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Hala Gorani Tonight
Scottish Conservative Party Leader Resigns; Bolsonaro Bans Land Fires for 60 Days; South Korea to Re-Try Former President Park Geun-hye as well as Samsung Boss; U.K. PM Faces Backlash Over Parliament Suspension; Trump: U.S. Reducing Troops In Afghanistan To 8,600; U.S.: Marijuana Poses Risk For Teens And Pregnant Women; High-Tech Plan To Save The Northern White Rhino; Japanese Company Digs The Foundation For Growth. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 29, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:19] HALA GORANI, CNN HOST, HALA GORANI TONIGHT: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight, fallout from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's move to suspend Parliament: a key resignation from the Conservative Party and pressure
from the public. I'll speak to an activist.
Plus, Hurricane Dorian on track to the hit the U.S. East Coast with winds over 200 kilometers an hour, how people are preparing for the worst.
And CNN travels deep into the Amazon to see how indigenous communities are fighting those destructive wildfires.
First, the bombshell, and now, the backlash. One day after his astounding move to suspend Parliament, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing
multiple challenges and a barrage of criticism as he tries to limit the time that lawmakers have to block a no-deal Brexit.
Now, there are legal challenges. Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has issued an urgent application to the U.K. High Court for a judicial review.
And there are political challenges as well. The main opposition Labour Party says it's going to seek an emergency debate on Brexit next week. Is
there time, though? That's the question.
And in a further blow to Mr. Johnson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has resigned. She's citing her family and a conflict over
Brexit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUTH DAVIDSON, FORMER SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVE LEADER: Prime Minister, get us a deal on the European Union. And I want to see to people that say they
want to avoid no-deal, it's what I've just said. If the prime minister brings a deal back to the House of Commons, as I know he is trying to do,
for God's sake, get behind it. And this time, the fourth time of asking: Vote for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And of course, outrage is spilling outside Westminster. More than a million people have signed an online petition, demanding that the prime
minister cancel his plan to suspend Parliament.
Hadas Gold is at Downing Street for us. So -- and we're hearing as well from Jeremy Corbyn, Hadas. Talk to us a little bit about day two. Because
now those who are very opposed to Boris Johnson, are trying to come up with a strategy to block his -- his move to potentially force through a no-deal
Brexit.
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. There are a couple of things, sort of working their way through. You noted some of the legal challenges.
Actually, tomorrow, we're expecting to hear from a Scottish court, where there was a legal challenge up in Scotland, to see if they could also get
an injunction from up there.
And then we're also likely starting to hear more about what the plans are in Parliament. So they will be sitting for a few more days, starting next
week, before that suspension. And Jeremy Corbyn, today, said that starting on Tuesday, is likely when they're going to start trying to get some
legislation through that will stop a no-deal. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY CORBYN, LEADER, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY: This government is trying to undermine and damage our democracy in the most terrible way. This country
is in danger of crashing out on the 31st of October, with no deal and all the damage that will do to jobs, to living standards and to trade all over
this country. We've got to stop that, and that's exactly what we'll be doing, next Tuesday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLD: So of course, Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, announcing that on Tuesday, they're likely going to start introducing legislation that will
try to block the no-deal. Of course, there's the issue of the time, how much time it takes to actually get a bill through Parliament.
And then, of course, it's going to get -- need royal assent. There a question of whether maybe Boris Johnson will even try to tell the queen,
not to give her assent on that bill.
Now, a senior member of the House of Lords, a member of the Labour Party, did tell CNN, earlier today, that the House of Lords, many of them are
willing to sit through the night, sit through weekends to try to get this through. So, Hala, I'm sure we're going to have many late nights and a lot
of weekend work ahead of us, as we see these parliamentary machinations try to work their way through.
GORANI: All right. Hadas Gold at 10 Downing Street, thanks very much.
Let's get more analysis there on this political chaos and its ramifications. Robin Niblett is the director of Chatham House. What is
going on in the U.K.? This is historic, what's going on.
ROBIN NIBLETT, DIRECTOR, CHATHAM HOUSE: Oh.
GORANI: This is a constitutional crisis.
NIBLETT: Brexit is historic. And, you know, 40 years --
GORANI: Yes.
NIBLETT: -- connected to your main institutional, regional partner, trying to break away 40 years of laws, it's a painful thing. The country's
divided, the parties are divided. And this is the result. You know, Theresa May was knocked out of government as a result of it.
So I think what is going on is specifically, Boris Johnson is trying to make sure he can have a real short-term negotiation with E.U. 27, without
Parliament trying to prevent him from doing the kind of compromise deal that he'd like, at least, to present to Parliament after October 14th --
GORANI: But you know the criticism, that this move is undemocratic, that he has said -- and his associates and colleagues and supporters have all
said, in the past, that proroguing Parliament in order to prevent a parliamentary debate to block a no-deal scenario, is not something they'd
consider. And that this is, essentially, undemocratic.
NIBLETT: But one of the things I find remarkable is, you have people in the Boris Johnson cabinet, some of whom -- his brother, Jo Johnson, Amber
Rudd, Nicky Morgan -- were not just Remainers, but also staunch no-dealers.
GORANI: Right.
NIBLETT: You've also got people, even, like Michael Gove, who said the -- Sajid Javid, that proroguing Parliament would be terrible, during the
leadership --
GORANI: Yes, yes.
NIBLETT: -- so it's a sign of how, I think, worried the Conservative Party is, that they've all had to back themselves into a corner behind Boris
Johnson because they're worried of what will happen if the country does not leave on October 31st. They think that the Conservative Party's in real
trouble. They want to give them a chance to negotiate and see what they come back with.
GORANI: And Boris Johnson himself said, in a signed letter during the leadership campaign, "I'd like to make it absolutely clear -- absolutely
clear -- that I am not attracted to arcane procedures such as the prorogation of Parliament." And what's one of the first things he does?
NIBLETT: One of the first things we've learned about the Boris Johnson premiership, is he will be ruthless and his team -- importantly -- will be
ruthless in achieving what they want to achieve. They were ruthless in the cabinet selection and appointments and dismissals, they're being ruthless
right here, right now on making sure that Parliament cannot get in the way in the limited time he thinks he has to negotiate a different deal.
Then he gives it back to Parliament on October the 14th, "You've got two weeks to approve my deal or not approve my deal."
GORANI: The ramifications could be very serious for the country. In Scotland, the head of the Conservative Party in Scotland is stepping aside.
We know that her relationship with Boris Johnson, and certainly her thoughts on Brexit were at odds with the prime minister.
There are polls that suggest that for the first time since the referendum, a majority of Scots might decide that it's better to break away from the
U.K. and remain in the E.U. This could lead to the breakup of this country, couldn't it?
NIBLETT: We got into Brexit through a high-stakes gamble by David Cameron that did not pan out, and we're now in a high-stakes gamble by Boris
Johnson, that he can either get a deal that will be ratified by Parliament in that short two weeks of October 14th to --
GORANI: Yes.
NIBLETT: -- 31st. Or if he doesn't, you know, no deal and what, they'll pick Boris -- they'll -- sorry, they'll pick Jeremy Corbyn instead of him?
He thinks not. And you know what, he's willing to gamble with Scotland. I think he's gambling with the future of the union.
GORANI: Exactly. Is he not also gambling with the economy, with the prosperity of this country? We're already seeing -- one of the things I
hear a lot of business leaders tell me, whether they work in the financial sector or elsewhere, is, Brexit in a sense has already happened. We've
already seen companies pull away, we've already seen companies put together contingency plans in the event of a no-deal. And this is harming this
country's economy already.
NIBLETT: I think from Boris Johnson's perspective, and this government, that damage is already baked in. It's been so long, the uncertainty, that
having another two years of uncertainty -- imagine if you had Boris Johnson accepted Theresa May's deal --
GORANI: Yes.
NIBLETT: -- you would then have 18 months of the British government, trying to negotiated with the E.U., a new deal that no one knows what the
result would be of. Those businesses would use the next year and a half, potentially --
GORANI: Yes.
NIBLETT: -- admittedly, to have that safety of the withdrawal period, the transition period, to try and come up with a new deal.
So I think his point of view is, "Look, if we have to leave with no deal, there will be some near-term hits. Certain arrangements will be made for
trade, for transport, for air traffic. You know, the country won't come to a standstill and I'll try to get a quick negotiation, a quick deal with the
E.U." That's what he's banking on.
GORANI: That's what he's --
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: So what is your prediction? If you had to -- I mean, I know that we'd be foolish to predict anything in the last few years. Many people
have gotten it wrong, many very intelligent people have gotten it wrong. But what do you think? Do you think October 31st, this country Brexits?
NIBLETT: I think it is most likely that the country Brexits. And I think the chance of a no-deal is at 50 percent and above, even, for the simple
reason that I'm not sure that the rest of Parliament is going to be able to get itself together in such a way, to block the deal that he is -- that he
is either going to offer, or that they will reject and then they won't have time to come up with an alternative.
GORANI: Why? Because they don't have the time?
NIBLETT: They don't have the time, and they can't organize around an opposition party that's led by Jeremy Corbyn, that the others don't trust
enough. They are split. This government is looking -- looking, for the moment, very united. He's got both wings of the party inside his cabinet.
So he has the sign (ph) of discipline that I don't think they do.
In the end, most politicians also know the country is exhausted, exhausted of Brexit. And therefore, I think he'd reckon he can gamble with it, and I
think there's a good chance we'd leave without a deal after October 31st.
And, you know what? Economically, I don't think the sky will collapse. The damage to the U.K. economy will be more over the one- to two-year,
three-year period.
GORANI: Robin Niblett, the director of Chatham House. It's always a pleasure. Thank you so much for joining us on the program.
We now turn to our developing story in the Caribbean, a dangerous weather story. Hurricane Dorian is now steaming through the warm waters of the
Caribbean, toward the southeastern United States, getting more and more powerful every day.
[14:10:03] There are fears it could come ashore in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, early next week. Florida's governor has already declared a
state of emergency in anticipation.
We're following this story both in Florida, with CNN's Nick Valencia at Daytona Beach, and in the CNN Weather Center, with Tom Sater. Let's start
with Nick Valencia. Well, it seems calm, the skies behind you appear calm. But obviously, people there are preparing for a worst-case scenario --
Nick.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Hala. People are enjoying this weather because they know it's not going to last. Hurricane Dorian is
poised to smack right into Florida's coast.
And rather than preparing for what is usually a busy holiday weekend -- we have Labor Day Weekend, here in the United States, this weekend, probably
one of the busiest Florida beach days of any weekend in the year -- instead, they're going to be bracing for a potential Category 4 hurricane.
Right now, yes, it's bright, it's sunny, it's a beautiful day out here. But emergency officials are warning that they don't quite know exactly
where Florida will take a direct hit. But the chances are very high that it will take a direct hit. This is what a restaurant owner here, who's
preparing, had to tell me a little while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON ZELENAK, MANAGING PARTNER, CRABBY'S OCEANSIDE: My biggest priority is making sure that we're doing the right thing for our staff and we're not
making them in any danger because of what we're -- what's going to happen. Anyone who's out there and going, "Oh, it's not that big of a deal," just,
you know, you'd rather be overprepared than wait to the last minute and not be ready for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: There are always fears among emergency management officials, especially here in Florida, because so many people have gone through severe
weather scenarios before, that there's an inclination for some to maybe not prepare until it's too late.
But that's not what we're seeing this time around. In fact, we're already seeing long lines at the gas stations, people filling up sandbags, getting
plywood. In fact, yesterday, Hala, there were local news reports that some stores in and around the Daytona Beach area, ran out of water.
That's a good sign that people are taking the warnings seriously. And just like you heard from that manager of the restaurant here locally, he's
urging people -- just like the governor is, here -- for those residents that are in the path of this storm, to listen and to heed the warnings --
Hala.
GORANI: And what -- I mean, are there mandatory evacuations? I mean, how seriously are authorities trying to prevent the worst damage here?
VALENCIA: Right now, they're saying, "Don't focus on the storm track just yet." There's just so much of a plus or minus probability, a cone
probability of about 500 miles. But because it's so far out ahead of the storm, this is not expected to land until sometime early Monday morning.
That there's about 15-mile-large margin of error, so they know that it's going to hit Florida, they're telling people to take precautions as much as
they can. But right now, you know, that's as much as they can stress. No mandatory evacuations are in effect just yet -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Nick Valencia in Daytona Beach.
And, Tom Sater, where is the storm now?
TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's been moving away from Puerto Rico. And it's in open waters, well away from the Bahamas right now. But,
again, if you would have asked any forecaster, Hala, three, four days ago, if this had a chance, we wouldn't have given it a second thought. This is
the acorn that's becoming the great oak.
One thing we know for sure, the forecast is constantly changing and will. In fact, the last couple of days, the track was going to be for Hispaniola,
and it was missed by hundreds of kilometers.
Notice the winds, 140 kilometers per hour. We'll probably see this closer to 250, maybe, by the time it reaches Florida. I wanted to show you,
though, a good miss yesterday for Puerto Rico. I mean, we thought -- not only Hispaniola, then we thought Puerto Rico.
But, again, I mean, I know you saw the president's tweets yesterday. Those tweets slammed Puerto Rico more than Dorian did. And now, they're
breathing a sigh of relief.
If you go back and look at some of the more larger storms from where Dorian is now, Hugo in the '80s was a monster, we had Irma two years ago. But
Jeanne is interesting. Notice its trajectory. It is very rare to have a hurricane come due east, and make landfall perpendicular. It disperses the
power more.
I mean, it's a terrible situation. We've only had two, I believe, since 1950, to do that. And this may do it.
Change in the strength, now, a Category 4 expected. That's not a big surprise because yesterday, we had it as a Category 3. That is a lot of
space to cover. And it gets into the warmest waters in that jet stream, right in through here, in the gulf jet stream.
So, yes. Could it get to a 5? It's possible. Two main models here, all right? In red, this is the U.S. model, the GFS. This is the European.
European, usually, does a little bit better. But there are still differences. And there's been differences for the last couple of days.
American model, down, puts the strongest winds in Cape Canaveral. European, more down to the south. But even the GFS, the American model,
we've seen changes in just the last several hours. So there is a lot of uncertainty here.
Anyone who sells you on the fact that they know exactly where this is going to make landfall, will probably sell you oceanfront property in
Switzerland. It all depends on the steering currents. Still a lot to watch, the entire coast. Could it go to the south? Sure. Could it go up
toward the Carolinas? Sure.
But right now, it's putting on the brakes and that's a little frightening. Those winds are starting to pick up, and will for the weekend. So they've
got a couple of days to get ready and batten down the hatches.
[14:15:08] GORANI: All right. Let's hope it weakens by the time it hits Florida.
SATER: Yes.
GORANI: Tom, thanks very much.
SATER: Sure.
GORANI: To Brazil, now. The president, Jair Bolsonaro, is taking some action after all that global criticism of how he's handled the Amazon
fires. He is now saying that he will ban the use of fire to clear land for 60 days, 6-0. The practice is used by farmers in rural areas, to make room
for new crops or livestock.
Mr. Bolsonaro will also meet South American leaders next week, to discuss how to tackle the fires. One expert is warning the worst is yet to come.
Nick Paton Walsh went into the Amazon to meet an indigenous community who is taking action itself. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dusk isn't when you rest as the Amazon burns, it's when the day cools
enough to give firefighters a chance.
Everything we see in a bumpy hour's drive to nowhere, turned to ashes in the last four days. This is how. A war that marches across the bush and
into the trees when it can.
PATON WALSH: It feels a bit like the end of the world, doesn't it? And when flames rage like this, the firefighters actually have to pull back.
There's nothing they can do, really, until the wind dies down.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Destruction that overshadows an entire branch of our species here. The Tenharim are an indigenous community, a thousand
strong, who say they legally own nearly a million hectares nearby. "The next generation will have a darker future," he says, "Since this president
came to power, these things are happening a lot more."
President Jair Bolsonaro is keen to bring what he calls progress to the Amazon, even pushing to let these areas be commercially farmed for the
first time. The raging fires, all of which here have burned since he pledged to send 43,000 troops, clear land for farming too. The sun rises
again on a little bit less of this marvel. The Tenharim didn't want to be part of our world, but now it wants part of them.
All around are signs of what's fueling the inferno: land cleared for cattle so we can eat more beef; logging and deforestation, to enable crops
like soy to grow, line the busy roads. The firefighters that tackle the blaze, here, a three hours' drive from the nearest village. This is the
land we flew over four days before, but the devastation is more final from the ground.
Fires do occur naturally in the brush, like Bolsonaro says. But it was startling how nearly every policeman, firefighter or official we spoke to
said very many are caused deliberately. To clear land, to farm, to alleviate poverty or just make the rich, richer.
Yet they don't have the water here to put the fire out, only stop its spread. Damage limitation, only with the most basic tools on the front
line of this global environmental crisis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, Nick joins us now from Porto Velho in Brazil. These indigenous communities, I mean, this is really threatening their
livelihoods, but also, I mean, just plainly speaking, where they live, their actual places where they reside, where they live, where they raise
family. How concerned are they about what's happening in the Amazon, in terms of these fires, for the future?
PATON WALSH: Yes. I mean, it is an existential threat to many of them. You have to remember, these areas are absolutely vast. So they have space
else (ph), to which they could move in the event that fire comes near them.
But this is part of a pressure they genuinely feel, that's been building over the past years. The Tenharim are only a thousand in number. And in
the face of agribusiness, which is, given the massive demand for soy in China and beef globally, an enormous multibillion-dollar enterprise in
Brazil, they are certainly in the crosshairs here.
They have, as you heard there, 900,000 hectares of land that they say is legally theirs. Now, the problem, of course, is that the Brazilian
government has just, for the first time, introduced laws that now (ph) require some degree of secondary approval before they become law itself,
which would allow, for the first time, commercial agribusiness to work in those indigenous areas.
Now, it's most likely, they'd have to do some kind of deal with those indigenous communities, but Brazil isn't (ph) always a place where everyone
plays fair. So there's intense pressure, you can see as you drive into areas like that, on the ecology of that area already, deforesting, you name
it, frankly. It's all happening and it's all happening on an enormous scale. The question is, these fires seem to accelerate much of that.
[14:20:05] Now, it's very hard to tell, each time you go to a place where there has been a fire that's been set deliberately or occurred naturally,
out there in the broad savannah. Natural fires are more likely there (ph) than the damper canopy of the deeper Amazon forest. But many of the people
you speak to say this is common problem, land being set fire to, simply to be able to clear it.
Bolsonaro's edict today, banning federally fires on land for 60 days, that is a bid to massively restrict the limited instances in the past where you
could use fire to clear your land. It was legal a lot of the time, but there were times in which you could do it. Now, it's even more restricted.
You've got (ph) to ask yourself, though, a week in, frankly, and before, he sent 43,000 troops out. He's only sent -- the last count we heard of,
2,500. And now, there's this law being passed.
The government's response is slow and, some say, often too distracted by the kind of enmity between Bolsonaro and the French president, Emmanuel
Macron, and the criticism he's getting globally.
But it's fascinating to see, in that intense frontline, how frankly blackened (ph) choked (ph) the sky is, and how we're talking about 30, 40
firefighters, often doing firefighting over an array of land that's so, frankly, enormous, I'm still exhausted, having driven over it for about
sort of 24 hours or so -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thanks very much for that, and great report from deep inside the Amazon.
Still to come tonight, South Korea's so-called trial of the century will have a second run, and jail time could, again, be a possibility for a top
corporate leader.
Plus, a new question in Hong Kong. Why is China moving its troops when few people are watching? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: South Korea's getting a sequel to what was dubbed its "trial of the century." It involves a former president who is sitting in jail, and
the de facto leader of the corporate giant, Samsung, who is free on appeal.
As David Culver reports, the Samsung boss is headed to trial again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The man essentially running one of the world's largest smartphone companies, Samsung, could end up in
prison.
On Thursday, the supreme court, here in South Korea, ruling that Jay Y. Lee should be retried in a case that sparked nation outcry. He was part of a
scandal that involved corruption and bribery, that went all the way up to the president of South Korea at the time, Park Geun-hye. She was removed
from office. She's currently spending a 25-year sentence, in prison.
As for Lee, he is free. His sentence was reduced last year. But the (inaudible) Court decision means that both of them will be tried separately
and could face tougher punishment, a tougher sentence in the outcome.
All of this comes at a very difficult time, mind you, for Samsung. In July, Japan decided to restrict three very important chemicals that they
use in making microchips. So this is part of that trade dispute between Japan and South Korea.
[14:25:08] Add to that what happened earlier this week. On Wednesday, Japan officially removing South Korea from their preferred trading partner
list, their so-called white list. That could delay, even further, some of these Japanese exports, coming to South Korea.
Meantime, Samsung is responding to the supreme court's ruling. They're apologizing to the country and promising to not redo those past mistakes,
to make right those wrongdoings. David Culver, CNN, Seoul, South Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: In Hong Kong, some people are wondering why China is moving its troops in the dead of the night. China says, today, it carried out a
regular rotation of its forces based in the city. Activists, though, are concerned about a possible crackdown on protests, that are headed into
their 13th consecutive weekend.
Meanwhile, an activist group says a key protest leader was attacked at a restaurant. The group says Jimmy Sham was not injured, and police are
looking for two suspects.
Some businesses are becoming collateral damage of those anti-government protests. As a result, hundreds of workers who struggle to make ends meet,
well, don't have jobs any more. Paula Hancocks has our story from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The food's just as good and the opening hours just as long, but business is bad at Man
Kee's award-winning noodle restaurant. The owner says people are afraid to eat out, since police use tear gas on the streets of his neighborhood, Sham
Shui Po.
SIMON WONG, OWNER, MAN KEE RESTAURANT (through translator): In fact, the revenue of our business has recently dropped by 20 percent, due to the
protests.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Empty tables are becoming more common around Hong Kong, and at least 700 people lost their jobs after more than 15
restaurants shut down in the last two months, according to an industry union.
A recent survey by a restaurant workers' union found 99 percent of those polled said their business has been affected by the protests.
KWOK WANG HING, EATING ESTABLISHMENT EMPLOYEES GENERAL UNION (through translator): Many people dare not go out to dine due to the series of
protests, particularly foreign tourists and mainland Chinese tourists.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My flight has been delayed because of you guys.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Police say 32 countries have issued travel warnings of varying degrees for Hong Kong. Tourists are choosing to stay away, and
that's hurting the hotel business. A five-star hotel worker spoke to us on condition of anonymity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year, 2018, July and August, the normal occupancy rate is around 70 percent to 80 percent. Right now, it's 50 percent
occupancy rate.
HANCOCKS (voice-over); The hotel workers' union says around 10,000 people have been affected. Cost-cutting measures include asking workers to use up
their annual leave or take lower pay. That makes a big difference to hotel workers, who typically earn the equivalent of less than 2,000 U.S. dollars
a month.
HANCOCKS: Protests like this one are becoming almost a daily occurrence, here in Hong Kong. These days, there is no sign of them letting up. And
it's just adding to a sense of instability int he city. Some workers from hotels, airlines and restaurants are willing to stand with the protestors,
even though they know that there is a chance, it could affect their livelihoods.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): At the Man Kee Noodle (ph) restaurant, there's a sign apologizing for the inconvenience of the protests, and asking patrons
to avoid talking politics. But sometimes, it can't be avoided.
WONG (through translator): Lots of people ran to our restaurant to escape tear gas fire by the police. We were forced to shut down immediately.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Lost revenue or worse is fast becoming a reality for some businesses in Hong Kong, even those trying to stay out of the
unrest. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still to come, the U.K. government moves to suspend Parliament, making it harder to block a no-deal Brexit, and protestors take to the
streets. I'll speak to a campaigner at the heart of the fight to stop Brexit. But is it too late? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:58] HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Back now to Brexit and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plans to suspend parliament, a move
that prompted protests across the U.K., including a sit-in outside parliament yesterday. Anti-Brexit campaigner, Femi Oluwole, is at the
heart of that public protest and he had a message for demonstrators on the streets of London last night. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEMI OLUWOLE, ANTI-BREXIT CAMPAIGNER: Those valuable British export is now increasingly in question. Parliamentary democracy. The way people express
their power. That wasn't me. That was Boris Johnson.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on him.
OLUWOLE: 2016, he told us that voting for Brexit would restore parliamentary sovereignty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Liar. Liar.
OLUWOLE: Now, he's attacking it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a liar.
OLUWOLE: That is not democracy.
GORANI: Well, Femi Oluwole is a British political activist and co-founder of the pro-European union advocacy group, Our Future, Our Choke, and he
joins now in the studio.
Last time, Femi, we spoke you'd gotten into -- I mean, you'd actually been assaulted pretty much on the streets outside parliament by pro-Brexit
activists or demonstrators, protesters.
It was a very different scene yesterday on the green. It was very civil. It was a few hundred people expressing their anger. Will we see more of
this?
OLUWOLE: I think so, because right now, we're in an absolute democratic catastrophe because we have a prime minister who was not leader of the
conservative party when we had the last general election. Nobody voted expecting Boris Johnson to become our prime minister, yet, that's what's
happened. And he's now pushing for a no-deal Brexit.
And the problem with a no-deal Brexit is not only did he promise us in 2016 that we'd be leaving the E.U. with a deal, he said it'd be absolutely
absurd if we were to end the free trading arrangements we currently have. And now, he's pushing for the very thing he promised us would never happen.
But the only opportunity we've had as a country to say what sort of Brexit we would and would not accept is the last general election in which 54
percent, a majority, voted for parties whose manifestos ruled out a no-deal Brexit.
GORANI: Right. But then those who support Boris Johnson, and in his move to suspend parliament would say a couple of things, potentially. One is,
you had a referendum in 2016. Brexit won. The second one is, do you really want two more years? Do you want more of an extension where you
have more uncertainty and businesses have, over the last two years, all of this uncertainty, already started making contingency plans to leave and
they've already moved staff? Do you want two more years of that?
OLUWOLE: So about -- well, we voted to leave? Yes, but ultimately, leaving the E.U. simply means we have a different relationship with the
E.U. We just spent the last three years negotiating that relationship and most people who voted for Brexit don't like it. And that's because Brexit
could have been a wide range of things. Ranging from leaving without a deal, getting simple free trade deal, having regulatory alignment so that
goods could travel more freely.
Now, if there are versions of Brexit which the majority, including Brexit voters, do not like, again, it comes back to the 2017 general election.
Most people voted for parties who ruled out a no-deal Brexit.
GORANI: So, what's the solution here?
OLUWOLE: The solution here is --
GORANI: From your perspective?
OLUWOLE: My perspective, the only solution is we've negotiated the new deal compared to the old one. We should have a referendum. We get to
choose between the new relationship with the E.U. and the old one. That is the most logical thing.
GORANI: It's the most logical from your perspective, but is it the most realistic here? Have you come to -- have you reconciled yourself with the
idea that a second referendum is becoming less and less probable?
OLUWOLE: No, it's becoming -- it's becoming more because --
GORANI: How so?
OLUWOLE: Ultimately, we need -- in order to get that second referendum, we need the Tories to realize what's happening. We need the Tories to
realize, hang on, this guy is doing irreparable damage to our party. He's suspending parliament in the name of parliamentary sovereignty which makes
zero sense.
He is pushing for a no-deal Brexit, which let's not forget, there is no country in the world that doesn't have a trade deal with its closest
neighbors. Even Donald Trump, when he started his trade war, at the start, he left Canada and Mexico out of it at the very beginning, because not even
he was crazy enough to damage trade with his closest neighbors.
So, they're asking us to do something that every successful economy in the world has chosen specifically not to do. That was the party of sensible
business, is what the conservative party claims to be. For its prime minister to do that is deeply damaging.
[14:35:03] GORANI: But you need conservatives then to come on board, to come on your side and say, we cannot accept no-deal because it damages our
country too much. In other words, to choose their country's future over their party allegiance.
OLUWOLE: Yes. And right now, there aren't many -- I mean, there is the majority -- many Tory M.P.s have already voted against no-deal. There was
a clear majority in parliament for against no-deal.
So, ultimately, and given the -- Boris Johnson's majority, now, only hangs on one Tory MP, if one of them resigns, we then have to figure out who
controls the executive.
GORANI: So, you're active on social media. You travel across the country. One of the clips you posted was -- I don't remember what part of the U.K.
it's in, but you were meeting with Nissan car factory.
OLUWOLE: In Sunderland, yes.
GORANI: In Sunderland, of course.
OLUWOLE: In Northeast.
GORANI: Which is a heavily Brexit area, right?
OLUWOLE: Yes.
GORANI: OK. This is what they told you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLUWOLE: You work at Nissan. Seventy-five percent of the cars produced in Nissan go to mainland Europe. And the reason the factory is based in
Sunderland is because we're in the single market. So, if we were to leave the single market, your job is actually significantly at risk more so than
most jobs around the country because of Brexit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So what do they tell you when you say this?
OLUWOLE: They were reassured that their jobs were safe. And in 2016, most Brexit voters believe that Brexit would not damage trade with -- between us
and the E.U. We were told that we'd get this great trade deal, we were told that it wouldn't -- we would have full access to the single market.
The single market being a system of common rules.
I mean, imagine if the E.U. didn't exist and each country set their own rules for each different thing. You'd have to manufacture the market and
package your products in 28 different ways to comply with those regulations. So because we have that single law-making system, products
made in the U.K. automatically able to sell across the whole of Europe.
Now, if we leave that system, there's going to be a barrier between us and what we've seen the vast majority of our exported goods. If that happens,
it makes more sense for those businesses to be located on the other side of that barrier.
GORANI: Sure. I found it interesting. I mean, I encourage -- you have a great social media presence because you really just kind of show with your
phone, you take pictures and video of the people you talk to and you get all sorts of views across which is great.
Thanks very much, Femi, for joining us. Really appreciate it.
OLUWOLE: Cheers
GORANI: U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to 8,600. He announced that in an interview
with Fox News radio. It comes a day after the U.S. defense secretary and joint chiefs chairman briefed reporters for the first time in a year.
They spoke as Taliban and U.S. negotiators reportedly are nearing a deal that could lead to the total withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
The top U.S. general made clear any agreement will contain conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JOSEPH DUNFORD, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I'm not using the withdrawal word right now. I'm using -- we're going to make sure that
Afghanistan is not a sanctuary, and we're going to try to have an effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Currently, there are about 15,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan along NATO troops training and advising afghan forces.
In the United States, President Donald Trump is considering pulling the plug on military aid to Ukraine. Multiple sources tell CNN he's been
floating the idea for weeks. It's not a done deal, but scrapping the quarter billion-dollar aid plan could further align Mr. Trump with the
Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
Let's get more from Jeremy Diamond. He joins me from the White House. What -- if indeed this aid is pulled, what could the reason be from the
White House's perspective?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: You know, we've been asking that very question to the White House all day, Hala. And, so far, we haven't
really gotten a concrete answer. Here's what we do know, that the president is seriously considering blocking $250 million in military aid to
Ukraine.
Now, this is aid that was previously approved by Congress and is just waiting for the green light from the White House in order to go forward and
be dispersed to the Ukrainians. Now, the White House has put that sum under review. And if the White House doesn't greenlight it in the next
month, effectively, that aid will be blocked.
Now, there is a little bit of sign of a possible change here because the president of the United States will be meeting with the Ukrainian president
next week. And so, this is sure to come up especially now that these reports are public, that the president is considering scrapping it. He's
already faced pretty considerable opposition from democratic lawmakers in Congress. And if past is precedent, this will certainly become a
bipartisan uproar if, indeed, the president does move forward with blocking this aid to the Ukrainians.
Of course, military support for Ukraine, in particular, has very much been viewed as a litmus test of support for Ukraine, but more importantly, the
administration's efforts and sincerity in terms of buffering any Russian aggression. And this all comes, as you mentioned, Hala, as the president
is considering readmitting Putin and Russia into the G7 to make it the G8. Of course, that would require a unanimous decision by those G8 members. So
far, there's no indication that that will happen. Hala?
[14:40:15] GORANI: And quickly, there are some citizenship changes for some U.S. service members abroad who have children. Citizenship changes
that would affect their children. I've got a lot of traction online, this story. Tell us what that's about.
DIAMOND: That's right. Currently, if you are either a U.S. military official or a diplomatic official, serving abroad in an official capacity,
your children will automatically become U.S. citizens. It would be as if they were born here in the United States, where there is birthright
citizenship.
Now, the Trump administration is announcing that that will no longer become an automatic process. Now, those children will still be eligible for
citizenship. It's simply going to be a different process and it's primarily going to affect those children of naturalized U.S. citizens who
are serving in those positions.
So, a lot of confusion, particularly, in the immediate aftermath of that announcement from the military community, in particular, and it seems the
Trump administration is still struggling to answer questions about how narrowly this will actually affect individuals serving abroad.
GORANI: Thanks, Jeremy Diamond.
Still to come tonight, U.S. health officials have a warning. This is not your mother's marijuana. Why they say new strains of marijuana actually
present serious health risks to some smokers. We'll break it down for you.
Plus, saving one of Africa's great animals from extinction. The high-risk, high-reward procedure veterinarians are using to keep northern white rhinos
on our planet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: The U.S. public health service is warning pregnant women and teens about the impact of marijuana on developing brains. The U.S. surgeon
general spoke earlier today and said American weed is actually getting a lot stronger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEONS GENERAL: This ain't your mother's marijuana. So why does this matter? Well, the science tells us the higher
the THC delivery, the higher the risk. We've seen an increase in emergency department visits for psychosis, overdose, and accidental ingestions. And
nearly one in five people who begin marijuana use during adolescence become addicted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:45:02] GORANI: Well, joining me now from Atlanta is Dr. Darria Long- Gillespie. She's an emergency room doctor and a professor at the University of Tennessee Medical School. Thanks, doctor, for being with us.
So, are you seeing an increase in emergency room admissions related to marijuana abuse or overconsumption?
DARRIA LONG-GILLESPIE, CLINICAL ASST. PROF. UNIV. OF TENNESSEE ERLANGER: Hala, thank you so much. It's great to be here.
And, yes, as an E.R. doctor, we're kind of at ground zero. You're seeing what's happening. And we are seeing a lot of what's called cannabis-
induced hyperemesis. You have people coming in with cyclical vomiting, higher risk of accidents. As the surgeon general mentioned, psychosis,
hallucinations.
And just as frightening in states where marijuana has been legalized, recreationally, the number of children who are overdosing and coming into
the E.R. because they accidentally took their parents marijuana gummy bears or something has increased by three times.
GORANI: Well, I remember growing up, without going into detail, that marijuana was considered pretty harmless. You know, you would, at a party,
maybe a teen would smoke a joint and that was not considered a big deal really. It was the harder drugs that were considered a big deal. Is the
drug now different?
LONG-GILLESPIE: The drug is very different. I'm glad you pointed that out. A lot of people may say, well, I used it when I was young.
In the early 1990s, the THC concentration was around four percent. Now, the average concentration in dispensaries is 17 percent to 23 percent.
GORANI: Wow.
LONG-GILLESPIE: It is much, much stronger, which means it's more addictive and more likely to have bad consequences from it, too.
GORANI: Well, is it then a misconception that marijuana is not addictive? Is marijuana itself an addictive drug?
LONG-GILLESPIE: So this is something --
GORANI: Sorry to jump in. In the same way saying nicotine is, for instance.
LONG-GILLESPIE: That's a great question and a lot of people are studying it. But if you look at places that are helping people with addiction, they
are seeing a rise in the number, especially in adolescents, of adolescents coming in with an addiction to marijuana. So it does. We know it changes
the brain. If you look at people who use it long term, they actually have decreased the blood flow to the areas of memory and other areas of the
brain.
GORANI: Sure. And I've read studies and articles now that are looking in to, potentially, the role of marijuana abuse on mental health as well.
LONG-GILLESPIE: Yes, absolutely. And we see this in people, as I mentioned, higher risk of hallucinations and triggering psychosis and
anxiety and irritability. It can have many effects on people.
GORANI: But what's interesting is this is all coming, these studies and this realization is coming at a time when marijuana is being legalized in
many states and is legal in some European countries. What do public health officials need to do at this stage to make sure people use it responsibly?
LONG-GILLESPIE: I'm glad you asked that. I feel like the conversation with marijuana is often this big blanket statement. And we have to
separate things out. There's medicinal use and there are some indications for medicinal use. Do we need more research allowed in those areas? Yes.
I do think we need to open that up so we can research more.
Then there is self-medicating and recreational use. Very different. We shouldn't muddy the waters between the two. And we have to notice that as
you're getting more legalization, we are seeing more consequences in the E.R. And also, this changing in the marijuana profile. So, what people
used to -- how they used to react to it 20 years ago is very different. It is a different world now. We need to use today's data for it.
GORANI: Because, as you mentioned, medicinally, there are huge benefits potentially for CBD. I mean, I guess the non-hallucinatory component of
the marijuana plant to provide relief to people who have epilepsy, for anxiety sufferers. That kind of thing. So, there's -- let's not forget
that this plant can also have huge benefits, provide huge benefits to people who might be suffering.
LONG-GILLESPIE: Exactly. But you do have to be careful. Because when they looked at CBD that is sold over the counter, because you can buy it
everywhere now. They found that over 70 percent of the bottles did not have the CBD amount that was claimed on the label. And 20 percent of them
had THC in them.
So you don't want to just be self-medicating, buying this at your local store. You need to go -- we need to go through proper routes.
GORANI: All right. Dr. Darria Long-Gillespie, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate your time.
LONG-GILLESPIE: Thank you, Hala. Have a good day.
A teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is in New York now after a two- week boat trip across the Atlantic. She arrived waving from a zero-carbon emissions vessel that set sail from Plymouth, England to take part in a U.N
Climate Action Summit in September.
Safe on the banks of the Hudson River, Thunberg spoke about her journey and the reason behind it.
GRETA THUNBERG, TEENAGE CLIMATE ACTIVIST: This United Nations climate action summits in September now and the COP-25. These two have to be a
tipping point. And I think -- I hope it will be because it must. And I, and many people with me, are going to try to do everything we can to make
sure that the world leaders have all eyes on them during these conferences so that they cannot continue to ignore this.
[14:50:17] GORANI: Well, the young activist said she was ready to relax, recoup, and eat good food. Her boat didn't have a shower or a toilet and
everyone on board ate freeze dried food throughout the trip.
We want to tell you about a last-ditch effort to save the northern white rhino. There are only two white rhinos left in the world. And both of
them are female. So it sounds like an impossible situation, but scientists think they've found a solution.
Farai Sevenzo has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the race to save the northern white rhino species, the stakes are high. As
veterinary scientists tried a new procedure for the first time. The hopeful silence was deafening. Their mission, to extract eggs from the
last two northern white rhinos to save the species from extinction. The team successfully gathered five eggs each from the two female rhinos in
Kenya, Najin and Fatu.
This remarkable achievement born of science and hope shines a light for the white rhinos' prospects after Sudan, the last male northern white rhino
died early last year.
His sperm, along with the sperm of another who died in 2014 since frozen in incubators for fishery production. Najin and Fatu can't carry a pregnancy
by themselves. And collecting their eggs was only one step in the process.
Scientists managed to artificially inseminate seven of their eggs with the frozen sperm. Now, the next task will be an embryo transfer to a southern
white rhino which will be the surrogate to carry it to full term.
JAN STEJSKAL, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS, DVUR KRALOVE ZOO: What we have to do next? It means that we have to some older level of technique
for embryo transfer. And only stars we, again, cooperate with the zoos here and Europe.
SEVENZO: The world might soon see another northern white rhino, but the fight to save the species from extinction is far from over.
Farai Sevenzo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still ahead, it could be the end of an era for people who like to hoard those hotel bath toiletries. Find out what one hotel chain says it's
doing to replace these little bottles of shampoo. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: The Japanese company is digging the foundation for growth across Africa, it's hoping to expand its market there. It begins with a hub and
commitment to making the most of the continent's resources. Eleni Giokos brings us this example of how Africa is looking east.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN BUSINESS AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: South Africa company, Efficient Engineering, uses 600 tons of steel every month to produce
buckets and loading parts for its most significant clients, Japanese-owned Komatsu.
TONY CIMATO, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, EFFICIENT ENGINEERING: This 8,000-square- meter factory is just for Komatsu.
GIOKOS: Efficient Engineering is one of few locally owned companies supplying to Komatsu. The rest of the parts used to assemble these mega
machines are imported.
MIKE BLOM, MD KOMATSU AFRICA HOLDINGS: This machine is produced in Japan, and we will assemble it here.
GIOKOS: Komatsu has been operating in Africa for 38 years, but it's not alone. Caterpillar is the world's top seller of heavy earth-moving
equipment. Komatsu is the second largest.
[14:55:04] And its recent $65 million investment in South Africa is part of a wider strategy to secure African market share.
BLOM: It just gives us that real confirmation that Komatsu is committed to South Africa, it's committed to Southern Africa and it's committed to
Africa and very much is relying on our people yet to do that.
GIOKOS: With a presence across nine African countries employing 2,700 people, the site serves as a hub to the entire region.
GIOKOS: Do you think there would ever be a time where we would see Komatsu be fully, you know, manufactured in Africa.
BLOM: That's certainly something that I believe is on the radar with Komatsu in the long term.
GIOKOS: It plays into a wider trend. Japanese-owned companies are on the lookout for opportunities in Africa.
So what are the top sectors that are attractive for Japanese companies?
HIROYUKI NEMOTO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JETRO: That was according to our survey, infrastructure business is the number one (INAUDIBLE). But that
now that upcoming industry is that I.T. or consumer and these are services sectors.
GIOKOS: From the ground and into the skies, Japanese companies are going for 360 investment strategy when it comes to Africa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Before we go, some changes, if you're a frequent traveler. You know those mini soap and shampoo bottles you find at hotels? You may not
find them anymore in your next holiday. Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain, is saying goodbye to the little plastic
containers. They say they're going to favor those larger, more ecofriendly bottles and pumps.
The company says the move will keep 900 metric tons of plastic from ending up in landfills each year. My colleague Richard quest will be interviewing
the CEO of Marriott International next hour.
Thanks for watching tonight. I'm Hala Gorani. I'll see you same time, same place tomorrow. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
END
