Return to Transcripts main page

IDESK

Obama Endorses Hillary Clinton; Russia and Syria Announce Humanitarian Corridors; Merkel on Normandy Terror Attack; Europe's "New Normal"; Countdown to Rio; Pope Francis to Speak at World Youth Day; Parallel Lives of Candidates' Daughters. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 28, 2016 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST (voice-over): Ahead at the INTERNATIONAL DESK, President Obama's emphatic endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

Syria's government offers amnesty to rebel forces.

And Angela Merkel stands by Germany's migrant policy.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KINKADE: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

You could call it a passing of the torch. U.S. President Barack Obama laid out why the next person to have his job should be Hillary Clinton. At the

Democratic Party Convention, Mr. Obama also fired stinging attacks at her Republican rival, Donald Trump.

Our Hala Gorani is at the convention in Philadelphia and joins us now.

Hala, unlike the first couple of nights, where we saw some veiled references to Trump, last night there were a lot of potshots being taken.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, they were naming names, Lynda, the Democrats brought out their biggest stars last night. Both President Obama

and Vice President Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump's pessimistic view of America and declared Hillary Clinton the most qualified candidate ever to

run for president. Michelle Kosinski has the details on a very, very colorful and interesting day three of the Democratic National Convention.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You could almost see the weight of this moment and of America's choice on President

Obama's face, as he tried to connect past with present with future.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While this nation has been tested by war and it's been tested by recession and all manner of

challenges, I stand before you again tonight, after almost two terms as your president, to tell you I am more optimistic about the future of

America --

KOSIK (voice-over): Optimism, the focus, in a speech the president delivered with an almost constant smile, even as he ripped into

Republicans, laying out a stark contrast.

OBAMA: -- but what we heard in Cleveland last week wasn't particularly Republican. And it sure wasn't conservative. What we heard was a deeply

pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world.

There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment and blame and anger and hate. And that is not the America I

know. The America I know is full of courage and optimism and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous.

KOSIK (voice-over): And this time President Obama didn't hold back, yes, saying the name.

OBAMA: And then there's Donald Trump.

Don't boo, vote.

The Donald is not really a plans guy.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: He's not really a facts guy, either.

The choice isn't even close. There has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill, nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as

President of the United States of America.

We're not a fragile people. We're not a frightful people. Our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior, promising that he alone can

restore order as long as we do things his way. We don't look to be ruled. And the American dream is something no wall will ever contain.

KOSIK (voice-over): Making the point that unity and democracy work, not to be overlooked.

OBAMA: We all need to be as vocal and as organized and persistent as Bernie Sanders supporters have been during this election.

KOSIK (voice-over): He urged this crowd to vote and for gun control advocates to be as vocal as the gun lobby, becoming emotional as he started

to tell some real stories of American struggle, compassion and perseverance.

OBAMA: And I'll tell you what's picked me back up every single time. It's been you, the American people.

It's the painting I keep in my private office, a big-eyed green owl with blue wings, made by a 7-year-old girl who was taken from us in Newtown,

given to me by her parents so I wouldn't forget.

Time and again, you've picked me up. And I hope sometimes I picked you up, too.

And tonight, I ask you --

[10:05:00]

OBAMA: -- to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I'm asking you to join me to reject cynicism and reject fear and to summon what is best in

us to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation.

Thank you for this incredible journey. Let's keep it going. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, tonight it is Hillary Clinton's turn to deliver what could be one of her most important speeches so far. You could argue that it is

the most important speech.

What can we expect?

Let's bring in Mark Penn, a Democratic pollster and former advisor to President and Ms. Clinton, who knows both the former president and the

candidate intimately well.

Thanks very much for being with us.

What do you think will be going through her mind now?

MARK PENN, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: Well, this is an extremely important night obviously but the setup for that night has gone as well as it possibly

could. There's a wave of enthusiasm here, there's been great speech after great speech. So in many ways, I think she's -- the setup here has been

tremendously positive. And rather than being stressed about things that went wrong, so much here went right.

GORANI: Right.

And so what does she need to do in this particular speech that she hasn't done so far?

Because we were discussing in the break here, some of these numbers that are not great for Hillary Clinton -- I have them right here -- the latest

CNN/ORC poll, is Hillary Clinton honest and trustworthy, 68 percent say no; her favorability rating is very high as well 57 percent unfavorable and

that is the latest national Gallup poll.

PENN: Well, obviously what the campaign is doing is they're bringing together her history of fighting for children and women and people from the

very beginning of her life through to today. And that's what she's always done.

So can you trust her?

Of course you can. She's always been a fighter for years.

GORANI: But the numbers don't reflect that.

So what would you advise her tonight?

PENN: Here's what she's going to convince people of. She's going to merge I think her lifelong history of that with her plan for America. And I

think if there's one thing people really see her as a candidate who can deliver on change, who can make it happen, rather than kind of issue

meaningless platitudes, I think it's well set up for her to come through.

She came through here in the first debate as you recall, when things got tough and the numbers got tight and I think that's going to happen.

GORANI: But she has a few tough acts to follow. Let's be honest. Michelle Obama's speech on Monday, Barack Obama yesterday.

So, I mean, people are going to compare perhaps some of that delivery to hers this evening?

PENN: Well, they are. But Hillary's a clutch player. And, in that sense, you can expect her to come through. The process behind the scenes on these

speeches is enormous, fact-checking, writing lines that kind of serve the message purpose. And practicing. I think she likes to really practice and

be ready.

GORANI: So she rehearses her speeches.

PENN: Oh, she's going to be ready tonight. This is a big event, there are going to be tens of millions of people watching. It probably is the most

significant event of the entire campaign.

GORANI: Does she write and rewrite until the very last minute?

Is she more prepared?

Does she sort of wrap it up a few days before and then rehearse it?

How does it work?

PENN: I wish things could ever be wrapped up a few days before in a campaign. So things will often go down to the wire, but I think -- again,

because I don't think there have been a lot of distractions in this effort. What you've really seen from Michele Obama on is one laudatory speech, the

party coming together --

(CROSSTALK)

GORANI: -- one distraction and you know which one I'm talking about, Donald Trump.

By the way, he is on the front pages of the tabloid newspapers, the "Daily News," for instance, "Russia, You're Hired." This referring to what he

said, his appeal to hackers to look into Hillary Clinton's server to find those 33,000 deleted emails.

The czar wars, I don't know if you have seen the -- I mean, all credit to them, it's a good pun. What do you -- I mean, it still has legs, this

story.

PENN: Well, but I can't tell, was it meant to be a distraction, a sideshow, a serious effort?

Look, I think if Donald Trump's going to make jokes, he'd better do better ones. They'd better not involve foreign leaders. That's not what you joke

about when you're President of the United States because every joke is -- every joke can be taken seriously. So that's what he's learning. But I

think it became just a sideshow, a spectacle, an illustration of the question of can you trust Donald Trump with the nuclear weapons of this

country?

And that's the underlying theme that comes out.

GORANI: Mark Penn, we really appreciate you time, a former adviser to both President and Ms. Clinton. Perhaps the next -- perhaps we'll be able to

say a former adviser to both Presidents Clinton if it goes Hillary Clinton's way in November.

Thank you so much, Mark Penn.

Lynda, CNN will be there tonight when --

[10:10:00]

GORANI: -- Hillary Clinton takes the stage and of course we'll have live coverage before and after and a special edition of my program at 3:00 pm

Eastern -- back to you.

KINKADE: Thanks, Hala. We look forward to it.

As Hala did mention, on the Republican side of the U.S. presidential race, Donald Trump is clarifying his comments he made after calling on Russia to

hack Hillary Clinton's e-mails. The Clinton camp says Trump's comment "threatens national security" but Trump told FOX News that he was being

sarcastic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when I'm being sarcastic, with someone --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: -- of course, I'm being sarcastic. But you have 33,000 e-mails deleted. And the real problem is what was said on those e-mails from the

Democratic National Committee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Trump was referring there to e-mails on the private server that Clinton used to conduct business when she was secretary of state.

Meantime, Russia plans to help civilians get out of the Syrian city of Aleppo. Moscow and the Syrian government have announced a series of

humanitarian corridors for residents to leave. The eastern rebel-held part of Aleppo is believed to be surrounded by government forces who've cut off

supply routes.

The U.N. warns hundreds of thousands of people could run out of food within the next few weeks.

For more, let's bring in Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics and author of "ISIS: A History." He joins us via Skype from London.

Great to have you with us. Russia will work with the Syrian government to open up four corridors to allow people to flee, both civilians and rebels.

How do you envisage this working?

FAWAZ GERGES, DIR. MIDDLE EAST CENTER, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Well, I mean, I think the underlying point behind the Russian proposal is that come

and surrender. We're talking about the Russian humanitarian initiative.

What we need to understand that is that the Syrian government and its allies have gained the upper hand, Aleppo now is besieged by the Syrian

army and its allies. And what the Russians are saying to the civilians in Aleppo and also to the rebels, you're welcome to come out of Aleppo but on

our own terms.

And you rebels, if you really would like to get out, put down your weapons and basically join the Syrian government.

The big story behind the Russian proposal is really the Syrian army gaining the upper hand and Russia now has a major, major sway in this particular

conflict because, remember, you have American-Syrian -- American-Russian rivalry in Syria and the Russians now are really playing the major power

broker in Syria.

KINKADE: And also the Syrian president has promised amnesty to those who do lay down their arms and turn themselves in within the next three months.

Are the rebels likely to do that?

Will they believe the Syrian government?

GERGES: I doubt it very much. This is not the first time that the Syrian government basically offers a proposal like this.

For the last three or four years, the Syrian president has made it very clear that the rebels are welcome to lay down their arms and they'll have

amnesty. This is all-out war.

But the reality is, Assad making this proposal at this particular moment after gaining the upper hand in Aleppo, Aleppo is the second largest city

after Damascus and they're making some major gains in the suburbs of Damascus.

What we need to understand is that the Syrian government is gaining the upper hand, the balance of power is shifting towards Assad, both the

Russians and the Syrian government feel very confident about the military balance of power.

And thus basically it's a win-win for Assad. He's telling the international community, look, I'm willing to talk to the rebels, in fact,

I'm willing to offer amnesty to the rebels if they lay down their weapons.

What he's really trying to say, I'm going for the win, I'm going for the kill. And I doubt it very much whether his most recent initiative about an

amnesty for the rebels will find many takers among the rebels because this is all-out war between the Assad government and the opposition.

KINKADE: We know in Aleppo right now that there are only a few remaining working hospitals; others have been destroyed. We know aid is low, food is

low.

How do you see things playing out there over the coming days and weeks?

GERGES: Imagine, imagine the temperature is over 30 degrees. You're talking about almost 95 degrees; 300,000 people now are besieged in Aleppo.

You have almost 1 million people now in Syria who basically are besieged.

So the Russians you asked me about, the Russian initiatives, this is a very important initiative, because the Russians are saying, look, to the

Americans and the United Nations, come and basically be part of this particular initiative.

So Russia is telling the United Nations, the Americans, we are willing to accommodate the Syrian civilians if they come out of Aleppo but on one

condition, on basically the terms of the Syrian government.

[10:15:00]

GERGES: So the reality is -- I mean you're talking about dismal humanitarian conditions, you're talking about 300,000 people now who are

trying to survive. And Aleppo is besieged, make no doubt about it.

How long it's going to take?

The longer it takes, the more dismal the humanitarian condition will become in Aleppo and that's why the Russian initiative gives Russia really a big,

big hand in what's going to happen in the third talks if they take place in Geneva in the next few weeks. As the Americans and Russians work on a --

at least a way out to begin a third round in talks in Geneva.

KINKADE: We can only hope that those talks this time around will be successful. Fawaz Gerges, great to have you with us as always. Thank you

very much.

GERGES: Thank you. Thank you.

KINKADE: You are watching the INTERNATIONAL DESK. Still ahead, Germany's chancellor speaks in the wake of a string of terror attacks. What Angela

Merkel says about the future of her nation's migrant policy.

Also reporters without borders warns of growing persecution after the failed coup in Turkey. How Ankara is cracking down on the media -- when we

come back.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KINKADE: Welcome back.

German chancellor Angela Merkel faced the media today after a string of attacks that's left her country shaken and questioning her refugee policy.

Senior international correspondent Atika Shubert is following the story from Berlin and joins us now live.

Atika, we heard a short time ago from Chancellor Merkel that she would not reverse her refugee policy but she did vow to crack down -- and I quote --

"on those that mock the country that took them in."

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, what she said basically is that the country does face these obstacles; these

attacks have shown that there are gaps in the system that need to be fixed. And she addressed that in this press conference. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY (through translator): We are now being tested. We are tested in the way we live. Our understanding of

freedom and security is being tested.

Again and again, we have to balance those values. What the terrorists want is for us to lose our view of what is important to us. They want to divide

our unity, our cooperation. They want to harm our life and our openness. And also they want to prevent our openness to welcome people. They spread

hate between cultures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT: She made very clear in this press conference and really her main message seemed to be that the country must remain united in supporting the

vast majority of refugees that contribute to society here. She said that Germany will not turn a blind eye to human catastrophe.

On the other hand, those who commit crimes, she said, must be deported faster. They must be repatriated faster. The sheer numbers that Germany

saw last year --

[10:20:00]

SHUBERT: -- more than a million refugees, has dropped significantly as she's looking to keep those numbers down.

So she did address some of those issues. But in terms of exact policy, concrete policy measures as a result of the attacks that have happened in

the last week, she said there needs to be analysis, deliberate analysis.

And, in time, there will be proposals. But for now they're analyzing and investigating the situation to see just how much of a security risk some

refugees pose.

KINKADE: And Atika, as Chancellor Merkel said, this is a big test for us.

How do you think her words will be received there?

Is that enough for those worried about the open border policy?

SHUBERT: She has some very harsh critics out there. And the far right political groups are certainly trying to galvanize momentum behind what's

happened in these attacks.

But I think the majority of the public seems to be looking for some sort of leadership. Yes, there is this call to stay united. But what are the

specific measures for overcoming these obstacles?

She mentioned an early warning system for those refugees that may be drawn into radical networks.

How will that early warning system be constructed?

The system seems to be strained with the sheer number of refugees.

How do you make sure that those, for example, receiving a mental health treatment aren't falling through the cracks?

Those are the kinds of details the public wants to hear. But we're not likely to hear them now. That will probably come at a later time and, at a

more regional level, rather than a federal level.

KINKADE: OK, Atika Shubert for us live in Berlin, thank you very much.

Investigators in France have identified the second terrorist in the murder of a priest inside a church. Like his accomplice, the teenage attacker was

on a list of radicalized individuals and was considered a terror threat.

We're also learning today the other attacker was deported by Turkey last year after an examination by terror profilers as he tried to enter

Istanbul. At the time of the church slaying, he was under house arrest and wearing an electronic monitoring device.

In Europe, this seems like the summer of blood. A string of attacks in Belgium, France and Germany have sparked fear right across the continent.

Our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, wrote a story on our website, called, "Europe on Edge: The New Normal." He joins us now from

our London bureau.

Nick, firstly, as we have seen in France, the church attack and in so many cases before it, the assailants are often known to police. Clearly

authorities are stretched.

How do they get around that?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, in France, one of the ways they're trying to tackle this is by having these emergency

powers, which give the police greater speed to go into people's properties, investigate them very, very quickly if they get a fast tip-off.

But the reality is that so many from Northern Europe, so many hundreds, tens of hundreds of young men, some women as well, have gone off to Iraq

and Syria and they're coming back now in numbers that haven't been seen before as well.

So they're presenting counterterrorism officials, intelligence agencies, a huge challenge that they might register people coming back and know that

this person has been to Syria or there's a question mark about them.

But the resources to actually be able to monitor all these people in real time and assess whether or not they pose a current threat, a threat in a

few months, a threat next year, or if they're communicating with others outside the country who might be directing them to attack, all these sorts

of things, the resources, the magnitude, it's stretching all Europe's counterterrorism officials.

And this is part of why we see such a spate of incidents that we're witnessing. They're all different; the people involved in them, they don't

fit into the same pattern, if you will. And again, this amplifies the problems for intelligence agencies.

But it's a sheer numbers game. There are a lot of them and not enough of the people trying to keep a handle on what they're planning and what

they're about to do.

KINKADE: Absolutely. I just want to reference your article, it's a very good article, "Europe on the Edge: The New Normal."

You wrote, and I quote, "The fabric of cohesion offering peace, prosperity and security, patiently woven over decades, suddenly feels like a paper bag

in a summer storm, ready to rip."

Are you finding that that is the prevalent feeling right across Europe, that people are losing hope that we will once again see a peaceful, stable,

safe Europe?

ROBERTSON: There are so many issues at play here.

Number one, you know, you have Britain, for example, pulling out of the European Union, voting for the Brexit. There's a potential for a similar

thing in France; a lot of that has come down to concerns about the numbers of migrants.

[10:25:00]

ROBERTSON: But then the concerns about who these migrants are and what they might be doing. So you find people now, I find people talking to me

about Muslims, about the threat that they perceive, about where they might go on vacation or not go on vacation now.

Turkey, for a lot of people, is sort of off the cards, Egypt is off the cards. They find the places in Spain that they would go to more crowded.

You talk to people, who just are more aware of people around them and their backgrounds.

And, therefore, should they be worried about this person?

People didn't have those fears at this same level last summer. And this is something that nationalists and right-wing organizations feed off, fuel off

of and it's a growing trend inside Europe.

So it's a -- when you have a spate of incidents, as we have had here, this is fuel and fodder for the nationalists, it's propaganda for ISIS. These

two things collide, feed off of each other.

But for Europe, at a time when Europe itself is losing the bonds that kept it peaceful since World War II, going back to, as we saw nationalism that

existed before World War II inside Europe, these are all worrying trends, that sense of peace and stability that we had for decades which led to

prosperity, people are not as calm as they were.

Maybe in another few months, if there's no more attacks, they will go back to feeling a little more steady about the situation. But this is what

worries people ,people who wouldn't have worried about it it in the past -- Lynda.

KINKADE: OK, Nic Robertson, we'll have to leave it there. But for all our viewers, "Europe on Edge: The New Normal" is on our website, cnn.com.

Thanks, Nic.

In Turkey, the government continues to crack down on elements it blames for this month's failed coup attempt.

For the latest, CNN's Ian Lee joins us now from Istanbul.

Ian, Turkey initially targeted defense force personnel, police, educators. Now they really seem to be cracking down on free press.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Lynda. And when you look at the list of news agencies that are being shut down, you have 16 TV channels, 23

radio stations, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishing houses.

On top of that, you have dozens of arrest warrants out there for journalists. This is a large crackdown we're seeing on press. And

President Erdogan has had an abysmal record when it comes to freedom of the press. Journalists are routinely put in jail in this country.

So there is a lot of fear that this is just an extension of that crackdown that we're seeing. Now the government has defended their decision, saying

that these institutions belong to Fethullah Gulen, the exiled cleric in the United States. The Turkish government calls him and his organization a

terror group.

And so they say they're just rooting out terror and those culprits behind the coup. But rights groups as well as the international community has

expressed outrage and concern with the ongoing crackdown. But don't expect it to end anytime soon -- Lynda.

KINKADE: And Ian, you have been speaking to people on the streets in Istanbul, almost two weeks now since the failed coup, how are people

feeling there about the state of their country?

LEE: Still a lot of mixed emotions here. You do have people with a wide range of opinions, from those who support the president and who are against

the coup -- the president has about 50 percent support in this country. You also have those people who are against the coup but also against the

president.

They're voicing their concern about these growing emergency powers that the president has.

But, really, everyone has expressed the same feeling and that's uncertainty. Right now, they don't know where the country's heading, they

don't know what's going on here.

At night, right behind me, this square, Taksim, is full of people still coming out to show their support against the coup. You also have this

popular neighborhood for bars and restaurants, that is starting to pick up, too. But again, everyone we talk to, expressing that uncertainty -- Lynda.

KINKADE: OK, Ian Lee for us live in Istanbul, good to have you with us. Thanks so much.

Well, still to come at the INTERNATIONAL DESK, Russian athletes on their way to Rio under a cloud of a doping scandal. How many will be banned from

competition. That story coming up next.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KINKADE: Hello and welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are the headlines we're following.

(HEADLINES)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KINKADE: Well, what's left of Russia's Olympic team are headed to Rio. A plane carrying Russian athletes to the Olympics took off earlier from

Moscow. They, of course, left under a cloud of allegations of state- sponsored doping.

On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee left the decision to ban athletes to the governing sports bodies. So far, more than 100 Russian

athletes are banned from competing in Rio.

Making it to the Olympics is a major achievement for any athlete. Our Oren Liebermann has the story of an Ethiopian Israeli runner, who defied critics

to earn his shot at Olympic fame.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Guade Wadi (ph) is the most unlikely of Olympians. For years he was told he wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast

enough.

AGAZH WADI (PH), OLYMPIC RUNNER (through translator): All the professionals discounted me.

I said, no, you've got to take me seriously. I'm going. If you know what you want, you can get it.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): He put in the hours, clocked the miles and signed up for the Rotterdam marathon. He crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 18

minutes and 53 seconds, just beating out the Olympic qualifying time by a mere 7 seconds.

The 27-year-old Ethiopian Israeli was going to Rio.

WADI (PH) (through translator): If you work hard, you go far. There are no shortcuts. I have always worked hard. I was in a boarding school. You

have to cope on your own. You're independent. That gave me more strength to believe in myself.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Guade (ph) is enjoying every moment of his local fame. He couldn't stop smiling at the team photo shoot, not knowing which

camera to look at or how to pose.

WADI (PH) (through translator): I'm enjoying it. If you enjoy it, you do even better, especially for me because I'm doing what I love. I'm learning

and my whole life is around sport.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): His home is a long way from the Olympics --

[10:35:00]

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): -- a student trailer in Central Israel. He shares it with his training partner, their running shoes stacked at the

entrance.

LIEBERMANN: This is your home, this is the home of an Olympic. It's.

Almost reach from one side to the other. But this is not what's important to you.

WADI (PH) (through translator): What's important is that you want to make it. You dream about making it. Dreams are very important. It doesn't

matter what building you live in, what's important is that you believe.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The next morning, Guade (ph) is up before dawn, running 23 miles before it gets too hot. At the end of his run, he is

again smiling. A crowd is gathered around him, cheering on the Olympian. Now he's not the only one who believes -- Oren Liebermann, CNN, Central

Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, hundreds of thousands of young people are gathered in Krakow, Poland, they're waiting to hear from Pope Francis next hour as part

of World Youth Day celebrations.

CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher is joining us live from Krakow.

Delia, the 79-year-old pontiff had a bit of a stumble on the altar during mass.

How is he doing?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, the Vatican says the pope is just fine. He missed a step there, coming down from the altar.

But his aides were able to pick him up.

He carried on, saying the mass without any visible signs of distress. As you mentioned, he is 80 years old. So, at that age, a fall is never a good

thing. He might be a bit sore but the Vatican assures us that he is doing fine.

We are here now, waiting for the pope to arrive shortly. You might be able to hear the music behind me and see the crowds coming. This is Buoni Park

(ph). This is one of the main parks here in Krakow. It can hold up to 600,000 people.

And we expect it to be full. There are 187 countries represented, kids from all over the world have come here. They do it every two or three

years in a different country around the world. And it is their opportunity to meet each other and to see the pope.

And the pope said yesterday, Lynda, on the plane coming over, that we're in this time of war, he said. And it is to the youth that we have to look,

this new generation. And this is the opportunity for the pope to speak to them, give them his message, which is, "Show your joy. Don't be afraid of

each other, learn from each other, talk to each other."

And I can tell you that it's happening all around us. This is an opportunity for kids who aren't wealthy, they come from church youth groups

from all over, how had to do fundraising to get here.

And you see them passing each other, high-fiving, sharing pictures, signing each other's flags. So in a way, it's their opportunity to sort of bridge

that divide, to sow those seeds for the future, for that peace that the pope talks so often about -- Lynda.

KINKADE: OK, well, we look forward to hearing the pope's message in a couple of hours when he speaks there, Delia Gallagher, great to have you

with us, thanks so much.

Still ahead, we ask, can a Clinton and a Trump be close friends?

Well, they can when they're the daughters of the candidates. We'll take a look at the friendship that has transcended politics so far.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Hillary Clinton will take to the stage tonight to accept her party's nomination for president. She'll be introduced by her daughter, Chelsea.

And it is an honor Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, also had the opportunity to do at last week's Republican convention.

But as Amara Walker explosions, that's not the only thing these two women have in common.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton, long-time friends, with seemingly parallel lives, both women are

in their 30s. And both are new moms.

Ivanka gave birth to her third child, Theodore, in March, Chelsea to her second child, Aiden, in June. Both women also lived through their fathers'

very public scandals.

Ivanka was 10 during Donald Trump's affair with Marla Maples and a bitter divorce that followed it. Chelsea was in her teens during Bill Clinton's

affair with Monica Lewinsky and his subsequent impeachment.

As adults, they each took roles in their family's businesses. Ivanka is an executive vice president of the Trump organization and Chelsea is vice

chair of the board of The Clinton Foundation. These roles have led them to the campaign trail in support of their parents, a campaign trail ripe with

insults and vitriol.

TRUMP: The other candidate in this race, you know her name, Crooked Hillary Clinton.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is temperature mentally unfit to be President of the United States.

WALKER (voice-over): But does friendship trump politics or does politics trump friendship?

That depends on who you ask.

CHELSEA CLINTON, VICE CHAIR, THE CLINTON FOUNDATION: I am very good friends with Ivanka and I love Ivanka and I think that friendship always

trumps politics and that's how it should be.

IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD'S DAUGHTER: Well, look, we're children and we love our parents. So that's the great equalizer and that's the great common

ground. So I'm incredibly proud of my father. So I think that she would probably say the same about her mother. So she is probably very proud of

her mother and we certainly would share that, I would think.

WALKER (voice-over): "Vanity Fair" reported in March that Ivanka and Chelsea have chosen not to be seen together in public during the election,

leaving many wondering if the rift between their parents will tear them apart, too -- Amara Walker, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: That does it for us here at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back in just over an hour with more news. But don't go

anywhere, "WORLD SPORT" is next.

END