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NEWS STREAM

Cricket Star Might Be Pakistan's New Prime Minister; Fiery Hearing Between The Senate And Mike Pompeo; U.S. And E.U. Trade Talks; White House Bans CNN Reporter; White House Bans CNN Reporter; Malaysia's Elder Statesman; Life On The Red Planet. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired July 26, 2018 - 08:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:00:00] KRISTIE LOU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream."

Encores for victory. Former cricket star Imran Khan appears close to clinching Pakistan's disputed election.

A paradise destroyed. People near a Greek beach resort dig through a sea of ash to find whatever was spared by those deadly wildfires.

And a lake on Mars? We'll speak with the lead researcher who has discovered evidence of liquid water on the red planet.

Now, we won't likely know the official outcome for perhaps a few more hours but early results show Pakistani cricket legend Imran Khan is on track to

become the next prime minister. The vote counting which is being done by hand because of technical problems has been extremely slow. And rival

parties, they are claiming the vote was rigged.

But the head of Pakistan's election commission rejects those accusations. Now, let's get the very latest on this election from in our Sophia Saifi in

Islamabad. She joins us now live, and Sophia, the early results show that Imran Khan is indeed leading the election. When is there going to be this

definitive announcement?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, this is a question that's been on everybody's lips. I mean, it's been almost 24 hours since polls closed

on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. and you know, like you said, the election commission of Pakistan is claiming that there were technical glitches. They

only made that announcement around 2:00 in the morning in the middle of the night after a lot of the major parties such as the PML-N, which just

finished its (inaudible).

It's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party, the PML-N. Former same (ph) prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party, the PPP. They are the three,

you know, they are the two other major parties in Pakistan and they came out and very outrightly said that there has been rigging in these elections

and it's only after that the ECP actually came out clean and they were just like, you know, sorry about that, but we've had a technical issue and now

all of those votes are going to be counted by hand.

And that is still ongoing. So, yes, at the moment the information that we have is Imran Khan's party is very much in the lead and it appears that

they might actually be comfortably enough in the lead to make a government without having to rely on any coalition partners, but again, we're still

waiting (inaudible) to actually get a proper official confirmation on a definitive result from the election commission of Pakistan.

LU STOUT: Sophia Saifi reporting live from Islamabad as we continue to wait for the definitive, the official result of this election. Thank you,

Sophia.

Now, let's bring Ayesha Siddiqa. She is a research associate at the SOAS South Asia Institute at the University of London. She joins us now live.

Thank you so much for joining us here on the program. As Imran Khan looks set to win this election, talk about, you know, what brought us to this

moment? What are the roots of his apparent national political success here?

AYESHA SIDDIQA, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, SOAS SOUH ASIA INSTITUTE: I think the thing is that we should -- it's very clear the results, whatever the

parties may say, but he has really won the elections. The question is -- the thing is that what he offers on the one hand is a new Pakistan. He

brings hope to people -- middle class Pakistan. Not the poor Pakistan but the middle class Pakistan, which felt was disenfranchised by the kind of

politics that Pakistan had.

And on the other hand, what he offers is a set of issues as well. I mean, he has an image problem. He is -- I mean, he has a reputation of being --

he had the name of a Taliban Khan. He's very conservative. So, he's really a mix bag that we see now.

And it's the different conditions, it's the kind of politics and is a result of patronage politics on one hand, and patronage politics, the same

patronage politics on the other hand supported by the military which brought him to where he is.

LU TOUT: Yeah, you talked about his image problem, the perception out there that he has, indeed, the backing of the military. Are those feelings

true that some people may have out there, that with Imran Kkhan, if he does become the next prime minister of Pakistan, that the military in Pakistan

would have undue influence?

SADDIQA: Well, you know, the military has had influence even before him so that's not going to change. And I think primarily one of the issues of that

for the military to support him, to support, you know, from one party -- to shift from one party, PML-N, to another, PTI is basically they didn't want

a party to establish itself long enough to become a counterweight to the military.

[08:05:15] So I think there is, you know, that in one hand. And Mr. Imran Khan, because he is kind of -- he's been held by them, I don't think he's

going to pose any threat to them and the situation will be the status quo will remain. Nothing will change.

LU STOUT: Yes. This has been an election marred by violence, by allegations, serious allegations of vote tampering, and high political

tension. What does Imran Khan need to do in the event that he is named the next prime minister? What does he need to do to cool the tension? Oh,

excuse me. I'm going to just -- let's pause for just a moment. Imran Khan is speaking now. Let's go to that feed. Let's take him live.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED)

IMRAN KHAN, PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF CANDIDATE (through translator): This election has been a historical election. The people have made sacrifices.

There had been terrorism. I want to congratulate Balochistan. The way they coped with everything and the way they managed. I would like to give all

the credit to the Pakistani people.

The scenes that I saw on the T.V., the elderly, the disabled, the people all coped, how they managed. I would like to give credit to all of these.

They have strengthened our democracy. We are seeing our democracy no matter how difficult it has been. The suicide bombers, incidents, (inaudible) was

martyred, many people have been killed.

Despite all that, this whole process of election has been completed. I would like -- there was a threat of suicide attack on 10 different places.

I would like to give credit to my party for managing and coping. Thank God that has all been fruitful and successful. I would like to just basically

mention I want to see a Pakistan -- the kind of Pakistan that I want to see -- our prophet, be peace upon him, who made a way of life in Madinah who

made law and order there.

The law and order there made sure to look after the widows, the children without parents. And our prophet said that if a dog dies within land, we

are responsible for that. I am responsible for that. And this system of the animals, this system of humans, many people are dying of starvation. Many

people here in a country, in a law where god-willing, I am going to prove to you our -- we are going to make all the policies.

No one's going to be hungry. We are going to make policies, how these laborers, how these people are going to make money, how they are going to

earn money. You look at the agricultural people, they work all year round.

[08:10:04] They don't earn enough money. Forty-five percent of our children -- 45 percent of our children have got a condition where they are not

growing up. Our 2.5 million children our not in schools and our women, they have the highest rate of pregnancies, and in our country it is the highest

rate where our children die of drinking water, infested water.

Our whole policies should be on human development. How to develop the humans? I want the whole country to think about that. Our country's

recognition is not how the rich live in it. Our country's recognition is how the poor people are living, how the weaker people are living. No

country can benefit where there is a handful of the rich and the so many of the poor.

China in 70 years, they have taken the poor people out of poverty. You look at our prophet, be peace on him. That was the first law of the land. They

set the principles. There is law and order. There was humanity. There was merit. There was fairness and justice. They used to take the money and then

spend the money on the people. And the laws were made then in a similar way and I'm going to have -- I'm going to make laws on the same, similar

principles.

I would like to take this opportunity for the whole Pakistan to unite. I want everybody, whoever, my opponents, my friends. And in the politics, I

don't think there had been any personal attacks as much as I have had with the personal attacks. It's not about me. It's about our country. Our cause

is so big and god-willing, I will prove to you it will be the first government which will not do any kind of political victimization.

We will place law and order -- whoever, whether it is rich or poor, weaker or stronger, will have the same law. We will make the institutions so

strong that they will stop the corruption. They will keep a check. They will keep a check on the people sitting in the government on Imran Khan, on

the other ministers, and then it's going to go down.

The corruption, like it is eating away this country like cancer. There is one law here and there is one law out there. We will set an example that

law is equal to everybody. The reason west is so far ahead is because there is law and order in place there. Their institutions are strong. Their

justice system is strong. This will be our biggest guiding principle that we will make sure that the institution will make the governance system

right.

[08:20:07] Pakistan today face such a big challenge on economy. We have never had such a fiscal test in our history. Never had so much debt. Never

had the rupee to such a low value. The institutions, organizations, which are not functioning, it's all because of that. We have to put the

governance system right. Cost of business and ease of business, we have to put that right.

I think our biggest support is the overseas Pakistanis. We will invite them. The overseas Pakistanis haven't really invested in Pakistan. The

reason being is that corruption has destroyed the institutions in Pakistan. People invest in the way (ph) -- they'll invest in Malaysia, but nobody

invests in Pakistan.

The other problem is the unemployment. The youngest need employment. Until we don't get any investment here, how are we going to give them employment?

I would like to talk in front of the people --

(END LIVE FEED)

LU STOUT: Quote, it's not about me. It is about our country. You've been listening to Imran Khan, the former cricket star, who may very well -- it

hasn't happened yet -- he could be declared Pakistan's new prime minister. He's been speaking live from Islamabad as his party, the PTI is leading the

election. He said, quote, that this has been a historic election that he would like to give credit to the Pakistani people. And he also highlighted

challenges of the deep social problems facing Pakistan.

Imran Khan added, quote, god-willing, I will prove to you we will change the policy. Now, let's bring in once again, Ayesha Saddiqa. She is a

research associate of SOAS. She joins us as she's been standing by listening in to that statement being made there as well.

And Siddiqas, what did you make of what Khan has been saying? Again, he promised a new Pakistan. He says he wants to deliver that. Can he or is it

going to be more of the same?

SIDDIQA: I think the biggest challenge for him would be controlling his own party. I mean, his followers are known for their intolerance. They

swear at people. They're abusive. I mean, they are very undisciplined lot and his major, one of his Imran's major contributions to Pakistani politics

is this intolerance.

So, one, it will be a challenge to control his followers. The other is, where is the money? From where is he going to raise the money? Is he going

to go to the IMF? Is he going to go to China or is he going to go around the world with a begging bowl in his hand to expat Pakistanis? And would he

be able to raise the kind of money to start putting things together?

I mean, his wish list is very long and very challenging. I mean, its education, its human resource development. But all of these things need

money. It needs time. Four years? He will be heading a hung parliament. That means that there will be constant bickering. I perhaps see a bit more

instability and more of the same because PML-N, Pakistan Muslim League, which is, you know, the prime minister -- the former prime minister, the

head of PML -- Muslim League, who is now in jail.

His party is trailing behind at, I think around 65 and Mr. Imran Khan has got about 118 so far according to the latest tally. Now, with that kind of

comparison, they will be constantly nagging him. I don't see that the environment has changed. How is he going to contribute to it? The other

thing is that, and you know, perhaps that's the promise, that's something to look forward to.

In the previous four years, I think it was just a couple of times or maybe three, that Mr. Khan actually went to the parliament, of which he was a

member. So now, I hope that he goes to the parliament and they make some policy. The other is -- a third challenge is the military. The defense

military balance that he needs to keep, the defense versus development balance.

[08:20:07] Nawaz Sharif put 20 percent of funds in development. Now, the military wants money and they will be asking for money in a situation where

the country doesn't have resources. So, how is he going to do it? I mean, is he going to put money in education? Would it be guns or butter? I mean,

this are the choices that he still has to make.

LU STOUT: Right. As you point out, he may be promising a new Pakistan but a lot is standing in the way for him to be able to deliver that. We should

also add the audience. Imran Khan is speaking as if he has won this election. No. There has been no official announcement just yet. His party

is leading in the polls but the official result not out just yet.

Ayesha Siddiqa, thank you so much for joining us here on the program and we'll talk again later. You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back after

this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back and let's go straight to Washington where America's top diplomat clash with Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. The U.S.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refuse to provide details in the Senate hearing on Wednesday about the one-on-one meeting between U.S. President

Trump and Vladimir Putin. It comes as the White House announced a second summit between Mr. Trump and the Russian president won't take place until

next year.

Joe Johns joins us at the White House. Joe, good to see you. So why? Why did the White House decide to postpone that second meeting between Trump

and Putin?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, the national security adviser John Bolton essentially blamed the, "witch-hunt," which

the president's way of deriding, if you will, undermining the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Bolton said that the summit would occur some time next year after this thing was concluded, after this investigation was concluded. But the truth

of it is, it is our understanding and basically everybody's understanding in Washington, D.C. that this administration has no control over the timing

of the special counsel investigation, when it would wrap up and certainly any conclusions of that might be drawn in that investigation.

So, it appears that the administration is blaming it on the Russia investigation. However, it[`s important to say it was not clear at all,

though Russia had shown some willingness on the part of President Putin to come here. They hadn't formally accepted the invitation. Kristie, back to

you.

LU STOUT: Got it. Now, there's been controversy over that summit with the Russians and also with that trade feud with the European Union, but has

that been put to rest with the agreement that was reached between President Trump and the E.C. President Jean-Claude Juncker?

[08:25:06] JOHNS: I think the word we would use and the word we have been using is a truce. A truce has been declared over the issues related to

trade and the European Union after the meeting between the president and Juncker, it became quite clear that number one, there would be no new

tariffs, which certainly is important and that there was at least an agreement to negotiate in the future.

So, a couple of things came out of that meeting. Nothing absolutely conclusive other than they're going to talk some more and that there won't

be any new tariffs. The president needed something because many people here in Washington and in other parts of the globe saw this as a problem of the

president's own creation, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Got it. So, hold your fire, everybody. It is a truce for now. Joe Johns, live from the White House. Thank you.

You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines.

A Pakistan cricket legend, Imran Khan, is on track to become the country's next prime minister. Khan has been speaking to the nation about a range of

social and economic issues facing the country including widespread corruption.

He also thanked the people of Balochistan for coming out in large numbers despite a suicide attack at a polling place. Other parties claim that the

vote was rigged. But the head of Pakistan's election commission rejects the accusations.

Emergency workers in Greece are looking for those missing in this week's wildfires, among them, 9-year-old twin girls. The death toll continues to

climb with at least 81 people killed.

In the U.S., a court order deadline to reunite migrant children separated from their parents at the border has arrived, but more than 900 parents

will not be reunited with their children by then, either the parents cannot be found, they have criminal records or in some cases, they were already

deported without their children.

The White House is escalating its war with the media after one of our own reporters was banned from an open event after she tried to ask the

questions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Did Michael Cohen betray you, Mr. President?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, everybody.

COLLINS: Mr. President?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep moving, guys.

COLLINS: Did Michael Cohen betray you?

TRUMP: Thank you, everybody. Thank you, everybody.

COLLINS: Mr. President, are you worried about what Michael Cohen is going to say to prosecutors?

TRUMP: Let's keep going.

COLLINS: Are you worried about what is on the other tapes, Mr. President?

TRUMP: Thank you all. Keep going. Thank you, everybody. Thank you very much.

COLLINS (voice over): Why is Vladimir Putin not accepting your invitation?

TRUMP: Thank you, everybody. Let's keep going. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, everybody.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: Those questions were from CNN's Kaitlan Collins. And she explained her role as a poll reporter on

Wednesday, meaning that she was representing not just CNN but all TV networks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Later, I was called in to the office of Bill Shine, the president's latest latest hire, who is his right-hand man for

communications. It was him and the press secretary, Sarah Sanders, who told me that I would not invited to an open press event here in the Rose Garden

moments later at the White House because they felt the questions that I posed to President Trump were inappropriate and inappropriate for that

venue.

I told them that is often our only chance to ask the president questions. Those questions were questions any reporter would have asked, and I was

there to represent all the networks and therefore asked about the questions of the day along with the other reporters and my colleagues in that room.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Well said. The White House Correspondents' Association put out a strong statement saying this, "we strongly condemned the White House's

misguided and inappropriate decision today to bar one of our members from an open press event after she asked questions they did not like. This type

of retaliation is wholly inappropriate, wrong-headed and weak. It cannot stand"

Now, Fox, the president's preferred TV network, also backed its rival saying this, "we stand in strong solidarity with CNN for the right to full

access for a journalist as part a free and unfettered press."

Now, as this sent echoes around the world, let's bring in our international correspondent Sam Kiley from Moscow with more. Sam, you have reported in a

number of regimes that are very hostile to the press, but with the U.S. president going after the media in this way, has a serious line been

crossed here?

SAM KILEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Kristie, one of the interesting things about the relationship between the rulers and the

rule (ph) across the world is that things are getting backwards for the free press.

We have seen the free press here in Russia effectively snuffed out. We have seen it being snuffed out in Turkey. In both countries, journalists have

been arrested, some have died in mysterious circumstances particularly in Russia.

We have seen steady marks towards authoritarianism in places that were in the early adoption, if you like, of modern western democracy. What we are

not used to seeing is this populist angle taken by somebody considered the leader of the free world, frankly.

But if you look at Donald Trump's attitude towards the media, calling the media right from the beginning the so-called mainstream media, talking

about them being the opposition, suggesting that they're enemies, joking in the presence of more authoritarian leaders about how he like to stifle the

sorts of questions that were asked legitimately during that event, you will see a very --

LU STOUT: OK, unfortunately we lost that connection with Sam Kiley. We will try to reestablish that connection when we can. Our apologies for that

technical disruption. Again, he was just underscoring the point about the importance of press freedom despite threats against the press.

Now, to our next story, he is 21 years older than Donald Trump, twice the age of Canada's Justin Trudeau, and at 93, Malaysia's prime minister has a

lot to say about China, about Donald Trump, and about trade wars. Anna Coren has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, at the age of 93, Mahathir Bin Mohamad has made the ultimate political comeback, becoming

Malaysia's prime minister for a second time, but this time, as the world's oldest leader.

He came out of retirement after 22 years in office, overthrow his protege, Najib Razak, and the ruling coalition back in May. He had been in power for

the past 60 years, ever since Malaysia's independence from the British.

He has inherited a government riddled with corruption, with billions of dollars siphoned out of the country. But the father of modern Malaysia

believes it is his duty to right the wrongs and restore Malaysia's credibility.

The prime minister, who plans to head to Beijing next month to meet with Xi Jinping, says the world must accept the powerful China and its claim of

the South China Sea, but be wary of the U.S. President Donald Trump and his damaging policies. Take a listen.

MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA: There is a saying that the powerful will take what they will and the weak will yield what they

must.

[08:35:00] And that this decision that we face now, we cannot fight them. It declared that the South China Sea belongs to them. We're not going to go

to war with them. How do we use of the situation? How do we benefit from this situation? I think despite their war-like attitude, they have no plans

to conquer us militarily.

COREN: So accept the status quo?

BIN MOHAMAD: We have to accept. We have to accept the reality of the situation. Poor China was a problem. People feared communist China before.

Now, rich China also is to be feared because they may have ideas about expanding their influence.

COREN: But not territory?

BIN MOHAMAD: Well -- well, when you have influence, there are other ways of colonizing than just occupying a country.

COREN: Do you think that's what China is doing?

BIN MOHAMAD: Well, I think China wants to spread its influence using the money that it has.

COREN: You described the U.S. president as an international bully. Do you still feel that way?

BIN MOHAMAD: More interesting is that he is not consistent. He can change his mind in 24 hours three times. He wanted to see the president of Korea,

then he didn't want to see, and then he wanted to see again. I mean, how do you deal with a person whose mind changes so rapidly?

Well, America is a powerful nation. We know that. But if it chooses to fight China in our area, then we are going to be (INAUDIBLE). We hope that

the American president will not (INAUDIBLE) in terms of war in order to solve problems.

COREN: Do you believe that he is a threat to the current world order?

BIN MOHAMAD: Well, I think he has initiated this trade war. And trade war does not do anything good for the world. So in that sense, he is a threat.

He asked for things which are quite unacceptable. For example, he wants to build a wall to separate Mexico from the U.S, and he is asking the Mexicans

to pay. I mean, it is your project, you pay! But is it because he thinks he is powerful that he can ask people to pay for what he wants to do?

COREN: Who will be the winners and the losers of his trade wars, his multiple trade wars?

BIN MOHAMAD: Everybody will lose. The U.S. will lose, China will lose, the whole world will lose. War and trade wars even doesn't solve any problem.

COREN: Dr. Mahathir who is acting as a placeholder for Anwar Ibrahim, a man once his deputy who he then sacked and jailed for sodomy, says while he

has agreed to hand over power in the next two years, he is prepared to stay longer if the people want him. Kristie?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Anna Coren there, thank you. Now, it is an incredible discovery. Scientists, they have discovered something else that Mars has in common

with our own planet. They've discovered the existence of a body of water. Got the details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: All right, scientists have evidence of a huge reservoir of water beneath the surface of Mars. Planetary scientists, they said they have data

from the European Space Agency, they found a subsurface stretch of liquid water near the south pole of the red planet.

[08:40:01] So, does this mean that there's life on Mars? Let's speak to planetary scientist Roberto Orosei, who is the principal investigator

behind this finding. Roberto, an incredible discovery. Wow! How did you find this evidence of a liquid lake beneath the surface of Mars?

ROBERTO OROSEI, PLANETARY SCIENTIST: The radar could detect very strong echoes from the bottom of the ice sheath, and this on earth is almost

invariably associated with the presence of liquid water. By working, by analogy, we could try to draw this conclusion, but because the conditions

on Mars are so exotic, it was complex to prove it through.

We had to undergo through two years of gruesome analysis and reanalysis to convince ourselves and eventually the reviewers of the paper that that was

the only possible explanation or at least the very -- the most likely by far.

LU STOUT: This again is an incredible finding. You know, we know that it's very cold on Mars, yet this was a liquid lake that was discovered because

of the salts, the chemical components that are inside this body of water. Does this mean that this lake can support life on Mars?

OROSEI: On earth, we have bacteria, microorganisms that are capable of surviving in very cold waters. And also, that can use even salts for their

own metabolism. So, even if we do not really know enough about the (INAUDIBLE) water to draw a firm conclusion, it is possible that existing

life on earth could survive in such an environment. So, it's habitable. Potentially habitable.

LU STOUT: That's interesting. You are saying that this subsurface lake could help eventually support human settlements on Mars. But then again,

this is under the surface of Mars. What would it take to actually drill through and to access this body of water?

OROSEI: Well, it would certainly take a lot of energy, new technology, determination, and international consensus that this is worth doing it. And

I think this would come over the next year, years, actually, if we continue exploring Mars and we find other evidence of liquid water there or

elsewhere.

If we were to find that liquid water is common on Mars, that would certainly raise the stakes for going there and look for the content of this

water, the composition of this water, let's say. Hoping to find some trace of martian life.

LU STOUT: Wow! And there could be other liquid lakes yet to be discovered, located underneath the martian surface. Roberto, we are going to have to

leave it there. But many congratulations to you and your team for this incredible discovery. Take care.

And that is it for "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Christina Macfarlane is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

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