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Countdown Begins For NASA's Artemis 1 Moon Mission And Maiden Flight Of SLS Megarocket; Russia And Ukraine Accuse Each Other Of Shelling Around Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; Putin Orders Financial Benefits For People From Ukraine To Russia; Pakistan Seeks International Help For Flood Victims. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 29, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and ahead right here on CNN Newsroom. The countdown is on, NASA prepares for its first mission to the moon in 50 years. Look at how Artemis 1 could define the future of space exploration on the moon on Mars and beyond.
Ukraine prepares for a potential nuclear disaster as Russia shows new nuclear power plants, even handing out anti-radiation pills to citizens and Pakistan is asking for global aid as deadly monsoon rains and floods affect millions of people.
Nearly 50 years since Apollo 17, the U.S. space agency NASA is taking its first steps to sending astronauts back to the moon. And these are live pictures of the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the scheduled launch window for the Artemis 1 rocket is just a few hours away.
The unmanned mission to the Moon is the first of several in the years ahead for NASA. Eventually, the goal is to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972. And ultimately, NASA hopes to someday land the first humans on Mars.
Although there's no crew for this first test flight there are several objectives that NASA hopes to accomplish before sending humans back to the moon and beyond. Our Rachel Crane has a preview of the mission.
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RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, weather is 80 percent favorable for a launch and this launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. Eastern and it's a two hour launch window. So far Mother Nature is on our side. But folks aren't just keeping an eye on the weather when it comes to this launch. That's because this rocket behind me has never flown before.
And several rehearsals of the SLS launch didn't go exactly as planned. Three wet dress rehearsals as they're referred to had many issues involving valves and leaks. As I said, this vehicle has never flown before. And it's a really important part of NASA's Artemis program that this uncrewed test flight is a success. That's because NASA has several major objectives here they need to take test the heat shield of the Orion spacecraft before they put crew on board.
They need to make sure as they putting up this brand new rocket actually functions as planned. They also need to go through retrieval of the Orion spacecraft. If this launch is successful, it will be a 42-day mission. And the Orion spacecraft will splashdown in the Pacific so they need to go and retrieve that spacecraft. There are some avionics onboard that NASA is hoping to use on Artemis 2.
Now that will be the first crewed mission of the Artemis program. NASA hopes to achieve that next year, and hopefully put humans once again on the moon, the first woman and the first person of color in 2025. Back to you.
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LU STOUT: Now space exploration of course brings inherent risks, one of which is radiation exposure. But one of the goals of the Artemis mission is to help mitigate those risks in the future, making space travel safer for astronauts.
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JANET IVEY, PRESIDENT, EXPLORE MARS, INC.: There are three mannequins on board to have and just torsos that are going to have all kinds of radiation sensors, another one we called Commander Moonikin Campos, named in Omas (ph) to Arturo Campos, who helped the Apollo 13 crew get back to Earth safely. And it's going to be equipped with all kinds of radiation, sensors and dosimeters to test those levels of radiation that a human might endure on a very long term mission. And, you know, on the moon.
SCOTT KELLY, RETIRED NASA ASTRONAUT: The other components of this is just studying the spacecraft, the environmental control system, the life support systems that will keep astronauts alive on the next mission. And most importantly, we need to make sure that heat shield that is going to come back into the atmosphere faster than anything has ever come into the atmosphere before with humans on it. We need to make sure absolutely that it works.
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LU STOUT: Now these steps are important because they will allow astronauts to travel in space longer, and this could also help set the stage for the eventual construction of a lunar base and a man trip to Mars.
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KATE RUBINS, NASA ASTRONAUT: We do need to go back, we're going to go back in a completely different way. So the first part of this program is really to establish a sustainable lunar presence on the lunar surface and then both in orbit around the moon. This is helping us get ready for Mars. We really need to learn how to operate long term in deep space in order to be able to explore. And the places that we're going are incredibly different.
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LU STOUT: Daniel Dumbacher is the Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was previously a deputy associate administrator at NASA. And he joins us now. Thank you for joining us here at CNN.
I have to admit this first as a child of the 80s I remember watching with tremendous excitement, space shuttle launches on TV. So I can't help but wonder, will this test launch help bring back you know, the thrill the excitement of space exploration as we inch closer to going back to the moon?
DANIEL DUMBACHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS: Well, Kristie, the Artemis 1 ought to do more than bring back the memories of shuttle because this launch vehicle that we're launching that NASA is hopefully launching tomorrow is going to actually be more than double the launch thrust that we saw was shuttle, so it'll be loud, it will get off the pad quick, and it'll be quite a sight. We're all looking forward to it.
LU STOUT: Now, you oversaw the initial development of the Space Launch System or SLS during your time at NASA, it has been a very expensive program. And even though there are no humans on board, it is not without risks. So just how high are the stakes with today's launch?
DUMBACHER: Well, as with any test, flight, we are here to learn. We want to make sure that we -- the systems are prepared and ready for the next mission with humans and the crew that we're going to take out to the moon. And so this test flight, yes, it has a lot of risk to it. But that's why we do it as a test flight. That's why we do it. That's why NASA does it without anybody on board is so that we learn and make things -- improve things for the safety of the crew.
One thing I can say is, there has been lots of ground testing done. There's even been an Exploration Flight Test 1 for the Orion crew several years ago. So for the Orion crew capsule module, and we know how things work in those environments. And tomorrow, we start -- hopefully tomorrow we start the mission to go off and test it out over the next six weeks to make sure that we're ready to take the next step with astronauts and crew.
LU STOUT: And assuming that you're ready to take the next step that today's launch is a success. What are the chances that the SLS which is not reusable will soon be outmoded would be outclassed by private rockets. Because you know, Elon Musk has shown the world how to get reusable rockets into space at a fraction of the cost.
DUMBACHER: Well, and that's the advantage of the -- of our industrial capability is to go take those things like launch capability and to get things more and more efficient based on and drive it to the marketplace. SLS what we have with the Space Launch System and Artemis 1 is unique in that we are reestablishing the launch capability that existed at the end of the Apollo program.
We are getting that reestablished so that this nation and all of our allies have the ability to put large volumes, large masses, large objects in space that we haven't had since the early 1970s. And so this capability is key. And as we go through this, as commercial capabilities come online, I'm sure NASA will work to take advantage of it as appropriate. But this capability that we're seeing tested tomorrow. And the first mission of Artemis 1 is getting us that step we need to reestablish that capability that we set aside many years ago.
LU STOUT: As you say, reestablishing that capability of the United States and his allies. And I have to ask you about China. To what degree is this launch about the rivalry with China and securing an early lead in the race back to the moon?
DUMBACHER: Well, this is -- we're not in a competition with China right now like we were with the Soviets back in the beginning of the space age. But China has made it clear with their space station work, that they're building their missions to the moon, that they are serious about space exploration. And it's time that this country, continue its endeavors continue pushing forward and continue that capability to be the leader in space that we have been over the decades and we Want to continue this and Artemis 1 is a step in that direction.
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LU STOUT: Daniel Dumbacher, I understand you'll be attending the big launch later today. Or Monday, your time, enjoy the moment and best of luck.
DUMBACHER: Thank you looking forward to it. It's going to be a great day.
LU STOUT: For more on the weather conditions for launch meteorologist Karen Maginnis is standing by at the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta and Karen, all eyes on the skies before launch. What are conditions like?
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, this is very exciting for all the reasons that have previously been stated. And thanks have been tested, things have been tweaked. But the one thing that can't be is going to be the weather.
Now overall, we've got an 80 percent chance that yes, there will be a launch, it looks like weather conditions are going to exist that will allow for this launch to take place. We're looking at the radar over the last three hours where you see this red dot that is the actual launch site.
We have seen some showers, even a couple of thunderstorms, some whitening has been indicated from some of these smaller cells, we're not looking at huge or significant thunderstorms that had been roaming in across this area. But most of these are fairly spotty.
And we zoom in a little bit closer. And we're also forecasting many a chance of showers coming up in the forecast. What does that chance it's about a 20 percent likelihood. The temperatures are going to be fairly warm, winds are going to be from the south at six. So does it look like the wind is going to be problematic.
But that 8:33 a.m. Eastern Time, that looks to be the perhaps the best half hour, two hour. But as we go into the following hour between 9:33 and 10:33, it looks a little more challenging, but a 40 percent chance that we might expect some showers or inclement weather.
All right, some interesting parameters to take place for Artemis. If you had an undisturbed atmosphere here, then we're looking at very calm conditions. And we have no problems. But if it is disturbed in some way by cumulus thunderstorms, and we have a different problem, and we're looking at the possibility could trigger as it launches some lightning. Yes, that is a possibility. But right now, we're going to look at it optimistically and say that first hour is really looking like the best possibilities.
So there could be some cumulus cloud cover in the area, cumulus, specifically not some stratus clouds that wouldn't be unnecessarily problematic. Also, there's no lightning in the vicinity. Also, we're looking at very conducive weather conditions, not just for now. But if things happen and we don't get a launch, it looks like the next backup date, September 2, at just about noon time or there abouts. That'll be the next probable time when we could see a launch. If not, then the September 5 is the next time. So Kristie, a lot of things to look at. But right now we're going to be optimistic and say there's an 80 percent chance have a go.
LU STOUT: Yes, for a Monday launch conditions got to be right fingers crossed. Karen Mcginnis, thank you so much. Take care.
Now, NASA is still at least three years away from sending astronauts back to the moon. We've got more now from Rachel Crane, who shows us the capsule that will take them to the surface of the moon on Artemis 3.
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RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The countdown clock is ticking for the launch of Artemis 1. Now that is an uncrewed test launch, but it has a capsule on top of it Orion, much like the one that you see behind me. But this one here, this is for Artemis 3.
Now NASA hopes to send crew to the moon and land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface in 2025. And that capsule behind me that's the one that will transport those astronauts to the moon and help them get to that lunar surface.
NASA already busy at work building those crewed capsules. But of course the focus of today is Artemis 1. This will be a 42-day journey around the moon. This is a never before flown rocket. So space enthusiast around the world are eagerly awaiting the liftoff of NASA's SLS rocket and the Orion capsule on top. Rachel Crane, CNN, Kennedy Space Center.
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LU STOUT: As Artemis 1 begins its estimated 42 day journey CNN is your go to source for news about the mission just go to cnn.com to follow all the latest developments I've still had right here on Newsroom. Anti-radiation pills are being handed out in Ukraine signaling growing concerns about a potential disaster at Europe's largest nuclear plants. Plus, Vladimir Putin signs executive orders providing financial benefits for people arriving in Russia from Ukraine. Following, that story next
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LU STOUT: In Ukraine, fears of a nuclear catastrophe are growing larger by the day as fighting continues around Europe's largest nuclear facility. On Sunday, Russian and Ukrainian officials reported more shelling and a town about five kilometers from the Zaporizhzhia plant, with both sides blaming each other for the strikes. A Russia installed official says at least nine people were wounded.
It is the latest sign that fighting around the plant is not slowing despite dire warnings from world leaders and international experts in a country still haunted by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Those threats feel all too real. In fact, authorities in a nearby city have even started handing out iodine pills, which can help protect against some effects of radiation.
This as the UN's nuclear watchdog prepares for a critical safety mission of the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency tweeting just a short time ago that a team of experts is now on its way and will be at the plant later this week. And we're also learning just how dangerously close some shelling has come to critical areas of the plant. CNN's Sam Kiley in Zaporizhzhia with the latest.
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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The International Atomic Energy Agency has now officially confirmed that a building inside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been hit by shelling. They say that this had occurred in the last few days that it was what they call a special building possibly a building for water pumping or maintenance.
But the point is that it was 100 meters about 100 yards away from the one of the reactors and that is the issue that is really going to raise concerns internationally, even higher if that were humanly possible.
Now here in Zaporizhzhia the authorities in reaction to the general threat against the nuclear power station, which is only 20 miles away from the city, the authorities are beginning to hand out iodine tablets as a prophylactic against the worst effects of radiation, radiation sickness. And also the Ukrainian energy, Atomic Energy Authority has put out a statement effectively warning the Russians that if there were a disaster in that power plant, certainly at the beginning of this week, the meteorological signs are that the wind would blow the resulting radioactive fallout into Russian territory that it would literally cause blowback against the Russians.
Clearly signaling to the Kremlin that any kind of danger there would affect the Russians as much as a Ukraine and all of this against a backdrop of continuing shelling right across this extended frontline. And indeed, in the last 48 hours a number of people being killed in a village not very far from zapper Asia, Sam Kiley, CNN, in Zaporizhzhia.
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LU STOUT: And to the east in Ukraine's embattled Donetsk region, two towns have come under shelling from Russia as Ukraine fires back.
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Those rockets being fired by Ukrainian soldiers in a region that has seen intense fighting early on Sunday, Russia targeted the talons of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The head of the Donetsk region military administration said that high rise and residential buildings were damaged in both towns. But so far, there have been no reports on casualties. Ukraine has been urging residents to evacuate the Donetsk region, as Russian forces have been keeping up pressure in their push to gain more territory.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The proud and glorious Ukrainian Donetsk is humiliated and robbed by Russian occupation. Russia brought the most terrible thing in their total disregard for the value of any life and total disrespect for anyone. The invaders brought degradation and death. And they believe that they are there forever, but they are not.
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LU STOUT: It has been several months since the world saw the first horrifying images of the Bucha massacre, retreating Russian troops leaving behind mass graves and streets strewn with bodies, some of the dead impossible to identify now being buried with numbers instead of names. David McKenzie has the story and a warning the images in his report are graphic.
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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIOAN LCORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Bucha, they lived in peace had families and names whatever, but they died in a war that no one here wanted behind each number and unknown victim. A life worthy father Andrei Havilland's (ph) prayer, you're dealing with. Each person had their own life, and each had one and only one, he says. It's not just bodies that we are burying. For us these are people who lived once. People to whom the Russians brought suffering and death.
Bucha is now synonymous with the horrors and brutality of Russia's war of choice. When their army retreated, they're burnt out tanks were cleared. Bucha seems almost normal now. Almost, but not, not here. Not anywhere in Ukraine. Because they are still discovering the dead.
A police forensic team gathers evidence at a shallow grave. They say a man was shot as he fled. They found more than 1,300 bodies in greater Kyiv alone. Everything changed on February 24 says Kyiv's police chief. They invaded our country and started killing people. It's very difficult for any country to prepare for this because you never expected such cruelty.
The cruelty the sheer weight of loss for Alexander (ph) is hard to comprehend. This is where the shots were fired, he says, and where the car was on fire. His family like others tried to flee the Russian advance. They came to Bucha from Ukraine's war in the east. They were happy here. Makvi (ph) and Clem (ph) were inseparable. The boys a joy for their father.
But as they escaped Bucha, he says a Russian armored vehicle struck their car again and again. Everyone died. Only Alexander (ph) lived. My oldest would have been 10. My youngest five, he says. It's very hard. Justice must be restored. Everything must be done to destroy the Russians to destroy the nation completely. Probably you can't say that. But I want this whole nation to not exist at all, so that there would not be so much grief. So much grief, too much for any nation to bear in a war that still shows no end. David McKenzie, CNN, Bucha, Ukraine.
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LU STOUT: Gut wrenching and heartbreaking loss and meanwhile, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has his sights on integrating Ukrainians now living in Russia. He assigned these two executive orders providing financial benefits for Ukrainians who have entered Russia since the war began. Now the first order this is according to the Kremlin, allows citizens of Ukraine Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic to live and work in Russia without a work permit, but they have to meet certain requirements like passing a drug test and obtaining a medical certificate.
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The second order provides a monthly pension of 10,000 rubles for citizens who've been forced to leave Ukraine since February the 18th. It also includes pensions for those who are physically challenged, and a one-time payment to pregnant Ukrainians now living in Russia.
Now the outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the global energy crisis that's affecting many countries, including the UK. In a Sunday op-ed for a British paper he blamed Putin for skyrocketing energy bills, and said that the Russian leader wants European countries like the UK to buckle, remove sanctions and beg for Russian oil and gas. He also tweeted this quote, we must not give in to Putin's aggression, adding that the next few months will be tough, but the Ukrainian and British people will win.
Meanwhile, Austria's Chancellor is urging other European nations to implement a cap on skyrocketing energy prices. Karl Nehammer remarks come as natural gas prices continue to soar in Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Millions of people are being affected by deadly flooding in Pakistan, what we are learning about the scope and scale of the devastation, coming up.
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LU STOUT: The death toll continues to rise in Pakistan where monsoon rains and flooding have killed more than 1,000 people, including more than 350 children. The Pakistani army is helping with relief and rescue operations as the government calls for international aid. CNN's Sophia Saifi has more on the widespread devastation.
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SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Family scramble in dry ground to meet awaiting rescue helicopter. It's just one of many rescue missions taking place in Pakistan, parts of which have been diluted by floods after weeks of unprecedented monsoon rains.
The Pakistani government says more than 30 million people across the country have been impacted by the floods. The operations by air critical to transporting the stranded to relieve centers and also dropping supplies to areas not accessible by boat or roads with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joining the effort over the weekend.
The government says it needs international help to deal with the scope of the disaster. Heavy rain and flooding have killed more than 1,000 people since mid June. The misery felt all around the country.
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In the north, tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate this weekend after flash floods caused a river to rise. Wiping out a critical bridge and cutting off roads. And there are fears the rushing waters could wipe a way more structures, even nearby villages. Many rivers in the region have already done so.
These families, camped by the side of the road and wondering where they will go next, say they narrowly escaped with their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First, the water level rose a little and we brought the goods to the rooftop. We could not bring the household with us, we came out on the highway with our lives, children and cattle.
Late night, the water level had risen until it was knee-deep.
SAIFI: In southeast Pakistan, many people are just trying to salvage what they can after losing their homes to the floods.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are in dire straits. We are exhausted of moving our belongings here and there . Our homes and village drowned in the water, most of the livestock died, we've suffered a huge loss.
SAIFI: Those lucky enough to reach a relief center, which have been set up across the country, can get a meal and a bed. But with the flooding so widespread, Pakistan faces enormous challenges ahead.
(INAUDIBLE) province alone which was badly hit by the flooding has asked for a million tents to help with the displaced.
Sophia Saifi, CNN -- Karachi.
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STOUT: Now, CNN's Anna Coren is tracking the Pakistan flooding from here in Hong Kong. She joins us now live. And Anna, this deadly floods causing widespread devastation across Pakistan. What's the latest?
COREN: Well, as we heard from Sophia's package, like millions and millions of people, Kristie, are now homeless. And it doesn't look like this situation is about to improve.
There is expected to be a reprieve in the weather this week. But the monsoon season certainly goes well into September. So, they have many more weeks of rain and flooding to come.
Pakistan is certainly not immune to the monsoon season. They're used to flooding and the heavy rains, but nothing like this. The last catastrophic floods in Pakistan were in 2010 when more than 2,000 people lost their lives.
Well, the death toll, as it stands right now for these floods is more than a thousand. 33 million people have been affected. And according to authorities, Kristie, Pakistan is experiencing its eighth monsoon cycle. It normally has about three or four a year, but it is now up to number eight.
So, it just goes to show the amount of water that these people are having to deal with. Hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed. Bridges, roads -- just washed away. And then, farming fields, I mean, this is an agricultural country, absolutely inundated.
Just take a look at this satellite imagery, the Indus River, it runs the length of Pakistan and there are these obviously townships, communities that have been flooded. You can see the before and after imagery, it truly is devastating. The Pakistani government believes, you know, the damage alone could reach $10 billion dollars, a country that is teetering really on financial collapse, asking the IMF for a bail out.
They're also pleading to the international community for help. Prime Minister Sharif, he has said the magnitude of this calamity is bigger than expected.
Let's take a listen now to the Pakistani foreign minister, who is appealing for international aid. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: They're absolutely devastating. I haven't seen any destruction or devastation of this scale. I find it very difficult to put into words, the phraseology is that we're used to, whether it's monsoon rains or flooding doesn't quite seem to encapsulate the ongoing devastation and disaster that we are still witnessing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: That is the Pakistani foreign minister Bhutto Zardari speaking there, calling on the IMF, calling on donors, calling on international community to come to Pakistan's aid. And we heard that also, not just from the prime minister, but from the climate change minister, Sherry Rehman.
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COREN: She's come out blaming these floods solely on climate change. She has said, quote, "This is a climate induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions." She admits that the government is completely overwhelmed. Yes, they've mobilized the military, and they're working with the National Disaster Management Authority, in the four provincial governments.
But this is a herculean task. And she said that we need all the help that we can get, Kristie.
STOUT: Yes, because the scale of this tragedy is immense and frightening, and it's part of a global crisis.
Anna Coren reporting. Thank you so much, Anna. Take care.
Now parts of the U.S. also facing major flooding. In fact Jackson, Mississippi is keeping a wary eye on the Pearl River, which is expected to crest well above flood stage in the coming hours.
Jackson's mayor says that the city is prepared, and learned critical lessons from similar flooding two years ago.
Nadia Romero is there with the latest.
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NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are in the northeast side of Jackson, Mississippi. This is an area where you can see flooding has already begun, and the Pearl River has yet to crest.
That should happen through the overnight hours into Monday. And we saw the third highest level of that river cresting back in 2020, where there was historic flooding in this neighborhood. We spoke with people who live here, who say that they had sand bags, 50 were at this house next to me.
But the homeowner tells me, it's still flooded, he had to rip up his sub floor, his carpet, the dry wall. Some $60,000 worth of damages. And then, an additional $15,000 he had to pay out of pocket, just to keep his family housed in a hotel for six months. They stayed at a hotel or apartment as the repairs continued on this home.
He says it feels like they just finished the repairs, and now they're preparing for yet another flood.
We spoke with another woman who says she's lived in this neighborhood for 20 years. And this is their second time now in just two years, having to deal with flooding. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The experience that I had was when we actually did come back into our house, and when we was able to get back in, the whole house was damaged. We had to gut it inside, all the walls had to be out. We lost everything.
And now that we're just starting back, regaining things, we feel like we are back in those frightening (ph) days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMERO: So the mayor of Jackson says that he's trying to prepare his residence for the flooding that could come. In this particular neighborhood, Entergy shut off power early in the afternoon on Sunday.
And so, without power, that means that their food could likely spoil. It's also hot. There is no air conditioning. Shelters are already opening. At least one shelter at a police facility, being hosted by the American Red Cross.
Some 100,000 sandbags have been made available to residents, and they've already started mobilizing efforts for search and rescue with (INAUDIBLE) Navy, we've seen come through this neighborhood and with the city's fire and police departments, and even the fish and wildlife services, all helping out with those search efforts that could come over the next couple of days.
Nadia Romero, CNN -- Jackson, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
And fighting between rival factions has led to some of Libya's worst violence in years. Coming up, I'll speak with an expert about the unrest, and what is needed to stabilize the nation.
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STOUT: And this was a scene outside in New Delhi on Sunday, as authorities demolished two high-rises they say were built illegally. Crowds watched from nearby rooftops as the towers were taken down by controlled explosions.
India's Supreme Court ordered the demolition after a long legal battle determined that the towers violated several regulations and fire safety rules. Demolitions like this are rare in India, despite widespread illegal construction.
The conflict between rival militias is fueling some of Libya's worst fighting in years. The country's health ministry says at least 32 people were killed in clashes in Tripoli over the weekend.
And the International Rescue Committee says it had to suspend some of its humanitarian services for migrants and refugees, due to the violence.
CNN's Nada Bashir has more from London.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, these are some of the worst clashes Libya's capital has seen in at least the last two years. And there are real concerns that this could push the country back into a state of sustained conflict.
This latest round of violence comes at the back of a month-long political standoff between two rival factions. In the capital, Tripoli, you have the U.N.-backed and internationally recognized government of national unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. And in the east, you have a rival administration, which has essentially appointed its own prime minister, Fathi Bashagha.
Now, tensions between these two factions have been simmering for months now. Back in may, Bashagha and his allied forces launched a failed attempt to seize control of Tripoli, and over the last few weeks, we have seen eastern forces mobilizing around the capital.
But over the weekend, those tensions really came to a head, with forces allied to Bashagha once again attempting to seize control of territory in Tripoli. Entering the capital from several directions, using small arms fire, and heavy machine guns, and even mortars in central areas around the city.
But while there is real concern this could push the country into further political turmoil, these latest clashes have already had devastating consequences.
At least 30 people were killed and more than 150 people wounded in the fighting, according to the health ministry. The U.N. has called for an immediate end to the violence, and a return to political dialogue.
But we also heard from the GNU leader, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, speaking on Saturday night to his allied fighters and the capital. He commended them for, in his words, defending the city, and he paid his respects for those who had lost their lives, stressing that the GNU remains committed to democratic elections.
But he also issued a stark warning to members of the opposition, saying the time for political coups is long gone. And also warning that any actors looking to take control of the country by undemocratic means would meet his fighters in the field.
Nada Bashir, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: Joining me joining now is Emadeddin Badi. He is a senior fellow with the "Atlantic Council". Thank you for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM.
A long, simmering power struggle is flaring up in Libya. What led to the current outburst in violence. The violence we have witnessed in Tripoli over the weekend?
EMADEDDIN BADI, SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: This is by and large the result of the presence of the two governments and international ambiguity of that state towards is legitimate since March that has fostered an ecosystem of competition which has by and large resulted in these clashes.
The ambiguity was a policy that was reflected, stark differences over Libya internationally with Egypt I would say, Russia and ironically France. Actually the main backers of the parallel governments. That was set up by the rival administration in eastern Libya.
STOUT: We have parallel governments with international backers. We have a violent power struggle between Libya's interim prime minister Dbeibeh of the U.N.-backed GNU and the rival prime minister Bashagha. Can these two parallel governments reach a political resolution?
BADI: It will be very difficult for these to actually reach a political resolution unfortunately. It is partly reflective of a lot of these domestic let's say factions (INAUDIBLE) but at the same time, it also is reflective of the continuous international differences over Libya.
[01:44:55]
BADI: I think there are several countries that still have a vested interest in backing a rival administration. Whether this administration or coalition be under Fathi Bashagha or not. And the ingredients let's say for further violence are unfortunately still there in Libya at the moment.
STOUT: You have these foreign influences and you also have the very influential militias inside Libya. Will the political future of Libya be determined not by the people or any sort of political process but by the strongest militias, the strongest armed cartels and its favorite head of state?
BADI: I think the path let's say four or five years have proven that none of the armed factions in Libya can singularly dominate the entirety of the country. Unfortunately I think that things go way beyond than just exclusive domestic scenes. The main solution at the moment for Libya to stabilize would actually be to harmonize both European policy towards Libya, so bridging differences between and within Europe. And also aligning that with U.S. policies towards Libya.
Let's not forget that a lot of the international differences over Libya are very important in fueling the dynamics in the country and this is also partly a proxy conflict where domestic factions benefit from lavish funding from foreign backers, benefit from weapon smuggled inside the country and also diplomatically benefit from a lot of cover to, let's say whether it be at the level of the U.N. Security Council, within the European Union or even bilaterally within foreign both global and regional powers.
STOUT: The international policy needs to come together, hanging in the balance as you have the fate of 7 million people amid a time of deep suffering with the drought and power outages, et cetera.
You talked about a need to harmonize international policy, is that taking place, is enough being done on the international stage to stabilize Libya?
BADI: I think ironically the latest bout of violence could be viewed as an opportunity in terms of aligning both the U.S. position with the European one. There are several vehicles that could be used to then channel that into a coherent and milestone-based process that would culminate in elections in Libya -- free, fair and democratic elections in the country.
However, I think that before that, the work that needs to be done needs to be done internationally. The Libyan people have already spoken. They want those free and fair elections and it's not good enough to merely pander, I would say to the desires of either the domestic (INAUDIBLE) Libyan elites or their foreign backers. Or the authoritarian countries that don't want to see elections held in Libya.
We need those and we need those desperately. And it is now time to push for that and the latest factors are to be viewed as an opportunity rather than as a setback.
STOUT: Absolutely. Emadeddin Badi, thank you so much for joining us and for untangling the crisis in Libya.
BADI: Thank you.
STOUT: The first presidential debate of Brazil's general election campaign took place in Sao Paulo Sunday night. The contest was organized by a consortium of Brazilian media outlets and every candidate participate to.
But all eyes were on current President Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva who is seeking to return to his old job. They've got just over a month to campaign. Election day is set for October 2nd.
Now, we are following developments related to the FBI search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. A federal judge has set a hearing for this week, to consider the former president's request for a special master to oversee the review of the materials seized. This as the U.S. Intelligence chief launches a damage assessment of those documents.
Our CNN politics reporter Jeremy Herb has the details from New York.
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JEREMY HERB, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has informed Congress that her office will be leading a damage assessment related to the classified documents kept at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
According to letters sent to House and Senate committees and obtained by CNN, Haines wrote that the intelligence community will conduct quote, "an assessment for the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents."
In addition, Haines said that the intelligence committee would be working with the Justice Department to conduct a classified review -- classification review of the documents including those obtained by the FBI during this month's FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.
Lawmakers have been urging the intelligence community to conduct a damage assessment since the search earlier this month. The letter was sent Friday, the same day the FBI released a redacted version of the affidavit justifying the search of the former president's residence.
[01:49:57]
HERB: The affidavit revealed that Trump had 184 classified documents in 15 boxes handed to the national archives in January. Of those documents, 25 were marked "Top Secret" and some included information about human sources, foreign intelligence and other highly sensitive material.
In a joint statement, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff and House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said it was critical for the intelligence committee to quote, "move swiftly to assess and if necessary to mitigate the damage done. a process that should proceed in parallel with the DOJ's criminal investigation".
Separately, a federal judge indicated Saturday she had preliminary intent to appoint a special master, as Donald Trump has sought. That means, a third party outside of the justice department would review the materials the FBI collected, to determine whether any of it is privileged and therefore could not be used in the FBI's investigation.
The next step in that case will come Tuesday, when the Justice Department has a deadline to file under seal a detailed list of what it took during the search of Mar-a-Lago.
Then on Thursday, the judge has a hearing scheduled on the matter.
Jeremy Herb, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) STOUT: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. And still ahead, Rory McIlroy's stunning finish at the PGA Tour championship. The golfer set two impressive records at East Lake. The big moments when we come back.
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STOUT: Welcome back.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy added two new records to his pro golf career on Sunday. He erased a six-stroke deficit to win the championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. And with the victory he claims the $18 million dollar FedEx cup prize, and became the first golfer to win it three times.
The 33-year-old also set a new record for the largest final round come back in tour championship history.
Now, while it may have kind of a silly sounding name, the sport of pickleball has exploded in popularity across the U.S., especially since the start of the pandemic. And now, there is even talk of one day becoming an Olympic sport.
CNN Sports Carolyn Manno hit the court to see what the hype is all about.
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CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Head to recreational courts and cities across America, and you are likely to hear the unusual and then see unusual and addictive sport taking the country by storm.
A hybrid of tennis, badminton, ping-pong, and maybe a little bit of chess, pickleball reigns supreme as America's pandemic past time, with roughly 1 million Americans picking up the paddle over the course of the last two years.
The sport has a celebrity following, that's for sure. But this is no fad. Roughly 5 million Americans are now playing enthusiastically all across the country, which is not bad for a sport that was invented in 1965 by three dads trying to amuse their kids.
Players use paddles to hit the plastic ball over a short neck, until it bounces twice, or goes out of bounds. The size of the court is approximately a third of a tennis court, and the time it takes to play is shorter than a game of tennis, too, lasting only until one side reaches 11 points and wins by two.
The emphasis on placement over power is an equalizer that makes the game friendly to all.
[01:54:58]
MANNO: Part of what makes the sport so fun is that absolutely anybody can try to be an elite pickleballer. But the sport does have a bona fide superstar in Ben Johns who won the national men's singles title at the University of Maryland as a junior and who is considered by many to be the greatest the sport has ever seen.
We met up with Johns in New York, as he's joined the digital instruction platform, Popcorn, as a pickleball coach.
BEN JOHNS, PICKETBALL CHAMPION: It's really truly a sport for everybody. I've never really seen anybody not like it and it spans the (INAUDIBLE) into ages and people's backgrounds and all that, so I'm surprised it has taken off quite so quickly, but I can understand why people love it so much.
MANNO: What are some tips that you would tell somebody watching who wants to get better?
JOHNS: I'd say, one, you've got to make it simple. The less movement you have while your playing, pretty much the better. You kind of want to be very stable. As well as especially if you come from tennis, the ball bounces very low, which is a huge part of the sport. But in order to get a lower ball, you want to get lower, right?
So I know people don't love to bend their knees, but it's definitely one of the biggest things of the sport.
MANNO: Far from its humble beginnings as an improvised game, pickleball is serious business these days, with multiple professional leagues in the United States, and many overseas associations, it seems like you can find the sport everywhere you look -- on TV, store shelves, Tiktok, charity events, and even weddings.
JOHNS: I think it's kind of funny that the sport has called on celebrities and athletes so much, because I feel like it's something that levels the playing field, so to speak. So you might have an NFL player, an NBA player, and they're like, hey, we can't compete with each other on our sports. We certainly can in this sport, to kind of make this almost even in a sense and the same thing with celebrities they all played sports and everything involved in sports, right.
But pickleball is fun, it's easy to pick up. And you can compete with just about anybody. So it's almost like, they fight their battles in the court, rather than off the court, when they can't really compete on the things that they're actually in.
MANNO: With a 40 percent spike in participation since 2020, many are wondering where the sport will soar next. The pickleball community has reportedly expressed interest in the sport becoming part of an upcoming Olympic game.
To mount a successful bid, pickleball needs competitive players in at least 75 countries across four continents. If the trajectory here in the United States is any indication, pickleball seems poised for primetime.
Carolyn Manno, CNN-- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STOUT: I played it for the first time last month, it's fun. Thank you for watching. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.
CNN NEWSROOM continues next with Rosemary Church.
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