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9 Dead after White Gunman Opened Fire at Predominantly Black Church in S.C.; Enhanced Mug Shots on Escaped Convicts Released as Search Expands; Report on Young Immigrants Traveling from Egypt to Italy; As Pope Francis Focuses on Climate A Look at Where Climate Change is Having an Impact; Hong Kong Election Reform Fails Vote. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 17, 2015 - 02:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:20] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Errol Barnett.

We continue to follow breaking news out of South Carolina where authorities are searching frantically for a gunman who opened fire at a church in Charleston.

CHURCH: The police chief says the white suspect shot several people at the historic African-American church Wednesday night. Nine people have died.

BARNETT: Roughly one hour ago, Charleston officials held a new conference to update the public on this still-developing investigation. They also ask for unity during what is a difficult time for people there. Take a listen to what they have to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY MULLEN, CHIEF, CHARLESTON POLICE CHIEF: We need everybody to come together and pray for these families and we need them to come together and help us find this person so nobody else is hurt. And what we need is for the community to look at this and say we have had enough of this violence and if we stand up together we can stop this violence. That's what we need this community to do.

JOSEPH P. RILEY JR, MAYOR OF CHARLESTON: We are all in this together in this community to help those who have lost a loved one get through this time and give them love and support and encouragement as we bring this awful person to justice as soon as humanly possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And as law enforcement swarmed the scene of this deadly shooting, people gathered in circles to pray.

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest black church of its kind in the southern United States and people in the community are outraged at the senseless violence that has broken out in a place that is supposed to be a safe haven.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You tell people to go to work, do right, go to church. These people were in church. They were in church. And they violated the sanctity of that. You know, the ramifications are way beyond just what happened tonight. This is just unacceptable. We are communities trying to live and survive. Why do we have to live like this. We have enough issues in Charleston now. We don't need more. We need peace. And we ask you all out there in the community to stand behind that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: You can certainly agree with that sentiment. They need peace.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley voiced her condolences with a statement on Facebook. Here's part of her message, quote, "While we do know all of the details yet, we do know that we'll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another."

CHURCH: We want to bring in CNN producer, Ashley Killough, who is on the scene.

Ashley, a short time ago, we heard from the police chief and the mayor and they gave us details on what has happened here, exactly what we are likely to learn perhaps in the last few hours. Can we expect another news conference from law officials or not?

ASHLEY KILLOUGH, CNN PRODUCER: We were told we would get one at 3:00 eastern time. But it has been pushed back and pushed back. People were anxious, wanting to hear what was going on if the suspect was still at large as he is and just trying to get details.

BARNETT: Does that mean we may hear again from officials at 3:00 a.m. eastern, considering they have given us that initial update?

KILLOUGH: Correct. We are expecting to hear them again in the next hour, hopefully. It could be later than that, though.

BARNETT: And we assume, because it's 2:00 a.m., there on the east coast things are dying down but this indicate getting them up and out. But from what you can see, the area around the church, has it been locked down or has everyone headed home?

KILLOUGH: Correct. We are two blocks from the church. This is as close as we can get. They closed it off. They are telling anyone who wanders into the area to go in the opposite direction.

There was a bomb threat earlier tonight, which is why they pushed us in the media back a couple blocks. The bomb threat has been cleared but they are trying to keep people out of the immediate area.

And there have been folks who have come out tonight, a few dozen, I would say, a lot local community leaders, religious leaders, people who are curious about what is happening and they are still here a few hours into the night and they want to stay out here until they hear more about what is going on and they are calling for calm heads to prevail but also calling for justice.

[02:05:26] CHURCH: And, Ashley, the problem is, of course, it is just after 2:00 in the morning. There had been a number of people in the restaurants there along Meeting Street, which is very nearby. That's where a lot of the tourists tend to gather. It's a very active community anyway, a social community. Talk about what has happened as far as making sure those people can get safely home. There would be a lot of nervousness given that the suspect is still on the loose.

KILLOUGH: Yes, the police chief did urge caution to people who live in the area. They did not give specific orders to say what they should be doing right now. But they said to be on the lookout, the suspect the still at large. I talked to a couple of girls who were wandering down the street and tried to go to a couple bars but the bars are closing down early for the night. Most of the people who had been out having dinner and late drinks, most have left. The streets are emptier at this point as you would expect at 2:00 in the morning.

BARNETT: Ashley Killough, our producer in Charleston, South Carolina. She is staying up late for us in the wee hours of the morning.

You heard her there mention police officials and perhaps the mayor and police chief will update the media again at 3:00 a.m. eastern. And that last update they updated the death toll at nine people killed and eight in the shooting and one person later at hospital. We could see that number increase in the wee hours of the morning as we approach tomorrow.

But the most concerning thing is that the suspect, this white, young male still on the loose and as eluded police so far.

CHURCH: Yes. And authorities were talking. They said this is a hate crime. They also said that they would be announcing at some point, perhaps in an hour from now that a reward would be posted for any information that could lead to bringing this suspect to justice in any way. And they said that will happen.

BARNETT: And you do have kind of a concern of a security situation there in Charleston.

In fact, Republican presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, has cancelled an event he had planned in the city tomorrow. His campaign says, quote, "His thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families affected by this tragedy."

CHURCH: We are going to have much more on this news story throughout the hour.

A reminder you can also track the very latest developments by going to our website, CNN.com.

BARNETT: For now though, we turn to upstate New York for the latest on the manhunt for the two escaped killers. Authorities admit that David Matt and Richard Sweat could be anywhere by now after two weeks on the run.

CHURCH: Police have more than 1400 leads and are shifting their search area for the fugitives even across the border.

Jason Carroll has the details now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wanted posters of the two escaped killers are now being handed out along the Canadian and Mexican borders. This, as the search is expanding and shifting to other areas surrounding the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora.

Officials admitting today the hunt for Richard Matt and David Sweat, at least at this point, is not promising.

CAPT. ROBERT LAFOUNTAIN, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: I can tell you right now, as well, that we have no information that they have been able to leave the area. That being said, it doesn't mean they haven't been able to escape this area, but we have no information.

CARROLL: But there's new information about the woman who allegedly helped them escape, Joyce Mitchell. The 51-year-old prison employee warned her husband, Lyle, also a prison employee, that the two inmates planned to kill him.

UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY: I've gone over the charges --

CARROLL: Joyce Mitchell's attorney telling me his client knew of the plot but was not part of it herself, saying, quote, "Just because she heard something doesn't mean she was going to act on it."

While Lyle knew about the plot to kill him, his lawyer said he was unaware his wife was having sexual relationships with at least one of the inmates. A source tells CNN that Mitchell had sex with Matt in the same tailor shop where Mitchell and her husband worked.

The Clinton County sheriff talked about her demeanor now that she is behind bars.

DAVID FAVRO, SHERIFF, CLINTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I think it is a little early for that. There's a lot going on around her, as you can see with the media attention, and I think she is consuming and absorbing that to be able to express too many feelings.

[02:10:03] CARROLL: Mitchell's attorney said he has only had one opportunity to speak to his client face to face since her arrest, and that was Monday, the day of her court appearance.

As for her husband, there have been questions about whether he knew about the escape plan.

ANDREW WYLIE, CLINTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: As of today, we had no information that he had prior knowledge of the escape or that he participated or actively assisted in the escape of the two inmates.

CARROLL: Those two inmates still very much on the run. Every lead being followed. Searchers waiting for the one that leads to them.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Dannemora, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: To another big story we're following. New York News Anchor Brian Williams' future has been in question for months.

BARNETT: He was suspended in February after he admitted to incorrectly reporting he was on a helicopter that was shot down in Iraq. But now there's world Williams and NBC have reached a tentative agreement. He will stay on at NBC after his suspension ends in August but not as the anchor at Nightly News. Sources indicate he will have a role at MSNBC.

Another big story we're following, Pope Francis is weighing in on climate change. In just a matter of hours, in fact the Catholic leader will release a public letter called an encyclical.

CHURCH: What is this document and why is it so significant?

Delia Gallagher explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's called (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE), or "Praised be on the care of our common home," Pope Francis's encyclical on the moral aspects of climate change and protecting the environment.

(MUSIC)

GALLAGHER: Church leaders say this is the first time the release of a papal encyclical has been so anticipated. A Brazilian climate change group even created an epic theatrical trailer for the pope's words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us.

(SINGING)

ANNOUNCER: It's time to take out the trash.

ANNOUNCER: A pontiff fighting for god's creation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: But what is an encyclical? It's the most authoritative teaching document a pope can issue and signifies a high-priority issue for the pope. It's usually written for Catholic clergy and lay people, although Pope Francis has said his encyclical is addressed to everyone, religious or not. Encyclicals aren't infallible but they're not just the pope's opinion,

either. And Catholics are called to take them seriously.

UNIDENTIFIED POPE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

GALLAGHER: Catholics are called to take them seriously. Pope Francis is not the first pope to express concern about the environment. Pope Paul VI back in 1971 talked about the exploitation and degradation of nature by man. John Paul II and Pope Benedict have also added their voices to the topic. But Francis is the first pope ever to dedicate an entire encyclical to ecological concerns.

BUSH: I don't get economic policy from my bishops or my cardinals or from my pope.

GALLAGHER: A move which has worried conservatives who fear it will be seen as an endorsement of the liberal agenda on climate change and population control and be bad news for big business and oil.

(CROSSTALK)

GALLAGHER: As the first pope from the developing world, Pope Francis's emphasis is on the connection between destruction of the earth's resources and its impact on the poor.

The timing of the document's release is also significant, coming the same year as the United Nation's climate change conference in Paris this December.

(CHEERING)

GALLAGHER: With the pope's popularity, this encyclical will be a milestone that places the Roman Catholic Church at the forefront of one of the major scientific and moral issues of our times.

Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Father Edward Beck, thank you so much for joining us here on CNN.

Now, of course, we know a copy of the pope's encyclical has been leaked but the Catholic Church warns it's not the final version. So what are you expecting Pope Francis will say about climate change?

EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: Well, I think we can assume, based on comments he has already made, that he is going to affirm that climate change, global warming, is the result -- a lot of it is a result of man's activity. So with the heating of the earth and with fossil fuels he will talk about those very specifically, I believe because he has spoken about them before and critique the way we have not moved forward toward renewable energy and depended on the energy that is heating up the globe.

CHURCH: Why do you think the pope's encyclical was leaked? Who benefits from that?

BECK: Well, I'm not sure about why it was leaked. There is speculation that those who are not happy with him in the Vatican. The Vatican leaked it to embarrass him or someone gave it to a journalist friend who passed it on to someone and this was a scoop for the Italian paper that published it, although the one who did publish it has some hell to pay now but he has been banned from any Vatican interaction for a while. They are getting their comeuppance for it. But it could be to embarrass Pope Francis they're saying.

[02:15:37] CHURCH: We're hearing that Pope Francis will likely blast those who deny global warning. And some conservative Catholic political leaders won't like that. Given the pope is not afraid of controversy, how will the pope likely respond to his critics, do you think?

BECK: I'm not sure he will respond to his critics. The pope is speaking on the side of science here. The majority of scientists affirm that climate change, global warming is manmade, in addition to some environmental influences but man has a hand in this. So with science on his side, he is pretty confident.

I think the pope will put everything in the context that we are not the center of the universe. That God has created us. That we have an interrelatedness to all of creation and to one another and we have to respect the interrelatedness. This is a theme that the pope has spoken on again and again.

So we are going to see a critique of the world economy that oppresses the poor. He's going to say the poor are the ones affected most by this raping and pillaging of the environment. And so it's a sociopolitical statement on economy and the way in which the poor are treated in our world.

CHURCH: And it will be interesting, too. The timing just before some global meetings on climate change. So we'll see what sort of impact and influence this has on those meetings yet to come.

Father Edward Beck, thank you for talking with us on CNN. We appreciate it.

BECK: My pleasure.

CHURCH: We're going to take a short break but we are following the breaking news out of Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people dead after a shooting at a church. The suspect still on the loose. The latest on that search.

Plus, lawmakers in Hong Kong have made history. A decision has been made on a controversial bill impacting how they will choose their leaders. We will take you there live. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:21:38] CHURCH: Welcome back to our breaking news coverage in the United States. Police say nine people are dead after a mass shooting at a predominantly black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Police have yet to identify any of the victims. The suspect is still at large at this hour. Authorities say he is a white male in his 20s, wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans.

And just a short time ago, Norvel Goff, a presiding elder at the church, asked for prayers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORVEL GOFF, EMANUEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH ELDER: We want the entire community to pray for safety for our people. And that we would hope that this person who has committed this heinous crime which is a hate crime be brought to justice. We stand in solidarity but solicit your prayers for the family member who lost loved ones here tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: This is video taken two weeks ago inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. We don't know where exactly in the building this shooting took place. But this is a look at the sanctuary. You see one of the pews inside this historic church formed in 1816. It was an important point in the Underground Railroad, helping slaves find their way to freedom. It's located in downtown Charleston where thousands of tourist visit during this time of year and throughout the year, in fact. And we will continue to cover that story.

But we also have breaking news in Hong Kong. Lawmakers have rejected a plan for electoral reform there. It is a victory for pro democracy supporters.

Let's turn to senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson. He joins us live from Hong Kong.

Ivan, it is a victory for pro democracy supporters but China would certainly not be happy at this point.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is definitely a slap in the face not only to the administrators of Hong Kong but also to their allies, the Chinese central government which had endorsed this bill and now has seen it voted down. Now a lot of people already predicted that the pro-Beijing faction would not get the two-thirds majority it needed to pass the votes. But the pro- Beijing faction staged a walkout in the middle of the vote to try to deny a quorum for a vote to pass, but not all the members walked out. In the end, there were enough lawmakers in the assembly hall for the vote to be conducted successfully and, in the end, out of a 70-person assembly, there were 37 people present, 28 voted against the election law and eight voted in favor. So it was an embarrassing miscalculation by supporters of Beijing here in Hong Kong's legislative council. In the end, pro-democracy lawmakers from the so- called pan-democratic faction were celebrating, calling this a victory.

Take a listen to what one lawmaker said to me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[01:25:17] UNIDENTIFIED HONG KONG LEGISLATOR: All kind of things in China is safe, right? So we don't have -- we don't want to have democratic system in Hong Kong. So we want to continue fight for general democracy but we will not accept such type of arrangement, especially for people using such dirty tactics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Rosemary this has been a confusing debate. You have seen roles reversed here. The pro-Beijing faction were proposing a law that would allow residents of Hong Kong to vote for the first time in 2017 to elect their own chief executive the top official in Hong Kong and the pro-Beijing faction saying this is a step in the direction of democracy and the opponents who claim to represent freedom of speech and freedom of expression and Democratic values here who were argue against it, arguing that it would be a sham election in 2017 because essentially it would be the Communist Party in Beijing that would be vetting which candidate could run for office.

The second-highest official here in Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, moments before the vote took place, she made these comments. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARRIE LAM, HONG KONG LEGISLATOR (through translation): At this moment, the reform propose will soon be voted down I'm sad. I'm disappointed. I don't know when Democratization can be taken forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: What essentially we've gotten now is for the second time in less than a year both with the street protests, the so-called Umbrella Revolution that was in Hong Kong last autumn and now with this vote you've had a portion of portion of Hong Kong society saying no to the administrators of this city and by extension, to the ruling central government in Beijing in mainland China. And that is something that the Communist Party in China is not accustomed to seeing from its own citizens -- Rosemary?

CHURCH: It will be interesting to see what the next move here is, what happens from China at this point.

So, Ivan Watson, bringing us up to date live from Hong Kong, many thanks to you.

We're going to take a short break here. Charleston's police chief is calling it a hate crime. We will have the latest on a shooting at a church in South Carolina.

BARNETT: Plus, after two weeks on the run, police say two escaped murderers may have altered their appearance. We ask a forensic artist how the fugitives may be disguising themselves.

Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:24] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: You are watching continual breaking coverage here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Errol Barnett.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church.

Breaking news this hour, nine people are dead after a white gunman opened fire at a predominantly black church in Charleston, South Carolina. This tragic incident happened just a few hours ago. One other person was injured and is in the hospital. Officials have not yet released the names of the victims.

BARNETT: Police Chief Greg Mullen says he believes this was a hate crime. The mayor saying there is no other reason anyone would do this. Authorities are looking for a white male in his early 20s.

The Charleston mayor says he is just outraged by what's happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH P. RILEY JR, MAYOR OF CHARLESTON: People in prayer on a Wednesday evening, a ritual, coming together, praying and worshipping God, to have a awful person come in and shoot them is -- is inexplicable, obviously, the most intolerable and unbelievable act possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: The deadly shooting occurred at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. These are images of people praying outside of the church after the shooting. A vigil is also planned at another Charleston church a number of hours from now.

Throughout the night, we have been connecting with CNN producer, Ashley Killough, who is on the scene. She's in Charleston. She now connects with us again over the phone with some of the latest information.

We did hear certain aspects confirmed by the police a short time ago. What new information have you been able to gather?

ASHLEY KILLOUGH, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): We are waiting to hear official update from some of the local police officers of the chief of police here. But the NAACP, they just tweeted that they are talking to some of the local leaders on the ground. This is something they are getting involved in especially now that it has been labeled a hate crime.

BARNETT: And you have the FBI, the ATF helping local officials as well with their investigations. At last check, we were meant to get an update from the police in the next half hour. How much activity are you seeing there considering the suspect is still on the loose?

KILLOUGH: They still have a number of the blocks around the area closed down. We understand that some of that might open back up soon. And we hope to hear from one official here shortly. We're unclear if that is going to be just for the media or just information and updates on the investigation and the situation going on.

But there still -- a few dozen people who came out tonight and gathered and prayed and sang a few worship songs. They are calling for peace. They are calling for calmer heads to prevail, given the situation at hand. But most of them are still here and they're just waiting to see what's going to happen next.

CHURCH: And, Ashley, we heard from the police chief a short time ago. He called this a hate crime. What are people saying to you about that?

KILLOUGH: Yeah, well, people are -- they are surprised. I just spoke to a couple of taxi drivers. And they were somewhat joking with me that they are nervous about picking up a young white man tonight. You know, they were joking and said, of course, they would. But it did underscore the sense of unease that is happening tonight. They say they don't feel safe but are not running scared. That is their words exactly.

But it is the middle of the night and a lot of people are in their homes. The chief of police did urge caution. They did not give details on where the suspect might be, but there is a bit of nervousness here tonight.

[02:35:35] CHURCH: Totally understandable.

CNN Producer Ashley Killough reporting from the streets of Charleston.

And we may hear from authorities in the next half hour, but we may not. We don't know. There was quite a delay for the first news conference. As soon as it happens, we will bring it to you.

BARNETT: Now to another big story we are following. Police in upstate New York have released enhanced mug shots showing what escaped prisoners, Richard Matt and David Sweat, might look like after two weeks on the run. They have expanded their hunt for the fugitives and are handing out wanted posters across the U.S. border.

CHURCH: Dan Simon sat down with a forensic artist who shares a few ways the killers might have changed their appearance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imagining what the fugitives might look like after 10 days is the job of a forensic artist.

GIL ZAMORA, FORENSIC ARTIST: I'm looking at immediate ways to disguise a face.

SIMON: Gil Zamora received training from the FBI and has been doing these sketches for 20 years.

(on camera): You're a former police officer and a forensic artist. When you look at this case in New York, do you think that these guys have totally altered their identities?

ZAMORA: Well, I would say that that's probably a very good possibility. My experience has been that when they're out and they're trying to get away they're going to do everything they can to disguise themselves and make sure that nobody recognizes them.

SIMON (voice-over): He is not involved with the New York case but we asked him to come up with additional ways that the fugitives might have changed their appearance. First, Richard Matt, here is the original and this is the altered creation.

(on camera): He could evade capture?

ZAMORA: I would say so, at least initially, definitely. I gave him a full beard. There's a possibility he could be dyeing his hair.

SIMON (voice-over): And with eye wear, the public would have a difficult time recognizing him.

ZAMORA: Well, I think they would think twice. I wouldn't say they would immediately pick him out.

SIMON: Now David Sweat. This is the original mug and this is what he could do.

ZAMORA: Changing the clothing and extending the facial hair, and then also adding some eye wear to kind of distract people from looking at their eyes as well.

SIMON: Hair on the face and head, he said, are the two main ways? Which men could change their appearance.

Just like Harrison Ford did in "The Fugitive".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRISON FORD, ACTOR: I didn't kill my wife.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I don't care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON These real-life fugitives could be doing simple things to their faces and no one would spot them immediately. That's why these photos could be instructive or maybe instrumental in cracking the case.

ZAMORA: I think anything that keeps the public aware and keeps this case alive for people to be on the lookout is extremely valuable.

SIMON: Dan Simon, CNN, San Jose, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we will take a very short break here. But coming up, they are separated from their families and being forced to do terrible things. We will have the next installment of our report of young migrants traveling from Egypt to Italy.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:42:08] CHURCH: Back to our breaking news coverage in the U.S. Police say nine people are dead after a mass shooting at a predominately black church in Charleston, South Carolina. The suspect is still at large at this hour. Authorities say he's a white male in his early 20s, wearing a gray Sweat shirt and blue jeans. Police have yet to identify any of the victims. A vigil is planned for noon local time at another church in Charleston.

CHURCH: And the King Center tweeted this photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr at the Emanuel AME Church. The center doesn't provide a date. But the group tweeted its support for the congregation and the community there. It says, and I'm quoting here, "We have to be conscious of how our social media response can cause unrest or be detrimental." And it urged the Charleston police to be vigilant in apprehending the person or persons responsible."

(MUSIC)

CHURCH: This week, we have been telling you about the dangerous journey being taken by young migrants from Egypt to Italy.

BARNETT: Now while some may end up in state care, others end up suffering a worse fate, forced into prostitution or the drug trade for survival.

Nima Elbagir reports from Rome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A man approaches a boy for sex at a train station.

(CROSSTALK)

ELBAGIR: Two boys holding drugs for criminal gangs.

(CROSSTALK)

ELBAGIR: These are just a few of the stories of children exploited and trafficked for criminal gain right here in the heart of Rome.

Rome's train station is one of the country's main rail terminals. This is where thousands of illegal migrant children arrive, desperate to make money however they can.

We've been directed here by local contacts who tell us the boys work the corners on the streets outside. As we drive past, as if on cue, we see a group of Egyptian kids approached by an Italian man. Further down the street, other Egyptian kids are looking around and seem to be on the lookout. We watch as money and something else is exchanged. (on camera): It's broad daylight and we are right in the center of

Rome and yet groups of boys were clustered together. We saw them, in a known pickup location. As soon as they saw the camera, they disappeared.

(voice-over): One of the boys later agrees to talk to us. He is one of the thousands of Egyptian children that have disappeared out of the Italian care system.

For his safety we disguised his identity and his voice.

He calls the sex trafficking and the drug selling he and some of his friends are involved with is the illegal stuff.

[02:45:16] UNIDENTIFIED BOY (through translation): The illegal stuff is the easiest. A friend will be working in these kind of things will say come I'll help you.

ELBAGIR: I ask if it's hard living this way.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY (through translation): Yes, but what are the options. Our parents spent thousands to get us here. We have to pay it back.

ELBAGIR: Table football, ping-pong, typical teenage pursuits, but this is not a usual local youth center.

(on camera): This center is a refuge for these unaccompanied children. It's somewhere where they can have a meal, meet friends, perhaps even remember how to be children again, if only for a little while.

(voice-over): We come to Rome as part of an investigation retracing the steps of the unaccompanied Egyptian children arriving in Italy in their thousands.

Taking advantage of an Italian law that allows children smuggled here to remain in the country legally, impoverished Egyptian parents are paying thousands of dollars for the mirage of a better life.

The lucky few stay in the Italian government-run childrens' homes. But thousands of them disappear making their way to the big cities.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): They are ready to do whatever they can to earn money. And this means very often exploitation. Unfortunately, they found another alternative, which was prostitution. So either they were exploited or they thought that this was the only option available to earn money and send them back for their families. Very often, we have heard children crying and saying they didn't want to come and they didn't want to stay and they would love to go back to their families, to their country.

ELBAGIR: Mahmud works for Save the Children. He translates for the kids, helps them understand the system, listens to their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The families are not really -- they don't care. They only care for the money that arrives here. They don't ask, how did you get the money? They don't ask about nothing. And we tell them that they are making something illegal, I don't think they would mind. They would say, OK, if he sends me money, never mind.

ELBAGIR: Immanuel Victori (ph) is the chief of police in the train station. He has seen some of the worst of the child exploitation up close, sex trafficking, drug selling and robbery. To the gangs, the children, he says, are an invaluable asset.

IMMANUEL VICTORI (ph), CHIEF OF POLICE (through translation): They use children under the age of 14 because, according to Italian law, they cannot be taken to trial.

ELBAGIR: Victori (ph) and his team has found cases of children whose parents paid for them to be smuggled into Italy who are then trafficked by the same criminal network specifically for the purpose of committing these crimes. But his jurisdiction is limited to this station.

VICTORI (ph) (through translation): We need to fight the abandonment of the children by the parents.

ELBAGIR: But the parents, of course, are far, far away. And whether they don't know the truth or don't care, the tide of children flooding Italian shores floods on unchecked, bringing with it lost childhoods and young lives destroyed, perhaps beyond repair.

Nima Elbagir, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[02:52:43] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Pope Francis is making an urgent appeal for what he calls our ruined planet. The Catholic leader is said to release a long awaited and highly controversial public letter on climate change.

Let's zero in now on places around the world where climate change is having a major impact, Brazil, India and China.

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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Beijing, you get a sense of China's breakneck growth. And China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. But it's also a victim say scientists. And in coastal and northeastern communities, extreme weather events happen more quickly here and droughts are affecting those who are disproportionately worse.

But it's not all bad news. It you look at this, this coal powered plant has been shut down by the authorities. They want to cap emissions by 2030 here in Beijing and across the country to try and limit China's carbon footprint.

David McKenzie, CNN, Beijing. (END VIDEOTAPE)

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SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hundreds of millions of people live in areas like this, many sleeping and living in the outdoors, some with makeshift shelters like this, making them susceptible to heat spells, cold spells in the winter, and flooding and cyclones.

The poor don't have access to the most basic of resources. They have air coolers here, for example, but no reliable electricity or running water. They store water in these containers over here. Some of the reasons why more than 2,000 people died in the heat wave a few weeks ago.

In a country that is hugely dependent on the weather, the yearly monsoons, in particular, experts say these recent erratic weather patterns are not only affecting agriculture output and food security and the economic, but also people's lives in general.

Sumnima Udas, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Southeastern Brazil has been hit by the worst drought in over 80 years. That means water rationing, with many families going days or weeks without water. Deforestation in the Amazon and climate change have been blamed, along with poor urban management.

In some cities, police have had to escort water tankers after residents tried to hijack them. Reservoirs who supply the millions who live in Sao Paulo city are at historic lows. Those who can afford to are building their own wells. For those who can't, it means spending a small fortune on water tanks and praying for rain. A pretty risky prospect considering the rainy season is still more than four months away.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:55:31] BARNETT: And before we conclude this hour, we want to recap our top story, the breaking situation out of Charleston, South Carolina.

CHURCH: Police say nine people are dead after a white gunman opened fire at a predominantly black church. This happened just a few hours ago. One other person was injured and is in the hospital. Officials have not released the names of the victims.

BARNETT: Police Chief Greg Mullen says he believes this was a hate crime. Authorities are search for a young man in his 20s. The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is said to be the oldest in the southern U.S.

We appreciate you being with us this hour. You've been watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Errol Barnett.

CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church.

Much more of our breaking news coverage on the Charleston church shooting is coming up after this short break. Do stay with us.

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