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Powerful Storms Sweep Part of the United States; Russia's War in Ukraine Continues; U.S. Warns China Against Arming Russia; EPA Approves Shipments of Toxic Waste to Facilities in Ohio; U.K. Prime Minister and E.U. Chief Set to Discuss Northern Ireland Protocol. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired February 27, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, powerful storms sweeping across parts of the U.S. with reports of multiple tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind. We will speak to a meteorologist on the ground.

And the U.S. is warning China it could face real cost if it provides lethal aid to Russia for the war on Ukraine.

Plus, the ex-husband and in-laws are being charged with murder in the gruesome killing of Hong Kong model and influencer, Abby Choi. We will have a live report with the latest.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for being with us. We begin this hour with a dangerous storm system battering the central U.S. right now, bringing tornadoes, damaging wind and hail to parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. At least nine tornadoes have been reported so far, seven in Oklahoma and two in Kansas.

There are reports of widespread damage, downed power lines, and debris blocking roads in the city of Norman, home to Oklahoma's largest university. Tens of thousands of people statewide are without power.

The system is so strong, a wind gust of 140 miles per hour was reported in Northern Texas in the town of Memphis. More than 115 storms have now been reported across the Southern Plains and more than 65 million people are under high wind alerts.

On the phone is Max Ungar, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma. Max, thank you so much for talking with us.

MAX UNGAR, METEOROLOGIST, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (via telephone): Absolutely, Rosemary. Good to be with you.

CHURCH: So, talk to us about the -- what you're able to tell us about this extreme weather conditions right now in Oklahoma and who exactly is getting hit with this.

UNGAR (via telephone): So, as you mentioned, we've had a line of strong to severe storms with high winds across much of the southwester, in the southern and central parts of the state. As you did allude, we had seven tornadoes that we can kind of preliminarily confirm across our forecast area, across parts of southwest and in South Central Oklahoma, as you mentioned.

The most significant tornado perhaps appears to be the Norman tornado that moves in across the southeastern of Norman. We're going to send a survey team out tomorrow warning to really begin to assess the damage and provide some ratings for these tornadoes.

CHURCH: And seven tornadoes? That seems extraordinary. How unusual is that along with all of this path of an extreme weather that you're dealing with this specifically?

UNGAR (via telephone): Yeah. So, to provide some context in Oklahoma statewide, we average just about one tornado every February, and the most tornadoes we actually had on one February day is six in 2009 and 1975. So, with seven tornadoes already preliminary covered, this looks to be the largest tornado event in Oklahoma history in the month of February.

CHURCH: And presumably, some are much stronger than others. So, how the people in your state deal with these sorts of extreme weather conditions and how much support do they get from city officials?

UNGAR (via telephone): Yeah. So, we really always tell everyone here at the weather service just to be always prepared for the worst. We really always want to, you know, tell people to be prepared for when storms hit, have a readiness kit, know where you're going to seek shelters when these storms approach. And that's really all you can do. It is just be ready, aware, and have a plan for when these storms approach.

You know, we know here that even though this is an unusual event, we can have these types of events really throughout the year, especially as we're heading towards early spring. You know, they're going to become more prevalent. So, just be prepare and have a plan.

CHURCH: And talk to us about the shelters. What people do? Do they go to specific schools? Where are these shelters in each city?

UNGAR (via telephone): Yeah. So, we really, you know, advise people in terms of shelters, they can really do this in their own home. Really, when you're looking to seek shelter, it is really in that most interior room within your house.

If you do live in a mobile or manufactured home, we really advise you to get out and seek some type of sturdier structure within the community, whether that be a neighbor or some other building within the community. Again, very structured interior room is the safest when these severe storms approach.

CHURCH: And as you say, I mean, these mobile homes are always the most vulnerable, aren't they?

[03:05:00]

We see all of those horrifying images of homes being torn apart. But what about the other structures? There are a lot of the parts that are being hit right now by this extreme weather across Oklahoma. How sturdier are these structures?

UNGAR (via telephone): Yeah. So, you know, really, we're seeing even in some of the most, you know, significant damage to some of the homes and buildings that we've seen from these storms, really, people were inside in kind of interior room and kind of covered up. They really fared pretty well. Actually, just from some of the information that we've had, we've had few unconfirmed injury reports and no deaths.

So, really, you know, luckily, a lot of these people were, you know, seeking shelter in proper areas within these homes and it really provided them the protection they need to ride out the storm and make it through safely.

CHURCH: Yeah, that is so critical in these situations. So, we wish everyone across your state and yourself, of course, just to stay safe. Meteorologist Max Ungar, thank you so much for being with us.

UNGAR (via telephone): Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, the threat of extreme weather is not over yet. On the U.S. West Coast, a winter storm dumped massive amounts of snow and rain in parts of Southern California over the weekend. It led to a rare blizzard warning for the region.

The storm made for dangerous travel conditions in some areas, of course. Some residents tell CNN they have been unable to leave their homes since Friday. Now, a second storm system is about to move into the region in the hours ahead.

Well, more now on the severe weather from CNN's Camila Bernal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The sun is finally out in Southern California, but we are still left with a lot of snow. In this area, 1 to 2 feet of snow. In higher elevation areas, more than 6 feet of snow over the last couple of days. A lot of snow, a lot of rain, and a lot of wind in Southern California. That is something people in this area are just not used to.

On Sunday, some of the highways remained closed in the Southern California area, including Interstate 5, which is right behind me. Normally, you would see a lot of traffic. Authorities are still trying to clean up the highway. Not just the highway, but also the on and off ramps. So, authorities say it is still not safe for a lot of drivers who are essentially stranded on the side of the highway, waiting to get back on the road to get to their final destination.

In the L.A. area, a lot of rain over the last couple of days. There was flooding, downed trees, and many, many left without power. Thousands, in fact, still without power.

Just about 40 miles south of where I am in (INAUDIBLE), California, the ground is essentially crumbling and RVs ending up in the Santa Clara River because of what happened as a result of the storm. Many of the residents there are extremely concerned and essentially also stranded because they could not get on the highway. Here is someone impacted by all of this.

UNKNOWN: I'm actually traveling to (ph) Bakersfield, and I can't get to work right now because of the snow. The (INAUDIBLE) is closed going towards Bakersville. So, I'm unable to get to work for a couple of days. And also, I'm just kind of afraid we are going to have to evacuate if it gets any worse.

BERNAL: And it's still not over. We're expecting more storms over the next couple of days. Not as intense as what we saw over the last couple of days, but we could still see some rain, some snow and wind in the Southern California area. Authorities are still telling people to be very careful, especially since we are not used to this type of weather in this area.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Lebec, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: We are following developments in Ukraine where the military says 11 attack drones have been shot down today, including nine in the airspace around Kyiv. So far, there have been no reports of strikes on critical infrastructure, but at least one person was killed in a drone attack southwest of the capital.

Meantime, on the frontlines in Eastern Ukraine, fears from relentless fighting is raging in and around the city of Bakhmut. That is where Russian forces are now eyeing further advances as they edge towards the center of the city from three sides.

And this video posted on social media shows some of the damage left by the ongoing battle. This -- it's unclear how many Ukrainian forces are still inside the city, but officials say troops are launching counterattacks to try to preserve their access to Bakhmut from the west.

The United States is warning China that if it provides Russia with lethal aid to use in Ukraine, it would -- quote -- "come at real cost to Beijing." Now, this comes after Washington said it was confident China is considering sending drones and ammunition to Moscow.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments for us. She joins us live from the London.

[03:10:00] Good morning to you again, Clare. So, what more are you learning about this possible lethal support coming from China to Russia to help in its war in Ukraine and, of course, other alliances like Iran?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Rosemary, the U.S. is now openly talking about the intelligence they have. The intelligence is not about a decision having been made by China or an action having been taken. It's about China's intent. But by talking about this publicly, the U.S. is -- China put across that this would be a red line.

We don't know what those consequences for China would be. Clearly, the U.S. is hoping that this will deter China and they're never going to get to the point of having to actually enforce these consequences.

But, you know, looking at this, the way they're presenting it, Secretary Blinken just under 10 days ago talking about having information. Now, we have from the CIA Director, Will Burns. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BURNS, DIRECTOR, CIA: Well, we are confident that Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment. We also don't see that a final decision has been made yet. We don't see evidence of actual shipments of lethal equipment. That is why, I think, Secretary Blinken and the president have thought it important to make very clear what the consequences of that would be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: Of course, Secretary Blinken met China's top diplomat Wang Yi in Munich just over a week ago, presented in detail those consequences. We don't know what they are yet. Wang Yi then went almost directly to Moscow after that. China is still trying to hedge its position here. It abstained from the U.N. last week, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine. It has constantly abstained, I should note, from these U.N. votes.

It has now presented its own peace plan to try to bring an end to the conflict. It is, even though it refuses to still call it an invasion, perhaps trying to present itself as also having global influence alongside the U.S.

But the U.S. is clearly hoping that while similar sort of release of intel around Iran's intention to provide drones to Russia has clearly not deterred Iran, this will work with China. China, potentially, has more to lose from international isolation that Iran does. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London.

Joining me now, Robert Daly is the director of the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the United States. Appreciate you being with us.

ROBERT DALY, DIRECTOR, KISSINGER INSTITUTE ON CHINA AND U.S.: Good to be here.

CHURCH: So, U.S. officials say China is considering sending weapons and ammunition to Russia to help with its war in Ukraine. But China denies this. How likely is it though that China will decide to send lethal support and what will the ramifications likely be if that happens?

DALY: First, all that United States officials are saying is that China is considering it. And, of course, all governments consider their options. It's not really surprising that China might at least have discussions about the ramifications of sending arms to Russia.

Nevertheless, we are pushing them hard not to do that. The implications would be dire. It could make a difference on the battlefields in Ukraine. Certainly, if China decided to, in part, own this conflict by throwing (INAUDIBLE) with that of Russia, I think that the Ukrainian war would come to be seen as a kind of proxy war in a new cold war setting.

We would have Russia with Iran and China against the United States and Europe within Ukraine. This would be a major escalation and it would be extremely disruptive.

CHURCH: And you don't think that's what we have right now, anyway?

DALY: No, I don't think we are there yet. China claims neutrality although, of course, it tilts heavily toward Russia. It provides many kinds of support that are nonlethal to Russia. But it is maintaining a posture of neutrality.

And more recently, it is also posing as a potential peacemaker. It offered what it called peace plan last Friday, 12 points, all of which is made before. Most of which are nonspecific, things like sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected. And it failed to criticize Russia or even acknowledge Russia as an invader.

But still, it wants to be seen as being above the fray. It wants to be seen that way by some people. It also wants to be seen as neutral by Europe because it needs European markets very badly.

CHURCH: But that's the problem, isn't it, with the plan, the peace plan that China puts forward, is it does favor Russia. So, it is very difficult to see that as an option unless they're willing to tweak some of the elements to it.

DALY: Well, again, it's really hardly a peace plan at all. It's really just a bunch of bromides. It includes sentences like we must remember that complex problems have no simple solutions. That's really not terribly helpful.

And it doesn't get around the basic dilemma that everybody who thinks about a peace plan faces, which is that Vladimir Putin must not be rewarded in any way for his invasion of Ukraine.

[03:15:02] At the same time, if he fails utterly, he won't accept the peace plan, it become more dangerous. So, what do you do with this situation? China doesn't even take on that difficulty. So, it appears to be posing, I think, for the sake primarily of its own people, but also in hopes that it could perhaps convince enough Europeans and it might be able to appeal to parts of Europe away from the United States.

I think that's a very long shot. Europe has come to see China over the past several years much more as a threat or challenge, which is how the United States sees it.

CHURCH: So, how would you describe the relationship between China and Russia? What is Beijing getting out of this because surely there is a risk of China hooking its wagon to a failed war that Russia has started here? A year into it, they still haven't achieved what they initially set out to do.

DALY: Yes. But China, of course, hooked its wagon to Russia before the invasion. The reason it has done that is because of a lot of deep, historical distrust between Russia and China. They have a long and very fraught history of occasional cooperation but more often working against each other.

What they do have in common, China and Russia, and what Xi Jinping and Putin in particular have in common, is that they don't want to have their choices shaped by the United States. They resent having to work with the global system that they think the United States dominates in favor of its own interests, against their own.

They also deeply resent worldwide media system, what China calls a worldwide discourse power system, in which the United States is able to define Russia, China, Iran, other countries as bad actors.

They see the United States as an existential threat, and they need each other as partners to combat that threat. That was why Xi Jinping stood with Vladimir Putin before the Beijing Olympics last year and pledged a no limits partnership. That does not mean that China support or even knew about this war, which has not worked in China's interests.

CHURCH: Robert Daly, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your analysis. Appreciate it.

DALY: Thank you.

CHURCH: This just in to CNN, the European Council is sanctioning a Russian national and the subsidiary of Russia's Wagner group in Sudan, Meroe Gold, for facilitating the exploitation of Sudan's gold wealth. The council cited Syria's human rights abuses in several countries, including Sudan.

A CNN investigation in July was the first to expose the mechanism by which Wagner and Meroe Gold were operating in Sudan and circumventing U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. Department of Energy has determined the spread of COVID-19 is most likely the result of a leak from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan. That is according to an updated classified intelligence report. The two sources tell CNN that the department only has low confidence in the findings and China's foreign ministry is now responding as well saying that a lab leak is highly unlikely.

The theory is one of several that had been floating around Washington, but there has not been a consensus or even an official opinion from the White House on the cause of the pandemic.

Some Republican lawmakers feel the report is enough to demand accountability from Beijing, but a former U.S. ambassador to China says that no matter what the reason, the U.S. has to be ready in case of another pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY LOCKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: We need to find out exactly how the coronavirus, the COVID virus, hit the world and caused millions of deaths not just in America but all around the world. If it came from an animal, we need to be prepared and we need to beef up our public health response to the next pandemic. So, it is important for our scientists to get to the bottom of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved resuming shipments of contaminated waste out of East Palestine, Ohio where a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed earlier this month. It comes as House Republicans plan to investigate the derailment and what they described as a flawed response by the Biden administration.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden is defending his administration's response to a train wreck in East Palestine that left toxic chemicals seeping into water, air, and soil, and saying that administration officials and federal teams are on the ground helping residents navigate the aftermath of this wreck, especially as concerns grow over long-term health of these residents and for those who are already saying that they feel sick.

[03:20:00]

ALVAREZ: Now, federal teams are on the ground going door to door to inform residents on how to access free health assessments as well as get testing for their drinking wells or drinking water. But the administration has come under fierce criticism for their response and whether they acted quickly enough after this wreck occurred.

Now, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded to that and said that President Biden takes this as a top priority.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: The president has taken a personal interest in this situation from early on. I want to make sure he knew about what I saw on the ground both in terms of the administration response, and that's something that has been really well coordinated.

Where our department comes in really is transportation policy, making sure that in this moment, with so much focus on what happened with this derailment, that we are acting both to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and to make sure that we do more to prevent all derailments.

ALVAREZ: Now, President Biden says that his officials were on the ground two hours after the wreck and that they have been working and are engaged with local and state officials. As far as whether he is going to visit, there are no plans as of yet.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: More to come here on CNN, including a critical upcoming meeting between British and E.U. leaders to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol. We will go live to London for a preview.

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[03:25:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The European Commission president and the British prime minister are set for a key meeting today. Ursula von der Leyen will meet in the U.K. with Rishi Sunak to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol. It is part of the U.K.'s exit agreement with the European Union and implemented to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the E.U.

CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Nic. So, what all is expected to come out of this critical meeting?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, it could be a big day today and it's going to be a day of many parts. In fact, some of those parts might even well until tomorrow or the coming days.

The prime minister has this very big meeting with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, where they are expected to sort of put the finishing touches on to a revision of the Northern Ireland protocols that govern the way that trade is done between the U.K., mainland U.K., and Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., but Northern Ireland being still remaining -- despite the U.K. having gone (INAUDIBLE) through Brexit, the U.K. still remaining within the single market for goods.

So, it's complicated and it is complicated by political factors. But what they are trying to do here is to find a way to swage (ph) the fears of the main pro-British Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, that the protocols effectively put a barrier between them and Northern Ireland and mainland U.K.

Some other things sort of been leaked recently to journalists seemed to indicate that one of the ways to get over some of the barriers that have been in place going across the Irish Sea from mainland U.K. to Northern Ireland might be agreements whereby trucks that are just going from the U.K. to Northern Ireland go through a green channel and trucks going through from U.K. to Northern Ireland and on to Republic of Ireland go through a red channel.

There's a lot more to it than that, an awful lot more of detail. And part of the situation today is no one knows the details, and that may be announced later today. If everything is expected to go well, the meeting will sign off on the deal.

The prime minister will address his cabinet. Ursula von der Leyen and the prime minister will likely hold a joint press conference, we understand. There is a possibility that the prime minister may go before the House of Commons today and put everything in front of them.

But perhaps the biggest catch on this deal is, is it something that works for that pro-unionist party in Northern Ireland, the democratic unionist party? They may take some time to figure out going through the many, many pages of legal text if it works for them. And if it does, then the indications are they would rejoin the power sharing government in Northern Ireland. Many, many pieces to this expected to unfold today, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. We will watch, of course, and see what comes out of this. Nic Robertson joining us live from London, many thanks for that analysis.

Still to come, tragedy at sea as migrants try to find a better life. We will go live to Italy where dozens have perished so close to shore.

[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Officials say 59 migrants are dead after a wooden ship broke apart off the southeast coast of Italy. It's a heartbreaking tragedy, some of the victims, children. Well, many of the migrants are fleeing poverty, violence and war, but they fall victim to human traffickers.

So, let's turn to Barbie Nadaeu who joins us live from Rome. Barbie, what more are you learning about this tragic story, and of course, those who perished on that ship?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah. You know, we're finding out bits and pieces of information. We know there are a lot of young children and women among the victims and among the survivors. What's interesting about this particular shipwreck is that it's not a normal way people come into Italy, come into Europe by way of the Mediterranean. Most of the boats come from Libya, from North Africa, bringing African migrants.

This left Turkey about four days ago, we're told, and had mostly people from Afghanistan, from Iran, from Pakistan, some people from Somalia on board that ship. This is according to testimony from the survivors. You know it is a tragedy. These ships very rarely make landfall in Calabria, but Calabria, where this happened has been very welcoming of migrants throughout this ongoing crisis in Italy.

Let's here what the leader of the Calabrian region had had to say about the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTO OCCHIUTO, CALABRIA REGION PRESIDENT (through translator): It is a day of grief for Calabria. This is a struggle that falls into a general indifference. Calabria is a region that welcomes people. Last year, we welcomed 18,000 migrants, but we can't be abandoned by Europe. This type of tragedy should have been avoided the day before and not lived how we are living it today and how we will live it tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And you know, Rosemary, this really is a test for the new government under George Maloney. This is a right-leaning government that won on an anti-immigration stance. They wanted to stop the NGO rescue ships. You know, they were able to successfully sequester some and find others. So, there weren't rescue vehicles -- rescue vessels out there in the Mediterranean. You know, this happened close to shore in very rough seas with a boat full of people who really didn't known how to swim, we're being told. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yeah. Just horrifying for all of those people and their loved ones. Barbie Nadeau bringing us the latest from Rome, many thanks.

The death toll in Turkey from the deadly earthquake earlier this month has increased to more than 44,000 people. And the country's Emergency Management Agency reports nearly 310 cities and more than 10,000 containers are being set up for survivors to sleep in.

[03:35:06]

Meanwhile, Turkey's justice ministry says nearly 200 people have been arrested pending trial for alleged poor building construction. And for more on the story, we're joined by CNN's Nada Bashir. She is live in Istanbul.

Good to see you, Nada. So, the death toll has risen as the survivors try to find a way to tackle the many challenges ahead living in these tents. So, what more are you learning about all of this?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, it is a significant challenge for the survivors, Rosemary, hundreds of thousands of people now living in tents and a number of those camps that are being set up across southeast Turkey is only rising.

We visited some of these camps in the Hatay province, which was among the hardest hit by the earthquake beginning of February, and many of these families are cramped into small tents, sometimes three generations, three families in one tent. Their hope, of course, is that there will be a long term solution for them.

And President Erdogan and his government have pledged to rebuild the affected areas within one year, but we have been speaking to aid workers on the ground. They tell us that these camps could be in places for years, some of them two to three years, and that is the expectation from those supporting the response effort on the ground.

And there has been some criticism, some backlash, against the government's plans to rebuild quickly. There has been warnings from the union of architects and engineers that this is simply too hasty. We are already beginning to see excavation work in part of Gaziantep, plans for 30,000 apartments to begin construction in March.

So there is clearly some work to already underway and many are saying that there needs to be more geological investigations, more preparation to ensure that these buildings are safe. And, overall, there is a growing sense of frustration, a growing sense of anger directed at the government, particularly with elections looming.

In fact, just yesterday, there was a football match, a soccer match, between two Turkish teams, Besiktas and Antalyaspor. Both of those teams, of course, they're marking their show of solidarity. We saw teddy bears and thousands of stuffed animals being thrown onto the pitch, but there was also calls for the government to resign. And there was a moment there where the match was paused at 4 minutes and 17 seconds to correspond with a that the earthquake struck, at four of the morning. And those calls for the government to resign, for President Erdogan to step down, could be heard then.

So, there is clearly a growing sense of a backlash against the government. The government itself has conceded that more could be done. There is still more work for the government to do. But they said this is a work in progress. It will take time. And they are still pushing ahead with that investigation over allegations of construction negligence. Around 188 people so far arrested and more than 600 people identified as potential suspects. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Nada Bashir, bringing us that live report from Istanbul, appreciate it.

Israeli and Palestinian officials make a pledge to reduce violence, but those agreements are undermined by new deadly attacks. Details on the chaos that has gripped the West Bank, that's next.

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[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Some results are trickling in as votes are still being counted in Saturday's election in Nigeria. But anger is growing after officials failed to arrive at some polling locations, meaning some would-be voters who waited for hours, they have lost their chance to pick the country's next president.

CNN's Larry Madowo has the story from Lagos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CROWD CHANTING)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fighting for the right to vote in what could be Nigeria's tightest presidential election ever.

(on camera): People getting pretty agitated here. It's day two since the election. They should have voted, but they did not get to vote. It's become so hectic that the military has been called in to try to keep the peace.

(voice-over): The Nigerian army rolled into a neighborhood in Lagos, where voters at two polling unit spent all of election day waiting to cast their ballots, but poll officials did not show up. They returned the next day and waited several more hours, growing impatient as the chance to vote slowly slipped away.

ABIGAIL SAMUEL, LAGOS VOTER: Nothing works in this country. Nothing works in this country. There is no security, there is no good hospital, there is no good roads, nothing was -- the educational system is in shambles. And for what? Youth are coming out to vote and we (inaudible). It is heartbreaking.

MADOWO (voice-over): Abigail Samuel's pain is shared by other young people who registered to vote in record numbers in this election, hoping to reboot a deeply dysfunctional Nigeria.

UNKNOWN: (Inaudible). I'm tired. I'm tired.

UNKNOWN: We are tired. We are tired. I'm tired of seeing this crap.

MADOWO (voice-over): Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, say they're already telling the results of the area without the missing polling units.

UNKNOWN: You know, you use constitution. Anywhere there is violence, there is no vote.

MADOWO (voice-over): But CNN saw no signs of violence at the polling units where election workers did not show up as people cast ballots just steps away.

(on camera): So there will be no other election in these places where the election did not take place?

UNKNOWN: There's no -- there's no election. There is no election. The election we want to do is what we've done.

MADOWO (voice-over): The disenfranchised voters see this is an attempt to deny their preferred candidates crucial vote by the establishment. In an election without an incumbent president or a former military leader running, it was seen as a first start for Nigeria. UNKNOWN: We are suffering in this country. We are suffering. It is

very bad. Every people (inaudible).

MADOWO (voice-over): Musician, Banky (inaudible) main opposition PDP's ticket in the Lagos area with the affected voters.

BANKY WELLINGTON, PDP CANDIDATE, ETI-OSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY: They understand that their votes are their voices and they want their voices to be heard. So, when it starts to seem like there is allegedly some sort of intentional suppression of that voice, people get frustrated. People get agitated.

MADOWO (voice-over): Nigeria's agitated youth could be (inaudible) at the risk of exploding if enough of them feel like their voices were not heard in the most significant election of their lifetime.

What did voting mean to you?

SAMUEL: It is my choice and I did my best. That is what it means to me.

MADOWO (voice-over): Larry madowo, CNN, Lagos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The U.S. is commanding Israeli and Palestinian officials for holding talks on deescalating violence in the region after meeting in Jordan on Sunday. Officials from both sides say that they will seek a just and lasting peace, but the West Bank saw another deadly flare-up that undermined those talks.

[03:45:02]

CNN's Hadas Gold joins us live from Jerusalem. So Hadas, a pledge to reduce violence undermined by new deadly attacks. What's the latest on this?

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And it was -- there were -- these attacks are rather unusual, I would say, in terms of just unprecedented in sort of how they played out. So, the day essentially started with an attack on two Israeli brothers, 19 and 21 years old, who were driving along a route that passes through Palestinian town known as Huwara. This is a flash point place often because this route was used so often by both Israeli settlers and at Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

And from what we understand, an attacker essentially came up to this call while it was sitting in traffic. And officials say they shot at the two brothers at point blank range and they both died. The attacker then managed to flee, and there is a massive manhunt by Israeli authorities underway to try to catch the attacker or attackers. And no claim for responsibility by any militant group as of yet, although several celebrated the attack.

Then a few hours later, there was the summit (ph) in Aqaba, where Israelis, the Palestinian authority, Jordanians, Egyptians, and the Americans all down for what has become a very rare summit. I think the last time a summit of the sort took place was more than 10 years ago.

And the whole point of this meeting was to try and calm the situation on the ground, especially ahead of the overlapping Muslim and Jewish holidays of Ramadan and Passover that are coming up towards the end of March, beginning of April.

And you know, there were good statements coming out of this meeting, both sides in a joint statement agreeing to have essentially a joint security committee to look at reestablishing security cooperation between the Palestinian authority and the Israelis, a commitment for Israel is to stop discussion on settlements expression for a few months, while the Palestinians saying that they will not try to go after Israel at the United Nations and an agreement to meet again in March, ahead of Ramadan, in Egypt.

But then as night fell, almost as soon as the statements came out, we get word of Israeli settlers essentially rampaging through Huwara where the earlier attack took place through other villages, setting fire to homes, setting fire to cars. We heard of scores of injuries, including one Palestinian mid killed, apparently shot, possibly by Israeli settlers in what is being deemed revenge attacks.

And from people that I've spoken to who have been watching this for sometime, they cannot recall violence like this, especially the sort of revenge attack by Israeli settlers. The Israeli military saying that they are reinforcing the forces in the West Bank, both to try and find the person that carried out the attacker earlier in Huwara against those two Israeli brothers but also to try to keep the calm between Israeli settlers and Palestinians over there. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Thanks to Hadas Gold for that live report from Jerusalem.

The ex-husband and former in-laws of a Hong Kong model who was killed last week appeared in court today, according to public broadcaster RTHK. Abby Choi's ex-husband is charged with murder, along with his father and brother. RTHK says they were denied bail.

Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang, joins us now live with the details. Steven, what were you learning about this shocking and truly gruesome story?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Rosemary, because Abby Choi was not just killed, but dismembered. On Sunday, investigators found a skull, several ribs and hair, believed to be remains in a large stainless steal soup pot and that is after they found some other parts of her body on Friday in a rental unit on northern suburb in Hong Kong where they also found a meet slicer and electric saw some clothing.

And as of now, some other body parts of Abby Choice, including the torso, remained missing. That is why, at one point, the police, they were sending out more than 100 personnel, including divers in search of her remains.

Now, what we do know, as you mentioned, is her ex-husband, Alex Kwong, as well as his older brother and father, have now been charged with murder while the ex-husbands mother has been charged with obstruction of justice. The ex-husband was actually arrested on Saturday at a ferry pier (ph) when he was trying to flee, according to local authorities.

But despite all of the horrific details we have learned, one big question remains very much shrouded in mystery, that is the motive. There has been speculation in local media, but the authorities have not confirmed anything, but there was intense interest in the story because Abby Choi was a model with quite a bit of international exposure, often photographed at fashion shows and with luxury brands from London to Paris to Shanghai.

She was also an influencer with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. But all of this came to a screeching halt last Wednesday when she was reported missing in the city of more than 7 million residents, but for the most part considered to be very safe for people of all ages including young women.

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So, as of now, the only certainty is the tragedy that she left behind two children left with ex-husband while the ex-husband now awaits his trial for her very gruesome murder. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yeah. Just horrible. Steven Jiang joining us live from Beijing, many thanks.

Despite the Russian invasion, a young Ukrainian girl is making sure stray cats get fed. Her touching story amid the brutality of war, that's after the break. Do stay with us.

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CHURCH: We have seen how Russia's war on Ukraine has caused millions to flee the country and displaced others within its borders. But pets and animals have also been left homeless. And one Ukrainian girl is doing her best to make sure they don't go hungry.

CNN's Michael Holmes has that report.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the wreckage of this bombed out apartment block in Borodyanka, there are signs of lives once lived here, exposed rooms where families once gathered before Russian bombs reduced their homes to rubble.

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Most of the people have long since gone, but 11-year-old Veronika says she regularly returns to her former neighborhood.

VERONIKA KRASEVYCH, 11-YEAR-OLD UKRAINIAN (through translator): Our apartment was over there on the 9th floor.

HOLMES (voice-over): Veronika says she can still see the shell of her former home, but that's not why she comes back.

KRASEVYCH (through translator): I used to come here to search for my cat. I wanted to feed it. And I saw the other cats here. I felt sorry for them. And now, I come here regularly to feed them.

HOLMES (voice-over): The stray's welcome her as she dose out food in what used to be a playground. Veronika said she found her cat, but the time outside had changed him and he now prefers the wildlife. So, instead of one pet, she takes care of him and many other cats in the other who, like humans, have learned to adapt to life during war.

Veronica's mother came with her on this feeding session. Looking up at her old flats, she chokes back emotion thinking how much has changed in just a year.

With a pat on the head, they say goodbye to one of the regulars. Veronika says she would like to take the cats with her. But for now, this arrangement, survivors helping survivors, will have to do.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

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CHURCH: And thank you so much for spending part of your day with me. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster next.

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