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Russia Willing To Help Investigate Nerve Agent Attack; South Korean P.M. Visits U.S. Ahead Of Trump-Kim Talks; Undocumented Migrants Flee U.S. Agents Die In Crash; Undocumented Immigrants Going Underground; U.K. Prime Minister At Location of Nerve Agent Attack; Teenager Aims For Early Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired March 15, 2018 - 08:00   ET

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


[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, and welcome to News Stream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Locked in a bitter battle, Russia considers retaliation after the U.K. puts out 23 Russian diplomats. The legacy of the Syrian War seven

years on, hundreds of thousands are dead, millions displaced. And this pet grew to be a headache for United Airlines. We'll tell you why.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: New developments this hour as tensions escalate between Russia and Britain. Russia's Foreign Minister says British diplomats will

absolutely be expelled after the U.K. announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats.

But the Kremlin says it is the Russian President who will make the final decision on any retaliation. Moscow also says it is willing to work with

British authorities to investigate the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England, but says London refuses to cooperate, and hasn't

shared data with them.

Britain's Foreign Secretary meanwhile says the Russian President is sending a warning to his countryman. Boris Johnson says the use of a Russian made

never agent against Sergei Skripal and his daughter on British soil is Putin's way of saying if you defect, you die.

We're covering this from all angles. CNN's Melissa Bell is in Salisbury, in the South of England. But first, let's go to Moscow where Fred Pleitgen

has more on the Russian response. And, Fred, the Kremlin remains defiant. It is now considering how it will retaliate, and waiting for what Putin

will order to do next. Will Russia soon expel British diplomats?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean it seems as though we're inching closer at least as far as the information that we're getting

from the Kremlin, and also from other Russian authorities as well, Kristie, as to what exactly they're going to do.

You've mentioned some of the thing with Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister saying yes, the Russians are going to kick British diplomats out of Russia.

They say it's going to be announced soon. They also say that they're actually going to announce it straight to the Brits before going to the

media.

It was one of the swipes that they took at London where they said look, the Brits came out, they announced this publicly before actually talking to the

Russians. The Russian are not going to do that.

They're going to inform the British government, and then they are going to make the information public. What's unclear, Kristie, is how many

diplomats they intend to kick out. And then also, what other measures they are going to talk.

Of course, the Brits took more measures than just kicking out diplomats. They also stalled bilateral relations for a while. They cancelled a visit

by Sergey Lavrov that was supposed to happen to London, after of course Boris Johnson was here in Moscow earlier in 2017.

So there's a flurry of measures that we can expect from the Russian Foreign Ministry in retaliation. And you're right, Kristie, they absolutely remain

defiant.

They are very critical of the way that the Brits are conducting themselves, and they say that all of this is being conducted in an ideological manner,

except -- especially the fact that the Russians say they still have not received any of the data that they want of that alleged nerve agent that

was used in Salisbury. Let's listen in to what Maria Zakharova, the Spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said just a couple of hours ago.

Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA ZAKHAROVA, SPOKESWOMAN, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY (through a translator): Do you think anyone except the British authorities receive

these data? No one did. How can we show solidarity with what we do not know anything about, since we do not have any original data? This is just

science fiction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: You heard her use the word solidarity there a couple of in that soundbite, Kristie, that's because obviously a lot of European nations and

the United States have shown solidarity with the Brits.

The Russians are saying they believe that's purely for ideological reasons, and not because that close countries know more than anybody else knows.

So as you can see, all of this is ramping up, and we can see that. I wouldn't want to call it a war of words at this point, but certainly a

standoff escalating rather than deescalating in these hours. Kristie.

LU STOUT: The standoff is escalating. Let's go now from Fred Pleitgen there in Moscow to Melissa standing by in Salisbury. And, Melissa, when

the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says this is just science fiction, what's the reality on the ground there? Were the investigations still

underway?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here the investigation continues of course 12 days on as you say, Kristie. But the British have been very

adamant about what's going on here.

We've heard those exact statements from Theresa May to the House of Commons. And of course, Porton Down, where these elements were examined,

where British scientists determined that this was a Russian nerve agent.

There were only two ways it could have gotten into the U.K., either through state-sponsored involvement, or because it had gotten into the wrong hands.

[08:05:02] But it had to have been born in Russia. It was of course determined only about 10 miles from here, that Porton Down facility, and

one of the U.K.'s most important science -- defense science and technology labs.

So surely here in Salisbury, we're expecting the British Prime Minister Theresa May to make a visit. You can see here the press are lining up to

see the Prime Minister, who's here are the Guildhall in the middle of Salisbury any minute now.

And lots of people have turned up as well to see the British Prime Minister, to hear from her. There's still a great deal of concern here in

Salisbury about what contamination there may have been, what the dangers are, and a number of locals have told me that this is really a ghost town

compared to what it normally is at this time of day on a weekday.

And of course, we're only few yards really from where all of this happened, a number of locations in the town of course remain sealed off, including

the restaurant where the Skripals had lunch, including the pub where they stopped to have a drink, and the parking lot where they may have been

contaminated.

But really beyond that timeline, for the time being, the public really has very little to go on in terms of finding out exactly where the

investigation is, and precisely how, and where they might have been contaminated. Kristie.

LU STOUT: So many questions remain unanswered. Melissa Bell there at Salisbury. Let's take you back to Fred Pleitgen in Moscow. And, Fred,

domestic politics, because that's -- that's a little bit of a driving force here.

You know, Vladimir Putin, he'd got these elections happening this weekend. He's going to score certain victory in that presidential election on

Sunday. Is this standoff with Britain just boosting his political appeal even more?

PLEITGEN: Well, it certainly is. And it's interesting, Kristie, because on the one hand, yes, it is boosting his political appeal here at home.

Obviously many Russians are now behind Vladimir Putin as he's in a standoff with western nations.

At the same time though, the Russian authorities, Russian politics are saying well, why would the Russians do this right ahead of an election? Of

course, they say on the face of it, Russia does not want any sort of standoff with western nations, with the Brits so shortly before an

election.

Any sort of international turmoil would not be something that the Russians want, but at the same time of course, this confrontation is something that

does pick Russia against the west, and that is a narrative, really, if you will of the past couple of years of Vladimir Putin's presidency, and won

that has made him stronger over the past couple of years.

If you look for instance, the crisis in Crimea, after that happened -- after the annexation of Crimea, also the crisis in the Donbass, as well, in

Ukraine, and Syria, where Russia was essentially pitted against the west.

All of those had moved to make Vladimir Putin stronger, boost his approval ratings and that certainly something that's happening ahead of Sunday's

election as well, where as you said the result is almost a foregone conclusion. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Fred Pleitgen reporting live for us from Moscow. Melissa Bell reporting live for us from Salisbury. A big thank you to you both.

So the diplomatic rile between Downing Street and the Kremlin is escalating. Let's go to CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic

Robertson who joins us live from London. Nic, this is indeed a showdown between the Russia and the U.K. triggered by that poison attack in

Salisbury. Why would Russia do this in Britain and why now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Perhaps only Russia has the answer to that. But I think what's interesting here is how quickly

the sort of international allies of the U.K. have -- have stood up, and said, yes, we support you in this assessment.

I was just listening to the Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General answering reporters questions about, and he was asked by a Russian

reporter, you know, about NATO's support statements saying that they support the British assessment despite the fact that they -- according to

this Russian reporter, there was some factual inaccuracy in NATO's statement.

And he said look, I can't go into the intelligence information behind this, it was in essence in what he said at the end. But we trust the British

assessment, and we believe it to be accurate.

We heard from the British Defense Secretary today saying that Russia is ripping up the international rule book. We heard from the White House

yesterday -- sorry, the British Defense Security today, and the White House yesterday.

Russia has a disregard into the international-based rules order. So it really isn't at the moment now just between Russia and Britain.

LU STOUT: Yes.

ROBERTSON: This is something where Britain and its allies beat them in Europe, Theresa May has been on the phone with President Emmanuel Macron

from France today, again he offered his support. He said that he trust the British assessment so far.

So this is in essence Britain being -- and what's happened in Britain, they are catalyst it appears, and this is certainly what Britain hopes that it

being catalyst to swing international support behind them and their position from allies who see that Russia's action over the past number of

years is out with their tolerance.

And this in a way, not a last straw, but it brings issues to ahead. So I think this diplomatic spat that we're seeing, if Britain has it its way

with its allies and verbally it seems they have the support so far that this would develop into a stronger more unified international position

isolating Russia.

[08:10:11] LU STOUT: Britain is retaliating. It wants support of its international allies. It's getting that verbal support so far. We also

saw that play out overnight at a U.N. Security Council meeting.

We heard very strong words from the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley who called the poisoning in Salisbury, this atrocious crime. But this is

the U.N. Security Council. Russia has permanent seat there. Russia has veto power. So was that just talk?

ROBERTSON: Yes. It's talk. At the moment that's all it is, is talk. But it's Britain being able to raise the issue at the sort of highest

diplomatic forum in the world for dialog. Interestingly, Theresa May was asked a question yesterday in the House of Parliament after she made her

statement.

And she was asked a question, you know, what can be done at the United Nations about this? And Theresa May actually said, well, you know, we're

limited because there's always going to be one country, Russia, that's going to veto us.

So you know, the idea that this U.N. Security Council is really a place where this issue can be resolved, it isn't. It's a place where Britain

believes it will get an airing that its allies will speak up for it, and that other countries can begin to draw their own conclusions, and hopefully

from Britain's point of view support them.

LU STOUT: Nic Robertson reporting live for us. Thank you for that analysis, Nic. And now to Washington in a disturbing admission from

President Donald Trump, a new report by the Washington Post says during a closed door fund raiser, the President admitted to making up facts in a

meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister. This all comes as sources saying Mr. Trump is getting to a clean house in this administration. Abby Phillip

reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Washington Post reporting that President Trump admitted to making up facts at a meeting with Canadian

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while recounting this familiar story.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He said, no, no, you have a trade surplus. I said, no, we don't. He said, no, no, you have a trade

surplus. I said, Mr. Prime Minister, we do not.

PHILLIP: The Post reports that Mr. Trump added a new anecdote last night, telling the crowd that he made the claim, which turned out to be false,

without even knowing if it was accurate.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We've consistently been, you know, positive, and contributing in a meaningful way at the NAFTA table.

We're looking for solutions for paths forward.

PHILLIP: The president also blasting a number of America's closest allies, including South Korea, accusing them of only caring about themselves on

trade.

The Post reports that Mr. Trump seemed to threaten to pull U.S. troops stationed in South Korea if he didn't get what he wanted on trade. The

veiled threat coming hours before a South Korean delegation arrived in Washington to discuss a potential meeting with North Korean dictator Kim

Jong-un.

TRUMP: We've had a problem for years with North Korea. Let's see what happens.

PHILLIP: President Trump's new chief economic advisor, Media Analyst Larry Kudlow, will soon join the White House despite opposing Trump's tariffs

plan.

TRUMP: We don't agree on everything. But in this case, I think that's good. He now has come around to believing in tariffs as also a negotiating

point.

PHILLIP: Kudlow's appointment comes as one official says the president has been complaining that his cabinet has fallen well short of his

expectations, and that he wants to purge the dead weight.

Sources tell CNN that Mr. Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with at least two embattled cabinet members, V.A. Secretary David Shulkin and

Housing Secretary Ben Carson. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos also causing alarm after failing to answer basic questions about schools in recent

interviews.

LESLEY STAHL, JOURNALIST, 60 MINUTES: Have public schools in Michigan gotten better?

BETSY DEVOS, EDUCATION SECRETARY: I don't know overall. I can't say overall that they have all gotten better. I have not intentionally visited

schools that are underperforming.

PHILLIP: Anxiety is growing in the West Wing over additional departures as new documents obtained by CNN now directly link another Trump Organization

employee with efforts to silence Stormy Daniels about her alleged affair with the president.

The documents show that Jill Martin, a senior lawyer with Mr. Trump's company, filed an arbitration document against Daniels last month.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: That was CNN's Abby Phillip reporting. When asked by CNN about the documents Martin said that she was working in a private capacity on

behalf of Cohen's attorney Lawrence Rosen. Today, President Trump will meet with Ireland's Prime Minister as well as Bill Gates.

Now, South Korea's Foreign Minister arrives in Washington today, despite President Trump's firing of Rex Tillerson. And with Tillerson out, we have

learned that Kang Kyung-wha will now meet with the Deputy Secretary of State and first daughter Ivanka Trump during her three-day visit.

For the latest, David McKenzie joins now live from Seoul. And, David, again, South Korea's Chief Diplomat in D.C. despite the firing of

Tillerson, is Seoul seeking assurances from the Trump administration that they are ready for those talks with Pyongyang?

[08:15:07] DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly the time is running out because you've got the summit meeting expected in May to April,

perhaps between Moon Jae-in, the head -- President of South Korea and Kim Jong-un.

So they have to brief the Americans on that, and of course see what is feasible with the meeting -- proposed meeting between Donald Trump and Kim

himself.

So they can't really wait for the chaos to subside at the State Department with a new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo coming in at some point to the

Foreign Minister on departing here in Seoul said that they need to keep the momentum going on these talks, possibly happening very soon, just around

the corner, in fact.

And also at they can't really depend on any one individual. That individual leadership is important, but it's the groups they're dealing,

what the countries they're dealing with, which is ultimately important.

Probably a positive spin there from the Foreign Minister, but they've got to keep moving with this because the clock is ticking. Kristie.

LU STOUT: The clock is ticking. And meanwhile, the North Korean Foreign Minister is on his way to Sweden, is this paving the way for that again,

expected summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un?

MCKENZIE: We don't know just yet. But it is a very interesting move on that he is on rare trip out of the country, and that the Foreign Minister

is having these talks, and that it's in Sweden because, of course, Sweden represents the diplomatic interests of the U.S. and other countries in

Pyongyang.

So one can read that this is significant, and the Prime Minister of Sweden has told the local press there that he would be willing to host such a

summit.

So it might start to answer the question where the summit happens, but it's too early to tell. We still don't know all the details, and we haven't

heard much if anything at all publicly from the North Koreans yet. Kristie.

LU STOUT: David McKenzie live in Seoul for us. Thank you very much indeed. Now in Washington, the wrangling over immigration is no closer to

being settled, but undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are not taking any chances. Some are choosing to flee federal agents and go underground.

Their story, next.

And students in the United States are taking on the gun control debate by marching out of their classrooms, and declaring their right to be safe from

gun violence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is News Stream. The Trump administration's immigration crackdown is raising fears

among undocumented migrants.

In California, a man and a woman were killed in a crash while trying to flee from federal agents. And immigration spokeswoman says the man in the

car fit the description of another person they were searching for.

[08:20:03] When agents tried to stop the couple's car, they sped off and crashed in a power pole. Now others in California are also turning to

extreme measures to escape the feds. Kyung Lah has more in this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We can't show you where we are, or who lives behind this door because the family in this apartment in California is on

the run from immigration and customs enforcement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since my mom's status here isn't safe, then we had to just pack everything up. Everything else was just left behind.

LAH: Off the grid since last year say these two girls, both citizens born in the U.S., both in high school. ICE deported their father for illegally

crossing the border. Their mother overstayed a tourist visa, and is also undocumented. The girls feared their mother was next. What's happened

since then, when you have to pack, and then leave?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We became homeless for five months. We moved schools. We went somewhere else. We had to leave the city. We were

sleeping from house to house, anywhere we could find.

LAH: Then they heard about an interfaith network of religious groups, pledging to resist Trump's immigration policy by hiding them in safe

houses, even in spare rooms of congregants' homes. The network estimates dozen are being hidden at any one time. It connected the family to this

Jewish woman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I grew up in a time when the holocaust was not so far behind me.

LAH: She signed for the apartment, a cover for the family she's protecting. Do you hear the echoes of history here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hundred percent. I think there's a strong feeling in the Jewish community that we cannot let this happen. It's our

responsibility. What was done to us cannot happen to other people.

LAH: This is technically aiding and abetting somebody who is here undocumented.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't see it that way. I see it as taking a step to help someone who is in need, to help a family in need of support.

LAH: It's just a big sigh of relief says the girls' mother. What happens to me doesn't matter. Everything I'm doing here is for my girls. How

would you describe the fear that you have carried?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I put a smile on my face every day, but deep down I'm hurt, and I'm still hurting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to say a couple of things

LAH: Reverend Zach Hoover leads the interfaith network. Two thousand congregations of various faiths have been trained across the country, the

great majority here in California where Reverend Hoover says the network of sanctuary and safe houses remains most active. The federal government

might listen to all of this and say you're violating the law.

REV. ZACH HOOVER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, L.A. VOICE: I'm not going to lie. That makes me very nervous. And there's a part of me that, you know,

sitting here talking to you I think, gosh, should I be having this conversation, but the truth is our folks are facing a much greater fear

every day.

You know, as we say here in this church, I am just reminded a God that I worship and that guides my life is one who does not always bless every

human law. I am convicted that we are doing exactly what we should be doing.

LAH: The girls have both been accepted to separate colleges in the fall. A family united for as long as they can be.

HOOVER: We're going to do everything in our power to try to convince members of Congress not to support a deportation machine that's ripping

families apart, you know. And there's a part of me that thinks a different way is possible. But most of time I'm preparing for this to get worse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: CNN's Kyung Lah reporting. Now as for a response, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said this, quote, knowingly harboring

an alien is a federal crime, adding that there were no exempt classes of removable aliens and anyone in violation of immigration laws may be subject

to arrest, and removal.

Now, British Prime Minister Theresa May is in Salisbury right now. Of course that's where the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his

daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent.

Melissa Bell joins me now. And, Melissa, what is the Prime Minister's message? What is he doing there? How is she being received?

BELL: We're expecting her to arrive here at the Guildhall in the very center of Salisbury, and we're only meters really from where all of this

happened 12 days ago.

And just beyond that crowd that's gathered to hear the Prime Minister, and I think the reason so many people have turn out, and we've find our very

recently that she was coming, we've heard very little about precisely what her schedule is.

But there are a lot of people here, Kristie, who really want answers about precisely what went on, and for the time being the public really knows very

little beyond the timeline of the movements of the father and daughter, the Skripals, on March 4th.

The timeline of their activities, where they went, the pub, the restaurant that they have visited, the parking lot in which they park remain cordoned

off. But there are of course lots of questions, remembers the public about just how dangerous all of this might have been.

[08:25:04] Now they've been reassured time and time again that the danger of contamination is low. But I was speaking to a local just a moment ago,

and he said look, this is really a very quiet town.

And ever since this happened people are avoiding coming in (ph), and if they can, they are avoiding bringing their kids in, and tourism has really

been hit hard with a lot of businesses saying that they're really suffering a great deal as a result of all this terrible publicity for the town of

Salisbury.

So a lot of people are hoping to hear from Theresa May, perhaps a bit more about precisely what went on and clearly the Prime Minister has waited 12

days to come.

There's probably very little that she can say as this very crucial and delicate investigation continues, Kristie, but clearly here in Salisbury, a

great deal of interest in this case.

And of course, the press has turned out even 12 days on to have -- to try and figure out precisely what went on, to hear from the Prime Minister to

try and find out more about precisely how the Skripals were contaminated because that's the key question.

How 12 days on the public still hasn't heard precisely how that contamination took place, precisely where it took place, and what moment

they were contaminated, and how the substance could have been deposited here in the town center in Salisbury, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And what has been the reaction in Salisbury to these comments we heard yesterday from the British Prime Minister, her tough response to

Russia? Did it meet expectations on a tough retaliatory response against Moscow?

BELL: I think the Prime Minister's tough language, and it has been a number of pretty hard hitting statements. We've seen some of the

difficulties that the British government seems to have had in rallying around allies to that very tough response.

And we've seen some -- some of those allies wavering really over the course of the last few days in their outright support, both European and

international level.

So on one hand it's been a very strong response, it's been very forthright, the blame has been apportioned squarely at the feet of the Russians and

fairly quickly.

For the people here in Salisbury, no doubt it's a good thing to see that the Prime Minister is taking this seriously. She is -- and the language

coming out of Downing Street at the parliament is strongly as it is. But it has also presented another challenge to Theresa May who's probably never

looked as isolated diplomatically as she is now. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Theresa May is there, and no doubt getting briefing on the investigation underway in Salisbury. Do we know whether or now she will be

visiting the hospital to see Sergei Skripal and his daughter, and the police officer also sickened by that nerve agent.

BELL: Well that could be amongst the places that she visits. We know that she has just arrived in the town center, and visited that bench, Kristie.

The bench that's been at the center of so many of the images you've seen on the news over the course of the last 12 days, the bench where at the course

of -- over the course of that afternoon just after 4:00 p.m., the Skripals, father and daughter were found in that dreadful state that we've heard

described over the course of the last few days.

Theresa May visiting that bench. We've seen Amber Rudd, the British Home Secretary do the same. That is clearly one of the places of interest here

in Salisbury, still covered as it is by a attempting case of contamination.

And even as this investigation continues, beyond that we believe that a visit to the hospital may have been on the cards, but we have no

confirmation of that.

And she was expected here at the Guildhall. We are also expecting that she should speak, and no doubt thank all the policemen and women, who have been

looking after these areas. They continued to control them.

And the police presence here in the center of Salisbury remains extremely high. Both outside of the parts of the town that remain cordoned off,

those places that the Skripals visited on that crucial day.

And more broadly, there are police found really all around the town. So we're expecting Theresa May very shortly, as soon as she's finished with

that visit at the bench. Kristie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We do hold Russia culpable for this brazen -- brazen act, and despicable act that's taken place on the streets

of what is such a remarkable city where people come a visit and enjoy.

And I've come down here today also to say thank you to our emergency services, to our police, to our health services, to everybody at Porton

Down and elsewhere.

And Public Health England who have been working so hard, and continue to work hard to investigate to get to the bottom of those responsible, but

also to ensure that the public are reassured, and it's been great to meet some tourists here in Salisbury. Many people coming to Salisbury are still

enjoying this great city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: You can hear there the British Prime Minister whose just expressing herself at that bench where the Skripals were found slumped in that

dreadful state of course on Sunday, March the 4th.

[08:30:00] The words that so many people here in Salisbury have been waiting to hear from her, a full 12 days after the Skripals were found,

words of thanks to the security services who have done such a tremendous job over the course of the last couple of weeks. And words of reassurance

that the public here in Salisbury was very much needing to hear, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And also just the reaction there in Salisbury, the small community there in England, not just to the arrival of the prime minister

there, making these harsh comments about Russia's actions, but the fact that their community is at the center and has become a geopolitical

flashpoint, the center of the standoff that is escalating between the U.K. and Russia.

BELL: That's right. This is an extremely sleepy corner of England. Salisbury is known for its cathedral, Stonehenge is not terribly far away,

but it has never been at the center of this kind of diplomatic storm, not just of course the investigation itself which as I said continues to try

and work out precisely how this nerve agent could have been administered to both father and daughter, how they were being watched, precisely who was

being targeted and why.

But beyond that, of course, Salisbury finds itself at the heart of a diplomatic crowd that the likes of which we simply haven't seen in a very

long time. I think a lot of people are quite baffled by that, quite troubled by that, and very keen to find out precisely what went on and what

Britain will do to prevent it ever happening again, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Not that long ago, there were very intense contamination fears there in that community especially when they were informed a week after the

poisoning attack, they were advised to wash their clothes, to use baby wipes, to wash their tablet computers and their mobile phones. Are those

contamination fears still there among the residents of Salisbury?

BELL: Very much so, Kristie. Precisely because there's been so much press interest in this and we've heard so much over the course of nearly two

weeks now about this devastating nerve agent, about its power, the fact that it is so powerful even in tiny quantities and the fact that it can do

so much harm even years after the event of a very small contamination.

These are the kind of things that people remember. These are the kind of things that people worried about. And of course there has been criticism

about precisely how the explanation of the dangers was handled in the immediate aftermath of this attack in the first few days, how well informed

the public was kept, and how seriously public health authorities took both risks and the transmission of those risks to the public.

Theresa May has left now the bench where the Skripals were found and she's making her way to some of those other locations that I mentioned that are

in that timeline of the events from the March the fourth, including The Mill pub which is where Sergei and Yulia Skripal stopped for a drink before

going on the their lunch at the Italian restaurant.

She is on her way there from the bench, visiting that location, another one of those locations that remains cordoned off a full 12 days after the

attack here in Salisbury. We expect then given that she's visiting these locations that she will make her way just a few meters away to the

restaurant. This has been the center of so much attention since the news of this attack broke.

Theresa May then visiting all of those areas that remain cordoned off, that remain at the center of the investigation and the focus of so much interest

for the people here. You can see how many people have turned out in the hope that she will make that walk just a few yards from The Mill pub that

she is visiting now down here to the (INAUDIBLE).

Of course, we will keep with the public here a very close eye on anything further that she had to say, Kristie.

LU STOUT: As the British prime minister makes the rounds, visits, you know, various sites involved in the poison attack, but local businesses as

well in Salisbury. Sergei Skripal, his daughter, Yulia, they remain in hospital in critical condition as well as a police officer in serious

condition. Any additional update on how they are doing after that nerve agent attack?

BELL: Very little beyond that. There is a great deal of speculation as you would expect about the chances of their survival. Critical but stable are

the words that we hear from the public health authorities. Only the police officer who was involved in their initial rescue is believed to have been

able to communicate with his own family.

But again, the details of that remain extremely sketchy. We simply don't know if they will have been in any position, in any level of fitness of

health to receive the prime minister indeed to have a visit on her part.

But clearly, the focus is also very much on their -- the state of the Skripals' health and whether there is any chance that they will survive. It

was a dreadful attack with this extremely strong substance that British authorities now believe was used in the attack, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Melissa Bell, reporting live from Salisbury. Melissa, do stand by. We'll talk to you again soon. We have to cut to a break right now.

Melissa Bell again reporting from Salisbury with the British prime minster visiting various sites involved in that nerve agent attack against Sergei

Skripal and his daughter.

We'll give you the very latest details as well as the prime minister's visit there after the break. Keep it here. You're watching CNN.

[08:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and you're watching "News Stream." British Prime Minister Theresa May is in Salisbury right now where

a former Russian double agent and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent. Melissa Bell joins me now with more on the story. Melissa, not too

long ago, moments ago, in fact, the British prime minister addressed the media. What is her message? Why is she is Salisbury today?

BELL: She's come really I think to pay thanks, to give thanks to all of the policemen and women who have done such a tremendous job over the course

of the last 12 days. Also to reassure the public because there are lots of questions here in Salisbury, lots of members of public have turned up to

hear the British prime minister.

We only found quite late this morning, Kristie, that she was actually going to make this visit, a full 12 days after the attack, and there are so many

questions from locals here in Salisbury. Of course, people understand that this is a delicate and important investigation. Of course, they understand

that authorities can't give too much away.

But clearly, if you live in this town, given the fears of contamination, given all that has been said about the power of the nerve agent that was

used, you can understand people's fear, you can understand that Salisbury is feeling much quieter than it was.

In fact, what we've seen just after the prime minister gave her reassuring words, gave thanks to all the security forces that have been involved in

the operation here, she was speaking just outside the bench where the Skripals last -- on March the fourth, on that Sunday.

Just after that, she made her way to The Mill pub where they had a drink just before going on to their lunch at the Italian restaurant and then on

to that bench where they were found. And beyond that, she went home to speak to local businessmen who had come out of their shops to ask

questions, because of course, they are the ones who suffered over the course of the last 12 days, the loss in the revenue from tourists who

simply stopped coming to Salisbury, they say.

And locals who are very much staying at home until more is known about precisely what went on, about precisely what the risks of contamination

were, and of course they've been reassured by British public health authorities that they are very low. But you can understand their concerns.

Here was a father and daughter having a quiet Sunday lunch in the center of Salisbury and who have suffered an attack, the likes of which has not been

seen on European soil since World War II and from which they might well not recover. This is why people have turned out really, to hear what the

British prime minister has to say.

LU STOUT: Melissa Bell, reporting live from Salisbury. Let's go now to Fred Pleitgen who is standing by in Moscow. Fred, as we look at these

pictures of Prime Minister Theresa May there in Salisbury, she is getting an update on the investigation, she is providing message or reassurance to

concerned citizens of Salisbury, this a day after she announced a string of retaliatory measures against Russia. Russia says it will fight back, but

how?

PLEITGEN: Russia certainly says it will fight back and sort of trickling in as to what exactly the Russians plan to do. It has been interesting

throughout the course of the day. We've been waiting to hear from the Russians whether or not they would themselves kick out the British

diplomats, whether or not they would do other measures as well.

It was interesting because Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, he came out in a press conference earlier today, and he said, yes, the

Russians would also be kicking out diplomats. He did not say how many. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it's still working on all of that. And he

also said that in the end, all of this was Vladimir Putin's decision. He would be the one to decide what kind of retaliatory measures the Russians

would take.

[08:39:59] We do know from the Russian government over the past couple of days, today again, that it will be tit for tat measures. Now, tit for tat

measures on the face of it seems to mean that the Russians would possibly kick out 23 British diplomats here from Moscow. However, that is not clear.

All that also of course will depend how many diplomats the Brits actually have here in comparison to how many the Russians have in London.

So all of that is still being worked out. What we do know is that the Russians say they are going to announce this first to the British

government and then to the public. They criticized the Brits, saying the Brits went straight into public forum to announce what they are going to

do. The Russians say that is not something they are going to do. Of course, if you look right now at these pictures that we're seeing from Salisbury,

all of that around that, the Russians have dubbed political theatre, as they say.

They say that they are being falsely accused, that they had nothing to do with this. They also say that the processes that should be in place are not

being followed. The Russians are saying because they are being accused of having used a weapons grade chemical inside a city or inside a town in

Britain, that they have the right to be able to analyze the substance that was allegedly used because they are under suspicion.

They say that's in accordance with the treaty of the OPCW, the organization to prevent chemical weapons. And they say as long as the Brits don't

provide them any sample, they are not going to respond to any of the allegations. And that's why they are basically throwing the ball back to

the Brits and even accusing the Brits of jeopardizing the relations between these two countries if indeed they can actually get any worse that they

already are. Kristie?

LU STOUT: Fred Pleitgen, reporting live from Moscow, thank you. Let's head back to Melissa Bell, standing by in Salisbury where the British prime

minister, Theresa May, is currently visiting the community there.

And Melissa, this nerve agent attack took place almost two weeks ago. This was an attack that rattled Salisbury, the U.K. and the world. Why did it

take Prime Minister May so long to visit Salisbury?

BELL: It's the question that's on the tip of the lips of many of the public who gathered here. You've just seen her walking to the (INAUDIBLE)

over there. The British prime minister has just made her way past this crowd (INAUDIBLE) having visited a number of the different locations that

are keys to this investigation, that were crucial to the events of that day.

The pub where the father and daughter had a drink, the restaurant where they had lunch, the bench on which they were later found slumped, she's

visited those areas. She has spoken to local businesses. And these were really messages that the people of Salisbury have been waiting to hear for

nearly two weeks.

She also made her way into (INAUDIBLE) there to speak to members of the police services, the fire services as well to give them her thanks and no

doubt her reassurance in the privacy of the (INAUDIBLE) about precisely what is known about the dangers of the substance to which they have been

exposed here in Salisbury or could have been exposed if contamination took place.

And about the progress that has been made by that investigation. Again, 12 days on, beyond the timeline of events involving the Skripal father and

daughter. We know very little, Kristie, about precisely how they were contaminated, what point during the course of the day the substance managed

to get to them, how they were able to get through to it, how the substance was ingested into their systems.

And so these key questions that the investigation is addressing, questions that many people here in Salisbury would like answers to. I think that is

the reason for her visit 12 days on. It's feeling quite late to the people of Salisbury, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And have you been able to get any answer to that question? Why is it this investigation has taken so long to draw a concrete line between

the nerve agent attack that sickened Skripal and his daughter and a police officer and Russia?

BELL: Well, you know, Kristie, we're speaking to one specialist early on. He said, look, this is a critical investigation. It is now the subject of

an international row, a sort of diplomatic storm that is on the scale really not seen in a terribly long time. It has to get to the bottom of a

number of key questions. It has to do so while remaining relatively focused on the investigation, not giving too much away.

He said it is quite normal that at this stage the investigation should be so slow and that authorities should keep quiet on what findings they have.

It has become critical not only to get to the bottom scientifically of what went on but of course diplomatically the answers that will be found by this

investigation are being watched by the entire world, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Melissa Bell, reporting live from Salisbury, thank you. For additional analysis, let's bring in Nick Paton Walsh. He joins us live from

London. And Nick, your thoughts on the investigation, the pace of this investigation two weeks after the nerve agent attack took place and what we

know so far.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You have to give an enormous caveat to British authorities here dealing with the substance.

Frankly it's pretty much unknown, that they only came to know about it through detectors from Russian or Soviet intelligence at the end of the

cold war.

So of course when people initially responded 12 days ago on a park bench on a Sunday afternoon, the first thought in their mind was well this must be a

rare nerve agent. The issues start mounting up though when we heard last Wednesday from then head of counter-terrorism police in U.K., Assistant

Commissioner Mark Rowley, he's now actually handed his job over to somebody else as part of a scheduled retirement, but he said they'd identified the

specific nerve agent involved.

[08:45:08] Now, the questions start mounting. Why do then spent 48 hours until you send in the military in very conspicuous biochemical warfare suit

to move away vehicles? They have the kind of heavy lifting manpower to clear up a crime scene like that.

But the images telegrapher (ph) to the British public who constantly spend time assuring they have no risk to the public health or safety is one of

possible alarm as well the subsequent revelation on Sunday that everyone who had been in the Zizzi pizza restaurant or The Mill pub should wash

their clothes and wipe down their possessions with baby wipes.

So that caused number of people to be concerned. As Melissa mentioned there, you know, we are far into the investigation now. We are at solid

week since the specific nerve agent was said to be behind this and moving fast into kind of diplomatic ramification but it is still unclear how the

nerve weapon was delivered.

That is vitally important because yes, they have identified it, they say, as novichok, a Russian word meaning newcomer, a class of weapon invented in

the late 70s by the Soviet Union Western Intelligence (INAUDIBLE) to get round chemical weapons, treaties both Russia and other NATO allies have

particularly signed.

It's a rare agent. It is said to expire quite quickly so it's unlikely, some argue, this would have been perhaps stolen in the (INAUDIBLE) in the

90s and then later used. Kristie?

LU STOUT: We know the weapon of choice, we just don't know how it was delivered. So many unanswered questions. Nick Paton Walsh with very latest

on the investigation. Thank you, Nick.

We will have much more on the breaking news at the top of the hour, but for the next few weeks, CNN is also telling the stories of young scientists and

entrepreneurs and inventors in a special new series.

Their innovations will surely make a difference in improving our environment, health and communities. Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to one

of tomorrow's heroes who is making his mark in detecting Alzheimer's disease early.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Imagine not being able to recognize your own parents, your partner, even your children. Alzheimer's

disease can rob you of the most precious parts of your life. Tomorrow's hero, Krtin Nithiyanandam, is developing a brand new solution to help

diagnose the disease early in an attempt to stop it from progressing.

KRTIN NITHIYANANDAM, INNOVATOR: I suppose I've always been interested in medicine. Alzheimer's disease in particular drew me because it is a

debilitating disease that gets progressively worse with age, but it is notorious for the fact that there are no drugs to stop or even slow down

the progression.

I'm Kritin Nithiyanandam. I'm 17 years old. I'm a student at Sutton Grammar School. Advances in medicine are making treatments more likely to be

possible in the future, but one area we're still lacking is effective early diagnosis. So that's where I want to really step in.

My research involved creating a special antibody which is specific to two different proteins as opposed to one like most standard antibodies and this

antibody can cross into the brain, be detected on an MRI (INAUDIBLE) scan, and you can quantify the presence of this toxic protein in the brain.

Yes, so, we will just take off the FC region and what was really interesting about this test was the protein it's trying to quantify is

present up to a decade before the onset of symptoms and we believe it to be the most neurotoxic form of this protein.

But by accident when the antibody complex binds to this protein, it stops this toxic protein from entering cells, so it unintentionally increases

cell life in the process of diagnosis. So, it has the potential to act as a simultaneous diagnostic and therapeutic agent.

One of the most interesting things about science is you can think something works, when you tested out, it doesn't do what you expect it to do. There's

a lot of experiments that go unplanned because either you've messed up the concentration or the quantities or just because your theory was wrong from

the beginning. But when something does work, it's just a yes moment and you fist bump yourself inside.

We don't want to live in a world full of disease and illness. It's a great feeling that you're contributing to something that could be important one

day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. Don't go anywhere. World Sport with Amanda Davies is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END