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120,000 Displaced From Homes in Aleppo, Provinces; 70 Hostages Freed in Joint U.S.-Kurdish Raid on ISIS Prison; Police Officer Drags Student Across Floor. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 27, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:01]

ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the states, and those of you watching from all around the world. I'm Errol Barnett, and this is CNN Newsroom.

We'll have all those stories in a moment. But we begin this hour in Syria, where the ongoing conflict is taking an increasing toll on civilians. The U.N. estimates the number of people displaced from their homes in Aleppo and provinces has more than doubled to 120,000 in just a single week. The three provinces are in the country's northwest, where most of the recent fighting has been taking place. In Syria's northeast, Kurdish fighters have pushed ISIS out of their territory in the city of Hasaka. The fighters are now preparing for a U.S.-backed offensive toward ISIS strong holds, including ISIS headquarters in Raqqa. CNN International Correspondent Clarissa Ward has been touring the frontlines in northern Syria and filed this report.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These men are at the core of America's latest strategy to defeat ISIS. Manning positions along a vast and desolate front line with ISIS entrenched in villages just through the haze. They're fighters with the YPG, a force of roughly 30,000 Syrian-Kurds which backed by coalition air power has dealt decisive blows to Islamic state militants across northern Syria -- the commander in charge of this front line position in the city of Hasaka, which the YPG took from ISIS in August after months of fierce clashes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They tried to attack us again ten days ago. We were prepared so they didn't reach their target.

WARD: But they keep trying. ISIS has control of the next village along which is just over a mile in that direction. But the men at this base tell us that ISIS fighters often o at night to that building just over there so they can launch attacks on these positions. The U.S. hopes that the YPG will soon move from defense to offense, taking the fight to ISIS' strong hold in Raqqa, but with makeshift bases across frontline, the fighters we saw were lightly armed, poorly equipped, and exhausted by months of fighting. And Senior Commander Lawand knows the battles ahead will be even tougher. Can you take Raqqa without heavier weapons from the coalition? COMMANDER LAWAND, YPG: The weapons we have are not high quality. For

this campaign we'll need new heavy weapons.

WARD: The most important weapon they do have but don't want to talk to about is this device, which helps the YPG get the exact coordinates for enemy positions. Those coordinates are sent to a joint U.S.- Kurdish operations room and minutes later, fighter jets come screaming in. Rezwan told us he was given a week of training before using the device. Who trained you how to use this?

REZWAN, YPG FIGHTER: Believe me, I can't say, when you finish the training, it's a secret, but they weren't speaking Kurdish.

WARD: A mystery as is so much of the unfolding U.S. strategy in this critical corner of Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Senior International Correspondent Clarissa Ward joins us now live from (Inaudible) that is the regional capital of Iraqi/Kurdistan. And Clarissa, you described those Kurdish gangs as fragile and we see that throughout your report, but how quickly would -- let's say a Russian air strike or strong ISIS attack reverse they have been working toward?

WARD: Well, Errol, it's important for our viewers to know that the Russians aren't attacking the YPG at all, and that's because the YPG isn't actually fighting against the regime. In terms of a concerted attack from ISIS, well the YPG does have the advantage of having U.S. and coalition air support, so it's possible they could defend that, but the real question here is can the YPG go on the offensive, can it replicate the successes it has had in Kurdish areas in Arab-ISIS stronghold like Raqqa, and that is still very much a question.

BARNETT: And to that question, what about the 50 tons of ammo that the U.S. dropped to help forces there, was that a significant help at all?

WARD: Well, certainly, it's a rare demonstration of public support from the U.S., coming out and dropping those 50 tons of ammunition to this new coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters. But from the touring from we did across the front lines, around the cities and other areas, it's clearly that really that is not going to be enough, these men are lightly armed, they're poorly equipped, they simply don't have the armor-piercing weaponry they would need to go on the offensive somewhere like Raqqa.

[03:05:06]

BARNETT: All right, Clarissa Ward, live for us in the regional capital of Iraqi-Kurdistan, thanks very much for joining us. A note to our viewers, be sure to join us all week as Clarissa brings a series of reports from inside northern Syria

Now we're hearing from some of the hostages rescued in a joint U.S./Kurdish raid on ISIS prison in Iraq, 70 hostages were freed during the rescue mission and a U.S. soldier was killed. According to one of the hostages, four prisoners were set to be executed after Morning Prayer and were told to write a letter. Dramatic video from a Kurdish soldier's helmet camera captured the rescue. Look at this. One of the hostages says Kurdish and U.S. Special Forces stormed the compound around 2:00 a.m. The Pentagon released video showing a coalition air strike destroying the prison shortly after the mission.

A U.S. warship has passed within 20 kilometers or 12 miles of one of China's man made islands in the South China Sea. Beijing is calling this "A threat to China's sovereignty," and says the warship illegally entered those waters. China built the island in a contested part of the sea. They claim those waters are Chinese territory.

Let's talk about this a bit, Will Ripley, he's at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, that's where the U.S. navy destroyer -- the pass by the island is based, and Will, the fear is that the actions of that vessel could kick off an actual clash or confrontation between these two very big military powers, how did this play out earlier today?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is something, Errol, that we know the United States military has been talking about and considering for quite some time. Remember back in May, our Jim Scioto actually flew overhead some of these man made islands that are 600 miles from the shoreline of mainland China, but they are islands where the Chinese government and the Chinese military is making its mark, they've put in an air strip on one of the islands. It appears that they're building them up as military infrastructure, and this is certainly troubling for the United States and key ally in this region, Japan. Because of the shipping routes in the South China Sea, but also if China is allowed to continue to build up its military presence in these areas and other nations like the United States acknowledged that, then what are the geopolitical ramifications when it comes to the entire Asia-pacific region.

Listen to what John Kirby at the Pentagon says about this particular operation where the ship went -- again within 12 nautical miles of this island.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: This is a military matter. But more broadly, you don't need to consult with any nation when you're exercising the right of freedom of navigation in international waters. The whole point of freedom of navigation in international waters is that it's international waters. You don't need to consult with anybody to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: So you heard him talk about those freedom of navigation patrols, this is something that the United States will be doing more often around the Spratley Islands, other areas that are contested as well, Errol, and of course, the key difference here is, you hear the Chinese government saying this action is illegal because they say this is their sovereign territory. The United States and Japan and others refusing to recognize that they're international waters and they believe their military vessels have the right to be there.

BARNETT: So Will, the U.S. is sending a loud and clear message to China with this move, but you wonder why if it's necessary why if it was discussed between President Xi and President Obama during the State Visit recently -- if this a step back.

RIPLEY: Well, certainly President Xi and Obama did discuss this topic, but this is one issue that the United States and China have not been able to agree upon, even though they agreed upon many other things during President Xi's visit to Washington this fall. But remember in the spring, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was also in Washington and you can bet that he and President Obama talked extensively about not only the South China Sea, but also the East China Sea where Japan has an ongoing territorial dispute with China of course over those islands. So, it will be interesting to watch in the coming months here, as the United States, with ships based here in Japan, as they concentrate their efforts on the South China Sea, what will Japan's role be in the seas? Will they take a more proactive approach?

Remember, Japan just reinterpreted its constitution to allow its military forces -- you see some their ships behind me -- the flexibility and freedom to act in situations like this. There is concern on the ground that Japan could get pulled into this Spratley Island dispute as well.

BARNETT: I know you'll be watching this closely. Will Ripley, live for us in Yokosuka, Japan, nine minutes past four in the afternoon, Will, thanks.

[03:10:02]

Now it's another big story we're following today, disturbing video out of a South Carolina high school, a resource officer yanks a student from her desk, slams her to the ground, and drags her several feet across the floor. Watch.

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BARNETT: Why was that necessary? This video has caused uproar on social media, many say the officer used excessive force while others defend him saying it was the student resisting arrest. The school district said it's working with the sheriff's department to investigate this incident. The officer has been identified as Deputy Ben Fields and is now on administrative leave. A local police official describes a few details that are known about the encounter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CURTIS WILSON, RICHLAND COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: The student was asked to leave the class several times by the instructor at the school, assistant principal was there as well. The officer was called on the scene to actually have the student removed from that location. The student refused and the officer acted the way you have seen on the video. Now again, what we saw was just a tidbit of what that video showed. We'll look at the incident and what happened afterwards. All of that's going to take part in what the sheriff decides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: CNN Legal Analyst and Former Federal Prosecutor Sunny Hostin joins us, alongside CNN's Law Enforcement Analyst and former NYPD Detective Harry Houck, both in New York. Welcome to you both. Harry, let's start with you, is there anything that you see in this video alone that disturbs or bothers you?

HARRY HOUCK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: That's a good question. I think here by watching this -- first thing, I don't see the beginning of the video so that's the issue for me, how many times has this officer asked this young lady to get up from the chair, all right. Now as a police officer myself, would I have done it the same way that officer has? No, I would not have. Let me make that clear, I would have not acted like he did. But he did act within the law, meaning that an officer can use whatever force is necessary to affect an arrest. So if you don't comply with my wishes, I'm telling you to get out of that seat twice, if you don't get out of it, then I can do whatever it takes to get you out of that seat and put hand cuffs on you.

Also, like I had said earlier before, I'm really tired of teachers in schools calling cops when children are unruly in the classroom. This shouldn't have been a police incident at all. The school should have taken care of the child.

The school has said they are disturbed by this, they're launching an investigation...

HOUCK: But why did they call the police?

BARNETT: But Sunny, I see you're nodding no. There are essentially two questions here, what is legally appropriate and then what is right? We don't know what came before the video, but in your view, is there anything that could justify this?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: No, and that's why I don't think that's the operative question. I don't think we need to see what happened before, the bottom line is, all we need to see is what is on the video, and that is whether or not, to make the legal determination, the legal determination is whether or not this officer used the force that was reasonable and necessary to control the situation, to control this child. And I think we can all agree that we are seeing is an officer who's sort of out of control, I do agree though with Harry is that in our schools, at least in the United States, are too quick to call in the police to deal with behavioral situation.

BARNETT: For our international viewers, that are a good point to make because this video is being seen, it's going viral at the moment because it's happening in the context of police treatment of minorities, and the question if the force is necessary. Harry, black girls are six times more likely to be suspended than white girls in schools in the United States, why do you think that is?

HOUCK: Just like -- you know a black is more likely to be arrested in New York City than a white person, they're not behaving, and that's the bottom line. Why do you think this police officer was called to that classroom, because that girl was black? This is not a racial issue so let's inject race into this issue. It's not. It's about police being called because somebody was unruly in the classroom, that person could not submit to that officer by law which they have to and the officer used whatever force was necessary to affect the arrest.

HOSTIN: I don't want to make every issue into a race issue. I think at this point when we look at this particular video, we don't know that race played a factor. But when you look at the larger issue, which is what you're talking about, Errol, it is clear while African- American young girl students, female students, are only about 13 to 14 percent of the school population, they're arrested 43 percent of the time, those that are arrested.

(CROSSTALK)

HOUCK: And they're all innocent?

[03:15:03]

HOSTIN: But there has to be some sort of racial component, black people aren't just criminal by nature, right, and so I think we have to at least in the United States, really start to look at all these underlying factors as to why officers are more apt to arrest African- Americans, and they are more apt to suspend African-Americans and use excessive force with African-Americans. That's an ugly truth about living in America, and it's something that until we are comfortable talking about, we're still going to have that problem.

HOUCK: I don't agree with the interpretation of the statistics either.

(CROSSTALK)

HOUCK: That's your interpretation of them.

BARNETT: And that's why it's great to get you both in on this issue. The officer himself has not returned to any schools in this district and is pending an investigation to see exactly what the answers are to these questions. My thanks to CNN Legal Analyst and former Federal Prosecutor Sunny Hostin and CNN Law Enforcement and former NYPD Detective Harry Houck both in New York, thanks to you both.

HOUCK: Thank you.

HOSTIN: Thanks.

BARNETT: Bail is set at $1 million for a woman accused of killing four people in the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Prosecutors say it appears that Adacia Chambers deliberately drove her car into a crowd at a parade on Saturday. Her lawyer says he believes she has a mental health issue. Chambers faces 4 counts of second degree murder and could face additional charges for the 47 people injured in that crash.

Fear and uncertainty are gripping a large part of South Asia, next the persistent worries in the wake of a major earthquake.

And with his front-runner status changed in Iowa, Donald Trump is taking sharper aim at Ben Carson and his religion. More details on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:23:01]

BARNETT: Right now, rescue crews are combing through rubble in South Asia, they're searching for victims of Monday's magnitude 7.5 earthquake, at least 306 people are confirmed dead, mostly Afghanistan and Pakistan. The number is expected to rise as authorities reach more remote areas. The quake was centered in the Hindu Kirsch Mountains, near the Afghan-Pakistani border. You could see from this map, it could be felt in at least five countries. Ravi Agrawal is CNN's New Delhi Bureau Chief, and he joins us now from there. Ravi, it's unclear just how much higher the death toll will get, 300 deaths, could be much higher if it was in a more densely populated area, but what is the extent of the damage at this point?

RAVI AGRAWAL, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, the honest truth is we actually still don't know. The problem with this quake is that because of the epicenter, it was in a remote part of Afghanistan, so the areas around it in both Pakistan and Afghanistan are very remote. Communications with those parts of those two countries aren't very good on a good day. It's difficult to get to those places and officials on both sides of the border have been telling us that it could take the best part of one more day to fully understand, to fully comprehend the scope and scale of the damage there. And one thing to remember with this is that a number of homes in Afghanistan and Pakistan are often built with mud bricks, they're not very strong, and they usually can't withstand earthquakes of this severity.

So we're still finding out, we're still -- news is trickling in from remote parts about the scale of the devastation. What we do know is in the big cities, in Kabul, in Islamabad, we know about severe tremors but we also know that buildings didn't really collapse in the big cities, and perhaps that's why this earthquake may not be as severe as for example, Nepal's earthquake earlier this year and certainly not as sever the 2005 earthquake in that region.

BARNETT: At this early stage, Ravi, most of the deaths are in Pakistan and Afghanistan, India is in a position to help, what is the aid and recovery plan so far? Has anything been offered up just yet?

AGRAWAL: Well, a lot has been offered up. The Indian Prime Minister about an hour after the quake struck, he was ready to offer any assistance needed to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. And I should add even though India and Pakistan are rivals, they're often seen as enemies, both have a history of offering help to each other in times of natural calamities. Modi also said that he spoke with his counterparts in both Pakistan and Afghanistan and offered any help. Today, when we spoke with India's National Disaster Relief Authority, they told us that no requests have been made yet.

So India actually is just standing by. It hasn't activated any help to either country, of course, the damage on India's side of the border is very limited. Just in Kashmir, we heard reports yesterday that (Inaudible) had power outages, but power is back. Only one person has been reported dead in India. So India is standing by to help but it hasn't been asked so far.

BARNETT: All right, this is certainly an important time for nations to work together and as you say, we'll get a better sense of the damage there in the next day, Ravi Agrawal live in New Delhi for us -- a few minutes before 1:00 p.m. there. Ravi, thanks.

Now to see how this quake is affecting the region, I spoke with our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri in our World Weather Center a bit earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Pedram, you have been telling us how deep this earthquake was, yet at the same time, it was felt by some 40 million people in several countries in the region, how is that possible?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's an incredible event, when you think about earthquakes it was over 200 kilometers deep, and when you go down that deep tremendous pressure in place, tremendous heat in place. These quakes as they occur they actually generate enough heat where temperature spikes beneath your feet 100 kilometers down -- 1,000 degrees Celsius occur within 1 or 2 seconds. You have the expansion of the energy that propagates outwards from the epicenter, so then you have a lot of people feeling the quake that occurred in a very remote area but also extremely deep as well.

BARNETT: Well, let's look at the topography of this, because on of the great ways to understand this quake is how the tectonic plates really slam together and cause it to happen.

JAVAHERI: Absolutely, you think about this particular part of the world, you have the India subcontinent it's toward the Eurasian plate. These places are constantly in motion. I want to show you, as we bring a cross-section in place, once you look beneath the top of this quake, down 200 kilometers that's where the lithosphere is. You have a diving beneath that crust. That sort of pressure that is forced the upward motion leads to the tallest mountains in the world, we have the mountains, you bring this up to the surface and you're talking about the ceiling essentially of our planet and quakes over millions of years.

BARNETT: And these mountains are essentially there because of that pump.

JAVAHERI: It's been happening for millions of years and it continues to happen so these mountains are getting taller every single year.

BARNETT: All right, Pedram, great to see all this. Thanks a lot. And we have this note for you, if you'd like to help in some small

way, CNN has put together a list of some of the agencies working to provide relief in the quake zone. You can contribute if you wish. Just head to CNN.com/impact

Now he's no longer the front-runner Iowa, so, now, Donald Trump is stepping up his campaign game. What he has to say about his closest rival ahead.

And a new report from world health experts puts processed meat in the category with stuff like asbestos and tobacco, their reasoning, next.

[03:29:23]

BARNETT: A warm welcome back to those of you watching here in the states and all over the world. This is CNN Newsroom. I'm Errol Barnett with the last half-hour of the day with me. Here are our headlines.

A U.S. navy destroyer has sailed within 20 kilometers or 12 miles of a man-made Chinese island in the contested part of the South China Sea. The warship was within what China considers its territorial waters, China says it followed the ship's movements and is warning the U.S. not to take any provocative actions.

Rescue crews in South Asia are searching for more victims of an earthquake centered in the northeast of Afghanistan. More than 300 people are currently confirmed dead. The quake struck Monday afternoon local time and could be felt in at least five countries.

A disturbing video from a South Carolina classroom is circulating around social media. It shows a school resource officer violently arresting a female high school student. CNN affiliate WIS reports that the officer was called in when the student refused to leave the class room, he has been put on administrative leave while this incident is being investigated.

The Turkish government says it will have representatives in Paris as France hosts new talks on Syria Tuesday. CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is covering this for us from Moscow, and as you see on your screens joins us now live. Nic, we have learned Turkey will be part of these talks. Not much else being said publicly about these discussions, what do we know.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, we know that over the past few weeks, Russia began its bombing campaign in Syria. Over the last week it has switched that from a military campaign continuing -- state news agency said Assad forces backed by the Russian air power have made gains in the Aleppo area. But they're also pushing on the diplomatic front. And that's what we're seeing part of that if you will, the response of that, in Paris today.

You had the meetings in Vienna where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the Turkish Foreign Minister, so Russia's efforts to find a political solution has really generated an increased level of debate among the other powers involved here. Of course, Turkey is one of the major regional powers involved and has an extreme interest in what happens in Syria. It shares that massive border, its border they feel has been violated by unknown aircraft in the last few weeks. So the fact that the Turkish are sending a representative to Paris to be a part of these discussions I think really tells us that Russia's effort to shake up the dynamic of what's happening in Syria is having an effect.

The fact we don't know the details of what's going to be discussed I think also tells us a lot, because it's not clear that a consensus is emerging yet or what that consensus could be around. It's complicated -- and the core issues how long President Assad should perhaps be in transition, all these sorts of things are very divisive issues.

BARNETT: So you've got the Americans, the Russians, Turkey is involved and the Saudis as well, what about Iran's role? Won't they eventually need to be part of any post-Assad plan?

ROBERTSON: Well, we understand from Russian state news agency here as well, the foreign ministry says in saying they spoke with his Iranian counterpart. Putin spoke with the Saudi king. Not long after Secretary of State John Kerry was in Saudi Arabia visiting the king there. So it would be anticipated that Iran will have a huge desire to have a strong voice in the outcome in Syria, it has forces that's supporting Assad at the moment. And Iran views the outcome in Syria and President Assad as a key ally, a state involved in the moment -- Russia seems to be at the head of the diplomatic political initiative here.

But undoubtedly, Iran is going to have a lot to say and certainly President Assad if he feels under pressure from Russia as part of what may develop here, if he feels under pressure from Russia that his time in power may be limited, despite the fact that he says he's willing to stand for President -- if that's what the people of Syria want, that he may well turn to Iran to help extend his leadership there. He's a key ally to Iran at this time. They will want to have a voice, Errol.

BARNETT: All right, we'll see how these talks play out. Our Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson, live from Moscow this morning, half past 10 there. Nic thanks.

[03:34:01]

U.S. Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has enjoyed front- runner status for months now, but new poll numbers show a shift in Iowa and the campaign jabs are heating up. Sarah Murray has our report.

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SARAH MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With less than 100 until the Iowa caucuses, the jostling in the GOP ranks is taking on sharper edge.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Carson is lower energy than Bush. I don't get it.

MURRAY: A new Monmouth University poll gives Dr. Ben Carson a double- digit lead in Iowa, drawing 32 percent support, compared to 18 percent for Donald Trump.

TRUMP: I'm just going to have to work a little bit harder in Iowa. I was very surprised to see the numbers.

MURRAY: Carson, the newly-minted Iowa front-runner revealing his rougher edges. Saying when he was a teenager...

BEN CARSON, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would go after people with rocks and bricks and baseball bats and hammers and of course, many people know the story when I was 14 and I tried to stab someone, fortunately, you know, my life has been changed and I'm a very different person now.

MURRAY: Carson recently told Erin Burnett he still has a lot of fire inside of him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You conquered your demons, but is there anything that can fires you up, I mean that young man who could do those things, that person's still in there, right?

CARSON: Well, I may be fired up. I may not just look like I'm fired up.

MURRAY: But it's the softer Carson that's winning over evangelicals, now Trump is taking aim at Carson's religion.

TRUMP: I'm Presbyterian, that's down the middle of the road in all fairness, folks. Seventh Day Adventist I don't know about.

MURRAY: Meanwhile, Jeb Bush who just cut payroll costs by 40 percent across the board...

JEB BUSH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Blah, Blah, Blah.

MURRAY: No longer able to hide his frustration with the state of the race.

BUSH: I have really cool things that I can do than sit around being miserable, listening to people, demonize me, and me feeling compelled to demonize them. That's a joke. Elect Trump if you want that.

MURRAY: Today, Bush is rallying donors at a Texas retreat, as he tries to reassure them that the race will soon break his way. But Trump continues to hammer him, mocking Bush for turning to his family members for help.

TRUMP: So he's meeting now with mom and dad. On no, it's true. He needs counsel.

MURRAY: Sarah Murray, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: If you're about to eat, wait a few minutes because a new warning from health officials about meat could spoil your appetite, your favorite hot dog or sausage, details on that coming up. Plus, a royal couple shakes up the latest James Bond film, we'll bring

you details on that later.

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[03:39:01]

BARNETT: Welcome back. The World Health Organization has released a report, categorizing processed meats with carcinogens like tobacco. But the meat industry is calling their research alarmist. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.

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FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Despite the potentially devastating news, Duncan Baker from the Parson's Knows Butcher Shop in London remains un-phased. He says he hopes the World Health Organization's warning that processed and red meat is dangerous won't deter his customers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we in fear of what we eat? You know, do we step out the front door? Do we fear death crossing the road? Where do we draw the line?

PLEITGEN: A research division of the World Health Organization found that processed meat, like bacon and sausages and cold cuts cause cancer, and that eating red meat like beef probably causes cancer. The panel's leading scientist says the findings could change dietary recommendations around the world.

DR. DANA LOOMIS, INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER: These findings reinforce existing dietary guidelines from a number of health authorities, including the World Health Organization. That is -- that people who eat meat should consider reducing their consumption to reduce their risk of several diseases, including cancer.

PLEITGEN: The WHO study says consuming around 50 grams of processed meat per day increases the risk of colon cancer by 18 percent. And the category also includes cigarettes, alcohol, arsenic, and even asbestos. But the study has critics as well. The North American Meat Institute calls the conclusions "dramatic and alarmist overreach." And Robert Piccard, a member of Great Britain's Meat Advisory Panel says consumers should know that red meat does have health benefits.

ROBERT PICCARD, GREAT BRITAIN'S MEAT ADVISORY PANEL: Red meat is a particularly nutritious item of food. We don't need large quantities of it, but if we add a little bit of liver to a meat recipe, then that will deliver in a small quantity all the minerals that a human being needs.

PLEITGEN: The WHO's study does not recommend abstaining from processed or red meat, but says consumption should be limited, advice the London Butcher Duncan Baker believes consumers should heed. Saying it's better to eat meat that's high in quality, but moderate in amounts, Fred Pleitgen, CNN, London.

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BARNETT: Joining me now from New York is Dr. Philippa Cheetham, she is a Medical Correspondent for Cure Connections. Thanks so much for being with us. This is the point that all us meat lovers freak out. We fear that now we're have to grill celery to be safe. But how alarmed should we be?

PHILIPPA CHEETHAM, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, you know to be serious here, we're talking about the risk of red meat and association with multiple cancers, there are over 100 studies that have reported about the risk of red meat with breast cancer, with colon cancer, and we need to emphasize this isn't about cancers of the digestive tracks, this is all cancers, and the data is real. I don't think the general public is aware about the dangers of red meat not just in terms of getting cancer, but the more aggressive type of cancers are linked with red meat consumption.

BARNETT: The WHO now says processed meats are in the same category as cigarettes and asbestos, but they're not equally dangerous. It's a bit confusing, can you explain that?

[03:39:01]

CHEETHAM: Well, first of all, the American Cancer Society gave warnings about red meat consumption 30 years ago, and now we're hearing about this WHO report. Group One warning, carcinogenic, cancer-causing agents, so, we know that red meats are dangerous. It's not just about the amount of red meats that you're eating and how often you're eating. There are some differences. The cured meat, the risk is higher with those types of red meats.

BARNETT: This report isn't necessarily saying everyone needs to become a vegetarian. Because the WHO does note that red meats still has nutritional value.

CHEETHAM: That's right. At the end of the day, when we hear this report about an adverse risk effect, what the general public wants to know, what is a safe amount? Are we talking about eliminating red meat completely? We know the magic number is probably 50 grams. So if you're eating 50 grams of red meats a day...

BARNETT: Which is roughly what -- two slices of ham.

CHEETHAM: Right, so I'm just going to explain, so 50 grams is 1 1/2 to 2 slices of bacon a day or one hotdog a day. That increases your risk colon cancer by 18 percent. That's not insignificant, Errol.

BARNETT: Right and what we've seen is that the processed meat industry already pushing back hard against this, they call this a study alarmist, and we know that there will be more of that in the days and weeks ahead. So for all of us, what should we keep in mind when people come out and try and de-legitimize this study and what's being said.

CHEETHAM: What you have to remember, we look at the quality of medical studies and there are some studies that are small-number studies, weak studies they're not rigorously controlled, clinical studies, but there are many studies that show dangers in red meats has many dangers in terms of developing cancer. So I think the data is real. Why do people get cancer is genetics, you can't change the genetics and it's lifestyle. Cut down on red meat, exercise more, healthy diet.

BARNETT: Are you vegetarian, or do you eat meat?

CHEETHAM: You know I'm not a vegetarian, Errol, I do red meat. I eat is small quantities. This is you know the vegetarians are probably very excited about this study, told you so.

BARNETT: Follow your doctor's advice.

CHEETHAM: Always, always.

BARNETT: Thank you for joining us from New York, Dr. Philippa Cheetham, Medical Correspondent for Cure Connections.

CHEETHAM: Thank you so much. Thank you.

BARNETT: So, if you shouldn't eat processed meats, what can you eat, for answers on those questions head over to our website, CNN.com.

Now, he is the least secret agent in the world. Of course I'm talking about James Bond. Next, we'll look at the latest film debut in the series. Stay with us.

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[03:46:01]

BARNETT: All right, watching from Kenya, so listen up, this is actually my favorite story of the day, because it's a solid reminder that cheating does not pay. A runner at a marathon in Kenya was arrested after allegedly joining the race near the finish and sprinting into second place. Watch.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be very close, unbelievable, unbelievable.

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BARNETT: The story is unbelievable. Officials immediately suspicious of that man because apparently he wasn't sweating, wasn't exhausted after a 26-mile or 42 kilometer run. He takes off his shoes and he argues hey, these blisters on my feet these are proof that I ran the race. I know plenty of people with blisters on their feet who haven't run a single marathon. Officials say he has been hiding in the crowd before joining the race, and he could've won about $7000 if he hadn't been caught, but now he faces charges of fraud, shameful.

And Britain's top secret service agent is making another highly anticipated appearance on the big screen, and of course I'm talking about...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bond, James bond.

BARNETT: All right, that wasn't awkward. The latest installment is long overdue. The stars of the film hit the red carpet for the world premiere. CNN's Max Foster talked with Daniel Craig on living up to this excessive series, there is also a couple of hoops with the spotlight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You had no authority, none. Mexico City, what were you doing there?

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Well, an epic movie in an epic franchise, and obviously an epic premiere to match here in London. The question is, can Spectre possibly meet up to expectations when Skyfall, the predecessor was critically acclaimed as well. That was a question I put to the leading man, Daniel Craig.

DANIEL CRAIG, PORTRAYS JAMES BOND: We just set out to make the best movie we possibly could. We had so much success with Skyfall, and we had so much momentum and got to use that opportunity to try and do better.

FOSTER: Truly epic filmmaking on a scale, it's not computer generated, real stunts. And there's a tradition there, the bar is set really high. Lyrically, I really tried to catch what the film is about. So hopefully it will collide very nicely and work together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted it to be an epic love song. And also I wanted to add a little bit of vulnerability to the character.

FOSTER: Well, a massive guest list, and topped by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and you can see them on the screen as they're meeting people involved in the movie and the various charities involved as well. The critics generally like this movie. They think it fits well into the genre, this massive franchise, but now it's out on general release, and we're getting a sense about what the public thinks. Will it be commercially successful? Max Foster, CNN, London.

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[03:51:01]

BARNETT: As Max eluded there, Spectre hits the big screen with bigger box office expectations. It follows 2012 Skyfall, the highest grossing Bond movie of all time, it raked in more than $1 billion globally. And Skyfall is the biggest British movie of all time. This Bond is also battling budget overruns, emails from the Sony hack revealed Spectre cost $300 million, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made.

Well, my two hours are up, thanks for joining me for some of it. I'm Errol Barnett. Early Start is next for those of you in the U.S. and for everyone else there is more CNN newsroom. See you tomorrow.

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