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Serial Explosions At Iran-Backed Militia Base In Iraq; New Calls For De-escalation Between Israel And Iran; Several Countries Pledge Air Defenses To Ukraine; U.S. House Could Vote On, Pass Foreign Aid Bills Today; Hush Money Trial Opening Statements Set For Monday; Voters Speak About Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Mt. Ruang Eruptions Continue In Indonesia As Hundreds Evacuate; Taylor Swift Surprises Fans With Double Album. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired April 20, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
Coming up, signs of tensions between Israel and Iran could be easing as international leaders call for deescalation.
Help for Ukraine, a U.S. aid bill is set to move through Congress and it couldn't come soon enough.
And the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president is ready to begin Monday. The jury that will decide if Donald Trump is guilty or innocent has been seated.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: With nerves already on edge in the Middle East one day after strikes in Iran, there are now questions about a series of explosions at an Iran-backed militia -- military base in Iraq.
Now this happened to the base south of Baghdad but there's no indication so far of what caused the explosions. The Israeli official tells CNN that Israel did not play a role in the blasts. U.S. Central Command says neither it nor coalition members conducted strikes in Iraq. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We first heard of a huge explosion, just south of Baghdad in the early hours of Saturday.
Now we understand from security sources at the Babylon province that this was at a military base of the popular mobilization forces. This is an Iranian-backed group in Iraq. Now we understand that there were five explosions at an ammunitions depot. So the images that you see quite dramatic as you might imagine, at an ammo depot.
At least three had been injured. We understand that this point that has been material damage but what we have heard is some very quick denials of responsibility. I should caution at this point, we don't know if this was an attack or if it was an accident.
But we have heard from an Israeli official that Israel has no part in this whatsoever, saying Israel has no involvement in the report of an explosion in Iraq. Also, we're hearing from U.S. Central Command. There are U.S. troops in Iraq, part of this multinational mission to defeat ISIS.
They have also said that they have no involvement in this as well but adding they do remain prepared to support Iraqi partners. Now, Israel doesn't often give these denials. So when it comes to these kinds of events but the fact that it felt it needed to, in this instance, just really goes to show the tensions in this region at this point.
And, of course, it does just come hours after Israel carried out that retaliatory strike against an army base in Iran. So at this point, the information we have is a huge explosion at a pro Iranian group military base just south of Baghdad -- Paula Hancocks, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Meanwhile, there are signs that Israel-Iran tensions could be easing, while some Iranians took to the streets to protest the strike on their homeland Thursday, Iran's president did not mention it Friday.
He did though praise of Iran's attack on Israel last weekend.
In a statement, the U.N. secretary general said, quote, "It is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East."
As G7 foreign ministers wrap their meeting Friday, secretary of state Antony Blinken said, the U.S. is, quote, "committed to deescalating to bring this tension to a close." CNN's Nada Bashir joins us live from London with the latest.
Nada, good to have you with us. Israel still hasn't found that it attacked Iran early Friday morning and Iran is downplaying it, saying there was no damage, no casualties.
What does this all signal as the world watches on nervously?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Themes evident that both Iran and Israel are focused on, the diffusing or downplaying what has been perhaps the most dangerous direct escalation between the two regional powerhouses.
We've certainly seen that effort to downplay Israel's attack on Iran by Iranian officials describing Israel as using quote, "tiny drones," that most of them were shot down, causing no damage. This was of course, a limited attack and, as you mentioned in that we heard from the Iranian president just yesterday, he didn't even mention the attack by Israel, though he did laud Iran's retaliation against Israel over the weekend.
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So clearly a signal from Iranian officials, trying to downplay this recent escalation. Of course, there are regional considerations at play here as well.
It seems that Iran or perhaps, maybe considering its regional alliances, nascent friendships with Saudi Arabia and of course, the United Arab Emirates, both, of course, key allies of the United States, which does not want to see a broader escalation in the Middle East, there has been that increasing international pressure on both sides.
Of course, not just on Iran but also on Israel to bring an end to this escalation, certainly coming from the likes of the European Union as well as of course, the United States. We heard yesterday from the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, after speaking with his Israeli counterpart.
We had a readout from the Pentagon, which made no mention of Israel's attack on Iran and in fact the Biden administration has remained somewhat tight-lipped around this incident.
But clearly, an effort to defuse tensions there by many in the international community. And what it appears to look like at this point is an effort by both sides to assert some sort of power in the region without dragging either side into a regional war, which it appears neither side is really prepared for this current stage.
KINKADE: Yes. I'm going to turn to Gaza if we can, because we're seeing images of people starving to death. There the situation is so dire and to make matters worse it's chaotic. There's no order, there's plenty of looting.
What's the latest on the delivery of aid, especially the U.S. plan to bring food and medicine in via the sea?
BASHIR: The situation continues to grow more desperate in Gaza. We are continuing to hire calls for more aid to get in. The U.N. and its various agencies have continued to push Israel to bring an end to further obstructions to land crossings.
As you mentioned, the maritime crossing has proven to be an important addition when it comes to getting aid in.
We've heard from the Biden administration now confirming a strategic partnership with one of the U.N.'s key agencies, the World Food Programme. When it comes to getting aid in through that maritime crossing, we know, of course, that the U.S. is focused on establishing a pier off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of aid via that maritime crossing. That pier is expected to be up and running early next month.
Of course, the Biden administration has been clear, there will be no U.S. boots on the ground.
And the key concern has been how will that aid actually be delivered and distributed within Gaza?
Now the World Food Programme, according to U.S. officials, have spoken to CNN, will be cooperating and facilitating that distribution of aid via the pier to be established via that maritime corridor.
But there continues to be a push for more to be done to ensure the security of these land crossings getting into Gaza, not just at that border crossing. Of course, we have also now seen aid limited aid getting in through the Erez border crossing.
That will continue to be a key focus for many aid agencies who believe that this is the optimal way of getting aid to those in need in Gaza. But of course, the security situation on the ground poses a risk to those aid agencies and aid workers.
Also the killing of the World Central Food Kitchen (sic) aid workers as well. And of course, logistically, the challenges of distributing the aid, particularly in areas of central and northern Gaza, are significant.
And they are calling for more efforts by the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety and security of those aid agencies facilitating the distribution of humanitarian aid to those most in need.
And important to remember those airstrikes are ongoing, that death toll still rising now, topping 34,000.
KINKADE: All right. Nada Bashir staying across it all for us from London. Thanks very much.
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KINKADE: Ukraine is claiming two major firsts, as it tries to stave off waves of Russian air attacks. On Friday, Kyiv said it shot down a Russian strategic bomber after five missiles on Ukraine. The plane was reportedly hit for more than 300 kilometers away, causing it to crash into a field in southern Russia.
But Moscow blames a technical malfunction and says three of its four crew members have been rescued. Ukraine says it also struck two Kh-22 hypersonic missiles, which can fire at up to 4,000 kilometers an hour.
And a military source told CNN that they were hit with a U.S.-made Patriot anti-missile system.
Ukraine has reportedly lined up for commitments for more air defenses after a direct appeal by President Zelenskyy to NATO, he addressed a virtual meeting of defense ministers on Friday, saying Ukraine needs at least seven more advanced air defense systems. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, later said several countries
made specific commitments to provide them. This is how Mr. Zelenskyy made his case.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Putin must be brought down to Earth.
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ZELENSKYY: And our sky must become safe again.
And it is real. And it depends fully on your choice; choice, whether life is indeed equally everywhere; choice, whether you have equal attitude to all partners; choice, whether we indeed are allies.
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KINKADE: Well, Ukraine is also pushing for $60 billion in U.S. aid, which has been held up by House Republicans since February. President Zelenskyy has even said Kyiv will lose the war if it doesn't get that money. Earlier a Ukrainian Parliament member spoke to us about what's at stake.
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OLEKSIY GONCHARENKO, UKRAINIAN MP: I don't say that with these supplemental, everything is finished. It's not. Or without the supplemental everything can be finished. But in a very bad way. So that's why it's really very important.
I really, I can't believe that it's part, fortunately just a small part but still it's a small part of Republican Party who acts in the best interest of Putin. I think President Reagan would do like never believe that it's possible.
And like many other people in the world would never believe in this. But unfortunately happens that in these small part of far right Republicans are really but by what they're doing they, they are the best friends of Putin today and his home.
And that is very frustrating. And that is very dangerous, not just for Ukraine or for Europe but for United States itself.
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KINKADE: Well, the U.S. aid to Ukraine is one step closer to reality. Three, aid bills to fund assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Indo- Pacific allies. Could be headed for a final vote in the coming hours. And if passed, will head to the Senate and then to the president's desk for signing.
Aid for Ukraine has become a divisive topic for Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson drew the ire of his own party for working with Democrats to advance the measures. But he's touting the accomplishment of getting the bill this far.
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REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), HOUSE SPEAKER: (INAUDIBLE) decision that we would -- we would write this. Republicans were in charge of both the House and Senate and the White House. This is the best possible product that we can get in these circumstances to take care of these really important obligations.
And so we look forward to (INAUDIBLE) tomorrow. We look forward to every member voting their conscience and their desire. And that's exactly how this process is supposed to work and how the House is supposed to operate.
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KINKADE: The White House says President Biden is ready to sign the foreign aid package into law. And that will put the House Speaker into even more hot water with his own party. CNN's Melanie Zanona reports from Capitol Hill.
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MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Speaker Mike Johnsons job is in real jeopardy and that is because he has had to rely on Democrats throughout every step of the process to pass a critical package of foreign aid bills, including on some key procedural votes, which historically are almost always done along party lines.
So that has really sparked a revolt on the Right and it has fueled new calls to oust him from the Speakership. On Friday, a third Republican -- that's Arizona Republican Paul Gosar -- announced that he was officially signing on to sponsor the motion to vacate the Speakership.
Now other hardliners, not quite ready to go that route. But they are making their anger with the Speaker known. Take a listen.
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REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): What has Mike Johnson made a deal to do?
What has he promised he will give them in the future?
And this is why we have to remove Mike Johnson from the Speakership.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's tough to defend him, right now, you know and that's -- that's hard to say. But it's just a reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For five months, we've done nothing but advance things with more Democrat votes than Republican votes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't defend the performance of the Speaker. I don't defend the actions that have been taken, including today. I think this is a terrible mistake. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ZANONA: Now at this point, the earliest that Marjorie Taylor Greene can force a floor vote on a motion to vacate is on Saturday. That is the same day that the House is expected to vote on and pass this package of foreign aid bills before they send it over to the Senate.
But given the math and given the tight margins, that means that, if that were to come to the floor, that motion to vacate, Johnson would need to rely on Democrats to bail him out and save him his speakership.
Now Democrats have not yet said that they are committed to saving Johnson and throwing him a lifeline. But many of them are signaling a willingness to helping him out.
And that is because they appreciate the fact that he defied his right flank and did what they believe is the right thing by delivering aid to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. But in this Congress, nothing is guaranteed.
So certainly something we'll be watching out for in the coming days -- Melanie Zanona, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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KINKADE: To Los Angeles now and Ron Brownstein, CNN's senior political analyst and senior editor for "The Atlantic" joins us now.
And good to have you with us, Ron.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Lynda.
KINKADE: So Ukraine's president has said that without U.S. aid Ukraine could lose the war to Russia.
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Now this is a $95 billion package, most of which -- about $60 billion -- is set to go to Ukraine. It's been delayed as we know, because of resistance by far right Republicans.
What can we expect Saturday afternoon when the House votes?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, it looks now that they passed the most difficult hurdle of passing the rule, that each of these pieces which have been delayed for months to kind of end up in the place where the Senate started. A little hard to understand how that really served anyone's interest.
It does look like they will pass though at this point and move on to the Senate and get to President Biden. It's extraordinary that it took this long. Don't forget, a majority of House Republicans last fall already have voted against Ukraine aid.
Even more remarkably, a majority of the Senate Republicans, given that the Senate is usually more internationalist, voted against the package that is now being mirrored in the House.
But there is clearly broad enough Democratic support to create a majority for this. And I would expect it to pass, expect it to pass the Senate and to finally become law.
KINKADE: It was interesting listening to the former director of European affairs at the United States national security, retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman.
He spoke a short time ago. I just want to play some of that sound.
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LT. COL. ALEXANDER VINDMAN, NSC TOP UKRAINE EXPERT: The Republicans are complicit in the condition of this war to date. And the Republicans can play a critical role in at least making an adjustment.
Speaker Johnson and the far-right wing of the Republican Party were taking their marching orders from Donald Trump, who was, in every way, looking to obstruct aid to Ukraine.
He did it, resulting into his first impeachment when I reported as corruption. He's been supporting and cheerleading Vladimir Putin throughout the years. And I think he was the main factor for the lack of support over the last six months.
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KINKADE: Ron, do you agree with that assessment?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I mean, I think it is not only Trump personally but the Trumpification of the party. I mean, one of the -- one of the impacts of Donald Trump has been to really impose his coalition on every other Republican.
I mean, Republicans up and down the ballot are losing support from the college-educated suburbanites, who tend to be the most internationalist component of American -- the American electorate. And they are more reliant on the same kind of more anti-establishment, alienated, blue-collar, non-urban voters that Trump is.
So it's not just Trump's own words. It's that the entire party has to be more responsive to a Trump constituency. But there's no question that we are seeing something of an historic turning point here.
I mean, the fact that, as I said, a majority of House Republicans and Senate Republicans have voted against the aid to Ukraine, barely a generation after Ronald Reagan's position the -- saw the United States as a global beacon of freedom and the leader standing up against Russian kind of adventurism.
That is just a big change and it's not one that's likely to be reversed, even though -- even though there will be little less than half of House Republicans probably tomorrow voting for this.
The isolation of side of the party now is the dominant side of the party and is likely to remain so for some time.
KINKADE: Yes. Of course, speaking of Donald Trump, his first criminal trial is underway. The jury has been selected. He's already complained twice for saying the case was stopping him from campaigning.
And then today, complaining that it's going too fast.
What stood out to you over the past few days and what do you think we can expect next week when the first witnesses are called?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I mean, look, you know, Trump's strategy has been, from the beginning, to portray every case against them as a conspiracy so vast as Joe McCarthy, the language he used back in the '50s, that all of these different prosecutors and all of these judges and all of the witnesses, as people testify against him, are all part of an effort to silence him.
He's had tremendous success with that within the Republican base. Now we see the test of what impact all of this is going to have on the broader electorate.
I was really struck in the past week by a poll by our Associated Press and the National (INAUDIBLE) Research Center at the University of Chicago, which found, not surprisingly, that fewer people, fewer Americans think that Trump broke the law in this case than in the other cases against him on classified documents and trying to overturn the 2020 election.
But strikingly, the share of people who said that he would be unfit to be president if he was convicted in this case was about the same as in the other cases, where -- which they adjudge to be more serious. And I think that gets to this kind of threshold issue, which we may confront in a few weeks, which is whatever the charges.
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Whichever of these cases are involved, if he is convicted of a felony, are a majority Americans willing to return to the White House someone who has been so convicted? People have not really had to grapple with this in practice obviously. And it is now, we are now on the track that's going to see whether they are going to have that opportunity or requirement to do so in a few months.
KINKADE: All right. We will stay tuned and we'll chat to you again soon, no doubt. Ron Brownstein, thanks so much.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: We will have much more details on that Trump trial right after a short break, including how alternate jurors could find themselves in spotlight.
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Welcome back.
Donald Trump's historic hush money trial is quickly moving forward with opening statements set for Monday morning. It's the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. Trump faces 34 felony counts for his alleged role in the scheme to conceal an affair with an adult film star, Stormy Daniels.
It could have impacted his election run in 2016. A full jury panel is now in place after the last alternatives were seated on Friday. The jury box consists of seven men and five women with six alternates. CNN's Kara Scannell was inside the courtroom for Friday's proceedings and filed this report.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "We have our full panel." That announcement from Judge Juan Merchan after jury selection concluded. Eighteen Manhattanites: 12 jurors and six alternates now seated.
TRUMP: I'm sitting in a courthouse all day long. This is going much for the week and this will go on for another four or five weeks and it's very unfair.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Trump appeared bored much of the trial day four as attorneys on both sides probed potential jurors until they filled the remaining five alternate seats.
Moments after the full jury was picked, a bizarre and tragic moment outside court as a man set himself on fire.
Authorities say he was previously known to the police and while they are searching for any domestic terror connections, that is not believed to have been the motivation. In court, a handful of prospective jurors became emotional.
One was excused after she told the judge she had anxiety and was worried as the trial goes on, more people could know she's part of the jury, saying, "I might not be able to be completely fair and not emotional, so that concerns me."
Another was dismissed after she began crying, saying, "I'm sorry. I thought I could do this. I wouldn't want someone who feels this way to judge my case either. I don't want you to feel I've wasted anyone's time. This is so much more stressful than I thought."
A third was sent home after noting she was feeling anxiety and self- doubt as she listen to a line of questioning about the credibility of witnesses. At the defense table, Trump sat flipping through papers with charts, photos and graphics. He whispered in past notes with his lawyers and at some points was hunched over with his elbows on the desk.
[03:25:00] Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger started off questioning potential jurors, telling them, "This is not about Mr. Trump being a former president. It's not about his being a candidate for the presidency. It's only about whether the evidence proves he's guilty."
During her presentation, Trump leaned back in his chair. At one point, his eyes closed.
Trump's attorney, Susan Necheles, focused on bias against the former president.
She told those in the jury box, "You all bring biases and you particularly bring biases about someone who is as publicly and outspoken as President Trump. There's nobody that doesn't know him in this room."
In the afternoon, the court moved to a routine hearing to determine how much of Trump's legal history the prosecution will be allowed to ask him about if he testifies, which he said he plans to.
Prosecutors argued they should be allowed to question Trump about the findings in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, among others, despite Trump's attorney's strong objections. The former president shook his head as the prosecution spoke about how he defamed Carroll -- Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
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KINKADE: Well, there are six alternate jurors in this trial and it's their job to step in if one of the 12 regular jurors is excused or dismissed. CNN's Brian Todd explains.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Already, two empaneled jurors have been excused from former President Trump's hush money trial, underscoring just how crucial the six alternate jurors are, who've just been seated.
RENATO STABILE, JURY CONSULTANT AND ATTORNEY: In a case of this length and in a high-profile case, the alternates are as significant as the regular jury panel because there's a very high likelihood and probability in this case that one or more of those alternates are going to end up on the jury.
TODD: The alternate juror is there to take over a spot on the 12- member regular jury if one of the regulars has to drop out of the trial.
STABILE: One of the reasons could be illness. They could have a family emergency or something else could happen like they can't follow the courts instruction not to post things on social media.
TODD: Court veterans say the life in limbo of an alternate juror can be strange, unsatisfying and tougher than it may seem. LESLIE ELLIS, TRIAL CONSULTANT, THE CAISSA GROUP: It's difficult to be very present and to really focus as much as jurors might need to, with the idea in the back of their mind that they might not really need to deliberate at the end of it all.
But as one alternate juror in Police Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial said, being an alternate doesn't mean the case weighs on you any less heavily.
LISA CHRISTENSEN, ALTERNATE JUROR IN DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL: Every night when I would come home, I felt exhausted. It was pretty draining, pretty emotional.
TODD: And that juror didn't even know she was an alternate until the end of the trial. In some cases, the judges purposely don't inform the jury of them are alternates and which are regulars until they start deliberating.
ELLIS: So they don't have that issue of knowing, I might not have to deliberate. Do I really to listen to this?
TODD: There are six alternate jurors for Trump's trial. While that may seem like a lot for a complex and highly charged case, it may not be enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. He appears to have pulled the gloves off, yes.
TODD: During a O.J. Simpson's lengthy murder trial, 10 regular jurors were dismissed for failing to disclose something, allegedly passing a note or considering a book deal or simply telling the judge "I can't take it anymore." Ten alternate took their place.
What happens if the Trump trial runs out of alternates?
STABILE: It would be up to the defendant whether or not he would want to consent to a verdict with 11 jurors but I don't believe that he would do that in this case. And you would have a mistrial.
TODD: The alternates are always in court during the actual trial but don't join the final deliberations unless they're needed. What happens if a regular juror has to leave the case during deliberations?
ELLIS: What happens then is the real jury has to basically start over their deliberations. They have to deliberate as though they hadn't done the deliberations they'd done with the first with the original juror and start over with the alternate juror.
TODD: What's the best advice for an alternate juror?
Trial consultant Leslie Ellis says try to forget you're an alternate, participate in everything you can with the other jurors. Pay attention to every bit of the evidence, pretend that you're one of the first 12 because you may very well be at the end -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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KINKADE: Still ahead, it's the world's largest exercise in democracy. India finishes phase one of voting in what is considered the most consequential general election in decades.
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KINKADE: The first days of voting in the world's largest election has wrapped up in India. Voters endured heat wave conditions and long lines in some areas to cast their ballots; 21 of India's 28 states and eight union territories participated in this first phase.
With turnout estimated at around 60 percent, nearly 1 billion people are eligible to vote this year with around 26 million new voters since the last election back in 2019. Voters will decide all 543 seats in the lower house of parliament over seven phases of voting.
The second phase will take place this upcoming Friday, April 26th. The election concludes on June 1st. Results are expected on June 4th.
India's nationwide vote is considered to be the most consequential in decades. Prime minister Narendra Modi is running for a rare third consecutive term and his right-wing party is hoping for an outright majority in parliament and a mandate to expand the Hindu nationalist policies.
But some voters are concerned about Mr. Modi's efforts to move India away from its secular roots. CNN's Will Ripley reports.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems virtually unstoppable as India heads to the polls. Modi
is widely expected to win a commanding majority of India's nearly one billion eligible voters, the biggest democratic election in the history of
mankind.
Modi's own path from poverty to politics is part of his appeal for a lot of people here in India. His official biography says he's the middle son of a
chaiwala, a tea seller, a humble upbringing that he says helps him understand the problems plaguing everyday people.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Modi says his programs put more food on their tables and his economic reforms have attracted billions in foreign investment,
raising India's global profile.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I've been doing this a long time but I don't ever remember anybody getting a warmer welcome than this man right here.
RIPLEY (voice-over): From the White House to the Kremlin, world leaders can't seem to get enough of Modi. Back at home, he's blurring the line
between religion and politics. Ram is the faith of India.
NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Ram is the foundation of India.
RIPLEY (voice-over): That's Modi presiding over the dedication of a temple dedicated to Hinduism's Lord Ram, built on the site of a demolished Muslim
mosque. That demolition triggered deadly religious riots more than three decades ago. Modi projects himself as head priest, protector and creator
of a Hindu first nation, a nation some say marginalizes Muslims.
SABA NAQVI, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He willfully creates a cult of his own personality.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Many worship Modi himself, almost like a living god. That devotion runs deep in the ancient city of Varanasi, where religion is
woven into the fabric of life, like the rickshaws weaving in and out of traffic. I met this local shopkeeper who says he loves Modi like family.
RIPLEY: What makes him different from others?
UNKNOWN: What he says, he has done.
[03:35:00]
RIPLEY: When you hear him speak, do you feel like he's speaking to you in your life?
UNKNOWN: Yes, yes. Because he speaks with heart.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The heart of a very smart politician. Modi was not born here. He chose to represent this Hindu spiritual center. But not
everyone is a believer.
RIPLEY: Have you ever seen this city so divided, so polarized? VISHWAMBHAR NATH MISHRA, HEAD PRIEST, SANKAT MOCHAN TEMPLE: This is what we call it is not the religious center. It is basically a spiritual center.
So this unique fabric has a strained condition now. And we have a fear that this fabric may break.
RIPLEY (voice-over): That's what happened back in 2002, when Modi was chief minister of the western state of Gujarat. Religious riots there
killed more than 1000 people, mostly Muslims. Modi was accused of not doing enough to stop the violence. The U.S. effectively banned Modi from stepping
foot on U.S. soil, a ban lifted when he became prime minister in 2014. India's Supreme Court also cleared Modi of responsibility. Now many say
Modi is stoking the fires of religious tensions.
SANA SABAJ, CELEBRATING END OF RAMADAN WITH FAMILY: The first term that came to my mind was scary.
RIPLEY: Scared?
SABAJ: Yes, it's scary.
RIPLEY (voice-over): I sat down with Sana Sabaj. She was celebrating the end of Ramadan with her family.
SABAJ: Where is the freedom of somebody just wearing a skullcap, minding his own business, buying mutton, whatever he wants to and then heading
home and then dying on the way.
RIPLEY (voice-over): A fear shared by many Muslims in Modi's India, wondering if this is the end of a secular Indian government and will it
mean the end of their religious and civil rights?
Will Ripley, CNN, Varanasi, India.
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KINKADE: And fear in Indonesia as an erupting volcano shows no signs of settling down.
Just ahead, why scientists fear it could trigger a dangerous tsunami.
And the mass kidnapping that shocked the world 10 years ago. Now one of the girls is coming home. The details after the break.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
A stunning development in Northern Nigeria, where the Nigerian army says it's rescued one of the missing Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the Islamic group Boko Haram, a decade ago. Lydia Simon (ph) was rescued along with her three children, the military said on Thursday.
This month marked the 10th anniversary of the mass kidnapping, an event that shocked the world and sparked the global social media campaign, Bring Back Our Girls. Of the 276 schoolgirls that were abducted, more than 100 eventually have regained their freedom while the fate of more than 80 girls remains unknown, according to Amnesty International.
Villages are evacuating an island in Indonesia after a volcano started spewing ash and lava on Tuesday. In this video, you can see massive plumes of smoke and ash shooting skyward, nearly 2 kilometers high.
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Scientists are afraid Mount Ruang could eventually collapse and trigger a tsunami in the coming days. CNN's Michael Holmes explains.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Billowing plumes of smoke and ash darken the skies above an Indonesian island. Authorities ordered hundreds of people to evacuate Wednesday after a series of volcanic eruptions.
The alert level now at maximum, as the volcano's possible collapse into the water threatens to trigger a tsunami like it did in 1871, which produced 25-meter waves, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 725 meter Mount Ruang sits on Ruang Island in north Sulawesi in Indonesia.
Since Tuesday night, its multiple eruptions have sent hot clouds, almost two kilometers into the sky, according to the country's volcanology agency, while glowing lava flows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Last night at 7:00, there was a mixture of fire and rocks erupting, causing the roofs of residences' houses to leave (ph). Lava flowed down from various directions.
HOLMES (voice-over): Ruang Island's roughly 800 residents have evacuated to nearby Thulandang Island. But officials warn that even there, villages face threats from falling red-hot rocks, hot cloud surges and possible tsunamis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Last night, local people were evacuating themselves sporadically because of small rocks coming down from the eruption. People were panicked and scrambled. HOLMES (voice-over): Transport officials shut down Sam Ratulangi International Airport, more than 100 kilometers from the volcano. Some airlines canceled flights to nine airports in the region. The showers of ash threatening flight safety and stranding passengers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We'd already loaded our luggage and checked in our belongings and we waited for about an hour. I wanted to be informed that our flight was canceled due to the eruption of Mount Ruang and Bonanno was affected.
HOLMES (voice-over): But as long as Mount Ruang continues to erupt, threats of hot smoke, lava, falling rocks and tsunamis remain -- Michael Holmes, CNN.
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KINKADE: Weather officials say more heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and hailstorms are in the forecast for parts of Pakistan this weekend. Severe flooding killed at least 69 people in the past week, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
And local authorities report dozens of people have been injured by lightning strikes. Buildings collapsing and other weather-related incidents.
Authorities are assessing the damage in the United Arab Emirates after a severe storm dumped a year's worth of rain in one day in Dubai. The water flooded homes, businesses and roads this week, causing traffic hails that lasted for hours.
At least one person was killed in the Emirates and 20 others in Oman, where the storm first hit. Climate experts say rising temperatures caused by the human led climate change -- climate crisis are leading to more extreme weather events like this storm around the world.
Climate action was top of mind in Stockholm Friday, where hundreds of global climate strike demonstrators marched through the Swedish capital, demanding that world leaders take action on climate change. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who participated in the match, had this to say.
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GRETA THUNBERG, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: Today, those global climate strike, people all over the world are taking it to the streets and then, once again, showing the people in power that we are many who are pushing for change and who are demanding climate justice.
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KINKADE: The march was organized by the Fridays for Future Movement, which partnered with Tim Berg in 2019 to organize the first global youth climate strike.
Still ahead, the only thing tortured about Taylor Swift is her competition. I'll be speaking with "Variety's" chief music critic on her record breaking new album. That and much more after the break.
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KINKADE: The Olympic flame is making its way across Greece, right now ahead of this summer's Olympics in Paris. A former Greek Czech star used the torch to light a cauldron at the pantheon In Athens on Friday. The flame will be handed to the Paris game organizers next week.
It then heads to France on a ship arriving Marseille on May 8th. Up to 150,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony ahead of a 68 day relay around France.
Brazil celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day Friday by turning the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro green. About a dozen members of indigenous groups from across Brazil gathered at the statue to mark the occasion. Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva officially recognized two more indigenous territories. But he said four other territories were not recognized because they need to be cleared by people currently living there.
Breaking records, Taylor's Version, the superstar released her much anticipated 11th studio album and is cementing her status as the stream queen with "The Tortured Poets Department." Elizabeth Wagmeister has more.
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ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The epic countdown ending overnight with the release of Taylor Swift's 11th studio album -- and then some. "The Tortured Poets Department" dropping just before midnight on Friday, only to be followed by a surprise drop at 2 am of 15 additional songs.
Swift announcing the surprise, telling her fans she released a secret double album.
TAYLOR SWIFT, MUSIC SUPERSTAR: How does that sound?
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, the only solo artist in music history with four Grammys for Album of the Year. Much more than a singer, Swift is a cultural icon. Now with "The Tortured Poets Department" exploding to even greater heights.
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WAGMEISTER (voice-over): With the album's first single, "Fortnight," in collaboration with Post Malone and songs like "Florida," featuring Florence and the Machine. Her dedicated fans anticipating this moment since the album was announced earlier this year at the Grammys. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a pretty big fan. I love her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know every lyric to every song.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really excited.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Swifties counting down to the release by decoding clues coming from Taylor herself, including some at this pop- up installation at The Grove in Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can take a picture and decipher it and be like, oh, maybe it's this lyric.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Arguably the most famous musician on the planet, the 34 year-old superstar is breaking through her already sky- high ceiling with new songs like "Guilty as Sin" --
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WAGMEISTER (voice-over): -- and, "But Daddy, I Love Him."
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WAGMEISTER (voice-over): With this release, Taylor is likely to smash even more records in 2024 after already earning Spotify's most streamed artist of 2023, headlining her Eras tour, the first tour to ever break $1 billion and releasing a blockbuster concert film.
She also boasts almost 0.5 billion social media followers. But the impact of "The Tortured Poets Department" is expected to exceed all that and more, engaging Swifties with not only music concerts and films but also bracelets, T-shirts, even tattoos.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think I've ever felt that way in a concert, just to be surrounded by so many girls, giving out friendship bracelets, just a girlhood moment.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): A connection her fans feel to one of the world's greatest living artists.
WAGMEISTER: All this weekend, millions of fans around the world are going to be listening to Taylor Swift's new album.
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But here at The Grove is where are those lucky fans in L.A. got the first look at some of those early clues. Now right behind me, this AMC Theater is actually where Taylor Swift was right here for her premiere of the Eras tour film back in October of last year.
Taylor loves to connect with her fans and clearly The Grove is a special place to her, where she's had these iconic moments throughout her career. Now for the fans that were lucky enough to be here, they walked away with this souvenir from Taylor herself.
It's a bookmark to signify the poetry, of course, with her new album. And on the back here, we have the tracklist from her new album.
All right. I've got a lot of listening to do. So I'm going to get back to "The Tortured Poets Department" -- back to you.
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KINKADE: Joining me now from Los Angeles is Chris Willman. He is a senior writer and chief music critic for "Variety" and the author of "Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music."
Good to have you with us.
CHRIS WILLMAN, MUSIC CRITIC AND AUTHOR: Good to be with you.
KINKADE: So there is no stopping her. Taylor Swift breaking her own records as Spotify reporting that this double album is now the most streamed in a single day. She now holds the top three most streamed albums on Spotify history.
And that's despite the fact she chose not to release a single or a video first ahead of that album, which is highly unusual, right?
WILLMAN: It is. You know, some people like a surprise attack but it's pretty unusual to announce her album months ahead of time. And then refuse to give people any context leading up to it.
But the -- we have tissue patient bill (ph), it's just incredible. And we're back in an era where album releases were events. That doesn't really happen that much nowadays. I think it happened with Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" and it's happening in a much bigger way each time Taylor puts an album out.
And she's projected to probably in the U.S. move 2 million units in the first week, which will be the first time that's happened since 2015, if that holds true.
KINKADE: Wow.
And of course, you said she hasn't provided any context but she certainly drops a lot of clues, right?
WILLMAN: Yes, well, there's Easter eggs, lots of clues. She'll do things like show a picture of a clock at 2 o'clock and for a couple of days you're wondering what that is and then you find out that at 2:00 am Eastern time last night she's dropping 15 additional tracks to add to the 60 -- and they came out hours before that.
So always Easter eggs and I think still surprises. I mean, you listen to the album and it's full of emotional surprises even, more than musical spreads (ph) I'd say in terms of who the songs are about.
I think people expected a lot of the songs to be songs about her relationship with Joe Allwin (ph). Instead they seem to be mostly songs about a relationship she had that was very short with Matty Healy (ph) from 1975. And that sort of peering into her personal life is one reason I think she holds back the context. She doesn't really want to know anyone what she's been writing about
until the moment the whole world hears it.
KINKADE: Of course, she's in the midst of this global tour and yet she has managed to craft so many new songs.
Why do you think she would release a double album instead of two albums?
WILLMAN: Taylor Swift seems to be our greatest natural renewable resource. You know, I don't know what to compare it to, other than the Energizer bunny times 100 because, most people, if they're on a tour, would be concentrating on the tour.
We saw photos of her entering the studio in New York, at various points last year during tour breaks. And of course, she's recording the rereleases, the entire big machine catalog, little by little. People thought she'd be putting out reputation Taylor's version next, seventh original studio album.
That's probably later in the pipeline this year. So there seems to be no limit to her energy, to her songwriting, 31 songs. that's almost unheard of. I think we've had a few country stars and rap stars who have done that.
Kind of to game the Spotify system and move up those numbers. And certainly that will work in her favor in terms of breaking records with all those songs. But I really think it's just she wants to unload all this creative energy that she has in her. It seems ceaseless.
KINKADE: Yes, it really does. And she released the music video, as I mentioned, for the song "Fortnight," featuring Post Malone and starring two actors who had performed in the old classic film, "Dead Poets Society." I just want to play some more of that clip.
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I mean, it's dark, it's moody, it's heartache.
What are your thoughts on this song?
And the rest of her album?
WILLMAN: Yes, this song is almost a little bit deceptively laid back. You know, it's kind of got a groove where you can have out on the background. A lot of the rest of the album is more intense listening, really stark, emotional, getting raw feelings out.
But for a first single, you want to have something that doesn't maybe challenge people to have to sit there and sift through some of those difficult emotions. And so it's, it's a good picture for single and Post Malone turns out to be a good fit with her. I don't think anybody saw that one coming until she announced it.
And yes, Josh Charles, the actor from "Dead Poets Society," it's, it makes it fun. So it's moody, it's dark and it's also kind of funny at the same time, which I think you can say of the album overall.
KINKADE: Chris Willman, good to have you with us. Thanks for joining us.
WILLMAN: My pleasure.
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KINKADE: Jodie Foster is cemented into movie fans' memories as the FBI agent on the trail of a serial killer. Now she says she's fulfilled a childhood fantasy by getting her hand and feet prints immortalized in Hollywood's Chinese Theater.
Besides her Best Actress, Oscars, her "Silence of the Lambs" and "The Accused," she was nominated this year for Best Supporting Actress for "NYED." The 61 year old has been acting since she was 3 years old and grew up near the theater.
As a kid, she said she would come and put her little feet in the cement.
Well, Louis Vuitton debuted its latest collection in Shanghai, a city that's become a key market for the fashion house. More than 1,000 people were invited to attend the event, which was held at a popular museum. The collection included pieces made in collaboration with a Beijing-based artist, Sun Etiun (ph).
Chinese consumers have become a much sought after market for luxury brands and Louis Vuitton said Tuesday that U.N. new (ph) sales for the quarter ending in March rose 3 percent.
The purchases by Chinese shoppers globally increased by 10 percent.
Thanks for joining us today. I'm Lynda Kinkade. CNN continues with Kim Brunhuber after a very short break. Stay with us.
