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CNN NEWSROOM
Rousseff Condemns Impeachment Efforts as Coup; Trump and Ryan Meet; Sweden Gears Up fior Eurovision Song Contest; Latest on Brussels Terror Attack Investigation; Nepal Tourism Gets a Break; Canadian Professor Says Rio Not Safe for Olympics. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired May 13, 2016 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:00] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Trouble at the top in Brazil as Dilma Rousseff condemns impeachment proceedings against her as a coup.
Making nice on Capitol Hill. Donald Trump and Paul Ryan hail progress after a highly anticipated meeting with the House Speaker stopping short of endorsing the republican front-runner.
And Stockholm, Sweden, gears up for the world's most camp and colorful music competition. The countdown is on for the Eurovision song contest.
It is all ahead here this hour. I'm Natalie Allen at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Welcome to our viewers around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom.
We begin in Brazil where people are staging massive protests as the country senate has taken a huge step towards impeaching President Dilma Rousseff.
Demonstrators set fires and marched through the streets in the country's largest city, Sao Paulo.
Many of them opposed to interim President Michel Temer who sworn in Thursday. In the capital, Brasilia, a crowd of Rousseff supporters chained themselves to the gates of the presidential palace.
Ms. Rousseff insists she has not broken any laws and vows to fight.
Here is CNN's Shasta Darlington in Brazil.
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The numbers on the Brazilian senate board Thursday were clear. A majority vote to launch an impeachment trial against President Dilma Rousseff. Accused of illegally meddling with the budget, which she denies. Rousseff came out swinging. Calling the process against her a coup d'etat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DILMA ROUSSEFF, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (TRANSLATED): When a Brazilian or when a president is impeached for a crime that has the not committed, the name that we have for this in the democracy it's not an impeachment, it is a coup.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARLINGTON: Soon after her statement, she stepped into a swarm of people outside the presidential offices in Brasilia. What happens next? Rousseff is now suspended for up to six months. And this man, Vice President Michel Temer is stepping in as interim president.
On Thursday, he announced his cabinet. It included no women for the first time since the 1970s.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHEL TEMER, ACTING BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (TRANSLATED): It is urgent that we calm the nation and unite all of Brazil. It is urgent to form a government of national salvation, political parties. Leaders and the Brazilian people should cooperate so we can come out of this grave crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARLINGTON: Rousseff had to vacate the presidential palace but will be allowed to continue to live in the presidential residence as she prepares her defense.
And although she lit the Olympic torch right here in Brasilia just last week, it doesn't look like she will be at the helm to preside over the games which start on August 5th.
A country just under three months away from hosting the Olympics, mired in a major Zika health crisis, economic recession, and political uncertainty that has divided the country with no end in sight.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Brasilia.
ALLEN: As you heard, the Zika virus has also been grabbing headlines in Brazil. The World Health Organization has confirmed more than 1,000 cases in Brazil. And it suspects that more than 120,000 other people have also been infected with the virus.
In all, three people there have died as a direct result of the mosquito-borne virus. And the World Health Organization has reported more than 1,300 cases of Zika-associated brain abnormalities in newborns. We'll bring you more on the crisis in Brazil later this hour.
Well, after months of taking shots at each other, Donald Trump and republican leaders seem to be laying the ground work to unite their party.
Both sides emerged from their long-awaited peace summit on Thursday smiling. But they admit they still have many differences to overcome.
CNN's Dana Bash has details on what was discussed during their private meetings in Washington. DANA BASH, CNN'S CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It was an event
congressional republicans never imagined in their wildest dreams. Gathering to greet their nominee for president, Donald Trump. And they all could not sound more eager to get beyond the discord.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The headline is positive first step towards unifying our party.
PAUL RYAN, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I do believe that we are now planting the seeds to get ourselves unified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: In the fact, Trump and House Speaker Ryan even issued a carefully crafted joint statement using a version of the word unite three times in one paragraph.
[03:05:06] Including, we will be having additional discussions but remain confident there is a great opportunity to unify our party and win this fall.
But also said, while we were honest about our few differences we recognized that there are also many important areas of common ground. The differences ran deep during the primaries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A total and complete shutdown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Ryan recoiling at Trump's tone and tenor, especially Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims last December.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: This is not conservatism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: CNN is told that today, behind closed doors, Ryan made clear to the billionaire it would be up to Trump to unite the GOP.
A source familiar with the meeting says Ryan told Trump that while millions voted for him. Many republicans oppose him too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: I represent a wing of the conservative party you could say. He brings, he's bringing a whole new wing to it. He's bringing new voters that we've never had for decades. That's a positive thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Still, Ryan was not yet ready to endorse Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: This is a first, very encouraging meeting. But again, in 45 minutes you don't litigate all of the processes and all the issues and the principles that we are talking about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: A source familiar with the meeting also said Ryan brought up something near and dear to his heart. Balancing the budget by reforming Medicare and social security. Which Trump has argued he doesn't want to touch.
And sources tell CNN that during the meeting Trump mostly listened and said all the right things. The most anticipated meeting of the day was the first. Just these three men. Trump, Ryan and Republican Party chair Reince Priebus.
CNN has told Priebus has been working hard behind the scenes for over a week bridge to the divide between the two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRIEBUS: It's important to be unified. And important to remember that...
(CROSSTALK)
BASH: But it's not usually this hard.
PRIEBUS: You know what, this was not a usual election. I mean, it was a very contentious, tough primary. And obviously no one can deny that. Something a lot have not been through.
BASH: Do you kneel like a couple's therapist?
PRIEBUS: No. You know what. You wouldn't say that if you were in the room. It was very, it was great. And I think it had very good chemistry between the two of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
ALLEN: Meantime, democrat Bernie Sanders still refusing to concede to front-runner Hillary Clinton. He insist he has the momentum to beat Trump.
And as Jeff Zeleny reports, he was inspired by a famous landmark that celebrates other Americans who became president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is our country at its very best. What an incredible achievement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Visiting Mount Rushmore, Bernie Sanders taking in the majesty of the moment. This monument to four great American presidents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: Just the accomplishment and the beauty. It really does make one very proud to be an American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Sanders has his own mountain to climb. Even winning all 11 remaining contests wouldn't put him on top of Hillary Clinton in the fight for delegates. Sanders is drawing less attention these days but he's not going quietly. Taking aim at super delegates who overwhelmingly back Clinton even if he carried their state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: I say to those super delegates in the states where we won landslide victories, listen to the people of your state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: In Kentucky, Bill Clinton asking democrats to send his wife across the finish line with strength.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: She needs to go into that convention not just with the popular vote lead, not just a delegate lead, with the wind at her back so we can unify our party and make this case the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Sanders' campaign manager, Jeff Weaver warning in a fund- raising e-mail. Democrats should nominate Clinton only if they are willing to roll the dice and court disaster.
Those three words, 'roll the dice,' ripped from the 2008 headlines when President Clinton used them to describe electing Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: If we let them win now it will be a gamble. A roll of the dice. That's what we heard folks say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: On CNN Weaver walked back at least part of his words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF WEAVER, SANDERS' CAMPAIGN MANAGER: The disaster is not Hillary Clinton the disaster is election of Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Trump meanwhile, its focused on another democrat, Elizabeth Warren.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Elizabeth Warren. Now I hope she runs with Hillary. Because I would like to take them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: In a war of words on Twitter, Trump writing, "Goofy Elizabeth Warren has been one of the least effective senators in the entire U.S. Senate. She has done nothing." Warren shooting back. "Do you think you're going to shut us up, Donald Trump? Think again. It's time to answer for your dangerous ideas."
ALLEN: Well, you heard Jeff Zeleny say, Bernie Sanders has a mountain to climb. And here is what the numbers look like as we get closer to that July convention. Hillary Clinton is fewer than 150 delegates away from clinching the nomination.
[03:10:03] CNN is in the Syrian capital where a top government official says President Bashar al-Assad is not stepping down. You'll hear why next.
Plus, missed messages and precious moments lost during the Brussels terrorist attacks, what we are learning from a new investigation.
And also, Nepal tourism industry just got a much-needed break. We'll tell you about it much more in the CNN Newsroom straight ahead.
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DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good day. I'm CNN meteorologist, Derek Van Dam with a quick look at your weather watch.
First, we'll start in the United States, where we have cloud cover blanketing the New England coastline stretching into the extreme southeastern sections of Canada, New York to Montreal. Chances of rainshowers especially towards the evening time. Few evening showers into Chicago.
But look at what's developing just to the north and west near Winnipeg. Significantly colder air that's going to settle in behind a second cold front which you can see on this forecast map.
Here is our initial cold front bringing scattered showers all along the East Coast stretching into the southeastern parts of the U.S. But this cold front that's going to allow for an area of low pressure to move across the region. That will bring a shower, thunderstorm, some of which could be strong, severe just south and west of Chicago.
But behind it, significantly colder air. Any time we get that interaction between warm, humid air masses and colder air masses of course we get that flare-up of thunderstorms. And you can see with our temperature trend. We've got that deep shading of blue that indicates our colder weather.
Here is the two individual storm systems, rainshowers moving through the northeast. That weak system moving across the Midwestern parts of the U.S.
Traveling a little further to the south. Central America, showers and thunderstorms, popping up. Mexico City though, you'll stay dry for the afternoon. Look at Rio, though, we do have a chance of rain with a high of 24.
ALLEN: ISIS claims responsibility for yet another deadly attack in the Iraqi capital. On Thursday, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a police station in Baghdad's Abu-Ghraib district. The attack killed three officers and wounded three officers and wounded 10 others.
On Wednesday, three bombings killed more than 90 people in Baghdad.
A ceasefire in the key Syrian city of Aleppo has expired. Peace talks were paused after fighting there continued. And on Tuesday, leaders will meet in Vienna. Their goal, to revive the fragile nationwide so- called cessation of hostilities.
[03:15:07] Our senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen joins us live from the Syrian capital of Damascus. And you've been talking with officials there, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I certainly have. Because, you know, one of the things that many Syrians here in the capital tell us is they have the cessation of hostilities at in place now. But they want all of this to be long term to last.
And of course, they also want something like that to hold in Aleppo as well where you have heavy fight going on once again. And one of the big linchpins, one of the big question marks in these negotiations that are due to start on Tuesday is the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Of course the opposition is demanding that he step. However, the senior information minister tells me absolutely not going to happen. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OMRAN AL ZOUBI, SYRIAN MINISTER OF INFORMATION (TRANSLATED): We totally reject this. The political transition just means a change from one type of government to another. And this will require a constitutional process.
There will be a new Constitution for an expanded national unity government that everyone can participate in. Any other interpretation is something we reject.
PLEITGEN: How much leeway is there for the terms that the opposition would like?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AL ZOUBI (TRANSLATED): We have an idea of an expanded government that includes the opposition. Any compromise should come as part of a dialogue between Syrians. But the problem is with the Saudi-backed delegation. Some of them are terrorists. Some belong to Islamic Daesh al Islam, Ahl al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra.
The west is classifying these groups as non-terrorists, and this is neither logical nor realistic.
PLEITGEN: The Syrian government has announced that it wants to take back all of Aleppo. It's that still your goal?
AL ZOUBI (TRANSLATED): The problem is different than this. In Aleppo, there are some terrorist organizations like Jay Shal-Fattah and Jabhat al-Nusra that are supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Their members are getting training, funding, and weapons and infiltrating into Syria through Turkey.
Speaking of cessation of hostilities is important. And Syria is committed to a truce. But at the same time we also need to stop terrorism and find a political solution.
So, it is not so much about taking back Aleppo as it is about stopping terrorism.
PLEITGEN: How do you feel about America's role currently as far as negotiations are concerned but also as far as fighting against groups like ISIS is concerned?
AL ZOUBI (TRANSLATED): America is a great country and has a lot of authority in the region. They could use that authority to influence Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. If America projected its influence on these countries, terrorism would be reduced in terms of fighters, funds and weapons. But in till now, America is not playing this role
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And of course, Natalie, now the opposition groups that are on the battlefield, a lot of rebel groups would strongly disagree with some of the things that the information minister said there.
They, of course, blame the Syrian government for allegedly launching an offensive there around the Aleppo area. Of course, one of the reasons why the situation is the way it is there right now with those battles still going on.
But of course, all sides, so far have said that they agree that a solution can only be achieved at the negotiating table. However, at this point in time, the differences between all of the sides, not only the Syrian sides, but also international negotiating partners like the U.S., Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and turkey are still so big that so far headway has been minimal at best, Natalie.
ALLEN: Right. He was telling you in that interview that he thought the U.S. influence could be stepped up a tad.
We have hard in the past few hours that Hezbollah commander Mustafa Amine Badreddine was killed in Syria, Fred, in an attack next to Damascus airport. He was one man indicted by the U.N. in connection with the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
The information minister talked about the interference as we mentioned of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. But this latest incident just serves to highlight, doesn't it, the Lebanese and Iranian factions that are siding with the government and which makes this war so complex.
PLEITGEN: Yes, you're absolutely right, Natalie. Those factions, of course the factions on all side. That's one of the big problems here in this conflict, is that you have so much backing from outside countries, from outside entities. Also financial backing on all sides.
It really isn't only Hezbollah and Iran that are doing this. There are of course, Iranian backed Iraqi militias that are on the ground here in Syria as well. Of course, you have the big, if you will, elephant in the room, the Russians who, by far, have the strongest military presence of any outside power here in this country.
The Iranians for their part, just recently beginning to announce that they have ground forces here. They had one of their deadliest days only last week when 13 of their people were killed in an attack from Jabhat al-Nusra, which is of course Al Qaeda's wing here in Iraq.
[03:20:10] And then you have ISIS. So, you have a lot of outside influence on all sides. And at this point in time it really doesn't appear as though, any of the sides has the will to try and go to the negotiating table and to try and sort this thing out.
Because it seems as though all of them still believe in some way, shape or form they might be able to win this conflict even though there's nothing on the battlefield to indicate that that would actually be the case.
And of course the horrible thing in all of this, Natalie, is that all -- as all of these sites face off on a battlefield. The Syrian civilians who are really getting crushed in the middle, having to flee the country. Displaced internally. So many killed and wounded.
ALLEN: Absolutely. Some killed just in a strike on a refugee camp, recently. Thank you so much. Fred Pleitgen for us live in Damascus, Syria. Thank you, Fred.
In Belgium, some were asking if the deadly attack at Brussels metro station in March could have been prevented. A panel is investigating and one question they have, why did it take so long for authorities to close the metro after the first attack at the airport.
Here is Erin McLaughlin in Brussels. ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Brussels, key questions
are being asked about information sharing and decision-making by authorities surrounding the March 22nd terror attacks.
There has been an entire parliamentary inquiry set up to answer those key questions. The focus of this week of the inquiry is on why the Maelbeek metro station was not shut down sooner. The timeline that came out of that inquiry this week is particularly disturbing.
Especially when you consider that 8.03 in the morning, military sources informed the chief of Brussels police that what happened at Zaventem Airport was a terrorist attack.
The police chief however, did not have the authority to shut down Brussels subway network at that time. Forty seven critical minutes would go by and at 8.50, around the time authorities believe the suicide bomber was entering the Maelbeek metro station. That is when an alert went out to shut down key sites surrounding the city.
At 9.07, a.m., federal police sent an e-mail to the wrong address, ordering the Maelbeek metro station to be shut down. A suicide blast happening at 9/11. Now keep in mind, authorities say it takes some 30 minutes to fully evacuate a subway system.
Sixteen people died in metro station. That tragic day. People here asking the question, what if?
Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Brussels.
ALLEN: Some U.S. officials are calling for a new investigation into the role of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. 9/11 terror attacks in New York City.
And CNN is getting new information about the potential involvement of Saudi citizens living here in the U.S.
Here is CNN's Jim Sciutto with that.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN'S CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It's an allegation that is lingered since the moment the towers fell. But Saudi Arabia was somehow tied to the 9/11 attacks.
Now speaking to CNN by telephone, former 9/11 commissioner, John Lehman says the classified 28 pages of a congressional report into 9/11 contain evidence that as many as six Saudi individuals Al Qaeda in the run-up to the attacks.
Those individuals he says worked for the Saudi embassy in the U.S., Saudi charities and a government funded mosque in California. Lehman makes clear that the 28 pages which are mostly FBI summary reports contain "no smoking gun."
And like the 9/11 commission concluded, Lehman does not believe the Saudi government or any of its senior officials supported or were aware of the 9/11 plots. However, Lehman says evidence of lower level Saudi involvement was
never sufficiently investigated and should now be, quote, "vigorously pursued." Other commission members, including former federal prosecutor Richard Ben-Veniste are echoing Lehman's call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: We would not be so arrogant as to think that we would, with our limited time and resources, have investigated every single aspect that there is to look at in the 9/11 disaster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: When it completed its investigation in 2004, the 9/11 commission concluded it found, quote, "no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded Al Qaeda."
Saudi leaders have repeatedly cited that conclusion as eliminating the possibility of any official Saudi role.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TURKI AL-FAISAL, FORMER SAUDI INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: If you look at the commission report it deals specifically with Saudi Arabia's role that there was not a Saudi role n
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:25:05] SCIUTTO: Some 9/11 commission members do not dispute that defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN-VENISTE: There is a substantial jump to suggest that somebody who had a job in a consulate is a representative of the Saudi government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: However, Lehman says the commission's conclusion intentionally left open the possibility that lower level government officials or employees may have played some role. Even if they were not instructed by Saudi leadership.
And it is that lingering question that he hopes the 28s page release and further investigation will answer once and for all. The 9/11 investigation was terminated. Lehman told CNN before all right relevant leads were able to be investigated.
Lehman points some to clever semantics in the 9/11 report conclusion, saying for instance, that the Saudi government as an institution or that senior Saudi officials did not fund Al Qaeda. That that left open the possibility that lower level Saudi officials did play a role perhaps without the direction of the Saudi leadership. Now to be clear, the Saudi government also supports releasing those 28 pages. The Saudi foreign minister saying exactly that just last week in Geneva.
Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
ALLEN: A Canadian professor says it is not safe to hold the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this summer. Just ahead, we'll hear what he thinks Brazil should do about the upcoming games.
Also, it is one of the most popular entertainment events throughout Europe. But some Britons think it may be time for a swan song in the Eurovision song contest.
[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: And welcome back. You are watching CNN Newsroom live from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen.
And here our top stories. U.S. House speaker Paul Ryan stopped short of endorsing Donald Trump for president after their long-awaited meeting on Thursday. They admit they still have differences, but both men say they're confident there is a great opportunity to unite the deeply divided Republican Party.
In Hong Kong, we're expecting a verdict of student leaders over their role in pro-democracy protest back in 2014. Among them this young man, Joshua Wong who became the face of the so-called umbrella movement. He denies the charges.
Brazilians are protesting a vote by the Senate to begin an impeachment trial against the President of the country, Dilma Rousseff. Vice President Michel Temer was sworn in Thursday as the country's interim leader. Ms. Rousseff calls the vote a coup.
Of course this isn't the only problem Brazil faces. A Canadian professor of public health and law says the country should either postpone or move the upcoming Olympics because of the Zika virus.
Amir Attaran spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMIR ATTARAN, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: The Brazilian government itself says there are no parts of Brazil with a higher number of Zika cases than Rio de Janeiro State. Rio is the top of the list for Zika cases. It's the heart of this epidemic. And that epidemic has already caused - your viewers have seen this - an epidemic of children being born with small heads, with brain damage.
Brazil is right now investigating 7,000 cases of these children being born with small heads and potentially brain damage because of Zika. Do we need 500,000 tourists going into Rio, the heart of the epidemic, potentially becoming infected and then going home and taking that virus with them? Because that's the seed for other epidemics elsewhere. JAKE TAPPER, THE LEAD SHOW HOST: Do you think your proposal, sir, is
realistic? And what are the odds, do you think, that it will be, your advice will be taken?
ATTARAN: Well, it's totally realistic. You can easily move the games to other venues. You could also postpone the games by a year. There is precedent for this. I mean, you know the schedule of the winter Olympics was shifted. And it's always the case that an Olympic mas may have to be juggled somehow.
I mean, imagine the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. You could have had an earthquake the day before and then you have to go to plan b. So, there is always a plan b.
The question is, really, and it's an ethical one. Is it worth having the games in Rio when you can have perfectly good games somewhere else or just delay your pleasure a little bit. Delayed gratification.
So as not to run the horrible risk of an outbreak of, I hate to say it, shrunken-brained babies. Because that's what we're dealing with. And we also now know that Zika is related to an adult condition called Guillen-Barre syndrome that can in very rare cases be fatal. And we are in fact seeing some Zika deaths now.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: Now you have some harsh...
ATTARAN: Is it worth running this risk? go ahead.
TAPPER: You have had harsh words for the International Olympic Committee and the World Health Organization. You say they are "in deep denial." We reached out to IOC to get a response to your criticism. They told us, quote, "We are working with our partners in Rio on measures to deal with the pools of stagnant water around the Olympic venues where the mosquitoes breed, to minimize the risk of visitors coming in to contact with them." I assume, sir, you don't think that's enough?
ATTARAN: Well, you notice the IOC is not going to saying that we are going to eliminate the risk, and you notice they're not saying that I'm wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Canadian professor of public health and law, that was Amir Attaran. The International Olympic Committee has said previously it is cooperating with the World Health Organization which says it is confident the Rio games will be safe and successful.
It has been two years since anyone has stood atop the world's tallest peak. But now, climbers are returning to scale Mt. Everest. That's after fatal avalanches and an earthquake put a temporary stop to expeditions.
Here is CNN's Amara Walker with more. AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Return to the top of the world. An
international team of climbers reached the summit of Mt. Everest, the first to make it to the top of the world's tallest peak since the series of deadly disasters.
A team of nine Nepalese Sherpa guides were first to the summit. The Nepali side on Wednesday followed by two British climbers and a third from Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:35:04] SUDARSHAN DHAKAL, NEPAL TOURISM DIRECTOR: Today, morning, at 8.05 a.m. so three foreigners and three Nepali Sherpa. They climbed Mt. Everest so this become public news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Among the three climbers, Britain's Kenton Cool whose made it to the top of the 29,000 foot peak before. In fact, with his latest successful summit, Cole the first Brit to do it 12 times.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENTON COOL, BRITISH MOUNTAINEER: We just summited Mt. Everest. With a gold medal. Literally go about how far listen out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: This was Cool's elated reaction the last time he summited Everest in 2012. With his team reported to be safely on their way down it's much needed good news for Nepal and the climbing community.
Last year, a massive earthquake triggered this avalanche killing 19 climbers and leaving dozens more hurt. The climbing season was essentially canceled. The year before, another avalanche killed 16 Nepalese Sherpa guide. Only one climber scaled Everest all year.
The double disasters decimated Nepal's mountaineering industry. A major revenue earner for the country. But now they're hoping to bounce back. And with Cool's latest high altitude feat. Around 100 other climbers are expected to try to summit Mt. Everest in the coming days.
Amara Walker, CNN.
ALLEN: And we wish them well in that endeavor.
Just ahead here, parts of Southeast Asia are drying up. We'll tell you what's behind the extreme conditions, and what the forecast holds when Derek Van Dam joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Back live here now. And you are looking at live video of a boat carrying rescued migrants which is landing in the Sicilian port of Augusta.
[03:40:07] So, it just goes on and on. But they were rescued.
Well, Derek Van Dam joins us now. An all-time record high temperatures for many Southeastern Asian countries. And he is here to tell us how long that might last.
DAM: You know, a lot of attention has been going towards India with the drought and the extreme heat that's taking place there.
ALLEN: Right.
DAM: But Southeast Asia is also getting hit very hard by drought conditions. Very hot temperatures. And even the Mekong River which runs from China right through Cambodia and Vietnam at its lowest level since 1926.
Full lakes, Natalie, in Malaysia are drying up. Let's take you there. Look at this. You can see people trying to fish on some of the dried up lakes and river beds. Cracks in the ground indicating just how dry it actually is.
In fact, reading the article about this video, this gentleman was saying that he typically would catch 40 kilos of fish per day. And now he's only catching one kilogram of fish per day. So, you can imagine what that means for his economic impact of this particular country.
Now take a look at my graphic. We've actually summarized for it you, according to the IHS global insights, this is an economic company. They have deduced the drought and hot temperatures across Southeast Asia is equivalent to $10 billion.
That's all -- thanks to the reduced fishing stock in place, the water shortages across the area. And of course the crop failures. I mean, with the Mekong River at its lowest since 1926.
You can imagine what kind of agriculture impacts that has on that particular region. And it's all -- thanks to El Nino, which typically sets up a very warm and dry pattern across Southeast Asia.
Look at this. Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, set national record high temperatures, never seen before just in the month of April. So, we're coming off an extremely hot month and it's been very warm there over the past week as well.
Look at Vietnam. That's what crops look like at the moment. And it's not only that particular region. But it's further south and east towards the Philippines. We have temperatures soaring into the 30s. In fact, the humidity levels and temperatures feel like 40 degrees when you step outside in Manila, the nation's capital.
They have drought conditions for much of this area. Even into Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. You can see the way below normal rainfall across this region. That means drought conditions continue.
What's worse here is that we are coming off of our El Nino season but working into La Nina. So, the difference here is that will bring the potential of heavy rain back to that region. So, decimated crops impacted by the drought now could see heavy rainfall. But that's not good when you have very dry, hard ground. Because that will create flooding concerns going down later on in into the year.
ALLEN: All right. Derek, thank you.
DAM: Many concerns.
ALLEN: All right. You're right.
Well, many pundits were wrong about Donald Trump's political aspirations. But only one is literally eating his words. Washington Post political columnist, Dana Milbank was so sure Trump would never last. That he wrote an article saying if Trump got the republican presidential national nomination. He would, quote "Eat the page on which this column is printed." End quote.
And, on Thursday, he did. He sat down to an 8-course meal with a special ingredient, newsprint from that article. A short while ago, I asked him about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA MILBANK, WASHINGTON POST POLITICAL COLUMNIST: It all wants down pretty easily. The worst part was drinking the Trump wine that went with the newspaper.
ALLEN: But you were able to find Trump wine?
MILBANK: I was able to find some kind of sorry I did. That was not good.
ALLEN: We'll talk more about that experience. But I want to back up a minute. You had fun with it. People gave your ideas for recipes. Share some with us.
MILBANK: Well, all across the whole spectrum. I mean, a lot of people were suggesting, the only way to do this is just eat the newspaper. And you put a little ketchup or mustard or salt on it. Other people went to the other extreme, and said, if you want to get rid of the newspaper, make it beyond recognition. Just puree it into some sort of smoothie then it won't taste it at all.
I decided that would be cheating a little bit. You really want to actually have some of the texture of the newspaper. But neither did I see any reason to just suffer and read the newspaper raw.
ALLEN: Yes.
MILBANK: So, I got a chef. Victor Albisu, from Del Campo restaurant here in a Latin steak house in the capital. A very good restaurant. He put together eight courses plus some newspaper filtered coffee.
[03:44:57] And we took reader suggestions. And it really came up with a terrific menu. And, you know, despite that rather difficult ingredient, we had good flavors going there. ALLEN: Looks kind of appetizing actually. And perhaps your column,
your word were a bit camouflaged hopefully. I want to read what you wrote. You wrote talking about all of the input you got from your readers.
"I've discovered that eating newspaper can be mouthwatering. This is going to huge. We are going to build a big, beautiful meal, and Mexico is going to pay for it." So, could you taste the newspaper? In that savory meal a little bit?
MILBANK: Yes. I have to be. You know, I have to be, you know, the truth is the newspaper is surprisingly durable. So, you know, you can grill it. You can pickle it. Soak it in all kinds of things.
But ultimately, it's still newspaper. And you know, you find you are chewing it. And it kind of forms these, you know, wads of paper in your mouth. And that's when you need to gulp down the Trump wine with it.
So, you know, for all of your viewers who are really interested in eating newspaper on their own, I'm sure a lot of people will be, you want to grind it up as much as possible. It's a texture issue. That's why the falafel that we had today was quite good.
The ground newspaper pork dumplings were excellent. When you got into large pieces of newspaper that you started to get when I probably spitball problem.
ALLEN: Yes. Little corn flake chunks weren't too good. So, in the end, were your words difficult to swallow or were your words easy to swallow?
MILBANK: I think it was all easy to swallow. Now the problem is ultimately, it was much easier to swallow for me than I actually imagining, you know, six months of Donald Trump on the campaign trail or perhaps four years of Donald Trump in the White House.
But if we are going to have that pain inflicted on the nation. Then at least, the least I can do is, you know, suffer a little bit of abdominal distress for one meal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Dana Milbank with The Washington Post there. Well, this one is for all the people who say they'll leave the U.S. if Donald Trump is elected president.
There is a dating site that says it plans to match Americans with potential mates in Canada.
But as CNN's Jeanne Moos reports, it's still unclear if maple matches will everyone get off the ground.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You may not think of Donald Trump as a match maker but he could inspire cross border romance between Americans and Canadians if maple match ever gets off the ground with its catchy slogan...
JOE GOLDMAN, AUSTIN RESIDENT: Make dating great again.
MOOS: The web site's mission, maple match makes it easy for Americans to find the ideal Canadian partner to save them from the unfathomable horror of a Trump presidency.
Austin, Texas resident and Hillary supporter, Joe Goldman. Dreamed up maple match.
GOLDMAN: I've always like maple syrup. I have about 12 leaders of maple syrup at home. I'm a real fan of the flavor.
MOOS: Joe says maple match started as a fun experiment. But within days 20,000 Americans had signed the wait list. And 5,000 Canadians. Every day the number grows. Sure people have been joking about moving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Donald Trump beep our next president?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If that (muted) becomes president I will move my black (muted) to South Africa.
MOOS: Miley Cyrus Instagramed. "Going to vom, as is vomit move out the country. Hash tag is not going to party in the USA anymore.
Cher tweeted, "If Trump would be elected I'm moving to Jupiter." But some like Lena Dunham sound serious.
LEENA DUNHAM, ACTRESS: I am 100 percent moving to Canada. I love Canada.
TRUMP: Well, she is a b actor and has no, you know, mojo.
MOOS: Maple match has mojo. In terms of generating interest. But don't expect immediate results. It looks like maple match will be as slow as well, maple syrup.
Question is about when the site might work got vague answers. Joe, I'm sorry it's like talking to Donald Trump. It's ever going to be really like a dating site?
GOLDMAN: At this -- at this time, I really can't say for sure. We are really trying our hardest.
MOOS: Maple match is asking who you would look to shack up with before the shack its built.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
ALLEN: We'll keep you posted on maple match. Next here, as the the British debate quitting the European Union, some also wonder about giving the eccentric Eurovision song contest a pass.
[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) I'm Kate Riley with CNN World Sport headlines.
We just have 85 days until the Olympics in Rio get underway. And the country now has a new acting president and new minister of sport. Michel Temer has taken over from the suspended President, Dilma Rousseff, she is facing an impeachment trial that's likely to last through the games in August.
One of Temer's first actions in office was choosing Leonardo Picciani as the new minister for sport. He is the third person to fill the position in as many months.
The search is on to replace Roberto Martinez, who was sacked as Everton's boss Thursday. They have only one won of their last 10 matches. And also, lost the semifinals of the FA Cup and Liga Cup this season.
Everton have one more game left to play this season and match against relegated site Norwich City on Sunday. The favorite to replace Martinez and (Inaudible) Frank De Boer the former Ajax Sports who stepped down from his job earlier on Thursday days after missing out on the Dutch title with PSV Eindhoven.
Meanwhile, manager Mauricio Pochettino seek from strength to strength at Tottenham. The club confirmed that the Argentine has extended its contract with the club until 2021, after guiding the Spurs to their best-ever finish in the premiere league era. He says it was an easy decision to make. There was no better place to be right now.
And that's a look at all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: This story is just in to CNN. South Africa's high court has accepted a historic class action lawsuit against multiple gold companies. Thousands of miners allege that their decades of work underground gave them silicosis.
They developed the deadly disease by inhaling dust inside the gold mines. Studies estimate at least 200,000 current and former miners could be suffering from the disease.
We'll have a full report on this story in the next hour of CNN Newsroom.
Well, brace yourselves, Europe, the finals of the Eurovision song contest hit the airwaves from Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday. Coincidentally, in five weeks, voters in the United Kingdom will decide whether to leave the European Union.
As CNN's Money Claire Sebastian report, a clash of politics and entertainment have a lot of British thinking about yet another kind of Brexit.
CLAIRE SEBASTIAN, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: In this underground bar in central London you'd never know Britain's place in Europe was even in question.
This is a glimpse into the life of Britain's die hard Euro vision fans. They actually hold events like this once every month throughout the year. Such a level of dedication.
And Mr. Alasdair Rendall is president of the U.K. Eurovision fan club which claims to be the biggest in the word. There is very little he doesn't know about the contest.
[03:55:02] Who was the host country in 1975?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALASDAIR RENDALL, OGAE U.K. PRESIDENT: In 1975, it was Sweden. It was hosted in Stockholm because that was the year after Abba had won
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: Despite the hard core fans, recent poll showed 60 percent of Brits would actually vote for a Brexit from the song contest. The highest portion in Europe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENDALL: If you look at the U.K.'s attitudes towards the then EEC in the 60s and the 70s, we were keen to join in the '60s. We finally joined in the '70s. And there were also years when we were doing well at Eurovision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: In the '60s and '70s, the U.K. had three wins and 10 top 3 placing.
Fast forward to the late '90s, and it was no to the euro and no more wins at Eurovision. Since 2003, singing duo Gemini, the first of three recent entries to come last.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENDALL: I think perhaps over the last 15 years or so, we felt politically removed from the European continent, politically removed from the European Union and I think that does have some crossover to our attitudes towards Eurovision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: Perhaps appropriately this year's theme of the contest is come together. The British entry it's called "You're not alone."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENDALL: Could there be a reference to the U.K.'s position in Europe. Who knows, who know. Maybe we should ask that question again on the June 23 after the referendum.
SEBASTIAN: Claire Sebastian, CNN Money, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: I'm Natalie Allen in Atlanta. CNN Newsroom continues next with Max Foster in London. Thanks for watching.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
