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Oscar Pistorius Released from Prison; Netanyahu Warns Against Vigilantes as Violence Continues, Israel Builds Walls; CIA Director John Brennan's E-mail Hacked by Hackers Under Age 22; Donald Trump, Jeb Bush Feud over 9/11 Attack; Canada Elects a New Prime Minister; Drones in U.S. to be Registered; Russian Air Strikes Take Toll in Syria; Elderly South Koreans Make Trip to North Korea for Rare Family Reunion; Typhoon Koppu Hits Philippines. Aired 2-3:00a ET

Aired October 20, 2015 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:08] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: From the big house, to a luxury estate, it's house arrest for Oscar Pistorius after spending less than a year in prison for killing his girlfriend.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, suspicion and greater tension after more tragedy. Israel's leader warning against vigilante justice, after a frightened mob beats a downed bystander.

BARNETT: And the group that's claiming they hacked the CIA director tells CNN what they uncovered.

CHURCH: Hello, and welcome to our viewers here and around the United States. I'm Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: I'm Errol Barnett. Thank you for making us a part of your day. We're here for the next two hours. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

CHURCH: And we begin this hour in South Africa, where the country's most famous athlete is now a free man, but only to a certain extent. Former Olympic runner, Oscar Pistorius, was sentenced to prison for killing his girlfriend almost one year ago. He received a five-year sentence, but was released from prison and put under house arrest on Monday, a day earlier than expected, possibly to avoid the media.

BARNETT: Now, the Olympic gold medalist, known as the Blade Runner, was found guilty of culpable homicide in the 2013 Valentine's Day killing of his girlfriend, Model Reeva Steenkamp. He'll spend the next four years under house arrest and correctional supervision.

Our David McKenzie joins live from Pretoria, South Africa, outside the home of Oscar Pistorius' uncle, where the Olympian is staying.

And, David, he's meant to spend the next four years where you are, but why exactly was he released after just one year in prison?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Errol, it's within the rights of South African law and quite common place for him to be released after a sixth of his sentence or anything under five years for this culpable homicide conviction. He's in this three- story, plush mansion in an up-market suburb of Pretoria. He was released hours earlier than expected. In fact, we believe, to avoid the media glare. There's been such intense media interest and South African and global interest in the story of the disgraced Olympian and his downfall through this lengthy trial and conviction and he has moved from a very austere prison to the surroundings where he will be effectively under house arrest.

BARNETT: Now, reports I've seen, David, suggests that he's physically weaker now, he's mentally in need of help as well. What do we know about his physical and mental state?

MCKENZIE: We know very little about his physical state. We did learn exclusive details two months ago, when he was due to be released earlier. That was put on hold by the justice and correctional services minister. We heard he arrived in prison very angry, but over time, kind of accepted his fate, was a much calmer and more engaging individual. No idea what his state of mind will be now, but one can assume on some level, relief. We mustn't forget the victim of this crime, Reeva Steenkamp. Her family has said that really that's too early to be released for this kind of crime, of killing a person. Just shy of one year in prison, he's now under conditions. We know, as you asked, he will get mandatory therapy as part of the countries. He will also be confined to this house for much of the time. He'll have to do community service and certainly not be able to drink or have access to firearms, Errol.

BARNETT: I remember I was in Johannesburg when the crime took place, and the initial months of the trial, there was such intense interest among South Africans about all of this. How are people reacting to news that he's basically back home?

MCKENZIE: Well, certainly they're reacting with great interest, of course. As you say, this has been so closely followed here in South Africa. Unprecedented, in fact, that this trial was broadcast live. There was even a channel in South Africa that was airing every minute, almost like a reality TV show, the downfall of this famous Olympian. And one cannot stress how big of a personality Oscar Pistorius was for South Africans, and to a lesser extent, globally. Now, opinion is somewhat split here in South Africa. There are some people who are jaded by this ongoing story, but still a great deal of anger by those who say that being released after so little time, according to them, sends a bad message in a country that is rife with violence against women. Yet, according to the law, nothing untoward was done in terms of releasing him. The state's appeal will happen very soon in South Africa, where they could try to overturn this conviction, into a murder conviction, which could see him spend a significant, longer time in prison.

For now, he's here in this three-story mansion at his uncle's house, enjoying a semblance of freedom, although it's really a transfer of his sentence to another location -- Errol?

[02:05:32] BARNETT: There you have it, the latest information for us.

David McKenzie live for us out of South Africa. Just five minutes past 8:00 in the morning. David, thank you.

CHURCH: We go now to the Middle East. Benjamin Netanyahu is warning Israelis against vigilante justice. The prime minister's message comes a day after an African migrant was killed Sunday during a shooting rampage in Ber Sheva.

BARNETT: Now, a security guard shot the man, mistaking him for an attacker, then an angry mob beat him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: A crowd who finds themselves at the site should evacuate the area and let the emergency services do their job. We have a country of law. No one will take the law into their own hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: We'll take you live to Jerusalem and connect with Ben Wedeman in a moment.

But first, we want to show you his report on the walls Israel is building to separate Jewish and Palestinian neighborhoods in an effort to control the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're in a neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem. This is a Palestinian neighborhood, which now is cut off with the cement blocks. This is where three of the alleged attackers come from, from the recent attacks. And what you're seeing here are the measures Israel is taking to try to stop future attacks.

Now, they've installed about a half dozen of these prefabricated walls, but they're just around the house and don't seem to be serving any specific purpose. They are, however, perhaps sending a message to the residents of Jebbel Mullkof (ph) that this could be their future that many of the neighborhoods that are now on the other side of the wall Israel built around Jerusalem, that they may someday, be cut off from the city.

A group of policemen go through the barriers, their presence met with resentment.

Now the border police, the riot police are leaving this area, after they went to the house of, we believe, one of the participants in recent attacks. And here you see local residents, not happy that they're in the neighborhood. Looks like just kids banging on light poles, but they're getting ready with the tear gas.

They left without firing, however.

Israel has long boasted that Jerusalem is a united city, but when you see scenes like this, with Israeli riot police fully armed, going into Palestinian east Jerusalem neighborhoods, it's quite clear that this is, in fact, still a very divided city, and only becoming more divided.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Ben Wedeman joins us now live from Jerusalem.

So, Ben, how are Israelis reacting to the tragic case of mistaken identity where a young Eritrean man was accidentally killed in the latest violent incident in the region? And talk to us about what Prime Minister Netanyahu is saying about it.

WEDEMAN: Well, what the Israelis are doing at this point, the police are going to conduct an investigation into this incident. The entire incident, not only -- well, particularly, the shooting by the security guard of this 29-year-old Eritrean migrant. They're going to try to determine with an autopsy, whether he died from the gunshot, or whether he died as a result of the beating and kicking that happened afterwards. And on that basis, they will determine those who were participating in this event, kicking the body on the -- the still live body of a man on the ground, or whether it was the result of the gunshot. If it's found that he died as a result of the gunshot, no charges, we understand from the Israeli media, will be filed against those who kicked the man while on the ground. So, obviously, this is causing concern.

The prime minister is urging Israelis not to take the law into their own hands, to allow the police in these instances to do what they have to do and avoid this sort of incident in the future.

For Palestinians, when they see this sort of incident, they say this is actually what happened to us, innocent or guilty, in some instances. For instance, I have a friend who lives in east Jerusalem. He's a cameraman. He went that incident, that stabbing incident at the central Jerusalem bus station. And just because he looks Palestinian, even though he's Armenian, he was brutally attacked by the mob there. So this is something that Palestinians are saying that this is the result of the atmosphere in which there's so much hatred and anger that innocent people fall victim to the crowd.

[02:10:36] CHURCH: Ben Wedeman joining us live from Jerusalem. Thank you.

BARNETT: Now, to another major story we're following for you. The flow of migrants into and through Europe has become a series of desperately crowded bottlenecks as neighboring countries tighten their borders. The U.N. Refugee Agency tells CNN thousands were stranded in Serbia, facing shortages of aid and shelter there.

CHURCH: Strict border controls on the Hungarian/Serbian border are forcing migrants to go through Croatia to get to Slovenia. Slovenia's interior minister says Croatia has made demands that it receive at least 5,000 immigrants a day, but that's twice Slovenia's self-imposed limit of 2,500.

A group calling themselves CWA is taking credit for hacking into the private e-mail accounts of CIA director, John Brennan and U.S. Homeland Security secretary, Jeh Johnson. BARNETT: Now the group has been sending out tweets with

information they claim to have gathered, including Brennan's application for security clearance. The alleged hackers say they are under 22 years old.

"CNN Money's" Laurie Segall spoke to them in their only recorded interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You guys say you were able to hack into his personal inbox. What did you find?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) -- plans and he was talking about Iraq and Syria. There was, I guess, private information, really.

SEGALL: If this is true and you've broken into his private e- mail account, how difficult would you say it is?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean, out of 10?

SEGALL: Sure, out of 10.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One.

SEGALL: A one?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, sources confirm the accounts were hacked, but CNN cannot independently verify what documents may have been leaked. The breaches are under investigation.

BARNETT: Much more to come this hour on CNN NEWSROOM. There's an air of anticipation in Washington. Anytime now, we're told, Joe Biden could finally announce whether or not he will run for president.

CHURCH: Plus, the long wait will soon be over for several families who were separated during the Korean War. We will have details on the rare reunions about to take place.

BARNETT: And the U.S. wants to create a culture of accountability when it comes to drones. Hear what the government is planning next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:15:24] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Thanks as always for watching CNN. I'm Pedram Javaheri. This is CNN "Weather Watch."

(WEATHER REPORT) (END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: A sense of uncertainty over the race for the White House may soon come to an end. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is expected to finally announce whether or not he will run for the Democratic nomination.

BARNETT: Now, sources tell CNN he was meeting with his top political advisers Monday night. While over the past few days, his associates have set up interviews for potential campaign stops. Right now, the V.P. is polling behind Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

One of the worst days in U.S. history is at the center of a feud between Republican presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Jeb Bush.

CHURCH: Yeah, they are sparring online and on TV over the 9/11 terror attacks.

CNN's Dana Bash has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A political duel about America's catastrophe on 9/11/2001 playing out in a 2015 way, on Twitter. Donald Trump tweeting at Jeb Bush, "I'm fighting to make sure it doesn't happen again. Jeb is too soft." That, after Bush tweeted, "Donald Trump talks about foreign policy as though he's still on "The Apprentice."

At issue, Trump's suggestions that Jeb's brother, George W. Bush, could have done more as president to prevent the September 11th terror attacks.

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Blame him or don't blame him but he was president. The World Trade Center came down during his reign.

BASH: It's a delayed Trump response to one of Jeb Bush's most passionate moments at CNN's debate last month.

TRUMP: It was such a disaster the last three months that Abraham Lincoln couldn't have been elected.

JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: You know what, as it relates to my brother, there's one thing I know for sure, he kept us safe. I don't know if you remember --

(APPLAUSE)

BASH: Trump is now suggesting he could have stopped the 9/11 hijackers from getting into the U.S. in the first place.

TRUMP: I'm extremely tough on people coming into this country. I doubt that those people would have been in the country. BASH: For the record, the 9/11 commission said only two of the

19 hijackers overstayed their visas, but others gamed the immigration system. The commission also said the attack was a shock, but should not have come as a surprise.

Still Jeb Bush's campaign thinks Trump's latest rant handed them a winning issue.

BUSH: Mixture next month, he'll say FDR was round when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. It's what you do after that matters and that's the sign of leadership.

(SHOUTING)

BASH: Jeb Bush knew his brother's legacy would be a challenge, especially Jeb Bush's position on the Iraq war, which he bungled early on. But 9/11?

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can hear you!

BASH: But this was not something team Bush ever dreamed would be re-litigated, but they're happy to do so, using it to broaden criticism of Trump as commander-in-chief.

BUSH: It looks as though he's not taking the possibility of being president of the United States really seriously.

BASH: The Bush campaign is even asking for donations with this e-mail saying, "Donate $5 and fight back against Donald Trump."

DR. BEN CARSON, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & RETIRED NEUROSURGEON: The fact of the matter is --

BASH: Meanwhile, another Bush presidential rival, Ben Carson, also insists he would have handled 9/11 more effectively, by cutting oil purchases from Arab states, forcing them to turn over the al Qaeda leader.

[02:20:19] CARSON: It would have had a major impact on their finances. And I think that would have trumped any loyalty they had to people like Osama bin Laden.

BASH: Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Joining me now from New York, CNN political commentator, Peter Beinart.

So, Donald Trump pointed out a simple truth, but it's something that hasn't happened before, criticizing the lack of action before 9/11. How much did the Bush administration know before the attacks?

PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, they certainly didn't know when exactly there was going to be an attack. But we know from their counterterrorism officials, the Bush administration was more focused on Iraq and missile defense, than they were on the threat from Osama bin Laden, even though Richard Clark, who was the head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council, was desperately trying to get their attention, warning them that an attack might be coming, and the CIA was saying so as well. They were both very deeply disturbed by the fact that the Bush administration didn't pay more attention to this.

BARNETT: And our viewers can read more of your article in the Atlantic. You say this criticism is valid not because George Bush could have prevented the attacks, but they knew there was a growing threat. They were distracted by Iraq. But was the intelligence about bin Laden and al Qaeda at the time specific enough?

BEINART: No, it wasn't specific in the sense that they knew exactly when and where he would attack but the point that Richard Clark has made is that when Bill Clinton had these very serious warnings of an attack in 1999, at the turn of the millennium. He demanded his national security adviser and the heads of the CIA and FBI hold a daily meeting on the threat and that created an urgency throughout those departments, which Clark argues contributed to them capturing a man who was coming across the Canadian border, trying to blow up Los Angeles international airport. We do know there were hijackers in the country that had brushes with the law during the summer of 2001. Zachary Massoui (ph), who was arrested because his flight instructor became suspicious of what was happening. But the FBI agents were not given permission to get his apartment and his computer. Had there been a memo from the president saying it was a serious priority, maybe some more leads would be checked more aggressively and maybe the plot would have been unraveled.

BARNETT: And just raising those questions itself could be damaging for Republicans, because we've seen there had been infighting among them about what could have been done before and even after 9/11. We saw Jeb Bush defending his brother. Trump, though, on Monday, made no mention of George W. Bush role before 9/11. Why do you think that is? And do you expect this topic to rear its ugly head again for Republicans?

BEINART: Seems like Donald Trump is backing away from this a little bit, maybe because George Bush remains popular among Republicans. He doesn't want to have to fight -- he would rather argue about something else. But just the way that Jeb Bush has responded, shows the incoherence of his argument. He said, there was a crisis and my brother kept us safe. This was not a natural disaster. If you want to give Bush credit there wasn't another attack after September 11th, then you also have to factor in the largest attack in American history did happen on his watch. You can't have it both ways, and yet that is what Jeb is trying to do.

BARNETT: And if Republicans try and put this topic to bed, you can expect it to come up again when they face the Democrats when that nominee is decided.

Peter Beinart, joining us from New York today. Thanks a lot.

BEINART: My pleasure.

CHURCH: A stunning political victory in Canada where voters have elected a majority Liberal government. That means Stephen Harper's nearly 10-year run as prime minister is coming to an end.

BARNETT: The new prime minister will be Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau, whose party took huge numbers of votes from Harper's Conservative Party and from the Socialist New Democratic Party.

43-year-old Trudeau is the son of the former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He ran on a platform of repairing relations with the U.S., withdrawing from the war against ISIS and fighting against climate change.

His opponent argued he was too young and too inexperienced to leader, but he argued that Canadians want change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER-ELECT: Canadians from across this great country sent a clear message tonight: it's time for a change in this country, my friends, a real change!

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:25:13] CHURCH: As for Harper's loss, critics point to a host of issues. Harper's strength had been the economy, but Canada ended a recession earlier this year. He was also criticized as being weak on climate change and anti-immigrant.

Harper said he congratulated Trudeau on the victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN HARPER, CANADA'S PRIME MINISTER: Tonight's result is not the one we had hoped for. The people are never wrong. The disappointment you also feel is my responsibility and mine alone. But know this for certain, when the next time comes, this party will offer Canadians a strong and clear alternative based on our conservative values.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: There are the results. And this campaign was one of the longest in Canadian history, a whopping 78 days, which when you compare it to the U.S., we're more than a year away from the election, seems quite small, but good for Canada.

Speaking of the U.S., the government wants new regulations on drones, and they could happen as soon as the holiday shopping season. The Department of Transportation wants users to register these drones, so they can be tracked down if needed. CHURCH: There's growing concern over close calls between the

small unmanned aircraft and airplanes or helicopters. Drones that fly too close to planes can be sucked into the engines or crash into cockpit windows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FOXX, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: We're going to require operators of drones to register their aircraft just like commercial drone operators do currently. The details of this new registration system will be developed by a task force consisting of government leaders and a diverse group of stakeholders who will work on a tight deadline to get this work done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: If you're planning on buying one of these things in the U.S. in the next few weeks, keep in mind, the transportation secretary says small drones, some of them, such as toys, could be exempt from the registration.

CHURCH: And retailers are saying 700,000 of these are expected to be sold in the next year.

BARNETT: Crowded skies.

CHURCH: It will be complicated for a new registration system, too.

BARNETT: Yeah.

CHURCH: All right, we'll take a very short break here. But still to come, with their homes coming under fire, thousands of civilians are fleeing. Still to come, the intensifying battle for the Syrian city of Aleppo.

BARNETT: Plus, several lucky South Korean families are one step closer to reuniting with their relatives in the North for the first time in more than 60 years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:11] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And a warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Errol Barnett. Let's update you on the top stories we're tracking.

Former Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is now under house arrest. He was quietly released from a South African prison Monday, a day earlier than expected. Pistorius will be under correctional supervision for four years. He served close to one year of his five- year sentence for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. CHURCH: In Canada, Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party has pulled off

a stunning win in the elections. The victory ends a 10-year run of Stephen Harper's Conservatives. Mr. Trudeau, at 34 years old, will be the second youngest prime minister in Canadian history.

BARNETT: The Chinese president's visit to London is under way. Xi Jinping and his wife spent the night at Buckingham Palace. The focus of this trip will be on building commercial ties. China and the U.K. are expected to reach a number of multi-billion dollar deals.

CHURCH: A U.S. official says American military pilots are being warned not to react to any Russian jets flying aggressively over Syria. There are ongoing Russian air strikes inside the country.

BARNETT: Russian jets flew close to U.S. warplanes on two recent occasions, but the official says there was no indication of hostile intent. The U.S. hopes to complete an agreement with Russia on how both air forces should respond while flying over Syria.

And one area the Russian jets are targeting heavily is the northern city of Aleppo. The U.N. saying 35,000 people have been displaced by the recent fighting there.

CHURCH: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more on the growing toll the conflict is taking.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A new force brings horror to Aleppo's southern countryside. These rare amateur pictures of possibly Russian air strikes, and the unnatural noise and shelter of civilians, children, fleeing this, the Syrian regime's latest advance.

Mattresses give warmth and rest from exhaustion and a sense of false safety from the jets above. A family bedroom, picked up and dumped in this open farmland.

Aid agencies estimate possibly tens of thousands are on the move from this swathe of poor farmland that reportedly Iranian, Hezbollah, and regime troops are moving through, en route to Syria's largest city, Aleppo.

These, Syria's most plagued, fleeing to Europe, even next door Turkey is not an option for them. Just from their town to the fields nearby.

The elements now, winter is coming, this woman fled her home and now worries her daughter's pajamas got her through summer, but not the ice of winter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): In the cold days, the cold kills us. In the summer days, the sun will burn our faces.

PATON WALSH: Here, a tractor is home for now.

"We're going to go to the mountains," he says, "to see anything that can be a cave or something that can be a settlement for us."

This is the beginning of a new chapter of injury and displacement.

The supposed target of the regime offensive is here, Aleppo. Its rebel area ground to dust when we saw them a year ago. Yet still, lives thrown out into the open as their onslaught begins.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, southern Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Almost impossible odds for those families.

CHURCH: Absolutely.

BARNETT: We keep our focus on the family unit here. Selected families in North and South Korea are reuniting Tuesday for the first time after decades of being separated by war.

[02:35:04] CHURCH: About 100 elderly South Koreans have made the trip to the North to see their relatives. For many, though, it could be the last time they see each other.

And CNN's Kathy Novak joins us now live from Seoul, South Korea, with more on these family reunions.

So, Kathy, how tightly choreographed are these family reunions between the North and South, and how closely are they monitored?

KATHY NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very closely, and very tightly choreographed. But the emotion is real, Rosemary. This is a really rare opportunity that these people are getting. They have been separated since the Korean War in the 1950s. Many have been applying since this program started in the 1980s, and there are about 60,000 people on the waiting list. And as you say, this time around, only about 100 families from the South Korean side and 100 families from the North Korean side will get this opportunity. The last time this happened was last February, almost two years ago, and this is only the 20th time this is taking place. So these people are genuinely excited. Genuinely emotional to see these long-lost relatives. But what they will be able to say will be very limited. There will be authorities there from both sides watching on. A lot of the interaction will be happening in large rooms with other people around with cameras looking on and they've been advised, for example, to not talk about politics. So they'll have to keep the conversation very limited, to not ask too many questions and to not reveal too much about life outside of North Korea to their relatives who live in this tightly controlled regime -- Rosemary?

CHURCH: And, Kathy, with so many, what, 60,000 people waiting for this these reunions, how do the North and South, how do they decide who gets to do this? And it does beg the question, what's in it for Pyongyang?

NOVAK: Well, it is a tragic situation. The fact is that many, many people die waiting to this have opportunity. The vast majority of over the age of 70 and some just simply will not get their turn. What happens is, each side exchanges a list and then South Korea goes away to try to match the families that the North has submitted and vice versa. We don't know very much about how North Korea conducts its selection process. There have been suggestions that the people who are suggested, are people seen as loyal to the regime. Here on the South Korean side, there is priority given to those who are more elderly and otherwise it's a lottery system that selects who gets to go ahead. As far as the North Korean decision to go through with this, there have been times in the past where the political situation has meant that North Korea has pulled the plug at the last minute, but this does give North Korea the opportunity to appear like it is doing a good thing. One analyst put it to me that this is an opportunity for North Korea to get good P.R., a regime that very rarely gets to portray a positive image of itself. There's also the suggestion that North Korea uses these family reunions as a bargaining chip. These were agreed to the last time there were high-level talks between North and South Korea back in August. And this is one of the concessions that came out of those talks. We don't know what was exchanged behind the scenes to get this outcome.

Rosemary and Errol?

CHURCH: A lot of politics playing a role here. But of course, at the personal level, so heart-breaking for so many families who don't get this opportunity.

Kathy Novak, joining us live from Seoul. Many thanks.

BARNETT: Typhoon Koppu weakens to a tropical storm in the Philippines, but hundreds of thousands of people are still feeling the impact. We'll bring you the latest in a live report on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:42:13] CHURCH: In the Philippines, hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by a deadly slow-moving storm. At least 12 people have now been killed by Typhoon Koppu which has weakened to a tropical storm.

BARNETT: But officials fear those numbers could rise. Tens of thousands of people are displaced, and authorities say some towns are completely cut off by flooding and landslides.

For the latest information, we turn now to CNN's Matt Rivers. He's covering this for us from Hong Kong, and joins us now live.

Matt, as we've talked over the last few days, we knew issues would remain for a while, but just how many people have been impacted by all of this, and does the government still not yet have a full grasp on the scale of damage?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they certainly don't have a full grasp, a complete picture on how big the damage is. But just to give you some context, as you mentioned, we've been doing this story now for several days. The first time that you and I talked, the amount of people that were in these evacuation centers was about 6,000. That number has now grown ten times -- more than ten times larger. The number of people who stayed in evacuation centers overnight in the Philippines and woke up this morning local time, in an evacuation shelter is now at around 70,000. And the total amount of people that the government says has been impacted by this storm now sits just shy of 300,000 people. And by impacted, they mean everything from electricity outages to damages to their homes and being forced out from the damage. We know that 500 neighborhoods have been impacted by varying levels of flooding. Some of the streets experiencing relatively minimal flooding. Others, as you see in the pictures here, the water chest high, forcing people out of their homes, up onto their roofs waiting for a boat to come rescue them. So really, the impact of this storm has grown as this storm refuses to leave.

BARNETT: And just quickly, Matt, considering all of that, and the fact that we know this rain will continue for days, is there any timeline the government is providing on how long it will take to rescue people and think about rebuilding?

RIVERS: They've been hesitant to give a specific timeline, but they do anticipate that as soon as this storm moves north off of the island and the rain leaves, as soon as the rain leaves, then this flooding should start to go down. They're pretty optimistic that they'll be able to restore power and get to the remaining people that are stranded. They have made some progress in the areas of the east coast, where this storm first hit. They've made progress there, restoring power and getting anyone who was stranded back out. They hope to make similar progress on the West coast as soon as this storm finally makes its way out of the area, within the next 24 hours or so.

[02:45:11] BARNETT: And they'll need all the optimism they can muster.

Matt Rivers, covering this for us from Hong Kong. Thanks, Matt.

CHURCH: And our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now.

Pedram, was this the worst-case scenario come true?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think so. When it comes to the speed and progression of this storm, there are very few storms of this magnitude, at its peak, a strong category four equivalent. Very few storms of this magnitude move this slowly. Anywhere from five to seven kilometers per hour, and certainly just parked across this region and produced incredible amounts of rainfall.

Want to take you across the Philippines and show you the landscape over this region. The Sierra Madre Mountains are prominent, nearly 2,000 meters in some places. But the storm took a southerly track, right over the southern mountains and worked its way north to Baguio, four hours north of Manila. Around 945 millimeters, or 37 inches. This is a good ten inches more than what occurred in the U.S. state of South Carolina just a couple of weeks ago, and of course, the storm was very slow to move over this region.

When you broaden out the perspective, look over portions of eastern China into Asia, massive area of high pressure into place, and you have the steering environment that's very weak. So although the storm tried to move, the high pressure was keeping it, essentially blocking it in place and this created the stagnant pattern that led to this incredible amount of rainfall. You look at the forecasts, we still see some indication that we could see upwards of a quarter of a meter of rainfall on top of what's already occurred. The track finally takes it to the north, about nine kilometers per hour. And we know heavy rainfall is certainly going to be expected around southern Taiwan from Wednesday through Thursday. But 25 named storms so far this season, 19 of them typhoons, nearly tripling what would be normal for super typhoons. Three would be average, and we've seen more than that, upwards of eight now.

Look at the Western United States. Rainfall totals on the Western side of the U.S. And we know El Nino has something to do with what's occurring in Asia, but also across the United States. Rainfall totals for October, over 100 percent of normal in that region -- Guys?

BARNETT: Wow.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: Thanks so much, Pedram.

Yeah, I can hear you were just hanging in there, like me, about to lose your voice. We'll get to the hang.

JAVAHERI: Thanks so much.

CHURCH: Hang in, Pedram.

BARNETT: Thank you, Pedram. Hang in there.

Oprah Winfrey is going on a new diet, but her pocket book is just getting fat. The former talk show host announced Monday she's buying a 10 percent stake in the diet company Weight Watchers and taking a seat on its board.

CHURCH: Oprah has publicly struggled with her weight for decades. We've all been watching that. And Weight Watchers says she will be using their app and a personal coach to help lose weight. And the news of the partnership caused Weight Watchers stock to more than double, essentially earning Winfrey $70 million, thank you very much.

BARNETT: Wow. That's a good business just right there.

CHURCH: Wouldn't mind a portion of that.

The iconic movie series "Star Wars" unveiled the trailer for its newest film.

BARNETT: And it's creating a frenzy among fans, young and not so young. We'll get you a sneak peek next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:49:56] KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley, with your CNN "World Sport" headlines.

World rugby says referee Craig Juber was wrong to award a late penalty against Scotland in Sunday's World Cup quarterfinal defeat by Australia. Scotland were leading when he was ruled deliberately off sides. The governing body said because Australia's Nick Fipps touched the ball the appropriate decision should have been a scrum to Australia for the original knock-on. Australia won by a point. The ref has not been selected to officiate in this weekend's semifinals.

FIFA's executive committee is meeting in extraordinary circumstances in Zurich on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the UEFA president is still trying to clear his name having been suspended for 90 days by the FIFA Ethics Committee. He says it is shameful these being dragged through the mud and insists he's the only one that can restore FIFA's credibility.

The final game of the Premier League was played Monday with stoke winning at Swansea. A fourth minute penalty. Converted by stoke as they sent the Swansea goalkeeper the wrong way. It's Stoke's third straight Premier League win.

I'm Kate Riley, and that's a look at all your sports headlines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: "Star Wars" fans are in a frenzy after the trailer for the series newest movie, "The Force Awakens," debuted during half-time of a Monday night football game.

BARNETT: Surely, you've seen fans on social media have been talking about every last frame in the teaser, what's there.

CHURCH: Analyzing it.

BARNETT: What's absent. Yeah.

Here's a glimpse at what has fans feeling the force.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: There's stories about what happened.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's true. All of it.

The dark side, the Jedi, they're real.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: So it's months away, but the movie's publicity campaign

appears to be working. So many fans tried to buy advance tickets, that it crashed ticket sellers' websites.

BARNETT: Almost an instant classic, but we'll see once the movie comes out what people think.

The U.S. teenager whose science project got him arrested, got to meet the president at a White House press event.

CHURCH: Ahmed Mohamed brought a home-made clock to school. You'd remember this. One teacher thought it could be an explosive device. But President Obama praised the teen with a tweet saying, "Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House?" And, "We should inspire more kids like you to like science. That's what makes America great."

BARNETT: And then he later invited him to a White House Astronomy Night. The two shook hands as the president made his way through the crowd of guests on the staff lawn.

CHURCH: Unforgettable moment for that young man.

BARNETT: For sure.

CHURCH: The movie "Back to the Future, Part 2" shows off some inventions that may have seemed far-fetched back in 1989 when the film was first released.

BARNETT: Now that we're close to the actual day Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled into the future, the question is, have any of its predictions come true?

CNN's Todd Leopold takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: This is really a time machine.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: And this is the year 2015?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: October 21, 2015.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD LEOPOLD, CNN DIGITAL FEATURES PRODUCER: Yes, October 21st, 2015, has arrived, but where are all the flying cars?

(MUSIC)

LEOPOLD: A lot of the stuff Marty McFly saw in the future is reality today. The headsets being worn at the dinner table? We have Google Glass and they look similar to Samsung's Gear V.R. and the oculus rift. [02:55:12] And, yes, video conferencing, as when Marty has a fight

with his boss, is also reality. It's another one of the predictions that "Back to the Future, Part 2" nailed.

Marty also had self-lacing shoes. In 2011, Nike auctioned off 1,500 replicas, but it was missing an important feature.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Not until 2015.

LEOPOLD: I'm hoping a future release will solve my shoe-tying problems for good.

Speaking of waiting, in the movie, the Cubs win the World Series ending a more than 100-year-drought that still exists today. With the Cubs in the playoffs, there's still a chance this one could come true.

Of course, the one invention everyone wants, the hover board.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: He's got a hover board!

LEOPOLD: Several companies have tried to make this childhood favorite. A company called Hendo is developing one that works on a particular type surface. But if we want one now, we're stuck with wheels.

Then there are the items that only exist today because of "Back to the Future, Part 2."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: All I want is a Pepsi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEOPOLD: Pepsi, for example, put out a limited-edition Pepsi Perfect bottle just like the one Marty orders in the movie.

And universal has just released a fake trailer for "Jaws 19."

FOX: The shark still looks fake.

LEOPOLD (on camera): All in all, 2015 has lived up to the promise in back to the future part 2, but I'd still like a flying car.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

BARNETT: Wouldn't we all.

CHURCH: That's still possible.

BARNETT: It is.

CHURCH: They're actually working on that. BARNETT: That, and the hover board with wheels was banned in

London. You see people with that all the time. So new technology sometimes sees its limits.

CHURCH: It does, indeed.

Well, remember, you can always follow us on social media anytime.

More CNN NEWSROOM after a very quick break. We'll have all the top stories from around the world.

BARNETT: That's right. Live reports from Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Jerusalem and more after this. Please stay with us.