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Hala Gorani Tonight
Dow Jones Falls As Trump Announces New China Tariffs; Second Night Of 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate; Hamza bin Laden Reported Dead; U.S. President Phones Putin Over Siberian Wildfires; China Raising Concerns Of Hong Kong Intervention; How 2020 Democrats Plan To Fight Climate Crisis. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 01, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:21] HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight, Democratic candidates have been weighed and measures, measured. We have the winners, the losers and a closer look at one debate issue that
the whole world should care about.
Then, Osama bin Laden's son is believed dead. What will be the real-world impact on al Qaeda, and how powerful is that terrorist group today?
And later, CNN is on the ground in Russia's most remote region as wildfires rage. Find out why Donald Trump cares so much about Siberia, that he
offered to help Vladimir Putin.
Well, all that in a moment. But first, we have breaking news. President Trump says the United States will put additional tariffs on China.
TEXT: Donald J. Trump: ... during the talks the U.S. will start, on September 1st, putting a small additional Tariff of 10 percent on the
remaining 300 Billion Dollars of goods and products coming from China into our Country. This does not include the 250 Billion Dollars already
Tariffed at 25 percent...
GORANI: In a tweet, he said, quote, "The U.S. will start, on September 1st, putting a small additional tariff of 10 percent on the remaining $300
billions of goods and products coming from China into our country."
Now, this is after a series of tweets about the negotiations over trade, not going in the direction that the president would like to see them going.
And as a result -- and you can see it very clearly on the graph there -- pretty much the minute those tweets were published, the Dow Jones, which
was in positive territory, took a nosedive. It is currently down more than a hundred points.
Cristina Alesci, she joins me now with more reaction from Wall Street -- Christina.
CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investors are clearly not happy, and we're seeing that in the numbers, predominantly because yesterday, when
talks concluded between the trade representatives of both countries, there was a strong signal that the talks had progressed, and perhaps there was --
the truce was holding, that there wouldn't be new tariffs.
So this came as a complete surprise to the business community and to Wall Street, because of the way that the administration sort of signaled that
talks were, if not going extremely well, they weren't -- they weren't going badly either.
So that's the problem here. This was completely unexpected. Remember, when Trump and Xi met at the G20, there was an agreement that tariffs would
be put on hold. And in exchange, the Chinese would start buying agricultural products.
Well, we know that Trump has been frustrated because we haven't seen China actually execute on the promise to buy those agricultural products, and I
was just speaking with a source who said this escalation might actually work against the United States, and basically further antagonize the
Chinese, and they may end up not buying agricultural products at all.
That would create a huge problem for U.S. farmers, who have been suffering through this trade war. And politically, we're going to have to see
whether or not those farmers are going to keep on supporting the president. He's had tremendous support from the agricultural industry and farmers in
this country, and they've just been crushed by this.
So -- and business investment also, uncertainty over the trade war has also worked against the administration, in the sense that it's weakening GDP and
economic growth numbers, here in the U.S.
GORANI: Sure. We'll continue to follow that. And as our viewers can see there, the Dow Jones very much in negative territory, down about 160 points
after having traded in positive territory throughout the session, after a series of tweets by the U.S. president, announcing additional tariffs on
China.
We'll have more on that a little bit later in the program, and "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" will be covering this as well.
Now, to the most divisive U.S. Democratic presidential debate yet, a family feud that exposed some deep fault lines between candidates, battling for
the right to take on Donald Trump in 2020.
Frontrunner Joe Biden came under attack all night, as expected. But Senator Kamala Harris also took some tough blows, as the 10 candidates on
stage clashed on health care, immigration, criminal justice reform and more.
Our Athena Jones has a wrap of the CNN-hosted debate in Detroit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It didn't take long for Senator Kamala Harris and all of the Democratic rivals on stage to
pounce on former Vice President Joe Biden.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, you want to be president of the United States, you need to be
able to answer the tough questions.
GOV. JAY INSLEE (D), WASHINGTON, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, argument is not with me, it's with science. And unfortunately,
your plan is just too late.
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you want to compare records -- and, frankly, I'm shocked that you do -- I am happy to do that.
(LAUGHTER)
[14:05:00] SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, you didn't answer my question.
JONES (voice-over): But Biden came swinging, too.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have guts enough to say his plan doesn't make sense.
You can't beat President Trump with doubletalk.
JONES (voice-over): The former vice president, slamming Harris' health care plan, bringing back one of his old catch phrases.
BIDEN: So this idea is a bunch of malarkey, what we're talking about here.
I don't know what math you do (INAUDIBLE) California, but I tell you, that's a lot of money.
JONES (voice-over): Harris, hitting back.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Your plan, by contrast, leaves out almost 10 million Americans. So I think that you should really
think about what you're saying.
JONES (voice-over): After Senator Cory Booker brought up Biden's support of a controversial crime bill in the '90s, Biden, lashing out.
BIDEN: The bill he talks about is a bill that in my -- our administration, we passed. We passed that bill that you added onto. That's the bill that
(ph), in (ph) fact, you passed.
And the fact of the matter is, secondly, there was nothing done for the entire eight years he was mayor. There was nothing done to deal with the
police department that was corrupt.
BOOKER: Mr. Vice President, there's a saying in my community. You're dipping into the Kool-Aid and you don't even know the flavor.
(LAUGHTER)
You need to come to the city of Newark and see the reforms that we put in place.
This isn't about the past, sir. This is about the present, right now.
JONES (voice-over): Former housing secretary Julian Castro, also sparring with Biden on decriminalizing border crossings.
BIDEN: If you cross the border illegally, you should be able to be sent back. It's a crime.
JULIAN CASTRO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First of all, Mr. Vice President, it looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past, and
one of us hasn't.
(APPLAUSE)
Let me begin by telling you --
JONES (voice-over): Biden wasn't the only one taking jabs from the other contenders. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard slammed Senator Harris' record as
a prosecutor.
REP. TULSI GABBARD (D-HI), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations. And then laughed about it when
she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.
And she fought to keep cash bail system --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Congresswoman.
GABBARD: -- in place. That impacts poor people in the worst kind of way.
HARRIS: I did the work of significantly reforming the criminal justice system of a state of 40 million people, which became a national model for
the work that needs to be done. And I am proud of that work. And I am proud of making a decision to not just give fancy speeches or be in a
legislative body and give speeches on the floor, but actually doing the work.
JONES (voice-over): Some 2020 hopefuls were tired of talking about the past.
SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is the fourth debate that we have had, and the second time that we have been debating
what people did 50 years ago with busing, when our schools are as segregated today as they were 50 years ago.
(APPLAUSE)
We need a conversation about what's happening now.
JONES (voice-over): Political outsider Andrew Yang implored his rivals to stop attacking each other and instead, take aim at President Trump.
ANDREW YANG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're up here with makeup on our faces, and our rehearsed attack lines, playing roles in this reality TV
show. It's one reason why we elected a reality TV star as our president.
(APPLAUSE)
We need to be laser-focused on solving the real challenges of today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Athena Jones, reporting. So it was a bruising night for sure. But of course the real question is, how all those political jobs might
shake up the race and the candidates' standing in the polls. Let's bring in two of our political commentators. S.E. Cupp is host of "S.E. CUPP
UNFILTERED," here on CNN. And David Swerdlick is an assistant editor at "The Washington Post."
So, David, it was pretty much everyone else against Biden. How did he do?
DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, Vice President Biden, Hala, did better than he did in that first debate, where Senator Harris
really came after him. In my view, he still was fairly lackluster.
If you think about, and if anybody of our viewers watched the debate last night and they think about him on a stage against President Trump next
year, I don't think Vice President Biden was quite up to speed.
That being said, he still has a huge lead in the polls. And in important states, he still has a huge lead with African-American voters, the key
Democratic constituency. So although I thought he was mediocre last night, I don't think any of the other candidates are going to cut that much into
that lead. He's still, I suspect when polls come out in a few days, will be the frontrunner.
GORANI: And S.E., the other candidates attacked Biden partly on Obama's record. I mean --
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.
GORANI: -- if you have seven or eight months of Democratic candidates, you know, attacking each other -- not attacking Trump, but attacking Biden on
his record during the Obama administrations, that's going to be pretty damaging for them, isn't it?
CUPP: Well, look. Obama's a double-edged sword for Democrats. And I think he knows it, which is why he's kind of staying -- staying out of it.
You know, Obama's incrementalism at the time, in 2008 and 2012, was practical.
But now, progressives, looking back at it, find it too cautious, not bold enough. They want the revolution. And Obama's two terms don't look all
that revolutionary in today's progressive eyes.
[14:10:01] So Joe Biden is liked for his connection, in part, to Obama. Because Obama is still well-liked. But the policies and the agenda don't
really mirror the current Democratic Party. They're nothing like what the Squad wants, you know. They're nothing like what Bernie Sanders and
Elizabeth Warren want to do to, really, reorder the way government functions for American citizens.
So it's understandable why Biden brings it up, but it's real tough for other Democrats to invoke Obama without, you know, dredging up what might
be inconvenient policies for today's progressives.
SWERDLICK: Yes, Hala, can I just add to that?
GORANI: So who did -- yes, go ahead.
SWERDLICK: Yes?
GORANI: Go ahead, David.
SWERDLICK: I was just going to say, I can -- I agree with S.E. that it's a -- Obama's record is a double-edged sword for Democrats right now, and it
can be a liability in the primary where, as she said, the party is moving left.
That said, I still am a little baffled that some of the moderates, including Vice President Biden, don't lean in a little more to the Obama
record for, as S.E. said, again, the reason that Obama is still very popular -- and he does have a list of accomplishments. Unemployment went
down, the stock market went up, killed Osama bin Laden, you know, on and on and on. The record that Vice President Biden used to tout when he was the
sitting vice president.
So it surprises me, the one moderate on the first night, who I think leaned in and defended left-of-center centrist Democrats, was Representative
Delaney. But the rest of the moderates, to me, were a little weak.
GORANI: And, S.E., this is what Trump tweeted, Donald Trump, the U.S. president, about the debate, essentially saying that it's not any of these
people, unsurprisingly, that will make or keep America great.
TEXT: Donald J. Trump: The people on the stage tonight, and last, were not those that will either Make America Great Again or Keep America Great!
Our Country now is breaking records in almost every category, from Stock Market to Military to Unemployment. We have prosperity & success like
never before..
GORANI: What calculation after these, this two-part debate, do you think is going on within the Trump team today?
CUPP: I think the Trump team is fairly worried about some of the candidates, but I think Trump himself looks at the last two nights and the
two debates before and thinks, "I've got this. I'm in a pretty good position. If Medicare for all and decriminalizing the border are what, you
know, the Democratic candidates, and maybe even eventually the Democratic nominee, is going to lead with, I've got this in the bag."
So the problem for Democrats running with 20 people in a far-left progressive primary, is that eventually the ride-ins (ph), they have to get
off and get onto the general election rollercoaster. And it's going to be, for some of them, a huge shift, if they attempt to make one at all. And
not a very convincing one.
So I think Trump's read on the electorate and the way they view some of these unpopular policies, makes him think he's got pretty good chances.
GORANI: And is that -- David, Kamala Harris is certainly more to the center than some of the other more progressive candidates, right? She got
a huge bump after the first debate a few weeks ago. But then her -- it seems like she's back to where she was before that first Democratic debate.
Why is she not holding onto some of those gains?
SWERDLICK: That's right, Hala. So my take on it is that she's a moderate playing a progressive to get a little bit ahead in this Democratic primary.
And that's why she's sort of gone with this, "I'm for Medicare for all but my version of it keeps some forms of private health care insurance akin to
Medicare Advantage," unlike Senator Sanders and Senator Warren, who are going as far left as they can on the health care issue.
TEXT: July 25-28, Quinnipiac University Poll Choice for Nominee, Dems/Dem- Leaning Voters: Biden, July 29, 34 percent, July 2, 22 percent; Warren, July 29, 15 percent, July 2, 14 percent; Harris, July 29, 12 percent, July
2, 20 percent; Sanders, July 29, 11 percent, July 2, 13 percent; Buttigieg, July 29, 6 percent, July 2, 4 percent; O'Rourke, July 29, 2 percent, July
2, 1 percent; Yang, July 29, 2 percent, July 2, 1 percent
SWERDLICK: Senator Harris was really good in both debates, when she turned to her opponents and prosecuted -- she is a career prosecutor -- and said -
-
GORANI: Yes.
SWERDLICK: -- "You're wrong on this," or "You're right on this."
But she's not good at turning to the camera, turning to the American people and presenting a bigger vision of why she wants to be president. And
that's why I think she's in the top tier but at the bottom of that top tier.
GORANI: All right. David Swerdlick and S.E. Cupp, thanks as always to both of you. Pleasure having you on the program.
SWERDLICK: Thanks, Hala.
GORANI: A little aside: Google trends, by the way, search trends, before the debate, people searched most for Tulsi Gabbard in only two states.
After the debate, most-searched in all 50 states.
So interesting that, you know, some of the things she said, and she was asked very pointedly about Bashar al-Assad, among other things, accused of
being an apologist for the Syrian president. And some of the attacks she made against Kamala Harris, perhaps, piqued the interest, at least, of some
of the viewers who watched the debate.
Now, to the fate of Osama bin Laden's son and would-be successor, Hamza bin Laden. And official says the U.S. now believed the younger bin Laden is
dead. When, where, and how he died, still under wraps. But as Ben Wedeman reports, the U.S. had a hand in his demise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was seen as the likely heir to al Qaeda, an emerging leader with a distinctive
name. Hamza bin Laden, son of late al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, is believed to have been killed, according to evidence recently received by
U.S. officials.
[14:15:15] A U.S. official, telling CNN that the U.S. had a role in the death. But he did not provide details, including how he was killed, where
it happened or even what year he died. "The New York Times" quotes unnamed American officials as saying, "He was killed sometime during the first two
years of the Trump administration."
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump declined to answer questions about the situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any intelligence that Bin Laden's son has been killed?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to comment on it.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department issued a $1 million reward for any information on the junior bin Laden.
TEXT: WANTED. Up to $1 million for information on Hamza bin Laden, an emerging al Qaeda leader. Hamza is son of Usama bin Laden and has
threatened attacks against the United States and allies. Relocation possible. Submit a tip, get paid. rewardsforjustice.net #RFJ
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Stating that he had released video and audio messages online, calling on his followers "to launch attacks against the
United States and its Western allies... in revenge for the May 2011 killing of his father by U.S. military forces."
TEXT: State Dept CT Bureau: "Earlier today, the #UN's 1267 Committee designated #HamzabinLaden. As a result of the U.N.'s action, all member
states are required to freeze his assets, comply with a travel ban, and enforce an arms embargo barring the sale or transfer of weapons." -Amb.
Sales
WEDEMAN (voice-over): On the same day, the U.S. Bureau of Counterterrorism called for United Nations member states to freeze his assets, and enforce
a travel ban and arms embargo. As a response, his home country of Saudi Arabia said it had already revoked his citizenship.
In 2015, al Qaeda promoted Hamza as a top leader in its jihadi movement. He had been featured in al Qaeda propaganda videos as a child, but only
posted audio messages in his later years.
The most recent footage of him was released by the CIA in 2017, showing glimpses of his wedding to the daughter of a senior al Qaeda leader, which
had occurred years before. Those videos were retrieved from Osama bin Laden's computer when it was seized during the Navy SEAL raid that killed
him in 2011.
Hamza is but one of Osama bin Laden's sons to be labeled by U.S. intelligence as a significant threat, and the third to die while trying to
follow in his father's footsteps.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: So if the younger bin Laden is dead, how much of a big deal would that be for al Qaeda? For more, I'm joined from Washington by Hassan
Hassan, the director for the Non-State Actors Program at the Center for Global Policy.
Thanks for being with us. So what impact on the organization, Hassan?
HASSAN HASSAN, DIRECTOR, NON-STATE ACTORS PROGRAM AT THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL POLICY: Very little impact. Obviously, the killing, his killing is a very
significant event. It eliminates an important person who could have -- who could revive the name of al Qaeda.
You know, al Qaeda has been eclipsed, over the past few years, because of the rise of ISIS. So his name was seen a as a way for al-Zawahiri's
deputies to, you know, groom him and prepare him for leading the organization, at least as a name.
Although I think the real leaders will be some other people. Because he wasn't -- he's not, you know, well-known. He's not kind of a -- it not
well-known as a jihadi leader, although he's known by his name, and his name is the most important thing about him.
GORANI: So who runs the organization now, then?
HASSAN: Al Qaeda in general is almost exclusively an Egyptian-led organization. So al-Zawahiri and his deputies, these are really the center
of gravity within the organization's central, you know, command.
People like Hamza bin Laden and others, are still obviously important because of their names, other people because of what they did, the -- you
know, the leaders of al Qaeda in Syria for example, in Yemen and elsewhere. But the top command is dominated by Egyptians.
GORANI: And so as you mentioned, ISIS has very much eclipsed al Qaeda in many countries, including Afghanistan. And al Qaeda has stopped for
several years -- many years, in fact -- mounting offensives and attacks in Western countries. ISIS is the one that took over that particular jihadi
battle. Why is that?
HASSAN: Absolutely. Al Qaeda has not launched any attack for about a decade now against the West. And I think that's for one -- one reason is
because the counter-terrorism efforts by the United States, I think they played a major role in, you know, disrupting the organization's networks
and so on and so forth, but also because of changes on the ground.
After 2011, as you know, the uprisings across the region have pushed al Qaeda franchises to focus on local struggles. And that's a major thing.
GORANI: Right.
[14:20:00] HASSAN: Since 2014, the rise of ISIS was seen as, obviously, a danger to al Qaeda because of its, you know, the momentum of its rise in
2014.
Many people, though, thought that with the collapse, the demise of the territorial might of ISIS, which happened in March when they lost their
last territory in Syria, that al Qaeda will have a chance, another chance to rise and say, "We actually -- our approach was more effective than ISIS'
approach."
But I don't think that's happened and I think ISIS has managed to keep the momentum as a kind of a global leader of jihad in that sense. And al Qaeda
failed to -- to show its other, you know, demographics that they could be, you know, a better alternative than ISIS.
GORANI: Are al Qaeda and ISIS rivals?
HASSAN: They are rivals -- they are rivals. And I think, you know, the -- I think that's what defines today's global jihadism and local jihadism,
obviously. The -- this competition, this rivalry between al Qaeda, who takes over who, claims the mantle of global jihad.
This is what --
GORANI: Yes.
HASSAN: -- defines, really, what they do and how they do things in the coming years. I think ISIS will continue to claim that they are the -- you
know, this global organization. Al Qaeda is trying to --
GORANI: Yes.
HASSAN: -- to do the same, and I think that's a, you know, something important to watch when it comes to global jihadism.
GORANI: Especially in -- I mean, beyond the Middle East, in African countries and other parts of the world, Asia as well.
I want to ask you a quick question about this Rukban camp, where people have been starving for months now. And they're 10 miles away from a U.S.
military base. This has really shocked some people, that you have civilians displaced, suffering so badly with governments and organizations
that have the ability to help, and that are not helping. What's going on there?
HASSAN: Well, this camp is in the middle of nowhere as a territory. It's between the Jordanian, the Syrian and the Iraqi borders. And there's been
-- it's been kind of in limbo because the Jordanians didn't want anything to do with it. They pushed it into the Syrian border, the Syrian side of
the border.
And the Americans, even though they operate very close to the camp, they also didn't want to do much -- you know, they didn't want to -- they wanted
to distance themselves from there, even though they tried.
You know, there's a back-and-forth now. They claimed that it's the Russians, then (ph) the Syrian regime that are preventing international
organizations from providing help to these civilians, who have fled mostly eastern Syria, from the, you know, former ISIS territories.
And it's really one of the worst, you know, camps in terms of living conditions. It's also in the middle of the desert. It's a horrible,
horrible situation there.
GORANI: Yes. We're seeing a picture of the last aid convoy, which was -- and maybe our viewers can see the date on that -- February 6th of this
year. So it's been many, many months since they've received medicine and other essentials, and they're pleading for help.
Hassan Hassan, thanks very much. Really appreciate having you on the program, as always.
HASSAN: Thank you, Hala. Thank you.
GORANI: And still to come tonight, more on the case of two Americans accused of murder in Italy. We hear from the lawyer for one of the young
suspects.
First, though, the pound has hit a 30-month low as the Bank of England sounds a stark warning over a no-deal Brexit. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:52] GORANI: There has been a warning about a no-deal Brexit from the Bank of England. Mark Carney sounded the warning as he cut growth
forecasts for the British economy. The pound hit a 30-month low ahead of his announcement. Let's bring in Anna Stewart with more.
What did Carney say?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, it was actually really interesting, Hala. Because although he downgraded growth forecasts and says the economy
is frankly stalling and the pound is very weak, he is still -- the Bank of England is still basing its assumption on a smooth Brexit with a transition
period, and therefore a growing economy next year that will require interest rate rises.
That is not what the market is forecasting at all. They have very much absorbed the cost, not only of a potential for disorderly (ph) Brexit, but
also for interest rate cuts. And this was something that Carney spoke about. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, GOVERNOR, BANK OF ENGLAND: No deal would very unusually for an economic shock, be an instantaneous shock, not just to demand, which is
what everybody is used to seeing, but a shock to supply.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right.
STEWART: So even if he is saying that -- even if there was no-deal Brexit, which is not their assumption, interest rates could go either way. So the
market should not be pricing it in.
GORANI: OK. So why did the pound react so negatively, then?
STEWART: Well, the pound has been down well over 2.5 percent. I just checked, it's now down 2.8 percent since Boris Johnson won that contest.
It's down because Boris Johnson is prime minister, and he has got this hard stance that we talk about every single day.
Every single day, he seems absolutely unwilling to speak to any E.U. leaders unless he can do all the impossible things that the E.U. leaders
won't give him, like reopening that withdrawal agreement. So the chance of a no-deal Brexit just gets stronger and stronger with every day.
GORANI: Well, these vacationing of Brits in Europe are going to have probably an easier --
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART: I'm going to holiday in Devon, Hala.
(LAUGHTER)
GORANI: Oh, there you go. So you won't have to worry about the exchange rate. Thanks very much, Anna Stewart.
To a high-profile legal fight we've been following all week, here in London. The sixth wife of the billionaire ruler of Dubai has reportedly
applied for a court order to prevent one of her children from being forced into marriage. Nina dos Santos walks us through what has happened so far.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN EUROPE EDITOR (voice-over): The Dubai billionaire ruler's wife, Princess Haya, has appeared in a central court in London,
mounting a high-profile legal battle, seeking a forced marriage protection order, specifically to prevent one of her children from being pushed into
wedlock.
The couple, who married in 2004, have two children. And Princess Haya bint Hussein is the sixth wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is
one of the richest men in the world, and whose power in the Middle East is undisputed. The architect of Dubai's transformation.
The British media have speculated for weeks about the collapse of their marriage, after the princess reportedly left her husband and traveled to
London.
The hearing was subject to stringent reporting restrictions. CNN and other international media were not allowed in the courtroom. On Tuesday, the
Press Association reported that Princess Haya also requested a non- molestation order from the court for herself, and for both of her children to be made wards of the court, meaning that any future decisions about
their welfare cannot be made without the approval of a judge.
Sheikh Mohammed, who was not present at court, opposed the application and asked the court to order the return of his children to the UAE. His
representatives declined to comment.
DOS SANTOS: The custody battle is the latest chapter in this high-profile separation, one which risks becoming a diplomatic minefield for the U.K.
and its close ally, the UAE.
Both parties have royal blood in their veins and connections to Britain's monarchy. Princess Haya is the daughter of the late King Hussein of
Jordan, and the half-sister of that country's current monarch. Through their shared passion for horses, she and Sheikh Mohammed have often been
seen in the presence of the queen at key events.
DOS SANTOS (voice-over): An Oxford graduate, Princess Haya is no stranger to the public limelight. She has championed humanitarian efforts in the
Middle East, and competed as an equestrian for Jordan in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
[14:30:07] On Wednesday, after the two-day hearing, the judge set a date for a full hearing in early November. Princess Haya is the third female
family of Sheikh Mohammed courts to leave the UAE. Two of his daughters, from another marriage, had previously attempted to leave the country, they
ended up returning to Dubai.
Nina dos Santos, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Still to come tonight, how these fires in a remote part of Russia sparked a conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: In Russia, dozens and dozens of fires are ravaging parts of Siberia. Take a look at these pictures. A CNN crew is on the ground
bringing us this footage. You can see huge areas of charred landscape and smoke rising in the distance and their firefighters trying to put the
flames out.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen is there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So here you see one of the reasons why these fires are so dangerous and spreading so quickly,
there's a lot of dead undergrowth and dead trees here in this area, that not only catch fire really quickly but then also store tons of carbon
that's now being released into the atmosphere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, we should see more from Fred out of this remote region tomorrow. These fires which apparently span an area the size of Belgium
were the catalyst for a phone call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. President Trump offering his assistance to put out the fires.
Let's take you to the White House. Sarah Westwood has more. Do we know what else was said on this call, Sarah?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, the White House is only acknowledging one other topic as coming up in this discussion
between President Trump and Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and that is trade between the two countries.
But President Trump has reportedly offered his help to the Kremlin saying that, you know, he would be willing to help with combating the fire. Of
course, it's not clear that Russia actually took him up on that offer. But President Trump did struggle in his own way with wildfires last year, and
he did take some criticism here in the U.S. for, at the time, blaming those wildfires in California on a lack of forest management from the state of
California.
Nonetheless, these are some major, major conflagrations in Russia. They've covered four million square kilometers of smoke and this could be seen as
an effort to warm relations between Washington and the Kremlin. According to the Kremlin side, Hala, this was a call that was initiated by the White
House.
[14:35:06] GORANI: And do we know if the Russian president has accepted the offer of help?
WESTWOOD: No, Hala, it's not clear that the Russian president has accepted the offer. The Kremlin announcing its readout of the call that it might be
something in the future that they would consider if needed. But certainly, this is a call that signals that President Trump still looking to thaw
relations with Russia.
He is still looking to forge that relationship with Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Keep in mind that they just spoke to each other a little
over a month ago at the G20 Summit in Japan. So President Trump clearly trying to maintain that relationship and doing outreach on these wildfires
in Siberia despite not any partnership on combating those fires seeming to emerge from the conversation, Hala.
GORANI: Thank you, Sarah Westwood, at the White House.
Now to Sweden and an update on a case that captured President Trump's attention. A new video is emerging today, showing the street fight that
landed the American rapper, A$AP Rocky in jail. It's footage from his Instagram account that was only seen in court before.
Rocky and two other men face assault charges over the June incident. A prosecutors say -- a prosecutor says that they kicked another man and beat
him with a bottle. But the rapper, who real is name is Rakim Mayers says he was defending himself.
On Thursday, A$AP Rocky finished testimony in his trial. He said the alleged victim attacked his security guard and he denied hitting him with a
bottle. We should be getting a verdict soon.
Iran's foreign minister is shrugging off new sanctions against him by the U.S. The sanctions directly target Mohammad Javad Zarif's finances and
travel. He tweeted that the b-team, his phrase for U.S. security advisor, John Bolton and others, that the b-team thinks peace is an existential
threat.
America's European partners are not going along with the sanctions. In fact, the French foreign ministry, just a few minutes ago, said they did
not agree with sanctions against Zarif.
CNN's Kylie Atwood is at the U.S. State Department with more. So Kylie, why now? Because the U.S. has imposed sanctions on a variety of Iranian
officials, not Zarif. Why target him now?
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, that is a really good question, and not one that senior administration officials from the Trump
White House laid out yesterday. They did say that these -- this sanction was coming and they explained that Zarif would no longer have any access to
any assets or property that were in the U.S.
But, of course, they couldn't say that he did have any assets or property in the U.S. And we've heard from the foreign minister himself saying that
he has no interest here in the U.S. So this will not impact him or his family.
But on the question of timing, this does come about a month, a month and a half ahead of the U.N. General Assembly. So the questions is, will Zarif
be able to come to New York for those meetings? The senior administration official said that this would be looked at on a case-by-case basis. And
when people were -- diplomats were doing their job, they could still meet with Zarif.
But they said that they are still open to President Trump having diplomatic dialogue with Iran, despite the fact that they are sanctioning their
primary person in the Iranian regime who has traditionally been the go between, between the U.S. and Iran. Now, Trump administration officials
are saying they want to deal with someone who has more of significant impact who is a decision maker saying that Zarif is not that person for
them.
GORANI: All right. Kylie Atwood, thanks.
Still to come, what some are calling a thinly veiled threat, China is flexing its military might in apparent response to the unrest in Hong Kong.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:59] GORANI: Now to Italy where we're looking to see how the defense will pan out for two Americans accused of killing a police officer. CNN
has caught up with one of the suspect's fathers and their lawyers. Here's Melissa Bell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pushing through a crowd of cameras and reporters, an exhausted and emotionless,
Ethan Elder, left Rome's Regina Coeli prison after visiting his teenage son, Finnegan. Finnegan, 19 years old and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, 18, both
from San Francisco and now suspects in the killing of Italian police officer, Mario Cerciello Rega.
Police say both teens have admitted to the assault but say that Elder confessed to stabbing Cerciello. The officer, a newlywed, was stabbed 11
times, according to Italian authorities. The tragedy has triggered outrage in a country where the killing of a police officer is rare.
Natale-Hjorth's lawyer ignored questions about what happened that fateful night only to say that his client is distraught.
FABIO ALONZI, LAWYER FOR GRABRIEL NATALE-HJORTH (through translator): He's a young man who is tired. He is very exhausted. We had a long meeting,
obviously, with regards to what our defense is going to be.
BELL: A defense that is likely to challenge the chain of events given by Italian authorities. That's part of the court order for detaining the two
American teens.
CNN earlier spoke with Gabriel Natale Hjorth's father, who adamantly defended his son.
FABRIZIO NATALE, FATHER OF GABRIEL NATALE HJORTH: Gabriel is distraught what happened. It cannot come to terms with it. We are deeply upset with
his predicament, but at the same time, fully convinced of his innocence. He did not know his friend was armed. He only became aware of what
actually happened after his arrest.
BELL: Surveillance video shows the two Americans running in the streets that night after allegedly stealing a backpack following a botched drug
deal. The owner of the stolen backpack contacted police and two unarmed plainclothes officers, Cerciello and his partner met the American teens
under the guides of retrieving the knapsack.
Cerciello, who was unarmed and his partner identified themselves as police, according to Italian authorities. The pair were then immediately attacked.
Police alleged Elder brought the murder weapon to Italy from the U.S. When Elder was interrogated, he claimed he wasn't aware Cerciello and his
partner were policemen and said he acted in self-defense.
CNN has spoken with a source close to the defense who says it is still waiting for authorities to release the autopsy report before commenting
further.
Police alleged surveillance footage also shows the two teens with the owner of the knapsack seen here with his bike before the attack. Now, the owner
issuing a statement through his lawyer denying that he is a drug pusher, intermediary or a police informant as Italian media have suggested.
SERGIO BRUGITELLI, ALLEGED DRUG PUSHER: They threatened me, telling me that they knew where I lived, that they would have come after me.
BELL: Though police say Elder has confessed to stabbing Cerciello. Natale Hjorth can also be charged for the crime under Italian law because he was
involved. Charges that could take at least six months to file. Authorities are also looking into why Cerciello was not carrying his
firearm. Another piece of a puzzle that has become a national tragedy.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: As pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong continue, they are drawing more of Mainland China's attention. Now, the government's recent moves are
raising concerns of an unprecedented step. The Chinese military getting involved.
Our Kristie Lu Stout explores the chances of that happening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Advancing soldiers armed with shields. A battered vehicle that resembles a Hong Kong taxi and
a soldier carrying a machine gun shouting in Cantonese that all consequences are at your own risk. It's all part of a new promotional
video for China's People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison. It comes as the Chinese military marks its 92nd anniversary and as Hong Kong enters
nine consecutive weeks of protests against its pro-Beijing leadership.
[14:45:06] In a rare move, ahead of the video's release, the commander of China's People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison, spoke out for the
first time about the unrest.
MAJ. GEN. CHEN DAOXIANG, PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY HONG KONG GARRISON (through translator): Recently there have been a series of violent
incidents happening in Hong Kong. The incidents have seriously violated the bottom line of one country, two systems. This should not be tolerated,
and we express our strong condemnation.
STOUT: After the handover, the PLA's established a garrison of 6,000 soldiers in Hong Kong. China has never ordered them to interfere in the
territory's affairs. But Chinese officials reacted angrily after protesters targeted the Chinese government's liaison office. Beijing's top
representative in Hong Kong. Located in Xinhua, the area has become a flashpoint after a group of hardcore protesters threw eggs and vandalized a
government seal in front of the building. And that has raised concerns that the Chinese military could become involved in maintaining order as the
protests rage on.
That is something pro-Beijing lawmaker, Michael Tien, firmly disputes.
MICHAEL TIEN, HONG KONG PRO-ESTABLISHMENT LAWMAKER: We can take care of our own problems. We want all foreign intervention and foreign elements to
stay out of Hong Kong, and we also want Beijing to leave us alone.
LU STOUT: According to Hong Kong law, the Chinese military can intervene in local affairs only when requested by Hong Kong's leaders. Carrie Lam
may have attended the reception to celebrate the Chinese military founding, but she has shown no indication of asking for their assistance so far.
Toward the end of that PLA video, there's this montage of Cantonese speaking citizens praising the Chinese army. This is three minutes of
propaganda that could not have come at a more politically fraught time for China and Hong Kong.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, you can take a deeper dive into the Hong Kong protests on cnn.com. The new special section features maps, backgrounders, and links
to videos. And you can connect to it using cnn.com/hongkongprotests.
By the way, an update on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Doctors Without Borders is confirming a third case in the border
city of Goma just across Rwanda. That's about 300 kilometers south of the outbreak's epicenter, which is a cause for concern because it's quite far
away. Goma is a mobile population. It's making health officials nervous about further spread one year into this outbreak, already the second
deadliest.
We'll have more to come on the program, including the issue in the democratic debates that has got the world's attention. We'll discuss how
the 2020 presidential candidates plan to fight the climate crisis, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Many issues were covered in last night's democratic presidential debate. And we want to delve into one of those issues a little deeper now.
Because it's an issue that doesn't just affect Americans but the entire world.
Many candidates put forward their impassioned plans to fight climate change. Perhaps no one more so than Jay Inslee, who you may not be
familiar with. Not as much of a household name internationally. But he has been laser focused on the climate crisis throughout the debates.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[14:50:02] GOV. JAY INSLEE (D-WA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice president, your argument is not with me, it's with science. And
unfortunately, your plan is just too late. The science tells us we have to get off coal in 10 years.
The time is up. Our house is on fire. We have to stop using coal in 10 years. And we need a president to do it or it won't get done. Get off
coal. Save this country and the planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So this has the potential to be one issue of these American primary debates that truly captures the world's attention. But who stands
out with a plan to address the crisis? Really address it?
I want to bring in our Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir. He joins me from New York. So what are the proposals? What are the various
candidates' proposals to fight this climate crisis, Bill?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they do vary quite a bit in terms of tactic. At least unlike the Republicans, Democrats agree that
there is a problem. They agree the house is on fire. They disagree whether we should send five fire trucks or three or immediately or maybe we
have a couple years. It's all about the differences in subtle urgencies in this story right now.
Everybody wants to rejoin the Paris Accords, but as Cory Booker said last night, that is kindergarten. That's just the beginning. And as you
mentioned, Jay Inslee is taking it to the next level. But it's somewhat interesting that as the planet burns, Siberia, Russia, parts of Asia are on
fire, less than half of this field actually has a plan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEIR (voice-over): Less than half the field has put out a comprehensive climate plan, and most of those are thin. But the first came from Beto
O'Rourke.
BETO O'ROURKE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are announcing the most ambitious climate plan in the history of the United States.
WEIR: To run against Ted Cruz for Senate last year, he took individual donations from oil and gas executives, but he swore off their money this
time and now vows to spend $5 trillion to get America off of oil and gas. He favors essentially outlawing carbon pollution by 2050, while others like
Kirsten Gillibrand prefer a carbon tax. She'd have polluters pay a stiff $52 for each ton burned and would use the money on a national energy
transition.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We want to use innovation, entrepreneurialism, and new technologies for wind, solar,
geothermal, hydropower, biofuels.
WEIR: But Pete Buttigieg and John Delaney would pass carbon tax money directly to you.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The greatest challenges we face in the future will be over technology, intellectual property, clean energy, a
warming planet.
WEIR: Joe Biden caught grief from climate hawks for floating a middle ground approach. And while his $1.7 trillion plan is vague, he has Obama's
green legacy to run on.
Elizabeth Warren is in for $2 trillion and wants to start the fight by forcing corporations to report exactly how much damage they are doing to
the planet and then use that data to keep lobbyists and lawmakers honest.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's 25 years of corruption in Washington that we're paying for now.
WEIR: Cory Booker is a rare fan of nuclear energy. And like fellow Senator Kamala Harris, often emphasizes environmental justice for those
poor communities already being hit the hardest. But the most detailed plan, by far, comes from Jay Inslee.
INSLEE: Other candidates might put it on their to-do list, that just does not cut it.
WEIR: The Washington governor would spend $9 trillion, create a GI bill for displaced miners and frackers, and force every new car to be 100
percent zero emission by 2030. To him, everything on the president's desk, from the economy, to health, to national defense, is a climate issue.
INSLEE: We can't, you know, tell China to solve the problem if we refuse to. We need to inspire them to act, and the rest of the world, and not
give them an excuse for inaction.
WEIR: Bernie Sanders has yet to release a detailed climate plan, surprising given his decades old passion for the topic. He is a leading
proponent of the Green New Deal, also a plan big on ambition, short on specifics.
(CHEERING)
But the young activists behind this call to arms are short on patience. The Sunrise Movement wants America off oil and gas 15 years faster than
Beto, Inslee and the rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: And, Bill, nationally in the U.S., how concerned are Americans about this climate crisis? Just, of course, as the world is trying to take
steps with the Paris Accords to address it and the president, Donald Trump, has pulled the U.S. out of this agreement.
WEIR: Right. And sadly, for those who believe the science, it has really become a partisan issue. So if you talk to Democrats, by and large, a vast
majority puts this topic at the very top of their concerns. Republicans, a majority believes it's actually happening but unsure whether it's a natural
cycle or how much really can be done about it.
[14:55:07] So unfortunately, so to the existential threat of our times comes down to which political tribe you belong to in the United States.
GORANI: Bill Weir, thanks very much.
WEIR: My pleasure.
GORANI: The democratic debates tackled some very serious issues. We were just discussing climate change with Bill. But late night comedians still
managed to have some fun. Detroit is home to Motown, where the most famous record labels in U.S. history. So it was fitting that Stephen Colbert had
a Motown quartet recap the debates on the "Late Show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEXT:
ALL: Baby, he needs Obama, got to have Barack Obama, has Joe had mentioned, he knows Obama, yes, he's really tight with Obama.
I bet you're wondering if we knew Michael Bennet was running too with some other guy named Jay Inslee, also who's John Delaney, it was a surprise to
our eyes, just who the hell are all these guys, today, I saw them for the first time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: That is very funny. Twenty candidates, so the debate had to happen in two parts, as you know. But some of these candidates will not
qualify for the next debate which will take place in September. They have to poll at a certain rate nationally, according to four separate polls. So
if they don't achieve that, they will not take part in the next debate.
After the break, Richard Quest will be discussing what is going on with the Dow after the U.S. president, Donald Trump, tweeted that he would be
imposing additional tariffs on China, 10 percent on the remaining goods and products coming from China. Markets went down right after that threat.
Oil prices did as well, falling eight percent.
And the Dow Jones Industrial average was actually in positive territory until, and you see it very clearly on the graphic there, those tweets came
out and that is when investors thought, uh-oh, this is not good news as far as the U.S. economy is concerned and some of these corporations and stocks
went down. Down currently almost 240 points. And Richard Quest will have all of that for you at the top of the hour after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
