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Russian Forces Hammer Ukraine's Bakhmut In Quest For Breakthrough In War; Blinken Face-To-Face With Russian Counterpart At G20 Summit; Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty In The Murder Of His Wife And Son; Nigeria's Labor Party To Challenge Presidential Election Result in Court; Alarm Grows in Iran over Reports that Hundreds of Schoolgirls were Poisoned; Seven Hospitalized after Lufthansa Flight Hits Turbulence; Head-on Collision Investigation; South Korean PM Talks to CNN about Growing Challenges; North Korea Food Shortages; Greece Train Collision; Duke and Duchess of Sussex Asked to Vacate U.K. Home. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 03, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:12]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Wherever you are around the world, welcome to CNN Newsroom. Ahead this hour. End gain, a grilling almost nonstop Russian offensive on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Slowly overwhelming Ukrainian fighters and retreat may soon be their only option.
The world has been watching as G20 Foreign Ministers gather in New Delhi and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked briefly with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the first face-to- face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine.
And a murder conviction for Alex Murdaugh brings an annual once powerful family's influence in courtrooms and small towns across South Carolina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Russia's strange obsession with capturing what's left with the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut makes me be realized. For months Moscow has sent a staggering an ever increasing number of troops to die in this fight. Ukrainian fighters have managed to hold the lines, but military leaders say that's becoming increasingly difficult and a tactical retreat is on the table.
On the Russian side, much of the fighting in recent weeks has been done by mercenaries with a notorious Wagner Group. On Thursday, they released this video, apparently from Bakhmut raising their banner on top of the heavily damaged building.
Alongside the mercenaries, Ukrainian troops tell CNN they're facing at least two Russian paratrooper battalions. Ukrainian troops are now building new defensive lines West of Bakhmut and the reason why, a CNN team reporting from a neighboring town not far from Bakhmut, but the constant sound of Russian artillery fire throughout the entire day. CNN's Alex Marquardt has worn out reporting in from eastern Ukraine.
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ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In the fierce defensive Bakhmut, the neighboring town Chasiv Yar has become a busy thoroughfare. The main supply route for Ukrainian troops desperately hanging on to the eastern city.
MARQUARDT (on camera): Cars, military vehicles, bombing up and down this road going to and from the front. You see this armored vehicle right here. The V sign for victory. We are so close to the front that as one resident who is still here said you can walk to the Russian positions.
MARQUARDT (voiceover): In the town center we meet in artillery unit, they've been fighting for two months. Loud booms echoing every few seconds from their Ukrainian colleagues firing on Russian positions.
The problem is not just Russia taking Bakhmut, Potapek (ph) says. They will not stop and will keep destroying the next cities. We need to wait for reinforcements to come and then kick them out.
Whether Ukrainian reinforcements are indeed coming to save Bakhmut remains to be seen. But so far, there is no Ukrainian retreat. Military admits they're being battered by Wagner mercenaries that have made gains as they press ahead in and around the city.
Ferocious street-to-street fighting has left many dead on both sides, as the Wagner troops along with Russian soldiers tried to encircle Bakhmut. Chasiv Yar has been regularly hit in recent days as well. Now fresh trenches are being dug fighting positions that Ukraine may soon have to use.
Amid all the blasts, some pile into a van to evacuate, while others who feel they can't or simply won't leave, gather in the center, waiting at a bus stop for a water delivery, which never comes. Rockets are flying overhead from both sides, Valentina (ph) quietly tells us. Everywhere is covered with Grad rockets to house we want it to move into got bombed.
They walk away with piles of white tarp to protect their homes. They know the war is getting closer. But right now it's anyone's guess who will prevail in Bakhmut.
Nobody knows that, Nicola says, we will stand our ground defend every meter of our land. Alex Marquardt, CNN, Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: The White House is expected to announce another round of military aid to Ukraine in the coming hours. On the same day German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden.
The two leaders are expected to discuss a repeated request from the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for more powerful weapons. The new military aid from the U.S. though it's expected to mostly be munitions for weapons systems Ukraine already has, such as the high mount rocket system.
Brief meeting Thursday between the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lasted just 10 minutes but it's notable for being the highest level face to face contact between Moscow and Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine.
[01:05:10]
U.S. official says Blinken initiated the meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers gathering in New Delhi. Russian officials seem to brush off the meeting as insignificant, but Blinken says he delivered three key messages to the Kremlin. And the war returned to the New START nuclear treaty and release American Paul Whelan. CNN's Kylie Atwood has worn out on that brief one on one between Lavrov and Blinken.
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KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A surprise meeting on the sidelines of this week's biggest diplomatic gatherings.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I spoke briefly with Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov on the margins of our G20 meeting today.
ATWOOD: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov face to face for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago.
BLINKEN: We stand with Ukraine while it defends itself.
ATWOOD: Blinken reiterating the need for cooperation on nuclear arms control.
BLINKEN: I urged Russia to reverse its irresponsible decision and return to implementing the New START Treaty, which places verifiable limits on the nuclear arsenals of the United States to the Russian Federation.
ATWOOD: The two diplomats spoke for roughly 10 minutes and also discussed Americans citizen, Paul Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years,
BLINKEN: United States has put forward a serious proposal. Moscow should accept it.
ATWOOD: Once again, Blinken stressing the world is calling for peace in Ukraine.
BLINKEN: I told the foreign minister what I and so many others said last week at the United Nations and what so many G20 foreign minister said today and this war of aggression.
ATWOOD: The Russians downplayed the conversation as one that occurred on the go, tensions between the two countries have mounted over the last year.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): This is a place for frank dialogue for agreeing on approaches and so last year when the West sacrificed its own ambitions in Ukrainian affairs.
ATWOOD: Despite the high profile dialogue, a senior State Department official made it clear that it didn't represent a diplomatic breakthrough saying not to expect changes on the topics they covered in the near term,
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Russians may be trying to make some hay and to delve into some inside baseball or inside diplomacy. We're just not going to engage in that.
ATWOOD (on camera): Now Blinken and Lavrov have actually been in the same setting at the same time in multiple instances over the last year or so. And when asked about why the Secretary of State approached the Russian Foreign Minister now and not previously, State Department spokesperson only said that this was an opportunity to deliver a clear and direct message to the Russian Foreign Minister, but didn't really describe why he took advantage of this moment now, whereas he hadn't in the past. Kylie Atwood, CNN, State Department.
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VAUSE: Secretary Blinken also raised the issue of China potentially supplying Russia with lethal aid, which multiple U.S. officials have accused China of at least considering. Blinken call it a shared concern among the U.S. and its allies. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us live from Hong Kong with more on this.
It's interesting, you know, he met with Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines the G20, but did not meet with China's Foreign Minister on the sidelines.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, not at all. But still messages were conveyed back and forth in New Delhi between the U.S. and China. In fact, we heard from China and Qin Gang the foreign minister of China saying that China opposes pressure tactics and double standards in the back of what the U.S. Secretary of State said in New Delhi.
We once again heard from Antony Blinken, who once again expressed concern that China could possibly send lethal support to Russia. He made those comments directly to Wang Yi, China's top diplomat last week at the Munich Security Conference, and he issued the same concern again in New Delhi. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLINKEN: We're trying to engage in material lethal support for Russia's aggression. War were to engage in the systematic evasion of sanctions to help Russia that would be a serious problem for our countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU SOUT: Now China rather Blinken, he also warned China of consequences but did not articulate exactly what shape those consequences would take. Now, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang responded during his talks with the Russian Foreign Minister at the G20 in New Delhi, we have the statement for you and Qin Gang said this quote, Beijing supports a political resolution to the crisis in Ukraine and opposes any actions that amounted to adding fuel to the fire obstructing peace talks, double standards, as well as sanctions and pressuring tactics, unquote.
Now the diplomatic rift between China and the United States continues to deepen with the U.S. continuing to say that China is considering sending lethal aid to Russia. This is something that China has repeatedly denied. China has counter accused the U.S. of saying you've been pouring weapons into Ukraine. China says it is a neutral party even though it hasn't No Limits relationship with Russia.
China also hails its so called peace plan, a peace plan that doesn't even mention the fate of Crimea or the Donbas and a peace plan that was endorsed by the authoritarian leader of Belarus this week who is visiting Beijing but a peace plan that has been criticized widely by Western leaders.
[01:10:07]
Very little surprise at the end of the day at the end of this G0 Summit in New Delhi, there was no consensus statement that was reached when you had China and Russia refusing to condemn the Russian invasion. Back to you, John.
VAUSE: Yeah, just like the defense meeting of the G20 last month, no communicated the idea that no agreement there.
LU STOUT: Yes.
VAUSE: Kristie Lu Stout, thank you in Hong Kong, appreciate it.
LU STOUT: All right.
VAUSE: David Sanger is a CNN political and national security analyst as well as White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times. He's also the author of The Perfect Weapon. David, welcome back. Good to see you.
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to see you, John.
VAUSE: OK, so 10 minutes, that's all it was, but 10 minutes may not seem like a lot of time. But a lot can be said in 10 minutes. And the meeting was asked for by Blinken and agreed to by Lavrov. It seems like they talked about a lot more than Blinken and is willing to say. So given what we don't know exactly what was said, though, are we left with simply with the fact that the willingness of both sides to talk is the main positive to come out come out of all of this?
SANGER: Well, 10 minutes was Sergey Lavrov is somebody who's spent some time talking to him over the years can seem like a long time, particularly if he's in harangue mode. I don't know what Modi was in here. But the last time that Secretary Blinkin and Foreign Minister Lavrov met was about three or four weeks before the war started.
And it involves Mr. Blinken taking Mr. Lavrov side asking him what was really going on here since he knew that the Russians were going to invade. And Lavrov said no, no, there's going to be no invasion. This is all made up by the Americans. It's all disinformation.
So that wasn't really a good predicate to start this conversation on. But I think I know that Secretary Blinken was concerned that he's got to keep some lines of communication open, because sooner or later, we will get to the point where there may well be an effort to have a negotiated settlement of the Ukraine war. And when that moments comes, he's got to be able to talk to them.
VAUSE: Well, back in Washington, spokesperson for the State Department was playing down this first one on one meeting between the U.S. cabinet secretary and the country's most senior diplomat, and his direct Russian counterpart. Here's Ned Price.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRICE: This was not a bilateral meeting. This was not a protracted discussion between the two. This was a rather brief encounter, that the Secretary took advantage of to convey clearly and directly messages that are important to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: If that is true, I'm not sure that it is. But would this not have been a missed opportunity then to get some kind of substantive message to Moscow and to Putin?
SANGER: Well, they've had a couple of other forms of communication. The CIA director, Bill Burns, traveled a few months ago to see his Russian counterpart and deliver a message about what kind of price Russia would pay if they use a tactical nuclear weapon.
Mr. Lavrov is -- can be very helpful as a message carrier, but he's not much of a decider within the Russian hierarchy. In fact, we believe he did not know that the war was about to start until a few hours before it did.
VAUSE: Well here's the US Secretary State on part of his conversation with Sergey Lavrov. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLINKEN: I told the Foreign Minister, what I and so many others said last week at the United Nations and what so many G20 Foreign Minister said today and this war of aggression, engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce a just and durable peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Here's the thing, some not all G20 finance ministers are on the same page with the United States, your three or four others are not, which meant there was no communique from this G20 gathering, just like last month, there was no communique for the same reasons from a meeting of G20 Defense Minister. So, is this how systems and institutions end up sort of collapsing or just fading away?
SANGER: For something like this 20 different parties are almost too many, because this really involves at this point, Russia, Ukraine, and then, of course, the Western nations that are backing and arming Ukraine. You could argue that China might take a side view of all of this.
But the bottom line is that this was just an opportunity for Mr. Blinken to show that he could talk to the Russians and that they could talk back and then we can have a civil conversation. That doesn't necessarily mean it would be a useful conversation.
VAUSE: Good point. David, thanks so much. David Sanger there in Washington. Thank you, sir.
SANGER: Thank you.
VAUSE: Support for Ukraine will be the top of the agenda as the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen meets key allies in North America next week. She goes to Ottawa on Monday for talks with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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They will also address Canada's parliament. Von der Leyen heads to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday. Besides discussing Ukraine, there'll be other issues like climate change and securing supply chains for clean technology that's also on the schedule.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilty verdict. Verdict guilty. Verdict guilty. Verdict guilty.
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VAUSE: Disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty on two counts of murder for killing his wife Maggie and his son Paul. The jury deliberated less than three hours Thursday before returning their guilty verdict, which was welcomed by the lead prosecutor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CREIGHTON WATERS, LEAD PROSECUTOR: Justice was done today. It doesn't matter who your family is. It doesn't matter how much money you have or people think you have. It doesn't matter what you think how prominent you are. If you do wrong, if you break the law, if you murder, then justice will be done in South Carolina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The sentencing phase will begin Friday morning just a few hours from now, Murdaugh does not face the death penalty. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek life in prison without the possibility of parole. In a separate case many faces dozens of financial crime charges were reported clients, his former law firm as well as the government. CNN's Randi Kaye was there in Walterboro, South Carolina when the verdict came down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Almost six weeks of trial and 61 witnesses for the state in their main case and then 14 witnesses for the defense. It was certainly quite a trial here in Walterboro, South Carolina so much testimony but certainly a couple of things stood out both of them coming from Paul Murdaugh's cell phone.
One was the kennel video which put his father Randi Kaye at the time of the murders at those dog kennels on the property known as Moselle.
For many, many months, Alex Murdaugh said that he was not there earlier in the night with his family and only found them they're dead at the kennels and that's when he called 911. But at least 10 witnesses say they heard his voice on that video. And finally he took the stand and admitted being there.
There was also the video, the Snapchat video that Paul Murdaugh sent to friends on Snapchat at 7:56 p.m. and that showed him wearing showed Alex Murdaugh wearing long pants and a blue shirt. Later when he saw investigators who's wearing shorts and a white T-shirt. So of course the state said that he had washed up and change clothes after allegedly killing his family at the time.
Now we know that the jury has found him guilty of both of those murders. Randi Kaye, CNN, Walterboro, South Carolina.
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VAUSE: Short time ago I spoke with criminal defense attorney Sara Azari. We discussed the significance of the jury juries quick verdict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA AZARI, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What this very quick verdict tells me, John, is that this jury just couldn't get past the lie. The idea that Alex Murdaugh was at the kennels with his wife and son before the murders within, you know, five minutes or so according to the timeline of the state and then lied about it. And you know, what it also tells me is that the jury didn't really do an analysis of circumstantial evidence. You can't possibly put every piece of circumstantial evidence in this case within the instructions, and then come up with a verdict and two and a half hours. I think what happened here is that once Alex Murdaugh testified, this jury had made up its mind, and this was just a matter of taking votes today. I'm absolutely shocked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Coming up, with 37 percent of the vote, Nigeria has a new president elect, but the other candidates aren't conceding defeat, not yet at least, the latest in a moment.
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[01:21:00]
VAUSE: Nigeria's contested presidential election may soon be heading to court. The Election Commission declared the Bola Tinubu the winner on Sunday's election with 37 percent election -- with 37 percent of the vote. But Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi who finished second and third are both contesting the results and taking the issue to the highest court. They need to file those challenges they have 21 days to do so. But one thing is clear out of all of this, the new president has a lot of challenges in front of him as CNN's Stephanie Busari explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, AFRICA (voiceover): He's pledging to work together to rebuild a broken Nigeria. But the opposition says the presidential election that put Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a top job was rigged, and they intend to challenge the results in court.
Tinubu, who represents the ruling party APC got close to 8.8 million votes about 37 percent of the total. He claims Nigerians Election Commission ran a quote, credible election. But opposition says the results were quote, heavily doctored and manipulated. Amid reports of voter harassment, long delays and election officials who failed to show up at the polls.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But this election is already compromised.
BUSARI: There will also be outbreaks of violence in Tinubu's stronghold, Lagos and other parts of the country. If he survives the legal challenges, Tinubu will inherit Nigeria's plethora of economic and security problems.
BUSARI (on camera): This is Bourdillon Road in exclusive equity area of Lagos. It is also home to Nigeria's new president elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where he is known as a lion of Bourdillon or Jagaban, the warrior of worriers.
BUSARI (voiceover): A former governor, he is credited with pioneering reforms, which transformed Lagos State, now Nigeria's economic hub. Now 70, Tinubu has long been a power player behind the scenes. He helped bring outgoing President Buhari to power in 2015. He supporters call Tinubu a master strategist, and ling have a long game who has been planning his ascent to high office for years.
After decades as a political puppet master, Tinubu decided it was time to emerge from the shadows, even using it as his campaign slogan. It's my turn.
BOLA AHMED TINUBU, NIGERIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT: Nigeria, hear me loud and clear. The hope is here. The assurance is here. The security is here. The capacity is here.
BUSARI: Allegations of corruption dog Tinubu throughout the campaign, he denied them all. If he sworn in on May 29, Tinubu assumes control of Africa's most populous nation, which is deeply divided along ethnic, religious and now generational lines.
SYLVIA MMESOMA, STUDENT: Like I woke up this morning with the results have been announced and refused to take its way -- we Nigerians refused to take it because the rationale has been rigged already.
BUSARI: More than 93 million people were registered to vote in Nigeria's election. But turnout was only about 26 percent. One political analyst says democracy failed here. Because Nigerians apparently don't believe their votes can affect any real change as Tinubu joins a long line of old African leaders who many young people feel so out of touch with their generation.
Stephanie Busari, CNN, Lagos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Kingsley Moghalu ran for president in Nigeria's last election in 2019. He is now president of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation, a Washington based think tank. Welcome to CNN Newsroom.
KINGSLEY MOGHALU, PRESIDENT, INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: First up, I want you to listen to Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the election commission. And I think the outcome of the vote. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAHMOOD YAKABU, CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMISSION: Tinubu, Bola Ahmed of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winning, and is returned elected. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:25:17]
VAUSE: It's an open question right now if Tinubu met all the legal requirements, but the Independent Election Commission certainly did not, not only a requirement to publish results from all polling stations in real time, via a system of electronic transmission, are there a lot of excuses and reasons why that did not happen, but the law is explicit. So, if that is the grounds for any kind of legal challenge here, what are the chances that this result will be scrapped Nigerians will get to vote again?
MOGHALU: Well, we will have to see how the courts interpret that provision in terms of whether it's mandatory, or whether it's optional for the commission. So, you know, this is untested territory in a way, even though there are always are normally judicial challenges of electoral results in Nigeria after presidential elections, it's quite normal.
But, you know, there are some very unique issues here. One is that provision of the Electoral Act, which stipulates the process to get into the end game, and it appears that that process was not fully adhered to.
And also you have another element here, which is the presence of a strong, quote, unquote, third force, represented by liberal parties, Peter Obi, unsupported by millions of young people in Nigeria, who are, of course, deeply disappointed. Of course, Atiku Abubakar supporters are also disappointed. He represents a more traditional form of opposition. So, we will just have to see how it works out in court.
VAUSE: There were reports of violence at some polling stations with ballot stolen (INAUDIBLE) and others with so many people waiting overnight, how confident are you that if there is an investigation, they can establish the difference in the number of actual votes compared to the number that was published online? And will that be enough to pare back to news winning margin of 1.8 million votes?
MOGHALU: That's the big issue here. Whether there were operational failures or whether there was violence, there can be no doubt. These things were all captured on videos, you know. So -- and that's why so many Nigerians felt a bit let down by IMEC (ph), you know, the electoral umpire and the way it conducted the election.
So, you know, it's not a matter of facts and proven in court, whether or not these failures, you know, these voter suppression incidents materially affected the outcome in such a way that there might have been a different winner if that did not happen, or did not affect it to that extent.
VAUSE: Listen to the president elect, he is speaking on Thursday. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TINUBU: This is a serious mandates. I hereby accepted that I am profoundly humbled as you have elected me to serve.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Is this really a mandate if he was elected with the support of just 10 percent of all registered voters, or less than 30 percent of the voters actually went to the polls?
MOGHALU: Well, he will certainly regarded it as one to the extent that he was declared the winner by the official umpire, you know. Nigeria has had very low levels of voter turnout in elections, and it repeated itself in this election.
To my surprise, you know, that, you know, voter turnout was about 28 percent from what we hear. And in 2019, presidential election it was 34 percent, far of what we expecting, a far higher level of turnout. So, you know, yes, there are problems with democracy in Nigeria very clearly, you know, whether in terms of whether it's actually to what extent it represents the real will of the people, how many people participate, how fair is the process, and so on.
And we need to get beyond this kind of mess in my view, you know. Elections should not just be a ritual, you know. Electoral -- Elections should actually be representative and show through democracy. That's what I think. And that's what many Nigerians think, you know.
VAUSE: I would agree.
MOGHALU: Yes, absolutely. Yes. But certainly, you know, he has been declared the winner, and he will therefore, you know, see himself as having a mandate, however flawed, it might be.
VAUSE: Kingsley Moghalu, we'll leave it there. But thank you so much. We really appreciate your time. It's good to speak with you. Been really great to learn some of your experiences and insights into this election.
MOGHALU: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: Still to come in Iran. Hundreds of students have reportedly been poisoned in recent months. What Tehran is saying about it and why some believe female students are being targeted. What some of the astute into telling CNN, that's next.
[01:29:52]
Also ahead, severe turbulence turns a Lufthansa flight from Texas to Germany into a rollercoaster ride. At least that's how passengers describes the terrifying experience.
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VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. And you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, it could be described as a chemical or biological warfare aimed at terrorizing a wide section of the population. Hundreds of schoolgirls have been poisoned across Iran over the past few months. A member of Iran's parliament told the country's semi official news
agency that nearly 900 students have been poisoned, almost all of them at girls schools.
The U.S. is calling for accountability. And CNN has tracked down some of those who left (ph) sickened and CNN's Nima Elbagir has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Desperation and chaos gripping Iranian cities for months. Terrified parents watch helplessly as their children fall prey to mysterious ailments.
CNN communicates with witnesses and survivors of some of these incidents at mostly girls schools across the country.
It was a terrible situation. Girls have been falling on the floor and were crying. Some were unable to walk and really did not want to leave one another.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They would not let us go home. They forced us to stay inside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a bitter smell. There was a smell outside too. Then I felt sick.
ELBAGIR: Many of the students who spoke to CNN reported smelling noxious odors. This, as Iranian authorities' explanation has been shifting. But state media is now referring to the incidents as poisonings.
Some parents worry these are targeted attacks on girls, meant to prevent them from attending school. Many of the attacks have been in the religious heartland of Iran.
Yet, the minister of education has said that most of the cases were caused by rumor and there is no problem.
The reported poisonings began a month and a half after protests erupted across Iran led by women demonstrating against the country's repressive conduct and clothing laws.
CNN crossed reference local media reporting with testimony from victims and eyewitnesses to tally the number of incidents. State media have reported incidents at nearly 60 schools since late November.
CNN has spoken with eyewitnesses in dozens of these cases. In one school in the regime heartland of Qom, at least three incidents were reported to CNN, the latest this week.
[01:34:51]
ELBAGIR: And incidents continue to be reported into this week in the towns of Isfahan and Ardabil (ph) where medical sources tell us a student was admitted to the ICU suffering seizures after the latest incident. One of dozens who have been hospitalized. Another family joining the hundreds desperate for answers.
Nima Elbagir, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Not long after Lufthansa Flight 469 had taken off from Austin, Texas on route to Germany, at least seven people were badly hurt by some severe turbulence. They were taken to a hospital after the plane made an emergency landing at an airport in Alexandria, Virginia.
Camila Alves-McConaughey, model and wife of actor Matthew McConaughey was on the flight. She posted this video on Instagram to share the experience.
CNN's Pete Muntean reports on the dramatic scare in the sky.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: The in-flight thrashing came without warning. Wednesday night, German Airline Lufthansa Flight 469 was en route to Frankfurt from Austin, Texas.
Federal investigators say as the flight flew over Tennessee at an altitude of 37,000 feet, the crew reported encountering severe turbulence. The result, according to passengers, like unexpectedly free falling for five seconds off the top of a rollercoaster. Plates and glassware were up at the ceiling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An Airbus 330 15 miles east of Memphis reported severe turbulence flight level 370 plus or minus 400 feet.
MUNTEAN: The flight diverted to Washington-Dulles International Airport outside D.C. where first responders met the flight at the gate. The airport says in all, seven people were taken to nearby hospitals.
JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: It is a significant concern.
MUNTEAN: National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy says this is the latest incident of severe turbulence on board a commercial airliner.
In December, 25 people were injured when this Hawaiian Airlines flight encountered turbulence on descent into Honolulu.
HOMENDY: It's the most common issue experienced on airliners and it can be very dangerous especially if you're not belted in.
MUNTEAN: Lufthansa attributes the incident to clear air turbulence. The FAA says it occurs without visual cues to warn pilots of the hazard.
In a 115 page study of turbulence incidents on commercial airliners, NTSB findings were simple -- wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of serious injury. I HOMENDY: I Wouldn't be afraid. But at the same, time you do have to be
prepared For any type of injury and make sure you buckle up.
MUNTEAN: Like in the latest case, turbulence often comes with little or no warning. The NTSB says that between 2009 and 2018, the flight crew was taken by surprise 28 percent of the time. This is an especially big problem for flight attendants. The head of the NTSB says they are often the most at risk of getting hurt.
Pete Muntean, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The cross (ph) carriages and dozens have been killed and there are now so many questions about what went wrong. We'll have the very latest on the deadly head-on train collision in Greece.
[01:37:56]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Well, for South Korea, there is a growing list of international challenges its facing. To name a few, there's North Korea, hostile neighbor to the north with clear nuclear ambition. Then there's the spillover effect of the growing tensions between the U.S. and China and Taiwan.
Seoul has its own economic rivalry with Beijing which is also flexing its military might in the region. South Korea is among the world's top semiconductor makers at a time when the U.S. is trying to limit their sales to China.
CNN's Richard Quest spoke with South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck- Soo about all of these challenges. And he says China has changed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAN DUCK-SOO, SOUTH KOREAN PRIME MINISTER: China is not the country it used to be when they started the market opening and liberalization's in the economic policies.
China is a huge and important global player but maybe sometimes China is not compliant with that kind of, you know, expectation a lot of countries would like to have about China.
For example, we hope that China will be more aggressive and more active in reducing the tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR: Let's go to North Korea in our discussion. The President Trump years were, perhaps with hindsight, a little bizarre. So now how would you describe the relationship with North Korea.
HAN: You know, attempts by President Trump was rather new approach to North Korea. Top down I should say. And of course, we hope that it might work but it did not so well. So last year, with the new administration coming into power, we put a
lot of emphasis on building our deterrents capabilities in the right way. But we are not closing the dialogue channel for North Korea.
QUEST: How would you describe the current level of dialogue such as it may not exist?
HAN: Korea and our closest ally, the y, their policies have never changed at all. It's North Korea who should change. And we already made public and made an announcement on a new policy initiative. That means as long as North Korea's abstaining from their strong and ambitious nuclear ambition that's ok for the United States and for Korea to open our dialogue.
But up to now, it's quite a pity that North Korea has not responded in a quite, you know, desirable way.
QUEST: You are being, as one would expect, very diplomatic in this regard. Things are, I mean -- they're not staying the same, they're getting worse. In that regard, can you see a scenario where you would either want your own nuclear capability? Or you would want the United States to re-station nuclear capability here?
HAN: The survey in Korea definitely shows that we should re-arm ourselves. I mean we should, in nuclear capability terms, we should go further. I don't think it's the right way for us to do. We should work together with the international community including our close ally, the United States and possibly with Japan and other countries in the world.
So that we will put a lot of continuous pressure on North Korea to denuclearize. And we'd like to let North Korea know that developing and advancing nuclear capabilities will not guarantee the peace and prosperity in their country and also on the Korean peninsula and globally.
QUEST: You know, I was thinking just as we were discussing North Korea and nuclear weapons, the events in Ukraine where Putin is not even tactfully talking about nuclear, tactical nuclear weapons.
So now I ask, will you consider sending lethal weapons or lethal materials to Ukraine?
[01:44:55]
HAN: Not now I think. But we are quite supportive of Ukraine. This year, we decided that we will increase our support in the amount of $130 million U.S. dollars. And we are trying to support them in terms of electricity generation capability and so on.
But whether we will go into some lethal weapons support, we are not yet decided on that issue.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un has ordered a big increase in food production. According to state media, Kim issued the order at a party meeting on Wednesday amid concerns that many in the country will soon be facing shortages of basic food staples.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has details now reporting in from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Food insecurity has been an issue in North Korea for years. In fact the United Nations has given repeated warnings of a population that is largely malnourished.
But what is happening at the moment appears to be particularly dire.
Concerns about North Korea's food crises are growing. Reports from multiple sources say deaths due to starvation are likely.
LUCAS RENGIFO-KELLER, PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: Probably its worst point since the famine in the 1990s which killed 3 to 5 percent of the population.
HANCOCKS: Attention is being paid at the very top. North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un held a Workers Party meeting this week calling for fundamental change in farming and state economic plans.
But many say it is his regime, it's chronic mismanagement and isolation that has caused this crisis.
LINA YOON, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: We are really talking about three years of no imports of fertilizer. There's no imports of tools or components to fix the outdated machinery that they have.
HANCOCKS: An extensive shut down of borders to the COVID pandemic meant almost no food or aid was getting into the country. Only in recent months has minimal trade restarted with China.
South Korean officials said last month they believe deaths from starvation are occurring in certain areas though provided no evidence.
Its rural development agency estimates that the north's food production dropped only 4 percent last year from the year before.
KELLER: Food has dipped below the amount needed to satisfy the minimum human needs. And so as it stands, by that measure. Even if you distributed food perfectly equally which is totally inconceivable, you would have hunger-related deaths.
HANCOCKS: Speaking to South Korean foreign ministry last week, he said Pyongyang has to decide to help its own people.
PARK JIN, SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The only way that North Korea can get out of this trouble, is to come back to the dialogue table and accept our humanitarian offer to the north and make a better choice for the future.
HANCOCKS: The regime's focus remains on its nuclear and missile program. Seoul's ministry of unification says if Pyongyang had made the money spent on launching missiles last year for food, it could have brought 1 million tons, more than enough to cover the annual food shortage. But that he focus is unlikely to shift.
YOON: As time goes on, the capacity for North Koreans to endure hardship becomes harder and harder. The resilience runs out and, you know, their resources also decrease.
HANCOCKS: Kim Jong-un has said that the next few years will be crucial in trying to solve the farming crises. That is something that experts agree with.
However, he also said that North Korea needs to have tighter state control of agriculture. Many experts do not agree with that saying that a large part of the reason why North Korea is in this situation in the first place is years of economic mismanagement.
Paula Hancocks, CNN -- Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The official death toll in Greece after two trains collided continues to rise. 57 people are now confirmed dead. The Greek Federation of rail Workers has announced a 24-hour strike saying government disrespect for their industry caused the crash.
The federation says requests for more staff, better training, modern security systems were thrown to the bin. But the government blames the disaster on human error.
The accident happened not far from Larissa. The station manager, at a stop in that city, has been arrested. An audio recording of him speaking to one of the train drivers was released Thursday.
CNN's Nada Bashir reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wrangled metal, charred debris, the remnants of a disaster that could have been avoided. And now, this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Proceed through red traffic light. Exit until traffic light entry of (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I good to go?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Done. Have a good night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good trip.
[01:49:51]
BASHIR: An audio recording of the stationmaster in Larissa ordering one of the train drivers involved in the deadly collision to ignore a red light warning. The country's prime minister has described the collision as the
product of tragic human error. The stationmaster heard in that recording now detained. Charged with causing mass death and grievous bodily harm through negligence.
That negligence has, of course, come with devastating consequences. You can see behind me, the emergency response team still working to clear the wreckage, still working to try to recover bodies. But in the most tragic of cases, there is only DNA left to identify some of the victims.
And for those involved in the recovery efforts, it is a deeply difficult process.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Instead of saving lives, we have to recover bodies. It is not something we like. It is not something that we want to do. And it is something that will remain in our memories forever, as much as we try to get rid of it.
BASHIR: The tragedy has sparked anger across the country. Protesters seen here clashing with police officers in Athens. The country's transport minister has since tendered his resignation, conceding on Wednesday that the country's rail network is simply not up to the standard one would expect in the 21st century.
And as recovery efforts draw to a close, questions over accountability and frustration towards the government are only growing.
Nada Bashir, CNN -- in (INAUDIBLE) Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Angry protests descended into a physical fights in the Georgian parliament Thursday. Lawmakers were holding a hearing on the controversial foreign agents bill when members of the opposition and the ruling Dream Party started fighting. The ruling party backs the bill which would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from overseas to register as foreign agents.
Critics say that it is similar to a Russian law that has been used to crack down on civil society.
Protests have broken out across Serbia over the replacement of two deputy prosecutors investigating a state run energy company. Hundreds demonstrated peacefully in the capital of Belgrade. The prosecutors were looking into the misappropriation of more than $7 million from a state run utility.
Another prosecutor says the two were reassigned due to slow work and their own request. At least one demonstrator just didn't think that was true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANKO CEGI, PROTESTER: I came here to support these great prosecutors who had found courage and strength to fight against the problem that grips the society. And that is not only crime, but also corruption.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The protest comes as Serbia is seeking European Union membership and a provision of that is to try and end corruption and organized crime as best they can.
Still to come here, you can't go home as they say, and now Prince Harry and Meghan have found out firsthand after King Charles decide their home in England was actually no longer theirs.
Coming up, we'll have the latest on the royal round of this royal feud.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back everyone.
A live view there of the orbit around the earth of the International Space Station. The NASA-SpaceX capsule is going through the final process of docking at the ISS.
On board that capsule, two Americans, a Russian and an astronaut from the U.A.E. Now, they left the Kennedy Space Center about 24 hours ago.
[01:55:01]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- shortly. You are go to dock (INAUDIBLE) per procedure four (INAUDIBLE) 1-2 and we'll bring cameras external.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Looks like that has been done successfully. I said about 24 hour, they arrived about an hour early. The time had them arriving at the Space Station 25 hours after launch. So somehow they managed to get there an hour ahead of time.
This is the sixth manned trip to the International Space Station, the NASA's commercial crew program will be there for the next six months for science experiments, about 200 of them actually. They'll also do maintenance of the 20-year-old space station.
But there is another significant event coming up in April. That's when the Boeing Starliner will dock with the space station on its last certification before it can actually take manned flights into low earth orbit. That will be actually in April.
Football stars from around the world has raised millions of dollars to help victims of last month's devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Players and managers including Kylian Mbappe and (INAUDIBLE) And Michel Arteta (ph), I have no idea who they are. (INAUDIBLE)
In a single day they raised $44 million U.S. dollars, around 50,000 people though were killed in Turkey and Syria after the massive (INAUDIBLE) earthquake.
Ok. Well, there's more drama and a very public spat between the British royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple have lost their U.K. home. They were evicted by their dad, King Charles.
Max Foster has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: This story has been bubbling up all week ever since the "Sun Newspaper" headlined Harry and Meghan being evicted from Frogmore Cottage, a decision apparently made by the King after Harry published his memoir.
Prince Andrew, according to the Sun has been offered Frogmore instead. This was a cottage gifted to Harry and Meghan by the Queen. They have spent nearly $3 million renovating it. But in future, they won't be able to stay at it when they come to the U.K. or benefit from the security that comes with it.
The palace aren't saying anything about this. Only a royal source telling CNN that this is a private family matter. But Harry and Meghan have confirmed to CNN that it has been requested that they vacate the residences.
We'll have to see whether or not they come over to the U.K. in May for the king's coronation. The king's office, nor Harry and Megan's office have even confirmed that Harry and Meghan have received an invite.
Max Foster, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: I'm John Vause. More of CNN NEWSROOM after the break with Kim Brunhuber.
Have a great weekend.
[01:57:36]
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