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Hala Gorani Tonight
Sister in Middle East made contact with relatives in U.K.; White tiger kills man in Georgia's capital; Manhunt widens for escaped inmates; U.S. Fed leaves interest rates unchanged; Young Egyptian migrants forced into drugs, prostitution; Pope issues encyclical on climate change; Russian military spending rises, as West dips; Chris Evans to host "Top Gear"; Greek Debt Issue Examined
Aired June 17, 2015 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:14] PAULA NEWTON, HOST: Tonight a community's worst fears move one step closer to being confirmed.
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NEWTON: We'll tell you about the strongest evidence yet suggesting three sisters may have placed themselves in ISIS controlled territory in Syria.
Then could one of America's most advanced claims soon be headed to Europe's border with Russia? And the tiger let loose by flood waters had to be shot
after killing a man on the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia. Plus the new face of Top Gear. Now he's a big name in Britain and soon the world will know
Chris Evans.
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NEWTON: Hello I'm Paula Newton, live from CNN London, and this is The World Right Now.
British police say one of three sisters missing in the Middle East has now made contact and it wasn't the news their families wanted to hear.
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NEWTON: Now they say the information suggests the women and their nine children may have entered Syria. The extended family left Bradford,
England last month to go on a religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia but never came home. Concerns are growing that they may try to link up with
ISIS.
We want to get more now on this story from our Nic Robertson, he's live in Bradford tonight and has been following the details of this story.
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NEWTON: I mean what was the community reaction and the families reaction to this sister actually calling home?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes we tried to ask that to two of the husband's today. They'd been visiting the father of these
three women. When they came out of that house they jumped very quickly in a car, I asked them are you know are they in Syria - is your family in
Syria right now?
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ROBERTSON: They didn't answer, they drove off giving very, very few details about what they understand the nature of the situation is right
now. But clearly from the police the police now feel that this contact they say that's been made by one of the women is an indication that the
whole family could be in Syria and that's - and that know of course is a concern.
The police say the priority for them at the moment is the children. We spoke to the head teacher at one of the schools where the children come
from and they say that the focus in the community now really is to get those children back home Paula. But we also learnt from the police this
evening that the family - the women may have been under police surveillance already for sometime Paula.
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NEWTON: And Nick, this seems to be a bone of contention with many people. They're suggesting if they were under surveillance they should have known
more but at this point Nick you know what is known about any motives in this situation? You told us yesterday about the family's brother he may
have already been in Syria and asked them to come.
ROBERTSON: That's certainly the pervasive you hear at the moment Paula that the brother is in Syria and that that was the likely draw for the
sisters who were close to him.
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ROBERTSON: What we know from the police and the reason it appears that the - that they were under surveillance already, we know that the police are
investigating this particular brother.
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ROBERTSON: What the police have now said is that in March this year the family went to the airport, Manchester Airport, not far from here planning
to take a pilgrimage flight to Saudi Arabia, pretty much the same as they did just a few weeks ago. But when they went to the airport in March, the
police questioned them, questioned them for quite a long time.
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ROBERTSON: The police say that after questioning they realize that this was - the family was just planning to go on a pilgrimage flight to Saudi
Arabia and that they released them, there was no reason therefore to hold them and that they were free to go. But because the family had missed
their flight they then returned back home here to Bradford without going to Saudi Arabia, and this is the clearest indication that the police
investigating the brother were actually watching the sister's movements at that time, Paula.
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NEWTON: Yes, and unfortunately they are still now abroad and authorities and the families obviously trying to piece together why and if there's any
home that they'll be coming home. Nic Robertson there live for us in Bradford, England. I appreciate it.
Turning now to Eastern Europe where tensions between Russia and the West are ramping up on multiple fronts.
Now today Germany's foreign minister called on Russia to avoid what he called a spiral of escalation with the West. That after Russian President,
Vladimir Putin, pledged to boost his country's nuclear arsenal. And now the U.S. says its considering sending added support to its European allies.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more.
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FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's America's most advanced fighter jet and the stealthy F22 raptor could be heading to Europe
in the future to counter Russian aggression said the head of the U.S. Air Force. "The biggest threat on my mind is what's happening with Russia and
the activities of Russia" Air Force Secretary Debra James said quoted by several publications.
[15:05:21] PLEITGEN: As tensions between Russia and the West mount NATO is changing its posture, showing off its capabilities in maneuvres like
this recent amphibious assault exercise in Sweden involving American forces. And the U.S. is also planning to station weapons including tanks
and fighting vehicles in Eastern European NATO member countries for the first time since the end of the cold war. All this as Russia announced it
will increase its nuclear arsenal by 40 additional missiles.
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: This is something we are addressing and it's also one of the reasons why we now are increasing the
readiness and preparedness of our forces.
PLEITGEN: Some members especially Eastern European nations close to Russia's borders have increased their military spending but not everyone is
equally pitching in with many Western European NATO members still not meeting requirements to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defence.
JONATHAN EYA, INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTTE: There isn't the common perception of what the threat is. For the Eastern
Europeans the threat is existential, it is immediate, it's on their borders. For the West Europeans the threat is still one that is more or
less theoretical.
PLEITGEN: Russian President, Vladimir Putin has warned the west not to build up military capabilities close to its borders.
If someone threatens our territories we will have to aim our arm forces and modern attack capabilities at those who threaten us he said. What else can
we do?
Russia does not currently have a weapon as advanced as the F22. The jets could play a major role if deployed as NATO seeks to ramp up its deterrent
capabilities on its Eastern borders.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, London.
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NEWTON: More heartache tonight from Georgia's flooding disaster. A man has been killed by a white tiger, one of hundreds of animals that got loose
over the weekend in the capital.
Now another tiger is still on the loose officials in the meantime have a message for residents, stay indoors.
Now we just want to warn you that from this report some viewers may find the images quite disturbing.
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NEWTON: The headline seems inconceivable man killed by escaped tiger. This white tiger you see here shot dead by authorities killed a 43 year old
man. Apparently the animal had been hiding in a warehouse and lunged at the victim as he entered with co-workers.
And the nightmare isn't over yet. Police, rifles at the ready, continue to search the capital of Georgia Tbilisi another tiger who could also be
dangerous.
For days now the images have been riveting but also disturbing. Hundreds of rare wild and in some cases dangerous animals have been wandering the
streets. Hippos, lions, tigers, bears and wolves, hundreds of animals escaped when flash flooding hit the zoo last weekend.
Zoo keepers did all they could but most of the zoo was destroyed. Some animals have been recovered but many also died in the floods or were killed
on site by authorities.
And there were still scenes of confusion on city streets Wednesday. Zoo officials had said all dangerous zoo animals had been accounted for but
then said they were mistaken, a tiger could still be out there.
All this after at least 20 people were killed and several still missing in the worse flooding Georgia has seen in decades.
Presidents are trying to piece together their lives and restore the basics to the City but the fate of so many wild animlas has only added to the
misery.
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NEWTON: Terrible evening tonight again in Tbilisi.
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NEWTON: Now, still to come tonight what's next for FIFA's President, Sepp Blatter as Swiss officials investigate corruption allegations. We'll have
an exclusive interview with Switzerland's Attorney General about the legal process they see ahead of football's governing body.
And protestors in Greece are back in the streets as fears of a Grexit grow. We will be speaking to a member of the rulings (inauidible) party. All
that and much more when The World Right Now continues.
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[15:09:51] (BEGIN COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON: Hundreds of men, women and children are streaming across the Turkish border into Syria anxious to get home after their town was
liberated from ISIS.
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NEWTON: Now these refugees are the first to return to Tal Abyad. Kurdish militia captured the border town after days of fierce fighting had sent
more than 23,000 Syrians running for their lives.
Now many fled with little more than clothes on their back. Some were so desperate to escape. You may remember these pictures that they cut a
border fence - cut a hole through a border fence to get into Turkey, and many of them now thankful that they can get back home.
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NEWTON: Now the U.S. Defense Secretary says defeating ISIS in Iraq will require getting more Sunni fighters involved and battle ready.
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NEWTON: Now Ashton Carter says that's why the U.S. decided to send 450 additional military advisors to a base in Iraq's Sunni heartland. He says
intensified efforts to train and equip Sunni fighters are already making a difference but he stresses that Iraq must do a better job bringing them
recruits to train.
ASHTON CARTER, U.S. Defense Secretary: Of the 24,000 Iraqi security forces we had originally envisioned training at our four sites by this fall we've
only received enough recruits to be able to train about 7,000 in addition to 2,000 counter-terrorism service personnel
As I've told Iraqi leaders while the United States is open to supporting Iraq more than we already are we must see a greater commitment from all
parts of the Iraqi Government.
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NEWTON: Our Ben Wedermnn travelled to Al Taqaddum air base today to meet some of the Sunni recruits and their American advisors. He's now back in
Baghdad.
You know Ben I'm glad you got a chance to (inauidible) I'm going to try and park my cyniscism for a minute. We've been here before several years ago
and now even in the last few months we have had a lot of people from the United States from coatolition partners to try to train these forces to
actually be able to fight ISIS on the ground.
From what you saw today can you see a plan there? A strategy? And something changing?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well there does seem to be a strategy in terms of U.S. trainers going to this base Al Taqaddum which is
half way between Fallujah and Ramadi, both cities occupied by ISIS.
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WEDEMAN: The purpose of them going there is to train Sunni militia men, their tribal fighters. And what we saw today was several hundred of these
fighters being graduated. Now they had not been trained by the Americans. We saw just about seven U.S. military advisors there. They kept in the
background, they didn't want to be on camera, they didn't want to be interviewed though we were able to speak with them off camera. And they
explained that what they're doing is training the Iraqi officers who are training the Sunni fighters.
Now this is different from previous training programs that began last year. But certainly if you compare it to the level of U.S. involvement in
training Sunni tribesman as part of this so called awakening councils or (inaudible) it's just a drop in the bucket, the numbers are tiny, the
amount of money being spent to train these fighters is just a drop in the bucket compared to the 2006/2007 surge.
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[15:15:22] WEDEMAN: And what we also heard interestingly at this graduation ceremony was complaints from the Sunni fighters. Many of them
have been training now for four, five, six months and it was only today that they actually got paid one month salary for the first time.
They complained about a lack of decent weapons, a lack of pay. So there seems to be a great distance between the stated desires of the United
States and the government here in Baghdad and what's actually happening on the ground.
Now this is just the beginning. It could change as time goes on but it's off to a fairly modest start, Paula?
NEWTON: Yes and modest is probably not the word they're looking for or what they need on the ground right now in Iraq and it was interesting to
hear Ashton Carter just being absolutely so blunt.
Well, Ben, we're glad we were there, we'll hear more in the coming days about that strategy on the ground there in Iraq. Ben Wederman there for us
in Baghdad.
Now this just in to CNN, ISIS is now claiming responsibility for a series of deadly bombings in Yemen.
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NEWTON: The militants posted a statement online saying their fighters carried out four car bombings in Sanaa today. ISIS says they hit pro-
Houthi targets including two mosques, a political office, and the home of a Houthi cleric, at least 24 people were killed.
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NEWTON: Switzerland's Attorney General says FIFA's President can't be extradicted to the U.S. because he's a Swiss national
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NEWTON: But Michael Lauber tells CNN that Sepp Blatter can be questioned as part of the probe into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 world
cups.
Now FIFA's Secretary General, Jerome Valcke also may face questioning but neither man has yet been charged.
The Swiss Attorney General spoke exclusively to CNN's Alex Thomas.
MICHAEL LAUBER, SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's true that Sepp Blatter is a Swiss national and any of any nationality could be an object of a Swiss
penal investigation independently where it is, where he is, where she is. The thing is just perhaps as a confusion that Switzerland asked the United
States do not extradict people of their own nationality.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Does that mean Sepp Blatter can never be extrtadicted from Switzerland?
LAUBER: He can never be extradited from Switzerland as long as he is in Switzerland as the U.S. never extradite U.S. persons from their own
territory.
THOMAS: How complex is this case?
LAUBER: This case is complex, it's huge.
THOMAS: is it the biggest case you've ever seen?
LAUBER: It's one of the biggest cases I ever seen.
THOMAS: Would you appreciate it if someone came to you privately offering information who's close to the case?
LAUBER: We have also the rules that we can get information from people who really are willing to give us real information. The thing is that we have
different rules, we are perhaps more strict than in the U.S. But if there is anybody out there who wants to give me information and helping me in
this case, we have our rules they are known and I am welcoming any useful information for this case.
THOMAS: What is your message to those people that want to know the truth now?
LAUBER: I also want to know the truth, so let me do my work and if you're anywhere out there think you have to do your own work in helping that sport
stays really sport and stays clean, that's fine, I will be behind you. But let me do my own work because (inaudbile) work is different from other
lobbying work and I think it's complimentary.
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NEWTON: And to underscore there he said it could take years for this investigation to wrap up.
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Coming up all the business news including the Greek Central Bank warns of "uncontrollable chaos if the country defaults." We will speak to an MP
from the ruling (inaudible) party.
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[15:19:26] (BEGIN COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON: And welcome back. We want to tell you what's happening in the business world right now.
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NEWTON: As you can see the stock market up again today, many people waiting for Janet Yellan to speak to speak, you can see that big red dip in
the middle, that was about them waiting. What happened was Janet Yellan, the Head of the U.S. Federal Reserve, saying look there will not be an
interest rate increase and that seemed to (inaudible) the markets.
They kind of new that would happen, they were look to strong hints that she would up interest rates, she did not give that indication.
And as you can see the NASDAQ and the S&P also reacting positively to that news.
The story though somewhat different in Europe. Again some concerns about Greece as you can imagine weighing on the markets. There as you can see
all markets down most significantly there the CAC franc in Paris.
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NEWTON: Now as we were saying anti-austerity protestors have taken to the streets in the Greek capital, Athens as fears grow of a so-called Grexit.
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Now the protestors are supporting Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, who has so far seemed absolutely resistant to concede ground in negotaitions
with creditors. The negotiations are set for Thursday, a little more than a week before Greece is supposed to make a payment to the IMF.
Now today Germany's Foreign Minister urged movement from Greece.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the end the situation remains unchanged, it's not possible without Greece and it's not possible without a significant
movement from Greece.
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NEWTON: Now we want to get a view from the ruling party in Greece, I am joined from Athens by Costas Lapavistas a Syriza MP in the Greek
Parliament.
Thank you so much for joining us. I know you have had those anti-austerity protestors out there, they support your party but there is so much concern
throughout the world right now, your own central bank warning of catastrophic events if Greece defaults and if it leaves the Euro. How will
your party handle that? Can you put a fine point on it and tell us if there will be a deal?
COSTAS LAPAVISTAS, SYRIZA MP: I hope there is a deal but there cannot be any deal and that must be well understood. We cannot possibly accept
further austerity measures.
We've made that very clear from the beginning. We cannot possibly accept more pension cuts, we cannot possibly accept more physical expenditure
reductions, more taxes.
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LAPAVISTAS: This is a disaster for Greece, that's the wrong policy, we cannot accept that. We know it's the wrong policy we've lived through it
for five years.
NEWTON: You've lived through it for five years and we can see there now pictures of the anti-austerity protest which was just wrapping up there,
you did have thousands of people out on the streets but there are many Greeks who are also quite worried tonight. Worried that their pensions are
at risk, that their very way of life is at risk. Are you not worried if there isn't a deal? Do you really think Greece will be better off without
a deal?
LAPAVISTAS: But that's a blackmail. You understand that's blackmail. That's clearly blackmail and it's a blackmail that's been applied to Greece
by creating a liquidity shortage, puytting the banks in a very tight corner and putting the state in a very tight corner and in this way forcing Greece
to accept the terms of the lenders which we know are wrong. We know they're deadly. They're trying to impose on Greece more austerity.
Austerity has not worked in Greece, Greece needs a different policy, it needs a change in policy expansion, it needs reductions in debt, it needs a
policy of investment. It's obvious, this is firstly macro-economics. And (inaudible), the insttituions whatever you're going to call them are
imposing the opposite policy.
NEWTON: But your opponents would tell you that look you are putting Greece on the line here and by being so unreasonable, that's the European Union's
words, they're saying your being irresponsible and unreasonable by not having a deal on the table right now. Do you foresee anything changing
with your party's position, your government's position in the next few hours, in the next few days?
[15:25:00] LAPAVISTAS: We are - we are irresponsible and unreasonable, I don't think so. We were elected on a very clear ticket of lifting
austerity the Greek people voted for it. In the course of these negotiations we've accepted a number of different positions and we've
backed them. Now the lenders have not backed down on anything. They're basically demanding cuts, austerity, the same policies that were applied to
Greece and ruined it for five years. We're not unreasoanable, we're very reasonable. A lot of Syriza MPs look at our Government's latest proposals
and they're very, very suspicious because they recognize that they're a major retreat.
So we are not unreasonable, it's the lenders who are blackmailing us and we know that we cannot give into this blackmail. The Greek people don't want
us to.
NEWTON: But actually I have to challenge you on that. You say the Greek people don't want that but the majority, a vast majority of Greek people
want to reamin in the European Union and now you have a majority of Germans, a slim majority saying they don't mind if Greece exits. Does this
not worry you that your people, the people you represent, want to stay within the European Union?
LAPAVISTAS: It worries me greatly that the predicament of the country is so bad and so poor. It worries me greatly about that. It worries me
greatly that the Greek people want to stay in the Euro, want to stay in the Eurozone and in the European Union but the terms that they're being offered
for that are so atrocious.
So what is to be done? I mean the people want to stay in the Euro but they don't want more austerity either. They want both, or they don't want both.
So .
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NEWTON: Well and this has been - this has been a problem that you and - this has been a problem you and Europe have not been able to solve, we'll
see if anything changes at the table tomorrow and in the coming days. We thank you for your time and we will check in with you again.
LAPAVISTAS: I don't expect that there will be a solution, I don't expect that there will be a solution tomorrow.
NEWTON: That's not the - that's not the news anyone around the world wants to hear. You just expect it to fail then tomorrow?
LAPAVISTAS: I see no reason to be hopeful for the - for a result in the meeting tomorrow. I see no real reason to be hopeful. I mean we can all
be optimistic without reason but I see no real reason to be optimistic. I hope some sense prevails and this sense must prevail in Brussels and in
Berlin in the first place. Not in Athens. Athens has backed down time and time again. We might not have handled everything the best possible way but
when you look at what we're actually saying you will see very clearly who is retreating. The bad economics, the terrible policies are offered by the
lenders.
NEWTON: OK.
LAPAVISTAS: Europe has gone mad. Europe
(CROSSTALK)
NEWTON: And we, and unfortunately we .
LAPAVISTAS: . the money policies at the moment it's just crazy.
NEWTON: Unfortunately we will have to leave it there for now. We will continue to await to see what the results are tomorrow. Thanks so much for
your insights it's appreciated.
LAPAVISTAS: Thank you very much.
NEWTON: And we will be right back with more just after this.
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[15:32:23] PAULA NEWTON, HOST, AND CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back. This is what's happening in the world right now.
British police say one of three sisters missing in the Middle East has made contact with relatives in the U.K. They say the information suggests the
women and their nine children may have entered Syria. The extended family never returned home after a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Police in Georgia's capital have shot and killed a white tiger that escaped from the zoo inundated by flood waters over the weekend. Now, officials
say the tiger attacked and killed a man in a Tbilisi warehouse. The zoo says another tiger remains missing. It's unable to determine if the animal
died in the flooding or it's still on the loose.
Law enforcement officials in the United States of - in the U.S. state of New York - say they are expanding the search area in the hunt for two
escaped prisoners. Now, search teams have already covered some 4,000 hectares with no sign of the two men since their escape on June 6th.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has left its interest rate unchanged at near zero, describing the U.S. economy as moderate. Now, it hinted that interest
rates could rise in September, if the economy continues to improve. The Fed slashed those rates to near zero percent in 2008.
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CNN FREEDOM PROJECT
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NEWTON: Now, E.U. foreign ministers have failed to reach an agreement on how to confront the migrant crisis lapping at their shores. Tens of
thousands of migrants have flooded into Italy this year, many of them children traveling alone. And this week, our Nima Elbagir reported on what
happens to Egyptian young people when they end up in Rome.
For (ph) CNNs Freedom Project - our mission to highlight the plight of trafficked people around the world. Nima discovered that young Egyptians
often get duped by human traffickers in their search for a better life.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): He never stole. He never worked in smuggling or any of these things. They told him come work for ten days'
fishing and come back. And, since September and up to this moment, this fire is burning us. We can't eat, drink or rest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, in the third part of our exclusive series, Nima investigates how Egyptian children fall victim to exploitation in Rome and how some are
trying to help.
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NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A man approaches a boy for sex at a train station - two boys holding drugs for criminal gangs.
These are just a few of the stories of children exploited and trafficked for criminal gain right here in the heart of Rome.
Rome's Termini Station is one of the country's main rail terminals. This is where thousands of illegal, migrant children arrive, desperate to make
money however they can. We've been directed here by local contacts who tell us the boys work the corners on the streets outside. As we drive past
the phone que, we see a group of Egyptian kids approached by an Italian man.
Further down the streets, other Egyptian kids are looking around. They seem to be on the look-out. We watch as money and something is exchanged.
It's broad daylight, and we are right in the center of Rome. And, yet, groups of boys were clustered together. We saw them in a known pick-up
location. As soon as they saw the camera, they disappeared.
One of the boys later agreed to talk to us. He is one of the thousands of Egyptian children that have disappeared out of the Italian care system.
For his safety, we've disguised his identity and his voice. He calls the sex trafficking and drug selling he and some of his friends are involved
with the illegal stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The illegal stuff - that's the easiest, and not just here in Rome, but across the country. A friend who
will be working in these kind of things will tell you - come, I'll help you, and he'll take you with him.
ELBAGIR: I asked if it's hard living this way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, but what are the options? Our parents spent thousands to get us here. We have to pay it back.
ELBAGIR: Table football, ping pong - pretty typical teenage pursuits. But this isn't your usual, local youth center. Beshifcazera (ph) center is
refuge for these unaccompanied children. It's somewhere where they can have a meal, meet friends, perhaps even remember how to be children again,
if only for a little while.
We come to Rome as part of an investigation, retracing the steps of these unaccompanied Egyptian children arriving in Italy in the thousands.
Tayavanti (ph) Italian law, which allows children smuggled here to remain in country legally. Impoverished Egyptian parents are paying thousands of
dollars for the mirage of a better life.
The lucky few stay in the Italian government-run children's homes, but thousands of others disappear, making their way to the big cities.
CARLOTTA BELLINI, HEAD OF CHILD PROTECTION, SAVE THE CHILDREN, ITALY: They are ready to do whatever they can to earn money. And this means very often
exploitation. Unfortunately, they found another alternative, which was prostitution. So, (INAUDIBLE), they were exploited or they thought that
this was the only option available to again (ph) earn (ph) money and send them back for the family.
Very often we have heard children crying and saying they didn't want to come. They didn't want to stay. They would love to go back to their
families, to their country.
ELBAGIR: Howard (ph) works for Save the Children. He translates for the kids, helps them understand the system, listens to their story.
HOWARD (ph), SAVE THE CHILDREN WORKER (through translator): The family, anyway (ph), is not really - they don't care for (INAUDIBLE) civilians.
They care only for the money that arrives there. They don't ask how did you get the money. They don't ask about nothing. And, even, I've seen
(INAUDIBLE) kids in the country this guys are meeting (ph) something illegal, I don't think they will mind. They will say OK. Keep (ph)
sending me money - never mind.
ELBAGIR: Emmanuel Fattori is the chief of police in Rome's Termini Station. He's seen some of the worst of child exploitation up close - sex
trafficking, drug selling, even robbery. For the gangs, children, he says, are an invaluable asset.
EMMANUEL FATTORI, HEAD OF RAILWAY POLICE, TERMINI STATION (through translator): They use children under the age of 14 because, according to
Italian law, they cannot be taken to trial.
ELBAGIR: Fattori and his team have found cases of children whose parents pay for them to be smuggled into Italy, who are then trafficked by the very
same criminal networks, specifically for the purpose of committing these crimes. But his jurisdiction is limited to this station.
FATTORI (through translator): We need to fight more decisively the abandonment of the children by the parents.
ELBAGIR: But the parents, of course, are far, far away. And whether they don't know the truth or don't care, the tide of children flooding Italian
shores flows on unchecked, bringing with it lost childhoods and young lives destroyed, perhaps beyond repair.
Nima Elbagir, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, to learn more about the plight of Egyptian migrants, go to our Web site, cnnfreedomproject@cnn.com/freedom.
Now, Pope Francis is wading into the global debate over climate change. The pontiff is said to release a landmark letter to the world's Roman
Catholic bishops, pins the blame for global warming directly on humans.
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POPE FRANCIS, SOVEREIGN AD VITAM OF THE VATICAN CITY STATE (through translator): Tomorrow, as you are aware, the encyclical will be published
on the care of the common, which is creation. This, our home, is being ruined and damaged, and it's affecting all of us, especially the poor.
And, so, mine is an appeal to the responsibility on the basis of the task that God has entrusted to men in creation to cultivate and to guard the
garden where God has placed men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, Pope Francis' letter on climate change, known as an encyclical, is being called the most historic papal letter written in
decades, as the pontiff tries to influence a key U.N. climate conference later this year.
Now, skeptics and conservatives are already denouncing his views. Here's CNNs Delia Gallagher.
(BEGN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT (ph): It's called "laudato si" or praised be on the care of our common home, Pope Francis'
encyclical on the moral aspects of climate change and protecting the environment.
Church leaders say that this is the first time the release of a papal encyclical has been so anticipated. A Brazilian climate change group even
created an epic, theatrical trailer for the pope's words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on trailer footage): If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us. Time to take out the trash.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on trailer footage): Pontiff (ph) fighting for God's creation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: What exactly is an encyclical? It's the most authoritative teaching document a pope can issue and signifies a high priority issue for
the pope. It's usually written for Catholic clergy and lay people, although Pope Francis has said that his encyclical is addressed to
everyone, religious or not.
Encyclicals aren't infallible, but they're not just the pope's opinion either.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE FRANCIS (no translator)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: And Catholics are called to take them seriously. Pope Francis is not the first pope to express concern about the environment. Pope Paul
the sixth (ph), back in 1971, talked about the exploitation and degradation of nature by man. John Paul the second (ph) and Pope Benedict have also
added their voices to the topic.
But Francis is the first pope ever to dedicate an entire encyclical to ecological concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH, U.S REPUBLICATION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't economic policy from my - from my bishops or my cardinals or from my pope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: A move which has worried conservatists, who fear it will be seen as an endorsement of a liberal agenda on climate change and population
control and be bad news for big business and oil.
As the first pope from the developing world, Pope Francis' emphasis is on the connection between the destruction of the earth's resources and its
impact on the poor. The timing of the document's release is also significant, coming the same year as United Nations climate change
conference in Paris this December.
With the pope's popularity, this encyclical will be a milestone that places the Roman Catholic Church at the forefront of one of the major scientific
and moral issues of our times.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So, why is the pope making this announcement right now? Ivan Cabrera joins us from the World Weather center and, Ivan, it's all - of
course, highly controversial, especially because of the kind of debate he's wading into here.
IVAN CABRERA, BROADCAST METEOROLOGIST, CNN WORLD WEATHER CENTER: Yes, and I always think, my goodness, it really shouldn't be controversial. But
this is the world we live in here. And I think for him now because of what we have going on in December.
We have the (INAUDIBLE) conference that's gonna be coming up, so it's pertinent that, I guess, he does it now here. But I think it's something
he's been thinking about and struggling with for a very long time, because this displaces - that is climate change - affects all of us here, but
primarily those who are most vulnerable here - those that can't defend themselves from effects of climate change.
Ninety-seven percent of the displacement that occurs from climate change, whether you're talking about drought, whether you're talking about floods
or hurricanes, occurs in developing countries here, Asia being the worst affected - upwards of 81 percent of the global total there in Asia.
And you also have more population - you get more population exposed to the climate change, whether it be drought and again or floods, and you have a
very highly vulnerable population here. So I think for him it goes to the heart of that here.
And, by the way, we're not doing good at all. Look at the global, monthly CO2 trend. This is one of the greenhouse gases here that contributes to
climate change. And that just continues to up. You can see the trend here - just from 2011 up to 2015. And that has been a problem that has been
ongoing.
We had the event that we had with China. We had that resolution that with President Obama (INAUDIBLE) we're making some strides here. But we really
have to get moving quickly on the renewables and on to get things going here, because it is not looking good as far as what we see.
The evidence is already here. We have significant droughts. This is not something that you have to think about that's in the abstract. We have
lost thousands of people in droughts and in floods that are heavily tied to - very strongly tied to evidence of climate change of heavy rains, of
course, and the flooding that comes from more and more (ph) storms.
Paula.
NEWTON: Well, an incredibly complicated issue that he's wading into here.
CABRERA: Absolutely.
NEWTON: We'll see what the reaction is tomorrow. Ivan, thanks, (INAUDIBLE) appreciate it.
Now, up next, Russia is set to boost its nuclear arsenal. But major western powers are slashing in the same time their military budgets. We'll
break down the numbers for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:46:25] NEWTON: Turning now to Eastern Europe where tensions between Russia and the West are ramping up on multiple fronts. Today, Germany's
foreign minister called on Russia to avoid what he called a spiral of escalation with the West. That, after Russian President, Valdimir Putin,
pledged to boost his country's nuclear arsenal. Putin says he has no option but to defend Russia's borders against so-called aggressors.
Now, the Russian leader came (ph) back in response to possible American plans to ramp up weaponry in Eastern Europe. The U.S. may be poised to
send a new, cutting-edge fighter jet in additional support to its allies in the region.
When it comes to military hardware, President Putin is putting his money where his mouth is. Now, take a look at this. It shows military spending
as a percentage of GDP. You can clearly see that Russian spending, shown in red here, has consistently risen in recent years. That, as military
spending by the U.S. and the U.K., shown here in blue and green respectively, has actually declined.
Now, my next guest is a man with grave concerns about Russia's rising military spendings - someone who calls cuts to the military budget here in
the U.K. quote, "madness." And I'm joined live now by Admiral Lord Alan West. He's the former minister of security and counterterrorism. The
admiral also led the naval staff here in the U.K. And, Admiral West, I thank you for joining us this evening.
Much of this rhetoric making many people nervous on Europe. I'm sure you would say with good reason.
But, you know, you're really thinking at this point in time - can you explain why it's a critical time, you think, for the U.K. and its allies to
not shy away from that military spending - to go big on the military assets that you feel they're gonna need for some reason.
ADMIRAL LORD ALAN WEST, FORMER MINISTER FOR SECURITY AND COUNTERTERRORISM, U.K.: Well, I think - good evening, first of all. I think Putin is very
much a revisionist. He believes in spheres of interest. And he understands things in the old way people understood things.
He looks at people he sees as opposition and looks at how they spend. And he sees a Western Europe and a U.K. that is cutting its spending. And he
thinks, ah, well they don't mean very seriously to do the things they say they're going to do. He's wrong.
But it's very, very dangerous. And one of the great joys of military forces - it stops wars. That's one of the best and most important things
about them. And it is extremely worry - I was chief of defense intelligence for three years, and I used to monitor countries around the
world and look at their expenditure.
Russia is a basket case economically and yet he's increased the spending on his nuclear triad by 42 percent. He's increased his spending on his
conventional weapons by about 25 percent. And, yet, financially, the country is - is in a mess. The way he's spending, that is like war
economy.
NEWTON: Sorry, (INAUDIBLE) I don't mean to interrupt you, but to what end? We've seen a lot of the spending. We've seen a lot of the rhetoric. Why
do you think he's doing this? Do you really think he means to threaten Europe or its allies?
WEST: I think he believes he should have spheres of interest. We've seen the fact that he - he wants really to be able to arbitrate and control what
happens in the Ukraine. He didn't want it as an independent and separate country.
I must admit I think it was stupid that some people in the West talked about it being a member of NATO. That was not clever. I think we've
handled the crisis badly. He also thinks the Baltic States are his sphere of interest.
But, of course, they are actually NATO countries. And his hybrid warfare - this technique of using cyber (ph) or actually fomenting trouble with his
minorities there - of letting people go in there in - not in his Russian uniforms and in other uniforms, as he's done in the Ukraine. It's highly
dangerous.
He's also doing lots of near misses with aircraft. He's sending ships out in a way that they used to in the Cold War, close to our coast, close to
our submarine bases. I don't believe for a moment he wants a major war. But I think he's being very, very foolhardy, and things can happen by
accident. And he's talked loosely of using tactical nuclear weapons. What an extraordinary thing to say. I mean, it is very, very dangerous
rhetoric.
NEWTON: OK. But he - he has also said that it would be ridiculous that they would ever use any of that. He -he has said that for anyone in the
West to think that, you know, they're sitting there thinking about how to attack using nuclear weapons as an attack is ridiculous.
But, I wanna ask you - it's - what - in response to all of your concerns, what do you want Europe, but (ph) the U.K. specifically, to do - to fund
another Cold War?
WEST: No, no, not at all. I mean, I think what we should - there are - there are several strands. One of the ones is I think we haven't dealt
with Ukraine very well - the whole issue there. I think the way we responded initially was very poor - both the U.S., ourselves and - and the
E.U. And I think we need to think very hard about how we can try and get ourselves out of the mess we're in with that.
We need to make it very clear that the Baltic states and Poland are very much member states of NATO. We need to show that we've got resolve in
terms of ensuring that we're not going keep reducing weapons - reducing armaments - but that we're gonna ensure we're adequately armed, because, as
I say, having weapons stops wars.
As a classic case, in the Falklands, we withdrew HMS Endurance for a saving of 16 million pounds. We know now, having looked at all the intelligence,
having looked at things that happened in the Argentine, that was the thing that prompted them to invade, as we have no interest there, they said.
That finally cost us six billion rather than 16 million and 300 dead men.
That is - that is what, you know, being properly armed does. It stops wars. And I believe we've gone too far down the route of -
NEWTON: Yes.
WEST: - getting rid of equipment - showing we're not really interested.
NEWTON: Right.
WEST: You need to have soft power and hard power, only let the hard power dwindle.
NEWTON: Yes, and, Admiral West, I know you're making eloquently the case that we are neglecting the lessons that we have learned in history. I
appreciate you time tonight, and we look forward to talking to you again in the future. This is an issue that won't go away.
WEST: Thank you very much.
NEWTON: Now, coming up, we'll introduce you to the guy who's taking the wheel at "Top Gear." Can he beat Jeremy Clarkson's record? More on Chris
Evans - that guy - up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:51:06] NEWTON: Now the wildly popular TV show, "Top Gear." And the new host, British broadcaster, Chris Evans, takes over from the disgraced
Jeremy Clarkson, who was fired after punching a producer. Now, under Clarkson, the show, about obsessive car lovers, became a cultural
phenomenon.
Now, the BBC says "Top Gear" draws an estimated audience of - wait for it - of 350 million people worldwide. Now, "Top Gear" has been sold to 214
territories and some versions, even of their own presenters.
Now, the show has nearly 15 million Facebook fans and four million people use topgear.com every month. Now, big shoes for the new presenter to fill,
as you can see there. So, who exactly is Chris Evans? Our Carol Jordan has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL JORDAN, EDITORIAL SUPERVISOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL, (ph), LONDON: It's one of the most-watched programs in the world, and now "Top Gear" has a new
presenter. Television veteran, Chris Evans, - no, not this one - has just been handed one of the biggest roles in television, taking over from a
controversial but hugely successful presenting team led by one of the show's founders, Jeremy Clarkson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY CLARKSON, FOUNDER AND PRESENTER, "TOP GEAR": (INAUDIBLE) good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JORDAN: Clarkson was dropped from the show earlier this year after a physical altercation with one of his staff. And speculation has been
raging ever since about who might take his place and whether the show could even continue without him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARKSON: Change gears (ph), change gears, change gears. Check your mirror.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JORDAN: On Tuesday, Evans himself tweeted the news about his new role - a statement saying that he was thrilled while he played honors (ph) to
Clarkson and his team. He might not be Captain America, but Evans is huge in the U.K., hosting top-rated shows since the early 1990s.
He became famous for his edgy presenting style, controversial gag (ph) and distinctive red hair. He also became a major player in the world of media,
owning his own production company and radio station.
But it hasn't all been bright lights and big pay checks. By 2001, accusations of heavy partying led to his sacking as a breakfast DJ. His
most successful TV show, "TFI Friday," have already been cancelled, and it looks as though Evans had been cast out to TV wilderness.
But in 2010, the BBC took a risk on Evans, handing him the hugely important radio breakfast show slot, and he repaid them by amassing more than nine
million daily listeners. The same year he returned to television presenting, and his career took off again.
An avid lover of cars, he had initially denied that he was an option for replacing Clarkson. But it looks like the lure of presenting one of the
world's biggest shows has proved difficult to resist.
Carol Jordan, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And this has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Thanks for watching. "Quest Means Business" is straight ahead.
END
