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CNN NEWSROOM

Democratic Candidates Face Tough Questions at Town Hall; Polls Show Tightening Democratic Race; Trump Relights Megyn Kelly Feud, Goes Head to Head with Cruz; How the Iowa Caucuses Work; Falling Oil Prices Hit Asia Stocks Hard; Report: Al Nusra Bigger Threat to West than ISIS; Denmark Lawmakers Set to Take Action on Refugees; Inside Look at What Happened in Cologne New Year's Eve; Asian Stocks Fall Sharply on Tumbling Oil Prices, Iran Concerned; Asia Cold Snap Causes Death, Travel Delays; Bernie Sanders' Brother Cheers Him on from England. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 26, 2016 - 02:00   ET

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


(HEADLINES)

[02:00:07] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: I want to welcome our viewers from watching all around the world. Thanks for being with me. I'm Errol Barnett with you for the next two hours. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

There's now just six days before the first votes are cast for the 2016 U.S. presidential nominations and at a town hall-style meeting hosted by CNN the Democratic candidates faced tough questions from a room full of voters. Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley and Hillary Clinton each appeared on stage in Iowa separately in Iowa. Sanders decrying income inequality, O'Malley looking to expand his support, and Clinton portraying herself as a proven leader.

One of the most recent political fights involved personal e-mail, and the storm of controversy that developed around it. At the debate, the former secretary of state defended her actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, DEBATE MODERATOR & CNN ANCHOR: When she makes a mistake, she should just say so. This weekend, that's a lesson you have not learned. You apologized, but only when you needed to, not when you first could have. Fair criticism?

HILLARY CLINTON, (D, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Yes. I think that's a fair criticism. You know, I -- I had no combination of having a convenient way to communicate. And it turned out to be not so convenient. We answered every question. We will continue to do so.

But maybe being faster, trying to scramble around, finding out what this means, I should have done that quicker.

CUOMO: You are willing to say it was an error in judgment? You should have apologized? CLINTON: No, I'm not willing to say it was an error in judgment because what -- nothing that I did was wrong. It was not -- it wasn't in any way prohibited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Later, a voter asked Clinton why she doesn't court more support from younger progressives. She argued that she has young supporters and that she has long-fought for progressive values.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I have been fighting --

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: -- to give kids and women and the people who are left out and left behind. And I've taken on the status quo, time and time again. I have many millions of dollars spent against me. When I worked on health care in '93 and '94 -- and I don't know if you were born then, I can't quite tell --

(LAUGHTER)

-- but if you had been around, and been able to pay attention, I was trying to get us to universal health care coverage, working with my husband.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, Clinton's main rival, Bernie Sanders, spent most of the meeting, describing his own progressive agenda. The Senator from Vermont proceeded as president, he would raise taxes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will raise taxes. Yes, we will. But also, let us be clear, Chris. A little bit of dis-ingenuity out there. We may raise taxes, but we are also going to eliminate private health insurance premiums for individuals and for businesses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, two new polls show Hillary Clinton as the leading Democratic contender, but they indicate a tightening presidential race. Look at this. A FOX News survey in Iowa shows Clinton ahead of Bernie Sanders, by six percentage points. This is among likely caucus goers. Nationwide, Clinton topped Sanders by 14 percent among Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents. This is in the new CNN/ORC poll.

Larry Sabato, director for the University of Virginia Center for Politics joins us from Charlottesville, Virginia.

Larry, this town hall format allows the candidates to think on their toes, engage with caucus goers directly. Who performed the best in that regard?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: I have to give the edge to Hillary Clinton. She had a lot of energy in answering the questions and in responding in a positive way to some tough and occasionally negative queries from some of the participants. Her best answer by far, and I've never put it this way, was to the young person, the young college student, who like almost all college students, is something of a purist. I'm a college professor. I recognize that particular attitude. But she brought him up to speed on history. And she let him know that she had been there for decades before he ever arrived. And it was a revelation to him. I was fascinated by that.

If I can add one other thing, I think Bernie Sanders was at his best when he talked about his distant past. I had never really heard much about his upbringing in Brooklyn. Or how his parents lived or how his father came over penniless from Poland. I thought it was moving.

[02:05:16] BARNETT: Senator Sanders saying he was a very good athlete, but not a great athlete. Downplaying what he was asked. And I will agree with you, Hillary Clinton seemed peppy. She joked with everyone. But polls show Senator Sanders does better with Democratic men and younger voters. How is she trying to convince that bloc, then, to change their minds?

SABATO: She is not doing it through Philosophy. Not doing it through emotion. She is trying to drive home one point above all. She is the only Democrat running who can be competitive in the November election. And on that almost all analysts agree. She really is the only Democrat running who could win the general election. She kept coming back to that, directly and indirectly, throughout her discussion.

BARNETT: Now, Senator Sanders acknowledged that if elected, he would raise taxes in order to pay for his Medicare for all health care plan. He goes on to explain that people wouldn't feel it as much since he will also cut private health care premiums. Might that be his weak spot here in the weeks ahead?

SABATO: It will certainly be his weak spot in a general election. It will be his weak spot in other states that are less liberal than Iowa. Iowa is one of the three more liberal Democratic electorates. Oddly, one of the others is New Hampshire. And the third is Vermont, Bernie Sanders' home state. What Sanders is saying sells in Iowa, but in a lot of the other states, in the Democratic primaries and caucuses, it won't sell.

BARNETT: Larry Sabato, director at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, thanks for your insight. Appreciate your joining us.

SABATO: Thank you.

BARNETT: Republican Candidate Donald Trump is re-igniting his feud with FOX News host, Megyn Kelly. He's threatening to skip Thursday's debate if she doesn't treat him fairly. Trump spoke candidly about Kelly to Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I don't like her. She doesn't treat me fairly. I'm not a fan of hers at all. I don't care. She probably was -- I might be the best thing that ever happened to her. Who heard of her before the last debate? But I thought she was unfair in the last debate. A lot of people said I won that debate. Everybody said I won the last debate. But I'm not a fan of Megyn Kelly. She probably doesn't like me. That's OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Trump has been focusing most of his wrath on rival, Ted Cruz. Trump is currently pulling ahead in Iowa. And they've both been sharpening their attacks on one another, as our Dana Bash reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First-time politician, Donald Trump, is starting to find a comfort zone being a candidate. Going to an Iowa church on Sunday.

TRUMP: We talked about humility at church today.

(LAUGHTER)

I don't know if that was aimed at me. Perhaps.

BASH: Even eschewing the Trump tower, staying at a holiday inn in Iowa.

TRUMP: I thought it was terrific. It was clean. It was nice. And the bed was good.

BASH: And the man who made his mark railing against the establishment is now making nice.

TRUMP: The establishment actually is against me. But really coming online because they see me as opposed to Cruz, who is a nasty guy, who can't get along with anybody.

BASH: Listen to Trump here as he talks with Wolf Blitzer today about his biggest competition, now, Ted Cruz.

TRUMP: You have to make deals. You have to get along. That's the purpose of what our founders created. And Ted cannot get along with anybody.

BASH: Not to say Trump isn't also still stoking controversy with comments other candidates wouldn't dare say. Like this over the weekend.

TRUMP: I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters. OK? It's like incredible.

BASH: As for Cruz, he's using humor to expose Trump's weak spot, like when the billionaire stumbled quoting scripture, 2 Corinthians.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R), TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are standing on the promises of 2 Chronicles 7:14, if my people --

(LAUGHTER)

Well, you know, 2 Corinthians walk into a bar. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

BASH: And Cruz is picking up endorsements he hopes will propel him to victory in Iowa. Conservative talk show host, Glenn Beck and former Texas Governor Rick Perry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK PERRY, (R), FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: Ted is the leader we need to reignite the promise of America. That's why I'm supporting Ted Cruz.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:10:03] BASH: Trump helped push Perry from an early exit to the 2016 presidential race. And though Perry was never a big fan of Cruz, his fellow Texan, he despises Trump. So, the enemy of Perry's enemy, Ted Cruz, is now his friend.

That, as an old high school video of Cruz, talking about his aspirations, caught fire on the Internet, one that speaks for itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRUZ: That's like sweat on my butt? No, no. What you want me to do. What I want to do in life. Well, my aspiration is to take over the world. World domination. You know, rule everything. Rich, powerful, that sort of stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH (on camera): The Cruz campaign is laughing that off. Saying he even had a sense of humor as a teenager. People who may not be laughing at the end of this week are executives at FOX News, hosting the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses.

Donald Trump told CNN he might not show up because one of the moderators is Megyn Kelly, who he tussled with in the first debate. He said he doesn't like her and she probably doesn't like him. And whether he goes will depend on how he is treated. But he wouldn't exactly say what that means.

Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Now this, Monday's Iowa caucuses are unique, not only because they're the first in the nation, but also for the way they work.

CNN's Tom Foreman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Iowa caucuses, this is what we've been leading up to all this time.

And for the Republicans, it's a simple matter. They show up on caucus night. And they cast their ballots and they count them.

For the Democrats, though, this is a process. What that means is that hundreds of precincts all across the state, they will physically gather and divide up, based on which candidates they support. For example, if we had 100 Democrats in one place and they divided among four different candidates, it might break out like this. Now if any candidate does not have 15 percent of support in that room, that candidate is declared out of it. The voters, however, can go home or they can start going to some of the other candidates out there. That's when you get talk and horse trading and a lot of wheeling and dealing because everyone wants to walk away with the most support for his or her candidate.

Once it's settled for the night, though, that precinct will report, as do hundreds of others, to the state level, where a lot of math will be done. And when that math is complete, we will have from both parties, the first indication of how the delegates will be divided, and who is actually leading the back on both sides in the race for the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Tom Foreman reporting there.

U.S. President Barack Obama is ordering federal prisons to stop the use of solitary confinement with juveniles and low-level offenders. Mr. Obama wrote the practice has been increasingly overused. And it makes it harder for prisoners to reintegrate into society. Mr. Obama used Khalif Broader (ph) as an example of this. He was a young man who spent nearly two years in solitary confinement in a federal prison and committed suicide after he was released. Falling oil prices are hitting stocks hard right now in Asia. Trading

has wrapped up for the day in Tokyo and in Shanghai. But we want to show you some of the numbers as they look right now. And the biggest drop we see is in the Shenzhen Composite, down more than 7 percent. The Hang Seng is 2.5 percent. And you see the Shanghai Composite, down 6.5 percent at this hour.

Let's connect with our Matt Rivers, watching the numbers live for us in Beijing.

Matt, what should we make of what's happening in China specifically right now?

MATT RIVERS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: Errol, this is more and more volatility in what has been a terrible year so far for what is Chinese stock markets. You mentioned off the top here. Oil is something that several analysts that we've spoken to here has pointed to, as perhaps the scapegoat here for today, causing the sell-off. We saw stocks really take a plummet, around 2:00 p.m. local time. They had been down since they opened for most of the day. But they really took a sharp nose dive, just after 2:00 p.m. The stock markets close here at 3:00 p.m. And the Shanghai Composite closed at its lowest level since 2014.

As to why all of this is happening, it's anybody's guess. One of the things I mentioned, oil prices slipped below $30 per barrel. And some of the biggest losers were energy stocks. There was perhaps a herd mentality there. People seeing the stock prices go down and going to sell their shares off, as well.

One analyst I just spoke to within the last 10 minutes or so, said he wasn't completely convinced that oil was the only thing going on here. He pointed to this morning's injection of liquidity by the Chinese Central Bank. They injected another $80 billion in. That's to improve the liquidity, with more liquidity, and hopefully stabilize things. But what he suggested to me is that suggests of liquidity, these injections of liquidity by the central bank, as a sign that they should not be confident in the Chinese stock markets. Perhaps, that triggered this late-day sell-off.

But there really isn't one specific smoking gun here. This is what we see in China, a lot of volatility that can't be specifically pegged to one over-arcing reason for that sell-off -- Errol?

[02:15:55] BARNETT: All right. We'll continue to watch numbers there in the region, Matt, and check in with you next hour to see if we can pinpoint this to anything specific. As you say, that injection of liquidity, maybe playing a role and the low oil prices.

Thanks for that update.

ISIS may not be the biggest militant threat to the U.S., according to an alarming report. Find out who it says may be much more dangerous in the long run. Details on that, coming up.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:20] BARNETT: Welcome back. Syrian government forces are now in control of a key town in the southwest after weeks of intense fighting. Syrian military troops planted a flag in the rebel stronghold of Daraa Province after seizing it from Islamist fighters. This would be a significant win for the government because the town is at a crossroads that links Daraa to Damascus. And its seizure cuts off rebel links between east and west Daraa.

Now the Islamist rebels there are linked to al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, the al Nusra Front. A report warns the group poses a more much dangerous threat to the U.S. than ISIS in the long run. The report comes from the Institute of the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute. It cautions that, quote, "While ISIS is flashier than al-Nusra, both represent an existential threat, both which to attack the homeland" -- meaning the U.S. -- "both seek the mobilization of Muslim communities against the West." It adds that "al-Nusra is waiting in the wings to pick up the mantle of global jihad once ISIS fails."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Joining me to talk about this is CNN military analyst, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, joining us from Orlando, Florida.

General, thanks for your time today.

You had a chance to look at this report's findings. You disagree with the main conclusion, why is that?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: First of all, Errol, I will say that Al-Nusra, like many other terrorist organizations, pose a threat to their area and possibly depending on what activities they're conducting, it might pose a threat to citizens of the United States, both overseas and in the homeland. But to say it's an existential threat, by definition, proclaims that it will be a threat to our very existence, or our way of life, I think is just a little bit of a stretch for an organization that's primary purpose is to overthrow the Assad regime.

BARNETT: Al-Nusra says this group intertwines itself with civilians. Might this be a push to get U.S. soldiers on the ground there? If they intertwine, the only logical solution would be to get in there and take them out. Why do you think that is?

HERTLING: That is a possibility. And they are much more moderate, if you can use that word with a terrorist organization, than is, and they are much more accepted by the local population because they do intertwine, as you say, with the local population. And they provide some support to counter Assad forces. But at the same time, they have threatened the use of chemical weapons. They have used suicide attacks and other terrorist modes of operation. Again, you might be correct, a view, that says a lot of people are portraying this to be a bigger threat than it is to get forces of the ground. This is the actions of people who believe I there should be more ground forces for the last several years.

BARNETT: Al-Nusra believes it is a kingmaker of some opposition groups, that it wields considerable influence over. There's efforts to negotiate some kind of peace agreement. But won't al-Nusra be a part of it somehow? Currently, it's not.

HERTLING: That's an interesting population. No, I don't believe they will because they have been identified as a terrorist group by several of the organizations that are coming together to try and get Assad to the table. The Russians see them as that and have been attacking them. We see them as a terrorism group. And Iran sees them as a terrorist group. We all agree on that bizarre conclusion. They won't be invited to the table, because they are not posing consideration for future government actions. They have admitted they are an element of al Qaeda. They are fighting for an organization, which sees an Islamic emir in northern Syria, which would be under the control of Sharia Law. All of that puts them in a position, that based on the tactics, what they have done, what they have done against the government, they will be considered as part of the negotiations.

BARNETT: I appreciate you shedding some light on this. CNN military analyst, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, thank you for your time.

HERTLING: Thank you, Errol.

[02:25:00] BARNETT: With no end in sight to Europe's migrant crisis, Denmark is ready to make controversial action. Details, next.

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BARNETT: Welcome back to our viewers watching from all around the world. I'm Errol Barnett.

Let's update you on our top stories right now.

(HEADLINES)

BARNETT: A 15-year-old asylum-seeker in Sweden has been accused of stabbing a refugee worker to death. A police spokesman said it happened in a home for asylum-seekers under the age of 18. The 22- year-old woman who was killed was alone in the home with eight young male residents.

[02:30:00] And incidents like that have shifted support for the migrants and heated up the debate over what to do with them.

Arwa Damon reports, lawmakers in Denmark are set to vote on measures designed to make their country unappealing to any migrant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Danish lawmakers are sending a clear signal to would-be asylum signals, do not come to Denmark.

It's in the form of a bill coined the Jewelry Bill. It gives police the right to search asylum-seekers and confiscate cash and items valued over $1,500, including jewelry like this ring. Now, this actually would not be taken from me because it was given to me by my mother and has sentimental value. But anything else is fair game.

Another aspect of this bill, family reunification, a time period that has gone from a wait of one year all the way up to three years. So if I left my family back in the war zone, I have to wait three years, constantly wondering if they are dead or alive before I can even begin the process of seeing them again.

The language level required of a person to then seek permanent status has also become significantly more difficult and challenging.

Now, Denmark was once known for its compassion and generosity towards asylum-seekers, but this has all changed. The lawmakers who drafted and supported the bill say that they believe that Denmark has already done more than its fair share, and the arrival of more asylum-seekers, more foreigners, would genuinely threaten the Danish way of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Arwa Damon reporter there.

Another factor impacting the support for refugees is the New Year's Eve attacks on women in Cologne, Germany. A former police officer has an insider perspective on what happened that night, and how his country should respond.

Atika Shubert brings us his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(GUNFIRE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 11 years, Nick Hine (ph) was a cop with Germany's federal police. He spent three patrolling the streets of Cologne. Last year, he put his career on hold to pursue his dream of being a mixed martial arts fighter. But when he saw the videos of the New Year's Eve chaos and mass assaults at Cologne's train station, he decided to speak out when many of his former police colleagues could not.

NICK HINE (ph), FORMER GERMAN FEDERAL POLICE OFFICER: I always said it's sort of civil war on New Year's Eve, when you go.

SHUBERT: Nick took us around the old beat, Cologne's train station, for years a hunting ground for pickpocket games. Nick knows by name many of the Moroccan and Algeria pickpockets that target the station. He said they represent a small minority, and a vast majority of law- abiding referees.

HINE (ph): They are a minority, but the people know, but it causes immense problems since a long time ago.

SHUBERT: Crime is not new, he says. But the numbers have increased, along with the surge in refugee arrives, he says, overwhelming police resources.

HINE (ph): We're losing trust to the public, you know? They go through the train station, people are eyeing them, like you should have been helping us that night.

SHUBERT: But Nick insists the solution is not to turn refugees away. In fact, he says, some of his training partners in are new Syrian arrivals. And he wants to start a boxing program for refugees.

HINE (ph): When they need help, they should be given help. They're so thankful. Given the opportunity to be part of society, things will be way better than it is right now.

SHUBERT: Nick says he agrees for tougher law enforcement of any crime, but not for deportations or turning refugees away. Keeping the door open, he says, is the right thing to do.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Cologne, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:34:15]BARNETT: We will have more on this issue from experts and our reporters in the region in the next hour.

Now, the price of oil has fallen once again. And Iran is getting worried about what that means for the future of their economic development.

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BARNETT: Returning now to the migrant crisis in Europe, Matthew Karnitschnig joins us from Berlin. He's "Politico's" chief Germany correspondent.

Matthew, thanks for joining us and for speaking with us today.

I want to begin by asking you about Denmark's new measures that are being discussed. They include taking away the personal belongings of refugees if they can't fund their own stay. How is that being viewed where you are in Germany? Chancellor Angela Merkel has been under pressure to reverse some of her own policies towards migrants and refugees.

MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, CHIEF GERMANY CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: That's right. And I think the Danish proposal here reflects the immense pressure that governments along this Balkan route leading up to Germany and Sweden are facing. And no country wants to be saddled with thousands of refugees on its border because they can't get into the neighboring country. It's seen more of an attempt to get people not to come to begin with. Rather than taking away their belongings. Switzerland has similar rules, as does Bavaria. They haven't implemented them.

BARNETT: While ministers were meeting in Amsterdam, pressure was placed on Greece to do more, since that is the entry point of so many of people coming into Europe. And Austria Greece could be excluded from the Schengen agreement if it doesn't help. How does the German government see Greece's role here?

KARNITSCHNIG: I think the German government agrees with Austria that Greece could do more to secure its border with Turkey. Right now, think accuse Greece of letting them come through on boats to the island of Lesbos. And putting them on track through mass done in a, toward Austria and Germany. Austria and Germany are saying you have to do more to stop people from coming up to register them first and to determine who is coming because if they don't, they fear that there will not be any reduction in the number of people coming. They want to pressure Greece to use its navy, in particular, to patrol this corridor between Turkey and Greece, where most of the refugees are coming through.

[02:40:17] BARNETT: And fear is a major component of all of this. There's this view that with far right parties gaining support in places like Austria, it's inevitable, that E.U. policy would become more protectionist. And Austria produced a cap of how many people it can take in. Is this the new European reality? Or is there a backlash of sorts to the rhetoric?

KARNITSCHNIG: On the one hand, some governments, like the Austrian governments has concerned about the rise of the right, the right wing party in Austria, is polling at 31 percent and is leading the pack. So, you can see right there, that that would create a lot of pressure.

The other point is that Austria and Germany, in particular, are trying to get the rest of the E.U. to do more. And they are accusing their E.U. partners of letting them handle the situation and making empty promises to take in refugees and to help in various other ways to address the crisis. So far, nothing happens. So the Austrian strategy, by establishing this cap, seems to be saying, well, this is going to have a domino effect. Other countries will chose their borders along this Balkan route and then the pressure that arises from that is going to force the other E.U. countries to finally do something about it.

BARNETT: There's so many components to be worked on this. The relocation scheme that hasn't worked as originally planned that all nations need to work together to solve. We'll see what happens here in the days ahead.

Matthew Karnitschnig is the chief Germany correspondent for "Politico." Thanks for your time today.

KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.

BARNETT: Now, to another story we're following for you right now. Stocks in Asia have fallen sharply with oil prices tumbling once again. This is a look at the trading numbers. Trading has wrapped up for the day in Tokyo. Shanghai and Shenzhen, we should let you know. The Shenzhen Composite is down 7 percent. The Shanghai Composite, down 6.5 percent at this moment. Crude oil is selling at $29.58. That's down more than 3 percent and cheaper than 30 bucks.

Now, Iran, which is hoping to boost its oil production is growing more concerned about what the low prices mean for its economic development.

CNN's Frederick Pleitgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tehran's gas stations are almost always busy. The country with some of the largest oil reserves has seen a boom in car sales in recent years.

While Iran wants to increase its share of the world's oil market, it also wants to drastically increase its capabilities in terms of refining to make sure they can meet the needs of motorists here at home.

(on camera): Among drivers we spoke to, oil was a major topic and a major point of concern, given the low international crude prices.

"The oil price is very important. The low price hurts our economy," she adds.

"In my opinion, the low oil price is very bad because he really hurts our economy," he adds.

And this man says, "It's very bad because so much of our income is from oil."

Analysts say over half of Iran's budget comes from oil revenues."

No wonder then, with the lifting of nuclear sanctions, Iran wants to export an additional 500,000 barrels per day at a time when international crude prices are tanking.

Some experts fear Tehran's reentry into the market will cause a further decline. Of course, Iran would make less selling while prices are down.

But an analyst tells me, Iran's strategy is about more than money.

UNIDENTIFIED ANALYST: This is a geo-political agent for the country, not just economy. This is not just the subject of the money. This is the subject of the share of the market that is very essential for the country.

PLEITGEN: There is little doubt that Tehran will quickly re-establish itself as an oil powerhouse. Even if revenues start off weak in the current market climate, Tehran's influence is expected to grow with every additional barrel it's able to export.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: The cold wave gripping Asia has killed almost 100 people, with at least 85 dead in Taiwan alone. It's delayed thousands of travelers and dumped snow on countries that are used to much warmer weather. But things should be getting back to normal soon.

For more on why this spell was so deadly, and what the week holds, Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri looks at the forecast ahead.

I was shocked to see the high death numbers in reporting on this. Why were the numbers so high?

[02:45:14] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's fascinating. I touch on extreme heat and the human body. It was a fantastic job. But when it comes to extreme cold, it takes two to three weeks for a healthy adult, to acclimate to temperatures. And we have seasonal changes, dramatic seasonal changes, the first couple weeks of autumn, that shock to the system occurs and it takes two to three weeks to be able to acclimate to it. And your body responds by the way your blood vessels constrict. And the way the temperatures are distributed. All of these elements are worked over several weeks period, with heat is not the case. Some of the areas, the tropical regions that fall to below freezing. We saw it in spots. We'll show you what has occurred. 100 fatalities occurred. And 85 coming around Taiwan, Taipei in particular, with the cold temperatures. Incredible temperatures. And the average body, 37 Celsius. You bring that to 36 or 35 degrees Celsius, that is when it's mild hypothermia. You get goose bumps and the dexterity becomes limited. You bring that below 32 Celsius, and shivering stops. The slurred speech starts to take place. And this becomes a deadly scenario in places that you do not expect temperatures to be extremely cold. You take a look. In Beijing, the average temperature, minus ten. Maybe down to minus 17. Then 31 below zero. By Sunday, minus 15, warms up to minus 12. The next couple of days, we will get up above average. A quick warming trend after a very quick cooling trend that was taking place, as the cold air really begins to migrate farther to the north, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong. The trend has been on the warmer side and will continue to do so as we get in towards the middle portion of the week, Errol, 17 to 20 degrees. It made it down to around 4 degrees in Hong Kong. And we're going back up to 20 where it belongs.

Some good news at least there.

BARNETT: That's incredible. As you talk about how long it takes for the body to acclimatize, a lot of folks had a few hours.

JAVAHERI: A few hours to go from 20 down to 3 degrees in a few spots. That's why it was so fatal.

BARNETT: Things are getting back to normal.

Pedram, appreciate the update. We'll see you next hour.

JAVAHERI: Yeah.

BARNETT: A person who knows Bernie Sanders very well, sits down with CNN to discuss the candidate's chances for the presidency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you think he will become the Democratic nominee?

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You will hear directly from Sanders' brother, Larry, after this short break.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

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[02:52:08] BARNETT: One of Bernie Sanders' closest supporter is cheering him on from England. I'm talking about his brother, Larry Sanders.

CNN's Hala Gorani sat down with him to talk about the democratic campaign and the candidate.

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(CHEERING)

GORANI (voice-over): Thousands of miles from the U.S. campaign trail, where Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders is riding high in the polls, lives a man who knows him better than almost anyone. In picturesque Oxford, England, older brother, Larry Sanders, says he's not surprised the man he calls Bernard is doing so well.

(on camera): Do you think he can beat Hillary Clinton?

LARRY SANDERS, BROTHER OF U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT CANDIDATE BERNIE SANDERS: Oh, yes. I think he can beat Hillary Clinton.

GORANI: Do you think he will become the Democratic nominee?

SANDERS: He will not only become the Democratic nominee, but given the state of the Republican Party, he will be the president.

GORANI (voice-over): Larry, a retired social worker, moved to England in the '60s with his first wife. But both brothers grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the children of Jewish immigrants from Poland.

(on camera): What was Bernie Sanders like as a kid brother?

SANDERS: He was a quiet kid, fairly shy. His great gift is he was a very good athlete, a very determined athlete. He was always very kind. He was -- he was very truthful, I guess, still is very truthful.

GORANI (voice-over): The Sanders' parents had it rough. They were poor. And both died relatively young. But 80-year-old Larry says he still thinks about them often.

SANDERS: This is the point in which in previous interviews I've cried. I've learned to control myself. But it's exactly that thought of how happy and how proud -- they both would be.

GORANI (on camera): When did your father pass away? Was he able to see any of it?

SANDERS: No, no. He died two years after my mother. He couldn't cope on his own.

GORANI: He never saw Bernie Sanders achieve any of his political career.

SANDERS: None of it.

GORANI: Is that why you wish --

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: Well, that's why I break into tears. He was elected mayor, the first thing that came to my mind is, how nice it would have been.

GORANI (voice-over): Larry also ran for parliament in the U.K. last year, unsuccessfully. All these years later, he says, there's a playful sibling rivalry.

SANDERS: There's a certain amount of competition. I'm a politician. And he's a politician. He's a little better than me. And I think if we were living next door to each other, it would be a problem.

GORANI (on camera): You must be -- even though there's competition, and I know there's competition between brothers, you must be really proud.

SANDERS: Oh, I'm incredibly proud. Of course, I am. Yes.

[02:55:08] GORANI (voice-over): Larry predicts his brother will face Donald Trump in November's general election. He says the two candidates have only one thing in common, their appeal to people who feel disgruntled.

SANDERS: Donald Trump is an obnoxious person, regardless of his policies. But Bernard's great strength is he talks directly to people. And he -- isn't put off by the fact that they have particular opinions that are different from his.

I think that the Trumps get strength from people feeling they've been ripped off. Bernard agrees with that. But instead of saying, well, the thing to do is to hate Mexicans and Muslims, the thing to do is create a better society.

GORANI: Hala Gorani, CNN, London.

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BARNETT: Finally this hour, drivers in Ecuador are being forgiving about the cause of a traffic jam this week. Why? Because this little guy, a sloth, was the cause. He was lost and clinging to a pole. The transport commission said the sloth was rescued safely and returned to the wild after a quick checkup at the vet. The image, of course, has gone viral. Maybe you've seen it online. It is being called the most adorable highway rescue ever.

Thanks so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM, everyone. I'm Errol Barnett. In our next hour, we'll have live reports from Denmark, China, Germany and more. Please do stay with us.

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