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Four Killed in Russia's "Kamikaze" Drone Attack on Kyiv; House of Commons Leader Speaks for PM in Parliament; Kurdish Women Flee Crackdown in Iran, Take Up Weapons. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired October 18, 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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[01:00:34]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. And this is CNN Newsroom.

Just ahead, terror over Ukraine, among the casualties are pregnant woman and her partner. What the United States is doing to secure Ukrainian skies.

And big moves, Jeremy Hunt takes steps to clean up the UK's big financial mess, but some say it's too little too late. Are Liz Truss's days numbered? And bye-bye BTS but just for now, why they're taking a break and when we can expect them to return to the stage.

We begin this hour in Ukraine where Russia is increasing its use of deadly and destructive kamikaze drones against civilian targets across the country.

Well, that blast rocking Kyiv on Monday, was just one of several strikes in the capital that left at least four people dead.

Chaos and fear on the streets of Kyiv as residents ran for shelter. Russia's attacks appear to be part of a wider assault that took aim at critical infrastructure. But drone attacks also reported in the south and east of Ukraine. The mayor of the port city of Mykolaiv says tanks with sunflower oil were hits sparking fire at one of the terminals. Ukraine's president says forces were able to shoot down dozens of drones across the country, but says more international help is urgently needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): In just 12 hours from 9 p.m. Sunday 37 Iranian Shaheds and several cruise missiles were destroyed. The world can and must stop this terror. When we talk about Ukraine's need for air and missile defense, we are talking about real lives that are being taken by terrorists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Police on the ground in Kyiv, they're taking aim at the Kamikaze drones as they flew overhead on Monday. While these types of attacks are sowing fear in Ukraine and sparking an urgent push by the U.S. to speed up the delivery of two advanced surface to air missile systems. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence says Russia has been firing its precision munitions at an unsustainable rate leaving them reliance on lower end weapons. Meantime, the White House press secretary condemned the latest attacks on Kyiv. But would not say whether the war is entering a new phase. She did reaffirm America support for Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We will be in this for as long as it takes. And we've been very clear about this as well. This war can end today. This is a war that contend right now today if Vladimir Putin wants it to. This is his war. He started this war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: But the war shows no signs of stopping. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has more on the latest developments from Ukraine.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was at the crack of dawn when the terror began. Air defenses in Kyiv firing into the sky, leading to chaos in the capitol streets.

Police officers even taking aim at the Kamikaze drones sent by Moscow in this case successfully taking one down. But the drones kept crashing into the city.

This person here, the soldier says, do you have any water? The woman on the ground answers, my head is buzzing. In total, Ukraine says, its forces managed to shoot down 36 of 42 Kamikaze drones and three cruise missiles launched at the entire country. But the projectiles that did hit their targets caused devastation. The Ukrainians saying several energy installations were damaged as was this residential building in Kyiv of killing four people.

[01:05:06]

We were in the room when the blast started, this man says. We then went out and saw the staircase was gone, all gone to the ground floor. Ukraine says, the drones that Moscow uses are supplied by Iran, which Tehran once again denied. Ukraine's President venting his anger at Russia.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): All day long, we have been clearing the rubble at those places which the Russian terrorists managed to hit today. Vladimir Putin can record another achievement. He killed another pregnant woman.

PLEITGEN: All this as Russia continues to face problems with its own mobilization effort, 11 killed by two gunmen in the Belgorod region this weekend, Moscow acknowledges. And authorities in remote parts of Russia offering bizarre incentives to families. YEVGENY GRIGORIEV, YAKUTSK MAYOR (through translator): Families of the mobilized residents can go to the local support center and get a one- off packet of fresh vegetables. This includes cabbage, potatoes, carrots, beetroot and onions.

PLEITGEN: And Moscow is not only facing problems, motivating recruits, a Russian Su-34 military jet crashed into a nine storey-residential building in the south of the country tonight, sending emergency crews scrambling to the scene. Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Dnipro, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, the death toll in the jet crash that Fred just mentioned continues to rise. We'll have more details on that in about 30 minutes time.

After a volatile trading week, Wall Street surged sharply on Monday. The S&P rose more than two and a half percent. The NASDAQ nearly three and a half percent. And the Dow gained more than 550 points moving back above 30,000. Well, that's after big banks reported solid earnings. And the British government announcing it's scrapping a controversial tax plan.

Well, that you turn by Britain's new finance minister fueled a surge in London's FTSE while it -- with it ending up, rather, nearly a percent of all other major European markets also ending the day in green.

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer during just his fourth day on the job announced he's throwing out nearly all of his predecessor's fiscal plan. Jeremy Hunt said when the interest of economic stability means the government needs to change course, it will do so. Well, that previous so-called growth plan calls for the rate of income tax to drop from 20% to 90%. So, it will now stay at 20. And the corporate tax rate will be increased to 25% next year. Mr. Hunt says these changes will put another 32 billion pounds or about $36 billion in Britain's coffers annually.

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JEREMY HUNT, CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: We need to do more, more quickly, to give certainty to the markets about our fiscal plans and show through action and not just words that the United Kingdom can and always will pay our way in the world.

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HARRAK: Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was cheered in parliament on Monday for not immediately showing up for an urgent question from the opposition. Liz Truss instead deputized the House of Commons leader to speak on her behalf, which is not unusual when there's a scheduling conflict. And she said the prime minister who showed up later was not hiding under a desk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEIR STARMER, UK OPPOSITION LABOUR PARTY LEADER: Now, it's time for leaders to lead. But where is the prime minister? Hiding away, dodging questions, scared of our own shadow. I guess under this Tory government, everybody gets to be Prime Minister for 15 minutes.

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HARRAK: Well, the Prime Minister has been under huge pressure from investors and other conservative party members, ever since her mini budget was unveiled back in September. Liz Truss told the BBC that she wanted to lower taxes to help people with their rising energy bills, but admitted that her government went too far, too fast.

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LIZ TRUSS, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Now, I recognize we have made mistakes. I'm sorry for those mistakes. But I fix mistakes. I've appointed a new chancellor. We have restored economic stability and fiscal discipline. And what I now want to do is go on and deliver for the public.

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HARRAK: Dominic Thomas is CNN's European Affairs Commentator and he is with us from Los Angeles. Dominic, good to have you. With this, all the theatrics aside at Westminster, where does this leave Prime Minister Liz Truss?

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DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, it leaves her in an incredible -- incredibly precarious position. I can't think of anything that would have been more important than for her to be there in Parliament today and to have an opportunity to speak to the MP's gathered and ultimately to the nation in that forum. So, her position is remarkably weakened, by the way that things ultimately played out there today, Laila.

HARRAK: Now, finance minister Jeremy Hunt, he's not sugarcoating what's ahead. Tough times, basically. This is how he announced the seismic change to the Prime Minister's flagship policy. Take a listen.

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HUNT: We are a country that funds our promises and pays our debts. And when that is questioned, as it has been, this government will take the difficult decisions necessary to ensure there is trust and confidence in our national finances. That means decisions of eye watering difficulty.

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HARRAK: Eye watering difficulty. Dominic, the chancellor basically throwing the Prime Minister's signature plan that made her the leader of the Conservatives and the leader of the United Kingdom, just enter the bonfire. Is her position still tenable? And if not, why is she still in Number 10?

THOMAS: That's a really fantastic question. I mean, I think what's so unbelievable is that she ran this leadership race on a particular economic agenda that ultimately her opponent, Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the Exchequer, had taken a very different position, advocating for fiscal prudence. And ultimately, the MPs did not support her. They supported Rishi Sunak, it was the membership that is far more conservative, far more concerned with her free market agenda, deregulation and ultimately the way in which they hoped she would continue the Brexit agenda of Boris Johnson.

And now you have at best a caregiver government in which Jeremy Hunt who did run in that election race that was eliminated in the first round with the lowest score of any of the candidates. And you now have with the incorporation of Jeremy Hunt, seven out of the eight candidates that run in that election are either the Prime Minister Truss itself, or folks that that ran against her. And the only person that's on the outside here is Rishi Sunak. So, the fact that she's been able, at the moment, at least to hold on to that position simply has to do with the fact that the Conservative Party is trying to calculate whether or not it can afford a new leadership appointment before they have to face the general public and what that reaction will be. And those of the debates and discussions that are going on in the scenes behind this. And for this moment, they don't want Liz Truss out there in the public eye. And Jeremy Hunt now has taken on that role.

HARRAK: He's taken on that role. The way things have played out Dominic, since a Ms. Truss' appointment, they haven't been good. I think everybody is in agreement about that. But one could argue that over the span of the past six years, things haven't been going well in the United Kingdom.

They haven't. You're absolutely right. And for me, I'm absolutely convinced at the moment. Boris Johnson won that election in 2019. And ultimately did it on a single issue. A highly emotional issue that was simply around Brexit. The reality post Brexit now is that the government has to actually deal with concrete, economic, global problems. And what we're seeing is that they're not equipped to do that. Liz Truss is the fourth Prime Minister since 2016. But given the fact that the major challenges today are economic challenges, and that this is the fourth chancellor in the guise of Jeremy Hunt, just since the summertime shows you the extent to which this party is ultimately no longer able to come up with solutions and policies that can address these particular questions that they have that majority that Boris Johnson delivered. And for the moment, at least, they're able to essentially map out their future, take that time to calculate whether or not there is somebody there in the wings that can help restore their reputation after the damage done by Boris Johnson and now by Liz Truss. And help them rebuild in the two-year period leading up to that 2024 scheduled general election, or whether ultimately it will be time for them to face the registered voters in the U.K. and for them to decide, finally, who the new prime minister should be. Laila.

HARRAK: Dominic Thomas, thank you so much.

THOMAS: Thank you.

HARRAK: France is already reeling from a week's long oil worker's strike and in the coming hours, things could get a whole lot worse, with trade unions calling for a nationwide strike and other sectors as well, including schools and transportation while they're all demanding higher pay, with inflation soaring and exposing one of the toughest tests yet for President Emmanuel Macron since his re-election in May.

He held a crisis meeting, Monday, with senior ministers to address the ongoing fuel shortages caused by the strikes at gas refineries. The government has been ordering some employees back to work to ease the supply crunch, but that's only angered union leaders who believe the right to strike is now in jeopardy.

[01:15:17]

Ahead on CNN, as nationwide protests against Iran's authoritarian regime keep growing, so does the list of sanctions against Iran.

Plus, a group of female fighters are also ready to take on the Iranian regime.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As long as they oppress my people, I will not surrender to the invading Iranian government. We are ready to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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HARRAK: These are university students chanting anti-government slogans in Iran. Part of a growing uprising against the country's Islamist regime in the past month. Tehran has responded to the protests by unleashing a brutal, sometimes deadly crackdown on demonstrators. And the West has responded by slapping more sanctions on the Iranian regime. CNN's Nada Bashir is following all the developments from London.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: As anti-regime demonstrations continue across Iran, the European Union has announced new sanctions on 11 Iranian officials and four entities, following a week's long violent crackdown on protesters by the Iranian regime. Speaking after a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, the block's Chief Diplomat, Josep Borrell, hailed the move as a unanimous step against human rights violations. The move follows an early expansion of sanctions by the Biden administration, which has both expressed support for protesters and condemned the regime's brutal crackdown. They're speaking to CNN on Monday, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Marley said the U.S. government's policy is not one of regime change instigated from Washington.

ROBERT MARLEY, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR IRAN: The form of government in Iran will be up to the Iranians to decide our position, which is very clear is we support the fundamental human rights of ordinary Iranian women and men, and that is our policy.

BASHIR: The regime's future, however, appears to be ever more fragile, as anti-regime protests continue to gain momentum. In response to Iran security forces have intensified their crackdown with rights groups documenting the use of tear gas, metal pellets and even live fire ammunition against protesters.

While CNN is not able to independently verify the death toll, Norway based human rights organization Iran HR said Monday that at least 215 people had been killed since protests first erupted in September, including at least 122 people involved in protests held directly in response to the death of Mahsa Amini.

Meanwhile, questions persist over the cause of a fire at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison known for the detention of political prisoners and rights activists while powerful news outlet Iran Wire reported on Saturday that a source within the prison said a revolt had taken place and part of the facility. Government authorities were quick to assert that the situation had been brought under control with an Iranian security official telling state media that the fire had started after a group of thugs set fire to a warehouse of prison clothes of a complex.

[01:20:23]

According to state media, at least eight people were killed in the blaze, and dozens more injured. And while the full picture of what took place at Evin Prison on Saturday remains somewhat unclear, relatives and activists in touch with detainees have described scenes of chaos, with tear gas reportedly being deployed against prisoners. Officials in both the E.U. and the U.S. have called for transparency on the incident, reiterating that Iran holds full responsibility for the lives of those detained at Evin Prison, including foreign nationals. Nada Bashir, CNN London.

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HARRAK: Meantime, the Kurdish community is among the hardest hit by Tehran's crackdown on dissent. Many of them are fleeing to Iraq, where some are joining armed opposition groups to support protesters inside Iran. CNN's Nima Elbagir reports from Northern Iraq. And we need to warn you, some of the video in her report may be disturbing to watch.

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NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a remote area in northern Iraq's Kurdish region, an all-female fighting unit belonging to the armed Kurdish Iranian opposition party pack continues to train.

These women have been pulled back from the frontline. For the last three weeks, the area they patrolled in the northeast of Iraq has been hit by shell sent from across the border by Iran. This unit is part of a larger fighting force for every single one of these women, this war is personal. Rezan, not her real name, crossed the border from Iran with the help of smugglers just over a week ago. The city of Sanandaj which she calls home is in Iran's Kurdish majority western region, and in recent weeks has been likened to a war zone. According to its residents as protests have erupted here. And across Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian. Rezan just a teenager joined these protests.

REZAN (through translator): We were treating casualties but we were also like most people participating in the revolution, in the uprising. Everyone who suffered from the oppression of the Iranian regime came down to the streets and market and defied the government. I was also participating and I had no fear of death.

ELBAGIR: Rezan says that while she was dragged by her uncovered hair, she passed prone lifeless bodies. And even after she left, she says she's continued to receive information about people she knows who have died. Like this man, Yaya Rahimi (ph), a newly married 27-year-old, murdered by Iranian regime forces for sounding his horn in solidarity with protesters.

(On camera): What is happening with your family?

REZAN (through translator): My family told them that no matter how many members of my family they arrest, and for as long as they oppress my people, I will not surrender to the invading Iranian government. We are ready to die.

ELBAGIR: When Kurdish Iranian, Mahsa Amini died in police custody, her name became a symbol of the oppression of women across Iran. But Mahsa is not her true name. Her Kurdish name is, Zhina, a name Iranian authorities barred her family like many other ethnic minority groups from using, the regime only legally registers Persian names. Yet in her last recorded moments, Zhina resorted to begging her captors in her Kurdish mother tongue. And treaties, which were ignored, reinforcing the fears of Iran's Kurdish minority.

Hundreds of Iranian Kurdish families have crossed the border to Iraq seeking refuge from the most recent regime crackdown. But even here, they're not safe. This family fears the long arm of the Iranian regime after what they saw inside Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I left after I saw one of my friends killed. During the demonstration in Sakis (ph) near of the mosque, right in front of the mosque. They say they're Islamic, but how can they claim to be an Islamic Republic when I saw them murdering my friend outside the mosque.

ELBAGIR: He and his family have every reason to be afraid. Iran's reach to oppress the protests within its borders is stretching far beyond. Over the last few weeks Iranian missiles have fallen into the Kurdish region of Iraq almost every day. The onslaught is relentless.

[01:25:10]

This map shows where Iranian strikes have hit, killing at least 18 and injuring at least 63 to date. This video filmed by a local television channel shows the moment just after an Iranian drone and several missiles struck one of the Kurdish Iranian opposition party bases, killing eight soldiers and injuring more.

On a day on which 70 missiles Kurdish authorities say rained down in the space of just four hours. This base only two years ago, was on the front line in the fight against ISIS after PAC (ph) received U.S. training. It isn't far from U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM forces, just one day after the attack on the PAC base, CENTCOM shut down another Iranian drone, which appeared they say as a threat to CENTCOM forces stationed in the area. And as the U.S. anti-ISIS presence in Iraq is set to continue, so is the threat Iran poses.

These female fighters have vowed to fight until there is a regime change in Iran. They say they share Zhina's pain, called by a name forced on her by a repressive regime. All of them have a Kurdish name just like her, not spoken outside their homes. All of them say it's hard to imagine going back to how life was before. Nima Elbagir, CNN Iraqi Kurdistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Still had on CNN Newsroom, Ukraine says Russia is using these Iranian made drones to conduct kamikaze style attacks. Our military analyst explains what it could tell us about the state of Russia's army.

Plus, a deadly crash in Russia after a fighter jet slammed into a residential building. The latest on the investigation, ahead.

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HARRAK: Welcome back, to our viewers all around the world, I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN Newsroom.

Let's get you up to date on our top story this hour. Ukrainian authorities say at least four people were killed in Kyiv when Russia launched a barrage of kamikaze drone attacks. The assault set off the cities our defense systems and warning sirens. Officials say a woman who was six months pregnant and her partner were among the casualties.

[01:30:00]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed Vladimir Putin for the attack saying, the Russian leader can report another, quote, achievement for killing another pregnant woman.

Ukraine says that the kamikaze drones were provided to Russia by Iran. Ukrainian security forces say that they shot down 36 out of 42 drones on Monday, around 30 targeted Kyiv.

Well, these kamikaze drones are the latest threat for Ukraine and their use has increased since Moscow acquired new drones from Iran over the summer.

Officials say that the Shahed 136 drones have been used in recent attacks. They're small, portable, and can be easily launched. They are hard to detect and can be fired at a distance designed to hit behind enemy lines.

The kamikaze drones or suicide drones, are so named rather, because they are built to be destroyed in the attack.

Lieutenant General Mark Hertling is a CNN military analyst and former commanding general of the U.S. Army - Europe and 7th army. He joins us from Florida with more. Very good day, sir.

Help us understand, if you will, how these suicide drones work for people on the ground. Would they be able to tell a drone attack is imminent? Would they hear something, see the drone coming? And would there be enough time to get to safety?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: There would be, Laila. It is fascinating because these are called loitering munition drones. They don't have the kind of observation that we know for most drones where they can see the attack occurring from the system itself. They are blind. They go over.

The point is it has a specific weapon system. They're pointed at a target and they crash into them. But they sound like, when they're overhead, literally, a moped. They are relatively low, less than a thousand feet. They zoom in on the target and the target is something that is relayed to the drone through a GPS system.

So they are, launched anywhere from, you know a couple of hundred to over 2,500 kilometers away -- that's what's reported. They're launched off of a five drone rack and five drones come out of that. And they go to different targets based on the GPS grid.

HARRAK: And General, what does it suggest to you that Russia is turning to these drones?

HERTLING: Well truthfully, it suggests that they're running out of their own system. If these were Russian drones which they had at the start of this campaign, you would say they're continuing their assault.

But what Russia has had to do is go to other countries to ask for munitions. Not just for drones systems which the Iranians have a plethora of drones that they can use, both ones with visual cues and with loitering capability and with the ability to seek out and research targets.

But these are especially particular because they hit specific targets. They were designed by Iran with about 120 pounds or 200 kilogram pound with a payload. And it is actually smaller than what you would see drop from an aircraft. The smallest possible bomb that struck from an aircraft.

But it is geared towards hitting a point target. A stationary target from a long distance away. So what Russia is doing by buying these drones is basically admitting that they are out of precision weapons. They are running low of precision weapons. Russia has turned into somewhat of a hollow army. They came into this

with very poor operational objectives that they could not meet. And now they are finding themselves after having used a lot of precision weapons against civilian targets that they've run out of systems to launch. So they're now launching these purchased drones from Iran.

HARRAK: Let's talk a little bit about that because according to a senior U.S. military official, Iran is supplying hundreds of these drones to Russia. What do you make of this Russia-Iran alliance?

HERTLING: Well they have been alive for quite awhile. They have exchanged military gear and ideas and they have been closely aligned in many operations in the Middle East as well.

But I think that the expert that says Russia has purchased close to 100 or maybe more of these drones I think we're at the very tip of that.

We are going to see Russia probably trying to get literally, thousands of these kinds of drones. And it's certainly going to be problematic for Ukraine because, truthfully, it's very difficult to defend against these weapons.

They have a very low radar signature. So you can't pick them up as they're coming into target. They have a very small payload.

[01:34:52]

HERTLING: And Russia has, as I said before, they are gearing these to hit civilian targets which is an indicator of just the amount of war crimes they are committing by targeting civilians and infrastructure of the Ukrainian government.

HARRAK: Lieutenant General Mark Hertling is a CNN military analyst and former commanding general of the U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army. Thank you so much for speaking to us.

HERTLING: It's a pleasure Laila, thank you.

HARRAK: At least 13 people are dead, including three children, after Russian fighter jet crashed into a nine-story residential building in the southwestern city of Yeysk on Monday.

Citing Russia's defense ministry, state media reported the jet was doing a training exercise when one of the engines caught fire during takeoff. Investigators have now opened a criminal case into the crash.

More now from CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Vladimir Putin is now responding to the crash of a fighter jet in a residential area in southern Russia on Monday. President Putin instructing all relevant authorities to provide assistance to any victims of this accident. We understand also, regional officials have launched an investigation

to find out what happened behind this crash. What we know so far is this Russian super sonic fighter bomber jet -- an SU-34 -- was taking off from a military training ground, part of a training exercise.

As the fighter jet was taking off, its engine malfunctioned, part of it catching fire, that forcing the pilot to eject from the fighter jet, from this jet. That plane, that fighter jet then crashing into a residential area in the town of Yeysk, we understand in the courtyard of this residential quarter setting off a fire of 2,000 square meters.

Emergency services, firefighters of course, rushed to the scene. We know several people have been killed, others hospitalized. Now again, this was part of a training exercise but it does reveal some of the challenges that Russia's military is facing now many months into this conflict with Ukraine.

The loss of a fighter jet will, of course, be one of importance, of value to the Kremlin. That seems to have lost much ammunition, a great deal of ammunition on the ground in this fight.

And there will also be questions about the manpower behind Russia's military right now. Analysts saying that with the loss of life on the ground, on the battlefield, the Kremlin is turning evermore to less trained, less capable fighters.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: The government of Ukraine and Russian-backed authorities in the Donetsk region released more than 100 prisoners each as part of a prisoner swap. The Russian-backed side released 108 Ukrainian women, military and civilian. And the Ukrainian government released 110 people, including civilian sailors and service members.

It was also the first meeting between Russian and Ukrainian human rights officials. Video shows them meeting on a deserted highway, shaking hands and speaking briefly. A senior Ukrainian official described it as a very nerve-racking exchange.

Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a protest turns violent. Troubling new video shows Chinese officials allegedly beating a demonstrator at the country's consulate in the U.K.

Also, the Indian Supreme Court is taking up a case of gang rape during the 2002 Hindu Muslim riots after the perpetrators were released recently. We will have a live report for you from New Delhi.

[01:38:31]

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HARRAK: Haitians took the streets of Port-au-Prince on Monday, loudly opposing international help despite the country's growing humanitarian crisis. Gang violence is cut off vital supplies to Haiti's people who are beginning to starve and run out of water, as cholera spreads.

But despite their needs, some blame the international community claiming they are empowering gangsters. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. called on the Security Council to pass new resolutions to help Haiti saying, now is the time for the council and the world to step up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA THOMAS GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Colleagues, if there was ever a moment to come to the aid of Haitians in dire need, it is now. Faced with extreme violence and instability, Haiti's leaders and people are crying out for help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well one of the proposed resolutions would create a weapons embargo, an attempt to cut off finances to Haiti's criminals. The other would allow an armed international force to directly help Haiti on the ground.

U.N. representatives from China and Russia are skeptical though, saying, Haiti's leaders oppose the idea of foreign intervention.

The gang rape case of a pregnant women during the Hindu-Muslim riots in India in 2002 is once again in the spotlight after the 11 men convicted of the crime were prematurely released in August.

Bilkis Bano was just 21 years old. She was raped and 14 of her family members killed, including her three-year-old daughter. And India's Supreme Court is expected to hear the case today.

Well for more on this story, I am now joined by CNN's Vedika Sud in New Delhi. Vedika, a horrific case. A crime that was committed two decades ago back in the spotlight. What are we expecting to see in the court today?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN PRODUCER: Laila, this (INAUDIBLE) case has become a part of the national conversation ever since the 15th of August. That's the day those 11 convicts walked out of jail. It was a premature release. And, this was under the guidance of the Supreme Court that asked the Gujarat government, it's one of the states here in India, which is ruled by Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Hindu Nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He asked them to look into the case and see whether these convicts should be released. It was based on a remission order of the Gujarat government.

That sounds a bit complicated. But if I simplify that it basically means that Gujarat government set up an advisory panel that went ahead and agreed to the premature release of these 11 convicts.

Like you pointed out, these men gang raped, some of these men gang- raped Bilkis Bano. Some of these men brutally murdered her three year old daughter and also killed 13 other family members. A crime so horrific back in 2002, during the (INAUDIBLE) riot between the Muslims and the Hindus.

Today, the Supreme Court will resume hearing the case. How is this different from the case that was on over the years?

Well in 2018, the life sentence for these convicts was upheld by a higher court. But what the Supreme Court and the (INAUDIBLE) right now, is a petition filed by three people -- activist, and an opposition party leader, Mahua Moitra who are asking for the re-arrest of these convicts. Here is what she had to say to us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHUA MOITRA, INDIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: The government is sending out a very clear message that if you show me your face, and I will show you how the law applies to you. Show me your religion. And I will show you how the law applies to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUD: Bilkis Bano is an Indian woman. And she's also a Muslim. Now in India, Laila, about 40 percent Muslims -- that's the population there, are part of the minority community. What Mahua Moitra and other activists have been alleging here is that there is a state election and the draft coming up, and the majority of people out there are Hindus. And, this, perhaps, is a way to go ahead and polarize the state ahead of the election. But that hearing is coming up in about a half an hour from now, Laila.

{01:44:54]

HARRAK: And Vedika, if I can ask you, how is Bilkis Bano doing and how is she dealing with these developments? Do we know?

SUD: Yes, she did issue a statement through a lawyer a couple of days after the premature release of her convicts -- of her perpetrators, rather. And, what she said is she is shaken. She said that she wasn't asked about this before the Gujarat government went ahead and prematurely released the convicts. She said her faith in the system has been shaken.

We also spoke to her husband, Yakub Rasul, who we met at an undisclosed location. Laila, these two people, the couple and the children have been living in fear for the last 20 years.

And now, with the release of those 11 convicts, most of them, by the, way live close to where they are in the state of Gujarat, they fear for their lives. And they are hoping that these men are re-arrested after all the pressure in terms of protests and this worry (ph) not coming up in the Supreme Court, Laila.

HARRAK: Vedika Sud reporting in New Delhi. Thank you so much.

Police in Manchester have launched an investigation after a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was allegedly beaten on the grounds of the Chinese consulate in the city. Now, Beijing says it is not aware of the incident. CNN's Becky Anderson reports video on social media shows violence erupting during a demonstration.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the streets of a suburb in Manchester, in northern England, a man believed to be the head of China's consulate there kicks and pulls down banners erected on the doorstep by Hong Kong protesters.

One sign read, "God will eliminate the Communist Party. While Hong Kong independence flags, now banned in the British former colony, fly above the pavement.

But it was this cartoon of Chinese leader, Xi Jinping and a scene from the emperor's new clothes, that seemed to upset Chinese diplomats the most.

When the poster was taken away by the staff, the demonstration descended into violence. With one protester dragged inside the gates of the consulate and attacked.

BOB, PRO DEMOCRACY PROTESTY: Now I'm injured from the face, and like here and also atop of my head.

ANDERSON: Outside the gate a Chinese staff member was also kicked to the ground by a protester.

Hours earlier on Sunday, Xi Jinping had just opened a weeklong communist party Congress in Beijing, where he is expected to get an unprecedented third term in power.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the face of the volatile and changing situation in Hong Kong, we have effectively exercised a comprehensive jurisdiction over the special administrative region in accordance with the constitution and the basic law and implemented the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong.

ANDERSON: But more than 5,000 miles away from that speech, the fanfare of Xi's big moment overshadowed by violence. A photographer at the scene captured this moment when the protester was attacked. He suspected consul general even dragging him inside by his hair.

BOB: All of the counselor stopped, and grabbed me inside to the garden and after that, they put me on the ground and started punching and kicking me.

ANDERSON: Seconds later, a police officer enters the gate to pull him to safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move back.

ANDERSON: Greater Manchester police said officers tried to defuse the situation, and a police patrol is now on the scene.

Some U.K. lawmakers are calling for action over what happened, and the U.K. prime minister's office says that the reports are deeply concerning.

On Monday the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing said their consulates have, quote, "Always abide by the laws where they are stationed. And I hope the British will quote "facilitate" their normal duties.

But one eyewitness said the actions of the Chinese staff escalated the situation.

MATTHEW LEUNG, JOURNALIST: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he was out of his mind, and he wasn't thinking before he acted.

ANDERSON: Just out of hospital in Manchester, the injured protester said he was shocked that this could happen on British soil.

BOB: The China council people damage the democracy of the U.K. and I feel no regrets for standing with the freedom of express myself.

ANDERSON: That clash of ideology is being played out with brutality half a world away from Xi Jinping's China.

Becky Anderson, CNN.

HARRAK: We'll be back right after this.

[01:49:55]

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(MUSIC)

HARRAK: Well, that's the South Korean K-pop supergroup BTS performing their hit song "Dope". But their musical tours will be on hold for a while, traded instead for tours of duty, as the band members are preparing for their mandatory service in the South Korean military.

Well, for more on this, we are now joined by Jeff Benjamin, the K-pop columnist for Billboard. So good to be with you.

Was this inevitable Jeff?

JEFF BENJAMIN, K-POP COLUMNIST: It's a tough question because what BTS has done in so many ways is just so unprecedented for a Korean musician, for, to be honest, a lot of musicians in the general pop sphere at large, you know.

So was it inevitable? It's definitely an important cultural thing. It's something the BTS always shared that they would indeed serve one day.

But there was of course a lot of talk between a lot of people that, you know, maybe this might be the group to kind of change customs and laws a little bit.

HARRAK: I just wonder -- I wonder what does this all mean for the group itself? BENJAMIN: Yes. Well, you know, I think of course, I think especially

in the west, right, when we hear about groups taking hiatuses or members leaving for a little bit, it doesn't usually mean good news. It usually kind of means that they're staying at the end without staying at the end.

But I really do kind to kind of the fact that BTS have already stated that they plan to reunite back together in 2025. They're all staying under the same record label. They're not getting different managements and signing to different parts of the world. They're all keeping their base core together.

So even though BTS might focus on their solo albums, and we might not see all the members as visibly as we once have, there is no indication that this is the end of BTS or anything like that.

HARRAK: Well, are fans reassured Jeff? How are they dealing with this announcement of the hiatus?

BENJAMIN: The BTS army which of course is their official fandom name, they have been really, really supportive. They're such a digitally connected group of fans.

And right after the announcement came, there were a lot of messages saying that they trust BTS, they're going to wait for BTS.

I already saw one account on Twitter that created a countdown until this time in 2025. The fans I think are going to keep supporting. They've done so many incredible things as a fandom already.

I think this is just something that they are going to work hard when it comes to supporting the members' solo careers. And when BTS comes back, I really do think -- you know, there'll be that natural erosion of course, that comes with any fandom, but I really do think the army has got a good attitude about this.

HARRAK: The army's got a good attitude. So who's enlist first?

[01:54:46]

BENJAMIN: So who's enlisting first? Great question. So Jin, he's the eldest member. he turns 30 in December. And by current laws in South Korea actually all able bodied men between I believe it's 18 to 28 need to enlist in the South Korean military at some point for about 18 to 21 months.

Jin and the rest of the BT members have been recognized by their literal presidents have cultural merits and they -- were actually able to delay their enlistment for up to two years. And so that that gave Jin until 2022 when he turns 30.

So that's kind of -- that's who's first as it was broken in the news just the other day.

HARRAK: Talk to us a little bit about the marvel that is the K-pop music factory. Its significance is far reaching. BENJAMIN: Well yes, you know, you say factory and I think it kind of

gets the unfair tag in a sense that it's something just produced out and that, you know, k it just doesn't have a lot of soul to it.

But what I think is actually true and what's someone like BTS has shown is that there's so much heart, there's so much hard work that goes into this industry. And what has it been able to do on an international basis is just kind of remarkable.

The fact that you've been able to see this music that isn't Korean but has elements of lots of other elements of music and cultures.

The fact that it's been able to connect with so many people, especially, you know, in America, the largest music industry in the world. It really says a lot about kind of how well that this industry in this scene has kind of been able to connect in a larger way that goes far beyond anything, you know, too packaged or industrialized.

HARRAK: Jeff Benjamin, thank you so much.

BENJAMIN: Thank you. Thank you.

HARRAK: And finally this hour, a trio of winged suit flyers had a stunning view of one of the most famous sites in the world. A team of daredevils got a birds eye view of the Taj Mahal in India while flying more than 500 meters high and reaching speeds of 150 kilometers an hour.

Great stuff.

Thanks so much for watching this hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Laila Harrak. Rosemary Church picks things up after this short break.

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[01:59:59]

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