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Germany Reimposes Border Controls; Yemeni Government Withdraws From U.N. Sponsored Peace Talks; California Battles Two Blazes; Pope Francis to Visit Cuba on Saturday; Poll: Half Wanted Congress to Reject Iran Nuclear Deal, Iran Distrust Mutual; Republican Presidential Candidates Talk Tough Prior to Debate; Murder Mystery Plays Out on Indian TV; Threat of Government Collapse in Northern Ireland; Grand Canyon Images from Space Lost Then Found. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired September 14, 2015 - 01:00   ET

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


ERROL BARNETT, CNN HOST: Germany is having to reimpose border controls. Plus the state of emergency declared with hundreds of structures destroyed. And thousands forced to flee a rapidly growing wildfire in northern California.

[01:00:05] And, the Grand Canyon like no one has ever seen it before. The story behind these amazing images, some two years in the making.

Thanks so much for watching, everyone, I'm Errol Barnett with you for the next hour. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

(MUSIC)

BARNETT: Now we start with a search for common ground as European ministers come together looking for ways to solve the ongoing migrant crisis. The EU meeting will take place later today in Brussels, but several countries are on record against mandatory quotas for the numbers of migrants each country takes in.

Meantime, Germany has imposed temporary controls at its border with Austria. It's trying to stop the flow of people there. Thousands have poured into Germany in the weeks since German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed those displayed by war. But the truth is space is running out. At this moment, train traffic between the two countries has been temporarily halted.

On Sunday, a wooden boat packed with migrants capsized off the Greek island of Farmakonisi. Nearly 30 people died; almost half of them were children. 68 others were rescued and 29 people swam to shore. And another desperate crossing to Greece, this time off the coast of Lesbos. You're seeing images from what happened here. One man fighting to stay afloat and keep his 2-month-old baby from drowning. Local people helped pull other children to safety.

But despite the many dangers, refugees continue to make that journey across the Aegean Sea. And once they reach Greece, thousands are passing through the border with Macedonia on their trek north. With Germany set as their final destination. Ivan Watson has more now from the Greek/Macedonian border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This transit center has been recently erected on the Greek/Macedonian border, just one stop on this very improvised migrant trail into central Europe that has pretty much sprung up over the course of the last weeks and months. So, migrants are escorted across and informal crossing point by Greek and Macedonian authorities. They arrive here, and then after receiving some temporary papers that allow them to stay in Macedonia for 72 hours, the vast majority of them quickly move on. So we have seen them boarding by the hundreds onto trains here. Charged 25 Euros per person. They also board onto waiting buses and into taxis. And they're paying for this journey, so far, very much, themselves. This is a self-financed journey. The bulk of the people who are moving by the tens of thousand through here, we're told by the United Nations high commissioner for refugees that they're refugees from Syria, 70 percent to 80 percent. Many have paid large amounts of cash, 1,200, $1,300 per person, to board on rafts from the Turkish coast to Greek islands. The remaining, 20 percent, 30 percent, they're a hodgepodge. They're Afghans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, increasingly refugees from Iraq as well. And, we're told, in recent days, that the first Yemenis have started joining this wave of humanity.

Everybody I have spoken with, they want to get to Germany, which has offered to take in hundred of thousand of these migrants and refugees and also offers generous social welfare benefits to the new immigrants.

Ivan Watson, CNN, on the Macedonian border with Greece.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: And, you can bet we'll have more on the refugee crisis in the coming hours and -- on our website as well. If you head to CNN.com, you will see special sections on the people, the journeys that they're making, and some of the solutions being discussed. All of that at CNN.com/international.

Now Yemeni's exiled government is pulling out of upcoming U.N. sponsored peace talks. President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's office says he won't agree to talks with Houthi rebels unless they withdraw from areas they've seized, including the capital Sana'a. Meantime, Saudi coalition ground troops backing 4,000 Yemeni tribal fighters in a ground attack, this is Marib, that's in addition to dozens of air strikes in the province. We spoke with Hakim Almasmari, the editor- in-chief of the Yemeni Post.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAKIM ALMASMARI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, YEMENI POST: The air strikes have killed 92 (ph) civilians (INAUDIBLE). Only today alone in Marib province separately, over 150 air strikes were conducted. Yes, it's war zone there right now, but again you cannot defeat or win this war by fighting. There needs to be a (INAUDIBLE) solution. [01:05:00]

Six months and it's still ongoing, on the presumption that (INAUDIBLE) need to understand that they cannot solve their differences in war and both sides have seen severe (INAUDIBLE) in this war, but it seems that (INAUDIBLE) by far the strongest in the northern part of Yemen over the last few months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now the U.N. Envoy to Yemeni was expected to announce a time and place for the peace talks within two days. We will of course keep you posted on this story.

Now reports say Taliban insurgents stormed a prison in Gazni (ph), killing a number of officers and freeing hundreds of prisoners. Reuters news agency quotes a Taliban spokesman saying the bombers attacked the prison early Monday and freed all the inmates.

Mexico's president is condemning an attack on Mexican tourists in Egypt. Egyptian security forces killed 12 tourists and injured ten others after mistaking them for terrorists. The interior ministry says it happened in the western desert region Saturday. The security forces were chasing, quote, "terrorist elements" when they came upon the tourists. Egyptian nationals are also among the victims.

Now it is calmer right now in one of the holiest sites in the world for both Muslims and Jews. But Israeli police clashed with Arab youths Sunday at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City. Oren Liebermann reports the clashes then spilled into nearby streets.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hours of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police in the Old City of Jerusalem this morning. It all started before 7:00 this morning local time when polic esay they learned a number of Arab youths were barricading themselves inside the Al Aqsa Mosque armed with fireworks and stones. Police moved in, closed the doors of the mosque, and kept the protesters inside. But the clashes then spilled over onto the streets of the Old City where they continued for hours. Police using tear gas, stun grenades and batons, leaving tens of Palestinians injured.

The clashes happened hours before the start of the Jewish new year and the Al Aqsa complex where this all started is one of the holiest sites in the world for Muslims, known as Al Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, and it is the holiest site in the world for Jews, known as the Temple Mount.

The clashes ended after a few hours when Muslim worshipers were allowed into the Al Aqsa complex for prayers. Palestinian Authority President Abbas called the police action, quote, "an attack at the mosque" and Jordan, which is in charge of the complex, also condemned Israeli police. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will do whatever is required to maintain order at such a holy place.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Now to Turkey, which is facing its worst violence in decades. Security sources there say a car bomb killed two police officers at a checkpoint in the southeast on Sunday. They're blaming Kurdish militants for the attack. Turkish forces responded, shelling a militant hideout and reportedly killing six people. Hundreds of militants and dozens of troops have been killed since July when a cease-fire fell through. The Turkish president has promised the fight will continue until, quote, "not one terrorist is left".

Let's get you to Pakistan where at least ten people are dead and 59 injured after an explosion in what investigators are calling a possible suicide attack. This took place in the city of Multan in central Pakistan's Punjab Province on Sunday. Police say a motorbike rigged with explosives hit a rickshaw, damaging vehicles and buildings nearby. Officials believe the possible suicide bomber and a facilitator's body were among those found in the carnage.

At least nine people are dead after two bomb attacks in northern Cameroon. Reuters reports that Sunday's attacks appear to be the work of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Authorities are investigating reports from witnesses whose say either two teenage boys or two young women carried out those bombings.

Now to the U.S. where the governor of California has declared a state of emergency in two northern counties. This as firefighters battle a rapidly growing wildfire. The footage is quite dramatic. Officials say the so-called Valley Fire has now burned more than 20,000 hectares since it broke out on Saturday. All this is west of the city of Sacramento. We've learned one person may have died from this fire. That development within the past hour.

To the east of Sacramento, firefighters are battling another wildfire. In both cases, thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes. CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two massive wildfires burning in northern California are spreading fast, threatening homes, property and lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a reminder of how the conditions are in California now. With the temperatures and low humidity, four years of a drought, conditions are extreme.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of the 1,000 fire personnel battling the Valley Fire flames, so far, four suffered burn injuries.

[01:10:00]

They've been transported to U.C. Davis Medical Center in stable condition. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The firefighters there, emotionally and physically

drained after being stuck in a situation where your life is on the line doing your job.

VALENCIA: Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for many communities in the fires zone. A shaken Joyce Ream (ph) got out just in time.

JOYCE REAM (ph), EVACUEE: We were stuck, couldn't go either way. Where near were stuck, we saw the flames going up the hill toward our house.

VALENCIA: Meanwhile, just over 100 miles away, the Butte Fire has grown to more than 65,000 acres, also fueled by dry conditions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was going to take a picture. I didn't have the time to take my phone out of my pocket to take a picture. It was that hot that fast.

VALENCIA: 6,400 structures are being threatened. More than 130 have been destroyed.

In both fires, residents say, they had very little time to escape the fast-moving flames.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We smelled the smoke. We went outside. And our neighbors were in a panic. They told us to leave. We want across and we helped them get their important things out of their home. Their barn, unfortunately, burned down.

VALENCIA: Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Now, for more on California's fire emergency, we're joined by Mark Ghilarducci. He's the director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and he joins us on the line now from Sacramento. That is the state capital. Mark, thanks very much for your type. First, just give us an update on these many blazes and how close the thousands of firefighters are to containing any of them?

MARK GHILARDUCCI, GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, CALIF. (via telephone): Well, good evening. yes, the situation here is pretty critical. Both fires, the Butte fire and the Valley Fire, are still -- are not fully contained. In fact the Valley Fire in Lake and Napa County now also spread into Sonoma County. It is at 0 percent containment. And we have quite a few firefighters on the line. They're trying to contain that fire.

The Butte fire in Calibers (ph) county has some containment, maybe around 25 percent or so, but continues to be a threat to the communities and those foothill areas of the state.

Overall we got around -- we have around maybe 17,000, 18,000 fire fighters that are actually committed working on the fires as well as emergency personnel and law enforcement folks trying to address the situation.

BARNETT: What makes this incredible its you have, you know, tens of thousand of fire fight ears dressing this. This is something you guys battle each and every year. You get these north winds typically fueling the fires which makes containing them easier because the direction of the wind and flames is clear. What we're hearing though from officials is that this year something much different is happening, making the battle more difficult. Can you explain just how conditions appear to be different this time around?

GHILARDUCCI: Yes, that is absolutely correct. You know, we are in the fourth year of a drought situation. And really we have absolutely very little or no moisture in the fuel, in the brush, in the trees. This actually makes the conditions perfect for, you know, a single spark causing a fire to start and then it erupts into a conflagration almost immediately. And if you get a little bit of wind behind it -- in case of the Valley Fire in Lake County, there was about a 20 mile an hour wind behind that, that fire took off. And it really makes it very, very difficult to contain immediately.

Our strategy here is to try to keep all of these fires that start in what we call initial attack, in keeping the fire small and getting it out fast. But when the conditions are continuing on with the drought, very, very dry this year, and it is making conditions very, very dangerous.

BARNETT: And we are, you know, receiving this report of perhaps one fatality as a result of all this. But just to underscore the difficulty, officials are saying that plumes of smoke then create their own weather pattern, their own kind of weather conditions, and they can start spot fires some half a mile away. I would imagine that suggests that the risks of these fires is much higher this time around.

GHILARDUCCI: That's correct. And that's what makes fighting these fires so difficult. In fact, the fires itself when it starts to burn to this intensity and speed does create its own internal weather. It becomes like a firestorm. And that, in fact ,does result in pushing embers out maybe a half mile to a mile in front of the fire line, which then starts a lot of other fires.

[01:15:03]

And so, then they all merge into, you know, sort of a large fire. And that is exactly the challenges that we face here, particularly when the fire is moving into a communities like they did in -- in Lake County. A fire rapidly moved into a number of small communities and medium sized communities, and unfortunately, those communities did suffer tremendous losses. I was just -- I came back from the fire lines within the last two hours, and I could tell you it is very, very devastating there. A lot of loss in those communities.

BARNETT: Yes, it is heartbreaking. But you and your teams are doing what you can to help people. Some people don't know if their homes will be there when the sun rises in the morning. That's Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the Governor's Office of

Emergency Services in California, speaking with us over the phone and giving us a kind of realtime update on the current conditions there.

We turn now to our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri to kind of give us an overview of all of this. And when you pay attention to what he said there, this is critical that little to no moisture. The intensity and speed at which these blazes burn is part of the issue as well. Plus they have been growing so quickly. How does it look?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's absolutely remarkable. You say that and I just get goose bumps talking to you and hearing him speak right now, because the numbers are supporting something on the order of 30 acres consumed per minute across this region.

BARNETT: That's incredible.

JAVAHERI: IT is absolutely incredibly. The wind is 20 to 30 miles per hour so they're spreading the flames you've got across northern California. You know, the rolling hills, the beautiful landscape, and this sort of terrain really fuels this as well as you get these embers that are carried downstream. The weather patterns the fires create within themselves. So it becomes a very, very dangerous situation.

So we kind of laid the land across an area that, by the way, on Saturday just had 50 acres consumed when it comes to this fire. By Sunday night it went up to 50,000 acres. So we're talking 1,000 times its original size within a 24-hour period. Remarkable. And you see that hilly terrain again. You see the embers typically that are carried downstream with the gusty winds, the wind generated within the flames themselves, they're picked up and carried downstream.

And then you have initial fires. This is how you begin to see the rapid expansion of the flames over this region. So we go in for a closer perspective because we're about 60 miles just to the West- northwest of Sacramento with 50,000 acres burning. You heard there about zero percent containment. The images absolutely remarkable when you take a look at how quickly things have sparked here. And we know some 6,000-plus structures also threatened in this general area when it comes to another fire that is to east of Sacramento, this one also about 60 miles but to the east. This has consumed some 65,000 acres of land over this region.

And we do have some good news when it comes to rain showers possibly in the area, not initially heavy. But as you look down towards Wednesday, the temperature trend drops significantly. The rain probabilities go up high as well. And another storm system, and there it is across the Gulf of Alaska, tracking it right towards the northern portion of California. It's certainly improving conditions as far as the weather is concerned.

That wasn't the case 24 hours ago across parts of Southern France. Look at the incredible images, roads buckling here. We know the rainfall on the order of 50 to 100 millimeters, some of it in three hours. That's 4 inches of rainfall. River burst its banks across this region. The tremendous force that comes with hitting (ph) the rivers, the water essentially pushing everything downstream and creating a disastrous scenario in a town here of about 7,000 people. Here you go, across the south of France. And this time of year you begin to see the active weather pattern pick up. And another storm cruises by here later into the week as we have the remnant of Tropical Storm Henry impact portions of Western Europe, so a pretty soggy setup cross that part of the world.

But want to leave you with video, this one coming out of southern Japan. Southwestern Japan. Incredible volcano. We know Japan, of course, well known for active volcanoes; there are 100 plus active volcanoes right now across Japan. And this is Mt. Aso on the southwestern side of the island. They've actually increased the volcanic alert there from a 2 to 3. No damage or injuries but about ten flights have been canceled across this general region just out of a precaution there. And this also erupted back in August. But, of course we know what happens with flooding last week. And it's also one of the most seismically active regions in the world, and also in the world of volcanoes it's pretty active as well.

BARNETT: A lot happening in Japan.

JAVAHERI: A lot going on.

BARNETT: All right, Pedram, thanks a lot. We'll see you later this hour and next hour as well.

Still to come for you this hour from the humble to controversial, a look at the best and most surprising moments from Pope Francis. Plus, No. 1 versus No. 2 in the men's final at the U.S. Open. We'll tell you which player came out on top. Don't cheat and check online. And a student experiment gives some stunning images of the Grand Canyon. Find out why their project was almost gone for good after crashing back down to earth.

We're back with more on that. After this.

[01:19:36]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JAVAHERI: Good day to you. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for CNN Weather Watch.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: Nothing could stop Novak Djokovic from winning this year's U.S. Open, not even a three hour long rain delay ahead of the final match. The world's No. 1 tennis player defeated second-ranking Roger Federer in four sets in New York.

CNN's Andy Scholes takes a look at this year's men's final.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANDY SCHOLES, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: The fans here at Arthur Ashe Stadium tried their best to will Roger Federer to his first grand slam title since 2012, but, in the end, the world's number-one player, Novak Djokovic was just too good. Behind thunderous chants of, "Roger, Roger," Federer rallied to win the second set, 7-5, but just like at Wimbledon, Djokovic continued to make Federer work for every single point. And eventually, the 34-year-old Federer would wear down and lose this match in four sets. The all-time series between these two superstars is now tied at 21-all.

This is the first U.S. Open title for Djokovic since 2011, and he now has 10 grand slam titles for his career. And what a year it was for Djokovic. It made it to the finals in every single one of the grand slams, winning three of them.

At the U.S. Open in New York, Andy Scholes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Now Cuba is frantically getting ready to receive a very special guest. On Saturday, Pope Francis will visit the island before traveling on to the United States. Cuba has had papal visits before. But, come on, this time is extra special, right? The pontiff the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, so he'll be able to address Cubans in their native Spanish.

[01:25:04] Pope Francis also played a key role in improving relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Now looking at the crowds he draws all over the world it's easy to see just how beloved Pope Francis really is. He surprised many by shaking things up the moment he became the leader of the Catholic Church. From the controversial to the adorable, Jason Carroll has a look at some of the Pope's best moments so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In just over two years, Pope Francis showed the world how the leader of the Catholic Church can be compassionate, comedic, controversial, and captivating.

Here are some ways the pontiff has surprised us all.

For one he certainly hasn't been shy about getting up close and personal with his fans, from letting someone play with his cap and giving a pair of schoolboys a lift in the Popemobile to even posing in a few selfies. And remember that homily when a young boy walked up on stage to get a closer look at the Pope, even kissing his cross? The pontiff didn't seem to mind. Several cardinals even tried to persuade the child to leave but he refused, instead, wrapping his arms around the Pope's legs and was allowed to sit in his chair while the Pope gave a speech.

In an another endearing moment, Pope Francis clowned around with a newlywed couple and donned a red nose with the bride and groom. And then there's the humble side of the Pope. At a detention center

in Rome, he washed the feet of two women, ruffling the feathers of a few traditionalists. It is written in liturgical law that only men can take part in the ceremony, which reenacts Jesus washing the feet of 12 disciples, all of whom were men.

In another sign of humility, Pope Francis embraced a disfigured man suffering from a genetic skin condition known as neurofibrometosis. The truly powerful image went viral.

Pope Francis has also made moves that have disturbed some conservatives who believe he's making too many changes too quickly. He authorized priests to forgive the sin of abortion and make it easier and faster to get an annulment. He issued a papal encyclical about the dangers of climate change, pleading for global action to help stop it.

In the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo, the Pope condemned the violence but said there are limits to free speech. Someone says a swear word against my mother, the Pope said he is going to get a punch in the nose.

And, throughout it all, Pope Francis has earned some interesting titles. In 2013, "Esquire" named him their best dressed man. And "Time" gave him the iconic label of Person of the Year. "Rolling Stone" also elevated the Pope to rock star status by making him the first religious head to grace the cover. Paired with the headline, "The times, they are a-changing."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Jason Carroll there. Now, the nuclear arrangement between the U.S. and Iran, does it mean relations have grown any warmer? We'll share some of the opinions from Tehran next. Plus the latest from the campaign trail, as U.S. presidential candidates gear up for this week's big Republican debate here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:31:44] BARNETT: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for staying with me. I'm Errol Barnett. Here are the big stories we are following for you right now.

Germany says it has no room for additional refugees or migrants at the moment. They have imposed temporary border controls to slow the flow of people. European Union ministers are meeting today to work on a proposal for mandatory refugee quotas. Several E.U. member nations are against that plan.

Mexico's president is condemning the shooting deaths of Mexican tourists in Egypt. Egypt's interior ministry says security forces killed 12 people and wounded 10 others after mistaking them for terrorists in the Western desert region.

At least nine people are dead after two bomb attacks in northern Cameroon. Reuters News Agency says Sunday's attack seems to be the work of Boko Haram. Authorities are investigating reports from witnesses who say either two teenage boys or two young women carried out the bombings.

Turning now to the Iran nuclear deal, and there's no shortage of American distrust. Take a look at the new CNN/ORC poll. It shows about half of those questioned would have preferred Congress to reject the agreement. And for many Iranians, that distrust is mutual.

Fred Pleitgen has more on sentiments in Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If anyone thought Iran's supreme leader would hold back with fiery rhetoric after the nuclear agreement, think again. His anti-American and anti-Israeli views are plastered all over Tehran these days. This one says, "America will be under Iran's shoes." And this one, "God willing, in 25 years, there will be no such thing as a Zionist regime."

Khamenei also blasted the U.S. and Israel in a speech as Congress was set to vote on the nuclear agreement, showing that even with the deal, distrust towards America remains strong, says Mohamed Marandi, of Tehran University.

MOHAMED MARANDI, HEAD OF NORTH AMERICAN STUDIES, TEHRAN UNIVERSITY: The Iranians are not interested in having further talks with the United States because here they feel that the United States has to show that it is serious at the negotiating table. It has to show itself as being serious at the implementation stage.

PLEITGEN: But there is another possible explanation for the tough talk. Iran's conservative clergy and powerful military are the supreme leader's strongest supporters. Both groups have been highly critical of the nuclear agreement.

(on camera): Many conservatives feel that Iran gave up too much in return for sanctions relief, and they want reassurances there will be no further negotiations with the West any time soon.

(voice-over): A majority of Iranians do favor the agreement. Many we spoke to say they want better relations with America, but also demand respect.

UNIDENTIFIED IRANIAN: Iran is not like some other countries. Iranian people are proud of their history. We have a strong history. So we are strong. We are powerful. We don't let America abuse us.

PLEITGEN: "Both sides should make compromises," this woman says. "They should build on what they have in common instead of talking about their differences."

For the first time since the Islamic Revolution, authorities removed the U.S. seal from the embassy in Tehran and replaced it with a stone full of words cursing America, a sign that even after successful talks over the nuclear issue, normal relations between Iran and the U.S. still seem a long way off.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:35:22] BARNETT: We shift our focus to the 2016 race for the White House. Many presidential candidates took a break from campaigning Sunday. But not Democrat Bernie Sanders. The Vermont Senator rallied support in Greensboro, North Carolina. Sanders has been gaining on Hillary Clinton in the polls, and he's now just 10 points behind the front-runner nationwide.

The Republican presidential contenders, meantime, are preparing for the CNN primetime debate on Wednesday. And many of them are talking tough before the big event.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION (voice-over): Well, I am a deal-maker. I will make great deals for the country. Ben can't do that. Ben is a doctor. He is not a deal maker.

DR. BEN CARSON, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & RETIRED NEUROSURGEON: Well, I am gratified to see so many people are actually starting to listen to what I am saying and evaluating it on its merits as opposed to listening to what people have portrayed me as saying. It makes a big difference.

SCOTT WALKER, (R), WISCONSIN GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're convinced the state with caucuses are the name of the game. Five months out. We have the time to make the grassroots connections and get the message out.

CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have absolutely no doubt I can come down to Congress and not cave like other people have done and get the job done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: You know this is going to be good. To hear more from all the Republican candidates watch the CNN debate live on September 17th starting at 6:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, 7:00 a.m. in Tokyo. If that is too early, watch the broadcast again at 6:00 p.m. Thursday in Hong Kong, 7:00 p.m. in Tokyo here on CNN.

Coming up next, a murder mystery gripping India. A top TV executive is accused of killing her sister. But the victim turns out to be her daughter. We'll try to explain that.

And in Northern Ireland, a popular tourist attraction for "Game of Thrones" of fans around the world. But the excitement doesn't match the emotions involved in a new political crisis taking over the country. We'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:40:22] BARNETT: Indian authorities on the hunt for a mining contractor blamed for a blast in central India that killed 89 and injured dozens more Saturday. Police accused of him storing licensed mining explosives in a building where people also lived. Residents took to the streets Sunday angry with authorities over the blast. The exact cause of the exPLOsion is still under investigation.

Also in India, a captivating murder mystery. A television executive is accused of murdering her sister. But there is a huge twist.

Ravi Agrawal has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAVI AGRAWAL, NEW DEHLI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): For weeks, India has been transfixed by a murder mystery --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One version I heard today --

AGRAWAL: -- playing out blow by blow on India's many 24/7 news channels. A top TV executive, Indrani Mukerjea, arrested for murdering her sister. Then came this bombshell. The sister was actually her daughter, born from a previous relationship.

Mukerjea's husband, himself a pioneer of satellite TV in India, was almost instantly on air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you know that she was her daughter?

UNIDENTIFIED HUSBAND: Certainly not.

AGRAWAL: It has been a live trial by media as families across the country digest a story about high society, concealed identities and murder.

The facts are few, in part, because the murder took place three years ago and only came to light after a tip-off last month. Police say they found a bed burned in a forest, and matched the DNA the Indrani Mukerjea. Police also say she confessed to taking part in the murder along with two others.

But CNN spoke with the defense, and Mukerjea attorney says that she did not confess and says she is innocent.

The murky details haven't stopped a gold rush of speculation in India, with seemingly endless panel debates, even satire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mother of the year. Sister of the year. Wife of the year. Wives of the year?

AGRAWAL: The case is everywhere. But how do you juxtapose the sordid details with regular Indian life?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attitudes in middle-class India are quite conservative. And if there is a whiff of, of sex some where, then that's very attractive. AGRAWAL: A former TV executive, points out that intense competition

for eyeballs has led some media to cut corners on due diligence.

FORMER TV EXECUTIVE: I think the notion of presumption of innocence seems to have gone out of the window. The damage to everybody's reputation in this matter, that's been done. But that's -- like I said, nothing new.

AGRAWAL: The irony here, of course, is that this is a case involving two people who helped build the boom years of Indian TV. This time, they have the camera lens focused firmly on themselves.

Ravi Agrawal, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Now, in Northern Ireland, the possibility of a government collapse is causing deep stresses and strains across the country. Across-party talks are scheduled for today. Many worry about the consequences such a political deconstruction could bring.

Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Northern Ireland has never been so popular. Tourists flocking to see where the "Game of Thrones" is filmed.

(SHOUTING)

ROBERTSON: This, the King's Road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She told me there is a "Game of Thrones" tour, trying to go back where they filmed a majority of the scenes.

ROBERTSON (on camera): What do you think now that you have seen it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness, it is beautiful.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Coach companies are cashing in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As soon as we put the seal, tickets were flying off the shelves so to speak. That's two years ago now. We haven't looked back since. We have seen a massive increase in business.

ROBERTSON: Just as in the mythical "Game of Thrones," all is not well in Ireland, where two former IRA members have been killed and several top government ministers have resigned amidst political disputes that threaten to collapse power- sharing government, a product of the 1988 peace agreement that ended three decades of conflict. "Game of Thrones" is only one of the things at stake.

(on camera): So far, "Game of Thrones" has brought in estimated $170 million for Northern Ireland. It is doing what everyone hoped the peace deal would do, boost the economy. The peace agreement itself, one of U.S. President Bill Clinton's

foremost foreign policy successions, and it has become a model for resolving other conflicts.

[01:45:06] (voice-over): Paul Donnelly teaches tourists about the conflict. In the wake of resignations, he worries about the consequences of a collapsed power sharing government.

PAUL DONNELLY, TOUR GUIDE: Absolutely dangerous. First of all, you create a vacuum within Northern Ireland. Vacuums always tend to be filled. There are people that will be happy to fill that vacuum.

ROBERTSON: He means he doesn't expect to return to the violence of before, where more than 3,600 people were killed, but he fears some violence is possible. The problem he says, is political infighting.

DONNELLY: They're not thinking about the governance of Northern Ireland, not thinking about the health of the Good Friday agreement. They're thinking about their own collateral possessions.

ROBERTSON: Back on the King's Road, known locally as the Dark Hedges, this local tourist, out with his wife and grandchild, says that politicians need to wise up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They seriously need to wise up. Nobody wants to go back to the way it was.

ROBERTSON: Unlike the "Game of Thrones," so far, it seems Northern Ireland still has a shot at a brighter future.

Nic Robertson, CNN, the King's Road, Northern Ireland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: We are always looking for good views aren't we? We have some stunning new images of the Grand Canyon to show you that were almost lost for good. Coming up next, meet the researchers who captured this video, then had to wait two years before the footage was even found. Stay tuned.

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KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley with your CNN "World Sport" headlines.

Manchester City may lead the way atop the English Premiere League right now but one team can match them in terms of current form based on results since last April. Now up to second. The Foxes have gone nine matches unbeaten in total in the league stretching back to last season, winning six of them. Their latest win at home. Coming to midland rivals, blew away a two goal lead in this one. The dramatic winner came from Nathan Dyer on his debut.

Congratulations to New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who we can say is the youngest woman ever to win a major. The 18-year-old beating the previous mark held by Morgan Pressel by six months on Sunday after she won the Evian Championship in France. Ko's 63 was the best round of the week. It helped her come from two strokes back at the start of the day to finish 16 overall.

So it was a bit of squib for England as their cricket campaign came to conclusion on Sunday against Australia. The hosts were 138 all out to give Australia an eight wicket win. At Old TrafFord, the result meant not only did the Aussies win on the day, but they also won the series 3-2.

That's a look at all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[01:50:26] BARNETT: If you've ever stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, it inspires wonder. What about seeing it from the edge of space? That's what researchers from Stanford did. But none of us would be able to see this footage here, if it weren't for a woman on a hike. We are going to explain all of that right now.

As I am joined from Palo Alto, California, by the Grand Canyon Stratospheric Balloon Team, on the screen, seeing the far right, Ashish Gruell (ph), and Bryan Chan, Tyler Reed (ph), Paul Tarantino, and Vage Terria (ph).

Welcome to you all.

I want to start with you, Brian.

Let's start at the beginning. Why all of this? This was all to study something called fluid lensing. Explain how you all got together and took on this project.

BRYAN CHAN, GRAND CANYON STRATOSPHERIC BALLOON TEAM MEMBER: Sure, yeah. Actually, Vage (ph), to my right here was the one with the idea. It really involved having a camera at the edge of space looking down at earth and capturing it. So he knew that myself and a couple others with me here, sort of the alleged balloon experts, we had done stuff with balloons before. He recruited our help. Did the crazy mission to the Grand Canyon. We got amazing footage back.

BARNETT: You guys are like super intelligent aerospace engineer students. You say, yeah, we have experience with balloons before. Strikes me as funny.

(LAUGHTER)

ASHISH GRUELL (ph), GRAND CANYON STRATOSPHERIC BALLOON TEAM MEMBER: right, because we had to recover the balloon.

BARNETT: I want to get to that recovery part. This question is for, Ashish.

Your plan was to track the device. Go pro. Smart phones. How did you lose contact with it for two years, even?

GRUELL (ph): He had a smart phone. And the idea was that, we had planned our project in such a way that it would land in an area. The smart phone was supposed to have the location. What happened was that well had planned our project using the maps given by the cell phone providers. Turned out the maps are not fully correct. So landed in an area where there was no cell phone coverage. We didn't hear from it for a long time.

(CROSSTALK)

BARNETT: It's disappointing because we see the footage here, the balloon bursts. The object, the experiment, the data falls to the ground.

I'm wondering -- Tyler Reed, maybe you can answer this question. For the last two years, while the footage has been MIA, how will you explain this loss to friend and family wondering what you are really up to?

TYLER REED (ph), GRAND CANYON STRATOSPHERIC BALLOON TEAM MEMBER: Well, this is something that we really kind of burned over for a long time. We had some limited data at our disposal to do forensics of what went wrong? You know what did we, what did we not think of? Something overheated and shut down. Maybe the thing just popped early. And then we just never lost track of it. Assumed the worst. Thought that we did something wrong and our system just failed. But we were very, very happy to hear later on that wasn't the case. Something outside of our control that day.

BARNETT: Paul, Paul Tarantino, pick up at that point. There was a hiker who found your beloved experiment. How did she get it back to you guys?

PAUL TARANTINO, GRAND CANYON STRATOSPHERIC BALLOON TEAM MEMBER: Actually, we sent her -- she started contacting Dave. His original SIM card was in the phone. She went to a local AT&T store and found it was his SIM card, contacted him. We sent her back a prepackaged, prepaid package that would allow her to send it back to us and also a small gift. And, yeah, it was pretty inkred biological to hear back from her.

BARNETT: What was the emotion to find your experiment survived?

(LAUGHTER)

CHAN: When I got the call, I thought it was one of the longest pranks.

(LAUGHTER)

CHAN: And I had to verify it the first two minutes were verifying that this was an authentic call from our phone. But she described it to a "T."

BARNETT: Wow. That's incredible. Maybe, Vage Terria (ph) can answer this one.

In the end, you got your data back. We're seeing amazing images, pictures. What did you all learn from this experiment, what should we all take away from it?

VAGE TERRIA (ph), GRAND CANYON STRATOSPHERIC BALLOON TEAM MEMBER: So one of the -- essentially a big research product for doctoral work was to get above the atmosphere, one of the cheapest ways to get there was by balloon. In my dissertation, which I will defend earlier next year, I will show data and results. We are trying to image through the earth's atmosphere and use the atmosphere as a lens to magnify on the ground and, one day, resolve centimeter scale from altitude or lower orbit.

[01:55:10] BARNETT: Very cool stuff. We'll all of this footage to enjoy. The clip you guys posted online, the past few days, viewed more than a million times. I hope you -- wish you much more success and attention. And certainly keep your head in the cloud.

Talking via web cam here with the Grand Canyon Stratospheric Balloon Team.

Thank you for joining us.

(CROSSTALK)

BARNETT: Now just a quick final story for you. Lambeau Field in Wisconsin is used to seeing football records set on the field. A different victory set Sunday with a different kind of pigskin. The world's longest bratwurst, 109 meters, or 120 yard long, exact length of the football field. The Johnsonville Sausage Company donated the giant brat for a charity fundraiser to commemorate the start of the NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Even the kids getting in on the fun.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM, everyone. I'm Errol Barnett.

Rosemary Church is up next with the latest news from around the world. I will see you one hour after that.

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