show of military might. north korea showing its missile technology. u.s. president trump serves up tough talk on north korea and a military strike on syria. an in-depth look at president trump's evolving foreign policy. a critical vote in turkey. it's all ahead here. welcome to oour viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm natalie allen. >> i'm george howell. "newsroom" starts right now.

our top story. experts believe north korea put on display new military technology, possible intercopt ne nental ballistic missiles. >> but analysts warn that they were probably just mock ups and there is no way of knowing exactly. north korea has actually developed that technology yet. >> the show of force came with strong words to match north korea issued another threat to the united states. saying it would respond to all-out war with an all-out war. china is trying to avert a full-blown crisis. here is the chinese foreign minister. >> on the korean peninsula issue not those that use bigger words or harder fists that will win. if the war breaks out, everybody will end up a loser and there

will be no winners. therefore, we urge all parties from provoking and threatening each other either with rhetoric or actions so as to avoid getting the situation out of hand and an irreversible dead end. >> will ripply is following the story for us in pyongyang and witnessed first hand that nation's display of force. here's a look at his report. >> so far no nuclear tests north korea's most important holiday. you have seen a show of force of a very different kind. north korean citizens are out here right now. these women are holding up a north korean flag and earlier we saw north korea's full arsenal on display. there were scud missiles. there were submarine launch ballistic missiles and land based missiles that could be launched from a mobile launcher and at the very end a north korean intercontinental ballistic missiles. kim jung-un's goal is reaching

the mainland united states. while analysts say it it may not be there just yet, parades like this is evidence that they continue to make progress. faster progress than many experts have predicted. a lot of people thought there might be a nuclear test today on this important holiday or on the lead up to it. however, it seems as if the north koreans are holding off on the nuclear tests for now. i have received information that a special operations exercise and military exercise earlier this week when commandos were jumping out of airplanes, that was an exercise and direct response to tweets from president trump talking about north korea and urging china to solve the north korea problem as he put it. but we also know that there is a "uss carl vincent" strike group. 60 planes, submarines, equipment, nuclear weapons and 97-ton aircraft carrier all designed to send a message of

deterren deterrence. but the atmosphere out here at the north koreans would put it is a single-hearted determination to fight. to fight against the united states because their country has told them all of their lives that they are under the imminent threat of invasion. you have a lot of these seville y ians out here, a lot of the men in the crowd here who have a military background who told us repeatedly, if there was a war with the united states, they would quit their jobs, put their uniforms back on and fight. this is what north korea is aing, they are underestimated by the world and put on this display to try to prove to the world that they're here to stay and move forward on the road of their choosing, even if that path is a road to nuclearization that even if many, including the united states, is a dangerous and destructive path. >> will ripply, thank you. at this time of rising tensions with north korea, the

vice president of the united states, mike pence, heads to south korea. he is set to leave washington shortly and travel to seoul, south korea. stops in hawaii, japan, indonesia and australia. also planned on his asian pacific tour. u.s. officials say his primary goal will be, as we heard will say, to reinforce u.s. alliances in seoul, north korea, nuclear ambitions will likely be on the agenda. alexandra joins us from seoul and likely with the heat that is coming from north korea vis-a-vis president trump, the folk there's would like to see the vice president reassure them. >> yeah, certainly they're looking for that kind of reassurance. you did hear the chinese foreign ministry to call for cooler heads to prevail. everyone knows that a misstep could cause understanding and potentially quite serious problems. that's the kind of outcome that everyone here is trying to stave

off. we know from analysts in the u.s. who have been closely watching satellite images coming from north korea and it does seem like north korea is primed and ready to conduct any test and take another provocative action like another missile launch. that's a reason why the aircraft carrier was sent to the waters off of the korean peninsula. it is meant to be a deterrent but also served to ratchet up the tensions in the region. it is a provocative measure in and of itself. state news out of north korea calling the nuclear strategic acids delivered by the united states a threat to global peace and push the region it to the brink of nuclear war. right as vice president mike pence set to arrive in the region coming here to seoul, south korea and traveling to

japan where they will be meeting with the allies and talking about all the options that washington has been considering when it comes to dealing with the north korean nuclear threat. we know that does mean some discussion of some kind of military option. what people here in south korea expressly want to hear is a commitment from the u.s. that they will be working closely with south korea before making any kinds of decisions. before ordering any kind of action. south korea wants to know they will be working with the u.s. and that is the message given from the acting president here in south korea to the public during these tense times. >> all right. we know that you'll be covering the vice president's trip there. weal we'll wait and see what he has to say. for more now on the story, rets let's go to george. >> a professor of political science at tucson university. good to have you with us this hour. this concept of sending a

message through military might. the display of soldiers and missiles on the streets of pyongyang. put it into context for us. the size and strength of the military army compared to other nations? >> it's quite large. the real issue, i think, is quality. right. many people think that the north koreans have developed nuclear weapons because the conventional military is now increasingly obsolete and a lot from the soviet days and things like that. it's more aptly described as a -- they have to go through military training. they have been preparing and training for this for decades. this is one reason why a lot of military analysts think it is so risky because they have been drilling this for decades. since the first korean war in the '50s. >> the fact that people will take off their work clothes and put on their uniforms. they are prepared to fight. that is how they have been

trained to live in that nation. he also reported about this military drill. the situation with commandos in north korea jumping out of planes. as a direct response to the president's tweets, what is your take on that? the fact that this is happening due to twitter. >> yeah. that's new. the analyst community is wondering if this is going to become a method of operation and make foreign policy. i would argue that is not a very good idea that foreign policy is more complex than that. i'm just an analyst. the commandos. the north koreans have been practicing special operating. have been drilling special operation forces for a long time. tunnels under the militarized zone and special forces which were flooded, south korean low bridges and then tear down power lines and things like that. the north koreans have been

pushing things like that for a while. north korea pushed back. tension is a important for north korea to explain to its own citizens why they're living and why they can't have unity and united states central to regimes reason to exist. when trump pushes, most of us expect the north koreans to push right back. that's what we're doing. >> we're having sound issues and always good to have you here and just from the side note on that we're covering the door is closed there on the other side. robert, thank you so much for being with us. >> yes, his kids did make him famous. back to the seriousness of this news day. a bombing in afghanistan, military strikes in syria and ramping up threats to north korea. donald trump isn't taking a soft approach on foreign policy. we'll look at all the drastic changes coming up next here. plus, turkey is one day away

from a vote that could overhaul its political system. why germany's finance minister is issuing a stark warning. that story ahead as "cnn newsroom" continues. look, she's sweet, she's got natural stevia, no bitter aftertaste and she's calorie-free. so that's it? we made you a cake. with sugar? oh, no. (laughing)

soare you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool? we made you a cake. try zyrtec® it's starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. stick with zyrtec® and muddle no more®.

and welcome back to "cnn newsroom." donald trump has not been president for even 100 days, but his recent foreign policy decisions have shocked many. >> that's right. it is sending a message that washington is willing to flex its military muscle across the world. our elise lavin breaks down some of the gestures of late. >> reporter: new warnings from china. as tensions rise with north korea, the chinese foreign minister warning that if war breaks out, "it will be losses on all sides." russia, iran and syria also issue warnings to the u.s. against new strikes in syria. the threats follow president trump's decision to launch two major military strikes in afghanistan and syria. >> we have the greatest military in the world and they've done a job, as usual. so we have given them total authorization and that's what they're doing. and, frankly, that's why they

have been so successful lately. >> reporter: the display of military might, a message to u.s. enemies and their supporters. when it's kniquickly becoming a hallmark of foreign policy. >> president trump has given much more leeway to his military commanders to strike and they're striking. i think that does send a message around the world that america is back. >> reporter: it's an about face from the candidate who promised a national security strategy that put america first. >> i want to help all of our allies. but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. we cannot be the policemen of the world. >> reporter: but as commander in chief, trump acknowledged the images last week's gas attacks in syria had a deep impact. >> i had that possibility and i will have that responsibility and carry it very proudly. >> reporter: in the span of a week trump changed his mind on the nato alliance. now viewing it as a tool to

counter russian aggression in europe. >> i said it was obsolete, it is no longer obsolete. >> reporter: and abandoning his hardline stance on china. to counter north korea's nuclear threats. >> president xi wants to do the right thing. we had a very good bonding. i think we had a very good chemistry together. i think he wants to help us with north korea. >> reporter: if a trump foreign policy is emerging, it would be don't have a doctrine. >> i like to think of myself as a very flexible person. i don't have to have one specific way and if the world changes, i go the same way. i don't change. well, i do change. >> reporter: trump says he trusts his commanders pressing him to flex u.s. military muscle in yemen where the u.s. is stepping up air strikes against isis.

in iraq and syria where trump has send hundreds of additional troops to fight isis since taking office. and in afghanistan, where his national security adviser, general hr mcmaster is traveling soon to plot the future of the u.s. military presence. trump now learning to trust the expertise of his generals he once boasted about knowing more than. >> i know more about isis than the generals do, believe me. >> reporter: cnn, washington. well, let's take a closer look at had of this with brian. nice to see you. one of the analysts in elise's story said that this does send a message the actions of donald trump around the world that america is back. what do you think about that? >> well, i think it's good that there is reengagement. i think that trump has moved in a positive way in the last week. it's a mirror image of a lot of the statements he made during the campaign.

if you take what he said during the campaign and what he said previously on twitter, basically the exact opposite, which is good because many of those statements were very stupid during the campaign. on the other hand, what worries me is two-fold. one is that the lack of strategy given that there is such an abrupt shift means that trump doesn't have a world view, which is a problem. trump's budget slushed funding by 29%, that's a much bigger problem because you cannot solve all these problems just by military might. you also need american diplomacy to be engaged. >> here's the question. elise explained the landscape of this recent u.s. military action that we've seen around the world. the tomahawk missiles in syria and the mother of all bombs in afghanistan. this is a president who is highly sensitive to optics and these options have played into the image of strength that he ames to portray. but the question beyond the bombs that have dropped, is there a sense that there is a basic plan behind the actions and how is the world reacting to

that? >> well, i think that the two are interlinked. i don't think there is a strategy and i think the world is very worried about that. even the allies to world are pleased to see the u.s. is taking action on syria. he will have a stand on his foreign policy for. nonetheless, a lot of questions that need to be answered about what happens next. what happens after the moab bomb is dropped in afghanistan. what happens after the air strike in syria and also what happens if there is an escalation in north korea. and that's really where foreign policy is made. what happens when a situation slides out of control. how does a president respond and that's where planning is really important and i'm worried that president trump doesn't have a plan currently. >> well, someone said he's kind of learning on the job. we heard him say things on the campaign trail. things are different once you get in the white house and doesn't have a clear doctrine. you say you're concerned about

that. does he necessarily have to have one? >> well, in some ways unpredictability in foreign policy could be an asset. trump supporters would say this is one of his strongest asset. keep allies and adversaries on their toes. on the other hand, when you don't think things through and have a consistent world view like trump doesn't because he did an about face based on something he saw on tv, i think that sends difficult signals to allies because they don't know how to back the united states. they don't know where the united states is heading. adversaries could miscalculate. what if they think the trump doctrine is this and it is that. they're basing their statement on 140 characters that trump makes on twitter. that is where consistency can be a major, major weapon on foreign policy. >> so, the other issue here and this is a very important one.

we're talking about the lives of men and women who serve in the u.s. military. these are men and women who have signed up to put their lives on the line to defend the united states anywhere around the world. the question here, what's the danger here? is the president making these decisions or is he leaving it up to his generals, to his commanders to make those decisions. if that's the case, is this a uniform strategy or is there a danger of having a very mixed message? >> well, he is delegating quite a lot more. so, the military has a lot more authority and latitude to do what it wants to do. seems like the moab strike was authorized not by trump but by one of his generals. the question is whether that is a good long-term strategy. the united states needs to have control over the military. in democracy the military doesn't get to do exactly what it wants to do. it may be good that trump is not deciding on every single drone sfr strike. there is a balance to be struck.

the question is if there is an absolute shift in u.s. policy as there has been in the last week, i think trump needs to be involved in that decision because that's where the buck stops with the president. the generals carry out tactics and the actual strikes, but they don't carry out or shape foreign policies themselves and they should not be allowed to do so. >> elise labott pointed out you can delegate authority but not responsibility. thank you for being with us. stay in touch with you for context. >> thank you. large-scale evacuations are under way in syria as syrians and rebels from besieged towns are now allowed to leave. >> thousands of people from the two shiite towns that remain loyal to the government are being sent to aleppo and sunni fighters who have been undersieged and relocated. iran brokered the swap with support. russia and iran and syria met in a show of unity against the u.s. military strikes.

russian foreign minister says washington should have respected syria's sovereignty instead of undermining the peace process. right. also following the situation in turkey that nation weighing what could be a major shift in its political landscape. voters will decide on sweeping changes to that country's constitution. >> a yes vote would boost the powers of the president, abolish the office of prime minister and establish the president as the head of the executive branch. supporters say the measures would bring more stability. >> but antiprotesters in turkey are worried about their democracy and in berlin the german finance minister warns there is a risk of ergon. >> as ian lee reports, he made some cutting remarks. >> reporter: they say nobody knows you better than your barber. what happens when your client is

ergodon. to learn more, i first have tasit in the hot seat for a trim. while chatting he said ergodon lost his hair adding right now he is stronger that putin and trump and turkey needs him. like a good barber, he won't devulage too many secrets, like if he tips. almost everyone here has a story about the local boy done good. yes, he has worked very hard for us. if he is in power, we're relaxed. if he isn't in power, then we're screwed. the barbershop banter leaves no doubt where the patron's

loyalties lie. mustofa tells me anyone who is rational will vote yes. i am a working man and now have a house and car. step outside the barbershop and into the neighborhood, not everyone is this enthusiastic. what gives me concern is will it only be him in power this lady who is still undecided tells me. what will happen to the parliament and will the people really have a voice? it's the nagging question for turks. no campaign sees this as a struggle. not only for turkey's democracy, but also the country's soul. hoping to trim ergodon's power with a single vote. ian lee, cnn, istanbul. still ahead, is north korea's embassy in moscow a front for pyongyang's dark arts.

cnn is live from atlanta, georgia, on our networks in the united states and around the world this hour. you're watching cnn.

welcome back to our viewers here in the u.s. and around the world. i'm natalie allen. >> i'm george howell with the headlines we're following for you this half hour. north korea showed off some of its military might at a parade on saturday including a intercontinental ballistic missile. the parade in honor of its late founder. in the meantime, pyongyang is issuing a strong mesage to the united states. it says it will respond to "all out war with an all-out war."

a divided turkey is gearing up for a critical referendum vo vote. on sunday, people will decide to replace their parliamentary democracy. ergodon has been out rallying support. russia, iran and syria all standing together to condemn the u.s. for last week's missile strike in syria. top officials from the three countries met in moscow. on friday the russian foreign minister says the u.s. attack was trying to undermine the peace process in syria. back now to north korea at a military parade saturday, pyongyang showed off two canisters that were about the right size to hold intercontinental ballistic missiles. one analyst says these would be bigger than anything north korea has ever produced.

another weapons expert told cnn they were likely just mock ups but it could hit targets in the mainland u.s. and europe. cnn's brian todd has the very latest assessments of where north korea's technology stands. >> reporter: kim jung-un's nuclear build up is advancing rapidly. north korea having produced 13 and 30 nuclear warheads according to a new report from david albright whose team examined the production. north korea's nuclear program is so secretly that completely accurate figures are difficult to get. based on what he found, he has an ominous projection for the number of warheads kim could soon produce. >> by the end of 2020, the numbers could go up to 25 to 50 and the worst case could go up to 60. >> reporter: with a stockpile that large, analysts say, kim's

regime could make it harder for the u.s. to track his nuclear weapons. that means they could disperse them. most of them i suspect is under ground and that ultimately means the u.s. does not have a first strike capability because we can't be assured of taking out all of their weapons. >> reporter: u.s. intelligence officials and independent weapons experts tell cnn kim jung-un more aggressive over the last year and a half than he's ever been. the regime tested missiles more than 20 times since the beginning of 2016 and tested nuclear warheads twice in that span. albright says with each nuclear test, the young dictator gets closer to producing a more powerful nuclear bomb. >> they could break into thermal nuclear weapons if they continue to test. that would give them the ability to make a much larger explosion. it would give an ability to

actually minimize. >> reporter: kim already has the ability to test a nuclear w warhead 16 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on. >> a lower risk than we may think. it means he can do something that could surprise us. from his perspective he may think he has little to lose. >> reporter: if he conducts another nuclear test in the coming days or weeks, it is going to mean that china likely was not able to use its leverage, its influence over kim jung-un and that, they say, is a very dangerous sign. brian todd, cnn, washington. well, as we mentioned, u.s. warships have been sent to the waters off the korean peninsula. that is making some wonder whether the u.s. is edging closer to conflict with

pyongyang. >> but some say this time it feels different. a senior fellow at the university of southern california spoke with cnn earlier and had this to say. >> i think it's different on a number of levels. i think that one very crucial point is that you're getting very, very mixed messages from the trump administration. in the sense that there is a lot of muscle flexing. there is a lot of posturing. there's a lot of threats that have really raised the temperature. and this comes when the north koreans are repeatedly saying if we feel that we are about to be attacked, we are prepared to undertake a preemptive strike and that we will use our nuclear weapons if we have to. >> north korea's arsenal isn't all that is growing. the united nations says that the north korean embassy in moscow is also gaining in sophistication. >> the u.n. says pyongyang

outmaneuvering some sanctions. paula newton reports. >> reporter: singled out in a u.n. report as diplomatic cover for kim jung-un's illicit activities and increasing in size and scope and sophistication. the mark report draws several lines of evidence to russia. specifically the korean trading corporation that is controlled by the energy bureau and so-called cash route to pyongyang. sanctioned by the u.s. and u.n. deals in prohibited minerals. the address is advertised as the north korean embassy in moscow. at the heart of allegations into how north korea uses its diplomatic missions as a front to skirt u.n. sanctions.

the coordinator for the u.n. expert panel. >> what the investigation based at the north korean russian embassy shows, again, is that the north koreans continue to use their embassies as a focus for activities. >> reporter: the u.n. panel informed the russian government of the activities and was told in part that it was not a registered company in russia. the report draws no conclusions whether it has given approval of such activity to the north korean regime, but russia makes no mention of any efforts to stop it. the russian government told cnn it had no response to the u.n. report and referred us to the north korean policy statement on its website. phone calls to the north korean embassy went unanswered. at issue now, how seriously russia takes these alleged sanctions violations. for oxford academic who has been watching the relationship closely, russia's motives are

clear. >> the russians are beginning to have a gap between their rhetoric and policies. so in practice leading russian officials have condemned north korea for their unilateral aggression and nuclear tests. in practice, they are continuing to back up the north korean regime and very critical of u.s. policy towards north korea. >> reporter: russia shares a far eastern border with north korea. it has some commercial, financial and educational and even questionable military links to pyongyang. military personnel have attended international arms fairs in russia. so far russia, unlike china, hasn't taken any further punitive measures against north korea following its most recent nuclear tests. a former ambassador to the u.n. who has negotiated with north korea. >> i think russia is trying to have it both ways. they vote for more sanctions in the u.n. security council.

the p5. so publicly restraining north korea. put more sanctions when north korea conducts missile tests. but there are reports that russia and north korea have gotten in a tighter relationship. >> reporter: all of this shows it's not just china with leverage in north korea. experts note that russia is shrewdly using its ties to the regime to not only support kim jung-un but to try to have more influence on the outcome of any future russian negotiations. syria's leader dismisses images of atrocity in his country. >> he's questioning if whether the victims are even dead.

introducing listerine® zero alcohol™. it delivers a whole mouth clean with a less intense taste. so it has the bad breath germ-killing power of this... [rock music] with the lighter feel... of this. [classical music] for a whole mouth clean with a less intense taste...

ahhh. try listerine® zero alcohol™. also try listerine® pocketpaks for fresh breath on the go. welcome back to cnn newsroom. right here in atlanta, georgia.

a tragic incident took place. on the 77th floor of the westin tower a child died at the rotating sin dial restaurant. >> the boy apparently got stuck between the wall and the table as the entire dining area revolved. he had walked away from the table where his family was sitting. staff were eventually able to free him, but his injuries were too severe and he later died at the hospital. terrible, terrible tragedy. the u.s. military says dropping its most powerful nonnuclear bomb on an isis position in afghanistan was the right weapon against the right target. aerial video shows the massive shockwave caused by nine tons of explosives. >> afghan officials now say at least 94 isis militants died in that attack, including four commanders nicknamed the mother of all bombs, moab. it struck near the pakistani border. the u.s. military said it found

no evidence of civilian casualties. the shocking carnage we see in syria is deeply disturbing to just about everyone, except the leader of that country. the president there. bashir al assad questions whether those scenes are real. >> perhaps the safety of the presidential palace makes it easy to deny atrocity such as the recent poison gas attack on a rebel held town. nick pa the video of the victims is very difficult to watch. here's nick's story. >> reporter: this is the world of most syrians. indiscriminate slaughter and even chemical weapons. welcome to the world according to bashir al assad where things that make him look bad simply didn't happen. >> we don't know whether the dead children, were they dead at

all? >> reporter: nothing new for a man who was an eye doctor trained in london, yet has found himself a hated dictator. but despite u.s. missile strikes and talk from the trump administration like this -- >> our view is that the rein of the assad family is coming to an end. >> reporter: unclear if that is on the verge of happening. he denied bombings like this have ever happened. he denied being behind this massacre in 2013 before later agreeing to give his chemical weapons up under russian pressure. denial pretty easy. if your world is in the palace, then you haven't really left for five years. in fact, this may be the only time assad left wartime damascus

in the military plane en route to meet vladimir putin in the kremlin. a public sign of the russian support that has turned the warrer in his favor. central damascus is a lot quieter than the rest of syria and now with the regime on the military front foot and when a place is damaged, it's often repaired. the syrian first lady, british born wants her brief darling of "glamour" magazine a rose in the desert by "vogue" can enjoy the calm on instagram. assad never knew this twisted and lonely role was coming his way, rushing into the presidency after his older brother's fatal car crash. strategic patience. the last man standing in his reality. whose personal fate influences

how much longer his people suffer. nick paton walsh, cnn. >> just creepy how he sits there and calmly denies that this even happened. these chemical attacks. >> the images are disturbing. >> yeah. he's disturbing, too. coming up here, we have an environmental story for you. the great barrier reef isn't as colorful as it should be. >> in fact, it's being bleached white. the devastating transformation still ahead. the more... ound, powerful you'll think they are. it's time to see what power really looks like. new neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair with accelerated retinol sa. clinically proven to reduce wrinkles in just one week. wrinkles? your time is up! rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots. rapid tone repair. neutrogena® see what's possible.

scientists say the images of the great barrier reef are proof of the devastating effects of climate change. the latest evidence vast areas of the once colorful coral reefs off the coast of australia are all bleached white. >> look at that. scientists blame rising sea temperatures as donald trump proposes cutting billions of dollars from programs to fight the effects of climate change and preserve the environment. ivan watson talked with scientists trying to send a warning. >> reporter: it's one of the seven natural wonders of the world. the great barrier reef off the coast of australia.

a vibrant underwater eco-system of coral and sea life that is roughly the size of italy. so huge you can actually see it from space. scientists are sounding the alarm. they say for the second year in a row, this sprawling, under water treasure is bleaching on a massive scale and new study by australia's center of excellence for coral reef studies shows approximately two-thirds of the reef is suffering. >> it's quite terrifying, actually. the magnitude and severity of the event. >> reporter: sean connally is one of a team of scientists who have been surveying the damage. >> a coral is a partnership between an animal which builds the skeleton and conducts that the reef that you see and the algae are plants that live inside it. hot temperatures cause that relationship to become toxic. >> reporter: his team released footage of expans of coral, bleached bone white. in some cases, turning a drab

lifeless brown. look at the before and after contrast of coral gone from healthy to bleached. dr. nancy noten, a coral reef biologist with the smithsonian museum of natural history says the coral is basically suffering from heat stroke. >> it's happening with climate change is the baseline temperature is getting warmer and warmer. so, any little increase in temperature caused by local weather conditions than adds on top of the global warming and then kicks off this bleaching event. the global warming is caused by people and is providing the conditions that make bleaching happen. >> reporter: the great barrier reef is more than just home to thousands of species of fish, birds, coral, whales and dolphins. it's also a major tourist attraction that earns australia $3.7 billion a year. to add to the bad news, a big part of the reef that escaped

bleaching was pounded by tropical cyclone debbie last month. scientists say coral can recover from bleaching. the problem is that recovery can take more than a decade and this is the second straight year that we're seeing bleaching on a mass scale on the great barrier reef. experts say the coral is literally cooking and dying due to change in the ocean's temperature. ivan watson, cnn, hong kong. >> tough to see. >> it is, indeed. well, derek is here with some good news. large asteroid is hurdling towards earth, but, aapparently, no need to duck and cover. >> that's right. let's get this straight with everybody watching there is no chance that this asteroid will hit us here on planet earth. collective sigh of relief, no chance. check this out. we are expecting a very close approach. this wednesday about 1 million miles away from us, this asteroid will fly by us.

that's 2014 jo25. about a little bit larger than the freedom tower in new york city. very large. but it's about five times the distance of earth to the moon. that's how close it will get to us. that seems far to you and i but astronomers call this the equivalent of the glalactic equivalent of getting grazed. did you pay attention to your science classes? do you know the difference between an asteroid and meteor? check out this video captured in san diego earlier this week. you're looking at a meteor. the difference here is that a meteor actually reaches the earth's atmosphere and burns up before it reaches the ground. an asteroid is a large rock that navigates around our sun and never really quite reaches us here on the planet. that's the big difference. you're looking at the two different types of celestial

rocks. let's talk about things around the world, that is the extreme heat facing many people across the subcontinent of india. record-setting temperatures and premonsoon heat. we see this every year. but just seems to get hotter and hotter. this high pressure isn't going anywhere and our weak tropical development across the bay is going to slide to the north and east. hot temperatures continue. five to six degrees celsius above where they should be this time of year. this is in southern california. wow. quite a shot here. this is drone footage of a super bloom. the drone is over and this is the result of heavy rain that we had this season. great wild flowers blooming just outside of los angeles. >> it's nice to see positive news from all the negativety. >> no asteroid hitting us here. >> yeah. no asteroid, that's good. derek, thank you. >> thanks for being with us, i'm george howell. >> i'm natalie allen. we'll have more news in just three minutes.

so you're having a party?

how nice. i'll be right there. and the butchery begins. what am i gonna wear? this party is super fancy. let's go. i'm ready. are you my uber? [ horn honks ] hold on. don't wait for watchathon week to return. [ doorbell rings ] who's that?

show me netflix. sign up for netflix on x1 today and keep watching all year long. north korea put its military on display, showing off possible new ballistic missile canisters. >> and mounting tension on a korean peninsula. just the latest in foreign policy hurdles for the trump administration. we look at how president trump differs from candidate trump on some very key issues. well commonwealcome to our view the united states and around the world. i'm george howell. and i'm natalie allen. "cnn newsroom" starts right now.