[Manisha Tank:] Hi, I'm Manisha Tank in Hong Kong. A warm welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet. The U.S. president looks set to meet his Cuban counterpart. We'll have the latest on the historic thaw in relations. Plus, a sad day for cricket fans. Former star player and announcer Richie Benaud dies. And Apple is now taking orders for its new watch, but who wants one? The U.S. President Barack Obama is set to meet face-to-face with leader Raul Castro for the first time since the two countries began normalizing relations late last year. They'll each take part in the Summit of the Americas that opens later today in Panama City. At some point during the event, Mr. Obama is expected to announce that the United States is dropping Cuba from the list of countries it considers state sponsors of terrorism. This summit in Central America has already brought one historic meeting between the two country's top diplomats. The U.S. Secretary of State met with his Cuban counterpart on Thursday evening. So to help us break down the implications of these newly thawed relations between the United States and Cuba, and to preview what else is expected at that summit, let's bring in our Rosa Flores who is in Panama City. You know, we can't underestimate the significance of all of this. It certainly has been a big week and promises to be an even bigger day.
[Rosa Flores, Cnn Correspondent:] Oh, absolutely, Manisha. First of all, good morning. You know, we are seeing history unfold before our eyes. It's important to note that both President Obama and President Castro have arrived. They are actually here in Panama. And while no bilateral meeting between the both heads of state has been set at this point in time, we do know that during the event they're expected to mingle. Now that is when we're expecting to see that symbolic hangshake, the much anticipated handshake between these two heads of state. As you mentioned, Secretary Kerry meeting with his counterpart late last night. Of course, that's Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez, a huge symbol, of course, because such a high level meeting had not happened since, hear this, 1958. So that's a really big deal for the Cubans, especially since the State Department is expected to make an announcement regarding the state sponsored terrorism list. Now the State Department expected to recommend to President Obama that Cuba be removed from that list. And that's a huge win for the Cubans, especially as negotiations continue for the establishment of embassies both in D.C. and Havana. So a lot going on, Manisha. We're monitoring it all from here, but of course all eyes on that historic and symbolic handshake that we should see during the Summit of the Americas.
[Tank:] Yeah, there is a handshake isn't just a photo call, it's really important, isn't it? OK, how [inaudible] though of Venezuela in all of this complicate matters?
[Flores:] You know, it really does dice the situation here at the Summit of the Americas, because President Maduro has been collecting signatures in his country. And it's almost been rallying a posse of sorts of Latin American leaders to get them on his side. Now all of this is after the United States issued an excutive order sanctioning seven Venezuelan officials for human rights violantions. So let me show you something. This is what they're doing. Venezuela is also going to the local papers and taking out fullpage ads against that executive order. So this is what we're seeing. But imagine this, all of these heads of state under the same roof and Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, even Cuba already siding with Maduro on this situation, situation of the executive order. So of course that complicates the situation a bit. We're going to be monitoring to see what happens, to see if there is not only a handshake between President Obama and President Castro, but what about President Maduro. Will a handshake happen there? We're going to wait and see.
[Tank:] Yeah. Well, it's great to have you on the scene there keeping across all of this. Sparks might fly. Let's hope they don't. Let's hope people can work out these issues as you always do in these matters.
[Flores:] After all, it's all about diplomacy here, right, at the Summit of the Americas.
[Tank:] Well, yeah, it's meant to be. It's meant to be. Let's hope it really is that way. But you're going to be the one who will be telling us about it either way. Thanks so much. Well, of course as the U.S. gets closer to Cuba it is also trying to move ahead on a deal with Iran's nuclear program. But the U.S. Congress still threatens to stand in the way of that. and ocmments by Iran's supreme leader and the country's president aren't helping matters at the moment. Well, Fred Pleitgen joins us now with more on this from CNN London. You know, Fred, you've been monitoring this over some time, this story. And things have just as we thought that things would come together very nicely, there are still some very tough negotiations that still need to be had. And of course, you've got to get it all past the lawmakers in the U.S. as well.
[Frederik Pleitgen, Cnn International Correspondent:] Got to get past the lawmakers in the U.S. And also there's a lot of backlash that's in Iran as well. And if you look back just a couple of days ago after that interim agreement was signed where you had those people in the streets of Tehran who were driving around in those cars who were waving Iranian flags absolutely ecstatic, many people thought that it was only a few details that still needed to be worked out and that a deal was very much realistically by June 30. But not it seems as though there is more pessimism. Of course everybody has been waiting to hear from the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the issue, because he of course is the one who calls the shots in Iran. And he said at this point he's not necessarily optimistic. He said there might not be a deal by June 30. There might, in fact, be no deal at all. And for the Iranians, what it comes down to is sanctions relief. They say, both Ali Khamenei as well as the President Hassan Rouhani yesterday said, they want the day of the implementation for all of the sanctions to go away. Now the U.S. in the past has hinted that it wants the sanctions to be phased out as Iran starts complying with various parts of the deal. Of course it has to do a lot of things. It has to shut down some of its uranium enrichment. It has to remodify some of its reactors as well. So there is a lot of things that need to be done. So there does seem to be a lot of difference of opinion as well. But there's other things that I wouldn't say are troubling, but could complicate the matters. For instance, the U.S. in a list that it put out of the corner points of the deal said that there would be inspections in the entire country. Well, the Iranians have now come out and said for instance military sites will not be inspected. That's something that could also be an issue. So, while there was that big euphoria when that interim agreement was signed, it seems as though both negotiating sides, both the U.S. as well as Iran, as well as the other countries as well, of course, are coming very much down to the reality of things once again.
[Tank:] Yeah, once again. And I one feels like we might be at this juncture again in a year from now. I think many hope that won't be the case, but let's see, huh? Fred, thank you very much for that. Now, to the United States and another video has surfaced in the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man. The dash cam video from a police patrol car shows the events that led to Walter Scott being shot and killed. CNN's Martin Savidge breaks down the new footage for us.
[Martin Savidge, Cnn Correspondent:] Dash cam video now released capturing the moment police officer Michael Slager pulls over Walter Scott last Saturday morning. Slager's patrol car follows Scott as he pulls into a parking lot of an auto parts store. Moments later, Slager approaches the car and asks Scott for his driver's license.
[Michael Slager, North Charleston Police Officer:] The reason for the stop is your third brake light is out.
[Savidge:] In less than a minute the talk turns to paperwork, questions over Scott's purchase of the car.
[Slager:] Just a minute ago, you told me that you bought, and you're changing eveyrhing on Monday.
[Walter Scott:] I'm sorry about that.
[Savidge:] Slager returns to his patrol car. Moments later, Scott starts to get out of his vehicle.
[Slager:] Gotta stay in the car.
[Savidge:] And in fewer than 30 seconds, Scott gets out of his car again and runs. Possible reason, the 50-year-old tried to flee, a bench warrant was out for his arrest since January of 2013 after failing to pay over $18,000 in back child support for two children. What happens next is out of view of the camera, but partially picked up on the officer's microphone. He sounds like he's running and can be heard yelling.
[Slager:] Taser! Taser! Taser!
[Savidge:] One eyewitness says a tussle ensues.
[Gwen Nicols, Witness:] It wasn't on the ground rolling, it was like a tussle type of thing like, you know, what do you want or what did I do type of thing?
[Savidge:] The man who took this disturbing cell phone video said they were on the ground before he started recording.
[Feidin Santana, Witnessed Scott's Shooting:] I went to the scene and Mr. Scott was already on the ground. The cop was on top of him. He was tasing Mr. Scott.
[Savidge:] Slager joined the police department five years ago. In 2013, police record show he was exonerated following a complaint of improper use of force with a taser involving this man. Mario Givens, he says that Slager burst through his front door in the case of mistaken identity, meaning to arrest his brother for robbery.
[Mario Givens, Field Complaint Against Officer Slager:] He pulled out his taser and told me if you don't come out, I'm going to tase you. I put my hand up, I moved out the way. He still shot me with the taser.
[Savidge:] Slager's mother Karen Sharpe told ABC she hasn't seen the video and can't imagine her son shooting and killing an unarmed black man while he ran away.
[Karen Sharpe, Mother Of Officer Slager:] I just have to let it be and hope God takes care of everybody involved. Not only for my family but for the Scott's family.
[Tank:] Well, Martin Savidge joins us now from North Charleston in South Carolina to talk a bit more about this. Martin, what I'm really interested in is how this new video that has surfaced is going to help authorities learn more about this whole incident. You know, it depends on who you talk to. The attorneys who represent the family of Walter Scott say this changes nothing, that the focus is still quite rightly on the former police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott and we're talking about Michael Slager. However, it does tell us how it started. And that is a part that we had not known up until now other than by a police report. We have, of course, the bystander video, which shows how the man was shot and killed, but it didn't really tell us how did it all begin, and why did it escalate so quickly. So, some insight here, but again it does not change the basic parameters of this particular case. I will point out that there is an interesting facet the video brings forward. And that is there's somebody else in the car with Walter Scott, and that person could be key. Martin, clearly you've talked to family members on both sides of this particular incident. Still so much emotion there. Many are heartbroken by what's happened. How are they coping? How is the city coping? And, you know, the wider impact of this case.
[Savidge:] A lot of people have tried to make a kind of connection, say, between what happeend in Ferguson, Missouri where you had a very violent community reaction versus what you have had happen here. I think that's too big a stretch to make it too early a time, but it is obvious that the community here has remained cal despite a very horrific event that not only happpen, but people have seen now around the world. One of the major differences is of course that the person involved, the police officer, was arrested and charged with murder by the time that the video came out that everyone is so upset to see. But there is also I think a resolve in this community to push forward with the prosecution of this officer. So how it moves forward and the outcome of any potential trial is going to weigh heavy and how this community continues to react. The families, of course for them it's a tragedy. And everyone admits it on both sides, a young officer he's just got another child on the way, his life clearly looks very difficult ahead. And then the family of Walter Scott. He ahs four kids. He's dead. He'll never get that life back. So it's a tragedy for this community that feels well beyond it.
[Tank:] Martin Savidge in North Charleston, thanks very much for bringing that to us. I want to bring you some news just coming in to us at CNN. A source close to her campaign says that Hillary Clinton will officially announce her bid for U.S. President on Sunday. The source says the announcement will be made as a video through social media immediately followed by a trip to the early caucus state of Iowa. If it happens, the former U.S. Secretary of State will be the first Democrat to formally declared a run for the White House in 2016, a story we'll certainly be following closer and closely her eon CNN throughout the day. Everybody was talking about it and finally we're hearing something a bit more concrete. Still to come here on News Stream, desperately needed medical aid finally makes its way to war-torn Yemen. Details on that later this hour. Also, a monster tornado outbreak in the U.S. powerful enough to push over a giant truck, shatters what up until now had been a queit tornado season. And sport fans around the world are mourning as the beloved voice of cricket goes silent.