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Fire At Dubai Hotal Injured 19 on New Year's Eve; A Best Tech Quotes of 2015; U.S. President to Announce Gun Control Action. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired January 1, 2016 - 8:00   ET

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


[08:00:11] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to News Stream.

Now, smoke still surrounds a skyscraper in Dubai after a dramatic fire engulfed the building ahead of New Year's celebrations.

China finally fully lifts its one-child policy allowing all families to have two children.

And we run through the best of 2015 to the words of the biggest names in tech, including the infamous outburst by the co-founder of Tinder.

We begin in Dubai and the search for what caused a fire to rage through a high-rise luxury hotel.

This is the scene at the Address Hotel, still smoldering half a day after that fire broke out. At least 16 people were injured.

Now, the fire started around 9:30 in the evening just as New Year's Eve celebrations were getting under way. Now fireworks display nearby went on

at midnight as planned.

Now witnesses describe harrowing scenes as flames, they shot quickly through many of the hotel's 63 floors. The building is a major skyscraper

in the heart of downtown Dubai.

And to give you an idea of just how tall the building is, let's bring up the Eiffel Tower for you. They are roughly around the same height, just

over 300 meters.

Now, a photographer was at the hotel on assignment, but he soon found himself trapped as smoke started to fill with highrise. John Jensen has

the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENNIS MALLARI, PHOTOGRAPHER: On this day, were my locations.

JOHN JENSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New Year's Eve is one night Dennis Mallari will never forget.

The 37-year-old photographer was on assignment to take pictures of Dubai's fireworks display at the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

But at 9:30 p.m., his vantage point, inside the nearby Address Hotel, went up in flames. And Mallari trapped, scared and alone, had to fight to make

it out alive.

MALLARI: I'm on the side of the building. I need help.

I go there inside to try to go exit, I'm not going to die because of the fire, but because of the smoke.

JENSEN: He was stuck on a balcony on the 48th floor great for photos, but smoke quickly filled the building, an escape wasn't an option.

MALLARI: This is my view at floor 48th floor.

JENSEN: The Filipino expat first panicked, then sent desperate pleas for help to friends and family on Facebook.

MALLARI: I need help.

I was already posted I'm here at 48th floor. Help.

JENSEN: He also kept filming to stay calm especially when things looked the worst.

MALLARI: We are at the 48th floor, Address Hotel, happening right now.

I can hear them . I saw some debris falling down from the building.

JENSEN: After almost two hours, Mallari came up with last-ditch plan. He'd propel down the building on a window washers cable, even though it

wasn't quite long enough to make it.

MALLARI: I prayed if this was my last chance, then, so be it.

JENSEN: As he started going over the edge, firefighters found him and saved his life.

MALLARI: You have to pull my belt. I have a belt support belt.

JENSEN: After walking down all 48 floors, Mallari was treated for smoke inhalation. He let his friends know he was safe, posting his picture.

Then he continued with work, capturing Dubai's fireworks just meters way from the building that nearly killed him.

John Jensen, CNN, Dubai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: An incredible story of escape and survival there.

Now, just minutes ago German officials said that there is no indications a terror attack could take place in Munich in the coming days.

A manhunt has been under way in Germany for up to seven terror suspects. And police in Munich say they did receive credible threats of suicide

attacks at two train stations. Both of them were cleared and train service was stopped.

Authorities say the suspects are linked to ISIS and are from Iraq and Syria.

The pope has delivered his New Year's message at the Vatican. He urged people to fight against injustice and violence around the world. Now

thousands gathered at St. Peter's Square for the annual celebration.

Friday marks the church's world day of peace.

Let's cross now to Rome and our senior Vatican analysts John Allen joins us there. And John, good to see you.

Walk us through the key message that was delivered in the pontiff's address,

please.

[08:05:07] JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Hi, Kristie. Happy new year to you on a chilly New Year's Day here in Rome.

Pope Francis is having a busy New Year's Day. This morning, he celebrated a mass in honor of Mary as the mother of god, trying to set a positive note

for the new year saying that message in addition to what he called a torrent of misery that we see in the headlines every day, there's also an

ocean of mercy out there in the world composed of sort of unsung acts of goodness and generosity.

Then at noon he delivered his traditional New Year's Angelus (ph) address. Now, as you indicated this is the church's world day of peace. And he

focused very much on peace, saying that the enemy of peace is not just war, it's also indifference, the kind of indifference that closes people off to

one another and gets them thinking only of themselves.

This afternoon, he'll head across town to Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major to open a holy door for a special jubilee year of mercy he's decreed for

2016.

Now, the pontiff has been in very good spirits throughout the holidays despite the fact that Rome has not been untouched by the security fears

that are so much in the air these days. Vatican officials released numbers the other

day showing that attendance at the pope's events was down 30 percent during the month of December related to fears about major public gatherings set

off by the Paris terrorist attacks in November.

But that hasn't stopped Pope Francis from trying to reign in the new year with a bang. Last night, for example, he spent part of New Year's Eve

laughing and joking and even singing at one point with members of a group of Catholic youth choirs from around the world -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: That's right, on New Year's Eve he was laughing and singing. He delivered that message on New Year's Eve saying that despite war, terror

attacks, migrant crises, you know, just so much negativity of 2015 that violence and tragedy did not define that year. Was that a similar message,

was that repeated again in today's new year's day address?

ALLEN: Yeah. At one point last night, Kristie, one of the kids from this youth choir asked him if all the bad stuff going on in the world today will

still be there when he grows up. And the pope's response was, look, there is a lot of bad stuff out there, but it's not the only story.

He talked about missionaries, for example, who spend their lives in impoverished nations trying to bring people healing and love. He talked

about parents who against all odds still manage to raise very decent children and keep

their families afloat. And that was something he returned to again today arguing that there is this sort of unseen, unappreciated ocean of mercy in

the world that we don't often focus on but is very much part of the current situation.

And so, Kristie, obviously he was trying to balance the impression of a that world in 2015 in so many ways to have gone off the rails, by saying we

can't forget there's a great deal of goodness out there and that's part of the situation

too, Kristie.

LU STOUT: John Allen reporting live from Rome. Thank you very much indeed for that and take care.

Now, the new year brings an overhaul to households in China. Now Beijing has ended its one-child policy. And after the break we'll look at how the

country is bracing for the change.

Also ahead, U.S. president Barack Obama reportedly prepares to bypass congressional opponents and push through sweeping new gun control reforms.

We've got the details on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:11:14] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, the start of the new year in China also marks the start of a new policy. The station has dismantled its controversial one child one family

law. Now couples faced huge fines for having two children, but now Beijing is encouraging them to have a second child.

Matt Rivers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Maternity wards like this one could be filled with more little bundles of joy very soon. Starting January 1,

Chinese couples can now have two children each after final approval of a momentous

change to the country's one-child policy that's been in place for more than 30

years.

A Chinese demography expert told CNN this could effect 100 million couples and result in a baby boom in 2017 and 2018 as more and more people grow

accustomed to the idea of having two children. It's something facilities like Oasis International Hospital are eagerly preparing for.

DR. LI SHAOFEN(through translator): As a doctor, I'll try my best to get prepared for the challenge. We have recruited many new doctors and nurses

in the past few months.

RIVERS: But there is some debate over just how many children will be added to the mix. Demography experts think fertility rates won't rise very much

in the long term. And the nonprofil Population Reference Bureau thinks the most likely

scenario would see total births rise by about 23 million over the next several decades.

The one-child policy was extremely unpopular among many every day Chinese. The system led to a bureaucracy employing hundreds of thousands to enforce

the law. Couples were forced to pay heavy fines for having a second child, but many could not afford it so forced abortions and sterilizations became

a regular occurrence according to many human rights groups.

Advocates for changing the law have said curbing China's population growth has been unnecessary for many years. And now China faces a rapidly aging

population, a shrinking workforce and many more boys than girls. Simply put, there aren't enough young people to take care of the old.

It is unclear if this will be enough to offset China's aging population, but officials know that something has to be done. The government says its

population could be the oldest in the world within the next 15 years with more than 400 million people older than age 60.

With the one-child policy ending, the government is hoping that maternity wards like this one are busier than ever before.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: North Korea's supreme leader has taken to North Korean television to blame South Korean for growing mistrust between the

neighboring countries.

In a 30-minute New Year's Day address, he also criticized the U.S. for hosting join military drills with the south near his country's border.

accusing Seoul and Washington of being war mongers. He says the exercises added to the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Now, cleanup operations are getting under way in the UK as floodwaters start to recede. The UK environment agency says more than 7,000 homes have

been flooded in the last week. Residents were forced to evacuate storm infected towns.

And what would normally be a month's worth of rain fell in just one day in some areas.

Now, Prime Minister David Cameron has called the flooding unprecedented.

In the U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce new executive action to address gun violence. White House sources say the move would

expand background checks on gun sales.

Now, Mr. Obama's announcement is expected in the coming days just in time for a State of the Union address on January 12th.

Now, our senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:15:01] JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For President Obama, the final round is about to begin.

(APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In 2016, I'm going to leave it out, all on the field.

ACOSTA: A first on the president's eighth and last year in office, Mr. Obama's long-promised response to mass shootings in the U.S. Sources say it

will be a package of executive actions on gun control.

(APPLAUSE)

Expected before the January 12th State of the Union and aimed at this gun show loophole, which allows some firearms sellers to avoid conducting

background chicks on their customers.

(on camera): And so the beginning of this year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that would be fair, yeah.

ACOSTA: OK.

(voice-over): The White House argues the president's actions will be within his executive authority and in line with polls that show broad support for

tightening background checks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunately, Congress hasn't shown the courage to do so. That's why the president asked his team to look at what we can do

administratively.

ACOSTA: Vowing to fight the move, the nation's biggest gun lobby, the NRA, says the president is doing what he always does when he doesn't get his

way, define the will of the people and using executive action.

Another controversial proposal coming in the New Year, the president will ask Congress to shut down the terror detention center at Guantanamo, a

facility Mr. Obama may be closed on his own if lawmakers balk at the White House plan.

OBAMA: It will be an uphill battle.

ACOSTA: The president plans to travel to Cuba and perhaps a dozen other countries in what's shaping up to be a global farewell tour.

(SINGING)

ACOSTA: But the president's plans could be upended by setbacks in the war on ISIS.

(SHOUTING)

ACOSTA: A foreign policy crisis that could complicate White House plans to have the president campaign heavily with the 2016 Democratic nominee, a

prospect that may put him and Hillary Clinton on the trail together again.

OBAMA: I think we will have a strong Democratic nominee. I think that Democratic nominee will win. I think I will have a Democratic successor.

ACOSTA (on camera): But first, the president will lay out his plans at the fast-approaching State of the Union address which is less than two weeks

away. White House official say don't expect a long laundry list of proposals, in part, because the president is almost out of time.

Jim Acosta, CNN, traveling with the president in Honolulu.

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. And still to come, George Lucas is making amends. We'll tell you why the Star Wars creator is apologizing

to Disney.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:21:03] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now, film director George Lucas appears to be making an about face regarding his feelings toward Disney.

Now, he is apologizing for his comments in a recent interview with Charlie Rose. During the discussion, Lucas likened Disney's purchase of the Star

Wars franchise to break up saying, quote, "these are my kids. All the Star Wars films, I loved them, I created them, I'm very intimately involved in

them. And I sold them to the white slavers that take these things and..." and he didn't finish the sentence.

Now, but Lucas, he also made it clear that he didn't really care much for Disney's reboot of the franchise Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And now

he's saying sorry. He released this statement on Thursday along with a glowing endorsement for Disney, quote, "I misspoke and I used a very

inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize."

Now, Star Wars: A Force Awakens has smashed global box office records bringing in more than $1 billion already.

Now big players in the tech world also grabbed attention for some of their comments in 2015 and CNN contributor and editor of New Yorker.com compiled

his list of the top 10 tech quotes of the year. So, let's bring in Nick Thompson now from CNN New York.

And Nick, happy new year. It's good to see you once again.

The first quote on your list, I mean, it's really cringe worthy. It's this truly face palm moment. We have the founder of Tinder saying this -- and

we'll bring it up for our audience -- apparently there's a term for someone who gets turned on for intellect stuff, you know, just talking -- what's

the word, I want to say sodomy?" unquote.

Now, Nick, how did he make such a terrible gaffe?

NICK THOMPSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It's an amazing moment, right. He's giving an interview before Tinder goes public. And he's trying to explain

this app isn't just about casual sex, it actually it's about real relationships and marriages and

everything. And he's clearly struggling with that, because that's also clearly not really what Tinder is about.

And he says in the middle of the interview is just amazing.

LU STOUT: And the next quote is from an investor on Twitter, Chris Sachette (ph).

He said this, we'll bring if up for you, "for most people Twitter is hard to use. For most people, tweeting is scary." And Chris Sackette(ph) goes

on to say, "for most people Twitter feels lonely."

Now Nick, give us a background here. Because 2015 was a really rough year for Twitter, wasn't it?

THOMPSON: Yeah, 2015 was a terrible year for Twitter. If you look at the stock price over the year, it's basically one continuous decline. In the

middle of the summer, they turn over, they fire the CEO. They bring back Jack Dorsey. They launched these new products. But none of it really

works. And there's a lot of concern about Twitter's future and whether it's just going to be knocked away by Facebook.

So, this was a letter that an investor, an advocate for the company, put out a very long analysis explaining what's broken.

Now, no one has been able to fix it but I thought this was a very clear distillation of the problems.

LU STOUT: Yeah, yeah. And one personality really dominated 2015, not necessarily tech related, but did say something about the internet, the GOP

presidential candidate Donald Trump.

During a presidential debate he said something that really got a lot of people raising our eyebrows high. He said I sure as hell don't want to let

people that want to kill us and our nation use our internet.

Now, what did that comment reveal about Donald Trump, his thoughts about of ISIS, his thoughts about how the internet works?

THOMPSON: Well, I picked that. I mean, it's got that amazing thing, "our internet," as thought the internet belongs to anybody else.

But it also raised an extremely important question of how exactly do you stop ISIS on the internet? Do you counter them with counter propaganda?

Do you try to cut off their access? Does the U.S. have a responsibility or should the U.S. try to server internet access in the parts of Syria that

ISIS controls? If you did that, would it help or hurt them?

It raised all kinds of interesting questions in the very blunt way that Trump put it in that debate.

LU STOUT: Very blunt indeed.

And finally, Nick, that open letter from Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, many others, about the dangers of AI, or artificial intelligence.

Quote, "the question for humanity today is whether to start a global AI arms race or to prevent it from starting."

Why is this quote your top pick of 2015?

THOMPSON: Well, I think -- it's not such a brilliant quote. It's not like the Tinder quote, it doesn't turn upside down. But it does actually raise

what I think is really the main thing we're going to be grappling with in the last few years.

We've seen incredible advances in artificial intelligence. And the way society deals with that and the way we think about our relationship to

robots and computers, how the economy has changed, how we interact, and how warfare

changes, those are really, really important. And to have people like Elon Musk and Stephen

Hawking raising the alarm was why I thought it was the most important quote of the year.

LU STOUT: Yeah,s very good quote. Big year for tech, and a very quotable one as well. Nick Thompson, New Yorker.com. Always a pleasure to talk

with you, especially on this topic year after year. Thank you. Take care.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now, Backberry says it will keep operating in Pakistan now that it's resolved a dispute over user data. Now Pakistan had asked the

smartphone maker to give the government access to all encrypted traffic flowing through the company's servers. Blackberry refused to comply. Its

super secure Blackberry enterprise service is typically used by corporate customers, governments and military personnel to protect emails and

messages.

Now, Blackberry's chief operating officer says the company is grateful to Pakistan for accepting its position on privacy.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. I'll be back with a check of the headlines in justa few minutes.

END