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Massacre Suspect Charged; Romney's Tough Talk on Iran; Syrian Rebels Take on Army Forces; Massacre Suspect Charged; Garden of Supertrees Opens; Kurdish Women Train For Fight

Aired July 30, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. We are taking you around the world in 60 minutes.

Mitt Romney is angering Palestinians with comments on Jerusalem.

Also, we're looking at this, paying to sleep in the back of a taxi in the Olympics, it's not cheap.

And Kurdish women appear to train for battle. They're firing guns but then we see them dancing. We're going to explain the strange form of propaganda.

Up first, a story making headlines here in the United States and around the world: the suspect in the Colorado movie theater massacre is returning to court. James Holmes, he's expected to be formally charged in the shooting rampage that left 12 people dead and 58 wounded.

This was the scene a week ago when Holmes first appeared in court. Since then, he has been held in jail in isolation.

Jim Spellman, he's joining us live from Centennial, Colorado.

Jim, no cameras I understand in the courthouse for today's hearing. Tell us why, first of all, and walk us through what we expect to actually happen.

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. This hearing is under way right now, Suzanne. No cameras in the courtroom. The judge decided before last week's hearing that in this early portion of the proceedings, he would allow a camera for that initial appearance and the arraignment that should come in a couple of days. There is a sketch artist in there and it's full of reporters, including CNN's Eddie Lavandera, who will come down as soon as we know what is going to happen.

Here's what we expect to happen -- first, formally, he'll be read the charges. We understand from court documents that will mean at least 12 counts of first-degree murder and numerous counts of attempted first-degree murder and other charges likely around that alleged boob booby-trapped apartment that he left.

They're also going to decide whether a notebook that he sent to a psychiatrist is a doctor-patient privileged material and should go back to the defense. And also, the media will argue to unseal some of the documents in the case that have been sealed.

It's going to be a busy day in here. As soon as we find out exactly what he's been charged with, we'll be out here to report on it -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, Jim, you mentioned of this court, documents that was filed on Friday that Holmes was a patient of University of Colorado psychiatrist before the attack. How you expect that to impact or play in his case? Will it work for the defense or the prosecution?

SPELLMAN: Well, I mean, it really depends what's in it and we don't know what's in it. And according to the court documents, the D.A.'s office hasn't even looked at it. They sealed it until the judge can examine it and decide whether it should be admissible or not.

We really don't know enough. We don know what's in it. We don't know how long he was seeing the psychiatrist. We don't know why he was seeing a psychiatrist.

So, we have to be really cautious and not read too much into that until we know exactly what's in that notebook and exactly the nature of the care he was receiving from the psychiatrist.

MALVEAUX: All right, Jim. We're going to get back to you when you got information as he appears in court for the second time.

I want to turn to India. This is where the country has been hit with one of the worst power blackouts in a decade. You got to listen to these numbers, because it's really is staggering here.

We're talking about 350 million people across the northern part of the country. They were left in the dark essentially, in sweltering summer heat. That is more than the entire population of the United States. That's right. That's how many people.

At least 300 trains were stranded when the power grid gave out overnight.

And North Korea media reported at least 88 people are dead, more than 60,000 homeless after some heavy flooding, torrential rains. They've been sweeping across the nation for more than a week, destroying buildings and crops.

Humanitarian groups, they are working within the country and they say that many people are now severely malnourish -- and the rain is continuing to fall today.

Mitt Romney is talking tough on Iran. He pledges unwavering support for Israel, and he promises to move the American embassy to Jerusalem. Romney has wrapped up his visit to Israel. He is now in Poland. That is the final leg on the overseas trip he is taking there.

Now, in a speech before he left Jerusalem, Romney said that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and that no option is off the table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We must not delude ourselves into thinking that the containment is an option. We must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability. We should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is our fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so.

In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded. We recognize Israel's right to defend itself, and that it is right for America to stand with you.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Romney also referred to Jerusalem as Israel's capital and expanded on that in an interview with our own Wolf Blitzer.

Wolf is joining us from Jerusalem.

Good to see you, Wolf.

First of all, it was kind of strange because U.S. policy in Jerusalem, as the capital of Israel, intentionally vague over the years, because Palestinians -- they also claim rights to part of that independent state in the future. So, why would he do such a thing? I mean, this is really does seem like this is moving beyond U.S. policy.

WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM: It's a real sensitive issue, you are absolutely right, and it has been a sensitive issue for decades.

Remember, during the Six-Day War in 1967, east Jerusalem was then under the control of Jordan. Israel controlled west Jerusalem. But during that Six-Day War, Israel captured all of Jerusalem, united it and declared to be the capital.

No U.S. president since then has recognized Israel's occupation of east Jerusalem, going back to LBJ, throughout all the '80s and the '90sm not Bill Clinton, not Barack Obama, or either of the Bush presidents or Ronald Reagan.

Now, what Mitt Romney is saying is that if, if he does become president of the United States, he will change all of that under the right circumstances. Here's the exchange and I will play it for the viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Do you consider Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel?

ROMNEY: Yes, the nation has a capacity to choose its own capital city and Jerusalem is Israel's capital.

BLITZER: If you become president of the United States, would you move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?

ROMNEY: I think it's long been a policy of our country to ultimately have our embassy in the nation's capital, in Jerusalem. The decision to actually make a move is one -- if I were president -- I would want to take in as president in consultation with the leadership of the government which exists at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Now he says he would move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in consultation with the Israeli government. Every Israeli government, every Israeli president, every Israeli prime minister has always wanted the United States to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

In fact, earlier today, I had a chance here in Jerusalem, Suzanne, to speak with the Israeli President Shimon Peres. And I said, if in fact, Romney becomes president and should the U.S. move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? His firm answer was, yes. He said every Israeli leader would want the United States to do that.

So, it would be a major change on the part of the United States if it were to: (a), recognize all of Jerusalem as being Israel's capital. And, (b), if the embassy were placed in Jerusalem, that would be a very symbolic indeed, and it would cause pretty severe, presumably diplomatic ramifications for the U.S. not only in the Palestinian community, because they hope that Jerusalem --

MALVEAUX: Sure.

BLITZER: -- will be the eventual capital of an independent Palestinian state, but in the Arab and the Muslim world as well.

MALVEAUX: And, Wolf, before leaving Israel, Romney also held a breakfast, raising more than $1 million. One of the comments did offend some of the Palestinians, making a comparison of the gross domestic product of the Israeli's and the Palestinian-controlled areas.

I want to bring up this quote and you can put it into context for us, saying that "Culture makes all of the difference. And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things and a few other things."

And Palestinian negotiator, as you know, Saeb Erekat, very prominent, he called that statement racist, and he says that Romney needs to be education. The Romney campaign says that these remarks are just being taken out of context. Can you put it in context for us what it was that he was actually trying to say at this fund-raiser?

BLITZER: I know that the Romney campaign is very upset that it looks like he's making this kind of what the Palestinians call racist kind of statements and the Romney campaign as you saw Andrea Saul, the spokesman for the Romney campaign, is really pushing back on that.

Saeb Erekat, who is the chief Palestinian negotiator with the Israelis -- unfortunately there aren't any peace negotiations underway right now -- he has been upset now for the last 24 hours since Romney came out and declared that Jerusalem is Israel's capital and subsequently when he told me that he would move the embassy, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. So, there's no love from the Palestinian Authority leadership for Mitt Romney right now to begin.

But this issue, this sort of phrase that he made certainly is going to exacerbate that it's going to take some walking back, if you will. He did meet Mitt Romney with Salam Fayyad, who is the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. While he was in Jerusalem, he met with Salam Fayyad, who is highly respected not only by the U.S., but by the Israelis as well.

MALVEAUX: All right. Wolf Blitzer -- thank you, Wolf. Good to see you.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, he is also in the region. He's visiting four countries in five days. Tomorrow, he is going to be in Israel, addressing concerns about Iran's nuclear and missile programs, as well as Syria's chemical weapons. Panetta says that Syrian attacks on the country's largest city, Aleppo, are going to hasten the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think that if they continue this kind of tragic attack on their own people in Aleppo, I think that it ultimately will be a nail in Assad's coffin. That he's just assuring that the Assad regime will come to an end by virtue of the kind of violence that they are committing against their own people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The U.N. says about 200,000 people have fled the fighting in and around Aleppo over the last two days. Now, this amateur video shows families rushing out of harm's way, trying to get out of the way there. Fighting waged overnight at a government military base. This is just outside of the city.

Our Ivan Watson, he was just less than a couple of miles from where all of this took place. I want you to take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We can see a battle, a rebel offensive against a Syrian army base located north of Aleppo. It started around sunset and began with artillery and rockets being fired from several directions by the Syrian rebels.

Now, we are told that the brigade that is carrying out this attack on the army checkpoint is the Unity or the Tawheed Bigade. And some of their men are headquartered in a town north of Aleppo, northwest of it called Anadan, which we visited previously. It is deserted of inhabitants and bears the scars of many artillery strikes.

You can see the Syrian army troops firing out from their base at sometimes in three separate directions simultaneously, which really suggests they are truly surrounded by the rebels.

Judging by the tracer fire we see, and the direction of it, it looks like the Syrian army has outgunned the rebels, but they are surrounded, and I imagine it's a terrifying night to be inside of that army base.

We have also witnessed what appears to be heavy artillery called in from the direction of Aleppo, itself, lobbing miles, kilometers and hitting, and that was just an artillery launch -- and hitting the town of Anadan.

One final observation: in the towns around and outside of the field of fire, there is electricity, families are out, you can hear the screams of children playing and it's a surprising juxtaposition against the fierce battle that is raging just a few miles away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Ivan is joining us by phone from northern Syria.

And, Ivan, if you can hear us, tell us that you have visited the military base on the outskirts of Aleppo. Just tell us who at this point is actually controlling that area?

WATSON (via telephone): The rebels definitely captured this. I saw them showing off four captured tanks and armored personnel carriers, and a whole armory of ammunitions for tank rounds.

The base, itself, which was protected by earth works has been completely taken by rebels. I walked around in it. There were several destroyed military trucks, as well as destroyed armored personnel carrier and at least three armored vehicles that the government troops left behind.

This was not only a moral victory for the rebels, but a strategic one, because they have removed the last government outpost on the highway that runs from the gates of Aleppo north to the Turkish border.

MALVEAUX: And we understand that this is a place where it's a commercial hub. There are about 3 million people who live in that area. In your piece however, you talk about the fact that you could hear kids playing while this fierce firefight is going on here.

What do we make of that?

WATSON: I think it is saying something about accustomed Syrians have gotten to this horrible conflict. I mean, it's been going on for 17 months now. And it has displaced huge segments of the population.

And the people are on the move constantly. You will see people fleeing here and there, and some have just gotten used to living next to a raging gun battle involving heavy artillery. It's incredible and it's also very sad.

MALVEAUX: It is sad indeed, and we are looking at some of the pictures there.

Ivan, if you can paint a picture of what you saw and what you heard when you were in that area, it is really extraordinary to see just the abandoned town and also just the firefighting that continues.

WATSON: That's right. This was a major battle and what surprised me, two things, the rebels have flooded fighters into the city of Aleppo, thousands of them, and they are engaged in the fierce battles against the government there. The fact that they still have the manpower and the weapons to attack a base outside of Aleppo shows a little bit of their strength.

And then I saw the weakness of the government troops. No reinforcements came to help this outpost which had more than 100 soldiers and at least a dozen tanks and armored personnel carriers. There was no support during a three-hour battle, with the exception of the artillery lobbed in, ad after three hours, a helicopter we overhead.

But basically the rest of the Syrian military left their guys at this outpost to fight to the end. Some of them we believe escaped in the end, but the rebels did take some captives.

MALVEAUX: Ivan, thank you very much.

We are seeing pictures of Assad's portrait being destroyed and some of the artifacts in that area. The question, of course, is who is going to rule Syria if Assad's government loses this war, and why U.S. officials are warning about a possible power vacuum.

We're going to have the latest on the Olympic winners and losers.

Plus, a Judo Olympian from Saudi Arabia has got a tough choice to make -- to take off her traditional hijab or don't compete.

And how would you like a snake massage? Yes. Really? We're going to tell you where this is actually happening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Syria's largest city is now being wrecked by the widening civil war.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

MALVEAUX: Rebels captured the military base today on the outskirts of Aleppo, about 3 million people actually live in that city. President Bashar al Assad's forces, they've been struggling like never before to try to maintain control of it.

I want to bring in our Hala Gorani, who joins us live.

Hala, you've been speaking to these activists in Aleppo via Skype for days now.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.

MALVEAUX: What are they telling you what's happening there?

GORANI: Yes. It's giving me a bird's-eye view, because if you are on the ground, you are in one section and Ivan Watson's terrific reporting there from Anadan, on the northern outskirt outskirts of Aleppo that the rebels have captured a key military base -- this is a huge, huge achievement and accomplishment for them.

But in other parts of the city, Salaheddine, other neighborhoods where there has been constant shelling, residents are telling me over secure communication or as secure as we can make it, they are -- it is too dangerous for them in some cases to go there, to deliver food, to deliver medicine.

Then you have other more central neighborhoods that haven't seen fighting yet. And as we were hearing from Ivan's reporting, in some cases, you can hear the fighting and then the children laughing not too far away. It's because it has become this sort of schizophrenic patchwork where in one area, you will have fierce fighting and then in another sort of this uneasy calm where fighting hasn't spread to yet.

MALVEAUX: So, how do they maintain the sense of chaos really? Because you say calm in one area, fighting in another. Eventually, does it turn into something where it falls?

GORANI: Well, this is not a sustainable scenario, because even neighborhoods that aren't seeing fighting are suffering from terrible shortages of food, fuel. They are hunkered down essentially hoping that it won't reach them -- those who don't want to be a part of the fight, those who have children and those civilians who are not combatants.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

GORANI: So, no, it is not sustainable. The big question is: are these rebels going to have enough firepower and enough sort of wind in the sails to defeat the mighty Assad army? Nothing is certain.

MALVEAUX: So, let's fast forward here. Let's say that Assad's regime is beaten, is put down there. You've got the rebels that are in charge. The Arab League --

GORANI: Which is not impossible, but it might take longer than some people might have predicted.

MALVEAUX: So -- but they are completely disorganize, right? I mean, you've got these different groups. The Arab League says, look, you guys got to get the act together, because this is not going to work, and potentially could be a power vacuum. What happens in that scenario?

GORANI: Well, I think that if you look at what happened with the United States in 2003 in Iraq, that was probably the biggest mistake of the war, dismantling the security apparatus, and the army is probably what led so many of the soldiers of Iraqi army to join the insurgency in the case of Iraq.

Now, in Syria, you have hundreds of thousands of rank and file soldiers. They are members of the Baath Party, sure -- a lot of times not out of conviction, but because you have to be. It is something that every single Syrian who wants to work for a government agency in any way, shape or form has to be a member of the Baath Party.

And the biggest mistake even some in the United States now are warning based on the mistakes made in Iraq --

MALVEAUX: Right.

GORANI: -- would be to replicate that in Syria.

MALVEAUX: Hala, thank you. Appreciate it.

A U.S. swimmer sets a world record in the Olympics. It's not Michael Phelps.

Dana Vollmer, she is now the first woman to swim the 100-meter butterfly in less than 56 seconds. That's right. She set that record swimming, won a gold medal for doing it.

And American Kimberly Rhode wins her fight straight medal in skeet shooting. She tied a world record with a score of 99 out of 100, and won the gold.

And big disappointment for American gymnast Jordyn Wieber -- she didn't advance to the women's all around final.

The big events today to watch: the men's gymnastics team final, women's indoor volleyball. The U.S. plays Brazil in that 2008 faceoff in Beijing. And in swimming the men's 200-meter free final. American Ryan Lochte is the current world champ.

For the first time ever, Saudi Arabia sends two women athletes to the Olympics. Well, now, one of them might actually be forced to withdraw from the games -- this young athlete who hears a hijab. It is a head scarf worn by Islamic women, traditional.

And the International Judo Federation said she can't wear it during competition because it's not safe. Saudi officials say she must. Now, her dad is weighing.

Our Nic Robertson, he is in London.

Nic, talk a little bit about this. This is Saudi Olympic officials meeting late into the night, trying to come up with some way to resolve all of this. Is there some sort of resolution?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are being told by the Saudi National Olympic Committee that they still think that it is possible that something can be worked out and they are not ruling it out at the moment. They are saying that the athlete is still there in Britain, that they still want her to compete.

But there is clearly a huge hurdle and a gulf between the positions here. I mean, these three organizations, the Saudi Olympic committee, the International Olympic Committee and the International Judo Federation met late into the night, three-way meeting, and they weren't able to hammer an agreement. And the Saudi seems very (INAUDIBLE).

This young 16-year-old athlete was forced to sign an agreement with the Saudi National Olympic Committee before she came to Britain to compete that she would go and abide by Islamic dress codes, that is dressing with modesty. And that's what she is being held to account to, and that is what her father is still holding her to account to.

So it's hard to see at the moment, Judo Federation is saying to wear this garment would be a safety issue, would be dangerous for her to compete this way. So, it's hard to see how they are going to bridge it at this stage.

MALVEAUX: Nic, why didn't they actually work this out ahead of time? Why is this happening now?

ROBERTSON: You know, that isn't clear, because this is kind of a train wreck that you can see coming, and there's been a lot of attention paid to the fact that at the Olympics this year for the first time ever all countries have contributed, some female athletes. That's never happened before.

So, Saudi Arabia finding two athletes, females out of their team of 19, that could compete, and meet the international standards required. One of them, a middle distance runner, she grew up for many of the years in the United States and lived in California.

But for this girl, she grew up in Mecca. Her father is her trainer. This is a period of particularly for Muslims right now during Ramadan, a time when they would more likely adhere to the traditions.

So why didn't people see this coming and bridge this gap before? It's s not clear. Perhaps it was just too much pressure and too much desire to kind of get women on the team, if you will.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

ROBERTSON: But right now, I asked -- I asked the spokesman for the committee, the Saudi committee, if she doesn't compete on Friday and this is how much time they have to make the decision --

MALVEAUX: Right.

ROBERTON: -- her game is Friday. If her match is Friday, if she doesn't compete, will the whole team pull out or just her, and they said that's not clear yet.

MALVEAUX: All right. Nic, you let us know when it is all sorted out. Appreciate it.

If you are watching any of the games, you have probably seen them, lots of empty seats, even at some of the most popular events like swimming and gymnastics. Olympic organizers say that the British troops, teachers, schoolchildren, they are now been given free tickets.

The British government says it's trying to figure out why the attendance has been so sparse. Now, some critics say those seats, it was sold to corporate sponsors who just haven't showed up.

And it's one of the world's most feared diseases and he has popped up again. An outbreak of the Ebola virus in Uganda has American health officials scrambling to keep it contained.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: James Holmes is charged in the cinema massacre.

I want to go to directly to Ed Lavandera in Centennial, Colorado, the very latest.

I know he has had his second court appearance. He faces numerous charges. What do we know, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a hearing that lasted 45 minutes and we can tell you that James Holmes now faces 142 criminal charges, 24 counts of murder in the first degree, I'll explain, try to explain a little bit of that number. Why the number is 24, in a moment.

But 24 counts of murder in the first degree, and 116 counts of attempted murder. One count of possession of explosive devices. That's a felony. And one count of a sentence enhancer, because of the violence in this case. And one of the things we're trying to clarify at this moment is, there are 12 victims that have died in this shooting, and there are twice as many murder in the first degree charges,. So we're trying to get to the bottom of the legal understandings. I'm not a lawyer, so I'm trying to get to the bottom of that to be able to explain that as clearly as possible. But the headline here this afternoon, Suzanne, is 142 criminal counts that have now been filed against James Holmes because of this theater shooting.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, Ed, do we know if he was charged with anything related to his apartment and how it was booby trap? That there was all that kind of firepower and things found inside his home. LAVANDERA: Well, the possession of the explosive device, that's one felony count. I imagine it has to do clearly with what was found at his apartment. Now, there's also some question as to whether or not more -- he could face potentially more charges here in the future, or is this just the beginning? The attorneys were still in the courtroom as we raced out to pass along this information. So we'll try to gather that as best we can.

Remember, there's also a gag order in this case, so just how much they will be able to clarify and kind of give us guidance on what to expect down the road. But I think they would always hold out the possibility of more charges to be filed in the case, in addition to the one, because of the felony possession of explosive devices, which clearly seems to be stemming from what was found in his apartment not too far away from where the shooting scene was and not too far away -- just on the edge of campus, where he was in that neuroscience Ph.D. program.

MALVEAUX: And, Ed, I know there were no cameras inside the courtroom. Do you have any sense, either outside the courtroom or just inside, whether or not there were any relatives of some of the victims here, whether or not there were any relatives of some of the victims here, whether or not there was any kind of an emotional response or reaction to this news that we are getting?

LAVANDERA: Well, the courtroom we were in, I think, had a room for about 100 -- roughly anywhere between 110 and 120 seats in the courtroom. Half of it was news media. The other half was victims. There was one woman who had a bandage around her elbow, around her lower leg and there was also, you know, families of the victims as well. There was an overflow room next to the courtroom where we were that also had many people in it that were here to watch this proceeding. Many people turned out.

I spoke with one survivor who was in the theater who said they wanted to be able to show how -- James Holmes how strong they all were, and that's why it was important for them to be there. But when he walked into the courtroom, you know, all eyes glued on James Holmes. And, you know, there was a great deal of talk about the way he appeared last time. And I can tell you, he seemed much more lucid and aware of his surroundings. But having said that, he still, at times, he seemed very nonchalant, very calm, very relaxed. Just kind of staring off just to below the -- to where the judge's seat was there in the courtroom. He still kind of had, at times, some weird mannerisms. His eyes opening -- opening wide back and forth several times.

He only spoke one word. He was asked -- his attorneys were trying to ask for more time to prepare for the preliminary hearing, which will be one of the next steps -- legal steps in this process. The judge asked him to confer with his attorneys to make sure that that was OK. That's supposed to be done within 35 days of him being arrested. And his attorneys wanted more time. The judge asked him to talk to his attorneys, make sure that that was OK. And after about 20 seconds of talking with his attorney, the judge asked him if he thought that that was OK. And James Holmes simply said "yes" in a very soft voice.

But his hair was much the same color, that same weird reddish and orange dye job. It was matted down. He seemed -- but he seemed much more aware of his surroundings. But having said that, still kind of slightly spaced out in my opinion as he kind of sat there like he was listening to all of this very calmly.

MALVEAUX: Ed, thank you very much. We appreciate that.

I want to bring in our legal analyst, Paul Callan, to ask you a couple of questions here.

First of all, if you can explain to us how he faces 24 first degree murder counts, when there are 12 people who are dead. Does that make sense to you?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: It does make sense to me. I haven't actually seen a copy of the charges, but in most states, and Colorado like most states, you have first degree murder which could consist of an intentional murder. You point a gun at somebody with the intent of killing them, you premeditate. That's first degree murder. But there's a second type of first degree murder, and that's called a depraved indifference murder. So let's say you -- he went in allegedly to the theater and just randomly sprayed shots around the theater maybe not intending to kill a particular individual. That would be a form of what we call depraved indifference murder and it's functionally the same thing. So you would have two counts for each victim therefore.

MALVEAUX: Hmm. OK. And his attorneys asked for more time. What do you make of that? What do you think that is about?

CALLAN: It doesn't surprise me at all. Under normal circumstances, they would be looking at a preliminary hearing in 30 days. And defense attorneys use preliminary hearings as a mechanism to cross-examination witnesses, to probe for weaknesses in the case. It's a very, very important step in a case. And here, with the huge number of charges and huge number of victims, it's a big process to get ready. So I think they just need more time so that they can handle themselves properly in court.

MALVEAUX: And, Paul, final question here. The fact that there were not cameras in the courtroom, how do you think that plays out today, makes today different than when we first saw him?

CALLAN: Well, I -- you know, first of all I want to say, I'm very upset that the judge has done this, has ordered cameras out of the courtroom. This is a case of -- with enormous public interest, huge numbers of victims and it would seem to me that they should be allowed to see what happens in the courtroom to be reassured that the court system is working properly. A jury trial is a long way in the future and I don't think, you know, covering the arraignment today would have made a difference.

I don't know how it affected him. I would imagine probably not very much. Remember, cameras in the courtroom are not particularly intrusive. It's pretty much the same courtroom as without cameras. So the performance of the defendant would probably be the same. So I'm a little surprised at the judge's decision here.

MALVEAUX: All right, Paul Callan, thank you very much. We're going to have more on this story. I'm going to take a quick break first.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: They're nothing short of spectacular. We're talking about solar powered super trees are what they're called. They're built in Singapore's Garden by the Bay. Now this site, it's officially open now. Expected to be a huge draw for tourists. Our Richard Quest, he spoke to the guy behind all this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIAT W. TAN, CEO, GARDENS BY THE BAY: This garden is basically a botanic garden masquerading as a theme park. It's built to be a people's garden. It's always meant for the people of Singapore.

Why do you need to build fake trees here when we're in the tropics and you can grow them? But it's going to take me a few million years to get trees this size on a piece of reclaimed land. And look at my neighbor. That's the tallest building for miles around. And I'm trying to build a garden here that has some impact and it needs to have the suitable mass. Critical mass and size and balance.

These man-made trees do it all. Trees trap energy from the sun. Our super trees do the same with phot ball (ph) take (ph) cells on the top. And moreover, these trees are necessary for us to cool those glass houses. Already, since we've planted so many flowering trees on this property, the bird life has increased amazingly.

QUEST: But it's very Singaporean, isn't it?

TAN: Yes.

QUEST: It's clean?

TAN: Yes.

QUEST: Artificial?

TAN: Right.

QUEST: And well built?

TAN: Yes.

QUEST: Is that fair?

TAN: I think that's a compliment. What's wrong with that?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Richard Quest, he's joining us live from London.

What's wrong with that, Richard? He takes it as a compliment. Did you mean it as a compliment?

QUEST: I did and I didn't. Obviously we're all familiar with the criticisms of a (ph) made at in Singapore. But I have to say, the Gardens by the Bay, it's one of those attractions I was sent off to cover while I was in Singapore and I was pretty much dreading it, I thought, oh, another botanical gardens. They've already got one there. But I was blown away by this place.

Those artificial trees are massive. The way they've got the fauna growing up them. And what I particularly liked about the whole place, Suzanne, was that you have these two giant conservatories. And here's the real catch of it. In one of them, they have the sort of plants in that you and I would have in our everyday gardens in the northern hemisphere.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

QUEST: They have roses, they have peonies, they have pansies. All the normal things. And when I said to him, that's not very exciting, is it? Frankly, having a few old rose bushes or new rose bushes. He said, you forget, there are people in the tropics that have never smelled a real rose while it's still growing and not been cut. This whole place was fascinating. And as for those trees, call them bizarre, call them eccentric, by somehow, in that part of the world, it works.

MALVEAUX: Yes. I guess so. In that part of the world, it works. It's kind of weird, but, yes, fascinating. I would at least take a look at them, but I wouldn't try to grow them in my backyard or anything.

Richard, good to see you, as always.

QUEST: Yes, have you got a green thumb?

MALVEAUX: Not really.

QUEST: You have a green thumb?

MALVEAUX: Not really.

QUEST: Me neither. My cactus died.

MALVEAUX: Oh, geez. You really don't have a green thumb.

QUEST: And I'm still -- and I'm still, still trying to regrow the flowers of an orchid. @richardquest, anybody that's got the tip for regrowing -- I don't -- I know this isn't gardening tips, but if anybody's got the technique to regrowing that flower on an orchid, I tell you.

MALVEAUX: Yes. And I want to see a photo -- next time I see you, I want a picture of that, just how you're coming along with that, OK? QUEST: All right. You got it. It's a deal.

MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you, Richard.

Well, they're used to drawing big crowds during concerts, but today a Russian punk protest group is drawing a crowd in a Moscow courtroom.

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MALVEAUX: Welcome back to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. We take you around the world in 60 minutes.

When it comes to Germany's music scene, here is what's topping the charts.

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MALVEAUX: This is the group Die Toten Hosen performing their new single. It translates to "Day's Go By" in English. The group formed in the '80s, was heavily inspired by the punk rock scene at the time. Right now the band is on an international tour.

Three members of a Russian pop punk band -- you see them here -- pleading guilty today to charges of hooliganism. They could get seven years in prison. The band members have been in custody ever since a performance they gave in a cathedral in February. They asked, quote, "Mother Mary to get rid of President Vladimir Putin." Well, Russia's state run news agency says three of the women apologized today to orthodox Christians who might have been insulted.

Well, these women, they fire guns. They say they are trained for battle. But is it all for show? We're going to tell you about these women guerrillas.

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MALVEAUX: Welcome back to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. We're taking you around the world in 60 minutes.

All; right, so, these women, they are firing rifles. They are Kurds in northern Iraq and claim to be fighting on the front lines. You'll probably remember the Kurds from the '80s. That is when Saddam Hussein's forces killed thousands with chemical weapons. Well, they're an ethic group living in parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. Now these women say that they are fighting for the rights of Muslim women.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It is a military force, because the women in east Kurdistan are being stoned. Women are being killed. Women are being hanged. And we are an armed force for those women.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We cannot say that the persecution of women is only happening in Iran, in eastern Kurdistan. This is a mental persecution throughout history and until today. This is about the right to democracy, freedom, equality, and education. Why there is more struggle in east Kurdistan is an important question. It is because it's a religion system. A system that is not open. It is a regime. We are living in the 21st century. They are living in the middle ages.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): By the name of Islam, they execute the women. They use Sharia and Islam for their own purposes. This is not true Islam.

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MALVEAUX: I want to bring in a reporter from Vice. It's an online news and cultural magazine, who brought us the story. Thomas Morton.

Thomas, first of all, you went to northern Iraq. You were told that you would be interviewing Kurdish female guerrilla fighters on the front lines fighting side by side with men. We see some of the video. We see them shooting the rifles. When you got there, what did you actually find out?

THOMAS MORTON, VICE: Well, Suzanne, we spent a couple days kind of meeting the leadership, making pleasantries. And the whole goal was to be put in with a division of women soldiers. (INAUDIBLE) ever since the Kurdish liberation of the '70s and '80s against Saddam --

MALVEAUX: Sure.

MORTON: Women have been -- had an active role in fighting. They have a reputation for being very fierce fighters. Very fierce on this very weird, especially in the Middle East region. And when we got up there, we were slightly underwhelmed by the -- kind of show of force they presented us.

MALVEAUX: Why do you suppose this was -- they did this for you guys? Was this just sheer propaganda?

MORTON: Well, Their -- all the groups up there, and there's a total (INAUDIBLE) style kind of alphabet soup of different competing political parties, like the PKK. We were with the PJAK. And they're all very media savvy. They're all very keen on, you know, kind of playing up both their role as liberators and stuff, but also their role as underdogs against these massive superpowers like Iran and Turkey and in trying to garner support from the outside world. So we were never quite not sure if what we were being seen was kind of an -- like a slip-up on their part, that we got stuck with the kind of bad news bears division or if they were intentionally trying to like, you know, we need help kind of look how crummy our fighters are.

MALVEAUX: Yes, it does kind of look like an aerobics class there for a little bit. But in all seriousness, they are -- what is the bottom line in terms of what they are trying to do, because they are trying to win international support, including good publicity for -- for their cause.

MORTON: Well, the whole deal is the Kurds, for the last century, have been trying to create a greater Kurdistan. Like a national homeland, which is a laudable goal. The problem is, their homeland is smack in the middle of Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. So basically the biggest military super powers of the area.

MALVEAUX: All right, Thomas Morton, thank you. We appreciate it. And we appreciate your reporting, as always.

MORTON: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Calming music, dim lighting, right? That is sort of what comes to mind when you think of a nice massage. But you probably don't think about snakes. We're going to explain how the two now go together.

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MALVEAUX: Welcome back to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. We take you around the world in 60 minutes.

It is not your typical relaxing spa treatment. No. Look at this. A spa in Moscow is offering a slithery new service. That is right. Therapists enlist the help of snakes when giving massages. Oh! The spa says small snakes help improve blood circulation and relaxation, while the big ones ease muscle and joint pain. No thanks.

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