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Travelers Stranded as Thomas Cook Collapses; Trump Confirms Call to Ukraine and Defends it; Trump Will Not Meet with Iran Leaders at U.N.; New U.N Report on Climate Released; Extinction Rebellion. Young Activism on Climate Crisis. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 23, 2019 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of travelers around the world are stranded after at tour operator collapses. Plus, President Trump finding a new reason to dig up his favored phrase, witch-hunt. And --

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They like people, they abuse people.

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CHURCH: Prince Harry and Meghan are touring South Africa including a town is so gripped by gang violence even the first responders are afraid to go in.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. And this is "CNN Newsroom."

Good to have you with us. So, 600,000 travelers worldwide are stranded after Thomas Cook, one of the world's oldest and largest tour operators collapsed.

All of its bookings have been canceled and the U.K. is launching what's been dubbed "Operation Matterhorn," the largest peacetime repatriation in Britain's history, to bring home the company's British customers and maybe some others. CNN spoke to a U.K. aviation official about this massive operation just short time ago. Take a listen.

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TIM JOHNSON, POLICY DIRECTOR, U.K. CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY: In terms of where we are at, at the moment, we have launched a repatriation program. So, we've got outbound from the U.K., about 150,000 passengers in different parts of the world.

We have launched a repatriation exercise so when people get stranded at holiday, they will be brought back to the U.K. We are bringing about 150,000 back to the U.K. We've charted over sort of 40 planes and we are going to be running up to 1,000 flights over the next two weeks.

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CHURCH: And Sherisse Pham joins us now from Hong Kong with more on all of this. Sherisse, we heard there 150,000 British travelers, but we are talking about 600,000 travelers stranded across the globe. How can they all get brought home?

SHERISSE PHAM, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Well, unfortunately, the repatriation program that is being run by the United Kingdom does not apply to customers if their vacation plan did not originate from the U.K. so -- and Thomas Cook is really advising folks to visit the website for next steps and next updates.

But I can tell you, I have been to that website. I have combed through it. I will say, I have not read all of it but I did not see any details for folks who do not qualify for the repatriation program.

So we are potentially at hundreds of thousand of Thomas Cook travelers that will be stranded abroad and responsible for getting home out of their own wallets.

The other thing that is a part of this repatriation program is that it does not apply to folks who have only booked a vacation that only includes hotels. So, the repatriation, basically, getting your flight back home to the U.K. only applies to you if you have booked a vacation that includes air travel.

Unfortunately, if you are a Thomas Cook traveler who is only booked a hotel, you will also be responsible for that hotel bill. The civil aviation authority of the United Kingdom is advising folks who fall under that umbrella to basically check with their bank, check with their credit card and check with their travel insurance companies to see if they can qualify for some kind of refund, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Wow. That is a real concern now for all of those people left stranded essentially. Sherisse Pham, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.

Let's turn now to global business executive, Ryan Patel, joining us live from Los Angeles. Good to have you with us. This is a tough day for Thomas Cook, its employees and of course the 600,000 travelers stranded across the globe.

And we just heard there from Sherisse, I mean, only about 150,000 or so of those 600,000 have this repatriation program in place at this stage. And even that on the website is very confusing, how are they ever going to get all of those people back home?

RYAN PATEL, GLOBAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE: Well, the way that was explained, it's complete chaos right now. I mean, they're going to have to figure out -- every agency is going to have to get involved. You see in certain countries, insurance companies are actually stepping in to be able to get them to come back home.

But at the end of the day, you know, this is something that many other companies should be looking at of how situations got this bad and how do you really take care of the consumer. This is to get them back home. It's something that is going to take more than just one company.

[02:05:01]

It's going to take a few countries to make sure everybody gets home in an orderly fashion, because as you know, to be in a situation like that on the road traveling and not knowing how you're going to get home is pretty disturbing on multiple levels.

CHURCH: Yes, it's horrendous isn't it? Because if they haven't included airfares with Thomas Cook then they're pretty much on their own to find their own way back, which seems very unfair under the circumstances.

So let's look at how this could happen. We know Thomas Cook stocks were plummeting due in part to Brexit apparently, but how did actually collapsed?

PATEL: Well, you know, this is such a historic company in the U.K. It has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years and I think the way their downfall started, it didn't start just this past six months or Brexit.

Online competition really taking a hit to their high street locations, right, high rent, high occupancy costs. And then you really focus on what's happening with Brexit and with the geopolitical travel patterns has changed the way people have been traveling, right. That also took a huge effect.

And they have $1.7 billion dollars in debt. They couldn't get another lender to help bail them out to be able to keep the operations going. That is such a high clip for them to continue going, that again, the CEO came out today, didn't want to close this, you know, to file bankruptcy and go into that process but they had no, choice.

This was the last second, last-minute that they really had to do this. And again, it's kind of a foreseeable future that you kind of see it coming, but listen, all other airline industries and specifically hospitality services should be taking notice right now --

CHURCH: Yes.

PATEL: -- because you got to keep up with competition and keep up with your -- at the end of the day, bottom line to be able to stay healthy.

CHURCH: Yes, but you have to ask, if the world's oldest and largest tour operator is unable to withstand the pressures and concerns surrounding Brexit, where does that leave other smaller companies, British or otherwise?

PATEL: Well, actually, you know, you think about other countries like Spain and Turkey, places where they had a huge presence in creating this economy of tourism, will that take a hit? Of course it will. It doesn't mean that they will go to different agencies, maybe, but it makes it less a last long term standing.

There is an effect because there's a hole left in the market, that people were using this. And what does that mean to small businesses? It means you better get your act together real quick, to be able to either jump in at the opportunistic time right now.

Or you're going to be able to have to move with the times and move to the e-commerce platform to be able to acquire because consumers would just take cost and money. Again, when your big ram (ph) like that goes down, it provides a lot of concern in that industry to see what is next. People are really risk adverse about using more investment.

CHURCH: Yes, absolutely. And also, red flags for the British prime minister as he tries to find a path towards Brexit. We will see what happens there. Ryan Patel, always a pleasure to chat with you. Many thanks.

Well, U.S. president Donald Trump is defiant after reports he asked Ukraine's president to dig up dirt on a political rival. He's actually defending the move and says he wants his call with the President Volodymyr Zelensky released.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you okay with the Ukrainian government releasing their version of the transcript?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think their version would be the same as our version. I mean, it would be identical, but they did. They put out a major statement last night and in the statement they said, it was a very, very fine conversation and there was no pressure, no nothing. There was no pressure. That was not pressure. I know when I give pressure and that was not pressure.

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CHURCH: Mr. Trump's call surfaced after a whistleblower complaint. It appears the U.S. president was trying to revive allegations about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his family. The story goes that the former vice president shielded his son, Hunter, from a corruption probe in Ukraine. To be clear, there is no evidence of that and the accusations have been widely discredited. We get more now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE REPORTER: President Donald Trump is facing a whistleblower complaint alleging among other things that he pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate one of his political rivals, the former vice president, Joe Biden.

All of that happening as the president was also withholding military aid to Ukraine. But none of that has stopped the president from shying away from this issue, this political controversy. Instead, the president is using it to pump up these unverified claims about Joe Biden.

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TRUMP: What you have to do is look at the corruption on the Democrat side. Take a look at how the whole witch-hunt started. Now they want to try and start another witch-hunt, but unfortunately this one is reverting now to Joe Biden because he's done some very bad things. And I'm not even looking to hurt him to be honest.

[02:10:00]

He needs all the help he can get. I'm not looking to hurt him. I'm not looking to hurt his family. But the corruption and what he said is a terrible thing.

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DIAMOND: Now as the president muddies the waters there, you can also hear him using that term witch-hunt, which of course the president used repeatedly to refer to the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Now, the president using that term to refer to this whistleblower complaint.

The president going after the credibility of that whistleblower as well, calling that individual a partisan, apolitical hack despite the fact that he says he does not know the identity of that whistleblower.

And that is also despite the fact that the inspector general for the intelligence community who was appointed by President Trump has deemed this complaint credible.

But the story is not going anywhere this week. The president will be heading to the United Nations later this week where he will meet with the Ukrainian president.

And also on Capitol Hill, you will have the acting director of National Intelligence heading to the Senate intelligence committee to brief those officials on this whistleblower complaint. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Wapakoneta, Ohio.

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CHURCH: Iran's president is telling foreign troops to stay away from the gulf, calling their presence problematic and dangerous. Hassan Rouhani says he will present a plan at the U.N. to create security in the region. Iran is expected to hold talks with several countries during this week's general assembly, but it appears the U.S. will not be one of them.

President Donald Trump says he does not intend to meet with Iran but adds nothing is off the table. This comes after the U.S. said it would send more troops to Saudi Arabia in response to this month's oil attack. Again, Iran has denied being a part of it but Saudi Arabia holds to Iran responsible and says it does not want conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: We don't want war. The U.S. does not want war, but it's really up to the Iranians if they keep continuing along this path and they risk the possibility of military action, but nobody wants war. Everybody wants to resolve this peacefully and the end result has to be and end to Iran's aggressive policies.

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CHURCH: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more now from Tehran.

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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump does says he is not going to talk to Iran in New York at the U.N. General Assembly meeting. He sort of hold out the possibility that there is nothing scheduled, maybe something might possibly happen on the sidelines.

His message is trying to be clear. He sort of hold out the possibility that happenstance might change that. His Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said clearly talking to U.S. media on Sunday that they want to give diplomacy every opportunity.

And I think he's more talking about trying to get an international coalition around Saudi Arabia and how military force, after Sunday's of bluster from the White House, isn't likely to be used.

Iran has been clearer. It's foreign ministers saying that they will not be talking to the United States in any way, shape or form until the sanctions are re-imposed when the Trump administration pulled out the nuclear deal alleviated yet again.

And Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, who is yet to arrive in New York, he'll turn up there on Monday, use this day which is the anniversary of the start of the brutal Iran-Iraq war of the '80s, to suggest a peace initiative for the Strait of Hormuz where he will be focused mostly on the waterways tank traffic, trying to de-escalate tension there.

But also focusing on the departure of foreign forces, his sort of euphemism for the United States who will be sending they siud, dozens, possibly hundreds more troops to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to back up their air defense there.

But what you learn from the last week, this escalated tension here. Well, you might say Donald Trump was willing to offer North Korea talks without any -- something being surrendered or offered by the North Korea first. When it comes to Iran, Iran has decided that it actually, it wants to gain concessions from the U.S. before it's even willing to negotiate with them.

And also two, there has been this week in which military retaliations have been held out as a possibility by U.S. presidents always willing to talk about how they have the best military force in the world, but it was never used. And instead, although the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have yet to provide

evidence to point to Iran being behind the attacks on the oil refineries, in terms on when it was launched from Iran's territory, we're still dealing with stark accusation from Washington and Riyadh and one that is not being met by a military confrontation.

Iran has always denied involvement but I'm sure long term analysts of this last week will be looking at exactly what it means for the U.S.' willingness to intervene on behalf of their allies in the gulf. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Tehran.

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CHURCH: And CNN's Christiane Amanpour sat down with Iran's foreign minister ahead of the general assembly. She asked Javad Zarif about the diplomatic stalemate with the United States.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST: Foreign minister, are you saying that there is a plan afoot to close the doors to negotiation by the U.S. president?

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MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, FOREIGN MINISTER OF IRAN: I think the only reason they would re-designate our central bank is to make it impossible or very difficult for this president or his successor to remove their name from the list.

The bar is very high now and I think those who propose this to President Trump wanted to close the door to negotiations, not during his presidency but even after his presidency.

AMANPOUR: Some are saying that actually a hard line element like the one you are describing here in the United States and Iran also wants to see doors to diplomacy closed.

ZARIF: There may be people but the leadership in Iran is more prudent to fall in their trap.

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CHURCH: And you can catch Christiane's entire interview with Iran's foreign minister on Monday 1:00 p.m. in New York, 6:00 p.m. in London and 1:00 a.m. Tuesday in Hong Kong.

Well, U.N. meetings have the reputation for being all talk, little action. But a new report shows when it comes to climate change we may not have time to waste. We will have the details for you, next.

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[02:20:00] CHURCH: A new U.N. report shows we are living in a dangerously

warming world and if we don't act now the damage could soon be irreversible. The report put together by some of the world's top scientists was released a day before the U.N.'s Climate Action Summit at the start of the U.N. General Assembly.

It shows that the past five years are on track to be the warmest of any five years on record. Sea ice is melting rapidly. Sea levels are rising. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached all time highs.

Well, the U.N. Secretary General calls the climate emergency the defining challenge of our time and is asking world leaders to bring concrete ideas to the summit. Richard Roth explains what to expect.

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RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Much of the world comes together at U.N. headquarters Monday for a global climate summit. U.N. officials want the climate emergency to be the number one issue despite other global crises and confrontations now underway.

A new devastating U.N. report on climate change serves as a backdrop to all the talking and speeches. The secretary general wants action though and has called on world leaders to speak for only three minutes and he wants concrete, bold, transformative proposals from world leaders.

He doesn't want the usual speeches wherein people stand at the general assembly roster, leave town and nobody remembers what he or she said. However, that is easier said than done especially since the U.S. leader, President Trump will not appear or the leader of Japan or any high officials from countries such as Brazil.

The U.N. doesn't have a global climate change army and can't really punish those who are not living up to commitments. For the U.N. officials, it's the time to re-gather a momentum and they're counting on what happened on the streets around the world from the young people, the demonstrations on behalf of thousands of people and dozens of cities.

Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish activist is expected to make remarks. The young people are impatient and they say they don't want to be told to just study while the world and the climate deteriorate.

The secretary general believes them, says he's been encouraged by their passions, but he's got a lot of work to do in so does the world as that new report says by 2040, things can be in the state of catastrophic levels around the planet. Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

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CHURCH: CNN's Becky Anderson was at one of those a youth climate protest and heard from a generation that is determined to have a voice in the fight against climate change.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our darkest hour. The sign is clear. We are in the sixth mass extinction event and we will face catastrophe if we do not act swiftly and robustly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, in alignment with our consciousness and reasoning, declare ourselves in rebellion against our government and the corrupted inept institutions threaten our future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We call upon every citizen principled and peaceful citizen to rise with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We refuse to bequeath a dying planet to future generations by failing to act now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We act in peace with ferocious love of these lands in our hearts. We act on behalf of life.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): This is the call to arms that has inspired thousands worldwide to join Extinction Rebellion's colorful brand of civil disobedience.

In protest against a lack of action on climate change, their message is clear, act now or future generations will suffer.

(on camera): Well, here in south London people of all ages are soaking up the atmosphere and Extinction Rebellion festival including those who have the most to lose from climate change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What could we do to make our air clean again?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fossil fuels, we stop using them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ban all non-eco-friendly commercial advertising.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm concerned because I want a future and I want a future for my little brother. He's only five and I would like him to reach the age of 30 without having to worry about the climate crisis.

ANDERSON: And what about those who don't care, what do you say to them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is your future, why don't you do something?

ANDERSON: Today's youth activists are more connected and more aware of the risks of climate change than any previous generation. Inspired by climate activist, Greta Thunberg, these kids are determined to have a say in their future.

[02:24:59]

IRIS JONES, YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVIST: The children and the people who will be affected by this, the children and the people who are growing up in this world with all this pollution and cars.

ANDERSON: As tension in the climate crisis grow, the rise of youth activism looks set to continue.

JONES: Children know about these things and that they do actually care and it should be everybody is listened to not just adults.

ANDERSON: And despite the gargantuan task ahead of them, these kids have hope that they will succeed where previous generations have failed.

THIERRY SPALL, YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVIST: I hope that climate change in the future is going to be something that is in a book of myth that grandparents can tell their grandchildren about how a group of activists realized the change needed to be taken to save the planet and we need to make our stand and make sure that our voice is heard.

ANDERSON: Becky Anderson, CNN, London.

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CHURCH: All very sobering of course. So let's turn to our meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri, who joins us with more on the impact of the reports. So Pedram, we've had the warnings, we hear from the children right across the globe how they are feeling about this, but not everyone is listening apparently, what do we all need to know?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, (inaudible) weather is the biggest concern, right. You know, we see these studies every single month. They come out. They kind of highlight what's been happening in recent years.

But this particular one, Rosemary, really highlights the accelerated nature of what has happened just in the past five years. We know the temperatures are rising. We know sea levels have certainly followed suit and ice loss has increased dramatically in recent years and of course, extreme weather events with tropical systems for example.

The intensity of these systems and the rapidly intensification that we are seeing with storms like Dorian, Michael, Irma, and go back to Maria a couple of years ago. All of these have rapidly intensified and of course our planet, the warmest run in the past five years. In fact, comes in one through five, 2015 through 2019.

And we know temperatures are actually 0.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous five year run of 2011 through 2015, about 1.1 degree Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial levels.

Now, take a look at this. The findings really highlighted some fascinating things here when it comes to sea level rise. We know that has been rising pretty dramatically as well. The 25-year average is generally about three millimeters per year on a global scale.

From 2007 to 2016 that was 4 millimeters. That has gone up to five millimeters rise sea level globally every single year. Now, what is that really kind of to break down? Take your fingernails, that is about the rate your fingernails grow every single month, that is how much our oceans are rising on a planetary scale every single year. So again, kind of really speaks to how noticeable of a rise this is and how accelerated it is in recent years. And in fact, that is the global average. Look off the coast of say the Korean peninsula, off the coast of the eastern United States, that is 100 to 150 millimeters or the rate you're hair grows in a year.

That is how high the seas have already risen across these regions. So again, when you look at some of the extremes off the coast of the U.S., off the coast of East Asia that is far, far greater than just the fingernail analogy we made.

And of course, these results in not only a deadly heat waves and the tropical activity we spoke of. We've had wildfires in the Amazon. We've had them across the Arctic Circle as well. So a lot of these are certainly anomalous and we are seeing them pick up in intensity and frequency too, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And despite all the scientific evidence, some leaders across the globe still in denial with all of this. Pedram, many thanks for working through all of that. Appreciate it.

JAVAHERI: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: We take a short break. Coming up, a royal visit will put the spotlight on some of South Africa's most dangerous townships. Back in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check the global headlines for you this hour. More than half a million travelers are stranded worldwide after Thomas Cook, one of the world's oldest and largest tour operators declared bankruptcy. All of the British companies flights have been canceled. The U.K. will now launch its largest ever peacetime repatriation to bring home more than 150,000 Thomas Cook's British customers.

The U.S. President is defending a call with his Ukrainian counterpart back in July. Donald Trump is slamming the whistleblower who reportedly filed a complaint about it, and says he hopes the call is released. A source says Mr. Trump pressed Ukraine to investigate the son of his political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Well, this is not the first time President Trump has been accused of using a foreign leader to try to target political opponents. And the latest scandal is fueling calls for impeachment.

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SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump has made it clear that he does not respect the rule of law. Congress has one responsibility on this, and that is to initiate (INAUDIBLE)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need to absolutely, right away, begin impeachment proceedings. He's got to go.

BETO O'ROURKE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is no way to defend the lack of progress on impeachment, especially after what we have just learned about this president. If ever there were a time to impeach and hold the president accountable, it is now.

JULIAN CASTRO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a mistake not to impeach this president.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Depending on what the House finds, he could be impeached, but I'm not making that judgment out. The House should investigate it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: For the most part, Republicans are standing by the president at least for now, but Senator Mitt Romney tweeted this, "If the President asked or pressure Ukraine's president to investigate his political rival, either directly or through his personal attorney, it would be troubling in the extreme. Critical for the facts to come out. Well, Israel's president is meeting with political party leaders to see who they recommend lead the country. President Reuven Rivlin has to break the election impasse since neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Benny Gantz won enough seats to form a governing coalition in last week's election. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more now from Jerusalem.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: It's nearly a week now since the elections and Israel's political situation is no better now than it was before. The country now seems certain to remain in the same political deadlock that led to these elections in the first place. On Sunday afternoon, Israel's President Reuven Rivlin began meeting with the political parties to see who they recommended to lead the country. Blue and White recommended their leader Benny Gantz while Likud recommended Benjamin Netanyahu, no surprises there.

[02:35:00]

But then it came to the Kingmaker, former defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman. He has only eight seats but those seats are crucial for whoever wants to form a government, and he said nothing. He made no recommendation to the President on who should be the next leader of the country. And that means both Gantz and Netanyahu will almost certainly fall short of the seats required to form a government. One other thing worth noting the joint list of Arab parties made a historic move recommending Gantz. The Arab party is normally making no recommendation. In fact, the only other time they recommended a leader was in 1992 when they threw their support behind Yitzhak Rabin who campaigned on a platform of peace with the Palestinians.

Here the joint list said they would support Gantz in order to oust Netanyahu. Israel's President continues his meeting with the smaller parties on Monday morning, but it's not expected that there will be anything to break the political deadlock here. And that means the burden of changing this falls right now on President Reuven Rivlin. Oren Liebermann, CNN Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: In the coming hours, Britain's Duke and Duchess of Sussex will embark on their first tour as a family, Prince Harry, his wife, Megan and their four month old son, Archie, will travel to South Africa to begin a 10-day tour. During the trip, Prince Harry will visit a former minefield in Angola to pay tribute to his mother, Princess Diana, and her anti-landmine legacy. The Royal couple is also scheduled to visit some of Cape Town's most-marginalized townships. Gang violence there continues to spike as murder rates rise. A warning to photosensitive viewers, this report includes flashing lights. David McKenzie takes us to Cape Flats.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just mere miles separate this beach from her home, but listening to Chloe speak after an hour in the water, and it might as well be a world away.

CHLOE, CAPE TOWN RESIDENT: It is better here because they shoot where we live.

MCKENZIE: What kind of things happened in your neighborhood?

CHLOE: They shoot, they rape people, they abuse people. It helps me because we have manners here. No fighting, no swearing, and the care about us, yes.

MCKENZIE: The Waves For Change Charity gives Chloe and others a chance to feel like children. And this week, they will get a chance to meet a Prince and Princess from England. And then, they will return home, many to neighborhoods so bad that the military has been deployed in an attempt to stop the killings. So far, it hasn't helped.

ABDUL WAHEEM MARTIN, PARAMEDIC: They call (INAUDIBLE) Iraq.

MCKENZIE: Iraq?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we call it Iraq.

MCKENZIE: Abdul Waheem Martin has named his patch after a war zone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It might be a gunshot (INAUDIBLE) area.

MARTIN: The only thing that goes through my head most of the time is are we going to see tomorrow morning, are we getting home.

OK. OK.

So, we're going out to a guy that got stabbed in the chest. They don't know if he's breathing or if he has a pulse. Unfortunately, it's in the red zone, so we'll have to wait for (INAUDIBLE) escort.

MCKENZIE: These neighborhoods, they feel almost broken, to me.

MARTIN: It doesn't -- it does feel, especially at this moment, knowing that we are right around the corner, and we can't do anything.

MCKENZIE: Can't do anything because Martin and his crew must wait for a police escort. He says 80 of their ambulance crews were targeted last year. Impatiently waiting so they too don't join a growing list of victims. The mothers of this broken place live every day with the memories of their lost sons, gathering together to gain strength.

What is violence doing to families here?

SHANNAZ THEUNISSEN, MOTHER OF VICTIM: It's breaking families up like (INAUDIBLE) everything. He was a child, he used to do everything for me. It was like up until today, I can't go (INAUDIBLE) outing in the morning, I must (INAUDIBLE) if we just go through this and let me just -- I have only one wish just to say goodbye to him.

MCKENZIE: The security escort takes nearly an hour.

Martin doesn't blame the police. He knows that the police's resources are stretched as thin as theirs.

MARTIN: Good morning, brother. Morning.

MCKENZIE: But as a paramedic, he also knows that the window for saving this life was just minutes, not hours.

MARTIN: We have grown -- we've grown to have a sense of tolerance for (INAUDIBLE) which is scary. Because the moment we start tolerating the way things are happening, we're actually saying that it now becomes a norm which it shouldn't be.

[02:40:11]

MCKENZIE: David Mackenzie, CNN, Cape Town, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: We'll take a short break here. Still to come, there is hope at the end of the refugee crisis, you will meet one refugee who knows from experience. Now, he's trying to help others find their happy ending as well.

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CHURCH: Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong packed a shopping mall and trampled on a Chinese national flag. Protesters then set fires in the streets Sunday night. Firefighters quickly put them out. Police say two 13-year-olds who were arrested on Saturday have been released. The protests have been taking place every weekend in Hong Kong for four months. Meanwhile, in Egypt, police have reportedly arrested more than 160 protesters after rare antigovernment demonstrations. Very little dissent has been allowed since President Abdel Fattah el- Sisi came to power six years ago. And building contractors sparked the protest. In a series of videos, Muhammad Ali accused the president of misusing public funds. He has called for another round of protests this Friday. And you may remember the remarkable story of a Syrian refugee who

spent months stranded in a Malaysian airport. He wasn't allowed to even leave the building, much less find a new country to call home. That all has changed and now he's using his new life to help other refugees. He's giving hope, those in situations that seem just as hopeless as he is. Here's Michael Holmes.

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HASSAN AL KONTAR, SYRIAN REFUGEE, CANADA: I'm living my dream.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Syrian refugee Hassan Al Kontar, describes a blissful life in Canada. His new home after months of being stuck in uncertainty living in a Malaysian airport. Now, he's advocating for other refugees living in limbo.

AL KONTAR: The story goes back to the time I was at the airports. During that time, I received some messages from people who has been detained in Manus and Nauru Islands. They asked me to tell their stories.

HOLMES: In 2018, Al Kontar, famously spent seven months in the Kuala Lumpur Airport. In a complex story that began when he was forced to leave the UAE, where he was working when the Syrian Civil War began.

Unable to renew his passport, he applied for a three-month tourist visa in Malaysia. But his attempts to fly out of the country kept getting derailed until his visa expired and he literally had no place to go.

AL KONTAR: I don't know what should I do. Someone advise me to make a video.

HOLMES: Terrified of returning to his war-torn home country, he called for help on social media for months. Malaysian authorities eventually detained him for being in a restricted area without a boarding pass. But his story had reached people who fought for his release.

Human rights groups eventually helped sponsor Al Kontar's asylum in Canada, where he's been living and working since November.

AL KONTAR: It's my time now to help others.

HOLMES: Speaking to CNN from his home in Vancouver, Al Kontar is now partnering with two nonprofits on Operation Not Forgotten. Endorsed by Amnesty International and the UNHCR, it's a campaign to privately sponsor some 200 refugees to come to Canada who are now stranded on Nauru Island and in Papua New Guinea.

AL KONTAR: I give up on government's long time ago. I give up on international law a long time ago. It's the individuals, people around the world, whom I trust, whom I rely on, and -- call me naive, but they can lead the change -- they can be the changed. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not attempt to (INAUDIBLE) or travel to Australia by boat. You will be stopped.

HOLMES: Since 2013, Australia has sent thousands of asylum seekers arriving on their shores to processing centers, on remote Pacific Manus or Nauru Islands. Many were left for years.

As reports surfaced of humanitarian abuse and neglect, Australia denied liability and strongly refuted any claims of deliberate harm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Free, free refugee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Free, free refugee.

HOLMES: After continued backlash from rights groups and United Nations, most of the refugees have reportedly been moved off the islands, but some still languish in uncertainty.

AL KONTAR: They are losing hope. They are having the feeling that the whole world has forgetting them.

HOLMES: Operation Not Forgotten must raise about $3 million to comply with Canadian law for private sponsorship. Al Kontar knows he's asking a lot, but says he feels a personal obligation to succeed.

AL KONTAR: I thought when I reach Canada, it will be the end of the story and I will live my therapy tail, and life will be nothing but happiness. It is. I am happy, actually. But it was wrong, it's nothing but a new beginning and something bigger this time.

HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The 2019 Emmy is more than just a night of glamour as some winners use the spotlight to highlight important issues. We will look at some of them. That's coming up in just a moment.

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[02:52:31]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. An embattled U.S. athlete says he's finished with the National Football League. Antonio Brown announced his effective retirement after he was released from multiple teams and accused of misconduct.

CNN's Nick Valencia has the details.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. But now, Antonio Brown, says he wants nothing to do with the league at all. Brown going on a Twitter tirade on Sunday. Here is part of what he said.

"Will not be playing in the NFL anymore. These owners can cancel deals, do whatever they want at any time. We will see if the NFL Players Association hold them accountable. Sad they can just void guarantees at any time going on 40 million, two months. We'll see if they pay up."

Brown seeming to make reference in $30 million and guaranteed money with the Raiders that he lost out on after being fired for conduct detrimental to the team. Shortly after being released by the Raiders, he was picked up by the New England Patriots, where he was supposed to be guaranteed $9 million. But after being fired by that team, that contract was voided as well.

Shortly, after being released by the Patriots, Brown's agent said that the wide receiver was looking forward to the next opportunity he had in the NFL. Now, it seems that Brown wants nothing to do with the league altogether.

Britney Taylor, Brown's former trainer and longtime friend, has accused the wide receiver of sexual misconduct and has accused him of rape. 2nd accuser also came forward earlier this week, accusing Brown of being sexually inappropriate with her after she was hired to paint a mural at his home.

Neither of the accusers have file -- neither of the accusers has filed any criminal charges. Britney Taylor has filed a federal civil lawsuit. Brown has denied all of the allegations.

CHURCH: Nick Valencia, with that report.

Well, anytime now, Iran could release the British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero. Iran, says legal proceedings for the release are still pending. The tanker was seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz back in July. Not long after Britain detained an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar. That vessel was released last month.

Well, hundreds of people held a funeral Sunday for a melting glacier in eastern Switzerland. A priest led the service to honor the disappearing ice. A glacier expert says almost 90 percent of the ice volume disappeared in the past decade. That's enough for it to no longer be classified as a glacier.

The funeral organizer, says there have been 120,000 signatures to launch a campaign calling on Switzerland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero, by 2050.

Well, it was a star-studded night in Los Angeles as celebrities turned out for the 71st Emmy Awards. What was missing? Well, a host.

The award ceremonies producers opted not to have a master of ceremonies this time. Fleabag and Chernobyl won multiple awards. There were shout-out for equal pay for women and calls for equality for the transgender community.

But, of course, Billy Porter and Jodie Comer stole the show, receiving awards for outstanding lead actor and actress. And Game of Thrones, no surprise as they had grabbed the best drama series.

David Daniel has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:55:51]

PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE, ACTRESS, WRITER, FLEABAG: I find writing really, really hard and really painful.

DAVID DANIEL, CNN SENIOR WRITER: Nevertheless, Fleabag creator and star, Phoebe Waller-Bridge won her first Emmy for writing, then another for lead actress in a comedy series.

WALLER-BRIDGE: I find acting really hard and really painful.

DANIEL: And then, return to the stage when Fleabag won Outstanding Comedy Series.

WALLER-BRIDGE: Well, this is just getting ridiculous.

DANIEL: First-time winners in the drama category included Ozark's Julia Garner for supporting actress and Jason Bateman for directing; Jodie Comer, lead actress for Killing Eve and Billy Porter, lead actor for Pose.

BILLY PORTER, LEAD ACTOR, POSE: So, we as artists are the people that get to change the molecular structure of the hearts and minds of the people who live on this planet.

DANIEL: In the limited series or movie category, Michelle Williams won her first Emmy, lead actress for Fosse/Verdon, and Jharrel Jerome received a standing ovation as he accepted the lead actor trophy for When They See Us.

JHARREL JEROME, LEAD ACTOR, WHEN THEY SEE US: This is for the men, though we know as the Exonerated Five.

DANIEL: Standing ovations also went to two shows that said goodbye, Game of Thrones and Veep.

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, LEAD ACTRESS, VEEP: I was told I would be up here alone.

DANIEL: No Emmys for Veep Sunday night, but Game of Thrones won a pair. Peter Dinklage won his fourth supporting actor trophy.

PETER DINKLAGE, AMERICAN ACTOR AND PRODUCER: We literally walked through fire and ice for you, literally. And I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

DANIEL: And for the fourth and final time, the show was named outstanding drama series.

DAVID BENIOFF, CO-CREATOR, GAME OF THRONES: I can't believe we finished it. I can't believe we did it, we did it all together, and it's over.

DANIEL: In Hollywood, I'm David Daniel. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: What a night it was. And thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news after this short break. Don't go anyway.

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