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NEWS STREAM
China Tech Giant Arrested, Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Is Facing Charges In The Us, Potentially Complicating Sensitive Talks To End The Trade War; A Glimmer Of Hope, Yemen's Warring Sides Sit Down For Peace Talks As Millions Suffer; Racing To Save The Great Barrier Reef, World Leaders Gather For Climate Talks As Life Threatening Carbon Emissions Hit Record Highs; A Second Memorial Service Will Take Place For The 41st President, George H.W. Bush At The Houston Church Where He Worshipped For Many Years. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired December 6, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WILL RIPLEY, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: I'm Will Ripley in Hong Kong. Welcome to "News Stream." China tech giant arrested, Huawei's Chief
Financial Officer is facing charges in the US, potentially complicating sensitive talks to end the trade war. A glimmer of hope, Yemen's warring
sides sit down for peace talks as millions suffer. Racing to save the Great Barrier Reef, world leaders gather for climate talks as life
threatening carbon emissions hit record highs.
Just as the U.S. and China are set to begin sensitive, high stakes negotiations to end the trade war before it seriously disrupts the global
economy, there is a new complication, the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive in Canada. Huawei's Meng Wanzhou is facing extradition to the
United States. Now, her arrest is sparking a selloff in global stock markets. Asian markets slumped with Hong Kong's Hang Seng index down
almost 2.5% and you can see all the red arrows around the screen. All over the world, whether it is Asia or European markets, they are down more than
2% and in the US, the news is not looking good, either. News of Meng's arrest sending Wall Street futures tumbling.
The U.S. markets were closed Wednesday for a day of mourning for the late President George H.W. Bush. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is calling
for Meng's release, a publication ban in Canada prevents any reporting on evidence or possible charges against Meng. But there are previous reports
from the "Wall Street Journal" saying that the U.S. has been investigating whether Huawei was violating sanctions against Iran.
So let's go to CNN's Matt Rivers. He is live in Beijing and Matt, I would imagine for people who are about to sit down to try to end this trade war,
this arrest couldn't come at a worst time.
MATT RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: No, that's exactly right, Will. I mean, I think when you recognize that this is - this arrest is now taking place
in a bubble, it's taking place in a much broader picture of a trade conflict between the United States and China.
It was just a couple of days ago that President Xi and President Trump agreed to this 90-day framework that they were going to try and come up
with a deal, negotiate in the next three months or so to come up with a way to stop this trade war. Those negotiations were going to be difficult
enough. And now, you have this arrest thrown in.
So just to recap, basically what's happened here is that this CFO was arrested by the Canadian authorities on behalf, according to Huawei, on
behalf of the U.S. They want to extradite her to face unspecified charges in the eastern district of New York. That is a massive step for the United
States to take, choosing not only to eventually charge this CFO, Meng, but they want to bring her back and face charges in the United States.
It can't be overstated how aggressive of a move this is, Will, for the U.S. to make this step, to do so at the same time as you're trying to figure out
this trade war. It really isn't going to make things any easier. That said, one quick note here, the Commerce Ministry here in Beijing today had
an opportunity to really respond to this Huawei arrest. They chose not to and actually, were more optimistic than they had been yesterday before news
of this arrest came out. They said they think there will be a deal reached at the end of the 90 days. So far, the Chinese side is not using this
arrest to scuttle these trade talks, but as you said, Will, it's not going to make things any easier.
RIPLEY: And when you have such a large figure in the Chinese tech industry facing a charge like this, I would imagine that there could be
ramifications across the industry.
RIVERS: Yes, without question. I think if you're a western CEO here in Beijing, now might be a good time for you to maybe take a vacation because
I think that China might be looking to retaliate. They certainly could. I mean, this is not going to go unnoticed by China. They're not happy with
this. They have said that she should be released as soon as possible.
But look, there could absolutely be retaliation from the Chinese side about this, and I think that's something that companies here are going to be
looking at. You know, she is the daughter - the CFO Meng, she is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. That is the kind of CEO with the kind
of power here in China, you might have Xi Jinping on speed dial on his cell phone.
So this is something that the upper echelons of China's government are going to be keenly paying attention to. This isn't just some ordinary
arrest. This is a high, high level person in the executive class of China.
RIPLEY: And Beijing certainly, if they feel that their interests are being attacked, they do fight back, so we'll have to monitor all of this. I know
you'll be watching it very closely there in Beijing. Matt Rivers, thanks so much. Let's bring in our business and technology correspondent, Samuel
Burke who joins us now from London.
So walk us through - first of all, why are global markets reacting so negatively to this?
SAMUEL BURKE, BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Will, let's just pick up with that word that Matt used in his report -
retaliation. So many analysts have long feared that if things don't go well in this trade war that eventually China could really retaliate against
which company? Against Apple.
[08:05:08]
BURKE: This is a company that is the most valuable company in the United States of America, and 20% of its revenue comes from China. So it's an
easy target for the Chinese. So if China sees their own version of Apple, let's just call it that, if they see Huawei being attacked in some way,
even if the U.S. legitimately believes it has a reason to go after the founder's daughter, if China doesn't see it that way, they could always
retaliate against Apple. Again, the most valuable company in the United States of America.
So, not only do you see companies that supply Huawei, their stocks down, you take a look at Apple, and you see it down multiple percent, down more
than 2% in premarket right now. There is this big fear that something like this could set off all sides and then, all of a sudden the trade war is
that much worse than we already know it's been, Will.
RIPLEY: And we do know that if those tariffs go into effect, three months from now the global financial implications could really be devastating and
that could just be the beginning. Samuel Burke, thanks so much for that update from London. And we will have much more on the arrest of Huawei's
CFO as well as the opening bell on Wall Street coming up on "First Move" with Julia Chatterly beginning in less than one hour.
CNN has obtained exclusive satellite images showing North Korea is expanding a key long-range missile base. Now, it's seven miles or 11
kilometers from an existing base. You can see this map here and the location itself is in the Hamgyong Mountains. This is an area of North
Korea. It's very mountainous and the area in particular if we zoom in here, there is this long, narrow valley, which is ideal for North Korea to
launch and house the kind of missiles, the long-range missiles that could potentially target the U.S.
Because there are caves that are along this valley here and inside those caves, it is believed that there are mobile missile launchers that could be
rolled out to launch an attack with relatively no notice whatsoever. So obviously, facilities like this are concerning to the U.S. and what's also
concerning is that North Korea continues to upgrade and expand these facilities. Work that began in 2017 at the height of tensions between the
U.S. and North Korea, but work that continued two months or more after the summit in Singapore between President Trump and North Korean leader, Kim
Jong-un.
So some might ask, why would North Korea keep expanding facilities like this after making a pledge to denuclearize and eventually have a nuclear
weapons free Korean Peninsula? The answer is that they don't have any agreement mandating otherwise. There is no written agreement between the
U.S. and South Korea - and North Korea for North Korea to do anything other than work towards the eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
So they can build all they want in their missile bases. They're not violating anything when it comes to the talks between the U.S. and North
Korea.
Now, these images are emerging as speculation grows that Kim Jong-un could potentially travel to Seoul, possibly this month. South Korea is not
confirming what are still rumors at this point, but very high level rumors, people who believe Kim Jong-un could be making a trip to the South Korean
capital. It will be the first time that that has ever happened since the Korean War.
If it does happen, it would be significant and it could shape the upcoming talks expected early next year between Kim Jong-un and the U.S. President
Donald Trump.
Now we turn to Japan where at this hour, rescuers are searching for five missing U.S. crew members. They're among seven people believed to have
been on board two U.S. Marine planes that collided in midair off the coast. Ivan Watson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
IVAN WATSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: A desperate search and rescue operation is under way after a predawn air to air refueling
operation being conducted by two U.S. Marines aircraft ended in a collision and then the crash into the Pacific Ocean.
This involved a U.S. Marines KC-130 Hercules. It's a kind of tanker, a flying tanker plane that was conducting the operation with the U.S. Marines
F-18A Hornet. And the rescue operation is a combination, it's being done by the Seventh Fleet from the U.S. military, from the U.S. Navy, as well as
the Japanese self-defense forces which have sent out at least three ships and more than a dozen aircraft to help in the search and rescue effort.
The U.S. Ambassador to Tokyo has thanked the Japanese for their contribution in this effort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM F. HAGERTY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TOKYO: I'm encouraged by the fact that the United States and Japan have worked so closely together. I want
to thank the Japan self-defense force for immediately joining us in a closely integrated exercise to search and rescue those involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Now, the Marines say they don't know the cause of the crash, the collision, because, of course, the efforts right now are focused on trying
to save lives.
[08:10:04]
WATSON: And the reason behind this will still be under investigation likely for some time. Again, now, the effort is to try to save lives of
some of the Marines missing now hours after nightfall now in probably difficult weather and climatic conditions out in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
RIPLEY: In just a few hours, mourners will remember the life and legacy of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush in his home state of Texas. A
second memorial service will take place for the 41st President at the Houston Church where he worshipped for many years. Afterwards, he will be
laid to rest at the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.
On Wednesday, thousands gathered at the National Cathedral in Washington paying tribute to the former President. As Jamie Gangel reports, his state
funeral was full of praise, humor and poignant memories.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JAMIE GANGEL, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Washington says goodbye to President George H.W. Bush. Every living US President, royalty, world
leaders, politicians and dear friends at the National Cathedral. A ceremony filled with tears and laughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MEACHAM, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: As Dana Carvey said, the key to Bush 41 impersonation is Mr. Rogers trying to be John Wayne.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: Former senator Alan Simpson, a long-time friend, recalled how Bush helped him during a crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN SIMPSON, FORMER US SENATOR: He reached out to me while I am tangled in rich controversy and taking my lumps and he said, "Yes, there were staff
members, Al, who told me not to do this. But, Al, this is about friendship and loyalty."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: Brian Mulroney, former Canadian Prime Minister, praised Bush's leadership as the Cold War came to an end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN MULRONEY, FORMER CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: No occupant of the Oval Office was more courageous, more principled and more honorable than George
Herbert Walker Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: The son eulogized his father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To us, he was close to perfect, but not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. He wasn't
exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed these genetic
defects along to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: And praised him for teaching him how to lead in public life and in private.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH: So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter
could have. And in our grief, I just smile knowing that dad is hugging Robin and holding mom's hand again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: And a final departure from Washington for the 41st President aboard the same 747 he used while in office, taking him home to Texas for
the last time.
Special Air Mission 41 has now landed back in Texas. There will be a final memorial on Thursday and former President George H.W. Bush will be laid to
rest at his Presidential library. Jamie Gangel, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
RIPLEY: He was a President respected by so many people from so many countries around the world. CNN will have full coverage of the final
goodbye of former US President George H.W. Bush. It begins at 11:00 p.m. here in Hong Kong, 3:00 p.m. in London right here on CNN.
For the first time in two years, the warring sides in Yemen's Civil War are sitting down to talk. That alone is a break through, but the hard work is
about to begin. That's next on "News Stream."
[08:15:00]
RIPLEY: You're watching "News Stream" coming to you on a Thursday night from an always bright Hong Kong. For the first time in two years, the
internationally recognized government of Yemen is sitting down at the negotiating table with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Now just the fact that these two sides are sitting down is significant because talks collapsed back in 2016. Now, these new U.N. broker talks are
under way at this moment in Sweden. In a positive sign, the special envoy involved in all of this say that the warring sides have agreed to a
prisoner swap. This is part of a confidence building measure before the actual negotiations to try to bring about an end to this conflict that has
sparked a devastating humanitarian crisis, the worst that the world has seen in recent years.
Also, they are stressing that these talks present a critical opportunity because half of Yemen's population, half of the people living in that
country could become vulnerable to famine if no solution is reached.
It is a dire situation going on for nearly four years now. The Houthi rebels have been fighting a US-backed Saudi-led coalition and the outside
powers who have a hand in this ongoing war, they are not even sitting down at the table.
So for the latest on this, we go live to CNN's Sam Kiley in Abu Dhabi. Sam, the fact that these talks are even happening right you now, getting to
this point was a challenge, but the real challenge now begins. What is it going to take to make progress this time around?
SAM KILEY, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, I think the first thing is - and this was a point being made by the chief U.N.
negotiator is to manage expectations. The mere existence of a process is in and of itself, Will, I think a breakthrough. That is certainly the view
of Mr. Griffith, the negotiator. He is saying that they want to be able to take Hudaydah Port - that is the main port controlled by the Houthis, the
main port for the whole of Yemen out of the battle. He wants to take a look at the future of the Sana'a Airport, which is also in Houthi's hands.
They want it opened to international traffic, not just to the United Nations.
And on the other side, of course, the government which is backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE and others who wants to be back in control of all the
landscape, so there is a great deal of distance between the two sides as you might expect, but there is an atmosphere now because of the
humanitarian catastrophe, Will, that I think certainly of those who are backing the Yemeni government side, notably the Saudis and the UAE do want
to try to inch towards something approaching a ceasefire because this has become a really toxic issue for their international reputations, among
other things, Will.
RIPLEY: The ill of this tragedy is so difficult to comprehend, so many people watching and hoping that something will come out of these talks in
Sweden. Sam Kiley, thanks so much for reporting live for us from Abu Dhabi.
It's estimated that 85,000 children under the age of give in Yemen may have already died of starvation because of this war and millions more are still
at risk. CNN has obtained exclusive footage of the fight to save a young life. We do need to warn you, Nima Elbagir's report contains some graphic
images.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: At the front lines in Hudaydah, every inch of territory gained and lost has been brutally
fought over, paralyzing Yemen and ravaging its people.
As the world finally works to force the US-backed Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to an agreement for so many here, it's already
...:
[08:20:10]
ELBAGIR: ... it's already too late. What we're about to show you is almost unimaginable in its horror. These are nine-month old Akeel's (ph)
last gasps. Filmed inside a local clinic, Akeel (ph) died as the medical team fought to revive him. His desperate father borrowed the money to
bring him here and all he's leaving with is a little body wrapped in white.
In hospitals and clinics across Yemen, time is running out. Little Muftasen (ph) is also nine months old. He struggles to even keep his eyes
open. Support for the war in Yemen is waning and many U.S. lawmakers want out. Although U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says without American
involvement, life here would be worse. It's hard to see how. Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
RIPLEY: The extent of this humanitarian crisis is horrific, staggering. The U.N. saying that 22 million people in Yemen are at risk right now from
famine and war and any moment now, the World Food Program is expected to release a new report showing just how dire the situation has become.
So let's speak with the Executive Director of the World Food Program, David Beasley joining me now from Rome. David, it's not an issue of there not
being food available to get to these families and these children. It's a matter of actually navigating through the war zone to get there. What is
being done to try to ease the availability of volunteers to get to these devastating areas and help these people?
DAVID BEASLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: You know, you just saw some of the hardest pictures you can imagine, but I can tell you, those
are not isolated pictures. I was literally on the ground there just two weeks ago, not just in Aden and Sana'a but also in Hudaydah because
Hudaydah is the lifeline for the port.
I was at one of the hospitals in Yemen and this is no kidding. I couldn't believe my very own eyes. I was watching little girls and little boys die
right before my very own eyes because of this war. And I asked the administrator of the hospital, in one of the rooms where this little boy
named Mohammed who was eight months old, should have weight 10 pounds, he weighed about 2.5 pounds. He died the next day.
And I asked this administrator, I said, "How many children are you getting a day?" And he said, "About 50 just like this." I said, "How much
capacity do you have?" He said, "We have the capacity for 20." I said, "What do you do with the other 30?" He said, "We send them home to die."
So what I saw on the ground is our worst fears and now the numbers are backing up what we were experiencing, what we need to do. Last year, we
were able to avert four countries facing famine because we had money and access. We can do the same thing in Yemen if we have not just the money,
but we must have the access. That's critical.
RIPLEY: Are both sides to blame here?
BEASLEY: If you recall last year on CNN, I was pretty tough on the Saudis and the coalition because of the blockade and the lack of financial
support. We worked through that. We eliminated the blockade, we received funds that we needed. Now, and also if you remember, the Houthis were
really excited that I was saying those things, and I said to them very clearly, "Let me be very clear, I don't take sides. If you cross the
lines, I'm going to jump on your back, too." And so now, last week - two weeks ago, I met with the Houthis, different factions in the Houthi
coalition expressing our concerns. We don't have the access we need, we don't have the people we need. You're blocking our visas, our equipment
and the things that we need to make certain that not a single child suffers in Yemen and we know they are.
So they're saying, we'll see, that they're going to give us the access and the support that we need because children are dying every 10 to 12 minutes
and it's getting worse and let me say this. A humanitarian response is not going to solve the problem alone now. The economy has collapsed so
severely, we also have to have an injection of liquidity to stabilize the marketplace because even if someone does have money, the food prices are
out of the roof now and there's hardly any jobs available at all.
RIPLEY: What does a child who is starving to death go through? How long does it take and what kind of suffering? I want people to know because the
pictures tell one story, but you know firsthand what people are enduring right now in Yemen.
BEASLEY: You know, I was in one of the hospital rooms and again, this is not isolate. And I remember walking in -- and I'm a father with four
children and the two little feet of the children were sticking out of the blanket and I thought, "Oh, I'll go tickle the feet and get s smile."
[08:25:03]
BEASLEY: When I tickled the feet of this little teeny boy, there was no smile at all. Literally, like tickling a ghost. I talked to a mother who
had driven 300 kilometers to get to the hospital going through war zones, frontlines, checkpoints, only to find the situation that they would be
turned away. It is a desperate situation all across the country. We're calling on all sides to do at least three things. One, bring peace. The
children need hope. They have to have peace. Second, we need humanitarian funding and access and we must stabilize the economy.
If we can get the access and the funding, we can save lives as we are doing. We can avert famine as we did last year in four countries, but we
need access and we need money, but best of all, we need the war to end.
RIPLEY: Absolutely. David Beasley, thank you so much for sharing your perspective and I hope that the powers that be are listening to this
because it has to stop. Thank you, David.
One of the driving forces behind Yemen's devastating Civil War, Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen could be facing
backlash from its most powerful supporter, the U.S. The reason, anger over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Now, we told you about this time yesterday how US senators both Republicans and Democrats are demanding that the White House hold Saudi Arabia
responsible for Khashoggi's murder at the consulate in Istanbul.
In the coming hours, a group of senators will be working on a deal, a deal that could really hit the Saudi Kingdom drastically reducing US support for
the war in Yemen, blocking billions of dollars in arms sales to the Saudis, even doing something that U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to do,
condemning the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman.
Even members of Mr. Trump's own party who rarely speak against him. They're criticizing his decision to prioritize profits over the findings of
the CIA. U.S. lawmakers even some on his own Party have introduced a scathing resolution to basically criticize the Crown Prince on two fronts,
calling him complicit in Khashoggi's murder and also sharply criticizing his role in Yemen, widely considered the world's worst humanitarian crisis
in recent years and we will stay on top of all of it for you.
It is the third day of a bruising Brexit debate in Britain and Prime Minister Theresa May, she is on the ropes. Can she survive this? We're
live in London. Plus, a technological milestone for Cuba. Locals finally getting full access to the internet on their cell phones. Is that a good
thing? We'll bring you a live report from Havana.
[08:30:51]
RIPLEY: In Hong Kong, I'm Will Ripley in Hong Kong, you're watching "News Stream" and these are the headlines we're following at this hour. The
arrest of a top Chinese tech executive is sending shock waves through global stock markets. Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was
arrested in Canada. She is facing extradition to the U.S. and Asian markets, they have slumped on the news. European markets and U.S. futures
also down.
And in the U.S., news of the arrest has sent, as we said, Wall Street futures stumbling. We will have the opening bell in just about one hour
coming up on "First Move" right here on CNN.
The highest ranking Catholic official ever found guilty of concealing sexual abuse by priests has been his conviction overturned. An Australian
court has tossed out the conviction of Philip Wilson. He is a former Archbishop who was previously convicted of covering up a priest's sexual
abuse back in the 1970s. The court said prosecutors failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Now we turn to the UK, intense times there. British lawmakers are entering the third day of a marathon debate on Theresa May's controversial Brexit
plan. The week has not gone well for the Prime Minister so far after being found in contempt of Parliament on Tuesday, her government was forced to
publish something that it wanted to keep secret -- the legal memo that it received ahead of agreeing to the withdrawal deal with the European Union.
And in a fresh blow for the Prime Minister, the European Court of Justice says it will deliver a ruling next Monday on whether the UK can
unilaterally reverse its decision to leave the EU. That is the day before Parliament votes on her Brexit plan. So many questions and here with
answers, CNN's Nina dos Santos who joins me now live from London. Can Theresa May survive this?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, the question before that really is, will she get it through Parliament. It's looking as though the answer
to that question is likely to be no. And if she doesn't manage to get it through Parliament and doesn't make any amendments that could soften some
of the language in this agreement before now and then, well, then she may well find that she will no longer be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
by the end of this year.
So we're really dealing in the realms of hypotheticals as we advance ever closer to that December 11th key vote that's taking place on this
withdrawal agreement. As you pointed out, there have been some sticking points and humiliating U-turns for the government over just the few two
days of debate, especially with regards to the needs to publish that legal document,, the Attorney General's legal opinion on the technicalities of
this withdrawal agreement and the key sticking point there was the so called Irish backstop arrangement to prevent a hard border between the
Republic of Ireland and the EU and Northern Ireland which is still part of the United Kingdom.
If she can't manage to change the language substantially on that, many MPs are saying that they just will not be able to accept this deal. In the
meantime, remember that there is an EU Summit that is set to take place just days after this vote happens, so depending on whether or not she is
going to manage to get this though the House of Parliament, again, Brussels may well step back into the debate here.
In the meantime, what they're talking about in the House of Commons today is the economic arguments behind this withdrawal agreement. You remember
that last week, the Treasury and the Bank of England published some really sobering scenarios with regards to what could happen to the British economy
if there were to be a no deal scenario. Well, obviously, that's what they're debating in the House of Commons now, the economic back drop to the
agreement that they have to vote on in a few days' time, Will.
RIPLEY: And then all this talk about possibly holding another referendum. Could you imagine? Difficult days ahead for May's government that's for
sure and we know you'll be watching it very closely. Nina dos Santos, live in London, thank you.
Starting today, millions of cell phone users in Cuba can begin accessing 3G internet on their devices, like their phones and their iPads for the first
time. This is thanks to the government telecom provider. Now, this is a key steps towards easing that country's technological isolation.
It's still though a service that many Cubans won't be able to afford. CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins me now live from Havana, Cuba. Patrick, I
remember when I was there with you a few years ago. One thing that struck me about Cuba, people were walking around and they weren't buried in their
cell phones like they pretty much everywhere else in the world. It seems like that's about to change.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: That's right, Will. It's changed about almost half an hour ago. This morning, 8:00 a.m. local time, people
are starting to get access, finally, after all of these years, to 3G network, so certainly, expect people to be looking down at their phones
more often. Now, how this is all going to work out is still an open question.
[08:35:02]
OPPMANN: The telecom provider, the only government company that has allowed to manage telecommunications here said, it's going a slow process
getting everyone online, but they're finally beginning to do it. Remember, this is one of the most tightly controlled countries in the world when it
comes to internet.
Almost no one has internet in their homes. There are these Wi-Fi parks, and just a few years ago, the government allowed people to go there and get
on Wi-Fi, but if you want to get online using data networks, you've been pretty much out of luck. So this is going to open up Cuba quite a bit
more, about half the country, about 5 million people have cell phones here.
But the question is, who can afford it, Will? You know, the cheapest plan is $7.00 for about 600 megabytes of data. It doesn't sound like so much,
but that's about a quarter of the average Cuban's monthly salary. So for many people, it's going to be available, but still out of reach, Will.
RIPLEY: Well, you know, getting work e-mails on your phone, both a blessing and a curse that some Cubans who can afford it at least are about
to find out. Patrick Oppmann, live in Havana, thank you very much.
You're watching "News Stream" and still ahead, a look at how climate change is pushing scientists in Australia to be creative as they try to save one
of the great treasures of the ocean. That's next.
This is a story that affects every single person living on this planet. A story that could have catastrophic consequences for our children and our
grandchildren if something is not done. We're talking about climate change. And leaders from around the world are gathered in Poland for
crucial climate talks. They're trying to agree on how to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius.
A U.N. panel recently found earth's temperatures have already risen by 1.5 degrees. That is just half a degree away from the target reached by the
2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Experts warn that target may not even be ambitious enough and these talks come as a new report warns worldwide
carbon emissions will hit an all-time high this year. They are actually going up.
The biggest emitters in 2017, China, the U.S., the EU and India. They account for almost 60% of total emissions. One spotlight in the battle
against climate change is Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The rising global temperatures has already caused massive coral bleaching,
essentially, killing off huge sections of this already sensitive spot in the ocean, a one of a kind treasure that is really in jeopardy of
disappearing.
And if it were to die off, not only would be a catastrophe from an environmental scale, but it would also be an economic disaster for millions
of people. Ivan Watson traveled to the Great Barrier Reef and he explains there is still hope.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WATSON: An underwater snowstorm. That's how a veteran marine biologist describes the annual event when the coral on the Great Barrier Reef begins
to spawn.
[08:40:10]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER HARRISON, SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY: The coral spawning is always magical and it was great to see all these egg-sperm bundles coming off
these corals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: This year, scientists are on the scene scooping coral spawn. It's an experimental effort to save this natural wonder of the world from the
ravages of climate change. A pilot breeding project aimed at increasing the fertility of coral.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRISON: The baby corals are going into big floating larval pools on the reef system. So it's really exciting that we can go from these ideas of
capturing coral spawn at small scale and up to much starting to scale it up to much larger areas, many more pools and literally millions of larvae
being developed from the reef.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Off the coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is a sprawling marine habitat that is larger than Italy. But it's in trouble. In the
summer of 2016, vast amounts of coral suddenly started bleaching, turning bone white.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID WACHENFELD, GREAT BARRIER REEF PARK AUTHORITY: What we saw in 2016 and 2017, the marine the heat waves that led to coral bleaching and the
death of corals was like nothing we've ever seen before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSONS: Scientists estimate the record warm temperatures killed more than half of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef in just two years. CNN
traveled to Australia last June to look at a government effort to pump hundreds on of millions of dollars into projects to help save one of the
country's largest tourist attractions.
With temperatures milder in early 2018, there were signs of recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did see little ones coming, regenerating back.
WATSON: At the tips of some of the dead coral, these little spots of color, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, and they'll grow again as long as they don't bleach again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: But with the Australian summer fast approaching, meteorologists are issuing ominous warnings. A heat wave in the nearby state of
Queensland has already contributed to raging bush fires.
With the climate's warming trend continuing, scientists have revised their previous target. They now say it's crucial to keep temperature rise to 1.5
degrees above preindustrial levels instead of 2 degrees in order to avoid looming planetary disaster. Scientists fear marine heat waves will likely
follow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WACHENFELD: When we think about forecasting the weather for the Great Barrier Reef, the climate of the entire planet and the Great Barrier Reef
has already changed and it is still changing. And so it's getting harder for scientists to be confident about predictions of the future. We are
entering into unchartered territory. Almost every year is warmer than usual and, in fact, that's becoming the new normal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: That's why Professor Peter Harrison's breeding project targets heat resistant coral.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRISON: These corals that have survived the last two bleaching events we know are heat tolerant and, therefore, they're the ones that we really need
to be capturing the spawn from because they'll provide larvae that gives us a fighting chance to try and overcome the problems of increasing sea
temperatures and mass bleaching events.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: It's an ambitious effort to save a marine habitat, but given the scale of the challenge, for now it's just a drop in the ocean. Ivan
Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
RIPLEY: And that is "News Stream." Thanks for joining us. I'm Will Ripley from Hong Kong. The latest news at the top of the hour and up next,
"World Sport." Stay with us.
(SPORTS)
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