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CNN Saturday Morning News

New Harry Potter Book Out; Hurricane Emily Approaches; London Investigation Heads to U.S.

Aired July 16, 2005 - 09:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The trail of the terror attacks in London leads investigators to the United States this morning.
And good morning, everyone. From the CNN world headquarter in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Our top story in just a moment. But first, here's a look at what else is happening in the news today.

Hurricane Emily has blown itself into a dangerous Category 4 storm. It's also changed course a bit this morning. Look at this.

So Jamaica and the Cayman Islands will just get heavy rains. Now, the projected path takes the hurricane into the south Texas coast by early Wednesday morning. And we will be following that.

In Turkey, at least four people are dead in an explosion on a minibus at an Aegean Sea resort. Turkish television reported a female suicide bomber blew herself up aboard the bus. There's been no claim of responsibility.

NASA engineers are working through the weekend to fix a fuel sensor problem on the Space Shuttle Discovery. It malfunctioned Wednesday during a routine test, delaying the launch. NASA officials say it might be late next week until another launch is scheduled.

HARRIS: The death toll continues to climb from last week's terrorist attacks in London. Another victim died overnight in the hospital, bringing the total to 55.

The FBI is now following leads and possible links to last week's bombings here in the United States. A key source tells CNN one of the four bombing suspects, Mohammad Sedique Khan, called someone in New York City just before the explosions.

Meanwhile, police in Egypt are questioning a biochemist who studied in North Carolina in connection with the bombings.

CNN's Robyn Curnow joins us live now from London with the latest on the investigation -- Robyn.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there. Well, it's the bombers that police are looking at crucially. We know that all four of them were British. Police also say that two of them have been officially identified from that list of 55 dead. And also, the first funeral was held of one of the victims. Shahara Islam (ph) herself is a devout Muslim, was 20 and on her way to a dental appointment before she got caught up in one of the blasts on the subway.

But as my colleague Matthew Chance reports, the investigation is now turning to Cairo, Egypt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He could be a living link to the London bombings. Magdy Mahmoud el-Nashar, age 33, an Egyptian chemistry expert arrested in Cairo on Britain's request. British agents are believed to be with Egyptian officials as he's questioned.

In Leeds, where he earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry earlier this year, police have been continuing their forensic search of properties linked to the suspected bombers, including one rented by el-Nashar. Sources say home made explosive material has been found in one of the properties, the same kind British shoe bomber Richard Reid had in his shoes when he tried to blow up a Transatlantic flight in 2001.

IAN BLAIR, METRO POLICE COMMISSIONER: Because, you know, one day we hope to put people on trial, I'm not in a position to discuss the explosives. But I have said before this explosion has the hallmarks of al Qaeda, the simultaneous explosions, the fact that the dead appear to be sort of foot soldiers. And we have got to find is the people who trained them, the people who made the bombs, the people who financed it.

CHANCE: And this is the face of the man police say was one such foot soldier responsible for the London bus bombing, just one of the explosions that shocked the British capital. Identified at Hasib Hussain, he's just 18, photographed by security cameras at Luton train station on the day of the attacks. He's wearing a backpack which police believe concealed his bomb.

They're also confirming the identity of another suspect, Shehzad Tanweer, 22 years old, from Leeds, pictured here as a school boy back in 1995. He's believed to be responsible for the Aldgate bombing which killed seven.

The third suspect, Mohammed Sidique Khan, who's 30, has been linked to the Edgware Road explosion. These are his wedding pictures. He was a primary school teacher and a father of an 8-month-old son.

And as Londoners continue to grieve their loss, a fourth suspected bomber has been named by U.S. officials to CNN as Jamaican- born Germain Morris Lindsay, a convert to Islam, most likely killed, say police, in the explosion between Russell Square and King's Cross.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Matthew Chance reporting there.

Now, it's been 10 days since those terrible events on July the 7th. Police warn that more terrorist bombings are likely. So, London remains on high alert.

Back to you, Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Robyn Curnow in London. Robin, thank you.

NGUYEN: Now to stories "Across America."

And a question police in Illinois want answered. How did a woman who's been brain damaged since birth become pregnant? The woman's family believes someone sexually assaulted her at the Bloomingdale Nursing Home where she lived, and they are suing.

The woman hasn't been able to walk or talk since birth. Police are taking DNA samples from workers at the nursing home in hopes of identifying the father.

Now to Florida. An alligator killed a man swimming in a canal. Police shot and killed the 12-foot two-inch long gator. You can see it there. Police also recovered the man's body.

Several people did witness that attack. It is the 17th recorded alligator death in Florida.

In Pennsylvania, police say a youth baseball coach paid one of his players to hurt a teammate. Twenty-seven-year-old Mark Downs is accused of offering the player $25 to hit an 8-year-old mentally disabled boy in the head with a baseball. Witnesses say the coach didn't want the mentally disabled boy to play in the T-ball game because of his mental impairment.

And in Los Angeles, a stolen tractor-trailer led police and state troopers on a long, low-speed chase. The four-hour pursuit crossed four greater L.A. interstates until a police spike blew out a tire. Two suspects surrendered peacefully after the big rig finally stopped.

HARRIS: Time now to check in with CNN's International Desk to see what else is making news around the world.

NGUYEN: We do want to start, though, with a deadly bomb attack in a Turkish resort town. For those details and the rest of the international roundup, let's get the latest from CNN's Anand Naidoo.

Hi, Anand.

ANAND NAIDO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Thanks, Betty. And good morning to you.

That's right, there's been a suicide bombing in a Turkish Aegean Sea resort. What we do know is that at least four people have been killed and 14 injured.

The latest reports say there are foreigners among the dead. And five of those seriously injured are British.

This attack took place in the town of Kusadasi, in the west. Officials say the bomber detonated the explosives aboard a minibus. Local television reports say the bomber was a woman who died in the attack. There have been no claims of responsibility, although Kurdish rebels have recently carried out bombings in Aegean resort towns.

Now to Iraq.

Three British soldiers have been killed in the war there. British officials say they died during hostile action. The incident took place in Amara, in southeastern Iraq. Two other soldiers suffered minor injuries and were treated at a nearby base.

Britain has about 8,500 troops in Iraq patrolling the mainly Shiite shout of the country. That's near Basra. These latest deaths bring to 92 the number of British soldiers killed in Iraq.

Now to Moscow. Family problems at Moscow Zoo. This baby orangutan, only a month old, has been abandoned by her mother. For the time being, she has a foster mother, but zoo officials are trying to figure out why the mother has left the child. One theory is that the mother herself was brought up by humans and doesn't know how to care for her infant.

Anyway, the zoo will try to reconcile mother and daughter, but not for at least six months. And that's probably, Tony and Betty, because they want things to cool off because -- before daughter talks to mother.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: But how cute is that? I mean, how could a mother leave a baby like that? Look at that face.

HARRIS: Well, that's a face only a mother could love.

NGUYEN: A mother could love, exactly. I was waiting for that.

HARRIS: OK.

Anand, we appreciate it. Thank you.

NGUYEN: Thanks, Anand.

HARRIS: Well, let's see if I can get this right this time.

NGUYEN: All right. Get it straight.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Make sure you've got the names down, OK?

HARRIS: All right. What tales lie beyond the Spinners End? Or what dastardly deeds await -- what is this, Draco's Detour?

NGUYEN: Sure.

HARRIS: I don't get it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just I don't -- all right. Since midnight, author J.K. Rowling and millions of her fans have been reading the latest installment of the "Harry Potter" series. We mentioned just some of the chapters. Well, I tried to, anyway, in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

Since midnight, it's been an adventure, and CNN cameras were there at the stroke of midnight when kids picked up...

NGUYEN: Picked them up.

HARRIS: Picked up their "Potter" books.

NGUYEN: "Potter" books.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Five, four, three, two, one! Woo!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Carlotta is the lucky person to have the first in the world.

(SCREAMING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a really big fan of "Harry Potter." And when I heard about it, I was just so excited.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish I were Hermione, personally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Or go to Hogwarts School, at least.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No matter how old you are, if you are a fan of really good stories, it's just very captivating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some kids asked me about my costume, where I got this, and I told them, "You're not going to believe this, but I got this from graduating college."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the -- what do you call it? The Dementors. Yes, they were interesting. They looked like they had socks stuck on their heads. That was weird.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want you guys to tell me what it is you like about Harry Potter and why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, because he's cool.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he has a magic wand that can turn anybody into what he wants.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he's in the best house, the Gryffindor house. And he has magical powers and he's cool.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harry Potter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love staying up late.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So magical, isn't it?

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: You have to put yourself in that world.

NGUYEN: You know, we were talking to two girls earlier who stayed up, or at least tried to stay up all night reading these books once they got a hold of them. And mom and dad said, "You've got to go to bed."

HARRIS: Yes, you've got to go to bed. Yes. Yes.

Well, all right. The book can sell 10 million copies...

NGUYEN: Like that, I'm sure.

HARRIS: ... in the first 24 hours. So there you go.

NGUYEN: It's out there, everybody.

All right. We're going to move on a little bit.

Forty-six years, 18 major championships later, the Golden Bear passes the torch to a Tiger. We'll show you an emotional farewell at the British Open.

HARRIS: Plus, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger terminates a contract. Why is that news? Well, we'll tell you why so many people are clicking on to find out.

And good morning, Bonnie.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Tony.

We've got a powerful hurricane out there in the western Caribbean. Hurricane Emily is bearing down on Jamaica as we speak. Will this hurricane affect the U.S. mainland? I'll have the answer to that coming up as CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: In Scotland, Tiger Woods tears up the old course at St. Andrews to take a four-shot lead at the British Open golf tournament. Woods is 11 under par going into today's third round. He's followed by Colin Montgomerie, at seven under. Tiger Woods has reemerged as a dominant force at the old course.

For more, here's CNN's Don Riddell. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The great Jack Nicklaus is settling into retirement after a stunning career and an emotional farewell here at the spiritual home of golf, St. Andrews. Nicklaus took his bow on the iconic Swilcan Bridge, saluted by thousands of fans who will all be able to say, "I was there."

By this time, Nicklaus knew he was going to miss the cut, but for once in his life, that suited the Golden Bear just fine.

JACK NICKLAUS 3-TIME BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION: As I was coming down the last couple holes, and as nice as the people were, I'm sitting there and I'm saying, "You know, I don't really think I want to make the cut." People have given me so much that, you know, I wanted -- I wanted to be part of it and enjoy it, and then not have to come back and do that again.

I mean, obviously I was trying to make the cut. I mean, I would never not try to do that. But they were so wonderful that it was just -- it was just a very, very special time.

TIGER WOODS, 2000 BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION: And if it wasn't for what he did, and Arnold as well, all of us wouldn't be enjoying the luxuries that we have right now. We wouldn't be playing for the prize money. We certainly wouldn't be having the ability to play all over the world.

JOHN DALY, 1995 BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION: Jack is the greatest player in the world. With his record, you know, Tiger will probably catch him, but it's very emotional for all of us, especially guys who learned how to play the game because of Jack. And I'm one of them.

RIDDELL: Nicklaus may have missed the cut, but he finished in style, sinking a 15-foot putt to birdie the 18th hole. And there was barely a dry eye in the house.

Many wonder if Jack's total of 18 Grand Slam titles will ever be matched or beaten, and all eyes now are on Tiger Woods. The world number one is halfway there, and many think a 10th major title could come this weekend. Every time Nicklaus retires from a major tournament, Tiger goes on and wins it.

Don Riddell, CNN, at St. Andrews in Scotland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Well, Rafael Palmeiro's not only batting 1,000, he is batting 3,000. The Baltimore Orioles slugger got his 3,000th career hit last night with a line drive double against Seattle. Palmeiro is the 26th major leaguer to reach this milestone. And that's not all. Palmeiro also joins Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Eddie Murray as the only players to chalk up at least 500 home runs, along with the 3,000 hits.

NGUYEN: Well, in case you are just waking up with us, here is a check of our top stories today.

The London bombings probe is reaching beyond Britain's borders. An Egyptian chemistry expert has been arrested in Cairo at the request of British authorities. Meantime, a source tells CNN one of the suspected bombers called someone in New York City shortly before the attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah! This rocks!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: You know it rocks, especially as many as 10 million might be sold in the first 24 hours. Can you believe that? Copies of J.K. Rowling's sixth novel about the boy wizard went on sale at midnight. Thousands of kids all around the world, and even some of those kids at heart, you know the ones dressed up like Harry Potter, yes, they were lining up to get their hands on this book.

It's called "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." We're still trying to find out who the half-blood prince is. Maybe we'll have an answer for you soon.

And finally, more details on Karl Rove's alleged role in the leak of a CIA agent's identity. CNN has learned the Bush aide testified he got a call from columnist Robert Novak back in 2003. Now, just days later, Novak wrote a column identifying the agent.

All right. No short circuits here. "The Terminator" and some other robots are huge on the Web this morning.

Veronica De La Cruz at -- no, don't ask me again.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: You mean say, "I'll be back?" No, you're not going...

NGUYEN: I'll be back.

DE LA CRUZ: Oh, very nice.

NGUYEN: It's a bad impersonation, but hey.

DE LA CRUZ: Lots of exciting stuff happening at CNN.com, Betty. And as you know, video is finally free.

NGUYEN: Right.

DE LA CRUZ: We're offering it free on the Web. And you can browse and search by 14 different categories, including most popular, which shows you the video clips receiving the most clicks.

Now, to find the most popular pieces of video, you're going to log on to CNN.com. Look for that green watch box and click on "browse and search," then select the tab that says "most popular." A few clips hot on the Web right now, Betty, Arnold Schwarzenegger's deal is done. And you've been talking about it all morning, right?

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

DE LA CRUZ: Yesterday, the California governor said he has given up his job as executive editor of a couple of fitness magazines because of a potential conflict of interest. Schwarzenegger was receiving at least $1 million a year as a consultant to these magazines which advertised nutritional supplements.

The governor once vetoed a bill regulating nutritional supplements in the state. And, of course, more online there at CNN.com.

Another piece of video receiving a lot of clicks, check this out, Betty. OK.

NGUYEN: What is this?

DE LA CRUZ: He shoots, he scores. Yeah, what is this? Exactly. Watch out. David Beckham. There he goes.

NGUYEN: That's not David Beckham.

DE LA CRUZ: No, it's robots. Robots from around the world competing in Japan's annual RoboCup tournament. Now, if you're a soccer fan and you can't wait for the World Cup, then this may be a good alternative. But kind of scary. You think robots, they're just taking over the world.

NGUYEN: Yes. David Beckham is a little bit easier to look at, I would say.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: He's a married man. We're just putting it on the record. That's all.

DE LA CRUZ: No, I think you're right. And don't forget, all online at CNN.com.

NGUYEN: All right, Veronica. Thank you.

Well, we're going to talk about Emily now, because she is on a very dangerous course, Category 4 hurricane. We are tracking the powerful storm to see if it messes with Texas, because you've got to remember, you don't want to mess with Texas.

HARRIS: Oh, my.

NGUYEN: Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider has the latest next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: This may look like a scene from the movie "The Wizard of Oz," but it is actually a real live waterspout in Florida spinning tall and tight. It came ashore twice as a tornado down in the city of Punta Gorda last night.

Now, thousands of motorists trapped on roads and bridges got a front row seat as this twister made its way along the Peace River. No injuries or major damage were reported.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Bonnie. We'll keep on top of it.

HARRIS: OK. All right. Thank you.

And to New York City now to check in with Ken and Daria Dolan for a preview of "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED," coming up at the top of the hour, you two crazy kids!

(LAUGHTER)

DARIA DOLAN, CO-HOST, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED": Tony, keep it down. You woke me up.

HARRIS: Sorry about that. I have a habit of doing that.

NGUYEN: He's a little loud today. Yes, just a little loud over here.

KEN DOLAN, CO-HOST, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED": Good morning, guys. Good to see you.

HARRIS: Nice to see you.

K. DOLAN: Yes, we've got a busy Saturday, guys. We're going to talk about homeland security. Do you feel safe? Our guest has some solutions. We're going to talk about...

D. DOLAN: And technology is not the answer.

K. DOLAN: No?

D. DOLAN: No.

K. DOLAN: Oh, boy. And we'll also talk about the cost of prescription drugs.

And you guys will love this, although you guys are highly, highly paid anchors. You probably don't care. But how to find some lost money. There's billions and billions of dollars at the state level, lost deposits, whatever it might be, and there may be some money in your name. We're going to show you how to find it.

NGUYEN: Yes, I want to know how to find that.

D. DOLAN: In fact, here at Time Warner, our parent company... K. DOLAN: Yes.

NGUYEN: Right?

D. DOLAN: ... 115 people have money with their name on it.

K. DOLAN: Is your name spelled H-A-R-R-I-S, Tony?

HARRIS: That it is, sir.

K. DOLAN: Oh, boy. This could be your day, man.

NGUYEN: Really?

HARRIS: Tease, tease, tease.

NGUYEN: What about me, though? I want some lost money.

HARRIS: I'll share. I'll share.

NGUYEN: OK. You'll give me some of your lost money?

HARRIS: Yes. Yes, absolutely.

NGUYEN: We're in business then. All right.

HARRIS: We'll see you at the top of the hour.

K. DOLAN: Love you guys.

HARRIS: Be good, you too.

NGUYEN: Take care.

HARRIS: I've got to tell you something, we must have struck a real nerve with you this morning. Your e-mails about Karl Rove are coming in faster -- faster than we could read the dog-gone things.

NGUYEN: And we asked you if you consider the CIA leak a real controversy or partisan politics. That was the question. Now your answers are coming right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: OK, all morning long we've been asking you for your thoughts about our e-mail question today. It's a doozy, too. We are focusing...

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: ... on Karl Rove, what he knew about the undercover CIA agent, when he knew it, and who he talked to about it. So our question for you this morning is this, A real controversy, or is it partisan politics?

So we're getting so many e-mails in today. Mark from Washington says, "It always seems like partisan politics, because there's no degree of corruption, incompetence, or other illegal activity by this administration that this Republican Congress isn't willing to ignore. This leaves the minority party to prove oversight."

HARRIS: And this from George. "The Rove affair is," in caps here, do we have it there? OK, "PARTISAN politics. Liberal Democrats, with the help of their" -- we got this here? -- "BUDDIES in the liberal elite media showing their disdain and hatred for President Bush, a great leader."

Thank you very much, George, for that e-mail...

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: ... and thank you all. E-mail inbox loaded, overloaded with your responses...

NGUYEN: OK.

HARRIS: ... to the question this morning. And thank you again. And we'll have another...

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: ... e-mail question for you...

NGUYEN: It may be the same one...

HARRIS: ... tomorrow morning.

NGUYEN: ... we got such an amazing...

HARRIS: Why not?

NGUYEN: ... from.

So we want to thank you this morning for joining us. We'll see you again tomorrow morning.

HARRIS: "OPEN HOUSE" is straight ahead.

But first, these stories "Now in the News."

The FBI is now following possible U.S. links to last week's bombings in London. A key source tells CNN one of the four bombing suspects called someone in New York just before the explosions. Investigators are also looking for people who knew an Egyptian biochemist who studied at North Carolina State University. He's been arrested in connection to the attacks.

Hurricane Emily is making for nervous anticipation in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Now a dangerous category four storm, it is moving just south of those islands with top winds of 140 miles an hour. Forecasters say Emily could threaten northern Mexico and maybe the south Texas Gulf Coast sometime early Wednesday morning.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

"OPEN HOUSE" starts right now.

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