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CNN NEWSROOM

Trump and the Birther Controversy; U.S. Special Ops Assist Turkish Forces; Syrian Cease-Fire Holds but Aid Stalled; Obama Coalition Rallies behind Clinton; Pro-Kremlin Parties Set to Dominate Russian Election; Migrants in England Face Xenophobia; Beatles' Documentary Premieres in London. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired September 17, 2016 - 04:00   ET

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


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GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Donald Trump dropping the birther movement but now he is going after Hillary Clinton on gun rights with a suggestion that her Secret Service (INAUDIBLE).

Teaming up against (INAUDIBLE) the United States helps Turkey in Syria and the fragile cease-fire sees another day there.

Plus a community on edge: Polish immigrants in a small English town fear new violence in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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HOWELL: 4:00 am on the U.S. East Coast. The Clinton campaign slamming Donald Trump for his comments about the Democratic presidential candidate in Miami, Florida.

On Friday, Donald Trump urged Hillary Clinton's Secret Service detail to get rid of their guns. He claimed that Clinton wants to do away with Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She wants to destroy your Second Amendment.

Guns, guns, guns, right?

I think what we should do is she goes around with armed bodyguards like you have never seen before. I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons. They should disarm.

Right?

Right? I think they should disarm immediately.

What do you think?

Yes?

Yes. Yes. Take their guns away. She doesn't want guns. Take their, let's see what happens to her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: As a matter of fact, Clinton has called for tougher gun laws but has never called for eliminating the Second Amendment. Last month, Donald Trump made comments, suggesting that, quote, "Second Amendment people" could quote, "do something" if Clinton is elected and nominating judges that they didn't like.

Trump also dropping his discredited birther theory. It's an issue that has pushed through the press for many years. And Donald Trump has been part of that. But now blaming it on his rival, Hillary Clinton. Phil Mattingly has more on that.

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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump is backing off the long debunked theory that fueled his political rise, that President Obama was not born in the U.S.

TRUMP: President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): But Trump is refusing to apologize or even take questions about the reversal, instead falsely attempting to pin the blame on his rival, Hillary Clinton.

TRUMP: Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Trump made his announcement as he stood on stage with veterans, including noted birther, retired general Thomas McInerney, who introduced him. McInerney questioned Obama's citizenship in a 2010 affidavit, support of a soldier refusing to deploy to Afghanistan because he didn't believe Obama was born in the U.S.

Trump's shift comes 12 hours after his campaign announced he changed his mind and claimed he had put the issue to rest in 2011, something that a series of interviews, tweets and statements proves is completely untrue. There's this in an interview with Wolf in 2012.

TRUMP: A lot of people do not think it was an authentic certificate. Many people do not think it was authentic. His mother was not in the hospital. There are many other things that came out and, frankly, if you would report it accurately, I think you'd probably get better ratings than you're getting.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Trump continuing to question the issue in this 2014 interview.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But he is a citizen. He produced that long form birth certificate.

TRUMP: Well, a lot of people don't agree with you and a lot of people feel it wasn't a proper certificate.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): This from 2015 FOX News interview.

TRUMP: But when I questioned, he gave whatever it was he gave. I'm not exactly sure what he gave. But he gave something called a birth certificate. I don't know if it was or not.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Still pushing the falsehood during his presidential run, including an interview with Wolf earlier this year.

TRUMP: Who knows, let's -- who cares right now?

We're talking about something else, OK?

I mean, I have my own theory on Obama.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): All as he stirred the fictional theory, time and time again on Twitter. Hillary Clinton is making clear she has no intention of letting him off the hook on his history of pushing the false theory.

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HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We know who Donald is. For five years, he has led the birther movement to delegitimize on our first black president. His campaign was founded on this outrageous lie.

There is no erasing it in history. He is feeding into the worst impulses, the bigotry and bias that lurks in our country.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Even as President Obama himself continues to make light of the issue from the Oval Office.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was pretty confident about where I was born. I think most people were as well. And my hope would be that the presidential election reflects more serious issues than that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: CNN's Phil Mattingly, thank you so much for that report.

We're also hearing from the first lady of the United States, denouncing Donald Trump, even while not referring to him specifically by name. Michelle Obama made her first solo campaign appearance for Hillary Clinton in Virginia on Friday.

Ms. Obama said that her husband set an example for people who questioned where he was born by, quote, "going high when they go low." She said Trump's behavior on the campaign trail shows what he would be like in the Oval Office.

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MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: So if a candidate is erratic and threatening, if a candidate traffics in prejudice, fears and lies on the trail, if a candidate has no clear plans to implement their goals, if they disrespect their fellow citizens, including folks who made extraordinary sacrifices for our country, let me tell you, that is who they are. That is the kind of president they will be. Trust me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Let's get some context on all things happening political. CNN Politics reporter Eugene Scott, live in Washington this day.

Eugene, always a pleasure to have you. Let's start with Trump's statement about Hillary Clinton's security detail disarming.

What's being made of that comment?

And also his insistence that Clinton wants to do away with the Second Amendment, something that is simply not true. She's denied that consistently.

EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it appears that Donald Trump echoed some of the concerns or comments or opinions of many of his supporters, who do seem to believe that Hillary Clinton wants to do away with the Second Amendment yet allows her security detail to have guns themselves.

But the truth is the former secretary does not want to do with the Second Amendment and she is not trying to take guns from everyone. She wants it to be more difficult for some people to get guns and believes that some people, like security details for people seeking elected office, should have access to guns and keep people safe.

HOWELL: Let's talk about the birther movement. This is something that has been proven false many times. In this case, you blow up the balloon, you pop it and then you blame someone else for blowing up the balloon. Donald Trump saying the actual words that the President of the United States was born in the United States.

But he is blaming Clinton for starting it. That is simply factually inaccurate.

Could this hurt his loyal supporters by saying those words?

Or, in fact, could it give him an opening to those African American voters?

As you know, Eugene, he has been reaching out to those voters, looking for their support.

SCOTT: Well, I think one thing we know is that Donald Trump's face is not going anywhere. They will be with him, as he has said himself, until the end of his campaign and possibly later. Regarding his desire to win more minority voters, specifically black

voters, this issue is just one of many that people of color have found problematic with Donald Trump.

So even if this was a start, it is a very small start and he has much farther to go. As you saw yesterday, members of the Congressional Black Caucus' political action committee thought his response was insufficient and want an apology.

So I don't think right now it looks like there will be a significant change and a view on Donald Trump, at least from black lawmakers.

HOWELL: Let's talk about what we are hearing from the Congressional Black Caucus on Donald Trump's 180, a swift response. Let's listen. We'll talk about it on the other side.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump is nothing more than a two-bit racial arsonist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump is doing everything that he can to divide. He's a hater. He's a bigot. And he's a racist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump has acted in a way that suggests he's a bigot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By any definition, Donald Trump is a disgusting fraud.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will not elect a chief bigot of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Eugene, not a glowing set of reactions --

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HOWELL: -- from the Congressional Black Caucus. But again, we are seeing Donald Trump pivot and make this outreach to African Americans. He has visited churches. He has spoken more directly to those voters.

And I want you to also take a look at this new poll that came out, the CBS "New York Times" poll that shows Hillary Clinton with 89 percent of support when it comes from African Americans. And 6 percent for Donald Trump. And if you compare that to previous polls, you could say that Donald Trump has gone up to some degree.

But, Eugene, the question for you, these latest moves by Donald Trump, could this indeed help him gain some ground?

SCOTT: Well, the Trump campaign is certainly hoping so. I was actually at a Trump campaign event this week at the Congressional Black Caucus. One of his spokespeople, Katrina Pierson (ph), has made it very clear that they are paying attention to the polls and do see room for growth and for movement with black voters.

But as we saw, the political action committee from the black caucus, which in my view has endorsed Hillary Clinton, wants to make it very clear to their constituents and people who support them, that they believe that Donald Trump is not the best person for president for black voters.

HOWELL: Eugene, the first debate is set for September 26th. It's not too far away. When we see Donald Trump talking about the birther issue, for instance, is he trying to resolve these issues before he gets on that debate stage?

And what also are we hearing about Hillary Clinton and her preparation?

SCOTT: I would imagine that putting this issue to rest the way he did would help Donald Trump get past that issue on the debate stage. But I think the fact that he gave such a brief response will present the opportunity for more questions, not just for moderators but from his opponent as well.

And so I would not be surprised if it still comes up at the next debate or debates after that.

As far as Hillary Clinton's preparation, we reported that she is researching deeply not only Donald Trump's policy positions but his personality and how he has responded to attacks from his rivals in the primary and some of the things that irk him and cause him to be frustrated.

I think we can expect to see Hillary Clinton mention those things and perhaps even poke at Donald Trump a bit to agitate him.

HOWELL: We'll have to wait and see. That debate not far away. CNN Politics reporter, Eugene Scott, live in Washington. Eugene, thank you for your time today.

SCOTT: Thank you.

HOWELL: Donald Trump's change of heart on this birther issue is not his first. From the Iraq War to abortions, he has had a few flip- flops through the years. CNN's Randi Kaye has more.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some might call it a flip-flop, others a softening. But whatever it is, Donald Trump seems to have changed his stance on rounding up millions of illegal immigrants and sending them packing. This is what he told MSNBC in November last year.

TRUMP: You're going to have a deportation force. And you're going to do it humanely.

KAYE (voice-over): But just last month, Trump sounded like the deportation force was no longer when he spoke with Anderson Cooper.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Eleven million who have not --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: No, no --

COOPER: -- there is going to be a path to legalization.

Is that right?

TRUMP: You know it's a process. You can't take 11 at one time and just say, boom, you're gone.

KAYE (voice-over): That is not the only time Trump has flip-flopped.

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KAYE (voice-over): On the very day Donald Trump announced his run for the White House, he made this bold statement about his objection to the Iraq War.

TRUMP: I said don't hit Iraq because you're going to totally destabilize the Middle East.

KAYE (voice-over): But it turns out back in 2002 in his first public comments about the war, he told Howard Stern he was actually in favor of the war -- kind of. Listen.

HOWARD STERN, RADIO HOST: Are you for invading Iraq?

TRUMP: Yes, I guess so. You know, I wish it was -- I wish the first time it was done correctly.

KAYE (voice-over): On the issue of nukes, he told "The New York Times" in March that the biggest problem in the world is nuclear proliferation. Yet in that same interview, he also said he wouldn't object to South Korea and Japan getting nuclear weapons for protection against North Korea.

Trump has also done a 180 on abortion. Listen to him on NBC back in 1999 at a time when he was considering a run for the White House.

TRUMP: Very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. I hate it. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debating the subject. But you still, I just believe in choice.

KAYE (voice-over): In that same interview, Trump went on to say he would also support a woman's right to late-term abortion. But that was then.

On CNN in recent months, Trump made it clear he has, quote, "evolved" on the issue of abortion. TRUMP: As you know, I'm pro-life. I have been pro-life for a long time.

I am pro-life. Everybody knows I'm pro-life.

As you know, I am pro-life and I was originally pro-choice.

KAYE (voice-over): Trump now wants to ban all abortions except in the case of incest or rape or if the mother's life is at risk.

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KAYE (voice-over): Trump has even done an about-face on Hillary Clinton. She and Bill Clinton were guests at Trump's wedding back in 2005. On FOX in 2012, he called her "a terrific woman," saying, "she works really hard and does a good job." Now facing Clinton in the general election, Trump is saying something very different.

TRUMP: Lying, crooked Hillary. I love to say it because she's a liar. She's a bad person.

KAYE (voice-over): As Trump wrote in his book, "The Art of The Deal," he never gets too attached to one deal or one approach. Seems that holds true for some of his policy positions, too -- Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The United States says it has killed another top ISIS leader in Syria. That story still ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.

Plus: inside Aleppo during the Syrian cease-fire. Why the war is never far from sight. Stay with us.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

A contingent of U.S. special operations forces is now assisting Turkey --

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HOWELL: -- in its offensive against ISIS in Northern Syria.

Turkish troops entered Syria in August just days after a suicide bomber killed 54 people at a wedding in Turkey. Some 40 special operations troops are now training and advising the Turks. The United States was already providing air support to the Turkish offensive.

The U.S. has announced the death of another high-ranking ISIS leader. The Pentagon said that a drone strike in Raqqa, Syria, killed the information minister of ISIS, Wa'il Adil al-Salman. That air raid conducted on September 7th. The Pentagon says that Salman was in charge of propaganda videos showing torture and executions.

He had direct access to ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; another ISIS leader, Mohammed al-Adnani, was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Syria back on August 30th. That cease-fire that started on Monday in Syria is holding. But humanitarian aid still has yet to reach the thousands of people who need it most.

And as CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports, mistrust is growing on both sides.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): In Aleppo, this is what the cease-fire looks like, government forces moving around armored personnel carriers in a contested district.

And oftentimes this is what the cease-fire sounds like.

Syrian army personnel acknowledging they don't trust the truce.

"We're sticking to the cease-fire," this pro-government fighter says, "but the other side is not. That's why I don't think the cease-fire will work."

For their part, rebels accuse government forces of breaching the cease-fire. Despite the transgressions, though, the U.N. says by and large the cessation of hostilities is working.

But many Aleppo residents are still suffering from the clashes that took place before it went into effect.

At the Ramouseh hospital, Ahmed Jabr and his 7-year-old son, Mahmud, lay side by side, both wounded by rebel shelling that killed three of Mahmud's brothers.

"When the bombshell fell, I went to the ground," the boy says, "and I was bleeding. I felt the shrapnel in my body."

It happened last Friday, the day the cease-fire was announced, crushing Ahmed Jabr's faith that the cessation of hostilities might work.

"Even after the cease-fire, I was here in the hospital," he says, "and I saw wounded people still being brought here."

And the calm remains strained. Damascus saw heavy clashes on Friday around the rebel-held districts of Jobar. And in the early morning hours of Friday, opposition and government forces exchanged fire right here on the outskirts of Aleppo, another sign of just how fragile the current cease-fire is -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Aleppo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Fred, thank you.

A 21-year-old British man has been sentenced to life for an ISIS- inspired murder. Prosecutors say that he and an accomplice planned the murder of an imam because the cleric practiced a form of faith healing that ISIS rejects. That 72-year-old imam was followed as he led the evening prayer at that mosque.

He was beaten to death then with a hammer. Authorities say the accomplice may have fled then to Syria.

A second typhoon set to impact Taiwan in less than a week continues to batter the island nation. Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is here.

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HOWELL: Derek, thank you so much.

The Zika virus is being transmitted in more areas of Miami Beach than previously thought. Officials there say they are expanding the zone under control in Miami Beach.

Authorities also say on Monday, they plan to declare a neighborhood north of downtown Miami to be safe. Florida's governor says that he needs more federal funds and resources to fight the Zika outbreak there.

East of Tampa, Florida, some residents are concerned that their running water could make them very sick. It is water that is, quote, "slightly radioactive." It is leaking from a fertilizer plant.

The company says more than 200 million gallons of contaminated water have been released. That's about 700 million liters of water. The leak has made what you see there, this massive sinkhole. The company says that it has captured the polluted water and that there is no risk to anyone there.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, supporters of U.S. President Barack Obama are rallying around Hillary Clinton. How Donald Trump's remarks fire up the Obama coalition -- coming up.

Plus, why the last thing candidates in Sunday's Russian election want is an American flag.

Live from Atlanta, to our viewers in the United States and around the world, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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HOWELL (voice-over): Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It's always good to have you with us. I'm George Howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

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HOWELL: And now to the birther issue. Donald Trump also finally saying the words himself Friday that the President of the United States, Barack Obama, was indeed born in the United States. But his opponents have seized on his years of pushing that false theory. Jeff Zeleny has more.

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HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The next 53 days will shape the next 50 years.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SR. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton delivering a clarion call to Democrats about the election's steep consequences and a warning not to buy the shape-shifting of Donald Trump.

CLINTON: So my friends, there is no new Donald Trump. There never will be.

ZELENY: Tonight, Clinton and Democrats across the party are rising up in fury at Trump, after he tried extinguishing his long running, factually incorrect questions about President Obama's citizenship. The new wave of controversy could awaken and energize the so-called Obama coalition which will Clinton has been struggling to motivate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

ZELENY: In Virginia today, Michelle Obama confronting Trump at her first solo campaign appearance for Clinton.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: There were those who questioned and continue to question for the past eight years up through this very day whether my husband was even born in this country.

ZELENY: The first lady one of the most popular figures in politics, invested in keeping the White House in Democratic hands.

OBAMA: No one in our lifetime has ever had as much experience and exposure to the presidency, not about Barack, not Bill, as he was saying nobody and yes, she happens to be a woman.

ZELENY: She's one of many Democratic stars hitting the campaign trail, a highlight real from the party's convention last month, now fanning out across the country.

To fire up liberals and young voters, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders heading to Ohio this weekend.

On CNN's "NEW DAY," Sanders offering sharp words to any of his followers who are still cool on Clinton.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Please anybody who supports me, do not think that Donald Trump in any way shape or form reflects the point of view that I have.

ZELENY: Clinton is trying to regain her footing after weathering one of the rockiest weeks of her campaign.

Even making political hay from her setback with pneumonia.

CLINTON: The good news is my in a pneumonia finally got some Republicans interested in women's health.

ZELENY: Back on the campaign trail for a second straight day, Clinton told black women leaders they could play a large role in helping stop Trump's candidacy.

She noted that African American women --

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ZELENY (voice-over): -- voted higher percentage than any other group.

CLINTON: This year once again, you have your hands on the wheel of history. And you can write the next chapter of the American story.

ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Donald Trump is also threatening to roll back the Obama administration's efforts to normalize relations with Cuba in Miami, Florida. Trump said Friday that Washington should have made a better deal with Havana. He is threatening to reverse that deal if Cuba doesn't release political prisoners and to allow more political freedoms. Listen.

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DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All of the concessions that Barack Obama has granted the Castro regime were done through executive order, which means the next president can reverse them. And that I will do unless the Castro regime meets our demands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: As a matter of fact, it was just a year ago that Trump said he thought the deal was fine when he was asked about it. In March of this year, he told CNN that he would consider opening a hotel in Cuba.

Moving on now to Russia, where people are about to go to the polls this weekend. And as CNN's Matthew Chance reports, Mr. Putin is expected to be very happy with the results there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the Kremlin-controlled channel, where most Russians get their news and views. For the first time in years, one of the country's main opposition figures is a guest.

Mikhail Kasyanov was invited to debate upcoming parliamentary elections and to have an American flag planted in front of him by a pro-Kremlin candidate, reminding millions of viewers who Russia's opposition is accused of defending.

But even this exposure on state television is an opportunity.

MIKHAIL KASYANOV, PARNAS PARTY: It is angering some people but others start to waking up. They wake up and saying just it is possible, even in the situation where everything seems to be under total control of Putin. But it is possible but here on the first channel and just it -- they just started thinking that something could be changed or something or other is being changed in the country.

CHANCE (voice-over): These are the scenes in 2011 after the last parliamentary elections in Russia. Amid allegations of rigged voting, crowds gathered in Moscow, chanting "Down with Putin." Opposition activists say the Kremlin is desperate to avoid a repeat.

KASYANOV: The differences between this election process and the previous one, which was to solve a dilemma, the difference is that, for the first time, opposition party is allowed to participate in elections. They think they should create some kind of a picture that elections are free and fair, in accordance with international standards and so on.

CHANCE (voice-over): But that picture is not complete. Opposition figures like Kasyanov have complained of threats and harassment. Here, he was recorded being attacked with a pie in a restaurant.

There's also been a secretly filmed sex tape that posted online, what critics say was a bid to discredit and humiliate.

It gets more sinister, too. Here Kasyanov is shown with another opposition figure in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle. The video was posted by the head of the Chechen Republic in Russia. He said it was a joke. But in a country where Kremlin critics are routinely murdered, no one is laughing.

CHANCE: How concerned are you?

How frightened are you that something could happen to you?

KASYANOV: These days in my country, unfortunately, everyone should be scared by the behavior of authorities and other people. And, me, too. I'm a normal person. That's why I am also scared. I can expect something to happen with me and my family but I have to continue this, I would say, mission or whatever, job, to which we are already committed to do.

CHANCE (voice-over): And like him, hundreds of opposition candidates across Russia are taking that risk, despite the threats standing in these Russian elections, for a slim chance their opposition voices will be heard -- Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Matthew, thank you.

Protesters outside the Russian embassy in Ukraine are angry that voters in Crimea will take part in the Russian elections.

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HOWELL (voice-over): It's awfully dramatic there, very intense. But keep in mind, those are fireworks at the embassy. But protesters threatened to launch rockets next time.

They also chanted, "Freedom to prisoners of the Kremlin."

Russia annexed --

[04:40:00]

HOWELL: -- Crimea from Ukraine two years ago.

The E.U., leaders there are envisioning what's next for Europe. But one big country, well, it is not weighing in. We'll have more on that.

Plus, the U.N. says the U.K. hasn't done enough to stop hate crimes. We take you to a Polish community that is mourning one of the victims of several attacks against migrants in England.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

Leaders of the European Union are laying out their vision for the future without the United Kingdom. The 27 remaining member nations held a summit in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava on Friday. European Council president Donald Tusk says talks about the U.K.'s departure cannot start without formal notice from Britain, possibly next year.

But London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, says there should be no rush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: It's crucial London has a seat around the table. Why?

Because London is a powerhouse for our country. We need to make sure, for example, even outside the E.U., we could have access to a single market. You're right to remind me, we've got to make sure, even outside the E.U., we can possible threshold (ph) services.

And that's why it is important we don't rush in to negotiations with the E.U. It's right and proper that the government is now doing its due diligence, seeing what the needs are of our country and making sure when it comes to serving Article 50, serving notice to quit, we get the best deal possible for our country and for the E.U.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: In the meantime, the United Nations says authorities in the U.K. need to do a better job at condemning and prosecuting hate crimes. A U.N. report says that the campaign for Britain to leave the E.U. incited dangerous anti-migrant and xenophobic rhetoric. Isa Soares visited an English town where immigrants from Poland are now feeling targeted.

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ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nita (ph) comes here every day, in silence with a simple blessing. She pays her respects for life taken away.

Arkadiusz Jozwik was only an acquaintance to her. But his death had made many Poles here in Harlow feel like he was family. He was knocked unconscious and left for dead on this very spot by a group of six teenagers, an incident local police are treating as a hate crime, one of more than 30 against Poles since Britain voted to leave the European Union, according to the Polish embassy.

[04:45:00]

SOARES (voice-over): Nita (ph) has experienced the racism first-hand, both pre- and post-Brexit vote.

NITA (PH), POLISH NEIGHBOR: My neighbor told me to (INAUDIBLE) his country but since Brexit, it's worse, like beautiful balloon blow up. And many hates come on people. Many people are not political correct anymore. And they say what they think, what they always think but never then tell about that.

SOARES (voice-over): It's these experiences that have left the Polish community here on edge. So to ease tensions, Polish police have sent two officers to Harlow to patrol the streets for a week. We bumped into them in the center of town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are here basically to help our colleagues from the Essex police. That's our main role. We want to speak with the Polish community, see what their concerns are.

SOARES: Sixty-eight percent of people here voted to leave the European Union. Whilst we can't say that the incidents here are related to Brexit vote, what there have exposed a huge fault line in a community that has one of the highest levels of Eastern European immigrants in the country.

SOARES (voice-over): The locals, many outraged by the death of Arkadiusz tell me this isn't a racist town. They say it's just anti- social behavior by a group of unruly youngsters.

But as we walk through the city center, the social divide is palpable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've not come across any racism. People argue and get annoyed but we are getting a lot of Europeans coming into the town. And Harlow Council seem that they have given them (INAUDIBLE) housing, when people who've lived there all of their life are struggling to get on that council list.

SOARES (voice-over): Economics clearly play a part here. Harlow, once a vibrant town full of opportunities, with factories dotted around it, is now full of boarded-up properties with unemployment among the highest in the county. And those who have been here for years with little to do are looking for someone to blame.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This didn't happen before Brexit, put it that way. It's as simple as that. It didn't happen. Before Brexit, everything was going on all right. But they are blaming Eastern Europeans. You can't blame them. I can understand it. I mean, I'd go somewhere if I could get a better life, get everything paid for me. Of course I would.

SOARES (voice-over): For this 40-year-old night shift factory worker, nothing was for free. And in the pursuit of a better life, he was the one who paid the highest price -- Isa Soares, Harlow, Eastern England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Isa Soares, thank you for that report.

The non-align summit is set to begin in Venezuela. Leaders from nations not affiliated with the major power blocs are gathering to discuss global affairs. Before things got underway, Venezuelan officials unveiled a statue of their late president, Hugo Chavez.

But some Venezuelans are protesting the resources devoted to the meeting. Huge shipments of (INAUDIBLE) have been seen heading to that summit while the country's economic crisis has led to crippling shortages of food and other supplies for citizens there.

When we come back, flash back to Beatlemania. In London, Paul and Ringo get back together for a movie premiere. That story coming up.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

We have got to talk about the two surviving Beatles. They reunited in London to catch a special movie. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr came together Thursday for the premiere of The Beatles' "Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years." It's directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard. It follows the hard days and nights of the Fab Four's rise to stardom. You'll definitely want to catch this.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here are The Beatles!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody, how do you do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. Couldn't tell you.

PAUL MCCARTNEY, THE BEATLES: Hello, my name is Paul McCartney.

RINGO STARR, THE BEATLES: This is Ringo Starr.

JOHN LENNON, THE BEATLES: This is John Lennon.

GEORGE HARRISON, THE BEATLES: I'm George Harrison.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Beatles (INAUDIBLE). And they have led the way from the cellars of Liverpool to the national limelight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about the reports that you guys are nothing but a bunch of British Elvis Presleys?

STARR: It's not true. It's not true.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a question.

Are you going to get a hair cut at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

HARRISON: I had one yesterday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could not hear anything.

STARR: I would be watching John, Paul, tapping his head, nodding, to see where we were in the song.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Playing in front of 56,000 people at Shea Stadium. After that, you know, you just sort of think to yourself, what more can you do?

ASPHALL (PH): I remember George bringing up the subject with Brian, "Hey, is this touring going to be an annual event?"

[04:55:00]

ASPHALL (PH): And I think he was the first one that brought up the idea, hey, I might be up for this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eric, here is the American fan of John.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're John?

MCCARTNEY: We started off just as these four mates from Liverpool. And we were just in a great little band. And we just kept playing and playing and playing. And all this stuff happened.

STARR: And we were blessed in many ways and we did love what we did and we carried on doing it. And look at where it ended up.

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HOWELL: The Beatles.

And we close this hour deep in the forests of Burgundy, France. Take a look at this.

Castle construction, a castle there, they are building medieval construction methods. They're bringing it back to life. The group is using stone. They're using clay, water, wood and sand to build a castle from scratch. It's in its 19th year of construction but workers say its exterior, that alone won't be completed for another 10 to 15 years. They hope to create an entire village one day, one stone at a time there.

That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'll be back after the break with more news from around the world. We always thank you for watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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