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One Shot, Several Stabbed In Sydney Shopping Center; Iran Expected To Strike Targets Inside Israel; Famine Already Present In Parts Of Gaza; At Least Five Killed In Sydney Attack; IDF Strikes Hezbollah Complex In Southern Lebanon; Vice President Kamala Harris Slams Trump And Arizona Abortion Ruling; Mexico Plans To Curb Illegal Crossings Into The U.S.; The Masters. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired April 13, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to, all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
The U.S. issues a warning about what Iran is planning following that deadly strike on their consulate in Damascus. What we know about military movement within Iran's borders.
Meanwhile, Israel appears to shift its position when it comes to getting aid to Gaza. I'll tell you what's changing and whether it will be enough to make a real difference.
And U.S. presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is heading to court on Monday, saying he could testify. What challenges his legal team could face when it comes to jury selection.
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BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have those stories in a moment. But first, we're following breaking news in Sydney, Australia. Police there say one man has been shot and multiple people have been stabbed in what they're calling a critical incident.
Now we're seeing live pictures from the scene. It happened at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall. Police haven't said if the incident is related to terrorism. The New South Wales ambulance service tells CNN that eight patients have been transported to hospitals across Sydney, including one child.
Again, we're showing live pictures of the scene. Witnesses say police -- people were running through the mall and falling over each other. One described the situation as pandemonium. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, as I saw a woman lying on the floor in Chanel. So I didn't see him properly. I was running. But it's just -- it was insane. It was insanity. I wasn't expecting it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if some guy running around, stabbing people seems pretty random, probably a terrorist attack.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we're just looking at somebody who is injured down there. We're just looking because everyone was looking to see what was going on. And then we saw all these people running toward this. And then we heard a shot. And the husband dragged us into a dairy (ph) shop.
And then we've got the lady there, trying to lock the doors. And then she couldn't lock the front door. So we went in the office, which is all locked. And then we were in there until the police came together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Police haven't said if the incident is related to terrorism. They're asking people to avoid the area. We'll have more information on that as it develops.
We're tracking new information about a possible Iranian attack against Israel. A senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence tell CNN they expect Iran to carry out strikes inside Israel and say Iranian proxy groups could also be involved in any attack.
An Iranian attack on Israel could be retaliation for the Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week. That attack killed three Iranian generals and several other people.
At the White House on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden said an attack from inside Iran or from its proxy forces in other countries could happen soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: How in (INAUDIBLE) the attack on Israeli (INAUDIBLE) Iran, (INAUDIBLE)?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to get this security information but my expectation is sooner than later.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Mr. Biden, what is your message to Iran in this moment?
BIDEN: Don't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is live in London.
So Jomana, what is the latest on this threat from Iran?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Kim, the entire region and especially Israel has been on edge since that April 1st attack by Israel on the Iranian consular building in Damascus that killed a top Iranian IRGC commander and other senior members of the IRGC.
Everyone has been waiting and anticipating to see what sort of response we're going to be seeing from Iran, which has promised that it will be retaliating because, of course, you know, this sort of brazen attack, high level commanders being targeted, the expectation is Iran is not going to let this go unanswered.
The question has always been, Kim, what sort of response are we going to be seeing?
The scale of this response?
Will it be Iran carrying out this retaliation or will it be its proxies?
Will it be inside Israel or not?
What we're hearing now in the last 24 hours from U.S. officials is they say they believe that this is -- Iran is going to be retaliating directly, that it was going to be striking inside Israel, that this could potentially also involve Iranian proxies, that this would be an attack that could involve missiles and drones.
[04:05:00]
And officials have also said that intelligence indicates that there have been movements of weaponry within Iranian territory, that it has been moving drones, missiles. One official saying as many as 100 cruise missiles have been readied by the Iranians.
The question has been whether this is going to be part of this retaliation or is this posturing by the Iranians?
Because Israel has indicated and said clearly that, if it is attacked by Iran, it is going to be responding in like, that it is going to be striking inside Iran. So right now, it is very unclear what is going to happen. But the indications are that we are going to be seeing some sort of an Iranian response.
The question is, what will this look like?
And the scale of it?
BRUNHUBER: Yes, still so many questions. Jomana Karadsheh in London, thank you so much.
Now earlier, CNN spoke with Middle East analyst Hasan Alhasan and he told us the situation in the region could get very dangerous very quickly.
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HASAN ALHASAN, SENIOR FELLOW FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: So all of the pieces are in place for this to go completely haywire.
So Iran has made a very public commitment. It has a number of options at its disposal. It could seek to launch attacks directly from Iranian territory, using precision missile strikes, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles; also, drones, of which it has many.
It has quite a sophisticated and diverse arsenal. It could choose to activate its militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. It could go after softer Israeli targets, like diplomatic missions and besieging (ph) third countries and, of course, use cyber attacks and so on.
So it has a number of options at its disposal and it will, I think, choose a combination of options that allow it to save face and retaliate and do good on its commitment without risking an all-out confrontation and war with Israel.
If this attack comes from Iran directly and from Iranian soil, then that obviously becomes a very risky scenario, because Israel could very well respond against Iranian soil and against Iranian Revolutionary Guard's interests within Iran and assets within Iran.
And that would obviously be the riskiest scenario that could more likely than not blow up into a broader confrontation.
A lower risk scenario for Iran would be to use its partner militias in third countries. So Iran has developed these partnerships with Hamas, with Hezbollah, with the Houthis or Ansar Allah in Yemen and a number of other militias in Iraq.
It has advisors and troops that are forward deployed with these militias. And so a less riskier scenario would be for Iran to activate these militias in order to respond and retaliate against Israel's attack on its diplomatic mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Iran says one of its staffers was killed in Israel Friday as aid workers face dangers in the region. Palestinian civilians are suffering through malnutrition and even famine. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rami Uttar(ph) has been waiting two months for this single box of humanitarian aid, cans of meat and vegetables to feed his
family of seven.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This will be gone in 10 days. He says his frustration unmistakable. I don't know how it's going to be enough
for seven people. I've been suffering here, being stuck for the last six to seven months and the U.N. hasn't brought me anything to at least satiate
my hunger.
Six months into the war, famine is creeping into parts of Gaza. Humanitarian aid agencies have been sounding the alarm for months but now
amid ramped up U.S. pressure, Israel is suddenly taking major steps to increase humanitarian aid. "We plan to flood Gaza with aid," Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant said this week, describing a new phase of humanitarian assistance that will see more aid flow into Israel's port of
Ashdod and into Gaza via a new northern crossing point.
Overnight, the first trucks of food aid crossing into northern Gaza via that new crossing point. Israel says it has nearly doubled the number of
humanitarian aid trucks getting into Gaza over the last week, screening close to 400 trucks per day.
JAMIE MCGOLDRICK, HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR, UNITED NATIONS: Yes, we're dealing with the wrong part of the system --
DIAMOND: Jamie McGoldrick; the U.N.'s Humanitarian Coordinator says it's clear Israel is suddenly shifting its approach to humanitarian aid.
MCGOLDRICK: Well, that's for sure. I mean, there has been a change. We've been asking for this for months. The fight, we would ask for more -- they
say Kerem Shalom to be open longer. We've asked for more routes and the corridor for job and we've asked for all of the things that no start to
say they're going to give us.
They'd ask the question, why didn't we get it before?
DIAMOND: For months, Israeli leaders have rejected accusations that they are limiting aid into Gaza or intentionally starving its population.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: Well, our policies is to not to have famine but to have the entry of humanitarian support as needed and
as much as it's needed.
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DIAMOND: But the sudden ramp-up, almost like flipping a switch suggests Israel could have done a lot more a lot sooner. MCGOLDRICK: Well, I think it was never seen to be a priority. I mean, I think for them, it's the war aims, the objectives of the war, that was
first and foremost. We're either seen as a -- of a second priority or even a nuisance value.
DIAMOND: Data from UNRWA, the U.N.'s main agency in Gaza shows that Israel has steadily allowed more aid into Gaza since opening up humanitarian
crossings on October 21st, with the exception of February, when the number of aid trucks dropped to less than a 100 per day before slowly increasing
again in March.
But those numbers are all well below the 500 humanitarian aid and commercial trucks that entered Gaza every day before the war. The impact of
insufficient aid has been obvious for months. It is marked all over the emaciated face of little Layla Jained (ph), barely three months old.
She is among the 30 percent of children in northern Gaza who are suffering from acute malnutrition and who desperately need more aid now -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: At least one Palestinian man is dead and 25 others are injured after one of the largest attacks this year by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Palestinian officials say hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the Occupied Territory, setting fire to homes and cars while firing guns at residents.
A CNN source says, Israeli forces told Palestinian officials that the settlers were looking for a missing 14 year-old Israeli boy.
All right. We'll have more on former U.S. president Donald Trump, who's days away from the start of his hush money trial. The latest legal maneuvers and what he's saying about the possibility of testifying, just ahead.
Plus U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is blaming Trump for weakening reproductive rights. We'll have a report on her push to energize voters around the issue. That's coming up after the break, please stay with us.
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(MUSIC PLAYING) BRUNHUBER: Turning to breaking news we're following out of Sydney,
Australia, police there say one man has been shot and multiple people have been stabbed at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall. We're showing you live pictures of the scene right now.
Now police haven't said if the incident is related to terrorism. A New South Wales ambulance service tells CNN that eight patients have been transported to hospitals across Sydney, including one child. I want to go now to Angus Watson, who joins us from outside the mall in Sydney with more.
So Angus, it is a developing story. Details are scarce.
But as we're looking at live pictures of the scene here, what more can you tell us about what happened?
ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Hi, Kim, that's right. Yes, there is huge police presence here outside the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction.
[04:15:00]
Ambulances, too, as the entire area has been cordoned off after this incident today, in which one man, at least, armed with a knife, stabbed multiple people inside this shopping mall at random.
Witnesses describe a manic scene as police arrived, moments after the man began stabbing, and shot him dead. Now outside the mall here, it's believed that there are still people inside. It's a huge shopping mall that goes across a stretch of road here, multi-story buildings.
And it's difficult to understate just how many people on a busy, sunny Saturday afternoon would have been here, thousands upon thousands at this major shopping hub here in Sydney, Australia.
So as you say, we're about to hear from police. We don't yet have a motive. We don't know why this occurred. We do know that police have killed a man and we wait for more information.
BRUNHUBER: Angus, I mean, as you sort of suggest there, I mean, it must just be a major shock for folks who were just out on a weekend of shopping at a mall.
WATSON: That's right, Kim. There is shock and disbelief among the witnesses to this incident, that we've heard from; accounts of great bravery of shop attendants, who certainly would not have expected as they began their day to be protecting people at the back of their stores as this violent incident occurred.
Now we'll wait, we'll wait to see what the motive could have been. We'll wait to see what police have for us. But right now, the whole area is locked down by police. Several ambulances here, where I am now at the front of the mall; police directing traffic.
And quite a few onlookers here, just waiting for more information, Kim, waiting for more information about the prospect of there being more people inside, concern for loved ones, perhaps -- Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And again, the news, police saying one person has been shot, multiple people have been stabbed in Sydney. As you said, police are expected to hold a press conference so we will bring that to you when it happens.
And we will come back to you, Angus Watson in Sydney. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
All right. We're going to go now live to that press conference in Sydney, where police are talking about the critical incident. Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 10 past 3 this afternoon, a man walked into Westfield of Bondi Junction, he left the center very shortly after and returned about 20 past 3. As he moved through the center, he engaged with about nine people and it's clear that, during that engagement, he caused harm to those people, we believe, that by stabbing them with a weapon he was carrying.
Very clearly a range of reports were mined of the incident. Police attended promptly. A single unit officer, inspector of police, was nearby, attended, went into the center directed by a range of people.
She confronted the offender who had moved by this stage to level five. As she continued to walk quickly behind him, to catch up with him, he turned, faced her, raised a knife. She discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.
I'm advised that there are five victims who are now deceased as a result of the actions of this offender. There are more than several other people who had been conveyed to hospital. A number of those are in serious and/or critical conditions at this stage.
And I do not have further information in relation to descriptions of those people. I know one of them is a small (INAUDIBLE). As he's a casing in those incidents, a critical incident has been declared and investigations in relation to the matter have commenced and are continuing, both at the scene and a number of hospitals in the nearby area.
From preliminary inquiries, it would appear that this person has acted alone. I am content that there is no continuing threat.
[04:20:00]
Police, as I've said, have commenced investigations into the matter, which will continue through the evening. As I've said, I do not have details of victims who have been killed by this individual nor those who have been conveyed to hospital for treatment. So I cannot provide you further information in relation to them.
I only can say that very clearly that hearts go out to all of them as they do anyone touched by this terrible incident this afternoon.
I do not have information in relation to the offender. I do not know at this stage who he is. It would be -- you would understand this is quite raw. Inquiries are very new and we are continuing to make attempts to identify the offender in this matter.
That is it for the moment in terms of information that I have for you. Brent from New South Wales Ambulance.
BRENT, NEW SOUTH WALES AMBULANCE: Thank you, (INAUDIBLE).
Good evening, everyone. Shortly after 3 o'clock today, New South Wales Ambulance received multiple triple-zero calls for persons stabbed within Westfield Bondi Junction. We've responded a total of 40 resources to the scene, who remain on scene still.
That included a total of four medical teams and New South Wales Ambulance system transported eight patients to various facilities, hospital facilities across Sydney, and assist a total of six patients, who have been (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Questions?
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nothing that we're aware of at the scene that would indicate any motive or any ideology.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) ruling out terrorism (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not ruling anything out.
QUESTION: You think he went into the (INAUDIBLE) back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
QUESTION: What went on there (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not know. What I do know is that he did end up center at 3 o'clock. He left for a short period, returned at 3:20.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) with him (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know of some description. I don't have those particulars.
QUESTION: What is the period of time between when (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This all happened very, very quickly. The officer was in the nevus and he (ph) attended on her own, was guided to the location of the offender by people who were in the center and she took the actions that she did, saving a range of people's lives.
QUESTION: Did I hear you correctly before, you said (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An inspector, that's right.
QUESTION: All right, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I seen the police officer.
QUESTION: And (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was on her own.
QUESTION: And how long between when she (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She engaged immediately on her arrival to the scene.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
You say that the shop anything.
Well, give us any (INAUDIBLE) pretty much (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I don't have any indication of any motivation coming from the scene. And you must appreciate that things are very, very raw at this stage. And we are in the very early stages of investigations.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: We know this one (INAUDIBLE). (INAUDIBLE) five dead or the others injured (INAUDIBLE) the remainder adults or they other children?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I don't have that data at the moment. I'm sorry.
QUESTION: Have you ever seen anything like this (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a really difficult circumstance. No.
QUESTION: It's a very big crime scene here.
What's the police going to be like over the next couple of days?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lengthy, lengthy and precise.
QUESTION: There are report of people still hiding indoors, that protest now (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are working through the crime scene to retain control. And you would understand that, first and foremost, this is about dealing with this terrible situation, making sure that all people are safe and then working through and returning to normalcy.
QUESTION: How do you know what he was (INAUDIBLE)?
(INAUDIBLE) they would be interacting (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, from Six Marching (ph) of CCTV.
Ladies and gents, I'm sorry, it's really difficult at this very early stage to give more information. I'll be breaking air executive shortly and I understand that there will be further break-ins later.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: -- jumped in and tried to assist some of the victims.
What do you have to say to some of those people who tried to help?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm not sure of the detail but there are obviously people who become very brave in circumstances.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks, everybody. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
BRUNHUBER: All right, we were listening there to police in Sydney after a deadly stabbing spree. Police say the man killed at least five people before he was shot by police. And they said they believe the threat is over. Angus Watson joins us now from outside the mall in Sydney with more.
So, Angus, take us through what we learned there.
[04:25:00]
WATSON: Kim, we learned that we don't yet know what the motivation for this was. The policeman, a police officer there said that there wasn't anything at the scene that indicated any kind of motivation that this person may have had.
We also heard this incredible story of incredible bravery by the police officer who did shoot him dead. She was in the vicinity on her own, led to the scene by witnesses and she took the action that she did. Police saying that she saved several lives. there.
But of course, not before he killed at least five people, Kim, tragically and injured more, including a nine month old baby who has now been taken to hospital, Kim.
So the police presence here outside the shopping mall is still very strong. Ambulances in the street as well. Roads blocked off here at what was a very busy shopping area at 3:00 in the afternoon when all this happened here in Sydney, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. So Angus, more details are emerging but the critical question, the motive still unknown. But police do say they believe the threat is over. We'll have more on this story as we get more details. Angus Watson in Sydney, thank you so much.
And we will be right back.
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BRUNHUBER: An update on the breaking news in Sydney, Australia. Police say one person was shot and multiple people were stabbed. At least five people were killed at this shopping mall. And have a look, this video was shot during the incident. You can see people running from the scene to escape the violence.
Emergency services confirmed to CNN that eight people, including a child, were taken to hospital. This is video shot from the grounds of people leaving the mall. Witnesses say a man with a knife was attacking people until he was shot by a police officer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll go out and getting (INAUDIBLE) on the bus. And (INAUDIBLE) just coming around the corner. I saw, yes, a fellow and green and yellow T-shirt. And he's gone that way.
But then I saw him go the other way and I heard people yelling and screaming, running. So I said OK and there must be something going on. So I saw the yell -- wanted a copper so I thought -- so I saw her and I followed her all the way upstairs, up near there.
And I followed her. And just as we got to around the clock, around the corner, because I saw them coming, just as we were coming around the corner, there he was. He just come in and just start a flattened (ph) toward us in order.
He was, put it down, and then she shot him. But we are not in -- she didn't shoot him. Well, he went to (INAUDIBLE). He was on the rampage. He was on quite a rampage. And instead she walked out and then gave him (INAUDIBLE) CPR.
[04:30:04]
And he had a nice big blade on him. So she took the north way in, yes.
It looked like that he was on a killing spree and this all because when we come downstairs, there was another two bodies near the wedding -- near the wedding shop inside. Look like they must have been stabbed just as I -- at 1 o'clock, a female and a minor behind me, more was in the shop.
But yes, I'm just -- and yes, just I didn't have anymore. And I just wish it was -- I hope there was no kids involved and anything like that. But yes. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw people running like quite clearly in one
direction. And behind them was a man with a knife, running toward different people. He's running up to them or trying to -- I don't know what he was doing.
But then we went into the gym because I was right outside that and trying to close the doors. Then when we heard the gunshots, which I understand now were the police but at the time we didn't know that.
So I think, yes. It's something you just you see it out. You say as you are grateful. We don't go through this in Australia. But -- and I think a knife is one thing when it's a floor away from you and you can see it and it's certainly no danger of gunshots. But they're a completely different thing, right?
Because you don't know where they're coming from. They can get it from a distance and so I think it is that that certainly panicked everyone. And I think we all this raced back into the gym at the time they arrived, went, what's going on here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Again, police say a man stabbed and killed at least five people before he was shot by police at a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia. Stay with CNN for the latest developments on this breaking news.
U.S. sources tell CNN they expect Iran to carry out strikes inside Israel. They say Iranian proxy groups could also be involved in any attack. An Iranian attack on Israel could be retaliation for the Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week.
On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden says an attack from inside Iran or from its proxy forces in other countries could happen soon. The White House says U.S. officials are in constant communication with their Israeli counterparts.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann has more on what the U.S. is doing to prepare for a possible Iranian strike.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Just like Israel, the U.S. is watching very closely to see what Iran's response looks like here to the Israeli strike in their consular building in Damascus. And whether it comes from Iran directly or from Iran's proxies.
One thing the U.S. has seen, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence, Iran moving around weapons and assets internally. And that's to include cruise missiles and drones, according to two sources familiar with the intelligence.
According to one of those sources, Iran has readied at least 100 cruise missiles.
Now the question, of course, is, what's the purpose of this? Is this part of Iran's response to that attack in Damascus?
Or are they simply posturing and trying to send a message to Israel and the U.S.?
That is a key question here, because Iran's actions and the actions of their proxies could be on quite a wide spectrum. The U.S. believes that Iran is trying to avoid a wider escalation in the region and trying to calibrate their response, to send a message without igniting a wider conflict here.
As for the U.S., they have sent additional assets to the region, likely air defenses, because that's the threat here coming from the air, whether it's cruise missiles, rockets or drones. So that's what the U.S. is looking out for and bolstering its own force posture.
Worth noting that the U.S. has been on high alert since basically the beginning of the Gaza war and especially since an attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. The U.S. very much preparing here as well.
Officials have also said that the U.S. will intercept any launches or attacks that it can directed at Israel. And we've seen that happen in the past. The U.S. Navy has intercepted missiles launched from the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel, those over the Red Sea.
There are also U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria that could intercept launches from Iran, depending on where they're launched from and what route they take. Still a very big open question as to what this will look like.
Of course, the U.S. and Israel watching very closely. General Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, is in Israel right now, coordinating with his Israeli counterparts on a situational assessment and a look at the security situation in the region -- Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Iran's potential attack on Israel is rattling the U.S. markets and causing oil prices to spike. The Dow Jones dropped 475 points on Friday as traders turned to safe haven investments like bonds and gold. The S&P 500 fell 1.5 percent, while the Nasdaq sank 1.6 percent. All three major indices ended the week lower.
Israel says it carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon today. The IDF released this video a short time ago.
It shows a series of explosions. Israel says the strikes were on a large military complex used by Hezbollah. The IDF also struck in southern Lebanon on Friday. An IDF spokesman posted this video on social media.
[04:35:02] He said the strikes hit military buildings Hezbollah was using. Hezbollah says it fired dozens of rockets into Israel as retaliation. They said the barrage was in support of Palestinians in Gaza and in response to Israeli attacks on what Hezbollah says were civilian homes in southern Lebanon.
Now the area has already seen months of cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militia. CNN's Ben Wedeman rode along with U.N. peacekeepers, who patrol a battle-scarred land.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're on patrol with Spanish U.N. peacekeepers in a land on the edge. The southern most part of Lebanon, racked by six months of strike and counter-strike between Hezbollah and Israel. On the brink, perhaps of even worse.
We drive along the blue line, the unofficial frontier between two countries in a technical state of war for more than 75 years. A concrete wall topped by mesh is all that separates the two.
More than 300 people, fighters and civilians have been killed here since October. Communities on both sides perilously close to the borders, says Lieutenant Colonel Juan Garcia Martinez.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL JUAN GARCIA MARTINEZ, UNIFIL, SPANISH CONTINGENT: It lies -- it's in a very bad position. You see the front close to the blue line. And you can hit from many position the IDF.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Hezbollah is a close ally of Iran, which is threatening to retaliate against Israel for its bombing of Tehran's consulate in Damascus, raising the specter that the war in Gaza could spread across the region.
WEDEMAN: When you speak to ordinary people here in service (ph), analysts, diplomats they all seem to agree that war between Hezbollah and Israel is not a matter of if; it's only in question of when.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Around 90,000 people have fled the south since October. Others remain, many of them Syrian workers tending farms in these fertile valleys.
The Spanish peacekeepers base is right on the border and in the line of fire, says Captain Hector Alonso.
CAPTAIN HECTOR ALONSO, UNIFIL, SPANISH CONTINGENT: So (INAUDIBLE), we have their Israel on the south; north, we have Yemen, right?
So as I said, we have seen some single fires on (INAUDIBLE) area. We seeing a striking on the -- on this area, which is called Masara (ph).
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Just a few hundred yards away, across a minefield, sits an Israeli military position; no visible movement there. The temporary calm highly deceptive. Friday afternoon, the Israeli military released video of a strike on
what it claimed was a military building belonging to Hezbollah -- Ben Wedeman, CNN, South Lebanon.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial is set to begin Monday in New York with jury selection as planned, despite his latest efforts to delay it.
He is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, stemming from payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Trump's motion to delay the trial over excessive pretrial publicity was denied on Friday and he says he's prepared to take the stand. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes. I would testify, absolutely. It's a scam.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
TRUMP: I'm testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The judge hasn't ruled on a last-minute request to amend jury questions. Trump's lawyers want to make it easier to distinguish between jurors who say they can't be fair and those who are otherwise unable to serve.
You can watch CNN's special coverage of the Trump hush money trial Monday at 9:00 am in New York, 2:00 pm in London.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is warning the second Donald Trump presidency would be worse than the first when it comes to reproductive rights.
During a speech on Friday in Arizona, Harris slammed that state's recent supreme court ruling that upheld an 1864 law banning almost all abortions. The vice president also blasted Trump and his allies in Congress for trying to pass a national abortion ban.
Despite Trump's claims to the contrary, it's part of efforts to mobilize voters for the upcoming election. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more from Tucson. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Tucson, Arizona, provided a window into 2024 and how Democrats are framing the issue of abortion and how they plan to attack former president Donald Trump, only moments before the vice president took the stage.
[04:40:00]
Trump said that he broke Roe versus Wade and also said that states are doing exactly what they should on the issue of abortion. The vice president immediately hitting back.
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KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And just minutes ago, standing beside speaker Johnson, Donald Trump just said the collection of state bans is, quote, "working the way it is supposed to."
And as much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse. Donald Trump's friends in the United States Congress are trying to pass a national ban.
And understand, a national ban would outlaw abortion in every state, even states like New York and California. Now Trump wants us to believe he will not sign a national ban. Enough with the gaslighting. Enough with the gaslighting.
ALVAREZ: The vice president also said that Donald Trump wants to take America back to the 1800s, referring there to the law that the Arizona supreme court ruling revived earlier in the week.
Then also saying that that decision was, quote, "inflection point" and trying to tie these unpopular abortion bans across the country to Donald Trump calling them, quote, "Trump abortion bans."
Now of course, the Biden campaign sees this issue as a salient, political one heading into November and one that they're trying to use to mobilize voters to the polls later this year.
The vice president uniquely positioned on this issue. She, earlier this year, launched her Reproductive Freedoms Tour. She's on six stops nationwide where she has repeatedly talked about this and tied the overturning of Roe to former president Donald Trump.
Now the Biden campaign is also pouring more money into the state of Arizona, where they will be airing more abortion-related ads in this critical battleground state, where voter turnout will be important for the Biden campaign -- Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Tucson, Arizona.
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BRUNHUBER: Up next, CNN goes to the U.S.-Mexico border for an exclusive look at how Mexico is trying to tackle illegal crossings into the U.S.. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: We turn to the U.S. southern border and an exclusive look into how Mexico is strengthening its border security. CNN got unprecedented access to temporary base camps in places where migrants are known to easily pass through. Our David Culver reports on how effective this new border enforcement really is.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You can see behind me here, there's a huge gap in the wall in this is where Mexican officials tell us that a lot of the smugglers are either directing or bringing some of the migrants to so that they can easily cross. (voice-over): Which makes these rugged back wrote that preferred and profitable routes for cartel-backed migrant smugglers.
[04:45:05]
We're about an hour east of Tijuana, driving with Mexican migration officials along the U.S.-Mexico border but we detour after learning a group of migrants has been rescued, has officials hear say.
We pull up and find about a dozen folks who described to me there were attempts to claim asylum in the U.S.
And he said he tried to cross but Mexican officials stopped him from being able to go.
That's because Mexico is now stepping up its efforts to stop migrants from crossing illegally into the U.S.
Following requests from the Biden administration, Mexico is now pouring resources like the national guard and Mexican army in to help patrol and detain migrants like these, eventually transporting them to southern Mexico.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where we separate them by nationalities and then from them, we determined the deportation process.
CULVER: What's happening here goes beyond stepped up patrols. In recent months, Mexican officials have built base camps, deploying troops to some of the most popular illegal crossings sites.
The smugglers van, are there several of these vehicles just left abandoned and --
UINDENTIFIED MALE: Like seven vehicles in total --
CULVER: In this area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the area.
CULVER: As we pull up, we realize we've been here before.
We've seen so many people across through this property this right here.
At this spot late last year, we met U.S. residents fed up with migrants coming through their land.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They can come to the front door our cameras captured hundreds each day and night.
That has stopped in recent weeks and it stopped primarily because of what were seeing on the Mexico side of things. This is a remote base on the border. You've got Mexican immigration officials. You've got national guard and you've got Mexican army who are here 24/7.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have our fridge, microwave, coffee. CULVER: You have moved resources to live 24/7 on the border. Why is this important for Mexico to be doing that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to prevent migrants to get in touch with the criminal groups.
CULVER: The number of migrant encounters reported by U.S. border Patrol appears to reflect the impact of Mexico's actions, dropping 42 percent from December to January alone and seeming this stay low.
But officials warn cartels and their smugglers frequently adjust their tactics and keep close watch.
They're watching us right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They see when we are patrolling and when we leave a spot.
CULVER: It's a crisis that has also sparked uneasiness for Mexican residents.
It's gotten so frustrating for these folks in particular that the community got together, wrote a letter to their governor petitioning for more resources and for that reason that you have where you can see right here members of the Mexican national guard for now patrolling neighborhoods like this one to keep migrants from coming through.
Authorities here urge migrants to use the U.S.'s CBP One app rather than to risk crossing with smugglers.
Mexican officials at this location even help pre-screen up to 500 migrants daily for the U.S. asylum interview process.
So he's in communication with U.S. officials but on the other side and they're sending documents back and forth to make sure that they have the right information.
While this is a more orderly way to claim asylum, it can take awhile to get an appointment.
Martha Gilad (ph) says she's waited five months for this day.
So I asked why they didn't go through the smuggling route, which so many choose to do. (INAUDIBLE) and she said that for one, it costs an extreme amount of money and the other aspect remember her was they wanted to be able to enter legally through the appointment, try to build a better future there.
The road ahead is uncertain for both the migrants and for those protecting the border. We see that firsthand as we leave the remote border camps
The reason why we stopped and pulled over is because there are these spikes that we've noticed all along the different dirt roadways that take us to the border wall.
Evidence of smugglers' desperate attempt to salvage their profits.
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of these.
And while it slows them down momentarily, for now, they forge ahead and their efforts to curb the flow of a migrant crisis that's consuming resources on both sides of the border -- David Culver, CNN, Tijuana, Mexico.
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BRUNHUBER: We'll be right back.
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BRUNHUBER: We're getting a live look now at Sydney, Australia, where police say at least five people are dead after a stabbing attack at a shopping mall. At a news conference earlier, this our police said one of their officers shot and killed the attacker.
The New South Wales assistant police commissioner said the attacker raised his knife at the officer and she opened fire. Now, have a look here in this video, you can see people running from the scene to escape the violence.
This was at the Bondi Junction shopping center. Emergency services confirmed to CNN that eight people, including a child, were taken to hospital. There's no word on their conditions. Investigators say they don't know the motive for the attack and aren't ruling out anything at this point
Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli has died. He passed away at his home in Florence after a long illness with his partner at his side in the final hours, according to Italian media.
Cavalli left his flamboyant mark on the fashion world with glamorous animal prints and sand-blasted denim, an attribute fellow talent and Italian designer, Giorgio Armani, described him as a true artist. He is survived by six children. Roberto Cavalli was 83.
A real life spy thriller came to a conclusion in a federal courtroom in Miami on Friday. Former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, pleaded guilty to spying for Cuba. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors have alleged the disgraced diplomat acted as a covert agent of Cuba's intelligence services for years.
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DAVID NEWMAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: In 2022, an undercover FBI agent purporting to be a Cuban intelligence officer contacted Mr. Rocha and Rocha agreed to a meeting in the First Miami Presbyterian Church.
In his conversations with the undercover agent, Mr. Rocha described how he'd spent a lifetime serving a foreign power hostile to the United States and said that he was proud of his duplicity and his betrayal.
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BRUNHUBER: The judge told Rocha, quote, "You turned your back on this country over and over again."
Rocha, who changed his plea from not guilty, apologized to his family and friends in court, saying he takes full responsibility.
Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani is hoping to move on from the gambling scandal involving his former translator. He thanked investigators and says he wants to focus on playing ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It's his first public comments since accusations emerged, that his former translator stole millions from him to fuel what prosecutors call a voracious appetite for illegal sports betting.
The former translator surrendered to authorities on Friday. He faces a federal charge of bank fraud and up to 30 years in prison if convicted. He was released on bond and is expected to enter a plea next month.
Golfers are set to tee off around 3:00 at the Masters in just a few hours. They're hoping for better conditions after fierce winds made a blustery second round on Friday. The winds picked up bunker sand and swept debris onto fairways and greens, causing some groups to take upwards of six hours to finish.
CNN's Don Riddell has the latest from Augusta National.
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DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A number of American golfers dominated both the headlines and the leaderboard at Augusta on Friday, setting us up for a thrilling weekend of Masters golf.
But whatever happens, it is already historic. Tiger Woods came into this tournament saying that he believed he could win a sixth green jacket, despite the fact that he only played 24 holes of competitive golf all year.
[04:40:00]
He played 23 holes on Friday alone, ending with a respectable one over par score. He's seven shots behind the leaders. But he's made the cut for a record 24th consecutive time. That is a new record. But he's thinking about much more than just playing on the weekend.
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TIGER WOODS, GOLF PRO: I'm tired.
I've been off for a while competing, grinding. It's been a long in 23 holes, a long day. But last night really did some good fighting today and was -- we've got a chance.
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RIDDELL: At the top of the leaderboard, it's an all-American three-way tie. Max Homa held his nerve in some very tricky conditions, shooting a one under par 71 for a six under par tournament score.
The world number one and former Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is right there alongside him, as is the former U.S. open champion Bryson DeChambeau. He famously has always played golf his own way.
But nobody would have expected this sight on the 13th hole, when an iconic Augusta signpost got between he (sic) and his route to the green. So he simply picked it up and moved it, birdying the hole.
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BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, GOLF PRO: I think that the signpost I'm trying to direct people. I try to give people go the restrooms or -- I had a great shot out around the corner and was able to take advantage of a pretty open interest to the green to that back right flag and I was pretty pot.
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RIDDELL: All the signs now point to an exciting day of golf on Saturday. The wind should die down as both the temperatures and the action heat up. And there is no shortage of popular players for the patrons to root for -- back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Sumo fans are gathering in New York as the event dubbed the biggest show on Earth arrives in the Big Apple. The wrestlers faced off during the weigh-in on Friday. At least a dozen fighters are set to compete in more than 40 bouts today at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.
Medical officials signed off that everyone's in good health and ready for a safe fight. Japan's national sport has gained in global popularity over the years with more than 80 countries. Part of its governing body, sumo's routes can be traced back more than 1,500 years to religious festivals for abundant harvests.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Please do stay with us.
