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NEWS STREAM

Two Massive Storm Systems In The Atlantic And The Pacific; Two Men Accused With The Novichok Poisoning Talks To Russia TV; Russia-China Joint War Games; Pope Francis Meets With U.S. Bishops; Hurricane Florence; Rohingya Crisis; The Big Reveal; Space Bubbles. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired September 13, 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] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream."

Bracing for impact. Super typhoon Mangkhut approaches the Philippines and puts millions of people across Asia at risk.

Extreme storm surge. In the Atlantic, Hurricane Florence barrels towards the U.S. east coast as its outer reach grows ever larger.

And taking the tourism defense, the two Russians accused of the U.K. Sergei Skripal poisoning speak out on Russian television.

Tens of millions of people are in the path of two monster storms. One in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific. And right now, Hurricane

Florence is actually growing in size as its outer edges lash the U.S. east coast of this slow-moving storm. It could punish some areas with damaging

winds for 24 hours or even longer.

More than a million people in the region are under mandatory evacuation orders. A major threat, the storm surge, which could reach almost 4 meters.

Six nuclear power plants are also in the path of the storm and local officials, they are warning residents who do decide to stay that they are

on their own.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL SAFFO, MAYOR, WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA: Once this storm is upon us, we're not going to be able to send emergency personnel out to save you,

to help you, until this storm passes. That's why it's so important that while you still have some time, make the preparations, get out of the way,

go to higher ground because once this storm is upon us, we're not going to be able to send out our emergency personnel to help you until the storm

passes.

We just ask people to use extreme caution, you know, get to higher ground now. You still have a little bit of time left. For those who are thinking

of leaving the area, the time is now, now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: In the Pacific, another even more powerful super typhoon, Mangkhut, is barreling towards the Philippines, southeastern China as well

as right here in Hong Kong. Now, the storm had already ripped through the U.S. territory of Guam and there it left a trail of destruction.

(BEGIN VIDETAPE)

(voice-over): This is what the strongest storm of the year looks like. With the equivalent of Category 5 hurricane strength winds and gusts strong

enough to lift the roof off buildings like it did on the Pacific Island of Guam. The heavy rain has the potential to cause floods and landslides and

uproot trees blocking vital access paths. Some residents have lost nearly everything with their homes destroyed by Mangkhut's fury.

RADIAN PEREZ, GUAM RESIDENT: When I noticed that the wind started to pick up, I had to remove my vehicle where I was sitting in through the storm,

had to remove myself from here because of the trees, surroundings and knowing the fact that it is going to collapse.

LU STOUT (voice-over): The full impact of Typhoon Mangkhut in the U.S. Territory may not be known for a few weeks. Hundreds of people have been

displaced and emergency crews are on the scene. The governor of Guam asked for it to be declared a major disaster in a letter to U.S. President Donald

Trump on Thursday.

He wrote that the situation is beyond the capability of the island to deal with and federal emergency assistance is needed. "I am committed to

returning our island to normalcy. I am also committed to working with federal partner agencies to see where additional aid is available. We know

that recovery starts at the local level. Our people have done all they can to get back on their feet although Guam is and has been extremely

resilient, it is now time to reach out for assistance in whatever form that is."

The sheer size of this monster storm can be seen easily from space and the fear now is for the Philippines and other countries in its path. Sixteen

provinces across Luzon and the Visayas islands are on alert, although much of the countries likely to feel some effect from the outer rings of the

storm. Water levels have already risen in the capital Manila.

RICARDO JALAD, UNDERSECRETARY, PHILIPPINE OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE: Worst case scenario in places that will really get hit are strong winds that can

topple poorly built houses, storm surge, heavy rains and floods.

[08:05:00] LU STOUT (voice-over): Mangkhut is as strong as super typhoon Haiyan which killed more than 6,000 people in 2013. Although that storm hit

a more populated part of the country, the Red Cross says they are concerned for millions of people living in the path of the latest destructive storm.

An earlier typhoon, Barijat, has only just passed through Guangdong province, far weaker than this latest storm, but already strong enough to

bring torrential rain and require thousands of people to be evacuated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on-camera): And turning to Hurricane Florence in the U.S. now, and there are states of emergency right now in North Carolina, in South Carolina, as

well as Georgia, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. and more than a million people under mandatory evacuation orders. But as Drew Griffin shows

us, some people in the path of the storm simply refuse to leave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The southward track hit the South Carolina coast with a sudden reality check. Already preparing for

what might have been a glancing blow, Myrtle Beach and Point South woke up in Florence's cross hairs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via telephone): It's like waking up to a sucker punch and we need to take this very seriously. This storm is massive. It's

catastrophic. And I don't say that to create panic, but I say it to create a sense of urgency that people do need to take action and evacuate.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Evacuation routes turned all lanes one way, away from the coast. A steady stream of last minute evacuees, trying to get as

far as possible to ride out a storm that could last for days.

ROY COOPER, GOVERNOR OF NORTH CAROLINA: Disaster is at the doorstep and it's coming in. If you're on the coast, there is still time to get out

safely. No possession is worth your life.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): In North Carolina's Barrier Islands, two ferries full of residents of Ocracoke Island were some of the last to leave. More

than one million facing mandatory evacuation orders are making one last decision. Leave or ride it out.

NICKYA RIVERA, RESIDENT: If we leave it could be weeks or months until you can come back and check on your home. I mean, that in itself is scary to be

away from your home for that long. So we boarded up the house. We have plenty of water, we have plenty of food. We're all just going to, you know,

stick in it together and hope for the best.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): In Myrtle Beach, final boards went up this morning on Christine Rush's apartment building. She thought she was staying then

reluctantly looked at Florence's new path.

CHRISTINE RUSH, RESIDENT: Oh, I didn't know it until you told me and my husband told me. So, yes, we're leaving. We're going further off of the

beach.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Her biggest problem, her dog, Payton. She won't leave without him. Shelters in her county don't accept pets. She has a

friend on higher ground. Her neighbor, she says, aren't so lucky.

RUSH: Some of them just don't have a place to go. Some of these people in here don't have vehicles. They have like bicycles or mopeds or something

like that. I mean, they cannot leave.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Officials say the lack of huge traffic jams today shows people have already heeded the warnings. Up and down the coast, a

final warning was being broadcast today, stay at your own peril.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emergency services are going to be discontinued. There will be no police. There will be no fire. There'll be no ambulance service.

We are an independent lot here in (inaudible) County. With that said, protect your loved ones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Drew Griffin reporting. Now, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers joins us now from Atlanta. And Chad, this has been called the storm

of a lifetime there in the U.S. Where is Hurricane Florence now and what danger does it pose?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It poses a storm surge threat of between three and four or maybe five meters depending on the bay that the water

goes in. So now we can actually see it on the radar. There is a very well- defined eye. This is about 225 kilometers to Jacksonville or Wilmington. And the winds are going this direction here, somewhere in the ballpark of

180 kilometers per hour.

Now, this is not Mangkhut. This is not Haiyan. But the storm of the century or a lifetime here is because the people here haven't seen one like this. A

directly impacting storm that will make all of the surge on this side of the eye that will wash away homes and lives and many things.

When you get a four to five meter surge and a five meter wave on top of that, many things are going to disappear. Things that people worked their

entire lifetime to work on. Now, we get to Mangkhut. And Kristie, this one is real. I know you are talking about it, but look at this thing.

LU STOUT: Yes, and let's talk more about Mangkhut because, you know, we know that it's already torn through Guam and the Marshall Islands.

[08:10:02] It is on its way to the Philippines even here in Hong Kong. What does it look like right now? Where is it tracking at the moment?

MYERS: If you can imagine, 270 kph, I can't. I see a Formula One car go by and it looks like it's, you know, just kind of going down the highway. But

270 kilometers per hour circulating around this eye right here is a tremendous storm. I have a little bit more concern about Manila than I'm

seeing on a lot of the social media. This storm is going to run right over Luzon, something like this.

And so, the northern part of Luzon will really be very damaged. There is no question about that. The population density here isn't what Manila is, but

when the storm gets lets say here, there will be wrap around. There will be waves coming in here on the back side of the storm trying to push water

into Subic Bay, into Manila itself and maybe a two to three or four storm surge there.

And think about what that town looks like with floating docks and floating homes. So, this could be a rough time even for Manila even though this

storm will be well father to the north than that. And as it does move to the north and moves over the northern part of Luzon, at least for today,

the center of the eye, the center of cone from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is not over Hong Kong because just south of Hong Kong, we're talking

about winds of 165.

Now, Hong Kong, you are still in the cone as we call it. The storm could still be here. The storm could still be here, but the mountains here on the

northern part of Luzon may help the storm die. Now, it's going to take it's toll on those areas there certainly and people should be getting farther to

the south away from there if you're living in here.

There are some very populated areas on the north, not so much on the east because what these storms have been happening now for centuries. But as

eventually now we get all the way over here to just almost the north area. Denang is right here so, just to the north there on the north part of

Vietnam.

So, it will be a big storm. It will be a big event. Let's just hope that Manila gets unscathed. We're going to the watch that as it gets closer.

Northern Luzon, you are not going to get unscathed. You're getting hit by a 270 kph storm.

LU STOUT: Yes, a lot of danger posed by Mangkhut's sheer size and intensity. Chad Myers reporting for us. Chad, thank you.

Now, joining me from manila is Richard Gordon. He is the chairman and CEO for the Philippine Red Cross and Richard, thank you for joining us. Good to

see you once again. I know you have your teams out there. They are fanned across the Philippines and as the Red Cross prepares for the arrival of

this super typhoon, what is your chief concern, your greatest concern right now?

RICHARD GORDON, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, PHILIPPINE RED CROSS: We're concerned about storm surge, we're concerned about flooding. We're concerned about

high winds and with the waves will take out the homes along with the winds and certainly when you have that, we hope the people are adequately

prepared by evacuating (inaudible). Certainly what concerns me afterwards is the crop damage. We are in a middle of a rice -- minor rice crisis

(inaudible) because this is a rice producing area. And certainly our people are out there to make sure that we can alleviate (inaudible) there.

LU STOUT: Yes. You are concerned about a number of things. You mentioned crop damage, the storm surge, flooding. We know that the Philippine's

president, Rodrigo Duterte has been holding meetings to consider extra measures ahead of the arrival of the storm. Do you have any additional

recommendations? You know, what more should the government do to prepare for super typhoon Mangkhut?

GORDON: Well, number one, we have to make sure that our people are safe. They are out of harms way, and that means we have to make a decision right

away on the points where they can be. We have evacuation centers along with the schools according to the government, and that's good.

Once you get them out of the way, then the government must have their continue the planning action which means they are on the job, everybody is

there not just the soldiers but the government must make the people feel that they are there so that they can react right away when there is a need

for it.

Certainly, the government is very much prepared with food stuffs, but of course a lot of people who lose their clothes, their belongings, so the Red

Cross is coming in with nine food items and remember, this is the first this is happening here. This is a category 4 typhoon.

We had a category 5 maybe in earlier years, in 2010 if I'm not mistaken and we lost a lot of -- we had about 69 people dead there as well as another

storm called (inaudible) where we lost another 57 people and they are Category 5.

This is category 4, but this one here is wider, but that means a lot of ground will be covered four and (inaudible) category 4, it's capable of

creating a lot of suffering for our people.

LU STOUT: Yes, and as you mentioned, the Philippines is familiar with this. We've talked it before in the aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan and

other major storms.

[08:15:03] You and the Philippines very familiar with major storm systems that go in a regular basis there. Do you feel that the Philippines is

getting better at disaster preparedness ahead of these super typhoons?

GORDON: The irony is really getting better but the storms are getting bigger, maybe (inaudible) changes and been on to us. We know that we're

better prepared. We have more evacuation centers. We have people on the ground. We have more equipment on the grounds with (inaudible). But the

storms are getting stronger and harsher.

So we really have to ratchet up our capability. In the Red Cross we have volunteers, we have our logistics and we have out information technology

which means that we can contact our people right away. Right on the ground right now, if something happens out there, new have teachers, policemen,

volunteers, the young volunteers who will tell us what's going to happen so that we can react.

And we have field teams there (inaudible) that can immediately assess the damage. They don't have to be in the area right away, but the moment the

storm pass, they're going to be there to assess how many houses have been destroyed, how many people need help, how much damage have been destroyed,

what do they need? Do they need water? Do they need payloaders to clear up the debris? Do they need savings (ph)?

Certainly there will be a lot of people who need to be saved. What are the landslide areas? What are the lifelines affected such as power, water,

communications. These are the things that we have to go into right away with the government. Certainly, we are working together as a team and

hopefully we can assuage the (inaudible) of this cycle.

LU STOUT: Absolutely. Richard, it sounds like you have a plan in place. Here is wishing you and your teams across the Philippines the very best as

you prepare for the arrival of this super typhoon and try to protect civilians and to keep them out of harm's way. Richard Gordon, CEO of the

Philippine's Red Cross joining us live from Manila. Thank you.

You're watching "News Stream." And coming up next, two Russians accused in the nerve agent attack in the U.K., they're talking to Russian media. We're

going to take you to Moscow to hear their alibi for yourself.

Also ahead, Pope Francis meets with U.S. Catholic church leaders at the Vatican to discuss several abuse scandals in the United States. We're in

Rome, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back. This is "News Stream."

The Russian men accused of a nerve agent attack in the U.K. are sharing their side of the story. British prosecutors have charged these men in

connection with the poisoning. The two reached out to Kremlin-backed Russian TV on Thursday to present their alibi.

Matthew Chance is following the developments from Moscow. He joins us now live. And Matthew, the two men accused of the Novichok poisoning, they have

appeared on Russian TV. How did they explain why they were in Salisbury?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's quite fascinating to watch.

[08:20:01] It's an absolutely extraordinary alibi that they've come out with. These are the two individuals, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov,

appearing on state as we've never seen them in public before. Not since the British authorities released that CCTV video showing them going on two

separate occasions to short trips to Salisbury on the day of and the day before the Novichok poisoning took place

What they're saying in this sort of highly orchestrated and sort of quite awkward interview with Russian state television is that they were just

tourists. They went to Salisbury on a site seeing trip not once but twice and were deterred from staying any longer than an hour on each occasion

because it was snowy and there was slushy mud everywhere on the roads. That is their story. It's absolutely extraordinary as I said. Take a listen to

with just a snippet of what kind of detail they're coming up with in this alibi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): On the CCTV footage from London, you welcome those now famous coats and sneakers in Salisbury. Are

those people you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Yes, that's us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): What were you doing there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Our friends had been suggesting for a long time that we visit this wonderful town.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Salisbury, a wonderful town?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Yes. There is the famous Salisbury Cathedral, famous not only in Europe, but in the whole world.

It's famous for its 123 meter spire. It's famous for its clock, the one of the first ever created in the world that is still working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Yes, that famous 123 meter spire which was the main attraction, its seems, for these Russian tourists going to Salisbury. Look, I mean,

this alibi is not going to convince many people and certainly not going to convince British investigators are suspecting. British officials are saying

they do not believe this is in any way credible.

But, you know, I just want to say this because it is interesting. As I said, this is the first time they've appeared in Russia since they were

accused of being involved in this Novichok poisoning and it confirms first of all that these are actual people. Previously, the Russians have denied

that these people that were named by the British investigators even existed. And it also confirms that they are here in Russia in defiance of a

British and a European arrest warrant, Kristie.

LU STOUT: yes, but still, they're takin the tourism defense. Absolutely extraordinary. Matthew Chance, reporting live for us from Moscow. Matthew,

thank you.

And in an unrelated incident, the Russian punk band and protest group Pussy Riot, they believe that one of its members may have been poisoned. Right

now, Pyotr Verzilov is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Moscow.

A message on the group's twitter feed calls it a case of suspected poisoning. Pusy Riot is known for frequently criticizing the Russian

government

Now, Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has delivered a message for the world as he attends what Russia calls the largest war games since the fall

of the Soviet Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translation): Russia is a peace-loving state. We do not and cannot have aggressive plans. But our

duty to Russia, I now address the Russian servicemen, our duty to our country and to the motherland is to be ready to defend the sovereignty,

security, and national interests of our country. And if necessary, the support our allies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: At least 300,000 Russian troops are taking part in military exercises in the eastern part of the country. Also joining in, soldiers

from China as well as Mongolia.

Pope Francis is meeting with the leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church at the Vatican today and likely to be discussed, an American cardinal accused of

sexually abusing seminarians and a grand jury report that says the church covered up abuse of a thousand children in Pennsylvania. Today's meeting

follows news that Pope Francis has summoned bishops from around world to the Vatican in February to discuss the abuse scandals currently engulfing

the Catholic Church.

CNN's Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher joins me live from Rome. And Delia, the pope has been meeting with U.S. bishops there in Rome this day.

Who is there and how do they plan to address this problem of clergy sex abuse?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well Kkristie, you've got four representatives of the leadership U.S. Catholic bishops there including

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston and Cardinal Daniel Dinardo, who is the president of the U.S. Catholic Bishop's Conference. We don't have the

details yet of what was said at that meeting. We are awaiting them.

However, going into the meeting, the U.S bishop said they wanted to discuss two main things with the pope. One, is a full investigation into who knew,

what, when about allegations of sexual abuse on the part of former Cardinal McCarrick.

[08:25:03] These are allegations which also implicate the Vatican, the Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II, who made Cardinal McCarrick a cardinal, and

Pope Benedict. This is a very big investigation into who both in the U.S. and the Vatican knew about allegations against former Cardinal McCarrick.

The other thing the bishops want to raise with Pope Francis is some kind of streamlined process for reporting bishops who are accused of cover up. What

kind of an investigation can happen either in the U.S. or at the Vatican to check out those allegations and hold them to account. That's one of the big

topics that they are hoping to address with the pope. Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yes, a critical meeting comes at a critical time for the Catholic Church. Delia Gallagher, thank you.

Meanwhile, reports in Germany say the Catholic Church is about to admit to thousands of cases of sexual abuse spanning decades there. Two German

publications say that they've seen a report that will be made public later this month. Let's bring in Atika Shubert. She joins us now with more from

Berlin. And Atika, the scale of the findings is shocking. We're talking about thousands of children abused over seven decades there in Germany.

What more have you learned?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, let me just run you through the numbers because they really are staggering.

According to the leaked copy that was reported by (inaudible) at least 3,700 victims were found that happened. More than 1,600 priests and other

clergy were implicated.

More than half of the victims were younger than 13. They were predominantly male. One in six cases was a case of rape. The numbers are shocking here.

This was from a study that was put together over several years. It was commissioned by the German Bishop's Conference and it was going to be made

public September 25th, but this leaked copy has now come out.

And the Bishop's Conference has already put out a statement saying, "We know the extent of the sexual abuse and we are dismayed and ashamed." But

that is not enough for victims. One victim's group says that they are still vey unhappy with this report because as they see it, it's not independent.

What they've pointed out is that this study was made off of records provided by the individual diocese, but investigators were not allowed to

look into the original documents. Also, there were no testimonies of victims in here and the perpetrators have not been named. So as far as

victims are concerned, there still needs to be an independent investigation, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And Atika, are questions being asked about Pope Benedict who was a cardinal and leading figure in the German church during the time covered

by this report?

SHUBER: There are especially since Pope Benedict's brother was in charge of the Regensburg Catholic School. And this is important because several

years ago essentially it was revealed that there were hundreds of cases of abuse happening specifically within the Regensburg school, but also

particularly targeting its choir which is famous worldwide.

And his brother was overseeing the school for decades. But he claims that he never knew or heard of any abuse during that time. So a lot of questions

being asked about how much was known, who knew what when and whether or not there was a cover up at the highest levels of the abuse happening within

the church.

LU STOUT: Yes, and Germany just the latest flash point in this global clergy sex abuse scandal engulfing the church. Atika Shubert, reporting

live from Berln. Atika, thank you.

You're watching "News Stream." And still to come, two monster storms affecting millions of people around the world. Hurricane Florence barrels

towards the U.S. east coast as Typhoon Mangkhut threatens the Philippines. We're tracking it all, next.

[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream." Welcome back.

Millions of people are bracing for impact as two monster storms take aim at Southeast Asia and the southeastern coast of the United States. Super

typhoon Mangkhut is gathering strength as its roars towards the northern Philippines. It will then head for Hong Kong and Macau. The storm is

expected to make landfall with wind speeds of up to 240 kilometers.

That is stronger than Hurricane Florence, which is closing in on the U.S. east coast. States of emergency have been declared in the Carolinas,

Georgia, Virginia and Maryland. Also in the hurricane's path, six nuclear power plants. Federal officials, they are confident that the plants are

safe, but some experts aren't so sure.

Let's get the latest on conditions in Wilmington, North Carolina. That's where CNN's Kaylee Hartung is standing by. And Kaylee, I got to ask you

about -- describe the conditions there. It looks like the wind has been picking up.

KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. It just began to pick up. We are standing here in the Intracoastal Waterway. These waters, if you look at

them, seemingly so calm, but don't let that and the stillness here deceive you.

I want to give you some context as to what this area has experienced previously and what they are expecting as this storm comes barreling

towards the Carolina coast.

This piling, 17 feet tall, I'm on a floating dock that is just set about the mean high tide level, when Hurricane Hazel came here, this dock, this

water, nearly to the top of this piling.

And yet Hurricane Fran, 1996, if you look to my left, these shorter wooden pilings, which are about eight feet tall, those floating docks floated

right up off them. Locals telling me they fully expect that to happen again and this dock to be in the parking lot in front of me by this time

tomorrow.

Storm surge in this area, advisories have it ranging from nine to 13 feet. Again, if you're talking about an eight-foot piling, this water is already

up at high tide. You see how easily that could happen.

As I mentioned, I'm standing here in the Intracoastal Waterway, Wilmington in front of me, Wrightsville Beach behind me. Wrightsville Beach, one of

those barrier islands along the coast of North Carolina that is under a mandatory evacuation.

Authorities telling me only a handful of folks were left there last night. They've had two people, police tell me, cross this bridge that's closed to

all incoming traffic this morning, headed out of town. One of those men, he had a conversation with a policeman from Wrightsville last night, who

knocked on his door.

That policeman asked him, if you're going to stay, I'm going to need you to take a sharpie and write your name and your social security number on your

arm, so that if we find you after this storm, we can identify you. That conversation changed that man's mind. He is choosing not to ride out the

storm. He has left that island as anyone along the Carolina coast should.

LU STOUT: Absolutely, Kaylee, especially after the governor of the state has said to residents there, do not bet your life riding out this monster

storm. You've laid out just how -- that that area, the pier around you is going to be totally transformed within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Kaylee, to you and the team there reporting live from Wilmington, please take care, and thank you for your coverage.

Now, the de facto leader of Myanmar, she has been facing a lot of criticism over the past year, both for allowing a deadly military campaign that has

driven nearly a million minority Rohingya Muslims from their homes, and for allowing two journalists who have been reporting on the crisis to be sent

to prison.

[08:35:07] Now, Aung San Suu Kyi has addressed those criticisms in public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, insisting that in her country, journalists are

not being jailed for being journalists and that there has been been an attack on freedom of expression.

That was her response when asked about a controversial ruling, a ruling that has been planned by international voices. Just under two weeks ago, a

judge in Myanmar sentenced two Reuters journalists to seven years in prison, saying they have violated the country's state secrets act. Aung San

Suu Kyi was asked the question about the case here at the World Economic Forum in Hanoi. She was asked by a moderator for a panel and here is what

she had to say.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI, STATE COUNSELLOR OF MYANMAR: The case has been held in open court and all the hearings have been open to everybody who wished to

go and attend them. And if anybody feels that there has been a miscarriage of justice, I would like them to point it out.

FIELD: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, other international figures, and U.N. officials have all called for the release of the journalists along

with human rights groups. Reuters says that their journalists were framed while investigating the killings of 10 Rohingya Muslims and the military's

role in those killings.

Aung San Suu Kyi was also asked about the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into Bangladesh after violence erupted in Myanmar just more

than a year ago. Aung San Suu Kyi was asked whether she thought the military had handled the situation well. Here is what she said.

SUU KYI: There are, of course, ways in which we with hindsight might think that the situation could have been handled better. But we believe that for

the sake of long-term stability and security, we have to be fair to all sides.

FIELD: Aung San Suu Kyi answering that question just a few weeks after a U.N. mission released its report saying that Myanmar's top military

officials should be investigated and prosecuted for genocide, as part of their report on violence against the Rohingya Muslims.

That report went on to say that the state counsellor herself has limited scope to control military actions, but the report did say that Aung San Suu

Kyi as the country's de facto leader failed to use her moral authority to stem or stop violence against the Rohingyas.

In Hanoi, Alexandra Field, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And we thank CNN's Alexandra Field for her reporting there. You're watching "News Stream." Still ahead, men landed on the moon almost

50 years ago. And today, the mission is space travel, maybe even with a glass of bubbly. But not just from any bottle, one uniquely designed for

zero gravity. That stellar story is next on "News Stream."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: All right, coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back, this is "News Stream."

September is a time of year when Apple makes its big reveal and it is betting big on the iPhone 10. On Wednesday, Apple execs unveiled three

iPhones and an updated smart watch launching its largest and most expensive phone yet.

It is called iPhone 10S Max, just as global smartphone sales power down. Now, the iPhone XS Max has a screen of just over 16 centimeters, apparently

a longer battery life, and will cost you a cool $1,100.

[08:40:05] Now, Apple also debuted this new series for smart watch which can detect heart problems. It also has a larger display and can alert

emergency contacts if you fall.

Elon Musk and Richard Branson, they may be the super powers in the space race, but they are not the only ones with sparkling visions. One brand has

decided to go where no champagne has gone before. Melissa Bell had no choice but to investigate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Weightlessness is the most extraordinary feeling.

(LAUGHTER)

BELL: Like being a (INAUDIBLE). Of course, until now, astronauts were the only ones who got to experience it. But that could be about to change.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We must have American dominance in space. So important.

BELL: A new space race is on, not only for super powers aiming for control, but for businessmen looking for profit.

ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA MOTORS: Really, the key is -- is making this affordable to almost anyone who wants to go.

BELL: It is that new breed of space consumer that Mumm has decided to target with its Cordon Stellar champagne and its designer believes there is

much to celebrate.

OCTAVE DE GAULLE, DESIGNER: We are the dawn of this new era of space. There are so many competitions trying to send men into space.

You could say that the next big challenge is how to live in space, not only to bring our -- what we need just to survive, but what we need to deploy

cultural rituals. And that is also the purpose of this bottle. You know, it's to bring a bit of what makes us human.

BELL: So nearly 50 years on from the first moon landing --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): It's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

BELL: It is mankind that will soon be able to celebrate with bubbles.

Up here, you have no sense of what is up and what is down. So the design of the bottle was crucial, just getting the champagne to pour. If you can

catch it, the champagne actually tastes different up here. Its texture, its taste to fill your mouth, quite differently than they do on earth.

The champagne took three years to develop and how much did it cost, you might ask, well, Mumm is keeping mum on that. So was it worth it or will it

all (INAUDIBLE)? Jean-Francois Clervoy is a French astronaut who helped with the project.

JEAN-FRANCOIS CLERVOY, FRENCH ASTRONAUT: So the best way to move forward is like (INAUDIBLE) said, to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life,

boldly go where no one has gone before.

BELL: This experiment certainly has provided that. Whether or not it will translate into champagne any time soon is unclear. But it does at the very

least provide a sparkling vision of the future.

Melissa Bell, CNN, somewhere above France's champagne region.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

LU STOUT: What a thrill for all of the senses. And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Amanda

Davies is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END