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CNN International: Russian Drone Attack Kills Two Rescue Workers near Kyiv; IDF to Bolster its Forces in West Bank; Would-be Voters Angry over not Being able to cast Ballots; What Happened to Hong Kong Model Abby Choi; Tommy Fury Defeats YouTuber Jake Paul by Split Decision. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired February 27, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Welcome today to Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, Ukraine says they shot down 11 attack drones launched by Russia as two die in a strike in a city over 200 miles from Kyiv.

Also ahead, the new U.S. support says COVID-19 most likely came from a lab leak, more on what they found. And shocking details emerged about how Model and Influencer Abby Choi was killed. Her Ex-husband, and member of the family are charged, details just ahead.

Russia's relentless assault on Eastern Ukraine has shown no signs of slowing. Ukraine reports heavy shelling in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions while Russians troops edged towards the City of Bakhmut from three sides. This video posted on social media shows some of the damage left by a Russian shelling.

Ukraine says troops are launching counterattacks to retain access in the city to the west both Russia and Ukraine - both Russia and Ukraine claim high numbers of casualties there. And we are just learning about Russian drone attack that killed two rescue workers that happened in the City Southwest of Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials say workers responding to an earlier attack when they were hit. Let's bring in our Alex Marquardt form Dobropillia in Ukraine. Thank you so much for joining us. So what details about these drone attack you were just been hearing about?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, that just shows that they were done in waves at least 14 of these Kamikaze Shahed drones made by Iran offered to Russia flown into Ukraine overnight targeting at least two cities Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi, which is where those two first responders were killed at least three others injured on site by those drones responding to an earlier drone strike.

There were at least 11 that targeted the capital City of Kyiv. Most of them shot down by air defenses, but this really highlights the fact that as so much of the fighting is taking place on the ground in Eastern Ukraine. All of these cities where people are living a relatively normal life these cities continue to be targeted people live in fear of their cities being targeted.

Also highlights the major concern about the visit by President Biden a week ago to the Ukrainian Capital. We're also hearing more from Biden Officials, Max, about what China may have planned in terms of their support for Russia in this war with Ukraine top U.S. Officials warning that China is actively considering sending weapons lethal aid they call it to the Russian side.

They say that they have not yet made a decision in the past U.S. Officials have warned China about non-lethal aid that was being sent to Russia but that this is something according to the director of the CIA Bill Burns, among others, that is actively being considered at the highest levels of the Chinese government.

Director Burns saying that so far, no decision has been made, but that they are confident that China is considering sending weaponry to Russia, which would be a significant boost for the Russian side since they have not been doing very well here in Ukraine, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations calling that a red line, Max.

FOSTER: Alex in Ukraine thank you. Now an updated classified intelligence report is adding to the divide about the origins of Coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Energy's determined the virus most likely accidentally escaped from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan.

But two sources tell CNN, the department only has low confidence in the findings. China's Foreign Ministry says a lab leak is highly unlikely. Let's bring in National Security Reporter Natasha Bertrand so quite a statement to make but they're not entirely sure about the intelligence.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Exactly right, Max. So essentially, what happened here is the Intelligence Community provided an update to Congress about kind of where they are in their investigation into COVID-19 origins. And in that larger update, there was a section that said the Department of Energy had recently concluded with low confidence that COVID-19 had originated in that lab in Wuhan.

Now, it is important to note as you did that this is a low confidence assessment, meaning that they did not have enough intelligence or that it was too fragmented, or the sources were just not solid enough to come to a more definitive conclusion about this. But it is notable, because of course, it adds to the division within the intelligence community about where this pandemic actually started.

The IC still does not have a good explanation for that. And that is primarily according to the intelligence community, which released a report on this in 2021, because China has not been fully cooperative, right with the International investigations into the origins of the pandemic.

And the U.S. can only go so far in examining the pandemic from afar. And so the Department of Energy has been very instrumental in this investigation because they have these supercomputers that other agencies do not have that can kind of pour over reams of genetic data, and tried to get an explanation for the origins that way.

But ultimately, according to Intelligence Officials, it is going to be very difficult to conclusively say whether this started in the lab, or whether it started with an animal, for example, in that seafood market in Wuhan, without of course, China's cooperation and being able to be there on the ground and assess this.

And we should note that China has of course, kind of scrubbed the scene of the pandemics origins believed to be pandemics origins since that pandemic began, and so it is going to be very difficult one way or another to come to a definitive explanation on this, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Natasha, thank you so much for bringing us that. The Israeli military says it is boosting its forces in the West Bank it comes a day after two Israeli settlers were shot and killed in the West Bank. Israel Officials call a terrorist attack. Israeli settlers then carried out what's been described as revenge attacks setting Palestinian cars and homes on fire. One Palestinian man was killed. Prime Minister Netanyahu urged Israelis not to take the law into their own hands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I asked even when the blood is boiling, not to take the law into one's hands. I ask that the IDF and the security forces be allowed to carry out their work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:05:00]

FOSTER: CNN's Hadas Gold joins us live from Jerusalem. You can just hear in the tone of the Prime Minister there how volatile these situations become?

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, interestingly, it also happened on the same day that Israeli and Palestinian leaders along with Jordanians, Egyptians and Americans met in Jordan as part of an effort to calm the situation that was already at a high point of tensions even before yesterday's events.

And despite the fact that they came out with this communique about how they were all going to take steps to try and reach some sort of calm especially ahead of the Ramadan and pass over holidays. The events in the occupied West Bank yesterday clearly show the situation has essentially reached a crisis point because the violence that we're seeing between Israelis and Palestinians, some experts say that we haven't seen in something like 20 years.

As you noted yesterday, mid-morning to Israeli brothers who are around 19, 21 years old they were shot and killed. What Officials say was point blank range while they sat in traffic on a route that's often a flashpoint because it's a road that passes through Palestinian towns that often Israeli settlers use as well.

That attacker managed to flee then in the night hours, we saw Israeli settlers essentially rampaging through Palestinian towns, setting homes and cars on fire. I can't recall a time where we saw this many settlers essentially running wild through these Palestinian towns. And we know that at least one man was fatally shot and killed know of at least two other injuries.

Israeli Officials telling me at least 8 people potentially 10 have been detained in connection to these sorts of attacks. But there is a huge amount of tension that there already has been quite a bit of tension, there's been quite a bit of violence. Already this year, more than 60 Palestinian militants and civilians killed.

13 Israeli, 12 Israeli civilians and one Israeli Security Officer killed already this year, not even at the end of February to give you a sense of what's happening. Now after the events yesterday in the West Bank, the Israeli Military saying that they are sending in extra battalions to reinforce security in the West Bank.

They say it's not only to try and catch this attacker that shot the two Israeli settlers, but also to try to keep the common keep these two sides, Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents apart in the West Bank, because that's what's really concerning to Israeli Officials is the sort of potential violence between individuals in the West Bank.

On top of what they're already seeing between Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians between these Israeli Military raids. That have been some of the biggest raids that we have seen in some time. So while everyone is looking at Akobo what happened in Jordan between all these Security Officials, you know, good statements coming out of there about trying to restore calm on the ground. There's no calm at all, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Hadas Gold live for us in Jerusalem thank you. Presidential election results are trickling in two days after voters went to the polls in Nigeria. Election Officials say Peter Obi has won Lagos state where Africa's largest city is located. Full results expected to take several days though, that delay is leading to growing anger and frustration amongst voters.

Officials have plenty of logistical issues. CNN's Larry Madowo joins me from Lagos, Nigeria. There have been some extraordinary stories coming out from the polling stations and the trouble people have had in voting, but broadly, what's the picture?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The picture is that there is some growing anger and frustration among some Nigerians who feel that the Independent National Electoral Commission that is a - colluded with the government to deny them the right to vote in this election or that they allowed for disruptions for violence and certain some polling stations that made sure that some people didn't vote.

One of our affiliates here is putting that number about maybe 5 percent of polling stations. We should be huge 7, 8000 polling stations. That seems like a lot, but keep in mind that Nigeria had about 176,000 polling stations. It's a huge logistical undertaking this, 93 million registered voters, and so many of them did go ahead and vote as planned.

And that results out of Lagos where this third for speaker will be not from any of the two men established parties. One the Lagos state is an important one because the man he beat Bola Tinubu of the ruling party used to be Governor of Lagos. He's known as the kingmaker here that speaks to the change that some Nigerians have been clamoring for and that's why they're so angry those that didn't get a chance to vote because for them this vote meant everything, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing works in this country. There is no security. There is no good hospital. There is neither good road. Nothing works. The educational system is in shambles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I must fight for my daughter's place. I must fight for her. She must have a better life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are tired, me I'm tired. I'm tired of seeing this crap!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:10:00]

MADOWO: Pain and anger in their voices. This was Nigeria's most contested election ever and was seen as a fresh start there's no Former Military Leader running and there is no incumbent running. So many young people registered to vote in record numbers.

We're still maybe days away from knowing the result, Max, because we only have 3 states announced so far. There are 36 States and Abuja so probably tomorrow into the day after until we know who will be the next President of Nigeria.

FOSTER: Yes, absolutely, thank you very much. Larry Madowo live for us in Lagos. Britain and the EU could soon that's a new deal on post Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are meeting to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister says the - to have a significant progress other than EU deal will be final. As part of the U.K. is complicated exit agreement with the European Union is meant to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the EU.

A huge amount of politics behind all of this, as is always the case in Northern Ireland Nic, but what is Rishi Sunak trying to achieve and to see got to win round?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Two things, one is finally settle with the European Union and improve relations which have really been hung up over Northern Ireland and the Northern Irish protocols. That's perhaps going to be the easier part of though it's been months in the making. And there really seems to have been a coming together of minds between him, his government and the European Union.

And then perhaps the trickier part is convincing the pro-British Unionists in Northern Ireland. The Democratic Unionist Party as a biggest party there, that this deal and shows the seven tests that they are that Northern Ireland is being recognized as part of the United Kingdom, part of the Brexit deal.

And where this problem grew was because of the need to keep an open border on Ireland between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the European Union, Northern Ireland, part of the U.K., which ended up being there'll be customs checks down the Irish sees.

So the University the pro-British supporters in Northern Ireland felt that they were going to be more distant and not as respected and not as a mainstream part of the U.K. And that's Rishi Sunak's difficulty here. Has he answered their questions? And he may have answered some of them.

But they drive a very hard bargain at the DUP. And perhaps their ultimate red line, as we understand it. Now that could change later today is that they don't want the European Court of Justice, the top legal body in Europe to have any set of their laws in Northern Ireland.

Now, how has that been fixed in the language of a many, many page, thick legal document? We don't know but of course, we don't know it because it's not been made public. But when it is, the DUP will be scrutinizing it down to the letter.

FOSTER: At the same time Brexitier cynical as well about this deal, aren't they because they want a clear demarcation basically from the European Union? So we're waiting to hear from Boris Johnson presumably.

ROBERTSON: Well, Boris Johnson, very interestingly, for a Former Prime Minister has been making his thoughts known through his complex where his friends were sources. And not only that, doing what is sort of unconventional for Former Prime Ministers, which is what some people would see as sort of meddling with what the current Prime Minister is doing.

Boris Johnson has, by the accounts of many been meeting with or had intermediaries conversing with the DUP in Northern Ireland, and with the hardline Brexitier, the ERG group, and these are the two constituencies that really could trip up what Rishi Sunak is trying to achieve here.

The threat is if the DUP doesn't support, this deal is not a threat from them. It's a threat from the sort of more hardline factions in Northern Ireland, the Loyalists is that they will put trouble on the streets.

FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you big day, trying to make sense of all of that. Ahead at least 61 people have died in a migrant shipwreck off the coast of Calabria near Italy. Authorities say the wooden boat carrying around 150 migrants broke apart after hitting rocks on Sunday morning women children and infants are amongst the bodies recovered.

Bad weather in the Mediterranean is hampering search efforts. Around 80 people cleaned pieces of the boats were saved. The survivors were from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Still to come, the City of Hong Kong is in shock. After the body of a model and influencer Abby Choi was found dismembered. Will discuss what might have led to gruesome killing?

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FOSTER: What happened to Abby Choi, 4 people have been charged in connection with a gruesome killing of the Hong Kong model including her ex-husband and his brother? It follows a Police investigation that began last week after Choi was reported missing. Police say they later found parts of her body in a house outside Hong Kong.

She was a model she was a social media influencer. She had more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. She was seen recently here as well, very recently a Paris Fashion Week as well. CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Steven Jiang was the following this story joins me now. I mean, the more we hear about the detail of how she was discovered, the worse the story gets?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Max is just shockingly gruesome, as you mentioned, she was not just murdered, but she was dismembered and on Sunday, investigators actually found a skull, some ribs and hair believed to be her remains in a large stainless steel soup pot.

And that was after a few days, they found some other parts of her body in a rental unit, as you mentioned in a North suburb of Hong Kong, where they also found a meat slicer and electric saw and some clothing. Now remember, as if now some other parts of the body including the torso and hands remain missing.

That's also why at one point the Police they're deploying more than 100 personnel, including divers in search of remains. Now one thing we do know as you mentioned, as the ex-husband, Alex Kwong, his older brother and father been charged with murder and his mother has now been charged with obstruction of justice.

But despite the details we have learned so far, one big question very much remained unknown that is the why, the motive? There has been some speculation local media but the Authorities are having not confirmed anything on this from, Max.

FOSTER: What more do we know about her? She's obviously very successful on Instagram quite well known. She's from quite a wealthy family as well, I gather.

JIANG: Yes, you know, one picture or theme that has really emerged from a lot of local media reporting is actually about the ex-husband how she basically fell for the wrong guy, because when he was arrested on Saturday, at a Ferry Pier in one of Hong Kong's outlying Islands? Police said he was carrying a huge sum of cash and watches worth millions of dollars. So obviously trying to flee and another detail they revealed about him was he was already wanted by the Authorities even before this murder case, because he jumped to bail, a four previous trial that stemmed from a theft case back in 2015.

So this was really you know, a lot of this information adding him to a very unflattering picture about him. Now, when you think about it, this story is really gripping because it combines a lot of the elements that both seem to be terrifying but also fascinating in terms of gruesome murder.

But also of course, women falling for the wrong guy not to mention this dichotomy of influencers life that the part that she showed to the public and the darker reality she had to live in.

[08:20:00]

JIANG: But, Max, ultimately this is a tragedy, especially considering she left behind 4 very young children two with her current partner and two with this ex-husband who of course is now awaiting trial for her very gruesome murder, Max.

FOSTER: Can't imagine what's going through their minds right now. It's also shocking, isn't it because you don't really know Hong Kong very broadly speaking, is seen as a safe place?

JIANG: Yes, I mean, for anyone who has visited Hong Kong live there, as I have, you know, Hong Kong is, for the most part, a very safe place for people of all ages, including young woman people, you know, walk about by themselves day and night. But this case, of course, is gripping because it's so rare.

But also remember, it's not a normal crime story, if you will, because it does involve an ex-husband with a no motive. So there's still so much to know and that's why people are still very much fascinated by what's going to happen and what the Police will reveal about a motive, Max?

FOSTER: Yes, Steven in Beijing, thank you for bringing us that update. Now coming up, rising sea levels are threatening island nations in the Pacific but a new CNN series explores how technology can protect them from natural disasters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Rising sea levels due to climate change are putting many island nations more at risk from natural disasters like Tsunamis. In our series transformers CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar, she is a Scientist on a mission to map an underwater volcano to help protect island countries like Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice over): Late December 2021, in the middle of the South Pacific, an underwater volcano is active once again. Two weeks later, a series of eruptions will reverberate around the planet and be visible from space. Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific. And the next afternoon, a series of waves hit the island country of Tonga.

Some as high as 15 meters, killing 3 people and leaving mass destruction in their wake. When the dust had settled a few months later, a ship from New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA, set sail to find out what had triggered the eruption. Marine Geology Technician Erica Spain was on board.

ERICA SPAIN, MARINE GEOLOGY TECHNICIAN OF NIWA: The Voyage up to Hunga Tonga--Hunga applied to map the volcano was really exciting to multidisciplinary voyage. So you've got multiple science streams working together to try and figure out what was going on and why it erupted so violently. The multi beams on either--

CHINCHAR (voice over): Spain's mission was to map the seafloor around the volcano using a machine called a multi beam echo sounder.

SPAIN: An acoustic pulse so a ping or sound is emitted or sent out from the bottom of the ship. And then it echoes effectively off the seafloor. And then we have hydrophones or a listening ear that receives that echo. And from that we can determine how deep the seafloor is and build up an idea of its shape and geometry.

[08:25:00]

SPAIN: Every volcano has a different trigger in terms of when it might erupt and by mapping Hunga Tonga--Hunga Ha'apai and then comparing that to other volcanoes we can begin to build up a better image of what these triggers might be or what they might look like on the seafloor?

CHINCHAR (voice over): Mapping, taking rock samples, and filming underwater, all help build a bigger picture of what happened here.

SPAIN: So you have to become a seafloor detective to place all those small parts together.

CHINCHAR (voice over): That detective work can help countries like Tonga better prepare for Tsunamis to keep people safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now Former British reality TV star Tommy Fury defeated YouTuber Jake Paul in one of the most anticipated matches between two novices in boxing history. Sunday nights face off in Saudi Arabia was the first defeat of Paul's fresh boxing career as Fury Half-brother Boxer Tyson Fury landed more accurate punches.

A millions of fans tuned into the fight it was extraordinary which had an audience of superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Mike Tyson and Kevin Hart. Tommy Fury spoke about his opponents soon after the match.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TOMMY FURY, BRITISH BOXER: Yes, the fight was amazing, really good fight really enjoyable, solid 8 rounds in the bank. And Jake was a tough kid, you know, it took a lot of good shots. And he was still there so credit to himself. You know, it didn't have to take this fight. He could have fought anybody who wanted to a lot of easy other challenges, but he wanted to test himself so I can respect that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: People across the U.K. experienced a rare and spectacular display of Northern Lights on Sunday night. Social media users have shared their sightings of the Aurora borealis on social media with reports from Scotland as far as Kent as well in the South of England.

The U.K. Met Office has shared some of the posts adding that the display is expected to appear again on Monday night if you're here and you missed it. Thank you for joining me here on CNN "Newsroom", I'm Max Foster in London. "World Sport" with Amanda Davis is up next.

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