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Ammon Bundy Arrested; Search for Dangerous Fugitives Intensifies;
Apple Sales Slow; Iran Joins Global Oil Production; Winter in a Syrian
Refugee Camp; Remembering a Holocaust Hero. Aired 1-2a ET - Part 2>
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[01:30:04] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Coming up to 10:30 here on the West Coast. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour.
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VAUSE: Apple has posted the figures quarterly profit ever in U.S. history. The tech company reported nearly $76 billion in revenue more than $18 billion in profit, both up by two percent.
SESAY: Apple growth will slow with iPhone sales barely beating last years numbers. Apple predicts sales in the current quarter will fall for the first time in 13 years.
VAUSE: Fritz Tepper, a writer at TechCruch joins us now with more on Apple's report. I'd like to say thank you for getting the memo about exactly the coat to be wearing.
SESAY: Yeah, we appreciate the red.
VAUSE: Well done, excellent, well done on that one.
FITZ TEPPER, WRITER, TECHCRUNCH: Thank you so much for having me.
VAUSE: Hey, great to see you. Hey, look, it's a strange day isn't it, when the company posted the biggest quarterly profit in the U.S history. Well, there's trouble isn't there. This isn't so great, something's going on.
TEPPER: It's interesting and it's the only Apple that could only happen to Apple.
So, what happens is that, number one Apple, they're kind of matching year ago quarters earnings. You know, they made 75 billion, 76 billion both times and iPhones sales are flat from last Christmas quarter which is OK. But I mean it shows that, you know, growth is slowing down. This is an explosive company that has been growing tremendously year over and, you know, it's time for that to slow down. And I think that's scaring people. They don't really understand it.
SESAY: Well the iPhone is the Apple's main engine for growth. So, the question is if the slow -- if the sales are slowing down, what does that mean to Apple's future.
TEPPER: So, Tim Cook said for the first time ever the next quarters, iPhone sales will be lower than that the year before quarter. And what I think it means is that, you know, the Apple can live up the iPhone anymore. The other issue is Apple released the new iPhone basically every two years. They really -- it's a little increment every year, but mainly every two years. And the statistics that really astonish me is that Tim Cook said that 60 percent of people who bought the iPhone 5 have not yet upgraded over the past two year, which means for the huge potential for growth when Apple changes the phone.
VAUSE: Who's eating Apples lunch here?
TEPPER: You know, people not buying the new basically, these people aren't buying Samsung, they're not buying androids, you know, they ...
VAUSE: Oh, this is a buying period.
TEPPER: They're not just buying the new phone, and it's because, you know, the iPhones look like this for the last two years and no one cares but change a bit inside. They want a new looking phone. In fact if Apple -- if Apple changes every year, you know, people would buy it. So, I think that's issue for them right now.
SESAY: And then we know that the Mac is down as well, I mean, they're having promos, is beyond the iPhone though.
TEPPER: It is, and what people need to understand is that Apple is becoming, you know, reliable, sustainable company. They're not a growth company anymore. You know, they're issuing a dividend every quarter, they're doing buybacks, they're becoming a Microsoft, they're becoming a reliable company, not a company that's going to grow 20 percent every year. And that's a good thing because companies can't grow 20 percent every year forever. I mean, we still have the Enron it's just not possible.
VAUSE: But one thing which kept Apple's numbers up was the growth in China. They have a good, good sales growth in China. But is that the strategy here, go find new your costumers in these emerging markets, head off to South of America, India, China, to try and basically make up for lack of sales in places like the United States. Or do they go the other way. They start saying, "OK, it's time to develop new technology." I mean, that really brought out anything good for awhile, I mean, you know ...
SESAY: Before the Apple watch came out.
VAUSE: Well, so am I.
SESAY: I mean I ...
VAUSE: I mean seriously.
SESAY: Yes, but that's not the point, they did actually innovate and create something to the point.
VAUSE: Even if it was lying. But you see maybe ...
TEPPER: I know what you're saying, and listen ...
VAUSE: I like to go to reality or so.
TEPPER: So, two thirds of Apple's sales come from outside U.S. the plan has always been to leverage that. Unfortunately the past 12 months have been awful internationally. And then Cook even said, that instead of 2 percent this quarter, it would have been 8 percent if not for F.X., you know, foreign exchange numbers.
SESAY: Foreign exchange numbers.
TEPPER: Exactly. So, Apple's going to need a plan B. They're not going to be able to rely on China, Hong Kong, they're going to need, you know, new growth. So, hopefully that's innovation, we'll see.
SESAY: Did I give any info into whether innovation will go, such as via but to virtual reality?
TEPPER: So, today, Tim Cook for the first time was, you know, kind of excited about they are. He said that's interesting, he said, it's not as bad, and he said it's just promise. But typical Apple, you know, we're not going to know it until the day they're ready to release it, and that's kind of frustrating.
VAUSE: So, you know, why iPhone sales are slow, because it's no longer "cooked", because I got my first one last year.
VAUSE: I gave up my Blackberry for an iPhone first time ever. SESAY: Yeah.
[01:35:00] VAUSE: And that now, it's really uncool.
SESAY: Yeah, he really killed it.
TEPPER: But hopefully they'll change it in a few months.
SESAY: And you'll be lagging behind, don't worry about it.
VAUSE: But I think I killed it. Fritz ...
SESAY: Appreciate it thank you.
TEPPER: Thank you so much for having me.
SESAY: Thank you for following the memo, about the red.
VAUSE: Yeah, it looks great.
Our Republican debate, OK. Oil prices are back every $30 a barrel, investors Asia-Pacific region have a mixed reactions that this comes on the heels of a rough trading day on Tuesday. Trading has ended in Sydney and Tokyo.
Let's look at the numbers there. The Australian ASX 200 down by 1.20 percent. Shanghai Composite pulled back from some lower there. It's now down by 1.30 percent, and of course Hongkong, up there a positive (inaudible) rise by 1.5 percent, and Hang Seng up by almost two and three quarters. Also that's the Nikkei by 2 and 3 quarter percent rather.
SESAY: And while all despite the low prices, Iran continues to open new refining facilities in a bid to boast oil production.
VAUSE: CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more on the expansion of the country's biggest gas field, which is also, the biggest in the world.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even from far way, the flames mark the location of Iran's most ambitious gas project. The Assaluyeh complex already has several working refineries. This one was opened only two week ago. Maintenance workers make sure everything is functioning.
SIAVASH VAHIDI, MAINTENANCE ENGINEER: Just a minor problem, you know, not major problem, for example a changing the gaskets and some repairing activities on the ...
PLEITGEN: The Assaluyeh Complex services the Pars south gas field which lies on the Persian Gulf. Pars South is the biggest gas field in the world with around 1,800 trillion cubit feet of reserves.
Despite the low international oil and gas prices Iran is moving ahead with the development of its facility. It's not just going to be refineries there's also going to be several port and petrochemical companies, making these one of the biggest complexes of its kind in the world.
Construction is in full swing at several other refinereries site in the complex. Sanctions against Iran to held the project up, but they never stopped the development says the project director of one facility.
HAMID REZA MEDHAVI, PROJECT DIRECTOR: We found solutions for each problem we faced regarding the sanctions. But you can see that in five years, a bit more than five years, we have built this big plant. This is a $4.5 billion project.
PLEITGEN: Now that most sanctions have been lifted, those in charge of the mega complex want to accelerate construction, even though the managing director says, he will continue to rely mostly on Iranian suppliers.
ALI AKBAR SHABANPOUR, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PORT OIL AND GAS: We've got even more than 65 percent more or less above the 70 percent of the, you know, the material budget of the Iranian manufacturing. Iranian did local manufacturing for example, cables for the valves, for the vessel, for the tank, even for the machine.
PLEITGEN: Iran is poised to become one of the biggest exporters of oil and gas in the world, now that most of the sanctions against Tehran have been lifted. The Pars South gas field and this mega refining complex are key to the country's future hydrocarbon strategy.
Fred Pleitgen CNN, Assaluyeh, Iran.
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SESAY: A scholarship program in South Africa is under the fire. We'll look at why students must take a virginity test to keep their funding.
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[01:41:45] SESAY: Hello every one, Amnesty International is condemning Denmark's action on migrants as a dismal race to the bottom. Danish lawmakers approve measures to will allow seizure of migrants assets to cover the expenses and delay in family reunification.
VAUSE: Critics say the true intent is to discourage all asylum seekers from if they're trying to reach Denmark. So far it is the latest sign of rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe, Switzerland and Germany vote similar policies.
SESAY: Well, for refugees, the uncertainty of what the future will bring is made worse by cold and harsh winters. Some cling to the hope of a better life in Europe.
VAUSE: And also dream of returning to their home someday. Jomana Karadsheh met with Syrian families enduring another winter in Jordan's Zaatri camp.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's cold, it's grim and it's unforgiving. This is winter in Jordan Zaatri refugee camp. The Amari (ph) family has lived through three winters here.
For them, the season means time for traditions from home. They sing their song for Syria.
"Syria don't forget us, we will return hope is still alive," they sing, but these are just words. The Amari's don't think that they'll ever see Syria again.
18-year-old Athia (ph) would like to go to Europe or Canada. Living here is not a life. It's an existence she says.
Mustah (ph) and his wife say they won't risk their children's lives to reach Europe. Instead, they will wait to be resettled by the United Nations.
ANDREW HARPER, UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE, JORDAN: The Syrians don't want on this story to go to Europe. The Syrians will return back to the villages, their towns, their homes, but Europe is an alien concept for them. They're scared. And for them to put their lives at risk, to put their children, children's lives at risk to make this perilous journey, won't it be far better to provide the support both countries like Jordan, Lebanon and, Turkey to help these countries do what they want to do which is to provide the protection.
KARADSHEH: Around 80 thousand Syrians live here in Zaatri. This refugee camp over the past three years has evolved into a city of sorts with markets, restaurants and schools. There are weddings that take place here daily and 50 to 60 babies are born here every week.
This camp is the only home nine-months old Farah (ph) has ever known when her father Abudiah (ph), and his family fled, they thought it would be for few months that was in 2012.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Of course we expect and hope to return even if doesn't happen until this baby turns 16, we will continue to hope, he says.
With no ending fight the conflict back home, people old and young can only wonder, how many more winters like this they'll have to endure.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Zaatri Refugee Camp, Jordan.
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SESAY: That's awful conditions. Turn in to Africa now, and a new scholarship program in South Africa is stirring up controversy because it requires recipients to remain virgins.
David McKenzie has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are some of Thubelihle final days at home. Spending time with her granny and young sister before she heads to the city for college.
[01:45:08] An accomplished student, Thube won a government scholarship, one of the main requirements that she remain a virgin.
THUBELIHLE, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: We are keeping away from boys.
MCKENZIE: To stay with the program, she must submit to virginity test during her college vacation. If she fails the test, she loses her funding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't have children, you see. And I am 18- years-old. I must study hard to change and then conquer the world.
MCKENZIE: Thube is known as a "maiden" in Zulu culture, where virginity-testing is common practice.
Here in rural Kwazulu Natal, tradition rules. But rights advocates we called say this scholarship is invasive and sexist.
MCKENZIE: You say it's discriminating because it's based on someone being a virgin.
AVU BALOYI, COMMISSION ON GENDER AND EQUALITY: What about those who are not virgins? There are better ways of getting an education.
DUDU MAZIBUKO, MAYOR UTHUKELA DISTRICT: I just need to support them.
MCKENZIE: Mayor Dudu Mazibuko thought up the virgin-only scholarships. She was a teen mother herself.
MAZIBUKO: We have tried many ways to keep down this teenage pregnancy and the infection of HIV and AIDS.
MCKENZIE: And nothing is working.
MAZIBUKO: Nothing is working.
MCKENZIE: In this part of South Africa, the odds are stacked against students' finishing school, especially girls. So-called "sugar daddies" prey on poor young girls, exchanging money for sex. When girls get pregnant, they drop out.
MAZIBUKO: Young girls are vulnerable. They can't refuse to have sex with an older person. They cannot even instruct an old man to wear a condom.
MCKENZIE: South Africa's main opposition party has lodged a complaint against Mazibuko's program with the country's human rights commission.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I tell them it's no worry. It's my choice.
MCKENZIE: Thube says the virgin scholarship is her choice, her only chance to get into college. David McKenzie, CNN, South Africa.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll take a break here on CNN. When we come back, special ceremony for American soldier captured by Nazi during World War II, we are live in Jerusalem with story of heroism during the Holocaust.
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UNIDENTIDIED MALE: Tom can you get me off the hook?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For old time sake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't do it, Sally.
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SESAY: That was legendary actor Abe Vigoda in his breakout role of Sal Tessio in the Godfather film with co-star Robert Duvall. Vigoda died Tuesday at the age of 94. So the veteran New York stage actor before getting the call from Francis Ford Coppola about the part. Vigoda also start in the hit America T.V. show Barney Miller.
VAUSE: American soldier is being recognized by Israel on this international Holocaust remembrance day for heroically saving Jewish during World War II. U.S. Army Master Sergeant Roddie had meant to refuse to allow his Nazi captors to separate and kill the Jewish soldiers out of POW camp. The Israel posthumously honored Edmonds last year for his bravery.
SESAY: Oren Liebermann is live in Jerusalem for us with more on the story. And Oren, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds performed an incredible act of bravery yet it was a secret he took to his grave.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John and Isha, it was a secret he never shared with his family and to him it was simply a matter of doing what was required for his men and his country. His son would ask him, "Dad tell me about your experiences during the war" but for years for decades even he kept it to himself for whatever reason, his son says he was perhaps too humble seeing in some simply as his duty, not only to protect his men but to defend his country here is his story.
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LIEBERMANN: Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds is only been Europe a few days when he was captured by the Nazis at the prisoner of war camp he was tested in a confrontation with Nazi doctrine. The German commander ordered Edmonds to separate out his Jewish soldiers. Edmonds a Christian refused. And the next morning his 1,200 American soldiers stood together. 70 years later one of those Jewish soldiers Lester Tanner recounts the defiance against the German commander.
LESTER TANNER, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: And he says to Edmonds you can't all be Jewish. Someone said we're all Jews here. And this German major angry takes out his Luger points it at Edmonds head and said you will order your Jewish-American soldiers to step forward or I will shoot you right now.
LIEBERMANN: Edmonds stood his ground and the camp commander stormed off. He had saved his men. Within months the war was over and Edmonds was home. He never shared the story before he passed away in 1985 not even with his son.
CHRIS EDMONDS, SON OF RODDIE EDMONDS: I've asked him from time to time as I got older to teenager and the college age kid. "Dad, tell me about your army experience?" "Son there's just some things I'd rather not talk about."
LIEBERMANN: Chris Edmonds discovered his father story in a 2008 New York Times article.
EDMONDS: When you look at your dad as a hero but I never knew he had a cape hanging in his closet. And he did.
LIEBERMANN: Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds is the first American soldier honored as righteous among the nation's non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Edmonds awarded the recondition he never sought. His war which started in defeat on a battlefield ended in victory for his men.
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LIEBERMANN: It was incredible listening to Lester Tanner the World War II veteran in that story when I got to speak with him. He will be there for the commemoration ceremony as well as a number of other soldiers who Edmonds saved on that day Isha?
SESAY: And honoring over the ceremony, honoring while the Edmonds will also be attended by a very, very special guest.
[01:55:03] LIEBERMANN: Absolutely President Barack Obama will for the first time commemorate international Holocaust state at the Israeli embassy. He is the key note speaker honoring Roddie Edmonds and his service his decision on that day to save his Jewish-American soldiers.
So, I spoke with Chris Edmonds, Roddie Edmonds son who is very much looking forward to seeing the president speaking in honor of his father.
SESAY: Yeah. Well, sure he is. Oren Liebermann joining us there from Jerusalem appreciate it Oren, thank you so much. VAUSE: It is and he is also remarkable on this day, the sirens will go off across Israel and they go for too long minutes and they're going to pull along side of the road. They swap (ph) they get out of their cars and a bunch will stand there and they think and they remember exactly what happened and it is haunting and it is moving and it is something that, you know, but you being there and seeing that experience that you never forget.
SESAY: Yeah.
VAUSE: So it's a difficult time for a lot of people.
SESAY: Yeah, he certainly is. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.
VAUSE: I'm John Vause, throughout U.S. in North America. "AMANPOUR" is up next. And everyone else, the news continues with Errol Barnett right after this.
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(Byline: John Vause, Isha Sesay, Brian Stelter, Gary Tuchman, Fred Pleitgen, Jomana Karadsheh, David McKenzie, Oren Liebermann)
(Guest: Mike Slater, Steve Moore, Fetz Tepper)
(High: Donald Trump announced he won't attend GOP debate, objecting to moderator Megyn Kelly. FOX backing Megyn Kelly in fight with Trump. Several Oregon refuge protesters arrested, one killed. Search for three convicted Orange County jail inmates became urgent. Apple has posted the figures quarterly profit ever in U.S. history. The tech company reported nearly $76 billion in revenue more than $18 billion in profit, both up by two percent. Despite the low prices, Iran continues to open new refining facilities in a bid to boast oil production. A look at Syrian families enduring another winter in Jordan's Zaatri camp. a new scholarship program in South Africa is stirring up controversy because it requires recipients to remain virgins. American soldier is being recognized by Israel on this international Holocaust remembrance day for heroically saving Jewish during World War II. )
(Spec: Barack Obama; Donald Trump; Megyn Kelly; Roger Ailes; Ted Cruz; Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders; Ammon Bundy; Hossein Nayeri; Politics; Government; Media; Policies; Polls; Elections; Internet; Police; Violence; Protests; Death; Prison; Murder; Crime; Justice; War; Refugees; Technology; Business; Apple; Oil; Iran; Energy; Syria; Military; Holocaust)
