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Hamas Leader's Sons Killed In Gaza Strike; Biden Vows Ironclad Commitment To Israel Amid Iran Threats; Biden Hosts Japanese P.M. At White House For Official Visit; Grief and War Darken Eid al-Fitr Holiday in Gaza; Study Shows Extreme Temps Linked to 500K+ Stroke Deaths a Year; Ongoing Drought Forces Officials to Ration Water in Colombia; Storms Batter Southern U.S., Tornadoes Hit Louisiana; Accelerated Aging Linked to Cancer Risk in Younger Adults. Aired 2- 2:45a ET

Aired April 11, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:28]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead. Israel says it killed three sons of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. He says their deaths won't change the group's demands. A CNN exclusive will take you on board a U.S. bomber on a 33-hour mission flying near Russia, China and North Korea.

And Ukraine's leader tells CNN his forces can break Russia's backbone if they get the military aid they need.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. We begin with a surprise assault in northern Gaza that could complicate negotiations to secure a ceasefire and free Israeli hostages. Israel's military has claimed responsibility for an airstrike Wednesday that killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas says several of Haniyeh's grandchildren and the driver were also killed. They'd been out visiting family during Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan when their vehicle was hit in a refugee camp.

Israel says Haniyeh's sons were members of the Hamas military wing and had carried out terrorist activities but CNN cannot confirm that. Haniyeh who is based in Doha released a statement saying the killings would only strengthen Hamas's resolve and vowed never to compromise or surrender. He also said that anyone "who thinks that by targeting my kids during negotiations before a deal is agreed upon that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands is delusional."

However, Israeli officials stressed that the attack on Haniyeh's sons was not related to ceasefire and hostage release talks. Meanwhile, Hamas has told negotiators it can't identify and track down the 40 Israeli hostages that meet the criteria for a first phase of a -- of a potential ceasefire deal. And that's raising fears more hostages may be dead than previously known. The framework calls for the release of all women hostages as well as elderly or sick men in exchange for a six-week pause in the fighting and for many Palestinian prisoners to be freed.

Meantime, the U.S. President says he's been very blunt and straightforward in talks with the Israeli Prime Minister about the need to get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza. And Israel's Defense Minister says there are now plans to flood the enclave with aid. The Israeli agency that handles the inspection and delivery of that aid is again blaming the U.N. for failing to distribute it.

But the U.N. humanitarian affairs office accuses Israeli authorities of restricting access to many parts of the Palestinian territory.

Alon Pinkas is a former Israeli consul general in New York and joins me now from Tel Aviv. Israel. Appreciate you being with us.

ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Thank you, Rosemary. Good morning.

CHURCH: So, Hamas has told negotiators it doesn't have the 40 Israeli hostages needed to hand over in the first phase of the newly proposed ceasefire deal, which is meant to include women as well as sick or elderly men. So, Israel is pushing Hamas to include younger men, including soldiers in that first phase. But in light of the Israeli airstrike that killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Can that deal get done now?

PINKAS: I doubt that very much. I truly honestly hope so, Rosemary, but it certainly as you correctly stated it complicates everything and it makes -- it makes a deal even more remote, and on top of which we don't know exactly you quoted Hamas negotiators. We don't know exactly what the chain of communications and command that Hamas has still has in Gaza. If it's intact, if it's broken, if it's reliable, credible. We don't know who calls the -- at least I don't know who calls the shots and how long it takes for communications and information to flow.

[02:05:06]

Which means that on top of this attack it was already complicated. And the fact that Hamas admits that it doesn't know the fatal care about -- tells you something. They might just be telling the truth that, you know, in this chaos that is in Gaza now.

CHURCH: All right. We clearly having some audio and some visual issues there. I think we're going to try -- we try and reestablish contact and we'll move on for now. So, we were talking there with Alon Pinkas. So, in the midst of all of this, the growing threat of an attack from Iran is that they're vowing revenge after the deadly strike on its consulate in Syria last week. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden said the U.S. remains iron clad and it's vowed to protect Israel from threats from Iran and its proxies. The U.S. has been actively preparing for Iran to target Israel or American assets in the region. An American official says there has been some communication between the U.S. and Iran this week with private messengers and warnings exchanged between the two sides. Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is hailing the relationship between the U.S. and Japan as a cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity as he hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit in Washington.

Just hours ago, the Biden administration held a state dinner to honor the key American ally with Mr. Biden again stressing the importance of the U.S. relationship with Japan saying it was "stronger than it has ever been." A number of distinguished guests

also took part in the Black Tie Event at the White House including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Bill and Hillary Clinton and actor Robert De Niro.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Biden held an Oval Office meeting with Japan's Prime Minister as the two leaders worked to bolster cooperation across a wide range of sectors. And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following developments from Hong Kong. She joins us now live. Good to see you. So, Kristie, how has this visit changed the U.S.-Japan alliance and what does it mean for China?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know Rosemary the U.S. and Japan are ushering in a very big upgrade in the alliance. That sends a clear message to China. The U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Japan's Prime Minister for the state visit in honor to underscore just how important Japan is to America. And they announced a number of moves to enhance military cooperation, economic cooperation, high-tech cooperation as well.

This was the fifth official state visit of the Biden White House the fourth dedicated to a key ally in the Indo-Pacific region. And Japan has been at the center of this. At the center of Biden's alliance building in this region. On Wednesday the two leaders who shared a toast and earlier in the day they announced concrete steps to further deepen this alliance. And let's bring up the graphic for you.

They include moves to upgrade the following, you know, trade and economic ties between the U.S. and Japan. Diplomacy as well as more person-to-person contacts like student exchanges, efforts to fight climate change, space exploration, critical technologies like A.I. and defense. We have to underline defense. That was the key alliance takeaway here. In fact, 70 agreements on defense cooperation were made including moves to upgrade their military command structures.

There has been recently maritime aggression at sea, the South China Sea involving China, and so the U.S. and its allies see China as a growing threat in the region. I want you to listen to what the Japanese Prime Minister had to say on Wednesday.

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FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We reaffirmed the importance of realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rules of law and concurred to maintain close collaboration through various opportunities including the Japan, U.S., Philippine Summit which is planned for Thursday.

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STOUT: Kishida added that Japan will continue to call on China to fulfill its responsibilities as a major power while also striving to establish a "constructive and stable relationship with China." Back to you.

CHURCH: And Kristie, as the U.S.-Japan alliance deepens, Japan has engaged in some cherry blossom diplomacy. How was that received?

STOUT: Yes. And we have some video to share of that. You know, Japan gifted some 250 cherry trees to the United States to honor America's 250th birthday which will be two years from now. They'll be planted in an area known as the tidal basin.

[02:10:08]

Apparently, what happened was about 150 cherry trees there had to be chopped down to make way for higher seawalls. And it's important to note this that Japan first donated the cherry trees to the U.S., to Washington, D.C., over 100 years ago, way back in the early 20th century. And a senior Biden administration official called that original gift, one of the most important diplomatic gifts in U.S. history. Second only, Rosemary, to the Statue of Liberty which was gifted from France. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, lovely. Thank you so much. Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong. The head of the FBI is again warning about what he calls the defining threat to the United States. In a speech on Tuesday, Christopher Wray outlined how ill-equipped the U.S. is to deal with cyberattacks from China.

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CHRISTOPHER WRAY, DIRECTOR, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: To put it simply, the CCP is throwing its whole government at undermining the security and economy of the rule of law world. China's hacking program is larger than that of every other major nation combined. In fact, if you took every single one of the FBI's cyber agents and intelligence analysts and focused them exclusively on China, forget Russia, forget ransomware, forget North Korea, forget all the other stuff, China's hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber personnel by at least 50 to one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Earlier this year, Wray warned there's been two little focus in the U.S. on the risk of cyberattacks. He claims Chinese hackers are actively targeting critical U.S. infrastructure. Beijing has denied hacking into U.S. systems.

No matter the adversary, the U.S. wants the world to know it's always watching and ready to respond to any threat. CNN's Oren Lieberman gained exclusive access to a long-range U.S. Air Force mission meant to send a clear message to friends and foes alike, but that mission on an aging B-52 bomber also comes with challenges.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under the shroud of predawn darkness, flight MYLAR11 roars out of Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base. It's the start of one of the longest military missions in the world, a nonstop 33-hour flight by this B-52 strategic bomber group to the other side of the world, flying near Russia, China, North Korea and back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you can see, it's dark outside. The cockpit has red light once again for the night.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): CNN is the first news crew ever allowed on one of these extensive B-52 missions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only are we out of the visible and flexible legs on the nuclear triad, we can have a B-52 where you need it, when you need it within 48 hours.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): These flights are intentionally high-profile. Two years into the war in Ukraine, as Russia challenges the U.S. and NATO, the Kremlin is meant to know about our bomber flight. So is China, with Beijing pressuring Taiwan and Chinese Coast Guard vessels harassing ships of the Philippines, a U.S. ally.

MAJ. GEN. JASON ARMAGOST, COMMANDER, EIGHTH AIR FORCE: Both the national leadership of Russia and the national leadership of China, what do they react to? We see that they publicly comment about our bomber task force missions, particularly when it involves others in very joint and public ways.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tanker one, contact.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bomber one, contact.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Five hours into the flight, we hit our first of four aerial refuelings off Alaska's coast, taking on as much gas as we can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep track of your own fuel state. I'd like for you guys to be with us all the way to Yankee Zulu Papa.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): After an hour of formation flying during this refuel, we arc out over the Pacific and towards Japan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's important that we communicate to our partners that we mean what we say when we say that we're committed to our alliances. That's an example of what the B-52 does. We show up when we're asked.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): This 63-year-old Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, decades older than its crew, shows its age. But it remains the Air Force's primary bomber, taking part in every U.S. war since Vietnam with planned upgrades to its antiquated systems, it'll see nearly a century of service. This year, the U.S. began producing its next- generation B-21 bomber. China is close behind, promising their H-20 strategic stealth bomber will be unveiled soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty seconds to the turn. Zero five zero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Onboard MYLAR11, we pass by Russia's East Coast, closer to meeting up with U.S. and ally fighter jets. Our flight is unarmed, the mission is not to attack, but to prevent attack, to deter. But this is a bomber, of course. If we were carrying nuclear weapons, the Air Force would monitor the flight from the joint nuclear operations center back in Louisiana, seen here on news camera for the first time.

[02:15:02]

It's a 24/7 operation, tracking all ballistic missile silos and airborne nuclear weapons. On the ground, crews trained to turn the aircraft into an offensive platform, munitions teams or mons as they're known on base assemble weapons. Outside, loading teams marry bombs to bomber.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The B-52 can carry up to 70,000 pounds of bombs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready to fly?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready to fly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Your jet.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): It is a marathon of marathons to put the B-52 in its crew virtually anywhere in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point, we've passed the halfway point on the flight. We've been in the air more than 16 hours. It's the middle of the day here in Japan where we're over flying at the moment. En route to the mission area where we'll meet up with fighters from several other countries here and carry out an exercise.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Here on the edge of the East China Sea, fighter jets from Japan and South Korea take up formation off our wings. Hours earlier during our flight, North Korea test fired a mid- range ballistic missile, a reminder of the threats in the Pacific.

LIEBERMANN (on camera): You want to be seen by both allies and adversaries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be seen by allies and adversaries.

LIEBERMANN (on camera): It is still a head-turner --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is.

LIEBERMANN (on camera): -- when you take it around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): But it's China that the U.S. is watching most closely. In October, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a B-52 flying over the South China Sea at night, coming within 10 feet of the bomber. By number of ships, China has the world's largest navy, soon have the world's largest air force according to the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Beijing is rapidly modernizing its military, including its strategic forces, and they're not part of any non- proliferation treaty, obscuring their nuclear assets.

After 19 hours of flying and 14 more to go, a warning light signals trouble with one of the plane's main engines. The crew runs through the checklists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Throttles, number five.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Confirmed, five.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Confirmed.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): They make the decision to shut down the engine. There is no panic, just a management of risk. Nearing the 30- hour mark of the flight, we see our second sunrise over Washington States Mount Rainier.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And though the crew is tried, they all know there's still a critical task ahead and that is getting the B-52 back on the ground and that is one of the most difficult parts of the mission.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): On final approach, the B-52, which has been in the air nearly 15 hours longer than the longest commercial flight in the world has won final surprise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One year, not down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Affirm. Right main gear is not down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead and emergency extend it.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Flight MYLAR11 touches down at 3:00 in the afternoon after 33 hours in the air. A mission that showed the abilities and the age of a jet that remains critical to the air force.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Despite how many years the B-52 has been running, she is a tough girl.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN: Officers we spoke with in Air Force Global Strike Command say countries like Japan are requesting more B-52 flights. They want to see the bomber in their skies. It is not just a measure of assurance between the U.S. and its allies. It's also a message to adversaries like China, who are very much aware of those B-52 missions, especially the long-range ones.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumiyo Kishida held a meeting on Wednesday in which they said there would be increased defense security cooperation, more integration on things like command and control between the militaries, and making sure these militaries can continue to move together. Biden said it is the most significant upgrade to the alliance since it began.

Oren Liebermann, CNN in the Pentagon.

CHURCH: Ukraine's president reacts to a reported idea by Donald Trump about how to get to peace with Russia.

Still to come, what he said about Trump's alleged proposal to swap land for peace.

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[02:20:52]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. We are hearing reports of a new round of strikes across Ukraine overnight, targeting the country's energy infrastructure. According to officials, the Kharkiv region was especially hard hit with more than 200,000 customers losing power. Attacks were also reported in several other regions, including Kyiv and Lviv.

Meantime. Ukrainian football players had to dark after suspected Russian missiles started to rain down during their training. It happened in Kharkiv on Wednesday, where at least two explosions could be heard on this video. The players appear to be OK. But Ukraine says at least three people were killed in other parts of the Kharkiv region where a pharmacy and clinic were struck. Russian missiles also targeted the southern Odessa region, reportedly killing four people and leaving more than a dozen wounded. Ukraine says the strike set a gas station on fire, which was burning for at least several hours.

The top U.S. commander in Europe says Ukraine could lose the war against Russia without continued U.S. support. General Chris Cavoli spoke as $60 billion in U.S. aid for Ukraine is being held up by congressional Republicans. He said Ukraine can still turn things around because Russia is struggling to launch any large combined operations. But at this point, the general says Ukraine is simply outgunned.

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GEN. CHRIS CAVOLI, COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND: The severity of this moment cannot be overstated. If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine could lose. They are now being outshot by the Russian side, five to one. So, Russians fire five times as many artillery shells at the Ukrainians, then the Ukrainians are able to fire back. That will immediately go to 10 to one in a matter of weeks. We are not talking about months. We are not typing -- talking hypothetically.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is responding to reports about a land full peace deal allegedly floated by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Washington Post reported Trump privately said if he is elected, he may press Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow in exchange for peace. The Trump campaign told the paper the story is based on uninformed sources.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen pressed Mr. Zelenskyy for his take on the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As Russia unleashes barrages of powerful missiles in Ukraine's cities, killing and wounding dozens in the past days, and key of both outmanned and outgunned suffers setbacks on the battlefield, I asked Ukraine's president about Donald Trump's reported plan, if he is elected, to end the fighting by forcing Ukraine to give up territory and handed to Vladimir Putin.

Would you ever be willing to give up Ukrainian territory for peace?

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): I did not hear it directly from Trump. His idea is in detail. I did not have the opportunity to talk to him about this topic and his idea of how to end the war. If there is such an opportunity, I would be happy to hear, and I will listen, and we will talk about this topic.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): The Trump campaign today also denied the former president has agreed to visit Ukraine after reports surfaced he was planning a visit. Zelenskyy says Ukraine will lose the war if Republicans don't approve U.S. military aid fast. Kyiv's army running short on everything from artillery ammo to air defense missiles.

ZELENSKYY (voice-over): I understand that it is not easy, and everyone thinks about themselves. Our partners are helping. I am grateful to them.

[02:25:00]

They help as much as they can. But as much as they can is not enough if we really want to defeat Putin. If no one wants Putin to drag the world into World War III.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): Speaking to me, Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and its allies not to be intimidated by Putin. If Ukraine gets the weapons and ammo he says, Kyiv will win.

ZELENSKYY (voice-over): It is a war. And we have a serious enemy against us. But let's be realistic. Not pessimistic. Let's be realistic. Today, the situation is stabilized. If there are concrete weapons, concrete political steps from our partners, we will break Putin's backbone. PLEITGEN (voiceover): Frederik Pleitgen, Delphi Greece.

CHURCH: Coming up. Eid al-Fitr Eid is meant to be a time of celebration and joy. But in Gaza, Palestinian spent the holiday in bombed-out buildings and at the graves of loved ones.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Palestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in a refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least 14 people on Tuesday. They say most of the casualties were women and children. 30 others were seriously injured according to the Al Aqsa Hospital spokesperson. That attack came on the last night of Ramadan before Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

On Wednesday, CNN asked Israeli military officials about those reports. The IDF did not comment except to say that they were continuing operations to "dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities and that they follow international law to mitigate harm to civilians."

It has been 11 days since seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen were killed and in Israeli airstrike as they were on a mission to deliver food aid. The aid group now says another of its workers was gravely injured just 15 minutes before that attack. The Palestinian staff member reportedly suffered serious head and hand injuries while he was close to a mosque in Deir al-Balah that was reportedly hit in an Israeli airstrike.

[02:30:00]

The World Central Kitchen says both airstrikes are reminders of the harrowing conditions aid workers and Palestinian families face every day. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment on this claim.

On Wednesday, Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr with prayers, feast, and joyful family gatherings. But in Gaza, the holiday was much marked with grief, uncertainty and loss. Here CNN's Nic Robertson.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Eid's joys a scarcer in Gaza this year. Celebration (inaudible) amidst ruin.

Sarah (ph) crying as she recounts finding her beloved Eid clothes in the rubble of her home, t. hen realizing she won't get to wear them. Her family's festivities forgone this year.

Thank God, we are alive for Eid her father explains, but we are exhausted and devastated. We should be in our home, comfortable, eating, celebrating.

In the ravaged enclave, millions are clinging to what is unbreakable tradition. We insisted on praying inside Rafah's (inaudible) mosque, so all the world knows that we are holding onto our mosques, to our land, to our country, Mostafa Alhelou from Gaza city says. Eid's spirit also being kept alive in makeshift kitchens, ingredients of everyone's Eid memories donated by charities outside of Gaza, lovingly crafted into date, sesame and caraway cookies.

We are trying to make our kids happy, remind them that the smell of Eid, Ahlam Saleh says. They didn't get the traditional new clothes. There is no joy for Eid, no balloons, no sweets.

What is in abundance this year, Eid's custom of commemorating the dead, silent, plus those of sorrow surrounding fresh-dug soil in other years, less tragic than today.

Um Ahmad came with her children. My kids lost their father, she says. When I told them I was going to visit his grave, he told me, mom, we want to come visit baba. This little one is banging on the stone saying, I want to see baba. He said who is going to celebrate Eid with me. There is no going back. A generation here growing up with a new memories of Eid, of suffering and loss. A long time before the joy shared by about 1.9 billion other Muslims around the world become universal in Gaza again.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A new study suggests that an increase in the number of deaths from strokes may be linked to the climate crisis. Researchers found that more than 0.5 million stroke deaths in 2019 may have been tied to fluctuating temperatures caused by climate change and that number is expected to rise as the world gets warmer. The study says, men had more strokes related to extreme temperatures than women.

It also found stroke related deaths and disabilities due to extreme high and extreme low temperatures have been increasing since 1990. The study by researchers from China was published Wednesday in the medical journal "Neurology."

About 9 million people living in and around Bogota in Colombia will face water restrictions and rationing in the coming hours. The region is struggling through a long drought fueled by the El Nino climate pattern, which causes high temperatures and blocks rainfall. Stefano Pozzebon has more from a dried-up lake near the Colombian capital.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: We are in the reservoir (inaudible). It is one of a few that provide freshwater to the city of Bogota. But as you can see, this reservoir is mostly dry. In fact, less than a year ago, the ground I am standing on was covered in water. And right now, I don't even need to wear rain boots for walking here because of how dry the ground is. The situation is so troublesome, the Colombian authorities have called for water rationing measures in the city of Bogota, which is about 10 kilometers that way, starting today. Now, Bogota's mayor has urged his fellow citizens to save as much water as possible, at least until the rains come back.

[02:35:00]

POZZEBON: In fact, much of the supply of water to the city comes from surface water, like this one, which are highly dependent on precipitation. This year, however, rain has been scarce in part because of El Nino, a climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean, which is hundreds of miles from here.

El Nino can have different effects at different latitudes. But in Colombia, it largely means less water. And the Colombian government has issued a natural disaster decree as early as in January, to mobilize resources to prevent the effects of El Nino.

SUSANA MUHAMAD, COLOMBIA ENVIRONMENT MINISTER (through translator): We must have a deep thought about the type of development we want. We can't keep handling emergencies. It is not sustainable to break through the water cycle, ignoring the time nature needs to recover, and then expect the water to keep flowing as if anything is happening.

POZZEBON: Colombian authorities as well as scientists say that it is incredibly hard to predict how long this drought would last. But what is most worrying is if droughts like these become a yearly thing and this becomes the new normal.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Tornadoes and severe storms ripped across the southeastern U.S. on Wednesday. In Slidell, Louisiana, a twister injured at least ten people according to police. The storm knocked down trees and damaged homes. More details on the extent of the damage will be released Thursday as surveys continue. Tornado watches across the south have now expired, but heavy rain, flash flooding, and high winds remain a threat.

Still to come, a growing number of adults are developing cancer at younger ages. Now, researchers may have an idea as to why and the factors that could be causing this concerning trend. We'll explain when we come back.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Scientists trying to learn why some cancers are on the rise in younger adults, may have found a new link, accelerated biological aging, basically, the wear and tear on the body caused by lifestyle, stress and genetics. They looked at the medical records of tens of thousands of people, ages 37 to 54, and found faster aging was associated with a higher cancer risk, especially with lung, stomach, intestinal, and uterine cancers. The new research could provide doctor with a better way to find people who are at higher risk of getting cancer when they are young. And earlier, I spoke with Dr. Anne Blaes, a Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Minnesota, and she broke down the study's findings.

DR. ANNE BLAES, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: We are all seeing, rising numbers of younger individuals with cancer.

[02:40:00]

BLAES: So what a lot of research is currently looking at is trying to understand how can we better predict and understand why is that happening. In this particular study, they looked at a series of biologic measures called PhenoAge and these are clinically available measures that look at a variety of different functions that give us the opportunity to try to predict is, do we better understand why we are seeing some of that. And that is what this study really looked at.

These are a series of clinically available biomarkers and their data anyway, preliminarily suggests that. It also suggests that there is more accelerated aging in those born in more recent years.

CHURCH: And doctor, what causes an acceleration in aging for some young people, but not others? What is making their cells age faster than others?

BLAES: So, I think this is an area that we are all doing a lot of research in. And I'll preface it by saying, when we think about age, age is a number and I think most of us recognize that there are people who are different when you look at their biology, or you could guess that. And what do I mean by that? Some people who are 50, for example, are very young and vibrant, and some are not.

Things like tobacco use, physical inactivity, inability to sleep, nutrition, in addition to chronic disease and chronic inflammation are things that seem to impact accelerated aging. Although I will mention that this is really an area that there is a lot of ongoing research that is very interesting to really try to understand what is driving those factors and what are those things that are potentially intervenable on?

CHURCH: Dr. Anne Blaes talking to me earlier, and our her full interview is next hour, right here on "CNN Newsroom." And finally, you could say it was a race horse On The Lam. Security footage shows a horse startling passengers as it trots up and down the platform at a railway station in Sydney, Australia. Officials say it got loose from a nearby stable. Train drivers were warned about the situation with at least one train going through the station, keeping its doors close, so the wayward equine couldn't hitch a ride. But moments later, the horse's trainer arrived, loaded the runaway race horse into a trailer, putting an end to the main event.

And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next, then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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(WORLD SPORT)