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Finger pointing After Genoa Bridge Collapse; Catholic Church's Deafening Silence on Sexual Abuse Complaints; One Down on Trump's Enemies List, More to Follow; Freedom of the Press in One Voice; Death Toll From Genoa Bridge Collapse Rises To 39; Critics Slam Vatican's Silence On Sex Abuse Report; Taliban Kill 150 In Ghazni Siege; U.S. Sanctions Hits Hard In Automotive Industry; Crazy Rich Asians Breaks New Ground. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 16, 2018 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Years of sexual abuse covered up. The Catholic Church is facing outrage for its silence over more than a thousand children hurt by priests.

Plus, Italy is demanding answers to why a bridge suddenly collapsed in Genoa, killing dozens of people.

And Hollywood gets a little more "Crazy, Rich and Asian" as the bestselling book gets ready to make its film debut.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. And this is CNN Newsroom.

Well, silence from the Catholic Church that is feeling the heat. There has been no comment on the latest accusations sexual abuse of more than a thousand children in Pennsylvania by at least 300 predator priest.

Now this is not unique to the United States of course. Victims speaking out Wednesday and called the crisis systemic and the issue has surfaced in countries all over the world.

And joining us now from Rome on the stunning silence from the Vatican is CNN's Barbie Nadeau. So Barbie, this is the problem, it's bad enough what has been documented in this grand jury report but the silence just adds to this. There's been no response when might we hear from the pope?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's an interesting question. We were in touch with the Vatican spokesman just a few minutes ago and again she said no comment at this moment. We ask, we expected a comment to which she said no comment.

And I think that that silence just adds to the pain of these victims. Meanwhile, the Vatican newsroom continues to point to the comments made out of the American church which they feel remorse, sad and shock and shame but no one is talking about culpability for this crime laid out by this Pennsylvania grand jury, Rosemary. And that is a problem. There's -- until the Vatican, you know, admits

to their culpability I think you're going to see continued frustration from these victims.

CHURCH: And this is the problem, isn't it, because the longer the silence goes on the more the condemnation from people throughout the world. And a lot of the victims of the sexual abuse at the hands of these priests in the Catholic Church have said that it's time to say something about this. It's time to speak up. They want to hear from the pope. This is a P.R. nightmare, isn't it? And these are monstrous details.

NADEAU: They are, absolutely. And I think the people want more than just words from the pope, they want action. And we've seen Pope Francis accept resignations from bishops in Chile and bishops and other -- and cardinals in other situation where there been accusations of sexual assaults and clerical crimes of this nature.

But we haven't seen this pope demand those resignations and I think that that's sort of the turning point. If the pope become pro active and actually starts to demands these people who moved around priests who were part of the cover up, if he demands that those people step down I think that you'd see the victims feel like there are some movement in the right direction, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Barbie, I spoke to one victim, he was 15 when he was abused by a priest. He's now obviously an adult. And he says that the cover up is all about money. That money is right at the core here. And this is the problem for the Catholic Church. This does not look good for them, not only what has been done by these priests but also this cover up is almost worst than the initial crime.

NADEAU: That's absolutely right. And I think when you start on peeling back the layers of the cover up you see that it does leads all the way to the Vatican. Many, many times the Vatican has been informed about predator priests in diocese around the world.

And we've seen time and time again how they've, you know, approve to the move all (Ph) instead of the removal of these priests to other diocese where they are allowed, you know, a whole other batch of new children to assault. And that is the problem.

It isn't enough just to acknowledge that there is an issue here. There needs to be action. And when we've talked about money, I think a lot of the victims do see that this is a financial situation.

But there are other victims who say it's about more than that, it's about the pride of the Vatican, it's such a protective environment that they just don't want to admit to the crimes, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our Barbie Nadeau, joining us live from Rome with what is deafening silence from there. Many thanks to you.

[03:04:56] And before we move on, let's take a listen to CNN talk which took on the topic of sex abuse within the Catholic Church. Here's parts of their exchange about whether the church should be an institution that evolves or remain the same over time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a danger here of western liberals to reform the Catholic Church to essentially reform itself until it's not be Catholic Church. I mean, demanding that it bring into light its policies and its doctrine into line with civil society.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Avoiding pedophilia and reaching out pedophilia which almost every person in the world would want isn't the same as demanding abortion rights even if people around this table I'm not sure all of us do agree that abortion rights should be granted.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a hypocrisy--

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About half the population don't think that way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, but the point is that the Catholic Church is something like some giant charity like it's just doing good, it's not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We agree.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's enforcing laws on how people, you know, kind of religious and cultural laws and how people live their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN talk is your chance to be heard on the big stories we cover. Log on to Facebook.com/international to have your say. That's CNN talk starting 12 p.m. in London and 7 p.m. in Hong Kong.

While Italy mourns the dozens killed in the bridge collapse in Genoa, residents and officials are now demanding justice. And the focus is turning to the company tasked with maintaining that bridge. An executive with Autostrade says the bridge was being carefully monitored and there was nothing to suggest it was dangerous.

But the government has chosen to revoke the company's permit with the prime minister saying these tragedies are unacceptable in modern society.

And our Ian Lee is near the site or the bridge collapse in Genoa and joins us now live. Ian, we do want to get to that maintenance company in just a moment. But first what is the latest information you have on this search for survivals and obviously, on the investigation. Let's try to figure out what happened here.

IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, just as we're about to go live we started to hear these jack hammers behind me. I'll step aside so you can kind of see the work that they're doing. And what they're trying to do is break apart these large slabs of concrete and asphalt and then they'll move them aside. And we're told later today that they're going to bring in dogs so that they can try to find survivors. That of course is priority number one, to try to find people who could still be trapped in that rubble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Fifty years ago, the Morandi Bridge was celebrated as revolutionary, state-of-the-art meant to solve Italy's traffic problems.

Now a mangled mess this bridge will be remembered for one of the deadliest accidents in the country's modern history. Rescuers still scour the carnage for survivors, hope fades by the hour.

Davida Capello, a firefighter and former soccer player is a survivor. He was on the road when it disappeared.

DAVIDA CAPELLO, BRIDGE COLLAPSE SURVIVOR: I found myself going down in my car. I thought that it would be the end that I was going to die then my car stopped, the car hit concrete and it got stuck.

I touched myself to see whether I was still in one piece as it was a massive shock. I didn't call the firemen straight away and they were the ones who helped me first, then I manage to get out of my car. I was helped out of my car by the rescues teams.

LEE: Davida's car is still in that mound of twisted steel and concrete. Alongside the wreckage is the neighborhood of San Pederina (Ph). We spoke with a family who lives literally underneath that bridge in the shadow of danger.

They are part of hundreds of residents evacuated to a nearby shelter. They're relieved but angry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For years and years we spoke about disappointment about the bridge and the structure. As time went by, chunks of the bridge fell down. It was a tragedy we anticipated.

LEE: Genoa's mayor confirmed to CNN the bridge needed repairs and said the national government had contracted to work Autostrade per l'Italia, a privately owned company they say maintenance work was underway but it's too late. The tragedy residents predicted happened for the whole world to see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Rosemary, I asked the chief of the fire service here how many people are still trapped in the rubble he said it's really just hard to tell, there could be people that they missed, vehicles that they didn't count for, and really they won't know and tell that they get to the bottom of that pile.

[03:10:00] CHURCH: It is a horrendous thought. But let's hope that they find some survivors. And we did mention that company that maintained the bridge. They insisted that there were no signs that this bridge was dangerous but clearly that's not the case. People you have spoken to say that's not the case and history tells us

that's not the case, so what is the latest on that.

LEE: Yes, you could go back three decades, Rosemary, to hear stories from people here who say that, you know, they've had problems with this bridge for that long.

And so, they say they complained to the municipality. The municipality said it was Autostrade's responsibility. There's a lot of finger pointing right now.

I spoke to the chief of police and he says they are looking at first off what brought down this bridge, was it that horrific storm or was it just time and structural failure, they don't know. And so that's what they're going to be looking into.

But then they say they're apply blame. Where does it lie? Does it apply with Autostrade, the municipality, of course the government here says, the municipality -- that Autostrade had the contract to repair the bridge. They say there were in the process of repairing the bridge.

But locals say these repairs were just band aids that they weren't going into the more structural deeper problems, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Just horrifying for the victims and for the families of those victims. Ian Lee bringing us that live update from Genoa in Italy, where it is just after 9 in the morning. Many thanks.

A judge in Malaysia has ruled the two women charge with murdering Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will remain in custody and stand trial.

The judge had been considering whether there was enough evidence to proceed with the case against the two. Kim died last year after his face was wiped with VX nerve agent in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur airport.

Defense lawyers claim the women are innocent and were duped by a group of North Korean into thinking they were participating in a prank television show. If found guilty they could face the death penalty.

Well, national security, all thin skin. Why is the President of the United States threatening his critics?

Plus, it is the first major Hollywood film in 25 years to feature a mostly Asian cast. We will hear from some of the stars of "Crazy, Rich Asians."

Back with that in just a moment.

[03:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

While President Trump is making good on a promise he made last month, he has revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan and the White House warns others may be next.

Brennan had served in the CIA since the 1980s and led the agency under President Obama. Lately he's been a vocal critic of President Trump. The White House says it's not about silencing critics but to protect national security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUCKABEE-SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Any benefits that senior officials might glean from consultations with Mr. Brennan are now outweighed by the risked posed by his erratic conduct and behavior.

Second, that conducted and behavior has tested and far exceeded the limits of any professional courtesy that may have been due to him.

Mr. Brennan has a history that calls into question his objectivity and credibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But John Brennan says it's a political move and a chilling message to intelligence and national security professionals, and to him the message is clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER UNITED STATES CIA DIRECTOR: I do believe that Mr. Trump decided to take this action as he has done with others to try to intimidate and suppress any criticism of him or his administration.

And revoking my security clearances is his way of trying to get back at me, but I think I have tried to voice the concerns of millions of Americans about Mr. Trump's failures in terms of fulfilling the responsibilities of that sacred and solemn office of the presidency. And this is not going to deter me at all. I'm going to continue to speak out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN national security analyst Sam Vinograd joins me now from New York. She has worked closely with John Brennan for four years. Good to have you with us.

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you.

CHURCH: So President Trump revokes former CIA John Brennan security clearance and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says this is not about silencing the president's detractors. But John Brennan says that's exactly what this is about. What do you think is going on here, and what's Mr. Trump's likely motivation.

VINOGRAD: Well, it's very obvious that President Trump is lashing out at people whose opinions he disagrees with. There are established processes and procedures for identifying in the first sentence whether somebody needs a clearance.

Second, whether they need the requirement to hold that clearance over a period of time. And finally, if they've done anything at all to violate the terms of their clearance, like for example, open themselves up to bribery or do something on behalf of the foreign government.

Typically, that is a determination that the intelligence community makes. In this case we know that the director of national intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency which holds Brennan's clearance didn't see anything that he had done wrong. And also the thought he had a need to have this clearance going forward.

So this was an arbitrary decision by the president of the United States based on basically a TV review and a Twitter review of John Brennan's public comments.

CHURCH: Now President Trump is threatening to revoke the security clearance of a number of other critics, including the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and former FBI Director James Comey. Should this be happening in the democracy -- does it come close to abuse of presidential authority?

VINOGRAD: Well, it does. It sounds deeply hypocritical when you look at the president's record on this. Actually speaking the president and State Department, U.S. State Department have defended the rights of their personnel to express their opinions freely, whether it be our ambassador to Germany, our ambassador to Israel or name your other official.

It's very clear that the president is just again going after people that he doesn't agree with or those that were involved or were involved -- excuse me, in the Russia investigation at some juncture.

His former national security advisor, national security adviser Mike Flynn chanted lock her up about Hillary Clinton when he had the security clearance. So there is not one size fits all approach here.

The president just zeroing in on the opinion that he doesn't agree with which is not indicative of a democratic approach, it's really indicative of an authoritarian approach to silence any criticism.

CHURCH: And of course, revoking security clearance will not stop the likes of John Brennan or others speaking their mind on various political issues.

VINOGRAD: It won't. You don't need a security clearance to see what the president is doing in terms of policy and in terms of his verbal approach to any number of issues in the United States around the world. That's all open source information. There's no access required.

John Brennan from what we know wasn't actually viewing classified information. When you have clearance in the United States that doesn't just mean that you pick up the phone and say, hey, I feel like going and seeing the top secret information that you're looking at everyday because I want to go on TV and talk about it. [03:20:07] You only view classified information when you need to know it, and John Brennan have this eligibility to review that information in case the U.S. government ever needed to call on him.

So the president put his own hurt feelings above the national security of the United States in so far as John Brennan can no longer go in and give an opinion or share analysis on counterterrorism or any of these really key issues.

CHURCH: And just very quickly. Is this about presidential pay back or is it about political distraction shifting the story from Omarosa to this and changing the news.

VINOGRAD: The timing seems a little bit too coincidental. The statement was drafted on July 26th or so. We have this issue with former White House staffer speaking her mind unfortunately after a very serious security violation.

The timing seems very obvious to me, but regardless whether this happened back in July or it happened today, the damage to our intelligence community and the credibility of our government institutions and freedom of speech and First Amendment rights would have been done at any point that this happened.

CHURCH: Sam Vinograd, always great to get your analysis. Many thanks.

And just one more thing about the timing of this announcement. The White House sent out a written version of Mr. Trump's decision which was dated July 26th. Now that suggest the decision was made three weeks ago.

The White House blamed the discrepancy on a cut and paste error. It later sent another version of the statement with no date.

Well, Americans across the country will witness an extraordinary thing on Thursday. Hundreds of U.S. newspapers, large and small, will publish editorials that champion a free press and denounce President Trump's unprecedented assault on the fourth state.

Here's just one example from the Dallas Morning News. "In our modern era no president has as publicly or fundamentally challenged the legitimacy of America's leading news organizations as the current occupant of the Oval Office. The crucial difference is that rather than taking issue with one story or even a series of stories the intention seems to be to undermine the credibility of the press as a whole with a large swath of the citizenry."

Now these newspapers including some that endorsed Mr. Trump are responding to the president's increasingly menacing tone. On more than one occasion he has labeled the press the enemy of the American people. Here are other things he's said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those people right up there with all the cameras, they are the worse. Those very dishonest people back there.

Absolute dishonest. Absolute scum.

We have a very crooked media.

It's time to expose the crooked media deceptions.

It's frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write. I've never seen more dishonest media.

They're bad people and I really think they don't like our country.

The media deserves a very, very big fat failing grade.

They are the enemy of the people.

I would never tell them but I do hate them. And some of them are such lying, disgusting people, it's true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So let's get more on this with CNN media reporter Hadas Gold in Washington. Great to have you with us.

HADAS GOLD, CNN POLITICS, MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER: Great to be with you.

CHURCH: So the Boston Globe is leading the charge with this coordinated campaign involving more than 300 newspapers across the country publishing these editorials Thursday, pointing out the dangers of President Trump's attacks on the media, and essentially saying, we are not the enemy of the people. But how effective will this strategy likely be do you think.

GOLD: Now it should definitely be commended that these newspapers are doing this, especially that they are doing it in each of their voices. This is not some sort of stock editorial that all of them are running. Each newspaper is writing their own version of this editorial for their own communities.

But you do have to wonder what in effect a newspaper editorial will have on people's minds. Because keep in mind, for example, during the election, way more newspapers endorsed Hillary Clinton for president than they did Donald Trump. Clearly that didn't change the electorate.

However, I do think it's important to make sure people are aware of the dangers of this type of rhetoric of calling the media the enemy of the American people.

What's even more notable I think is that we at CNN actually talked to the publisher of one newspaper in Kansas that endorsed Donald Trump during the election and now is running with their version of this editorial as well.

Because they said that they realize they are part of this community and they also need to stand up and say that this type of rhetoric is dangerous for the media, it's dangerous for the journalists that are doing their jobs and it's dangerous to our democracy.

[03:24:55] CHURCH: And of course, journalists feel this very deeply. But how much concern is there across America about the president anti- media rhetoric. Does anyone who is not a journalist even care anymore about those attacks and about getting to the truth of the matter.

GOLD: It's interesting because it's very much split it seems nowadays along party lines. If you talk to Republicans versus Democrats versus independents and there has been some recent polls here actually that shows that unfortunately, Republicans are thinking more and more of some of the press as an enemy of the American people, as the president said.

It's really interesting to see how quickly the sort of divide has grown between depending on how you have your politics. But I think that people at their core still really believe in a free press and a free media because as much as they might decry the fake news they understand that what makes the country so great is that everybody can say their point of view and can write what they want. And that's what so important.

I think what's frustrating for a lot of people is just the amount of news out there and the amount of voices that are out there and that it's hard to kind of tell what can be trusted and what can't be trusted because there's so many elements. And they can all look very legitimate.

And that is actually why I think that there needs to be, if anything, more news literacy in schools and more reporters going on the ground and talking to people and explaining how we do what we do and why we do what we do so that they understand that we're not some sort of, you know, cloud in the sky or some sort of TV network out of, you know, this big urban centers that we are real people who are just trying to report the news and go after the truth.

And I think that will have more effect than necessarily editorials in the newspaper

CHURCH: Yes. It is -- that's a very good point. And if nothing else we are seeing another example of news media solidarity and we have seen it in some of the White House press briefings.

How important is that solidarity at the time when the country is led by a president who apparently feels threatened by the questions post by these journalists.

GOLD: Exactly. And I think especially this week we saw notably just the other day when a Fox News reporter deferred to an NBC reporter to let her finished her question. We're seeing this more and more in the White House. And in the press briefings, reporters from competing networks, from networks that sort of seen on opposite ends of the political spectrum are saying you know what, at our corps we're all journalists.

And we just want to be able to ask questions and get our answers and so I'm going to defer to you.

And it's really interesting to see this happened more and more and see how the White House responds to it. Because for example, after the White House denied CNN one of our reporters from even entering an event, you saw the swelling of solidarity from all sorts -- all sorts of reporters all sort of publications that now are saying no.

This is not OK. This is where we draw the line. Because this country is about free press and a First Amendment. And that's not an OK thing to do from the White House, from the president to bar a reporter from attending an event. And I think that we will continue to see more and more of that solidarity if the White House continues these antics.

CHURCH: Hadas Gold, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

GOLD: Thank you.

CHURCH: And we'll take a short break here, but still to come back, decades of silence are over. A man who says he was sexually abused by his priest is talking about what happened and how the Catholic Church covered it up.

We're back with that in just a moment.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: Welcome back everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to update you on the main stories we are following this hour.

Hopes of finding survivors from Tuesday's bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy are fading, at least 39 people are dead, including 3 children. The government says the company maintaining the bridge Autostrade will have its permit revoked.

Police in London have identified the terror suspect who drove a car through security barriers outside the Houses of parliament injuring a few people on Tuesday. He is a 29-year-old British national originally from Sudan, he is being held on charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

Catholics in the U.S. are urging Pope Francis to respond to a damning new report of clergy sex abuse. Pennsylvania grand jury details more than 300 cases with more than 1,000 child victims over seven decades and bishops are accused of covering it all up. Now the Vatican has remained silent.

I am joined now by Shaun Dougherty, he is a survivor of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, thank you so much for being with us.

SHAUN DOUGHERTY, SAYS HE WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED BY PRIEST: Thank you.

CHURCH: How hard was it for you to tell your story and how do you feel now that this reports is out revealing the horrifying stories of what these priest have done to so many children. DOUGHERTY: It was difficult to tell my story, but was more difficult

to get them to listen to it. And get them to understand that this is a systemic problem for many of us and not just me. And the feeling that I have today after yesterday's revealing report is really a release. You know, they called the report yesterday that they released the report, I am also released. I feel 50 pounds lighter today and I am completely at peace today.

CHURCH: And that is a very important part of the process here understandably. The Catholic Church, though, has remained silent in the wake of this report's release, with no comment from the pope, but he certainly had an opportunity to do that, what should he and the church be saying about this? And what punishment should the guilty priests receive for committing such heinous crimes on these children?

DOUGHERTY: Well they certainly shouldn't get away with it completely which is what they're slotted to do currently. Without proper legislative changes to current Pennsylvania law, there really won't be much of a punishment. The church isn't really forthwith in turning its dirty priests over. So it's up to the individual citizens of Pennsylvania to make sure that our legislators pass a, current bill that is in the house being debated that will extend the statute of limitations indefinitely and give survivors like me who timed out at the age of 15 to have the opportunity to have my day in court. And without that, the church is going to do what they always do, and that is carry on and get away with it.

CHURCH: And that is the problem with statute of limitations, isn't it? It protects those who perpetrate these crimes, it does not protect the victims. How much support do you see this legislation getting in Pennsylvania?

DOUGHERTY: By the citizens of Pennsylvania it's overwhelming, by the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania it's overwhelming. They've already passed this bill overwhelmingly in the house, but the Republican-controlled Senate in Pennsylvania which is a super majority and has always been easy to find an enabling year in Senate pro tamped in Senator Joe Scarnati, it's going to be a battle, because they like to carry water for the church and they're against this very common sense legislation. It is not that they -- they are willing to expose Pennsylvanian's children to absolute monsters rather than risk losing their seat in the Senate.

[03:35:13] CHURCH: And of course, it need to be pointed out, this sexual abused and bridge of trust in the Catholic Church, it's not just a problem in Pennsylvania, it is bigger than that. It's global. Why has the church covered up these atrocities and what needs to be done to stop more priests from committing these crimes on children? Because for all we know this is ongoing.

DOUGHERTY: The first part is why to cover it up, it all roots down to money. You know. If exposure to this is going to cost them money. It's going to cost the parishioners, going to cost them reputation and if they don't have parishioners and the reputation is soiled and damaged, they are not going to have money contributions to the church. Which will not enable them to do anything that the church does. So

they have a systemic problem throughout the Roman Catholic Church, but the Roman Catholic Church is huge, they are worldwide. And if you have a systemic problem worldwide that you have unilaterally chosen to cover up for decades that is one serious wasps nest waiting to just be broken open.

CHURCH: Shaun Dougherty, we thank you so very much for coming on to CNN sharing your story with us. Your bravery is incredible in light of what's happening here. Thank you so much.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you. I greatly appreciate this opportunity.

CHURCH: And we're getting reports of more violence in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Officials say gunman had attacked the area around the training center of the Afghan Intelligence Service. We are told that Afghan Special Forces have arrive at the scene, we will keep a very close eye on this and bring you more details as they come in to us here at CNN.

Well, Afghan authorities has revised the death toll of a suicide bombing in Kabul on Wednesday. They now say at least 34 people were killed down from 48. That attack targeting students. Here's CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN: Devastation in Afghanistan, again, as a suicide bomber kills students in an attack on a Kabul classroom. That attack coming as the important province of Ghazni is under siege. With the Taliban killing at least 150 people in a deadly attempt to take the province and key city from Afghan government control. Civilians flee with their families share only stories of horrors.

They were burning buildings and fires this man says. And dead bodies everywhere. And the fight was ongoing. The Pentagon this week down played the Ghazni siege stressing the Afghan government maintains control of the city, they are telling the Afghans were only able to do so with the help of U.S. air support and U.S. service members.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They need to take increasing ownership of this conflict.

TAPPER: This is (inaudible) Afghanistan then Defense Secretary Robert Gates invasion when he met with U.S. soldiers in Ghazni province in 2011.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we made headway on our major goals. But to them to degrade the capabilities of Taliban.

TAPPER: That was seven years ago, the promises had continued.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe in the end of 2014, we can look at the families and the soldiers and the marines that served over the last 11 years and say we won.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think the conditions are set for success.

TAPPER: The inescapable fact we are in the 17th year of this war and Afghan forces still seem incapable or unwilling too often in defending their country on their own.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very effective fire. Copy.

TAPPER: And the Americans who have sacrificed in Afghanistan are asking what's next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are a lot of veterans who put their hearts into that country and their blood, who have a sense of despair or disappointment, in some cases disgust that things did not fare better.

TAPPER: C.J. (inaudible) is a New York Times reporter, former marine infantry officer and author of new book, "The fighters" in which he tells the story of the service members with whom he was embedded. Those who worn the burden of the lofty pronouncements and unrealized promises of commanders and generals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We went there unreasonable smart at outset and then overtime we saw distraction, disorganization, incoherent ultimately.

TAPPER: More than 2,200 American service members have given their lives in this conflict, just days ago, Sergeant First Class Raymond (inaudible) was killed by IED.

[03:40:00] Now the third commander in chief behind the U.S. effort is making, familiar promises while also bluntly criticizing pass leadership.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They left me with Afghanistan which was a disaster. Making lot of progress in Afghanistan.

TAPPER: And what is Afghanistan today? The first six months of this year at a record high number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan compared to same period over the last 10 years. Almost 1700 killed. Those pulling their boots on for the first time want to believe they will be the ones to deliver long promised success.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I were to try to paint or describe a future in which we might find a way out of this, it would be to look at the humanity on the people on the ground on different sides of the conflict and try to analyze what are we doing for them?

TAPPER: And whatever it is it working? Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: We're going to take short break here. But still to come, dams are over flowing and homes had been wiped as a popular tourist spot in India, sees its worst flooding in nearly a century. Plus fans are buzzing about the first major Hollywood film with an all Asian ensemble since the (inaudible) club back in 1993. We will take a look at "Crazy, Rich Asians." That is still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Renewed U.S. sanctions are now in effect in Iran, President Trump says the tough, new rules will force Tehran to change its policies, but for now the impact is local not global. Our Nick Paton Walsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tehran stood proud for centuries but now life here changes by the week. Everyone loves a Toyota until it breaks down. Yet renewed American sanctions on cars and their parts kicking in a week ago being a few can afford repairs and spares are drying up, so they sit for months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's three times as expensive, so this is just in the last few months.

PATON WALSH: These would normally be full the owner says. You never think a spark plug would become such valued currency.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump thinks that he is pushing the Iranian people to rise up against their government. Do you think it's likely to happen, because of what's happening here?

[03:45:00] PATON WALSH: No he says, because the hungrier the people get the more they are going to hate him. If Trump acted properly, people might even have liked him. Behind every car is a family and Debuts Taraji is in the heart of it.

He can't afford the parts to repair his taxi, but hasn't stopped the monthly repayments on it. And that led to stark changes at home for Debuts (ph), Arthen (ph), seven and daughter Assal (ph), 13. As the local currency also plunges in value their fancy refrigerator in plush, but tiny tube apartment is suddenly empty. The price of an egg has doubled, he says, just like the price of fresh fruits, vegetables, milk is about 40 percent more expensive.

These are the middle class that Barack Obama wanted to win over by lifting sanctions under the nuclear deal, but on to whom Donald Trump wants to pile pressure hoping to force political change. Yet instead it's Arthen English lessons that may go first and perhaps Assal tutor and then perhaps even the family home will go on the market. The U.S. Says Iran's government not its people are the target, but it's far more personal and painful here.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: And our Nick Paton Walsh joins us now live from Tehran. So, Nick, President Trump is hoping his new sanctions will force Tehran to change its policies or see some sort of political change forced by the people. How likely is that either of those scenarios will turn out here?

PATON WALSH: Well, at this stage we're not seeing any political change really at all in Iran as a result of those sanctions. What is clear they've been heralded for a number of months that is having an impact on their economy has contributed to the slide of a local currency and have to spend three times just as many real for local currency to buy a dollar than you did this time of last year. And you saw on that report that means food is more expensive, that means life is generally much less tenable.

Now, the broader question you have to ask is do people here, locally, and there is no doubt there's economic crisis here that has been protests erratically on the streets of Iran over the past eight months or so do local Iranian people blame the outsiders, the Americans, for their sanctions, for tearing up nuclear deal of 2015 for economic crisis or do they also blame internal mismanagement.

Now, I think, certainly some Iranian officials have accepted there had been mistakes made internally and people have lost their job, as a result. I think the broader question as those sanctions ratchet up and the pressure grows, remember in early November, it is the sanctions against the oil industry, a fifth of Iran's GDP sector accountable, they kick in further ratcheting up the pressure, that would probably had yet another impact upon the economy here. And it is entirely possible we heard from many people, you just saw in that report too, they increasingly blame the U.S. for the deterioration of the economy here.

That is entirely possible while they look to the outside enemy for contributing to the slide here, at the same time too, those moderates, who negotiates with United States and Trump administration throw that agreement out and even advocate more moderate approach they in fact find themselves and the government slipping to slightly more conservative positions, because have that moderations so more outwardly more western thing has essentially failed them on the changing policy, Trump administration. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, bringing us that reaction from Tehran. It is just nearly 12:20 in the afternoon. Many thanks to you, Nick.

Well Turkey's foreign minister says he won't give in to the U.S. threats as their trade, fights intensify, but he is willing to talk. It comes after the U.S. Levy tariffs and then Turkey set tariffs on its own on cars, and tobacco and alcohol, it is all because Washington wants an American pastor under house arrest released, but Ankara says no. Now Qatar has come to the rescue saying, it will invest billions in Turkey.

Our CNN Money, emerging markets editor John Defterios, joins us now from Istanbul. John, the problem here is there is a stalemate. What's going to happen? What's the next move? Who is going to break away here?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Think about it, Rosemary, this is seven day of tit for tat sanctions, and tariffs too. President at lag their heads, you laid out the story very well here, one day we have a boycott threat from Turkey on U.S. electronics and then a long list of tariffs. But that cash injunction you are talking about from Qatar, some $15 billion is providing almost a halo effect for the Turkey. It is up another 3 percent and now into the third day of trading we are up nearly 20 percent. Now an olive branch, if you will, from the foreign minister, suggesting we don't want threats, but would like to talk. Let's take a quick listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:50:04] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): Despite everything we are willing to talk about everything as two equal partners to solve existing problems, I speak openly, on one condition there will be no threatening language, no dictating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEFTERIOS: No threats, no dictating, but again the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence brought up the idea of the Andrew Bronson, the pastor that you talked about there and they say this is unconditional. We want a release before anything else happens.

CHURCH: We'll see if there's any talks. But I do want to ask you this, John. What role the dollar might have to play in terms of the market pressure on emerging markets.

DEFTERIOS: Well this is a perfect storm, if you will, turbulence because of the trade tariffs, but also the U.S. is raising interest rates right now, that means the dollar going up, is like a gigantic hoofer sucking money out of emerging markets like Turkey, but there are five or six emerging markets seeing some in stock market and the currencies under severe pressure. And those that word contagious, the word and worries of spill over into other markets around the world that is not going to be just contained to Turkey but also a global sell off. We got hints of that on Wall Street last night.

CHURCH: All right, John Defterios, joining us live from Istanbul. Thank you so very much.

The worst flooding in nearly a century in India's southern tourist state of (inaudible) has claimed at least 67 lives. Authorities say, dams are full and overflowing and heavy rain could continue for several more days. Our Lynda Kinkade has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

LYNDA KINKADE, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: When water strikes to the horizon, unprecedented months of rain has cause widespread flooding. In India's state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATOR): When water came in, we ran away with whatever we could grab. The water came very fast. We had to save our lives. We lost so many things.

KINKADE: Dozens of people have been killed in more than 350 makeshift camps been set up for the tens and thousands of people displaced with their homes now inhabitable many of the survivors face an uncertain future. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): In our village everyone's houses were

destroyed. It will be a long time before we can go back. I have no idea how long it will take, and where I will take my family.

KINKADE: Drinking water is in short supply with 27 dams affected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): Our water treatment plants in different places have been submerged under water. The motors have been damaged. Our first priority is to get drinking water out to the people.

KINKADE: Emergency efforts are also being hampered by widespread railway shut out. The airport will remain closed for at least four days severely impacting this major tourist hot spot. The disaster has cost more than a billion U.S. Dollars. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: Coming up next, the romantic comedy that is breaking new ground in Hollywood, hear from the stars of "Crazy, Rich Asians" who say there's a lot riding on the success of their film, we are back with that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The buzz-heavy movie "Crazy, Rich Asians" opened in North America on Wednesday with predictions of a crazy rich box office weekend. It's a major cultural milestone the first American Studio film to feature an all-Asian cast since the "Joy Luck club" in 1993. CNN's David Daniel, takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

[03:55:13] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been dating over a year now and I think it's about time people met my beautiful girlfriend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Think they will check you in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So your family is rich.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're comfortable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is exactly what a super-rich person would say.

DAVID DANIEL, CNN JOURNALIST: An Asian American woman meets Singapore high society and crazy, rich Asian.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You guys dating Nick Young.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hell yes they're just the biggest developers in all of Singapore.

DANIEL: It is based on Kevin Kwon bestselling novel. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I read the book. My sister told me to read the

book "Crazy, Rich Asians" it was suspicious at the time. But I gave it a go and I absolutely loved it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife and we read the book, when the first book, when it first came out and were like this is begging to be made into a movie.

DANIEL: Shooting in Singapore and Malaysia meant a lot to the cast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Singaporean are the character on the movie. You go on a journey to this exotic beautiful Metropolis that is Singapore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And for me as an Asian American whenever Asian- Americans go to Asia there is a more personal journey that also happens too, so, it just makes it mean a lot more and lot of us it were together, you know, experiencing this amazing country. It was unforgettable.

DANIEL: Also important to the cast, it is the first contemporary U.S. studio film in 25 years on an all Asian ensemble.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think this movie is about representation. I think it is about love and I think this movie is representation. The fact that we made it and that we said our stories have value.

Feeling glorious, glorious.

DANIEL: In Hollywood, I'm David Daniel.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: Can't wait to see it. Well, finally, many of us have had an oops moment behind the wheel, right? Maybe a little fender bender, but look what happened in southern China when a woman, took a car out for a ride at the BMW dealership, now she apparently meant to hit the brakes, but stomped on the gas instead. No one was seriously hurt. But it was good for her test drive was not a driving test. Thanks so much for your company this hour, I'm Rosemary Church, remember to connect with me any time on Twitter. I love to hear from you. The news continues now with Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. You're watching CNN. Have a great day.