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U.S. Congress Gets a Seal of Approval for the Foreign Aid Bill; Trump's Camp Await Gag Order After Day Six of the Hush Money Trial; Columbia University Receives Stern Warning to Students to Dismantle Encampment or Force Closure After Days of Pro-Palestinian Protests Erupted the University Premises; Biden to Sign TikTok Ban Bill as Popular App Decides to Divest or Ban Nationwide; Kensington Palace Releases Prince Louis' Birthday Photos After the Fiasco on Princess Catherine's Mother's Day Photo. Aired 3-3:45a ET

Aired April 24, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Nick Watt, ahead on "CNN Newsroom".

Help is on the way. After months of delay in the U.S. Congress, a multibillion-dollar aid package will finally get critically-needed military supplies to Ukraine.

The gag order hearing goes awry. Tensions flare between the judge in Donald Trump's hush money trial and the former president's lawyers.

And pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in New York entered their eighth day after a midnight deadline to disperse came and went.

Urgently-needed supplies of ammunition, artillery rounds, air defense systems and long-range missiles are expected to be airlifted to Ukraine within days after the U.S. Congress finally approved a military aid package which had been stalled for months by Republican lawmakers.

Ukraine will receive nearly $61 billion from the $95 billion foreign aid bill which was approved by the Senate just a few hours ago. The rest will go to Israel and Taiwan. President Joe Biden says he will sign the bill into law in the coming hours. In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the Senate's passage of the bill.

Israeli leaders also thanked the Senate. After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Democrat Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell addressed the chamber.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. CHUCK SCHUMMER (D-NY). MAJORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE: We tell our allies, we stand with you. We tell our adversaries, don't mess with us. We tell the world, the United States will do everything to safeguard democracy and our way of life.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER OF THE U.S. SENATE: It's time to reaffirm some basic truths. Alliances matter. A foreign nation's respect for American interests depends on our willingness to defend them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Let's bring in CNN's Clare Sebastian live for us in London. Clare, any idea how quickly this aid might have an impact?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the suggestion is, Nick, that it will reach Ukraine fairly quickly. The Pentagon, again on Tuesday, without commenting directly on what would be in the package, said that they could move within days.

U.S. officials have been telling CNN that U.S. European Command has also been working to prepare and position equipment closer to Ukraine to reduce transit time. Of course, we are talking essentially about a very large volume of equipment, so the logistical challenge of getting it to the front line, to the places where it's needed, is significant.

But certainly in terms of the size of that first shipment, multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter, telling CNN that it could be worth around a billion dollars. Now, that is not the biggest shipment we've ever seen from the U.S. to Ukraine over the course of some 55 disbursements since the start of the war, but it's certainly a lot bigger than we've seen in recent months.

We saw some 300 million in March, some 250 million in December, so this would be very welcome news for Ukraine. And of course, the suggestion, both from officials publicly and privately, is that the U.S. will cross another weapons Rubicon and supply longer-range ATACMS missiles with a range we expect of some 300 kilometers. Now, this is something that the U.S. has not yet done.

It's supplied ATACMS, but with a shorter range, and of course, the fear all along has been that if Ukraine uses them to hit inside Russian territory, as it continues to do using its own drones, that that could spark an escalation from Russia, but certainly the indication is that they could be included in that first shipment.

Now, that, of course, adds to the fact that we heard from the U.K. on Tuesday that they are going to supply another tranche of their long- range missiles. The storm shatters. This will help Ukraine with its deep battle hitting behind enemy lines, trying to reach equipment before it gets to the front line.

But obviously, the main priority right now is munitions, artillery ammunition for the front lines, where we understand Russia is firing between some five and 10 times more than Ukraine. And of course, munitions for those air defenses. We're hearing again this morning of another missile attack on Odessa. Nick?

[03:05:03]

WATT: Clare Sebastian in London, thank you very much for your time.

Now, with ceasefire, sorry, different story next. A dramatic day in court for Donald Trump. The judge in the historic hush money trial told the former U.S. president's lawyers, quote, "you're losing all credibility, as they struggled to defend at least 10 possible violations of a gag order". Trump is not allowed to publicly discuss witnesses, the jury or the district attorney's staff.

And the judge seems likely to sanction him. Meanwhile, a former tabloid publisher testified about how he bought and buried unfavorable stories about Trump that could have damaged his first run for the White House, a strategy that's known as catch-and-kill that prosecutors say was part of an election fraud scheme.

CNN's Kara Scannell picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Explosive witness testimony from a tabloid executive in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday.

Ex-"National Enquirer" publisher David Pecker described acting as the eyes and ears of Trump's 2016 campaign, notifying Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen, about any negative stories to help get them killed in the lead up to the election.

Pecker is a key player involved in the crux of the prosecution's case, an alleged scheme to pay off adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up her alleged affair with Trump to influence the 2016 election.

Questioning centered on an August 2015 meeting between Pecker, Cohen and Trump, where the alleged conspiracy was hatched. Pecker, who ran the "National Enquirer", testified that at the meeting, I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and I would publish negative stories about his opponents.

He additionally offered, if I hear anything negative about yourself or if I hear anything about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen, as I did over the last several years. And Michael Cohen, then he would be able to have them killed in another magazine or have them not published or somebody would have to purchase them.

Trump stared at Pecker as he described the 25 minute meeting, but he did not react. Pecker said after the meeting, he told the "Enquirer's" editor in chief about the mutually beneficial agreement. He said, we're going to try to help the campaign. And to do that, I want to keep this as quiet as possible.

Joshua Steinglass then asked Pecker about a specific catch-and-kill incident where a negative Trump story was bought and buried. Pecker testified he found Trump's doorman was selling a story that he fathered a child with someone other than his wife, and he immediately alerted Cohen.

Pecker said his colleague negotiated to purchase the story for $30,000. And when he called Cohen to tell him, Cohen responded, the boss would be very pleased.

Even though the allegation was disproven, he testified, I made the decision to purchase the story because of the potential embarrassment it would have to the campaign and Mr. Trump.

Steinglass also asked Pecker about another catch-and-kill scheme, buying former Playboy model Karen McDougal's story about an alleged year-long relationship with Trump. Pecker described a phone call he had with Trump after his colleague interviewed McDougal. Pecker said, I told him, I think you should buy it. And Trump responded saying, anytime you do anything like this, it always gets out. He said he would think about it. And Pecker would hear from Cohen.

Trump denies having an affair with McDougal. The morning started with a contentious hearing to determine if Trump violated a gag order not to talk about jurors or witnesses. After he did so in social media posts almost a dozen times.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We have a gag order, which to me is totally unconstitutional.

SCANNELL (voice-over): Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, said the order was not clear about reposts. And he tried to argue that the former president was actually trying to comply with the order.

Judge Juan Merchant, exasperated with Blanche's argument, scolded him and said, you're losing all credibility with the court.

Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: Shan Wu is a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor and joins me now from Alexandria, Virginia. So two real sections to the court proceedings today, the gag order hearing and then the actual trial.

Let's start with the gag order hearing. So former President Trump has called the jurors Democrats. He's called his former fixer Michael Cohen a liar, all apparently violating the gag order. The judge seems furious. But do you really think the judge is actually going to put Trump in jail for that stuff?

SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, definitely not at first. I think the hearing, you're right, the judge was quite furious, although a lot of it was directed at Trump's lawyer as well. I think most likely the judge is going to want to make a record here of the violations. And the judge may start with saying, yes, these are all violations.

[03:10:07] There are 10 or a dozen of them. I'm going to fine you whatever it is, 1,000, 2,000 for violation. Really, what he's doing is sending a message to Trump that he's not playing around. These are violations and probably will tell him, as you know, this could result in jail if you continue to do this. But I think at first he's probably going to say there's like a dozen violations here. You've done all of these. And this is the warning shot here.

WATT: I mean, not a great idea for a client and a defense attorney to irritate the judge quite so deeply early on in the case, right?

WU: Absolutely. Trump obviously has his reasons for wanting to irritate the judge and to make these statements.

The real problem for them in terms of the trial strategy from this irritation is there's a long ways to go in the trial. And the judge already said to Trump's lawyer, you've lost all credibility. So future legal arguments that they're making, they're really starting off at a disadvantage. So it is a very poor way to start things.

WATT: OK, so moving on to the actual meat of the day, David Pecker, former "National Enquirer", a pretty smart move for the prosecution to get him up there early on.

WU: I think so. He's not as volatile of a witness, potentially doesn't have the kind of potential cross-examination fodder that Michael Cohen has for the defense. And most importantly, I think that Mr. Pecker sets the stage for the overall strategy, which is the important strategy was they had this idea of trying to capture and kill, catch- and-kill damaging stories. And so he's the one that was doing that.

He had actual conversations with both the CEO, excuse me, CFO, the Trump Organization, Weisselberg, as well as Michael Cohen and even Trump.

So it's a very good witness to start with, not going to be too many fireworks and very integral part of explaining how that plan was supposed to work.

WATT: And because, listen, obviously, it's crucial here that the prosecution proves that the Trump organization or Trump was paying this money to keep Playboy models and porn stars quiet, not to save Melania's delicate ears, but as a way to basically keep this information from voters.

There was one quote from Pecker today that I'd like you to sort of dig into. So he's talking about a meeting in 2015 at Trump Tower. Pecker said at the meeting, Donald Trump and Michael Cohen, they asked me what can I do and what my magazine could do to help the campaign, to help the campaign. Pretty crucial words there, right?

WU: Absolutely. That's really a gold nugget for the prosecution, that kind of phrase. And, you know, I would point out that the prosecution doesn't have to completely defeat the idea that Trump was embarrassed or didn't want Melania to find out, though it can coexist with the notion that they were also trying to help his campaign chances, because what's embarrassing for him to reveal to Melania is obviously very embarrassing to reveal to the voters too.

But that particular conversation, that phrase goes to the heart of the case, which is that the reason they were trying to cover up the payments was to help influence the election. So that's a really critical piece of testimony.

WATT: Shan Wu, thank you so much for your time and talking us through what was another historic day for America. Thanks again.

WU: You're welcome.

WATT: And while Donald Trump was sitting in a New York courtroom on Tuesday, President Joe Biden was going after him in Florida, highlighting Democrats' efforts to protect access to reproductive care. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has the details from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Biden on Tuesday tried to leverage a restrictive abortion law set to take effect in Florida next week to try to put the state in play for Democrats come November of this year, tying the unpopular abortion bans across the country directly to his Republican rival, Donald Trump. And that was really the pitch that the president brought here to Tampa, Florida on Tuesday, saying that, quote, the chaos and confusion that has ensued since the overturning of Roe was because of former President Donald Trump. Take a listen to what he said.

[03:15:01]

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: For 50 years, the court ruled that there was a fundamental constitutional right to privacy. But two years ago, that was taken away. Let's be real clear. There's one person responsible for this nightmare, and he's acknowledged and he brags about it, Donald Trump.

ALVAREZ: Now, last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state after six weeks. And that put a renewed focus on the state for Democrats, as they see this as an issue that mobilizes voters and a politically salient one.

Now, this is also a state that is expected to have abortion on the ballot, which, again, Democrats say could help and work in their favor. But it's going to be an uphill battle. Florida, over the last two presidential elections, has voted for Republicans. And it's also a state where President Biden still has a wider gap in his polls against his Republican rival, Donald Trump.

So while Democrats are bringing their pitch on abortion to Florida, the Democratic strategists say it's still a challenge moving forward.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Tampa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: And we will be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATT: With ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas said an apparent stands still fighting across Gaza is intensifying. The IDF is warning people to leave dangerous combat zones across northern Gaza. Residents there and in other parts of the enclave report nearly nonstop bombardment some of the heaviest shelling in weeks.

The Israeli military says, it's using extreme force against terrorist infrastructure and subversive elements. And a Hamas spokesperson is

calling for continued attacks on Israel in response, rocket alerts sounded in two Israeli border towns on Tuesday, although no casualties were reported.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is urging Israel to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SATTERFIELD, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MIDDLE EAST HUMANITARIAN ISSUES: The risk of famine throughout Gaza is very high especially in the north and the volume of assistance entering into, and most importantly distributed within Gaza has increased significantly. But we know much more aid is needed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: In the meantime, Israel is denying allegations that its troops buried hundreds of Palestinians in a mass grave at Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza, a warning some viewers may find the video of the scene disturbing. The IDF says the claims are, quote, "baseless and unfounded". But in an effort to find remains of hostages taken by Hamas, they say some bodies buried by Palestinians had been exhumed, then reburied.

[03:20:01]

Civil defense officials in Gaza say at least 324 bodies have been found. And the search continues. The U.N. says it's looking into reports that some of the bodies had their hands tied.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAVINA SHAMDASANI, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS SPOKESPERSON: We are horrified also by the destruction of Al Nasser Medical Complex and al-Shifa Medical Complex and the reports of the discovery of mass graves in and around facilities. And we call for independent, effective, transparent investigations into the deaths. Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law. And let's be clear, the intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are out of combat is a war crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Now, for more on this, let's bring in CNN's Nada Bashir live this hour in London. Nada, as usual, lots going on in Gaza. As usual, none of it good.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And those repeated warnings now coming in from the Israeli military telling civilians to leave parts of northern Gaza. These are warnings that we have, of course, seen before in the Beit Lahiya area where this specific message was targeted for civilians, outlining an entire block, an entire area where the Israeli military says it will be targeting what it has described as terrorist infrastructure with, quote, "heavy force".

Now, that warning came in to civilians. It's unclear how many people will actually receive that warning. They were told to evacuate immediately. But of course, as we know, connectivity and electricity in Gaza is sporadic, to say the least. And of course, it is uncertain whether anyone would have actually received that message and able to pass that on to nearby civilians.

And of course, that warning to move immediately to what the Israeli military has described as known shelters in the south and in the west. But as we have seen, as we've heard from the United Nations itself, there are very few safe places left for civilians to flee to in Gaza.

And what, in fact, we have been seeing over the last few days and weeks are civilians in parts of southern Gaza that had once been deemed as safe zones actually fleeing and moving back into parts of central and northern Gaza, the very same areas where the Israeli military is now conducting repeated strikes.

Many are fearing a ground incursion in the south, and in particular in the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.7 million people are now displaced. And of course, we've been hearing those warnings of a looming ground operation. And as a result, many have taken their families and moved back into parts of central and northern Gaza.

So this is certainly raising concern. And as you mentioned, Nick, getting aid into Gaza is still proving extremely difficult, but more so in parts of central and northern Gaza, where it is very difficult for aid agencies to operate, where the logistical challenges of actually distributing aid are immense. So this raises a whole host of concerns for civilians in these parts of Gaza.

WATT: And Nada, do you know any more about these bodies that have been discovered at, I believe it's two hospitals in Gaza?

BASHIR: I mean, we are seeing distressing graphic video emerging from our colleagues on the ground around this mass grave that has been discovered in Khan Younis. And we have been hearing testimonies from family members who are still looking for the bodies of their loved ones, bodies that they had buried temporarily back in January due to heavy bombardment in the region. They were unable to carry out proper burials for their loved ones.

Many of them have returned now in the hopes of carrying out a proper burial following the Israeli military's withdrawal just over a week ago. But they have been unable to locate the bodies of their loved ones. Now, we've been hearing from Gaza's civil defense. They have said that the process of identifying bodies has proven extremely difficult because many of the identifiers that would have been placed on body bags have been removed or moved around, that these bodies have not been buried in the places that they were buried in January.

Now, of course, that stands in contrast to the response that we have since received from the Israeli military. They say that they have exhumed bodies in order to carry out examinations following intelligence regarding the possible whereabouts of hostages, that these victims were treated with respect and returned to the places where they were buried. But of course, that goes in contrast to what we've been hearing from civilians and officials on the ground in Gaza, the United Nations itself now calling for a full investigation.

WATT: Nada Bashir in London, thanks very much.

At least five people, including a 7-year-old girl, are dead after attempting to cross the English Channel on an overcrowded boat. French authorities say the boat's engine stopped. Rescuers saved more than 40 people, but nearly 60 stayed on board, determined to make it to the U.K.

This comes after the British Parliament passed a bill allowing the government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. Critics say it's inhumane, but the bill's supporters view it as a deterrent to stop migrants, to stop the boats.

[03:25:05]

British Home Secretary James Cleverly posted online, quote, "these tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk".

Still to come, Columbia University's midnight deadline for pro- Palestinian protesters to disperse has come and gone. What school officials are now saying about that protest camp?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATT: Officials at Columbia University in New York are urging students behind the pro-Palestinian protests on campus to dismantle their encampment. The school had set a midnight deadline to get the issue resolved, but earlier this hour, the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper told us the deadline was extended to 8am local time. No comment so far from that on the school -- from the school. Video from our affiliate WCBS appears to show just a handful of tents were taken down just before midnight. The rest remain.

Now this all comes as the pro-Palestinian protest movement has spread to other US campuses, including universities in Minnesota and Michigan. CNN's Isabel Rosales has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL RROSALES (voice-over): Growing protests as students from Columbia University bowing to occupy school grounds until the university meets their demands.

UNKNOWN: We are calling for divestment from Israel --

KHYMANI JAMES, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT: -- so that Columbia is not funding the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

ROSALES (voice-over): This, as calls for the resignation of the school's president, Manoush Shafiq, continue to get louder. Shafiq under fire from both inside and outside the university and could face a censure vote from the university Senate as early as tomorrow.

Shafiq and other university officials are facing internal criticism that NYPD arrests and student suspensions allegedly violated tenets of academic freedom and free expression on campus.

From Boston to Berkeley, there is a spotlight on how colleges are managing student outrage.

Harvard Yard closed for a second day in a row.

While at MIT, a pro-Palestinian encampment stands firm in solidarity with other protesting students.

(STUDENTS CHANTING)

[03:30:00]

ROSALES(voice-over): The growing unrest on college campuses causing concern and chaos as schools prepare for graduation in the coming weeks.

Many students saying they fear for their safety.

UNKNOWN: It's scary, it's terrifying. They have a sign that says long live the intifada.

ROSALES (voice-over): While others say they are --

KHYMANI JAMES, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Vehemently, vehemently opposing all forms of oppression.

ROSALES (voice-over): They will not back down.

QUINN PERIAN, MIT STUDENT, JEWS FOR CEASEFIRE: Until MIT agrees to stop building the weapons that are used in this mass killing.

JAMES: We want the genocide to stop.

ROSALES: And just outside Emerson College, there is a growing number of signs and tents. Organizers here have food, water, they are ready to stay here for however long it takes until the college meets their demands. Over at MIT, also over 20 tents on display there in front of the chapel.

A group dues for ceasefire. An organizer telling me that if they are asked to bring down the encampment, those tents, they will not do so. MIT telling CNN that they will consider the next steps in regards to those tents.

Isabel Rosales, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Earlier, I spoke with Sarah Huddleston. She is the news editor for the "Columbia Daily Spectator", the university's newspaper. She criticized the school's president's decision to authorize police to come on campus last week to clear out the protesters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUDDLESTON, NEWS EDITOR, COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR: Our university president, Manusha Fiqh's decision to authorize NYPD personnel onto our campus was the first time that the university president has authorized such presence in over 50 years. So it's definitely something that is precedent at Columbia, but it's certainly not regular. As you may have mentioned, it leads to an increase in tensions, distrust towards the administration, etc.

Speaking to students immediately following those arrests, it certainly did shock the community. Speaking with faculty as well, faculty really did rally in support of students who were both arrested but then also suspended by the university for their involvement in the Gaza Solidarity encampment, as organizers title it.

WATT: Now, the administrator's justification for the action they're taking is that they say that the campus is not a safe place for some people, for Jewish students. I mean, what's your take on that? I mean, this certainly looks, and you know, I've been at some of these protests, not at Columbia, but where there is certainly an atmosphere in which Jewish students do not feel safe. What do you say to that?

HUDDLESTON: Based off of our reporting recently, the difference really comes with ongoing on-campus protests, which are organized by students or affiliate groups, such as faculty or staff, and ongoing off-campus protests, that while they are happening right outside of our Columbia gates, are mainly organized by autonomous, unaffiliated, perhaps individuals or organizations, and that really has been a site of quite, of anti-Semitic rhetoric or incidents that make it so that some Jewish students report feeling unsafe when walking through those protests, through onto campus.

WATT: So, just to be clear, you're saying that that kind of atmosphere is being created by, kind of, off-campus groups outside, rather than the student protesters actually on campus?

HUDDLESTON: Currently, that seems to be more so the sentiment that we are hearing, just because ongoing off-campus protests have continued for the past couple of days. In regards to on-campus reports of anti- Semitism or anti-Semitic harassment or language, there certainly have been reports of such things happening on our campus. However, in recent days, most of those reports are happening from outside of campus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: TikTok's days in the U.S. could be numbered after the U.S. Congress passed legislation that could force the app's Chinese owners to sell their stake or face a U.S. ban. We'll discuss what TikTok could do next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATT: Now, that foreign aid bill approved by the U.S. Congress on Tuesday includes legislation that could result in a ban on TikTok in the United States. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden's desk, and it's likely he will sign it, forcing TikTok's Chinese parent company to find a new owner within months or be banned from the U.S. entirely.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me with more. Kristie, I mean, if you listen to some people in this country, they would suggest that the Chinese Communist Party runs TikTok entirely. How much control does the Chinese government actually have over this?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, according to the CEO of TikTok, he has emphatically told Congress, for example, that the Chinese government does not own, does not control TikTok. But ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, like other Chinese companies, must comply with Chinese legislation, including security and cybersecurity legislation.

I want to share with you fresh Chinese reaction to this potential U.S. TikTok ban. We just learned from our colleague Marc Stewart in Beijing. He just asked in the last half hour China's foreign ministry for comment on a potential TikTok ban. And this is what we heard from Wang Wenbin. He said this, quote, "I have nothing to add today." Now, when the U.S. President Joe Biden signs this bill into law, the clock is going to be ticking for Byte Dance to either sell TikTok U.S. or to shut it down.

TikTok is based in L.A. It's based in Singapore, but it is a unit of the Beijing-based private tech company ByteDance. And that has been fueling the fears in the U.S. that the Chinese government could use it to spy or to shape public opinion.

Again, TikTok denies that, says it's an entertainment app. It doesn't allow any government to influence its recommendation model. But can TikTok be sold off? What is next for the app? Now, the Chinese government has said on the record it opposes a sale. It does not want ByteDance to give up the TikTok algorithm, its core technology, and the secret to its success.

And analysts that we've been talking to, they say the ramifications of a ban in the U.S. are profound here. It would actually cause a further split of the world into two tech spheres, one tech world aligned with U.S. technology, U.S. laws and U.S. brands, and the other aligned with China.

I want to share with you what Alex Capri at the National University of Singapore shared with us earlier. Let's bring up that for you. He says that a ban is a loss of soft power for Beijing, what little it has left in the West. But a ban in the U.S. will spark renewed efforts to spread China's digital footprint in Southeast Asia and other mostly developing markets worldwide.

Now, TikTok in the U.S. has said it plans to challenge the legislation in court. Back to you, Nick.

WATT: Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Thanks very much.

Britain's royal family celebrated the sixth birthday of Prince Louis on Tuesday, with William and Catherine releasing a photo of their son to mark the occasion. The image was only posted to social media, bypassing news agencies. CNN's Max Foster has details on the possible reasons why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The joyous smile of a young boy on his sixth birthday, captured by his mother.

[03:40:00]

Prince Louis, fourth in line to the British throne, in the spotlight since birth, unaware of his role in a global media storm.

The release of pictures to mark the birthday of a royal family member is pretty routine. The way it was shared, however, was unprecedented.

The palace, using this moment to take the narrative back into their own hands after a flurry of conspiracy theories last month.

UNKNOWN: Everyone is still talking about this picture.

UNKNOWN: Wherever you stand on conspiracy, there's no doubting its impact on the reputation of the British royal family.

FOSTER (voice-over): It all started when a photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children posted on Mother's Day just weeks after she underwent surgery was found to be edited.

The princess, who's known for taking family photos, claimed in a statement she was the one who made the tweaks, with photo agencies quickly dubbing it a breach of editorial guidelines.

ERIC BARADAT, AFP PHOTO DIRECTOR: Everybody started enlarging, zooming in the picture and noticing straight away that something was wrong.

FOSTER (voice-over): Days of rumors and speculation prompted the princess to announce that she had been diagnosed with cancer with a request of privacy.

PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF WALES: It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that's appropriate for them and to reassure them that I'm going to be OK.

FOSTER (voice-over): While her husband and heir to the throne, Prince William, returned to the public eye last week, all focus was centered on Louis' birthday, with questions over whether they would post a photo, whether Kate would have taken the photo and whether she would be in it.

In a change of strategy, while a royal source said the photo wasn't edited, they didn't distribute the picture to agencies, posting straight to social media and losing the need to adhere to their editorial rules.

The decision, a symptom of the palace's changing relationship with the media, the palace taking out the messenger in an apparent attempt to reframe the headline.

Max Foster, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: Thanks for joining us. I'm Nick Watt. "Marketplace Europe" is next, then "CNN Newsroom" returns at the top of the hour with Anna Coren.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

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