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NEWS STREAM

Moon And Kim Talk On Phone Before April 27 Meeting; Comey Memos Reveal Trump's Attempts To Influence Russia Probe; Lavrov: Putin Ready To Meet Trump; Arsene Wenger To Leave Arsenal At End Of Season; Berlin Bomb Disposal Causes Disruption; Heroic Passengers On Deadly Southwest Flight Speak Out; Comey Memos; Cuba Without Castro; ZTE Says U.S. Penalties Are 'Unfair'; YouTube Ads Funding Extremist Channels; Meatless Meat. Aired at 8-9a ET

Aired April 20, 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: A diplomatic softening on North Korea leads to a key concession over its nuclear program. Memo released, detailed conversation between

Donald Trump and James Comey come out into the open. And meatless meat, a food tech companies are trying to keep the bite of a burger without the

environmental cost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: North Korea may be loosening its grip on its nuclear program. Now Mr. Moon told reporters on Thursday that Pyongyang expressed a

willingness to give up its nuclear ambitions without explicitly demanding U.S. forces withdraw from the Korean Peninsula as a condition.

The historic meeting between the north and south is happening here at the Truce Village in the DMZ, exactly one week from now, but we have learned

that the conversation will actually start before the leaders meet face-to- face. The leaders are expected to have a phone conversation ahead of the meeting.

Now let's bring in Paula Hancocks with more on how Mr. Moon's announcement may shape upcoming talks. And, Paula, this hotline between North and South

Korean leaders is open, and there was a test call today. Tell us what happened.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, yes. Kristie, this is significant. It's the first time that two leaders of North and South Korea

have actually had a hotline that they can call each other at any moment.

So there was a test call a number of hours ago. The north -- south called the north, and then hung up. The north then called the south just to test

the line. They apparently talked for more than four minutes, we've been told, they spoke about the weather.

We haven't been told amore than that. But the interesting thing is, is this phone, at least on the South Korean side in the Blue House, the

presidential office will be on President Moon Jae-in's desk. He will also be to access the residence within the Blue House as well, so his personal

residence.

Now, on the North Korean side, it is in the State Affairs Commission. We don't know where exactly, though, or what sort of access Kim Jong-un would

be able to have to it at short notice, but we're being told a little bit about the conversation as well, about how good the quality was, the South

Korean side saying it sounds like you're talking to a next door neighbor. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Incredible. Now, ahead of the historic face-to-face talks between North and South Korea due to take place next Friday, we've learned

that the north is signaling it's willing to give up U.S. troop removal as a precondition for talks. Is that a significant concession from the north?

HANCOCKS: Well, if it is actually what the north has conceded, then yes, it is interesting. Everything we're hearing at the moment from the north

is second, or third hand.

This came from President Moon of South Korea, saying that they had a willingness to denuclearize, or talk about denuclearization, and didn't

specify that they actually wanted U.S. troops off the Peninsula, so, less of an active demand that they've made in the past.

Now, it has been a massive sticking point in the past. We've seen negotiations collapse partly because of this, the North Koreans wanting

28,000-plus U.S. troops stationed in South Korea to leave the Peninsula, and the U.S. has always insisted that is not going to happen.

So, potentially, there's a case here that Kim Jong-un is trying what he can to make sure at least the start of the summit goes well, but I spoke to one

former member of the North Korean elite, and he said there's no way this is off the table for good. He was part of the elite.

He says he knows the regime, and he knows that this may be in the back pocket for later in the negotiations if the U.S. pushes North Korea to

irreversibly denuclearize, then they can bring out this argument that, if you want that, you have to take your troops away. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Paula Hancocks live in Seoul, thank you. Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is tweeting once again about the former FBI director one day

after notes about the private conversations were turned over to Congress.

In the memos obtained by CNN, James Comey said the President repeatedly asked him to lift the cloud of the Russia investigation, and that's not

all. Abby Phillip has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Personal memos from fired FBI director James Comey obtained by CNN, detail conversations Comey had with President

Trump.

[08:05:00] JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I think what folks will see if they get to see the memos is, I've been consistent since the very

beginning right after my encounters with President Trump.

PHILLIP: Comey revealing in his memos the President said he had serious reservations about former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

During that infamous dinner with Mr. Trump at the White House where Comey says the President asked for a loyalty pledge, Comey writing, the President

pointed his fingers at his head, and said the guy has serious judgment issues.

Comey also describing another meeting he had with the President a couple of weeks later in which he says the President kicked everyone out of the Oval

Office, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

He then returned to the topic of Michael Flynn, saying that Flynn is a good guy, and has been through a lot. He said I hope you can see your way clear

to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He's a good guy. I hope you can let this go. I replied by saying I agree he's a good guy, but said no more.

And just days before Flynn was fired by the President for misleading the vice president about his contacts with Russia's ambassador, he then asked

me if this was a private conversation. I replied that it was. He then said he wanted to ask me a question, and I could decide whether it was

appropriate to answer. He then asked do you have a FISA order on Michael Flynn?

That same day, Comey says he met with Mr. Trump who suggested he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The President said the hooker thing is

nonsense, but that Putin had told him we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world. Comey, addressing the salacious claim last night.

RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC HOST: He told you that he'd had a personal conversation with President Putin about hookers?

COMEY: Yes.

MADDOW: Did you believe him, or did you think he was speaking hyperbolically?

COMEY: He didn't seem to be speaking hyperbolically.

MADDOW: Do we otherwise know that the President had had personal conversations with Vladimir Putin at that point?

COMEY: I can't recall. I think there was public reporting that he had spoken to Vladimir Putin as sort of a welcome -- congratulations on taking

office thing at that point.

I'm not suggesting they talked about how beautiful the hookers were in Russia, but I do know there was at least one publicly reported

conversation.

PHILLIP: President Trump has repeatedly denied having a relationship with Putin before taking office, but comments over the years raised questions

about their ties.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I spoke indirectly and directly with President Putin, who could not have been nicer. I have

nothing to do with Putin. I've never spoken to him.

PHILLIP: Just hours before Comey's bombshell memos surfaced, Rudy Giuliani confirming that he's joining Mr. Trump's personal legal team. The former

New York mayor tells CNN he hopes to bring Mueller's Russia investigation to a conclusion, saying it needs a little push.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIP: So, the President is already this morning tweeting about James Comey once again, this time, reviving the issue of his fired national

security adviser Michael Flynn.

He wrote, general -- so General Flynn's life can be totally destroyed while shady James Comey can leak, and lie, and make lots of money from a third

grade book, that should never been written. Is that the way life in America is supposed to work? I dot think so.

The President did not mention, of course, that Michael Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI, and that the President himself fired him. But there's

also this morning a response from the Kremlin to one of the claims that Comey made in his memos in which he said the President brought up that

Putin had told him that Russia's hookers were the most beautiful in the world.

They said, in a statement, President Putin could not say such a thing, and did not say it to President Trump, taking into account that they have never

communicated before Trump became president.

Comey also did say in that interview that you just heard, that he knew that there was at least one publicly known conversation, a kind of pro forma get

to know you phone call between the two leaders early on in Trump's administration. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Well, I mean, just incredible directions of conversation that's forced to take because of the revelations of from these Comey memos.

Now, in your report just now, we saw a very familiar face, former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. You reported that, yes, he's joining Trump's

personal legal team. He want's to push it along. How will he be able to influence Robert Mueller and his Russia probe?

PHILLIP: Well, that's a very good question. I mean, first of all, Giuliani says that what he's going to start doing is trying to provide as

many documents that the Mueller team has requested as quickly as possible to them.

He also knows Robert Mueller personally. They've worked together in the past. Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New

York, had actually some positive things to say about Mueller.

You know, he told CNN that he believed Mueller was fair, that he is the best that they could do under the circumstances, so it's a little bit of a

different tact than you have heard from the President himself, who has said that Mueller is conflicted, and said that this investigation is completely

unfair, and a witch hunt. So, Giuliani has a different kind of relationship.

[08:10:02] But the President is also adding two other white-collar lawyers, less big names, but still trying to add more fire power to his legal team

because he's had actually quite a bit of trouble getting attorneys to sign on to deal with this case. Many of them have conflicts. Others, their

firms just simply do not want to deal with the controversy, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Got it. Abby Phillip reporting live from Florida, thank you. Now, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Vladimir Putin is

ready to meet Donald Trump. In an interview with state media, he discussed the situation in Syria, and dismissed the possibility of armed conflict

erupting between the U.S. and Russia.

It comes after the new U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton met the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov. For more on this story,

let's bring in our Sam Kiley. He joins us live form Moscow. And, Sam, when Vladimir Putin says that he is, quote, ready to meet Donald Trump, do

we know why?

SAM KILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is Vladimir Putin's Foreign Minister saying that his own President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, would be

happy to meet Donald Trump.

It's in response to what was probably an off the cuff invitation from Donald Trump made when Donald Trump congratulated Putin on his re-election

back in March. So, it's not a formal proposal.

There's been no liaison, no date set, there is no formal invitation, and so I think really this should be seen as Sergey Lavrov trying to continue the

sort of destabilizing approach that Russia has taken in terms of international diplomacy, particularly with regard to pushing back on

allegations that it is protecting the Damascus regime from international investigators looking into the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma now

almost two weeks ago. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yes, on the topic of Syria, what did Lavrov say about the risk of a military confrontation between the U.S. and Russia in Syria?

KILEY: He said that there had been coordination, and indeed that the Russians had laid down red lines ahead of this series of air strikes by the

U.S. and her allies.

This of course is a position that is absolutely rejected by the allies who say, they only deconflicted in the most minimal way, and didn't give any

advance warning to this.

But he also insisted that there was absolutely no chance whatsoever of either the military, or indeed the leadership of Russia, and the United

States actually coming to blows. This is what Sergey Lavrov had to -- had to say as part of a very extensive interview he gave earlier on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through a translator): I am certain, 100 percent, that the military personnel will not allow this to

happen. I am also sure that neither President Putin, nor President Trump will allow this to happen.

They are, after all, leaders who have been elected by their people, and they are responsible to these people for peace and, stability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KILEY: Now, that somewhat ironic statement because in the selfsame interview, Kristie, he also said that the General Gerasimov, the head of

the Russian Armed Forces had, prior or to the air strikes against the Assad regime's chemical weapons facilities, actually said directly to the United

States generals that she was liaising with -- if there were any attacks on Russian personnel, not only would the missiles be shot down.

But the source of those attacks would be themselves counterattacked by Russian forces. That, of course, was the major fear leading up to the air

strikes, and as we now know, the air strikes were extremely carefully calibrated, essentially to send a message, but not really do much damage.

Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yes, so much fear of potential -- you know, by accident or intention armed conflict in Syria, but what about getting Vladimir Putin to

help bring about stability in Syria?

Can the Russian President be persuaded to somehow coax Bashar al-Assad, use his leverage over Assad into talks to help stabilize the Syrian conflict?

KILEY: Yes, the Russians, and the Iranians, and Turkey are very deeply involved. They would argue with attempts to try to bring about a peace

process involving Syria's rebels, and of course, the Damascus regime.

Now, it's not a process that the United States have been involved in. They're more directly involved in what's known as the Geneva process. That

has really run into the sand.

There is some capacity indeed for the Iranians, and the Russians to put pressure on the Damascus regime to talk about peace. The issue there will

be at what stage will an olive branch be offered.

[08:15:01] And the assumption is in all of the signs are that that stage has not yet come. That stage will be, Kristie, when the Damascus regime

has completely won this war, and then can talk from a position of absolute strength.

Nonetheless, Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy to the Syrian peace process, that's the Geneva process, is actually in Russia at moment, he is

in Moscow, and is expected to meet with Vladimir Putin, and others later on today to try to see -- to answer exactly the question you're asking, is

there anything that Russia will do as opposed to can do, and we'll know more about that later on today, I think.

LU STOUT: All right, Sam Kiley live for us from Moscow, thank you. Now, with growing problems for President Donald Trump at home and abroad, many

Republicans are not yet ready to back a second term for President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: I have no idea whether the president runs for re-election, nor what the field will be on the Republican side, so I

think it's way too early to weigh in on who one might support. It could be a completely different world by 2020.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you prepared at this point to endorse the President for reelection in 2020?

REP. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS MAJORITY WHIP: I haven't even thought about that election. I'm worried about the midterm election.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: I think it is far too early to make a judgment of that type.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm not -- that's a long ways off. I want to get through 2018 first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: CNN's Manu Raju there, getting all those answers. Not all Republicans have been so hesitant, though. On Thursday, Senator Lindsey

Graham tweeted this, quote, as to the 2020 presidential race, I believe President Trump will run for reelection, and intend to support him.

Now, it is the end of an era at Arsenal Football Club, and we will bring you the news of Arsene Wenger's big decision next. And a heroic passenger

on the deadly southwest flight speaks out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW NEEDUM, FIREFIGHTER, SOUTHWEST 1380 PASSENGER: God created a servant heart in me. And I felt the calling to get up, and do something.

Stand up and act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong on a Friday night, welcome back, this is News Stream. For some, it's the end of the big golden era,

spanning more than two decades, and for others, the nightmare is finally over.

But wherever you stand on the news, Arsene Wenger will leave Arsenal Football Club at the end of the season, English football will never be the

same.

Now, World Sports' Alex Thomas has been watching all this from London. And he joins us now. And, Alex, huge news this day, Wenger will leave his role

at the end of the season. How is the sporting world reacting to the news?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN ANCHOR: Many, many tributes being poured out for Arsene Wenger even though his presence at Arsenal Football Club in recent years

had become pretty toxic.

[08:20:00] We'd seen in recent weeks plenty of empty seats at Arsenal's Emirate Stadium. And then, suddenly, almost when we least expected it,

Wenger's bow toward the pressure, the cause for him to go, and announced he will quit at the end of the season.

He released a short statement a little bit earlier on Friday and this is what it said. After a careful consideration, and following discussion with

the club, I feel it's the right thing to step down at the end of the season.

I am grateful that we had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. To all the Arsenal lovers, take care of the values of the

club, my love, and support forever. Arsenal is going to hold a news conference in just over three and a half hours time at Emirates Stadium,

Kristie, won't be Wenger there.

It will be the Arsenal's CEO, Ivan Gazidis instead. And it will be interesting to see whether or not he gives us any more light as to whether

Wenger did choose to go himself, or pushed after so many years of loyalty from him, and Arsenal's American owner Stan Kroenke.

LU STOUT: A big change for English football, a lot of big questions remaining. We'll have more in about 25 minutes time on World sport. Alex

Thomas reporting live for us from London. Thank you, Alex, and take care.

Now, a World War II bomb that brought part of Berlin to a standstill this morning has now been safely defused by police. Now this 500-kilogram

explosive was found on a construction site near the city's central train station.

An 800-meter explosion zone had to be set up as a precaution when the work got under way. Now with more details, Atika Shubert joins me now live for

Berlin. Atika, tell us more about this discovery, and how authorities are trying to dispose of it.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was found at a construction site, and it's pretty common occurrence here actually, that when you start

to build something, you have to make sure there's no unexploded ordinance nearby a left over from World War II.

They found this bomb, and 500 kilos was pretty big, and they basically scheduled date to defuse it. Now, they clear out the train station, which

is behind me, and the bomb itself, the site is about a kilometer that distance there.

But police basically, you know, cleared the area of about 10,000 people starting at 9:00 this morning. By noon, they had brought in their

specialized high pressured equipment. They actually took -- removed the detonator and with small bang exploded it, and the bomb was defused.

In fact that Berlin police put out a tweet with the bomb. You can see it's about a meter long, and has a stamp on it that now says, defused in the

tweet. So it was all over relatively quickly.

In fact, traffic is getting back to normal. The train station has reopened. But, you know, it did displace quite few people. In fact, there

was, in one particular area, not only the Museum of Natural History had to be evacuated, but also a hospital in the area, and one resident in an

apartment actually had to be lifted out by crane.

He was actually on a stretcher, and we have some video of that there. So, there was quite a bit of that, quite a bit of a logistical effort, but

overall, things seem to be returning to normal quite quickly, and most importantly, the bomb has been safely defused, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Very good news there. And you said that this is not a rare event? The discovery of bombs from World War II usually happens there?

SHUBERT: Absolutely. I mean, we haven't had one in Berlin for a little while, but it's quite common in Germany. I think, every day, they estimate

they get anywhere between five to 15 cases of unexploded ordinance from World War II.

Now, this could be anything from a hand grenade a one ton bomb, and of course, biggest operations usually happen in cities like this, where they

have to clear out a large area.

But, you know, I even spoke to a farmer once who said, yes, they were just, you know, setting up some new crops, and all of a sudden they found this

munition in the field, and they had to call in a bomb disposal expert, so it is a relatively common occurrence here.

LU STOUT: Wow. Atika Shubert live from Berlin, thank you. Some passengers on board that deadly Southwest flight forced to make an

emergency, and they're getting a $5,000 check.

Meanwhile, several of the heroes who try to save a fellow passenger, they are speaking out about their horrifying experience. Polo Sandoval has

more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEEDUM: God created a servant heart in me. And I felt the calling to get up, and do something. Stand up and act.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Andrew Needum recounting his experience on that Southwest flight after an engine failure smashed a passenger

window. The Texas firefighter running in action to try to save a woman who was partially sucked out of a broken window.

A. NEEDUM: I'm no different than any other firefighter in this -- in this country. For some reason, whatever reason that is, it was me that day.

STEPHANIE NEEDUM, WIFE OF ANDREW NEEDUM: I just knew that at that moment that someone else needed him much more than we did. And that's what his

calling is, is to help. And that's what he did.

SANDOVAL: Needum was seated in the eighth room with his two children, wife, and parents. A few rows back, fellow passenger Tim McGinty ran to

the 14th row where Jennifer Riordan, still buckled in, was sucked into the window.

[08:25:00] But he struggled to pull her back in.

TIM MCGINTY, SOUTHWEST 1380 PASSENGER: I tried, and tried, and I couldn't. I just couldn't. And then Andrew came over, just trying to get her -- just

trying to get her back in.

SANDOVAL: The two men were able to pull the mother of two back into the plane. Then Needum and registered nurse Peggy Phillips took turns trying

to resuscitate her.

PEGGY PHILLIPS, SOUTHWEST 1380 PASSENGER: And they started CPR on the lady, which we continued for about 20 minutes. We were still doing CPR

when the plane landed.

SANDOVAL: The medical examiner says Riordan died from blunt impact trauma to the head, neck, and torso.

NEEDUM: I feel for her family. I feel for her two kids, her husband, the community that she lived in. I can't imagine what they're going through.

SANDOVAL: Hollie Mackey, who was seated next to Riordan, praising the heroism of fellow passengers.

HOLLIE MACKEY, SOUTHWEST 1380 PASSENGER: It was really excellent teamwork between all of them to try to get Jennifer back in safe, and keep everybody

else safe at the same time.

SANDOVAL: Southwest sent passengers on the flight a check for $5,000 and a $1,000 travel voucher, and hopes that will restore confidence in the

airline.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering the immediate inspection of the same model engine that's on that plane. Southwest

Airlines hoping to finish those inspections hopefully in the next month, Kristie, this clearly a move to try to keep something like this from

happening again.

LU STOUT: Polo Sandoval reporting there on a horrifying experience. You're watching News Stream. And still ahead, Cubans are waking up to a

new reality on Friday.

For the first time in nearly six decades, a Castro is not in charge. We will look at the new leader, next. And taking a bite out of the meat-

eating market in Asia, we follow that launch of new food technology with a mission impossible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream, and these are your world headlines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: The President of South Korea says North Korea is not demanding the U.S. military leave the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for talks on

denuclearization.

The apparent concession comes ahead of a planned meeting between North Korea and the U.S. North and South Korea hold their own historic summit

next week.

Arsene Wenger has announced that he will leave Arsenal Football Club at the end of the season. He is the longest serving manager in the English

premier league, and led arsenal to three league titles.

Memos detailing former FBI director James Comey's conversation with Donald Trump have now been turned over to the U.S. Congress. In them, Comey

recounts Trump's concerns about media leaks, the President's reservations about then national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Putin telling Trump

that Russia has, quote, the most beautiful hookers in the world. Russia disputes that Putin ever said that, by the way.

You can hear more from James Comey next week in a live town hall hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper. It's happening Thursday, 8:00 a.m. in the morning

Hong Kong time, 10:00 a.m in Sydney.

Now for the first time in almost 60 years, the leader of Cuba is not named Castro. Raul Castro has stepped down and handed the presidency to a younger

man, someone who wasn't even born when Fidel Castro came to power. We get more on this historic moment from CNN's Patrick Altman in Havana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This was the moment that Cubans knew they had a new president and the revolutionary torch had been

passed. The result was never really in doubt. Cuba's national assembly picks the island's president in theory, but the only candidate on the

ballot was this man, Cuban first vice president and Raul Castro's handpicked successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Cuba's new president won the vote, such at it was, 603 to 1. It could have been that 100 percent of the vote was just too much or that one Cuban

lawmaker simply didn't get the memo on who to support. Diaz-Canel is 58 and was born after the guerrilla (ph) fight that swept the Castros to power. A

bureaucrat replacing revolutionaries, but one who at least still talks tough.

MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, PRESIDENT OF CUBA: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

OPPMANN (voice over): No one will weaken the revolution or defeat the Cuban people, he said, because Cuba doesn't make concessions against its

sovereignty or independence.

For another three years, ex Cuban President Raul Castro, will hold onto the title of the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party that sets the

island's long-term agenda. Then he will turn that job as well over to his successor.

RAUL CASTRO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF CUBA: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

OPPMANN (voice over): He will stay on as first secretary, Castro said, to keep the road open. As Raul Castro leaves the scene, Diaz-Canel is on his

way to become Cuba's new strongman.

(on camera): In less than a decade, Miguel Diaz-Canel has vaulted from obscurity to the pinnacle of power in Cuba. It's clear he now inherits

Cuba's economic problems and still unresolved disputes with the United States. The future of the revolution is in his hands.

(voice over): The marks that Fidel Raul Castro left on this island will endure for generations. Elian Gonzalez tells me, himself a supporter of the

government, and possible future leader.

ELIAN GONZALEZ, CUBAN EMIGRANT: (UNTRANSLATED).

OPPMANN (voice over): Many people say that the Castro's mandate will end, Elian says, but their ideology won't end. What they have taught us, the

ideas of the Castros won't end with their mandate, because Cuba is more than its government.

Both worshiped and vilified, the era of the Castros is coming to a close. And now begins the hard work of figuring out what comes next.

DIAZ-CANEL: (UNTRANSLATED).

OPPMANN (voice over): Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: One of China's top technology companies is lashing out at the U.S. government. ZTE is calling Washington's decision to ban it from buying

American parts and software for seven years, an unfair move that threatens its survival.

The U.S. Commerce Department says ZTE lied about punishing employees for violating U.S. sanctions against North Korea and Iran. ZTE held a press

conference at its headquarters in Shenzhen earlier today where its chairman struck a defiant tone.

State media quotes him as saying this, quote, such sanctions will cause the company to immediately enter a state of shock, directly affecting the right

to work of our 80,000 employees and the interests of their families, unquote.

Now, hundreds of major companies might have unknowingly helped finance YouTube channels promoting illegal and extremist content. CNN investigation

has just discovered this. Now advertising from firms including Amazon, Adidas, and Netflix have been running on sites pushing pro-Nazi content,

even channels promoting pedophilia.

The sports company Under Armour has paused advertising with the platform after CNN got in contact with them about their ads appearing alongside

white nationalist videos on YouTube.

In a statement, Under Armour said this, quote, we have strong values-led guidelines in place and are working with YouTube to understand how this

could have slipped through the guardrails. We take these matters very seriously and are working to rectify this immediately.

With more on the story, here's our own Samuel Burke with a "CNN Money" exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the only real surprise here is that YouTube has allowed this to

keep on happening, the fact that ads from major brands and organizations have been running alongside objectionable content to say the least really

came into the spotlight last year and YouTube promised to do better then, but here we are again.

[08:35:03] Now, this time around, the YouTube spokeswoman is saying, quote, we partnered with our advertisers to make significant changes to how

we approach monetization on YouTube with stricter policies, better controls, and greater transparency, but that statement doesn't address why

this keeps on happening.

And Kristie, this really adds fuel to the accusations from people who say that tech companies don't understand or have a real grip on their own

algorithms. This is something that we hear from former engineers at major Silicon Valley firms who have been ringing the alarm bell about exactly

these types of issues for years now.

This isn't anything new, but the scrutiny on these problems really is intensifying. But what's fascinating to me here, Kristie, is that in spite

of all the negative headlines about this issue and advertisers pulling their campaigns is that they usually only pull the money for a period and

then they come back, so analysts don't believe these scandals have actually affected YouTube's bottom line.

And Kristie, those same analysts admit that if brands really want to make sure that this stops, the only way for that to happen is for them to stop

spending on YouTube until this problem is fixed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Samuel Burke there. You're watching "News Stream." Up next, is it mission impossible? Well, there's a new food product in Asia and it's

trying to save the planet. Stay with us for more on the meatless meat market.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live fro Hong Kong, welcome back. This is "News Stream." Now, meats, lots of meat, but made without meat? Food

tech companies are venturing into Asia on a mission to get even committed carnivores in the region to go veggie. They say their products have the

nutritional value and flavor of meat without the environmental impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT (voice over): It looks, smells and even tastes like meat, but this food is actually all vegetarian. People in Hong Kong have started to

savor meat-like products that, with the help of food tech, do not involve the production of animals.

Impossible Foods led by Dr. Pat Brown is one of them. Using genetic engineering, his team has managed to isolate heme, an iron-containing

molecule that gives meat its unique taste and smell and derive it instead from soy plants.

PAT BROWN, CEO AND FOUNDER, IMPOSSIBLE FOODS: We want to save this wonderful planet for future generations. And it really is at a critical

point of risk due to our use of, believe it or not, our use of animals with food production technology. It is by far the greatest threat to the global

environment.

LU STOUT (voice over): The Impossible Burger has already launched in the U.S. and is now expanding internationally for the first time. Top Asian

female chef May Chow is using the meatless alternative to cook up a fresh new take on two of her signature dishes. She is one of a few Hong Kong

chefs using the product.

MAY CHOW, CHEF: It's not just about eating it but its about cooking it. When you cook it, it sizzles and it sears and then it goes from kind of --

it can go from rare to medium rare to medium to medium well, so you can cook it almost like a piece of patty.

LU STOUT (on camera): Here is what Chef May has just whipped up in the kitchen. She calls it the Impossible Bao. I have never tasted the

Impossible Patty before.

[08:40:01] It looks like meat but does it taste like meat? Let's give it a try. I'm surprised. I'm really -- I want to eat more.

(LAUGHTER)

LU STOUT (voice over): Another option is Beyond Meat, which makes beef substitute from pea protein. It is sold in select supermarkets and as an

alternative patty to beef burgers in some restaurants.

Nearly 50 percent of the planet's land is used for grazing or for crops to feed animals. This farming is particularly taxing on our environment,

producing greenhouse gases and using up water resources.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says world beef consumption is increasing the most in East Asia and the Pacific, driven by demand in

China. For chefs like (INAUDIBLE) Uwe Opocensky, it is incredibly important to set a good example. He is also trying Impossible Foods in his

restaurants.

UWE OPOCENSKY, CHEF: They as producers, us as chefs, we have the chance of making changes because these days, people look at chefs, what they do and

how they do things and then become trends and then becomes more than trends. Comes a lifestyle.

LU STOUT (voice over): One challenge is how these food tech products are regulated. Impossible Foods have applied for but not yet received U.S. Food

and Drug Administration approval. The FDA wants more proof that the lab- produced protein is safe for humans by more thorough testing.

Some organizations like Friends of the Earth argue there is no need for companies like Impossible to use genetic engineering to create meat

substitutes.

While the health and environmental damage caused by large scale industrial livestock production should not be minimized, the success of non-animal

burgers like the non-GMO Beyond Burger demonstrates that plant-based animal substitutes can succeed without resorting to genetic engineering.

Are consumers in Asia ready for genetically-engineered fake meat? It's an experiment now unfolding one bite at a time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END