view.

Now, Rudy Giuliani, the President's outside attorney has said that he wants to assert executive privilege, but that is up to the White House. It's up

to the President and the White House Counsel's Office doing that and we should know executive privilege allows the President's conversations with

other officials be kept confidential if he chooses to assert it.

Now, Justice Department lawyers could advise him against certain assertions if they don't feel that it's legally defensible. But if President Trump

does assert executive privilege, the decision could be litigated in court if it's challenge which Democrats would almost certainly do. Back to you.

CURNOW: Pam Brown there, thanks so much, Pam for that. So you're watching "News Stream" and there's much more news after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: Welcome back. I'm Robyn Curnow. Now in the 21st Century, the concept of a smart city is more than an ideology, it is a necessity. So in

this edition of "Innovative Cities," we take a look at how young startups in London are developing new technology that could improve healthcare

across the United Kingdom. Here is Matt Rivers.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN (voice over): Long lines and long wait times at a place you probably don't even want to be. That is what visiting

a public hospital is like for many in the United Kingdom.

[08:40:07]

RIVERS (voice over): Here in the National Health Service, commonly known as the NHS provides public health care to millions of residents. And with

the help of cutting edge technology, those long hours in the waiting room and the days spent waiting for an appointment itself could soon become a

thing of the past.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything we need to talk about today. Is there anything you'd like to ask?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I wanted to ask --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (voice over): Zeeshan Khawaja is one of several medical practitioners using Q Doctor, an online service that allows patients to

have face-to-face consultations with a doctor from the comfort of their homes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZEESHAN KHAWAJA, CARDIOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, LESHIWAM: People do find it difficult to make time in their day to come to into hospital or to

go into the GP practice. We all have busy lives.

So services like Q Doctor mean that we can connect via a device without having to physically move space. They let patients get care when they need

it at a way that is convenient to them, but also it doesn't take away from the best quality of care that they can expect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (voice over): Q Doctor is one of more than 100 companies backed by DigitalHealth London and medical technology accelerator programs supported

by the NHS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNY THOMAS, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, DIGITALHEALTH LONDON: Any healthcare system in the world, the people would like to be better. London had with

all the right ingredients to become a global city for digital health. It has amazing health tech innovator and fantastic universities and some of

the best hospitals in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (voice over): DigitalHealth not only backs innovation that improves efficiency, some companies are developing technology that could help save

lives. Skin Analytics is a startup that is using artificial intelligence to spot melanoma, a common type of skin cancer in its early stages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL DALY, CEO AND FOUNDER, SKIN ANALYTICS: Melanoma is a very aggressive cancer and like all cancers, if you can find it in its earliest stages, the

survival rate is significantly better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (voice over): The company uses a three-step process to identify cancer. First, an image taken on a smartphone is encrypted and sent for

analysis. Then this device known as a dermascope is used for a more accurate identification of a potential skin cancer. And lastly, artificial

intelligence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALY: The most important element is the artificial intelligence itself which analyzes the images and it's able to make decisions in a similar way

through a dermatologist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (voice over): While the company is still in the midst of clearance procedures, it hopes to become available to the public by April. Once

cleared, Skin Analytics like Q Doctor could help save the time and lives of millions across the region. Matt Rivers, CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks Matt for that report. Well, I am going to hand you now back to Kristie Lu Stout who is standing by in Christchurch. It is nearly

2:00 a.m. in the morning there, Kristie, Wednesday morning. And New Zealand is certainly still coming to terms with that terrible, terrible

tragedy.

LU STOUT: Absolutely, Robyn. It is already Wednesday here in New Zealand. We know the Prime Minister, she will return to Christchurch to stay where

she will meet with first responders and meet with victims' families and she will notice that these makeshift memorials that you see behind me and

spread all over the city have grown and every time I come back, I see how they grow and there are new messages, there are new works of art, wreathes,

floral bouquets. What was once a single candle flickering in the night turned into a constellation.

Now that is Christchurch. I'm Kristie Lu Stout and that is "News Stream." "World Sport" with Amanda Davies is next.

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[09:00:00]

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