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[15:00:13] HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Hala Gorani. We are live at CNN London. This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
He is calling it peace through military strength. That is what Donald Trump said would be the focus of this foreign and military policy if he's elected American president. He's proposing a huge increase in defense spending saying the best way to avoid conflict is to showcase America's military dominance.
The Republican candidate laid out his national security plans today. He's also calling for an end to defense budget cuts, an increase in the number of troops, more fighter aircraft, ships, and submarines, and a state-of- the-art missile defense system. Trump also talked about ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Immediately after taking office, I will ask my generals to send to me a plan within 30 days to defeat and destroy ISIS. This will require military warfare but also cyber warfare, financial warfare, and ideological warfare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: OK. You may remember Trump said earlier this year that he had a plan to fight ISIS already, but didn't want to reveal it and tip off the terrorists.
He's also said that he knows more about ISIS than the generals, the very people he's seeking help from now or would seek help from if he's elected president saying that he will give them 30 days to come up with the plan.
Let's bring in CNN military analyst, Retired Lt. General Mark Hertling with more on the analysis on what Donald Trump has announced.
Let's talk a little bit about this plan to increase the number of ships for the navy, missile defense system, more cyber security and active army personnel number of 500 and 40,000. What do you make overall of this idea that the American military needs to be strengthened and more money needs to be spent on it?
LT. GENERAL MARK HERTLING (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Hala, these are all figures that have been advertised by the American Heritage Institute for the past several years. There are certainly things that I think the more conservative military supporters are saying we need.
Over the last several years, all elements of the military, Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force, have all gone through a series of cuts because of congressional mandated sequestration as Mr. Trump pointed out.
The numbers that he's citing are all part of a plan to get back to the size of the force that was actually in existence in about 2000, 2005, before it was increased slightly before the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and then decreased recently because of sequestration.
It is a good figure. Some people would agree with those numbers. I personally think our military should be strengthened and more budget allocations to provide support for a nation that has been -- for a military of a nation that's been at war for 16 years.
But I'm not sure we're taking into account the true troop-to-task analysis of the threats that are being faced in the future. That's what all the service chiefs have been attempting to do over the last several years.
GORANI: Yes, because the U.S. is not at war actively in the way that it was in 2005 in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also, I just want to tell our viewers essentially that the U.S.'s military budget is by far the biggest in the world, certainly as big as the next five or six military budgets combined.
The second largest military budget is China. After that you have the U.K., France, Saudi Arabia, et cetera. So considering the threat that the U.S. faces today is a bigger military in your opinion what the country needs.
HERTLING: Well, I think we need to increase slightly the size of the military for the different kinds of threats we need, but part of that budget also, Hala, is associated with modernization and really a training budget that has to continue on, but a big portion of the budget is attributed to personnel costs.
We are one of the few totally professional militaries in the world and along with that goes a significant amount of money to support not only the allowances for our soldiers but the support of their families as well.
That's a big portion of the military budget. When you start increasing the size of the force before you even consider modernization and training dollars, for every 10,000 soldiers you increased, there's a very large bill that comes along with it because it is a lifetime force.
GORANI: All right, well, we've been waiting for details from Donald Trump on his military strategy. We got a glimpse of that today. Thanks very much, Lt. General Mark Hertling, for joining us live.
Now to some news just coming into CNN, a Russian jet has intercepted an American Navy aircraft in the skies over the Black Sea, according to the Pentagon.
Let's crossover to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, for more details. I understand the Russians are saying that this American Navy jet flew very close to Russian airspace, is that correct?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hala, it looks like it was a very close interaction indeed. Pentagon officials saying that an SU-27 Russian jet earlier today flew within ten feet of a U.S. Navy P8 patrol aircraft over the Black Sea.
The U.S. military saying it was in international airspace over the Black Sea when this happened. Ten feet, awfully close. No video, no pictures available yet from the Pentagon of the actual event.
But there have been several of these in the recent months. It's caused the U.S. military a good deal of concern. They've spoken to the Russians about it.
You know, it's similar to what we've seen with Iran in the Persian Gulf, their boats coming close to U.S. Navy ships. In these tight spaces in the air, sea, there's a lot of concern that one of these incidents could get out of hand and there could be a real tragedy, a real military incident.
So a lot of concern at the Pentagon today about this latest incident with the Russians over the Black Sea -- Hala.
GORANI: All right, well, we knew a Russian jet ran into some trouble when it flew into Turkish airspace just a few months ago. So well, this one certainly didn't end in tragedy. There was some sort of tension there between the two. Thanks very much, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for bringing us up to date on this breaking news.
Now onto some harrowing new footage from Aleppo, Syria. There are certainly no shortage of it. It shows the aftermath of what doctors said was a chlorine gas attack by regime warplanes. Dozens of children are now among those gasping for air literally in an Aleppo hospital.
And thousands of kilometers away right here in London, diplomats are talking, trying to find a way back to peace talks, but there's no end in sight, certainly not for Aleppo.
We want to share that new video with you, but we want to warn you, it is graphic and it is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI (voice-over): The relentless bombardment of Aleppo has taken an even more savage twist. On Tuesday according to local medics more than 100 people were victims of a chemical gas attack. Everything smells of chlorine these people shout as they try to wash the toxic chemical from a small boy.
Rights groups blame the Assad regime saying government forces dropped barrel bombs containing chlorine on a rebel-held neighborhood of Aleppo. At least 37 of the victims were children according to the Aleppo Free Doctors' Committee.
Many left coughing and gasping for air. As the full brutality of the war pounds Aleppo's streets, diplomats met in London trying once again to hammer out a plan to end the conflict.
Syria's main opposition group set out its roadmap for political transition, proposing a six-month ceasefire to begin immediately. After that they want President Assad to step aside in favor of a unity government.
RIYAD HIJAB, SYRIAN HIGH NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE (through translator): We cannot allow Assad and his fleet and those who have killed and tortured people over the last five years to stay on.
GORANI: It is this that remains the biggest sticking point to progress because Assad and his allies in Moscow are refusing to back down. After the talks, host, Boris Johnson, the British foreign secretary, sounded hopeful.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Listening to everybody today, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that we -- common sense and flexibility and energy, this vision and this plan that the Dr. Hijab and his colleagues have put forward, this can be put into effect.
GORANI: But neither Russia nor the Assad regime, of course, were present today in London so a breakthrough might have been impossible anyway and this may all be a simply be a photo-op.
[15:10:05]Although President Obama has said in the past that chemical warfare in Syria would be a, quote, "redline," the international community still looks far from any concrete action that could end the suffering. Meanwhile children drowning in their hospital beds is becoming the new normal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right, now as we wait to hear details on whether or not the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, will meet John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state in Geneva. There's been word of that and then some conflicting information.
We are going to go to our senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon, who joins me now live from Istanbul specifically with more about this chlorine gas attack, certainly not the first time that the regime is accused of using chemical weapons against its own people -- Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, it's really not, Hala. And why did the activists and medical workers on the ground suspect initially and continue to insist that it was chlorine? Because in that specific neighborhood in Aleppo, they have come under similar attacks in the past.
This is the sad reality of Syria. They've grown accustomed to the smells and the symptoms and it is because of that they were able to deduce that this was according to them at least a chlorine attack.
Here's another key issue in all of this. When you have victims of this kind of attack, they're not going into a fully functional medical facility that can properly treat their symptoms.
They are by and large being treated in underground clinics because the above ground hospitals especially in Eastern rebel-held Aleppo have been bombed deliberately according to activists on the grounds and various medical organizations by the Russians and the Syrians.
This has forced to go into underground bankers. They don't have electricity. They are reliant on generators which run on diesel, which is in very short supply because Eastern Aleppo is once again under siege by government forces.
And the other thing is that perhaps people don't really recognize at this stage is that when you survive one attack when you're in Syria, you don't actually get to breathe that sigh of relief and having survived because the next day brings only more violence.
Yes, 24 hours after that attack took place yesterday, the same neighborhood in Aleppo was bombarded by air strikes that left at least ten people dead and another 40 wounded -- Hala.
GORANI: All right, absolutely relentless. Thanks very much. Arwa Damon is in Istanbul with the very latest on what's happening in the ground in Syria.
So with everything that we see unfolding on our television screens and on our computers every day, you would think it is a matter of absolute urgency to come to some of agreement for a ceasefire.
And the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov of Russia, we were told would meet in Geneva in the next 24 hours. However, there is some confusion.
The U.S. State Department has reportedly said they don't have a meeting to announce at this time because that apparently contradicts a message given to the diplomats at the Toxin, London earlier today, that they were told that John Kerry would be traveling to Geneva to meet with Lavrov.
I spoke with the Italian foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni. He attended today's talks in London. I began by asking him what progress was being made.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAOLO GENTILONI, ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, I think two progress. From one side, we have from the Syrian opposition presented a very interesting plan for the transition and it is not so evident because they reached an agreement among very different forces to have a transition plan.
The second good news and it's only an opportunity because we have to see how it will go and develop the day after tomorrow is that in his video link with us from Washington, John Kerry told us that he's leaving to meet Lavrov tomorrow and he's having the target to close the agreement for a ceasefire in the next two or three days.
GORANI: Let me ask you first about this opposition plan. Six months of negotiations, Assad agrees to leave after six months then a transitional body for 18 months and then elections. Bashar al-Assad isn't going anywhere in six months. Is that not overly optimistic?
GENTILONI: I think it is a principled position that I understand and they appreciate, but I'm also sure that if and when Bashar al-Assad finally accept the idea to negotiate with this committee of the Syrian opposition. The committee of the Syrian opposition should go to the negotiation without free condition.
[15:15:08]GORANI: But the cards are being held mainly by Bashar al-Assad. He's being helped by Russia. He's being helped by Iran. He's got Hezbollah fighters helping him. He's got all pretty much the main cities and part of rebel-held Aleppo completely encircled. Why would he sit down with anybody?
GENTILONI: The real difficulty is that in the recent weeks exploiting in some way the fact that there were negotiations going on, the regime continued to siege -- to bomb different cities and to try to strengthen its position, but this is something that we cannot accept.
I think that the United States are determined to make very clear to Russia that we are not accepted anymore this kind of situation. We negotiate and Assad continues to bomb and besiege the Syrian city. This is not acceptable.
GORANI: But saying to Russia this is not acceptable has been going on for a very long time. Russia has helped the regime bomb these civilian areas now for several weeks if not months and they don't really seem to care what western countries like France or Italy or the United States say. So what can Kerry and Lavrov achieve in any new talks? Why do you have optimism there?
GENTILONI: Well, optimism is too much. I think we have to work and fight for the solution. Why we can have a possible solution. Well, just think what we achieved on February 28th. We decided on February 28th a ceasefire cessation of hostilities. That's how we call it.
And for a couple of months this created in Syria really a new situation. A new situation where they were going outside of their homes I wouldn't say normally but a little more normally than the last four or five years. So we have demonstrated just four months ago, five months ago that to reach an agreement is possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Paolo Gentiloni is Italy's foreign minister. Our global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott, joins us live from the State Department. John Kerry told minister via video link he's meeting Lavrov. Now we are hearing from the State Department that they can't announce a meeting. What's going on?
ELISE LABOTT, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, I think that Secretary Kerry is trying to really find out how far the two sides are and trying to haggle over these issues to make a meeting worthwhile.
I don't think he was quite there yet, although he certainly wants to go meet with Lavrov and try to nail down this agreement. So the State Department isn't ready to announce something officially.
The Russians came out and said that Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov will be meeting and we're a little bit in a holding pattern right now. I mean, I do think that there's a desire to try and bridge the remaining gaps.
And my understanding is that they center around these mingling of Al Nusra and the opposition, how do you determine who's a terrorist and who's not a terrorist, and certainly the areas in and around Aleppo, those roads leading in and out.
The U.S. would like a nationwide ceasefire. I think they would like to start with a small 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo to try and get some calm and so then you can more of a nationwide ceasefire starting to get those political talks going again.
All of this backdrop, of course, once they get the ceasefire then the U.S. and Russia are trying to hammer out this agreement on a military partnership.
That seems very far off right now and you hear from President Obama and other U.S. officials this week that they're losing patience, they're very frustrated, and there may be time to abandon efforts to work cooperatively with Russia.
They're not there yet, but they're certainly growing to the end of their rope -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. It sure sounds like it. Thanks very much, Elise Labott at the State Department.
A lot more to come this evening, considering the missteps this summer by Donald Trump. Why is Hillary Clinton still losing ground in the polls? We'll explore that.
And the wait is over, the iPhone 7 is here. What's different? Will you want it? Will you want it bad? We'll be right back.
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GORANI: Britain's immigration minister seems to be taking a page from Donald Trump's playbook. Robert Goodwill says construction will begin soon on what he calls a big new wall near the migrant camp known as the jungle in Calais.
The 4-meter high wall will run for 1 kilometer along both sides of the main road to the port. It's part of a deal between France and Britain to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GOODWILL, U.K. IMMIGRATION MINISTER: The security we're putting in at the ports is being stepped up with equipment. They're going to start building this big new wall very soon as part of the 17 million package we're doing. There are still people getting through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a fence, not a wall.
GOODWILL: We built a fence. Now we're doing a wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. As to who's going to pay for it, it will be U.K.- funded. These are pictures of the jungle. Thousands of displaced people live in terrible conditions in this camp. It's known to be a key transit point for migrants who many of whom don't want be in France at all. They're hoping to enter the U.K. illegally.
In France, a frightening discovery near an iconic Paris landmark has led to the arrest of two people. On Sunday, a local resident notified police of an illegally parked vehicle with all of its lights on near Notre Dame Cathedral.
Upon investigation, police found the car contained seven gas cylinders, one empty and six full. No detonators, though, or firing devices were found. A 34-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were arrested. Both are apparently known by French intelligence services.
The American president, Barack Obama's Asian visit has been overshadowed by recent controversial comments from the Filipino president, Rodrigo Duterte. The remarks are causing the White House even to cancel a meeting between the two. All eyes would be set at the two leaders at the Asean Gala Dinner.
Now they were both there, both Duterte and President Obama. According to a White House official, the two men held a brief discussion before the event took place and even exchanged pleasantry. However, President Obama and President Duterte did not sit at dinner together. They had a few people between them.
For the many, many Apple fans around the world the wait is over, the iPhone 7 is here. CEO Tim Cook made the big reveal at a media event which started off with a celebrity sing-along.
(VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: That was him doing car pool karaoke with James Corden. The new phone will be water resistant and available for pre-order on September 16th. Apple hopes the new phone will boost sales which have fallen for two quarters in a row.
CNN Money business and technology correspondent, Samuel Burke, is in San Francisco where the event took place. Talk to me about iPhone 7. Why should we want it? What is so great about it? How has it improved on iPhone 6?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN MONEY BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Listen. I don't think it's some landmark difference those days as Steve Jobs walking out on the stage and presenting something that we all had to have. I don't think those days exist anymore.
[15:25:07]But it is an upgrade from the last one. The water-resistant will be important. That makes it catch up to Samsung. There's a dual lens camera and some Android phones already have that. So that will be an update for the 7 Plus only.
These phones are going to cost about $649 and 769 bucks. The big change here, Hala, was the fact that for the first time these phones will no longer have an audio port so we've been using those since the days of the Walkman and before that.
That's really a gigantic change. You have a couple of options. They have new head phones that plug into the charging port here. They sell an adapter. Actually they include an adapter. So if you want to use your old pair of headphones and connect to the new phone, you can do that or wireless ear buds that will add up to $159.
GORANI: The wireless ear buds don't come with the phone this time because you always got a free pair or at least a pair headphones or ear buds with your iPhone purchase before. That's not the case anymore.
BURKE: You get a free pair that connect with the wire to this charging port, but if you want get the wireless ones which have a microphone built- in, that will make you -- whenever I do hits with you, I think, would Hala upgrade. I remember the iPhone was out for years and you were still using a Blackberry. So I don't think anything could make you upgrade.
GORANI: Actually, you know what -- what would make me upgrade is if there's something essential added to the new model. Quite frankly, I don't need a new phone every year or even three years. In this particular case, two lenses -- maybe a water-resistant thing actually is attractive. If you're in the tub or whatever and you want to read, that's practical.
BURKE: I think water resistant is good for the consumer in the sense that if you drop it in something, you don't have to go and buy a new one. I've used the Samsung phones. I've been swimming underwater with them. It takes great videos. So these are water resistant not waterproof. So I think in that way it is good.
But to your point, Hala, you don't have to update as often the sturdier that these phones get and that's maybe why the iPhone has seen that first ever decline in sales.
I've been checking the stock price, Apple stock only up about a half a percent so investors saw something that they like, but only just -- I think that if you're waiting for a new phone, this might be time. But if you're thinking you might be left behind, you don't have to worry about that.
GORANI: It's actually flat now, Apple shares prices up only 2 cents. It's even gone back down. This is interesting. What you're saying is a lot of what we're seeing in this iPhone 7 exists in other models from other makers. They put together the dual lenses, waterproof feature, that kind of thing.
BURKE: Listen, I think the dual lens camera, again, if you're a big Apple fan, this might be something that will make you upgrade. These cameras are really great. I've tried Huawei. There are brands that have these.
So I think the important point to see there is that Apple isn't leading necessarily in this. They are just bringing features. There are some Chinese smartphone makers have already had on their phones. Now they are bringing them here.
I'm a big photography enthusiast. I don't want to have to carry a camera, so I'll get it, but it's not going make me race to the door and get it. I think those days are gone.
Also the Apple Watch, they did an update there. That's going to be water resistant as well. I think the good news if you don't want to spend anything, IOS 10 is going to come up so we can all update to that.
And the importance point about car pull karaoke, that wasn't just for fun. Apple has purchased the right to syndicate car pull karaoke without James Corden on their beats service. So everything they do, you know, has that - -
GORANI: Without James Corden? What's the point? That's the whole point of James Corden?
BURKE: I've been scratching my head about that because he really makes that segment. It's like doing the news without Hala Gorani. They have the syndication rights. They are going to try and keep on pushing it on Beats music. Does that mean I get to stay on your show?
GORANI: Yes. You do certainly. Great comparison. Good flattery work will work wonders with us. Thanks very much. Samuel Burke there in San Francisco.
Let us know online if you're interested in this phone or if it's not enough to make you upgrade. Quite pricey as well, 600, 700 bucks there.
Still to come, Hillary Clinton's trust troubles, we'll get some insight into her likability problem. Of course, we know Donald Trump has that too. How is she going to get passed hers? We'll be right back.
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HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back. A look at our top stories. Donald Trump is proposing an increase in American defense spending saying the best way for America to keep the peace is to showcase its military strength. The Republican presidential candidate unveiled his national security strategy today. He wants to build up the military with more troops, fighter aircraft, ships, and submarines.
Thousands of miles away from raging civil war inside Syria. Talks were held on the country's future today right here in London. The meetings were hosted by the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson. He unveiled an opposition plan for a ceasefire, transitional government, and elections.
The British immigration minister says construction will begin soon on a four-meter-high wall near the migrant camp known as the jungle in Calais. Thousands of displaced people live in terrible conditions there. It is known to be a key transit point for migrants hoping to enter the U.K. illegally.
Let's return to the U.S. presidential race both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are focusing on key swing states where the election could either way.
Arizona has become one of those battlegrounds. Look how this new poll by Arizona State University and the "Arizona Republic," how it unfolds there. It shows Clinton with a razor thin lead over Trump, well within the margin of error, with two other candidates lagging behind there at 7 percent and 2 percent.
You may notice the numbers don't come close to adding up to 100 percent. This is what's interesting about the poll. A staggering 23 percent of registered voters in Arizona say they are still undecided.