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Erdogan Adviser :Strong Possibility That Khashoggi Was Killed Inside Saudi Consulate; Interpol Missing President Meng Hongwei Resigns; Far Right Presidential Candidate Wins Broad Lead In First Round; Fraud Trial Begins For Wife Of Israeli Prime Minister; President Trump takes A Victory Lap; Conway Slams Democrats For Kavanaugh Portrayal; U.S. Secretary of State Arrives in Beijing; U.N. Climate Change Report; Twenty Killed in New York State Limousine Crash; Tokyo's Iconic Fish Market Closes. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired October 8, 2018 - 01:00   ET

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


[01:00:00] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's a mystery and Turkish officials believe it was likely a murder. Questions about this missing Saudi journalist lasting entering but not seen leaving the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. America's top diplomat has wrapped a trip to the Korean Peninsula with a likelihood of a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un of North Korea. And in a newly released climate change report, the U.N. panel says urgent action is needed before nature creates new coastlines with rising sea levels and there are more implications as well to that and we'll dig deep into it with a climate expert this hour. Thank you for joining us, I'm Natalie Allen in Atlanta. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

Our top story, a prominent critic of Saudi Arabia was planning to get married this week. Instead, his friends are now preparing to hold a funeral in his absence. Journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been -- has been missing since Tuesday when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents he needed to get married. What happened inside the consulate it's a mystery but senior Turkish officials are doubling down on their claim that Khashoggi may have been killed inside. Saudi Arabia strongly denies any involvement in his -- in his disappearance.

Meantime, U.S. officials say they cannot confirm what happened to him but CNN learned from two senior administration officials the U.S. is quietly investigating the case and seeking answers from senior levels of the Saudi government. The incident could have significant geopolitical consequences. For more about the journalists here is International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Last Tuesday Jamal Khashoggi walked through these doors into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a simple visit to collect marriage papers for his wedding in a few days. It was the last time he was seen. According to Turkish officials, Khashoggi's fiance waiting for him outside raised the alarm nearly four hours later. The Saudis insist he left the building. "My understanding is he entered and got out after a few minutes or one hour. I'm not sure." That despite all the cameras around the consulate there is no video footage of him.

On Saturday Saudi diplomats allowed journalists into the consulate to show he wasn't there but at the same time, unnamed Turkish officials were claiming Khashoggi had been killed at the consulate and his body removed. Official Turkish media also report at the very same day that Khashoggi vanished. Some 15 Saudis arrived in Turkey and had gone to the consulate. Turkish prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Everything including entries and exits to the consulate are being investigated and departures and arrivals to airports are also under investigation. The Turkish president who knows Khashoggi well says he hopes Khashoggi will resurface. But friends of the Saudi journalists in Istanbul say they are making funeral preparations.

TURAN KISLAKCI, HEAD, TURKISH-ARAB MEDIA ASSOCIATION (through translator): Today we were meant to meet. It should have been today that he had his papers this week either today or next Sunday he was planning to get married but this never happened.

ROBERTSON: Jamal Khashoggi was not a Saudi dissident but a powerful critic, an insider who fallen out with the all-powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Over the war in Yemen, the crisis in Qatar, and the way he thought debate at home was being suffocated. It always pushed the envelope. Religious conservatives loathed him. Last year he moved to Washington, a self-imposed exile telling CNN that reformers in the kingdom were being stifled. He said he too was under pressure. Khashoggi's colleagues at the Washington Post say they won't let this drop raising the specter of increased scrutiny of Saudis already closely watched leader in waiting.

KAREN ATTIAH, GLOBAL OPINIONS EDITOR, THE WASHINGTON POST: We're not going to shut up. We're going to keep his name out there and we're going to again if anything anybody who would want to silence him they've only made us want to present who he is, who was to the world even more strongly.

[01:05:01] ROBERTSON: As the mystery deepens and Saudi Arabia violently denies knowing anything about Khashoggi's disappearance, some in Saudi even suggest that Turkey which cited with Qatar and is to speak with the kingdom is exploiting the situation. But if as some Turkish officials insist evidence emerges that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, the repercussions will be profound and the vision that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants the project for Saudi Arabia will be severely tarnished. Nic Robertson, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: It is bizarre that our two top stories revolve around two missing men in different countries, different situations. Here's our second story. There's a new twist in the mysterious disappearance of the President of Interpol. Interpol, the International Police Agency and it says that Meng Hongwei, this man has resigned now just days after he was reported missing during a trip to China. Authorities there saying, Meng, a Chinese government official is under investigation for alleged violations of laws.

Meng's wife says she received two text messages from her husband shortly after he arrived in China, one with the words wait for my call and then look at that, a few minutes later an emoji of a knife. That's the last contact she has had with her husband. It is a bizarre case and our producer Steven Jiang is looking into it for us from Beijing. Interesting, after he disappears and no one hears anything except for those texts, he resigns from his position, Stephen.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU SENIOR PRODUCER: That's right, Natalie. The plot has really thickened. Now you mentioned some of the more recent developments. They really raise more questions than answering them. The resignation wasn't made under duress. That's very much an open question. Now, also why he is being detained and investigated here in China, in that very brief one-line statement from the government they did not say. Now usually when put out statements like this, it's because of corruption. But in most cases, people have said it could be linked to a political infighting here but also may be connected to what he did or did not do while serving as the president of Interpol.

Remember, Natalie, when he was elected to that position in 2016 there were a lot of concerns about him doing the Beijing authorities bidding in terms of issuing politically driven wanted alerts to help the government here catch fugitives overseas. Then there is the question of the wife. Now, she, of course, told reporters about this disappearance and also showing that the image of the knife as well as that chilling message. What does the knife mean? It obviously implies the husband was in danger but it could also be some sort of signal he was sending her to ask her to report him missing to French authorities and that's exactly what she did which of course then triggered this ever-growing international saga, Natalie.

Now, she is under French protection because of the threat she says she's been receiving both online and via telephone but he is on his own here. If we know anything about this secretive process here, it's things are not looking good for him because the investigators here, Natalie, are known to sometimes even used torture to extract confessions. Natalie?

ALLEN: And this, of course, follows the disappearance of a famous actress there in China under unusual circumstances. Steven Jiang following it for us, thanks, Steven. A far-right candidate some call the Trump of the tropics is now closer to becoming the next president of Brazil. Jair Bolsonaro tapped into widespread public anger over Brazil's economic crisis, corruption scandals, and soaring violence. On Sunday the anti-establishment candidate, very controversial, secured a stunning lead in the first round of the country's presidential election. For more here's Shasta Darlington from Sao Paolo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The message from Brazilian voters was loud and clear, they're fed up with the endemic political corruption and the rising crime and violence. Jair Bolsonaro a former Army captain far-right candidate may not have won in absolute majority in Sunday's elections but he's riding a wave of conservatism as he heads towards a runoff later this month. He beat pollsters projections, he had supporters celebrating in front of his house, but the candidate himself gave a fairly sobering speech on social media saying the next three weeks are not going to be easy.

JAIR BOLSONARO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, BRAZIL (through translator): We indeed are able to change the destiny of Brazil. We cannot continue flirting with socialism or communism.

DARLINGTON: Bolsonaro standing just went up in the polls when he was stabbed during a campaign rally and forced to recover first in the hospital and then at home. In the end he's going to face off against Fernando Haddad. He's the candidate for the left-wing Workers Party who really only joined the race a month ago when former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was jailed on corruption charges and forced to pull out of the race. After voting himself, Haddad told his supporters that he's trying -- going to try and unite other parties behind his candidacy.

[01:10:24] Now, what's interesting here is that these are the two most popular candidates but also the two most unpopular candidates with very high rejection rates. In fact, just a week before Sunday's election, tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets in marches organized by women encouraging Brazilians to vote for anybody but Bolsonaro using the slogan "ele nao" or not him.

Now, of course, they have three weeks to try and unite Brazilians around them. I'm Shasta Darlington for CNN and Sao Paulo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Three people are gunned down by a co-worker at a factory in the West Bank but Israeli leaders say this may be more than just a workplace shooting. We'll have that story for you, CNN NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi there, I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN World Sports headlines. It felt as the match of the season so in the Premier League title contenders Liverpool and Man City playing out to a scoreless draw down field. But maybe it shouldn't have been in the 86th minute of play finish. We had Mahrez wasting a great chance to win it for his team but he missed the penalty well over the crossbar. Now city Chelsea and Liverpool are all on 20 points atop the premier league.

In F1 news, Britain's Lewis Hamilton closing in on a 5th world title with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday. His closest contender for the drivers title Sebastian Vettel could only manage his sixth place finish at Suzuka allowing the Mercedes driver a sixth win in the last seven events. Now, if Hamilton and teammate (INAUDIBLE) again finished 1-2 at the U.S. Grand Prix in two weeks' time the title will be Hamilton.

And in the anticipated mixed martial arts fight for years, the most eagerly anticipated Conor McGregor forced to tap out in defeat to Russia's Khabib Nurmagomedov Saturday night in Las Vegas but it was what happened after the UFC 229 bout that everyone is talking about, the Russian leaving the ring to attack the trainer of McGregor's in an event that's being investigated and will likely lead to a suspension. Khabib's one winning purse has been withheld but McGregor's is not, as a (INAUDIBLE) he's ready for a rematch. That's your World Sports headlines, I'm Patrick Snell.

[01:15:02] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. Israeli security forces are looking for a man they say killed two Israelis at a factory in the West Bank, Sunday.

Soldiers searched the village where the suspect, a 23-year-old Palestinian lives. Officials say, he used a homemade automatic weapon. A man and a woman were killed, another person seriously wounded.

An Israeli military spokesman, as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are calling it a terror attack. But authorities are also investigating whether the suspect was seeking revenge against his employer.

Well, Israel's prime minister is no stranger to scandal. But on Sunday, it was his wife who went on trial. Sara Netanyahu is accused of misusing state funds. She did not in her plea, and her lawyer say she's innocent. For more now, CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sara Netanyahu is the constant companion to her Prime Minister husband. Always by his side, whether it's a first visit to India or welcoming close friends to Israel.

"The people of Israel love us unlike the media," she told the trustees. One half of the power couple in Israeli politics, Netanyahu's third wife regularly hosts world leaders at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, always in the picture. This time, she has the headlines all to herself. Her trial on charges of fraud and breach of trust now underway.

The trial focusing on the alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars at the couple's official residence. The case is all about catered meals. Prosecutors say Sara Netanyahu ordered approximately $100,000 in meals and spent thousands of dollars more on high-end chefs, illegal under Israeli law when there's already a chef in the residence.

She's maintained her innocence. Her lawyer called the indictment false and hallucinatory. "It's the first time in Israel and in the world that the wife of a leader is put on trial for food entrees." Her legal team said in a statement, "There was no fraud, no breach of trust, or any other felony. We're certain in the end that justice will speak. Truth and logic will prevail." This case comes as her husband also faces serious allegations. Benjamin Netanyahu is a suspect in three separate criminal investigations. Police said they have enough evidence to charge him with fraud, bribery, and breach of trust. He too has repeatedly insisted he's innocent. Often saying there will be nothing because there is nothing.

In one of those cases, investigators have said, Sara Netanyahu is also suspected of bribery. Her lawyers firing back, calling it an absurd suspicion and saying, "These things never happened." Formal charges in all of these cases remain in the hands of Israel's Attorney General. For now, it is Sara Netanyahu alone who is on trial. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: We are just hours into Brett Kavanaugh's new job and tensions are still running high over the controversial Supreme Court justice. Both Republicans and Democrats are using the contentious confirmation process as a rallying cry for the key November midterms. That is because of what's at stake, control of Congress.

Earlier on CNN, two Senators traded shots over Kavanaugh's final confirmation vote a likely sign of things to come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: I found Dr. Ford's testimony to be heart wrenching, painful, compelling, and I believe that she believes what she testified too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you lose the seat over your vote?

COLLINS: You know, I have to do what I think is right. And over the years, the people of Maine have trusted me to exercise my best judgment. That's what I did in this case.

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI), SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: She says that she thinks that -- she said that Dr. Ford thinks that she was assaulted which is even more insulting than saying that she gave a very credible account.

I certainly believe Dr. Ford. The Senators who are making these confirmation decisions are the people who are elected by their voters. And so as voters, they have a role to play.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Meantime, President Trump taking a victory lap back to Washington after what he sees as one of the best weeks of his presidency. CNN White House reporter Sarah Westwood on that.

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump spent the weekend basking in the success of the narrow confirmation of now- Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and he's showing no signs of letting up on that victory lap as he heads into a week that will have him crisscrossing the country on the campaign trail at a rally in Kansas on Saturday night.

Trump previewed what could become a central theme to his political messaging heading into November. And that's using Kavanaugh's bitter confirmation battle as a warning to Republican voters about what might happen if Democrats retake Congress.

Trump used that Supreme Court fight to paint Democrats as extremists, as partisan obstructionists. And that's all part of the GOP's effort to try to match the Democrats advantage among voters.

It's one Democrats have enjoyed for months now, and it's the reason why experts have predicted of potential blue wave in the midterm elections.

Now, echoing the president's attacks on Democrats, top Trump aide, Kellyanne Conway went after Senate Democrats on Sunday for the way they handled sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[01:20:30] KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: They wanted America to look up and see Brett Kavanaugh as a gang rapist. And a lot of women including me in America looked up and saw a man who was is the political character assassination. And also, we looked up and saw in him possibly our husbands, our sons, our cousins, our co- workers, our brothers.

And this was -- this was unfair. Had they shown Brett Kavanaugh the grace and dignity that his 10-year-old daughter showed Dr. Ford, that we all showed her in her testimony in the FBI supplemental investigation?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: The Trump will have several chances this week to try to keep up the excitement level of his base, some GOP strategists have questioned whether that energy will last the several weeks remaining before voters cast their ballots.

This Monday, Trump will head to Orlando for an official event before jetting off to campaign rallies throughout the week in Iowa. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and finally Kentucky on Saturday. Trump will likely continue to celebrate those wins and try to stretch those results into electoral gains next month. Sarah Westwood, CNN, the White House.

ALLEN: Let's talk about this with Democratic strategist Caroline Heldman. And staff writer at the National Review, a conservative magazine, Alexandra DeSanctis. Thank you both for joining us.

Well, despite the sexual allegations about Brett Kavanaugh, he is now on the Supreme Court. Many women in the United States might be thinking, wait a minute, what happened to the MeToo movement? Alexandra, can you address that? ALEXANDRA DESANCTIS, STAFF WRITER, NATIONAL REVIEW: You know, I think what we've seen over the last couple of weeks is the fact the MeToo movement is a very powerful thing. Still, that women's voices and stories are heard, and I think in the case of Brett Kavanaugh, the MeToo movement justice was done because evidence we didn't never got enough corroborating evidence to show that Brett Kavanaugh was, in fact, guilty of the things that he had been charged with.

And I think, to me, The MeToo movement was powerful because women who spoke the truth then brought men to justice. And in this case, I think justice was Brett Kavanaugh being cleared of the things he'd been accused of.

ALLEN: But, most agreed that the investigation into the allegations wasn't credible, and didn't go far enough for. What do you say to that?

DESANCTIS: I don't agree to that. You know, I think this obviously wasn't a criminal trial and I think there are certain standards that we had to use and the preponderance of evidence, it was not more likely than not that Brett Kavanaugh committed these offenses. And I think the FBI interviewed as many people as they could in the time they were given.

ALLEN: Caroline, let's have you weigh in on that.

CAROLINE HELDMAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think it's pretty clear that given that he had three women who came forward with allegations, and none of them were consulted during the investigation process.

And the fact that it was crammed in such a short period of time, nobody thinks this was a legitimate process. Whether your guy got on the court or not. I mean, let's be serious, right?

If you don't actually interview witnesses, how is this supposed to be a legitimate process? And as a data scientist, I know that when one woman comes forward there's a 90 percent chance she's telling the truth. When two come forward, be adds to up to 98 percent. So, with three accusers, you know, I think that it's not surprising that about half of Americans believe Dr. Blasey Ford, and only about a third believe Kavanaugh, and the Senate is gone against public opinion on this.

ALLEN: And let's talk about the fact that this is politics. Alexandra, if politics weren't an issue, would this be the same? Would this have the same outcome?

I mean, clearly, Republicans wanted the man. Democrats wanted him out. And Mitch McConnell and President Trump were very determined to get him on the court, and they won. Was this basically politics?

DESANCTIS: You know, I think if we're going to talk about politics, we need to look at the way that these allegations were handled by Democrats. You talk about three allegations.

The third allegation by Julie Swetnick is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. It was completely uncorroborated. And when she went on T.V. to talk about it herself, the story changed multiple times, most of all the facts changed. And yet, these allegations were brought up during the hearing to Brett Kavanaugh by Senate Democrats.

So, the idea that politics is only on one side here, Republicans are using this -- you know, political excuse to try and cram a guy on the court. That's not at all what happened. In fact, many who came forward with shaky stories were used by the Democrats to try and take down a man they didn't like. So, there's plenty of -- you know, political games to go around here, I think.

ALLEN: So, as a young woman, you weren't offended by this investigation?

DESANCTIS: I was not offended at all. In fact, I think -- you know, what's most important to me is that we get to the truth of what did or did not happen. And you say witnesses were not interviewed, all the people named by Dr. Ford were in fact interviewed and all of them gave sworn testimony saying they had no idea that any party like this ever occurred. They had no recollection of it.

And her former best friend, Leland Keyser, in fact, said she'd never met Brett Kavanaugh. So, the idea that there's all this evidence out there of Brett Kavanaugh being a sexual abuser that was just ignored is ludicrous.

[01:25:23] ALLEN: Caroline?

HELDMAN: Well, I would say that what we're hearing now are Republican talking points. They're not accurate. The fact of the matter is the FBI investigation was complicated, it was limited, it didn't get to the bottom of it.

Data science tells us that having three women come forward and make allegations leaves almost no chance that these allegations aren't true. And we have gone against public opinion putting them on the court. It's all about politics and at the end of the day, Gorsuch went right through.

So, it's not about Democrats trying to stall a conservative candidate from getting on the court. I think what the Republicans, including the person that I am debating right now, don't quite understand this is much, much bigger than the party. This is about not believing sexual violence survivors.

The Republicans should have put up another candidate, that candidate would have been conservative, they would have been confirmed. It wouldn't have been somebody who tells lies big and small, and they wouldn't have threatened the long-term legitimacy of the court in order to score some short-term political game.

ALLEN: Caroline Heldman, Alexandra DeSanctis, thank you both.

DESANCTIS: Thank you.

ALLEN: A new United Nations climate change report paints a grim picture. Unless drastic measures were taken, the earth could be on the brink of catastrophe sooner than many would like to think. We'll talk about it coming up here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:30:08] ALLEN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen

Here are our top stories.

Turkish officials are doubling down on their claim this journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia may have been killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where was last seen Tuesday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is personally chasing the investigation. Saudi Arabia denies any involvement.

In yet another case of a man who went missing. Interpol says now its president has resigned. Meng Hongwei was reported missing days ago by his wife, now he's resigned.

She says he traveled to China then sent her strange text messages suggesting he might be in danger. Chinese authorities say Meng is under investigation for alleged violations of laws.

The parents of kidnapped Nigerian school girl Leah Sharibu say the terror group Boko Haram has threatened to kill her this month if their demands are not met. The 15-year-old was abducted in February and his being held after reportedly refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

The populist surge has reached Brazil where this far right presidential candidate almost secured an outright win with 47 percent of the vote. Jair Bolsonaro campaigned as an anti-establishment candidate. He's called the Trump of Brazil. A runoff with second place leftist candidate Fernando Haddad is set for October 28th.

America's top diplomat has touched down in Beijing now after wrapping up his trip to the Korean Peninsula. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in but much of the focus has been on his earlier talks with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.

He told reporters an announcement about a new summit between Mr. Kim and U.S. President Trump is quote, "pretty close".

So now he's on to China. What can we expect there?

CNN's Sam Kiley is tracking the Secretary of State's trip live from Hong Kong for us. Any reaction yet from Beijing on the meeting with Kim Jong-un -- Sam?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's been now reaction yet -- Natalie. Mr. Pompeo has just arrived and he would be expected to brief the Chinese foreign minister and others before any kind of Chinese official reaction. That would be the normal diplomatic process.

But of course he's stepping into a very tense diplomatic moment. Just last week Vice President of the United States Pence hit out at China across a wide range of subjects. At the same time, of course as the United States is imposing the tariff barriers that are costing or likely cost China some $200 billion dollars a year.

So in that context, Natalie -- Mr. Pompeo has said to reporters on the plane he'll be talking about North Korea, talking about areas where they are -- have shared interests. And that would be, among other things North Korea but also admitting that there will be some tricky issues to be discussed, not least this whole reset really, at least verbal from the United States, that sees China as an almost mortal threat -- a threat both militarily as well as economically -- Natalie.

ALLEN: Yes. And we're going to just the turn the corner here just a bit -- Sam. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has criticized China in recent days. Any idea how that could affect perhaps Pompeo's reception he gets?

KILEY: I think he'll get frosty reception in private and a warm reception in public -- Natalie. And the reason for that is that the Chinese are trying to play the good guy in this argument often reacting with -- rather school-teacherly dismay to the sorts of statements made originally by President Trump at the U.N. General Assembly when he launched this idea of China being almost an enemy, certainly a bitter rival potentially. And at the same time or very soon after that we had those statements from Mr. Pence.

And on top of that there's recently been a Pentagon report which suggests that right across the board from nuclear missile technology through to aircraft carriers there's an over-dependence on foreign supplies and a lot of those supplies come from China.

So amidst all this, I think that the Chinese will be looking from the Americans for something to feel warm and cozy about. The Americans and Mr. Pompeo would be trying to, I think, to smooth over some of those troubled waters.

ALLEN: All right. Sam Kiley will be following it for us when Mike Pompeo arrives. Thank you -- Sam.

[01:34:57] A new climate change report says unprecedented changes need to be made to combat global warming. World leaders commissioned the report as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It focuses on what could happen to our planet if global temperatures rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Our meteorologist Ivan Cabrera has been looking into this. We have talked climate for years, people listen, engage perhaps only so far. But this is serious. We must limit to 1.5 degrees Celsius. That's the goal. So where are we now?

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And that doesn't sound like a lot. I mean I think a lot of people when you talk about climate change, 1.5 is really not big deal. Well, that's when you think about temperature in your weather.

But when you talk about warming the planet 1.5 degrees that is significant because we've already done that since the industrial revolution. And so they're trying to get to 1.5 which is going to be bad enough. And I think it is going to be very difficult to get there, Natalie, because what the nations in the Paris Accord have pledged already has just not been enough to get us to 1.5. That is a very ambitious number. And look at what's happened in the last (INAUDIBLE).

Nat: That doesn't look good.

CABRERA: No. So we've already -- right, so we've already increased the planet's temperature by 1 degree. And you've seen what has happened here. Maybe it hasn't happened in you backyard but I tell you what, it's been the three hottest years on record. 2015, 2016, 2017 and the last -- and the top 10 were in the last couple of decades. So you get the idea.

And there you see what happens. More of these severe weather events that we can -- you know, sometimes forget about especially if they don't happen to us. But they continue to happen with more frequency and more intensity as well.

ALLEN: I am looking at the headlines of "The New York Times" -- major climate report described as strong with a crisis as early as 2040.

CABRERA: Right.

ALLEN: And the issue of course is emissions and whether that's had a trickle-down effect all over the world.

CABRERA: Yes. And 1.5 is important, we've already reached the 1 but if we get to the 1.5 this is going to be tough stuff here.

Time is running out essentially here. We have until 2030 to get our emissions down. We have to do that by 45 per. And then a few years later we're going to have to get down to zero. So we're going to have to be emission neutral essentially, co2 neutral. And it's going to be very difficult to do. It is going to be very pricey.

It is going to require all nations to really get on board here. And so far what they pledged even in the Paris Accord won't get us to 1.5.

And from 1.5 to 2i know you're speaking to a climate scientist coming up here but that is a significant thing as well. Every half a degree means that millions and millions more people are going to be impacted by more heat waves, more floods, stronger hurricanes and the like. So that is going to be a problem here. And of course money is also on the table.

ALLEN: Right.

CABRERA: It is always very difficult to --

ALLEN: This may be the ultimate wake-up call.

CABRERA: Yes. You bet.

ALLEN: Ivan -- thank you.

Let's talk more about this report with lead climate strategist for Conservation International, Shyla Raghav. Shyla -- thanks so much for talking with us.

SHYLA RAGHAVE, LEAD CLIMATE STRATEGIST: Thank you for having me.

ALLEN: I want to get your reaction to this report. It doesn't sound good. The goal was to keep our planet from warming beyond 1.5 Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. And it looks like the world has failed in that.

This report just out says, "Holding global warming to a critical limit would require rapid, far reaching, and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. Did this report surprise you or did you see this coming?

RAGHAV: Definitely saw it coming. I mean I think the reason that this report is so important is because we oftentimes use 2 degrees as a political benchmark. So even within the Paris Agreement it basically commits countries to limiting warming to two degrees Celsius. And so this report was commission because the global community wanted to understand, is there really a significant difference between 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees

The overwhelming consensus in this report is that yes. That analogy really is that 1.5 degrees is our defense line and 2 degrees is our guard rail. So any warming beyond 1.5 degrees really has exponential impact for our planet.

ALLEN: Let's talk about those impacts. What would people likely see or feel reaching that?

RAGHAV: Yes. So we're already beginning to see some of those impacts. So sea level -- an example is that warming beyond 1.5 to 2 would mean that we would destabilize our Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. So rather than seeing sea level rise in order of inches or even feet, we'd see sea level rise in meters.

The other is that it will double the number of people that are exposed to extreme heat. It also means that the frequency ice-free summers in the Arctic would go from one in every hundred years to one in every 10 years.

[01:40:03] So it really means an amplification and a multiplication of the impact of climate change.

ALLEN: And what is prohibiting that global will that we need. Certainly there was a Paris Climate Accord but we've seen the Trump administration roll back environmental rules that would help protect the environment which we're all connected to. Where does this leave the effort?

RAGHAV: I think that it almost seems like there's a false choice between acting on climate change and thriving and growing our economy. But that really is a false choice. I think in the recent past few years we've seen that acting on climate change does not need to come at the expense of economic growth. And we have seen kind of this up-swell of companies that have committed to science-based targets.

Just two weeks ago, we were in San Francisco where now a record 466 companies have committed to science-based targets because they're realize and recognize that acting on climate change is in their best interest. It makes business sense for them.

ALLEN: Well, this report has just come out. It will make headlines in the coming hours.

Shyla Raghav with Conservation International -- thank you for talking with us.

RAGHAV: Thank you.

ALLEN: Heartache in New York state -- a community in shock after one of the worst U.S. car crashes in the last decade. That's next.

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ALLEN: More than 5,000 people could still be missing in Indonesia more than one week after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the island of Sulawesi. More than 1,700 people are confirmed to have died in the disasters. Military, civilians, and volunteers are keeping the search and rescue efforts going.

[01:44:51] Officials say the thousands of missing are mostly through areas destroyed by soil liquefaction. That's when oversaturated ground essentially turned into rivers of mud sweeping away entire neighborhoods and that video there shows the horror of the earthquake.

Emergency teams are working in northern Haiti after a 5.9 quake shook that region late Saturday. At least 12 people were killed, 188 injured. Haiti's president, as you could see here, traveled to the area Sunday to see the damage. Haiti is still recovering from the massive earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 220,000 people and destroyed much of the capital.

At least 20 people have been killed in a car crash in New York State, the deadliest transportation crash in the U.S. in nearly a decade. Investigators say most of the victims were in a limousine headed to a birthday party when it plowed into a parked SUV.

The crash killed the driver, all passengers, and two bystanders. Witnesses describe chaos, screaming, and a huge response from local volunteer ambulances. Investigators are not yet identifying the victims and trying to determine what led to the crash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER FIORE, FIRST DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: The limousine traveled across the intersection into a parking lot and struck a 2015 Toyota Highlander that was unoccupied and parked. Two pedestrians standing nearby were also struck and killed.

ROBERT SUMWALT, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Twenty fatalities -- it's just horrific. I've been on the board for 12 years. And this is one of the biggest loss of lives that we've seen in a long, long time. This is the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February of 2009.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: The intersection where it happened has been deemed dangerous in the past.

For more, here's CNN's Polo Sandoval at the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a makeshift memorial continues to grow at the site of one of the nation's deadliest transportation disasters, at least the deadliest in the last nine years here in upstate New York.

Authorities say a limousine basically failed to stop at a T- intersection colliding with a vehicle and two people in a parking lot of a country store and then eventually crashing into a ditch resulting in the deaths of 18 people on board -- the driver and 17 passengers.

Investigators have not revealed that information regarding the victims, only saying that they believe that that was the cause at this point that the vehicle again, failed to stop at that intersection but they don't know exactly why. Was speed a factor? Of course, the condition of the vehicle -- that is what investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and also the New York State Police are trying to find out.

Speaking with members of the community here and even some the journalists including Peter Barber -- a staff for a journalist with the "Daily Gazette" -- telling me that it certainly was a horrific scene, something that was emotional even for the first responders who were working this scene.

Though this community is home to only about 3,500 people they're mourning and also searching for answers.

Polo Sandoval, CNN -- Schoharie County, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: You could read more about this tragedy at CNN.com including more of the investigation and the stories of some of the victims.

And we'll be right back.

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CABRERA: It's Ivan Cabrera with an update on our new tropical cyclone here. This one's called Michael. It will eventually be a hurricane -- that's what they are calling it in this part of the world. And I'm going to pay very close attention to this one bringing in torrential rains to portions of Central America but particularly that plume of moisture now impacting now with Western Cuba.

The winds at 95 kilometers per hour -- that still holds it as a tropical storm. That's the way it's going to stay. Look at the forecast here as it crosses into the Gulf of Mexico intensification likely and the potential even or rapid intensification. We're looking at a Category 2 hurricane by the time we get into Tuesday -- 160 kilometer-per-hour winds so it will be between 160, I'm thinking, perhaps even 180 before it makes landfall. And then once it's inland we'll begin to see those winds die down and then it goes off to the north and east.

So this will be the big player for traveling across North America particularly obviously across the eastern United States. Behind the storm it will certainly wet and out ahead, it's been pretty warm here.

Flood threat continues across the mid-section. This is the time of year. It's October. We could get hurricanes. We're going to have one in the Gulf of Mexico. And we can get snow and we're making plenty of it here cross the northern Rockies as well.

This is very cold air continuing to move in. And that continues into the Canadian Rockies through the middle part of the week.

ALLEN: The Tokyo Institution is closing its doors. The world's largest fish market is ending operations after 83 years. A new facility is set to open in another location. But Tokyo is finding it hard to say good-bye to a cherished part of the past.

Here's CNN's Alexandra Field.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is 5:30 a.m. at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. A thousand colossal tuna fish have come off the boat. The prize catch is inspected, then a flurry of movements. The bell rings, the auctioneer begins his rhythmic chants. Deals are done by the flash of a hand.

The best fish sells for nearly $40,000 U.S.

YUKUTAKA YAMAGUCHI, TUNA WHOLESALER (through translator): I wake up 2:30 a.m. every day. I come to the market at 3:30 a.m. When I walked through the market this morning, all my memories came up to me.

FIELD: Yukutaka Yamaguchi joined his father's business here 35 years. He buys certain fish on Saturday. It will be the last he'll take away from Tsukiji. The catch of the day has come into the biggest fish market on earth for the last time.

YAMAGUCHI: I entered the auction for the first time in my 20s and sold raw tuna for the first time. All those memories and emotion now overwhelmingly forced (ph) into my heart. FIELD: The metaphorical bang of Tsukiji auctioneers' gavel has long been the beating heart of the Tokyo food scene. 40,000 people come here every day, buying a total of very 400,000 tons of seafood each year. For many of them, Tsukiji feels like the antithesis to Tokyo's unrelenting modernity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love this chaotic fear. This is the real market. I will miss it here tremendously.

FIELD: In Tsukiji's place will be Toyosu Market, a modernized venue not far from here. This week Toyosu will become a provider for restaurants from nearby Ginza and Shinjuku and all across Japan.

The new look has been controversial. The discovery of polluted soil at the new site still fears over public safety. City planners say chemicals at Toyosu have been sealed up and that Tsukiji's aging facilities mean the market has to move.

But many people don't want to give up their piece of history. Yukutaka is proud of the city icon that he has helped to make.

YAMAGUCHI: My work is tough but I want to become a (INAUDIBLE) even if I was a bit worn for the next flight. I think this market is wonderful. And I want to work here.

[01:54:57] FIELD: One city government idea is to pave this over for a parking lot as Tokyo plans to host the Olympics in 2020. In a city that is forever looking forward, Tsukiji will be remembered by many as a part of Tokyo's old soul.

Alexandra Field, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen. See you next time.

The news continues next with my colleague George Howell.

Thanks for watching.

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[02:00:10] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A prominent Saudi journalist has been missing for days.