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China Launches Three-Day Military Drills Around Taiwan; Jewish Priestly Blessing At Western Wall Passes Peacefully; 2 Bodies Found As Fire Burns In Collapsed Marseille Building; Pope Francis Prays For Ukrainian And Russians In Easter Address; Northern Ireland Marks 25 Years Since End Of Conflict; Macron: Europe Should Pursue its Own Policy over Taiwan; Imam Stabbed During Prayers in New Jersey; Nashville Council to Vote to Reinstate One Ousted Member; A Look at Garment Industry in Bangladesh; Landmark Cathedral Schedules to Reopen Next Year. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired April 10, 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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LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on CNN Newsroom. Tensions flare in the Taiwan Strait as Beijing wraps up three days of military exercises intended to send a clear warning to Taipei fleeing devastation and forced to choose. We hear from several people who fled the fighting in Ukraine and ended up in the Far Eastern reaches of Russia.
Plus, it was a piece that many thought impossible but now Northern Ireland marks 25 years since the landmark Good Friday Agreement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.
HARRAK: Beijing puts Taiwan on alert three days of military drills are coming to a close sending a warning about the islands growing ties with U.S. officials. State media says Chinese forces carried out to simulated precision attacks on Saturday. Well, this video from broadcaster CCTV was released on Sunday, though its location and shot date couldn't be verified.
Over the course of the weekend dozens of war planes have been detected over the Taiwan Strait with many crossing over into the islands air defense identification zone.
Let's get you the very latest now from CNN Beijing bureau chief Steven Jiang. Steven, a show of force but how does China's display of military power compared to the time when a former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Laila, very good question. It's worth noting in terms of scale and intensity it's certainly not reaching the level of what we saw last year when Nancy Pelosi went to Taiwan after that trip, as you alluded to. The Chinese military launched its biggest military drills around Taiwan in decades, firing missiles directly across the island and also, of course, practicing a mock blockade.
So, the relative restraint if you're well, this time, maybe due to the fact that the President's highest trip to the U.S., coinciding with several very important visits here in China. According to Atlas, the former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou was here in his party is considered to be pro-Beijing. And then of course, there is a Taiwanese presidential election going on next January. So the leadership here may be mindful of what they do here could backfire.
And then of course, French President Macron and the European Commission president von der Leyen, both here as well. The E.U. foreign policy chief is coming here this week. And Brazilian President Lula, not long after.
So the Chinese are increasingly trying to present themselves as this global hub for diplomacy and international peacemaker, especially on the heels of that deal they brokered between the Iranians and the Saudis. And of course, there were a lot of expectations in terms of what they could do on the war in Ukraine.
So they're aware of the optics and implications in terms of what they do on this front as well. But the worry here, of course, is even though the scale and intensity may not reach last years, the fact that the Chinese continue to normalize this kind of war games around Taiwan, and especially with their assets crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which had long been observed by both sides for decades, until very recently, there is this new potential element of instability and even danger as not just the Taiwanese but also Americans and their allies continued to send their warships and warplanes into this region to assert their claim and to assert their navigational and over flight that freedom and miscalculation, of course, could lead to real conflict and confrontation, especially potentially between the two superpowers of the world. Laila.
HARRAK: Steven Jiang reporting from Beijing, thank you, as always. And they tend to calm has fallen over Jerusalem, where thousands of worshippers gathered for one of the holiest times of the year, just days after violence erupted.
Jewish worshippers gathered at the Western Wall, where the traditional priestly blessing for Passover proceeded peacefully. Israeli police boosted forces ahead of the prayers and other religious events, including Easter mass.
At the same time, Muslims gathered at the Al Aqsa Mosque for prayers and with the holy month of Ramadan. Tensions there remain heightened nearly a week after Israeli forces stormed one of Islam's holiest sites.
[01:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RON DERMER, ISRAELI MINISTER OF STRATEGIC AFFAIRS: It is the last thing we want to do but we also have responsibility to protect our civilians, to protect Muslim worshippers, to protect Jews and non-Jews who go to the Temple Mount which is part of the status quo. We cannot allow those violent young men who are masked and were armed to perpetrate those attacks because then you'll have a situation that will be infinitely worse than the pictures that you saw on Wednesday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: And here are those pictures, Israel claims its forces were forced to go into the mosque because hundreds of rioters had barricaded themselves inside. While meantime, in the occupied West Bank, a funeral was held for two British Israeli sisters killed amid rising tensions in the region. They died in a shooting attack on Friday. Their mother remains hospitalized in critical condition. The family spoke about the young lives lost.
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KAREN DEE, SISTER OF VICTIMES (through translator): Maya, I don't even know where to start. I can't believe that happened. You were my entire world, my best friend, my older sister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: And a funeral was also held for a Palestinian man shot and killed by Israeli forces. The Palestinian health ministry says the incident happened during a confrontation between soldiers and a group of Palestinians in an occupied West Bank town. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is following developments as tensions flare in the region and has worn out from Jerusalem.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, situation here certainly remains very volatile and very tense as the Israel Defense Forces say that several rockets were fired on Sunday morning from Syrian territory toward the Golan Heights, which is of course held by the Israelis.
Now Israeli state in total, six rockets were fired. They say that one impacted they were able to intercept one. They then in return bombed Syrian territory and installations of the Syrian military including radar installations. The Israelis are saying that they use drones for that but also fighter aircraft as well.
The Israelis are saying that they are going to hold the Syrian government and the Syrian military accountable for any attacks originating from Syrian territory coming towards Israel -- Israeli territory or Israeli held territory. But at the same time, this is of course grave cause for concern.
For the Israelis, they've had rockets launched at Israel from Lebanese territory. They've also have rocket launchers also coming from Gaza as well. So this now seemingly possibly another front that Israel certainly needs to worry about.
The same time the strategic affairs minister of this country, he told CNN that Israel's enemies as he put it should not underestimate this country, despite the fact that there are political divisions.
DERMER: I think that Israel's internal divisions have been misinterpreted. This is why I caught -- talked about Iran, misinterpreted by our enemies. And maybe they think this is a time to attack Israel. Believe me, Israel will stand united and will defend itself against that aggression. I have no doubt that we will stand together and confront anyone who tries to endanger our country and endanger our civilians.
PLEITGEN: The same time a funeral was held for two sisters who were killed when their car was shot out and then later crash that obviously an extremely emotional event for their family. A bit more of a positive picture here in Jerusalem where prayers on the Temple Mount by Jews happened without any sort of incidence. Also, prayers near the Al Aqsa Mosque also happened without any sort of major incidents. That certainly is a positive development. But at the same time the Israelis are saying they are of course very, very careful at this point. And again, the situation you're extremely tense. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Jerusalem.
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HARRAK: Well now to Ukraine where at least two people are dead after Russian strikes hit the city of Zaporizhzhia. Officials say the rockets ripped through this residential building early on Sunday killing a 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter, who's managed to rescue a third person from the rubble. In his nightly address Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy again accused Russia of terrorism for carrying out the attack on orthodox Palm Sunday.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is how the terrorist state is spending this Palm Sunday. This is how Russia is further isolating itself from the world from humanity. Every holy Christian holiday teaches us that although we may not know how we can be sure that evil will lose.
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HARRAK: A military spokesperson says Ukrainian forces are still holding their positions in Bakhmut, despite difficulties. Well, he also said that Wagner fighters have been the most aggressive in the Bakhmut direction, but Ukraine is still supplying ammunition, food and supplies to its troops in the area and even actuating the wounded.
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Meanwhile, as soldier on leave describe the fighting as hell in Bakhmut. He also noted that Russia has the advantage in numbers and ammunition and that the enemy artillery is shooting non-stop. Well, since the onset of the war, Russia has been sending Ukrainians caught in the crossfire to its far east in remote villages much closer to Alaska than the frontlines.
Ukraine claims many of these cases are forced deportations, while Russia says it's a humanitarian effort. Over the course of several months, CNN has made contact with Ukrainians who ended up in a town by the sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. They describe to CNN how they got there and how they're selling it and why many say they're unlikely to go home. Scott McLean reports.
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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In the chaos of battle in Mariupol, in eastern Ukraine, the civilians caught in the crossfire had few good options. They could either escape to Russia or take their chances as the war intensified. Many of those who fled toward Russia were encouraged to live and work in the Far East, from Rostov, a 4,000 mile train journey to the edge of Siberia and a town just a stone's throw from North Korea. These are some of the first arrival stepping off government charter trains a year ago.
MCLEAN (on camera): Why does Russia want those people there?
NATHANIEL RAYMOND, YALE UNIVERSITY HUMANITARIAN RESEARCH LAB: That's a great question. One is a propaganda benefit, positioning these people as somehow willingly seeking citizenship in Russia. The second benefit is that Russia simply needs bodies in many parts of the country. They don't have enough citizens to make those municipalities function.
MCLEAN: This hotel in the coastal town of Vrangel (ph) was where new arrivals were put up at first. CNN reached several of them through a Telegram group chat run by local volunteers, keeping a log of resident requests from baby food and toys to medicine.
Anyone dissatisfied with their stay is told sarcastically to take their complaints to Moscow, the Kremlin, Putin.
The Russian government has long been eager to populate its resource rich Far East and the state has tried several experiments to attract settlers, including those from ex-Soviet states. It now promises fleeing Ukrainians cash, housing assistance, citizenship, and even free land. Though two people told CNN they were struggling to get the rent reimbursement they say the government had promised. Natalia (ph) was struggling to find any housing at all. Hardly enthused by her new reality.
NATALIA, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE (through translator): Nothing's changed except the place. But I no longer have a job that I love and a home that I love.
MCLEAN: New arrivals quickly had their Ukrainian passport swapped for Russian ones, Natalia figures she can't go back.
NATALIA (through translator): Because we are criminals there, because those who left for Russia are immediately considered criminals by the Ukrainian authorities. So I'm forbidden to go there.
RAYMOND: At this point, the absence of clarity is the biggest problem. There is, understandably within Ukraine, absolute outrage against those who are perceived as collaborators. But the fact of the matter is that we are dealing here with the civilian population that was seeking refuge in a time of war.
MCLEAN: Under the terms of Russia's relocation program, that Ukrainians are required to stay for at least three years. One woman Marina told CNN that after that, we will see it depends on the job and material well-being. So far, it's not very easy. Another Valeria said, plainly that her family will stay in Russia, and I don't even want to think about Ukraine.
In a statement, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office told CNN that safety and security of Ukrainian citizens is a major priority, and that for many the only safe passage was through Russia. Of course, they are not considered collaborators. They need to get to a third country and address a local Ukrainian consulate. It will issue them Ukrainian documents to return to Ukraine.
But for those who remain in Russia long term, the future is less clear. By Ukrainian law people who publicly deny occupation, or who call for support for Russian actions are considered collaborators. International law prohibits forcible transfers of people. Russia says more than 5 million Ukrainians have arrived in Russia since the full scale war began. And while Ukraine says many were forcibly deported, some like Oksana (ph) said they went willingly.
OKSANA, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE (through translator): We were saving our own lives.
MCLEAN: Though they had few other options. Scott McLean, CNN, London.
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HARRAK: Rescue workers in France have uncovered two bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building. It happened in Marseille shortly after midnight Sunday. The mayor says a violent explosion shook the building and it then collapsed. Eight people were reported missing but it's not clear if that includes the two bodies that have been found. The local prosecutor says investigators are looking into whether a gas leak caused a disaster.
And also in France, at least four people have been killed by an avalanche near Mont Blanc. This video was captured from a nearby ski resorts and in addition to those killed, the interior minister tweeted that several others have been injured. Officials say two more people are missing, but eight others escaped unharmed. Two of those who died were mountain guides.
Still ahead, as Christians observed their holiest day of the year, Pope Francis had a special message for countries in conflict details on his Easter address. And the fear of extreme violence is long gone. But tensions still simmer 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement that ended Northern Ireland's troubles. We'll have the view from Belfast. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRAK: Easter mass at the Vatican on Sunday Pope Francis had a message of hope and peace as he addressed tens of thousands of faithful at St. Peter's Square. The pontiff who is still recovering from bronchitis prayed for the people of both Ukraine and Russia. He also called for a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. CNN's Delia Gallagher has more now on the Pope's address.
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DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Pope Francis in good spirits on a beautiful Easter morning in Rome. The Vatican says 100,000 People in St Peter's Square in the surrounding streets for Easter mass and for the Pope's Easter address aftermath. The Urbi et Orbi to the city and to the world which he gives from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope spoke about various countries around the world in conflict. He said help the beloved people of Ukraine on their journey towards peace and shed the light of Easter on the people of Russia.
The Pope asked that prisoners be returned to their families and that comfort be given to those who have lost loved ones during the war.
The Pope also expressed he said his deep concern for the conflicts in recent days in Jerusalem. He asked for a return to dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. Francis also mentioned conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, the Rohingya in Myanmar, and various African countries in including South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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So the 86-year-old pontiff, while he still has mobility issues, he has been moving around in a wheelchair he cannot stand for long periods of time, has had a strong voice during the events of this Holy Week here at the Vatican, and seems to have successfully recovered from his bout with bronchitis last week. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.
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HARRAK: U.S. President Joe Biden is heading to Northern Ireland this week to help mark a historic anniversary. It was 25 years ago Monday there Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland's political factions came to a meeting of the minds to end 30 years of deadly violence known as the troubles but that landmark accord is in trouble even now as the power sharing system of government it created is failing over a Brexit disagreement.
So there is intense security around Mr. Biden's visit and as CNN's Nic Robertson reports from Belfast. Much of the resentment that rage during the troubles still simmers deep below the surface.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voiceover): Erin McArdle is a peace baby. The first Catholic born minutes after Northern Ireland's 1998 Good Friday peace agreement was signed.
ERIN MCARDLE, NORTHERN IRISH "PEACE BABY": It's really special. It's something that I'm very proud of.
ROBERTSON: putting an end to decades of bloodshed. Her mother Hoping Aaron (ph) wouldn't face the dangers notice the troubles as she did.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were still very skeptical. Well, this work.
MCARDLE: They only stayed about home just because of the bombings and the shootings and that. So, I think yes, for me personally, the Good Friday Agreement has made my life very happy and very safe.
ROBERTSON (on camera): This is where the deal was signed. I was outside that night the ground was freezing underfoot. But inside here the mood thought former U.S. Senator George Mitchell sent over by President Bill Clinton did what have been impossible for 30 years. With more than 3,000 lives lost, he negotiated a peaceful end to the sectarian bloodletting.
So what does it mean to you that your father used to paint murals like these here?
JOE KEYS, POLITICAL ACTIVIST: I think it's great like it kind of in a way let some love forever.
ROBERTSON: Joe Keys is another peace baby. A Protestant.
Has the Good Friday Belfast agreement delivered for you?
KEYS: I don't think so. Got the Good Friday Agreement that was took away the bombs and bullets but it did nothing. They address people's mindsets.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): Despite helping the economy. The Good Friday peace agreement has so far struggled to shift historic divisions, Protestant, tending to be pro-British and some Catholics aspirations for a united Ireland.
KEYS: What peace kind of looks like nowadays is oh and Protestant. I've got Catholic friends, but we just don't talk about that stuff. And that's peace. But I think that's pseudo peace. That's false peace. We should be able to have strong conversations with each other.
ROBERTSON (on camera): But so many barriers to conversation remain, most schools are still segregated and remarkably, these peace walls are not only still here, they're taller and longer than they were before the peace deal. Real tensions exist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For one character here she could have been nor could have been different situation. We've got to lost our daughter like you know what I mean?
ROBERSTON: In Dari 12-year-old Ella McClay (ph), a Protestant school girl tells us how a group of Catholic children beat her up.
ELLA MCCLAY (PH), PROTESTANT SCHOOL GIRL: I got cornered and they were like you're (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTSON: You're Protestant that's what they were saying.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): The video her parents share with us is brutal. Police say they're investigating the incident as a sectarian attack, a shocking reminder of life before the peace deal. There are other reminders too, these marches coming out to support a group that police believe tried to kill one of their officers in February.
Parading through Belfast, just days ahead of President Joe Biden's visit, hardline groups that rejected the Good Friday Agreement haven't gone away.
ROBERTSON (on camera): It's because of groups like this one that the British government has recently raised its terror threat level here in Northern Ireland from substantial to severe from a threat likely to a threat highly likely. So Erin, and most people hear despite imperfections Northern Ireland's cup is more than half full.
MCARDLE: I'm happy here. So I'd like to stand over there and plays.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): Nic Robertson, CNN, Belfast Northern, Ireland.
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HARRAK: Liam Kennedy is a professor of American Studies at the University College Dublin and he joins us now via Skype from Donegal, Ireland. Sir, so good to have you with us. Welcome. The Good Friday Agreement is now a quarter of a century old. How's it holding up from your vantage point?
LIAM KENNEDY, PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN: I think it's holding up fairly well. I think that Nic Robinson's report gets at a bite right. On the one hand, we have a peace agreement that is significant, historically significant for the island, I think internationally significant, not least for the United States took a strong role in helping to create.
It's significant because it brought to an end 30 years of political violence. That's no small thing. I grew up in the province. I recall that violence in my younger years. I don't want to go back to it. I don't think anyone in Northern Ireland wants to go back to it.
But as Nic's report also pointed out, there's a lot of tensions remaining, because the Good Friday Agreement did bring violence to an end, but it didn't really bring people together. And there's lots of issues still simmering there that need dealing with.
HARRAK: Well, let's talk about one in terms of Brexit, what kind of impact has Brexit had on the situation in Northern Ireland?
KENNEDY: It's inflamed the differences in very interesting words. The majority of people in Northern Ireland did not vote for Brexit, which I think is interesting to begin with. But Brexit made Northern Ireland something of a political football, because when the United Kingdom decided it wanted to leave the EU, it meant that the border between the north of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland became a very hot political issue. And this brought to the fore many of those tensions that I've been talking about. And those have not disappeared at this stage.
So if we think about the Good Friday Agreement, one of the important things that it did is it instituted a -- an executive of power sharing in Belfast, it's called Stormont. But that executive, which brings together the major parties to share power, is not sitting, and it's not sitting largely because of Brexit. So, what we have here is a situation in which the Good Friday Agreement is being sorely tested by Brexit.
HARRAK: So are they being tested by Brexit? I mean, would you say that that is the biggest risk to the agreement right now?
KENNEDY: Yes, or no. Yes, in that we don't, I think -- I don't think we've quite reached the end of this test. But we've gone through a very important stage, which shows some promise. That is to say in recent weeks, the U.K. government has renegotiated aspects of Brexit with the EU. And this is called a Windsor framework. And this is looking like something that could begin to settle some of the differences.
Now the major Unionist Party, the DUP, has not yet accepted everything in that new deal. But crucially, the majority in Westminster has Prime Minister Sunak has got his party behind him in this. And I think that this is something that does point a way forward.
I also think this is very much linked to the visit of President Biden. He was invited to visit Northern Ireland by Prime Minister Sunak to mark the 25th anniversary of the agreement. If this deal had not recently gone through, I'm not sure if President Biden would be turning up in Northern Ireland this week.
HARRAK: Let's talk a little bit more about that. I mean, you referenced already the role that the United States played in the Irish peace process. Talk to us about America's deep connection with Ireland and the situation in Northern Ireland.
KENNEDY: Well, that's a very deep historical connection, I won't go back all the way. But as the folks in the United States might know, there is a very powerful historical connection. And it's visible to people in the United States, where I don't think you're going to walk very far in the U.S. without bumping into an American of Irish descent.
At your last national census in the United States, over 30 million people tick the Irish heritage box. So there's a strong historical connection, but bringing it forward. I think that's been important in other ways, it's important politically, it's important diplomatically.
So if you look back to the beginnings of the so called Troubles in Northern Ireland, the 1960s, all the way through to the conclusion, the United States began to take a very important interest in that. And once they had done so, I think it really broke open that issue, which had been in deadlock for so long.
Now, it was the Clinton administration in the 1990s, who really made a key difference by stepping out to take some chances and some risks with their diplomacy, the relationship with the United States, and I think that really paired off with the Good Friday Agreement.
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LIAM KENNEDY, PROFESSOR OF AMERICNA STUDIES, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN: But just as importantly, we have found that successive U.S. governments have remained on site to see this agreement through.
And so you have had, and I think this is quite important, you've had both Republican and Democratic presidencies and congress people very much in support of the Irish peace process. It's a very bipartisan support from the United States. And I think that says a lot about the relationship between the U.S. and Ireland.
LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: And all eyes will now be on President Biden, who of course, is probably Irish American, visiting Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday mark.
Liam Kennedy, thank you so much for coming on. Greatly appreciate it.
And still to come, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a third path when talking about Taiwan. Is it all in an effort to save face with Beijing? We'll discuss.
Plus a council in Tennessee will soon vote on whether to reinstate expelled former Representative Justin Jones. We'll have the details as his political fate hangs in the balance.
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HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak, and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
More now on our top story.
China's People's Liberation Army has been conducting its third day of military drills in the waters and skies around Taiwan. State media says they focused Monday on practicing maritime blockades and ambush assaults on enemy vessels.
The drills began a day after Taiwan's president returned from a trip to visit officials in the U.S. and Central America, a move that angered Beijing.
Meanwhile, the French president says Europe should forge its own path and not follow the U.S. or China on Taiwan. President Emmanuel Macron returned from a three day trip to China last week. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to solidify relations with Beijing amid global sanctions and growing economic uncertainty.
While speaking with Politico, the president said quote, "The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction."
Well, for more on this, I'm now joined by Dominic Thomas, CNN European affairs commentator, and he joins me now live from Los Angeles. So good to have you with us, Dominic.
This interview has raised a lot of eyebrows. What does President Macron mean by quote "the great risk facing Europe".
DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes well, it was. It was surprising. Emmanuel Macron as we know is facing all kinds of problems, domestically. And here on the international stage when normally he enjoys very solid favorability on ratings, has made some comments that are going to be very difficult for him to walk back.
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THOMAS: So he's just spent some time in China on an official and state visit and has expressed concern over escalating tensions between China and the United States particularly over the question of Taiwan.
And sees himself yet again on the international stage as a potential broker in this dynamic and in a sort of in a serious concern about what escalation could mean.
I think, what will be disturbing and of great concern and to United States over this is the sort of the inconsistency of Emmanuel Macron here, who let's not forget barely four months ago, was on an official state visit to the United States, invited by President Biden.
And then I think that the American administration is going to feel slighted here that there are very real concerns and with the ways in which China is behaving internationally, in the political sphere, in the economic sphere and not being heard by their longest ally, historic ally France here.
And so I think that this story is just really getting going, Laila.
HARRAK: It's just getting going.
I mean, recently U.S. intelligence leaders declared China the most consequential threat to the U.S. How does the E.U. define its ties with Beijing. Do they see them as rivals or as economic partners?
THOMAS: Well, this is what's so, so staggering is that, of course, we know that that Atlantic order Emmanuel Macron is referring to and talking about greater autonomy of Europe fits into one of his priorities, which is strategic and autonomy for Europe -- for the European Union.
Now, of course, when he travels to China, he was with the president of the commission there, Ursula Von Der Leyen, but nevertheless when he speaks, he does not speak for the European Union.
So he has his own trade interests. He has this goal of strategic autonomy. The problem is that even though the Atlantic alliance was weakened, let's say by Brexit, or by the Trump presidency, where the kind of multilateral order took a significant and beating because Trump, of course, was undermining this, under the Biden presidency, work and collaboration around NATO, around the question on Ukraine in security and to Europe and to the European Union has been significant. And I think this will be disturbing.
Where the concern will come up is that the European Union's goal or at least Emmanuel Macron's goal of strategic autonomy seems to be a kind of fitting in with China's foreign policy objectives, which is, of course to weaken the United States and to create divisions between the European Union and the United States. It's concerned about the United States goal of kind of economic decoupling as they call it from China, and it's eager to maintain those very close ties with the European Union because, of course, the European Union and China, our major trading partners, and if the China is going to be weakened by the U.S. goals, then maintaining this European Union and loyalty is incredibly important, Laila.
HARRAK: Well, that means -- that leaves the Europeans between a rock and a hard place to just put it very simplistically. I mean is their position tenable where they're trying to maintain economic interests with China, but at the same time, you know their ally, the United States. I mean, is that position tenable.
THOMAS: I think it's incredibly confusing and Emmanuel Macron is going to have difficulty on walking this back. We see him having had problems with consultation in France over pension reform. And I think in this particular case he has spoken in a way that is not respectful of his Atlantic and allies, particularly since they've been collaborating so well over the past few years over very important issues.
There will be perceived to be a kind of hypocrisy here in the terms of how they have dealt with the Russian Federation. And how Emmanuel Macron nevertheless seems so open to China.
And the fact that United States will feel that it's very real concerns over Taiwan, over democracy, over technology and intellectual property theft. The recent scandal over spy balloons is that they are being ignored by some of their most important international allies.
And so this has the feeling of the kind of diplomatic crisis that is going to be very difficult as I said for Emmanuel Macron to explain what it is that he is doing here, especially since these comments come on the heels of a state visit to China, where he seemed to have been seduced by these foreign policy talking points.
HARRAK: Dominic Thomas, as always, thank you so much.
A shocking attack in New Jersey during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. An imam was stabbed while leading prayers Sunday morning at a mosque in the city of Paterson. The attacker then tried to run away, but worshippers caught him and held him down until police arrived.
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HARRAK: The mayor of Paterson says people should still feel safe while worshiping in his city.
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MAYOR ANDRE SAYEGH, PATERSON, NEW JERSEY: This is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar year, and we want to make sure that the safety of those that are just coming to pray is a priority for us, and that we take this situation very seriously and want to let anyone who's coming to worship know that they can do this in peace without any fear of being attacked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: The imam is now in stable condition. The suspect was not recognized by those in the congregation. So far, no word on a motive.
Officials in Nashville, Tennessee are -- Tennessee rather -- are set to determine the fate of expelled Democratic state lawmaker Justin Jones. In the coming hours, the Nashville Metro Council will vote on whether to reinstate him back into the state's house of representatives.
Jones was one of two black lawmakers expelled by a Republican supermajority last week for taking part in a gun reform protest on the house floor. A third member who was white was spared. Several lawmakers have condemned their expulsion.
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JEFF SYRACUSE, MEMBER, TENNESSEE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL: Quorum was broken for sure, but it was an egregious act to actually expel him and Justin Pearson from the legislature. That was -- that action did not meet the transgression that that occurred which was a breach of decorum. No Tennessee elected official has ever been expelled for just breaking decorum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Meanwhile, county officials will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to reinstate the other expelled lawmaker Justin Pearson.
CNN's Isabel Rosales has more.
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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Monday evening, the Metropolitan Council here right behind me in Nashville will decide the political future of ousted lawmaker former representative Justin Jones. They are set to not only vote to appoint him but also vote to suspend a council rule that prohibits an appointment and a nomination from happening during the same meeting.
If they're successful with that, then they will go ahead and appoint him to his former seat as an interim successor. They will need a supermajority for that. That's 27 council members to vote for that.
We've also heard from a councilman Jeff Syracuse that they have not received any threats here of any sort of political retribution for reappointing Justin Jones back to his seat.
Meanwhile when it comes to Justin Pearson, the other ousted lawmaker, he delivered a powerful sermon on Easter Sunday.
Take a listen.
JUSTIN PEARSON (D), EXPELLED TENNESSEE STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Resurrection is always promised. Let them beat you. Let them lecture. Let them expel. Let them kick out. Let them do what they must. There's a promise that Sunday's resurrection is on the way.
ROSALES: And when it comes to Pearson's vacancy that is entirely up to the Shelby County board of commissioners. We're told by the chairman that they are not planning to discuss Pearson's situation up until their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday. And even then it's unclear when they will schedule a special meeting to address that open seat.
We are also seeing on social media organizers -- Nashvilleans right here organizing a day of action so they will meet here before city council to rally and then after that city council meeting, they will go over and march to the state capitol.
Isabel Rosales, CNN -- Nashville, Tennessee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Coming up, the garment industry in Bangladesh is exploding. We'll go inside one of the country's largest clothing manufacturers to see why they are seeing so much growth.
[01:43:41]
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HARRAK: When you're shopping for clothes, you might be seeing the label "made in Bangladesh" more and more. The garment industry there is growing strongly. Woven garment exports were up 12 percent over the last nine months compared to the previous year.
CNN's Richard Quest was in Bangladesh recently and spoke to the head of one of the country's largest clothing manufacturers.
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RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR: When Salman Rahman co-founded Beximco in the 1970s, the country of Bangladesh was in its infancy. Fresh off a brutal war for independence, the new government faced daunting economic challenges.
Now the country's economy has grown and so has its biggest company. Do you ever get overawed by the sheer -- the poverty that we can see. I mean it's just so extraordinary the amount, even though it's got a lot better.
SALMAN RAHMAN, CO-FOUNDER, BEXIMCO: No but I don't agree with you, Richard.
(INAUDIBLE) poverty over here. This is all the progress. This is prosperity.
QUEST: Beximco brings in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year. The interests are as varied as energy, financial services, pharmaceuticals and, of course, the rock solid textiles.
Rahman went from being an entrepreneur to a cabinet minister and advisor to the prime minister. Rahman invited me on a helicopter tour to see the origins of made in Bangladesh.
How do you make a product that doesn't have a hole in it.
RAHMAN: It won't sell.
QUEST: The facility employs tens of thousands of people, spinning yarn, weaving fabric, making denim. It is state of the art.
And Rahman told me the supplies come in from all over the world.
RAHMAN: The United States, the Middle East India, Egypt.
QUEST: That cotton can cross the Atlantic several times.
RAHMAN: Absolutely so we start with a bale of cotton. We end up with a shirt.
QUEST: Made in Bangladesh.
SYED NAVED HUSAIN, CEO, BEXIMCO: Basically it starts at the catwalks of Paris and Milan. And you and I and everyone else actually have enough clothes. So you know why do you need to buy more clothes? So fashion is really a conspiracy to make us make our closets obsolete.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's sort of comical. How do you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.
HUSAIN: It tells you that unless you come and spend more money you're not in sync. And you're out of debt.
QUEST: You're just you're just arguing against your own business here.
HUSAIN: No, no, no, I'm arguing in favor of my business in the sense that if that conspiracy was not there then we will not have a business.
QUEST: Question. The garment, the t-shirt that is sold for $6 - $7, 4 - 5 euros, 5 pounds. I mean, how do you make any money out of that by the time it gets to Europe or the U.S.
RAHMAN: It's very, very difficult because when we were negotiating with the buyers you know, it's like, Navid (ph) said. It's like an ant on an elephant's trunk. QUEST: So do you have power with the big buyers? The warm up, the
prime marks, do you have power?
HUSAIN: You know, you take Walmart $500 million gorilla. And he is in a position to bully companies like Procter and Gamble. Relatively when he rounds off his balance sheet, many Beximco clothes disappear.
[01:49:48]
HUSAIN: But we still have power because he needs compliance. He needs beautiful product. And we tried and we need the scale to pay 40,000 workers, so we have the efficiency of scale.
QUEST: The question of compliance took on greater importance 10 years ago. After the Rana Plaza disaster, where more than a thousand people died when a nine story factory collapsed in Dhaka.
Only months before a fire killed 100 workers in the Tauzin fashions clothing factory nearby. And the back to back disasters sparked international outcry about working conditions.
The Bangladeshi government promised to improve factories. And now, Husain says the buyers put major pressure on them to ensure safe conditions for workers.
How do I know that the moment I leave all the good work compliance is just going to go out the window. Nobody's looking, back hangers can be paid, who's protecting it?
HUSAIN: Number one --
RAHMAN: Very good question. The protection is coming from the buyers. So you remember that after the building collapse in Bangladesh, which everybody talks about, the big fire -- the industry got together, the government got together, the buyers got together and the brands got together and we put in a lot of investment in improving the quality of the buildings and for fire safety.
QUEST: Today's textile industry is state of the art. And while the garment industry's progress has not always been straightforward, these factories have made it the fabric of Bangladesh's economy. And its executives hope it will continue to increase the country's prosperity one pair of jeans at a time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: And that was CNN's Richard Quest, reporting from Bangladesh for us.
Still ahead, we'll go to Paris to see how Notre Dame is faring during its post fire repairs. It's an amazing story about craftsmanship and history that you won't want to miss.
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HARRAK: As Easter weekend comes to a close. We thought it was an appropriate time to check in on the restoration of Notre Dame, the landmark is scheduled to reopen to the public next year, five years after the devastating fire that brought its steeple crashing down.
Jim Bittermann reports now from Paris.
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JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was the most haunting image of a sickening afternoon. The spire of Notre Dame crashing through the cathedral roof as flames burned all around.
In the four years since, as giant oaks have been felled and the ashes cleared away. Shock and dismay has turned to confidence that the spire and the cathedral will rise again and soon if you believe the general who President Emmanuel Macron put in charge of rebuilding the monument.
GEN. JEAN-LOUIS GEORGELIN, IN CHARGE OF NOTRE DAME RECONSTRUCTION: The president say we will rebuild this cathedral in five years. These are words of the head of state of France and the reputation of France is at stake.
[01:54:50]
BITTERMANN: The general, once the chief of staff of the French army went to visit an extraordinary woodshop in eastern France to inspect how the work is going.
Here carpenters are moving around tons of oak like children's building blocks to rebuild the spire that collapsed as well as the rest of the cathedral's roof beams which were destroyed in the fire. Cutting and fitting precise down to the millimeter.
While much care and effort and money are being expended to make sure the reconstructed Notre Dame is just like the old one, the workers who are working on these giant pieces of wood say they are sometimes amazed at how they could have done all this a thousand years ago.
One person who has had a better view than most of the Notre Dame reconstruction is photographer Thomas Van Houtryve. His photos are going up along the walls of the Notre Dame worksite.
He began taking pictures of the cathedral long before the fire, sometimes using an ancient wooden camera as old as the iconic spire itself. Van Houtryve was then commissioned to document the work inside by National Geographic and the French establishment, charged with the Notre Dame restoration and preservation.
As the monument slowly rose again from the ashes, he emotionally recorded the work inside and outside.
THOMAS VAN HOUTRYVE, PHOTOGRAPHER: When you're inside Notre Dame, you feel something. It's a place of reverence and when you're inside it and you see it, in its damaged state, you feel something even more. I mean, it goes. It goes straight to your heart. BITTERMANN: Van Houtryve has watched firsthand as not only the damage from the fire was cleared away. But as well centuries of grime that had accumulated before the fire. In some ways he believes the newly restored Notre Dame will be even better than what was there before.
VAN HOUTRYVE: When they -- when they take the scaffolding out, and they and were able to see everything. I think it will look immaculate, beautiful in a way we've never seen it before.
Jim Bittermann, CNN -- Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Now when King Charles III is crowned next month at Westminster Abbey, the monarch will travel in style. Buckingham Palace's two carriages will take him to his coronation and back.
First, the diamond jubilee state coach seen here will be used when he and Queen Camilla leave for the coronation in the morning. Now after the service, the 260- year-old gold state coach will be used for a much larger procession back to Buckingham Palace.
The coronation will take place on May 6th and it will be the first time a new British sovereign is crowned in 70 years.
And to mark the momentous occasion there is a new royal emoji. This ground will appear on Twitter when coronation hashtags are used. The royal family says it is based on the 17th century St. Edward's crown, which King Charles III will wear during his coronation. There you go.
Thanks so much for spending part of your day with me. I'm Laila Harrak.
Do stay with us. My colleague Rosemary Church will be back with more news in just a moment.
I'll see you next time.
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