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Severe Storms Move East Across Southwestern States; Anger Grows Over Train Collision; Russia's War in Ukraine Continues; Russian War Opponent Fights to Stay in South Korea; White House Approves Potential Arms Sale to Taiwan; Ron DeSantis Kicks Off Book Tour Amid 2024 Speculations; Bola Tinubu Wins Nigeria Presidential Election; Prince Harry and Meghan Asked to Vacate Frogmore Cottage. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 02, 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, California's governor declares a state of emergency in 13 counties after a week of heavy snow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Until you're actually physically walking on the street here, you can't really just don't understand it. I mean, look at my window.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And fears are growing that many residents may be stranded.

Plus, demanding answers in Greece as the death toll from the train collision continues to rise. We'll bring you the latest on the investigation.

And Ohio's governor visits the East Palestine cleanup operation where nearly two million gallons of liquid waste have already been removed and now reports of rail workers getting sick.

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

CHURCH: Snowstorms, tornadoes, and floods, it's all in the forecast for the U.S. as severe weather looms across the country. Parts of the West Coast are trying to thaw out from a massive snowstorm, now moving east. Areas in California have seen more than 100 inches of snow in the last week, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency in 13 counties. Some residents say the effort is not enough and are calling on the governor to do more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICHELLE CALKINS, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY RESIDENT: We're not a city, we are unincorporated, and we need help. People are trapped in their homes. They cannot get medicine.

UNKNOWN: I was trying to get the attention of our governor, Gavin Newsom. Are you listening to us?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Snow and ice shut down major roads across Nevada on Wednesday. Parts of Arizona and New Mexico at lower elevations could see as much as 10 inches of snow in the coming hours.

Meantime, more than 40 storms have been reported in the U.S. southeast in just the last few hours, and more than one million people in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee are under tornado watch right now. And in Alabama, the National Weather Service warns it could rain as much as two inches an hour with the possibility of flash flooding. They're warning drivers to be cautious on the roads.

CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more on the storms developing across the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the severe weather season has trended in all the wrong direction. So far, the U.S. has more than doubled its average number of tornadoes since the beginning of the year, receiving over 215 reports of tornadoes since the 1st of January.

Just incredible because we continue to add to that number the line of stronger storms that moves throughout the deep south. But what I'm particularly concerned about will take place later tonight across East Texas and to portions of Arkansas and Northwestern Louisiana.

The Storm Prediction Center picking up on this as well. We have a level four of five. That is a moderate risk of severe weather today where you see that shading of red with, of course, the level 3 or 5 surrounding that. This is direct language from the SPC. Some tornadoes could be strong, widespread damaging winds and large hail as well. Look out for that.

Just east of Dallas and the Texarkana region, on top of the severe weather threat, there is a flashflood threat with the potential for three to upwards of six inches of rain falling out of some of these storms, then move over the same location. There it is picking up some of the energy from the Gulf of Mexico. That low pressure is going to sweep east.

Look what it does. By the weekend, it is going to lay swath of snow across The Great Lakes and into Northern New England. We could pick up over half a foot of snow for Chicago to my home state of Michigan, as well as over a foot of snow across Northern New England.

Speaking of snow, look what's happening out west. We have buried homes in Yosemite National Park. We have received over seven feet of snow near Palisades, near the Lake Tahoe region with more snow coming up. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Thanks for that. The FBI has arrested a Pennsylvania man for allegedly trying to bring explosives in his luggage on a flight to Florida. Authorities say 40-year-old Marc Muffley was arrested at his home on Monday night after security agents have flagged his checked luggage earlier in the day. His first court appearance is set for today.

According to court documents, Muffley was seen leaving the airport after he was page by security. A section of the airport was temporarily evacuated as a precaution.

[03:05:02]

Rail workers cleaning the site of month's toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio say they are getting sick. A union letter details their concern, saying that many Norfolk Southern workers are experiencing migraines and nausea.

State officials say more than 1.8 million gallons of liquid waste and 700 tons of solid waste have already been removed from the site. Governor Mike DeWine spoke with CNN's Wolf Blitzer after touring the site on Wednesday. He was asked if he had heard of rail workers displaying any symptoms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): We're not seeing anything now. The obvious concern is in the long run. And, you know, I agreed with the chief. We talked about what probably is going to have to happen. There's going to be a fund established. The railroad is going to have to -- put money into a fund at some point to make sure any long-term problems are dealt with.

But also, even if people don't have problems, just so they can get checked up, so they can feel better about this, and they can say, look, I've been checked up, nothing is going on with me, because the fear, you know, is real.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Residents will get an opportunity today to ask Norfolk Southern questions directly. The rail company has been ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency to attend a public meeting. Meantime, a bipartisan group of senators has announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at preventing future train derailment disasters.

Foreign ministers from the G-20 countries are meeting right now in New Delhi. They arrived just a short time ago, greeted by their Indian counterpart, India's prime minister. In his opening speech, he called on nations to rise above their differences. The war in Ukraine is expected to dominate the agenda. The Dutch foreign minister says the conflict is a litmus test for European and global credibility. He told reporters on the sidelines -- quote -- "there are universal values at stake."

The death toll from the horrific head-on train collision in Greece has now climbed to 43. Authorities say the tragedy was mainly due to human error, leading to an explosion of grief and anger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Scuffles broke out in Athens where the passengers' ill-fated journey began with police firing tear gas at protesters gathered outside the Hellenic Train headquarters. A search effort and investigation are underway near the city of Larissa where a freight train and passenger train traveling on the same track collided. Meanwhile, the Greek transportation minister has resigned and authorities have arrested the Larissa train station manager.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I want to bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos now. She joins us live from Dubai. So, Eleni, what is the latest on this deadly and tragic train disaster?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This morning, firefighters are on the ground and they are working through the first two carriages. We've seen the images of completely destroyed metal because of the fire that erupted, that reached temperatures of 1,300 degrees Celsius. They are also trying to lift up the third carriage and the fear is that there are more bodies in those three carriages.

And, as you say, repercussions already. The transport minister resigning, saying that even though they put in major effort to upgrade the railway system, clearly, it was not sufficient to avert this kind of disaster. The station master of Larissa was arrested. State media is now reporting that he admitted to his mistake. The prime minister is saying that it was because of human error.

So, things are coming together in terms of the investigation. But I have to tell you, I was looking through some of the Greek newspapers and I know that we've got some of those images to share with you. The headlines today really sort of capture the mood in Greece right now. One headline read, "The dead are waiting." Another, "Why the blind trains," "It is not a mistake, it's a crime." One that really moved me, one that I hear from my mother, "Call me when you get there."

The passenger train mostly filled with young students, university students moving from Athens to Thessaloniki, that were enjoying the carnival. It was ash Monday. Families were together. We're hearing that DNA testing is still being conducted. The dead were almost impossible to identify because of their injuries succumbing to fire.

[03:09:56]

This is now the issue, just the wait that family members and loved ones are having to endure in identifying people. Many people are also coming out, putting up photos on social media because they haven't heard anything from their loved ones. Authorities are really concerned that the death toll is going to rise further. I guess the next step here is, Rosemary, how this happened, why this happened, and what is going to be done going forward.

CHURCH: All right, Eleni Giokos joining us live from Dubai, many thanks.

Severe turbulence forced a Lufthansa flight headed from Texas to Germany to be diverted to Dallas Airport in Virginia. The airline says seven people were injured Wednesday when the flight encountered clear air turbulence, which can occur without warning.

A passenger who shot this video says it felt like a roller coaster. There were two sudden drops, plates and glassware flying across the cabin, and people screaming. The injured passengers were treated on board and taken to hospitals once the plane landed.

Still to come, China cements its ties with Belarus with Xi Jinping calling Alexander Lukashenko an old and dear friend. What that close relationship could mean for the war in Ukraine.

And later, many Nigerians are protesting the election of their new president with some planning to fight the results in court. We'll go live to Lagos for more.

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[03:15:00]

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CHURCH: Ukraine's military has so far stopped Russian forces from making much headway in the battle for Bakhmut, but a Ukrainian commander says it's becoming increasingly difficult. Ukrainian officials report heavy fighting on the outskirts of the city and street fighting in the suburbs. About 4,500 civilians remain in the city as Vladimir Putin's army inches closer. Thousands of homes have been destroyed. But Ukrainian troops say they're not backing down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRII BABYCHEV (through translator): Hello, everyone. March 1st, Bakhmut. I'd like to say that we silenced the enemy a bit. It's a bit calmer now. But you can hear it, there's gun fighting on the outskirts, a few explosions, shells flying. But we are standing in Bakhmut. No one plans to withdraw anywhere at the moment. We are standing. Bakhmut is Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Putin is a (bleep).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ukraine's military says Russian forces are now using more experienced, hardened fighters from the Wagner group of private mercenaries in the battle for Bakhmut.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the latest now from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Russia's view of what's currently the most bloody battle in Ukraine. State media releasing video of Moscow's troops pitting a Ukrainian armored vehicle in Bakhmut, the city devastated by months of relentless fighting.

Here, mercenaries from the Wagner private military company show off a destroyed U.S.-made M777 howitzer while Wagner foot soldier pose in a Bakhmut suburb.

Even as they acknowledge they're on the back foot, the Ukrainians vow to fight on.

We won't give up Bakhmut, the soldier says. We will hold on until the very last. Glory to Ukraine, death to the enemies.

And Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in video message acknowledges the Ukrainians aren't budging.

YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, RUSSIAN OLIGARCH, BOSS OF WAGNER (through translator): The Ukrainian army is throwing extra reserves into Bakhmut and trying to hold the town with all their strength. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are fiercely repelling attacks. Bloodshed increases every day.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Wagner mercenaries are the spearhead of Russia's invasion force in Bakhmut. Prigozhin claims they are making progress, but often lack the ammunition to advance.

PRIGOZHIN (through translator): I will say that a system needs to be worked out. I hope that the system will start functioning soon, and we will be getting ammunition regularly.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The U.S. and Ukraine say the attrition rate among Wagner's assault groups, often made up of prisoners recruited from Russian jails, is as high as 80%. But Prigozhin's media channel is now trying to convey how Wagner is actually helping the convicts. In this film, a former inmate thanks the mercenary group.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Wagner gave me freedom and hope. Hope that we have a chance. There are many guys who are ready to give their lives for their motherland and hope that our society is still not fully rotten.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Ukraine says fighters like these are often little more than cannon fodder. Ukraine's president vowing to hold on, even as the Russians say it's only a matter of time before they take Bakhmut.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Russia does not count people at all. Sending them to constant assault on our positions. The intensity of the fighting is only increasing.

PLEITGEN (on camera): And an official from the Russian-occupied area of Ukraine said that even some of the toughest units of the Ukrainian military are suffering heavy losses in Bakhmut. Apparently, some of them have had to be rotated out. The Ukrainians, of course, for their part, are saying that their forces are holding on and at least for the time being are not think of retreating.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A Russian man opposed to the war in Ukraine is stuck in legal limbo in South Korea. He doesn't want to go back home because he may be sent to fight in Ukraine. So, he's seeking asylum. But South Korea is not rolling out a red carpet for him either. And as Paula Hancocks reports, that left him stranded at the airport for a long time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than four months of sleeping on the floor with 50 men in a small airport room, one Russian man waits to hear his fate, hiding his identity for fear of repercussions. He is applying for asylum in South Korea, having fled a mandatory call up in Russia last October to fight in the war in Ukraine.

[03:20:00]

UNKNOWN (through translator): When I heard about the mobilization, I felt terrible because I had been at rallies protesting against the war. I knew, based on the information they have on me, anyone who opposes the war would be first to be sent to the frontlines. That was my biggest fear.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): President Vladimir Putin's mass call up sparked an exodus from the country. Hundreds of thousands of men are believed to have fled to avoid being sent to Ukraine. Leaving his wife and seven-year-old son, he boarded a flight to South Korea, saying he believed he would be accepted as it is a democratic country.

UNKNOWN (through translator): I miss my boy really badly. I can't talk about it. It is too emotional. I really miss my family.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): He would wash his laundry in Incheon Airport bathroom, saying there was no hot water for showers for the past month, despite Seoul immigration saying there should be. He was given a hot bun and juice for lunch, chicken and rice for dinner. While he feels powerless to control his future, he says the alternative would be far worse.

(On camera): What would your message be to the people who are deciding if you can stay?

UNKNOWN (through translator): I'm not a draft dodger. I'm against the war. I don't want to go to war and kill people. But I am not a draft dodger.

HANCOCKS: An important point to make, he feels, as South Korea has mandatory military service of its own of at least 18 months for almost all able-bodied men, most by the age of 28.

(On camera): Do you consider yourself a victim of this war?

UNKNOWN (through translator): Of course. A year ago, I had no intention of leaving. I never thought I'd leave Russia.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): What he didn't realize before boarding a plane to Seoul, he says, is how few refugees this country accepts. In 2019, of almost 15 and a half thousand applicants, just 79 were granted refugee status. That's half of 1%, with just 230 receiving a permit to stay on humanitarian grounds. He was moved this week to an immigration facility with some freeman of movement to await his fate.

(On camera): The justice ministry has now decided this week to appeal that court decision to even allow him to apply for asylum. So, his lawyer said it could take another five months to fight that appeal. If he's successful, then it could be up to two years for him to apply for refugee status.

Now, we have spoken to him. He says he's disappointed, he's upset with the justice ministry's decision, and he's also now considering whether to get in touch with the U.S. and Canadian embassies, he said, to see if they can help, because it appears that Korea does not want to. Rosemary?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: All right, many thanks to Paula Hancocks for that report. Appreciate it. Well, China and Belarus are expressing deep concerns over the prolonged conflict in Ukraine as President Alexander Lukashenko visits Beijing. The two countries are strengthening their ties with President Xi Jinping describing his friendship with Lukashenko as unbreakable.

Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and both leaders call for -- quote -- "the soonest possible peace deal in relation to the war in Ukraine." President Xi also pointed to China's 12-point peace plan to end the war, which has been met with skepticism from the west.

U.S.-made firepower could soon be headed to Taiwan. The White House has approved a potential sale of more than $600 million worth of new weapons for the island. They would include hundreds of missiles for F- 16 fighter jets, which is likely to inflame the already high tensions between the U.S. and China.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Kristie. So, what more are you learning about this potential sale of U.S. weapons to Taiwan and, of course, the ramifications?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, as expected, China firmly opposes this deal. On Wednesday, the Biden administration approved the potential $619 million weapon sale to Taiwan. This would include hundreds of missiles for F-16 fighter jets. Principal contractors include the American companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, two companies that have already been sanctioned by China for the previous arm sales to Taiwan.

Just in the last hour or so, we've been monitoring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presser, and during the presser, we heard from a spokesman who criticized the deal while also adding this: Quote -- "Stop arms sales to Taiwan and military contacts with the United States and stop creating tensions across the Taiwan Straits. China will continue taking firm and forceful measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests."

Taiwan's defense ministry, of course, welcomed the purchase. It also earlier in the day issued its own statement, saying this quickly: "The provision of defensive weapons to our country is the basis for preserving regional peace."

Now, some key context here. This is not the largest U.S. arms sale to Taiwan.

[03:25:00]

In fact, it was September of last year when there was a round of arms sales that totaled over $1.1 billion. The last arms sale to Taiwan took place in December of last year. But this latest round will certainly deepen the diplomatic rift between the United States and China. China has repeatedly demanded for the United States to stop such weapon sales to Taiwan. Back to you.

CHURCH: All right, Kristie Lu Stout, joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks.

Florida's governor makes his agenda known ahead of his expected presidential bid. What a Republican race between Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump could look like. We'll take a look at that.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: The fate of U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans is being debated by the Supreme Court. And President Biden is expressing concern on its future after conservative justices signaled they might decide to strike it down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Are you still confident that you will be able to win in the Supreme Court?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF America: I'm confident we're on the right side a law, and I'm not confident about the outcome of the decision yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is laying the groundwork for unexpected presidential campaign. In a speech this week, the Republican laid out what he sees as his accomplishments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RON DESANTIS, GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: So many Republicans get in and they're are like potted plants, they're scared to do anything, they're scared of the left, they're scared of the media, all the stuff. And we said that is not going to work with us. We're going on offense. We're going to make sure we're identifying issues, that we're leading on all these things.

I'm not going to wait until I actually have to make a decision. If I see something that needs addressed, we're going to take it and we're going to run with it. What we say is we fight the woke across the board in corporations. We fight the woke up in the schools. We fight the woke the bureaucracy. We never surrender to the woke mob because the state of Florida is where woke goes to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: He has been on tour promoting his book in what's being viewed as a soft launch for a White House bid.

Joining me now is Ana Caballo's, a politics and policy reporter for the "Miami Herald." Good to have you with us.

ANA CABALLOS, "MIAMI HERALD" POLITICS AND POLICY REPORTER: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis currently on his national book tour is showing every indication that he is poised to announce a run for the 2024 presidential race, which would, of course, pit him against Donald Trump, in what's appearing more and more to look like a two-man race for the Republican nomination.

Party donors think DeSantis is the man to topple Trump. But is he ready for that bitter fight that lies ahead, all those personal attacks, and the name-calling?

CABALLOS: Right. So, that remains to be seen at the moment. He certainly is somebody who is hinting at -- that he is preparing for that fight. For the longest time, we have seen DeSantis trying to play coy with a presidential run.

But this year alone, we've started seeing him travel to cities like New York City or Chicago, and promoting a pro-law enforcement platform. Now, he has a book. And now, he's touring, doing a national tour, trying to introduce himself to voters at a national scale.

And what we're seeing in that book is he's trying to introduce himself not only as a person who Ron DeSantis is, but also as the candidate that could potentially face Trump, and that is someone who dies in headfirst into the culture wars, someone who has been anti-Fauci with the COVID pandemic and all the CDC protocols. So, he's definitely trying to cast his lane in the potential race against Donald Trump.

CHURCH: But how he is going to go when Donald Trump starts calling him all sorts of names and attacking him personally?

CABALLOS: Well, I mean, as of now, we've seen Donald Trump calling DeSantis names on truth social. We've seen him attack and call him all, you know, all these nicknames, disparaging nicknames, may I add, and DeSantis isn't really quite engaged.

CHURCH: DeSantis is working overtime to raise his profile, as you say. You know, he's currently on the national tour to promote his book that actually sets out his vision for the country's revival. And he's on a media blitz, crushing anything he considers too woke, whether it's an education, immigration, the media, abortion rights. But while his political agenda works for the state of Florida, will it work for the rest the country, do you think?

CABALLOS: Well, I think some could argue, especially as a reporter here in Florida, everything Ron DeSantis has been doing, or at least prioritizing in recent months, has been at a national scale. It's not necessarily when you think about the culture wars. There are not necessarily issues that are emerging from local school districts here. There's something that are appealing to the national conservative voter, to conservative activists who are talking about larger issues that are not just pertaining to Florida.

So, I do think that DeSantis has been preparing for a national conversation, whether he can do the retail politics of the diner in Iowa or, you know, going around the country and being personable, that remains to be seen because DeSantis does have a very combative brand.

[03:35:07]

He likes to attack reporters. He likes to attack any critics, really. And while that might play well in a smaller scale, it has yet to be proven to be effective, or it has yet to be seen whether it'll be affective at a -- if he does decide to run for president.

CHURCH: And so, you've covered him a great deal. What is Ron DeSantis's Achilles heel? What will Trump be focusing on when he attacks the one man he sees as a real threat to his path back to the presidency?

CABALLOS: Well, I think there could be a variety of issues. But in terms of what DeSantis -- I'm sorry -- what Trump has identified as a weakness has been the loyalty test, and I think that is very important to Trump and that is going to be a very immediate tension point for him.

But in terms of policy, I mean, we have started seeing DeSantis trying to portray himself as the more serious Trump version, and we are going to start seeing whether the laws that he pushes with the legislature, you know, there has been a lot of a legal challenges, whether they stand up to those legal challenges and maybe that could potentially be a weakness for the governor, whether he stands out to that.

CHURCH: And then on the other side of it, do you feel that Ron DeSantis can continue not engaging with Trump? Is that going to be a strategy or will he go into attack mode?

CABALLOS: Well, one of the things that has been interesting has been how he refuses really to attack Trump. He will -- you know, when asked about the attacks that Trump has imposed on him, like I mentioned before, he will take the high road, and say, you know, I'm not in the business of attacking Republicans. I'm in the business of attacking President Joe Biden and his policies. He's trying to avoid, again, criticism or even giving Donald Trump any credit for his rise in politics.

So, I think that tension is going to keep happening, and it's something that we will continue to see if these two end up going head to head in a presidential campaign. And whether Trump escalates that, I think -- the fight with DeSantis, I think DeSantis at some point is going to have to answer.

CHURCH: Ana Ceballos, thank you so much for talking with us, I appreciate it.

CEBALLOS: Of course, thank you so much.

CHURCH: The U.S. is congratulating Nigerian officials on the results of last weekend's presidential election. Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the ruling All Progressive Congress Party was declared the winner on Wednesday with 37 percent of the vote. But many Nigerians are still angry, claiming this election was stolen.

CNN's Larry Madowo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CROWD CHEERING)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bola Ahmed Tinubu officially named the next president Nigeria. The godfather Lagos, whose slogan was, it's my turn. And, now, it is. A controversial win, after three main opposition parties disowned the government and demanded a fresh one.

But just after 1.00 a.m., the announcement --

MAHMOOD YAKUBU: CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMITTEE: Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected. Thank you.

MADOWO (voice-over): With nearly 8.8 million votes, the ruling party got about 36.6 percent of the total. But a win is a win.

BOLA AHMED TINUBU, NIGERIAN PRESIDENT ELECT: This is a serious mandate. I hereby accept it.

MADOWO (voice-over): Tinubu says the electoral ran a credible election and any lapses were few and, quote, "immaterial to affect the outcome." But a group of 70 Nigerian civil society groups disagrees, saying the process was not credible.

ENE OBI, CONVENER, NIGERIA CIVIL SOCIETY SITUATION ROOM: After this moment, the other chairman has not apologized to Nigerians, that he owes the Nigerians an apology.

MADOWO (voice-over): With the election over, it's back to the daily inconveniences of life in Nigeria. Like this one, queues outside ATMs that have become commonplace after the re-design of the naira (ph) that led to a cash storage. This is what some people voted for change in the country. They want a Nigeria that works.

It was the first Nigerian election without an incumbent or former military leader running.

UNKNOWN: I think was not the outcome Nigerians expected. It fell below expectations. INEC did not communicate. INEC failed its own rules and its own promises. Nigerians had high expectations that we would have a transparent process, because there's a lot of hope on technology.

MADOWO (voice-over): But Tinubu reporters are ecstatic.

UNKNOWN: Even before, I have already dreamt that he is going to become a president and my dream come true.

[03:40:03]

MADOWO (voice-over): If his win stands, Tinubu will take over in May.

(voice-over): congratulation notes from the United States and U.K are huge stamps of international approval. Legitimacy for Bola Tinubu, president elect, and for the election that the Independent National Electoral Commission reigned.

There are two major bodies then sister was a free, fair, incredible process, the people that ran the election and the people that want it, INEC and the APC, that is the ruling party, but there's a growing list of organizations, local and international, that are criticizing INEC for mismanaging this process that includes the political parties, the PDP and the Labour Party but also the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, Enough is Enough Nigeria, and lots of observer groups, including the European Union, the National Democratic Institute, and International Republican Institute.

So, it's gonna be hard for INEC and the APC to convince the Nigerian public of disfranchise that this was a legitimate election, and the winner is who represents the will of the people of Nigeria, Rosemary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Many thanks to our Larry Madowo for that report, joining us live from Lagos, appreciate it.

Anti-government protests in Israel intensify. Why demonstrators are so angry over plans to overhaul the country's judicial system? We'll take a look.

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[03:45:00]

CHURCH: Protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to weekend judiciary intensified on Wednesday with thousands gathering for nationwide day of disruption. In Tel Aviv, police clashed with demonstrators trying to block a major intersection. Authorities fired stun grenades in an effort to clear the crowds. A local hospital says at least 11 people were treated for injuries. And protesters surrounded the salon where the prime minister's wife was getting her hair done. She was eventually safely escorted out of the building by the police.

The death toll from last month's earthquake in Turkey and Syria has now risen to more than 51,000 people. Among the lives lost, a man who risked his life to smuggle out evidence of atrocities at the hands of the Syrian regime.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under the rubble of every building are stories of lives, of families, of dreams, all ended too soon. Here lived an unsung hero, a man who risked his life for justice for his Syria.

CNN met Mustafa (ph) in 2018 at Turkey's border with Syria while filming a report about as team's work. For his safety, we couldn't show his face. He was on one of many clandestine missions over the past decade to smuggle up evidence of atrocities committed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Mustafa (ph), a trained lawyer, was the deputy chief of the Syria investigation units at the nonprofit CIJA, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability.

NERMA JELACIC, DIRECTOR FOR MANAGEMENT AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS, CIJA: Mustafa (ph) was a man quite unlike any other I have met in the fieldwork, especially in Syria. He has been one of our first recruited investigators. They have secured over one million pages of documents produced by the regime itself, and that is something unheard of.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The troves of evidence secured by Mustafa played a key role in landmark trials, including the case in the U.S. of slain journalist Marie Colvin versus the Syrian-Arab republic.

JELACIC: Mustafa's contribution to accountability in Syria has already been enormous. He never lost sight of what it was all for. And despite all the hardships he and his family have been through, he never gave up, never lost hope, and he never lost track of why he was doing what he was doing.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Three years ago, Mustafa and his family had to leave their beloved homeland.

JELACIC: We help move Mustafa and his family into Turkey. Not only because the security threats that he had faced, but also because his daughter had a medical condition. Ironically, the effect that he lived in Turkey was supposed to mean some level of normalcy and hope and peace for his family, and it ended so tragically.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Mustafa, Rula (ph) and their children, Tala (ph), Hanin (ph), Mace (ph), and Ahmad (ph), were asleep in their apartment in a new high rise building in the Turkish city of Antakya when the earthquake struck. The family all perished, and with them, the dream of a new life they are planning in Europe. When I'm with them, there is no war, Mustafa would say.

Jomana karadsheh, CNN, Antakya, Turkey.

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CHURCH: And if you're looking on information on how to help earthquake survivors, go to CNN.com/impact and you'll find a list of organizations working on aid and relief efforts. And we'll be right back.

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UNKNOWN: Five, four, three, two, one, engine is full power, and lift off. (Inaudible) Go Dragon. Go Falcon.

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CHURCH: Right now, a four person crew is on its way to the International Space Station after a fiery nighttime launch into a clear Florida sky just a couple of hours ago. Two Americans, one Russian, and one UAE astronauts are inside a capsule called Endeavor. It is a big relief for NASA and SpaceX after Monday's launch attempt was scrubbed. The crew is scheduled to dock at the International Space Station in less than 24 hours. Fabulous.

Well, the man convicted of assassinating U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy will stay behind bars for at least three more years. On Wednesday, Sirhan Sirhan was denied parole for the 17th time by officials in California. The decision came more than a year after his parole was approved, but later revoked by the state's governor. Kennedy was shot and killed during his presidential campaign in Los Angeles in 1968.

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And Prince Harry and Meghan have been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their official U.K. residence. That is according to their spokesperson. No official reason was given, but it comes after those explosive revelations about the royal family in Prince Harry's memoir. And the "Sun" newspaper reports King Charles has offered the house to his brother, Prince Andrew. No comment from Buckingham Palace. Harry and Meghan have used the cottage sparingly since ditching their royal duties and moving to the United States in 2020.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster.

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