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At Least 78 Killed In Stampede For Donations In Yemen; Zelenskyy Inspects Border With Belarus And Poland; The Russian Ships Accused Of North Sea Sabotage; China Readies Supersonic Spy Drone Unit, Leaked Document Says; U.S. Senators React Incredulously To Classified Document Leak. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired April 20, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the price of life in Yemen, $10. Dozens killed in a crash of desperation at a charity event giving away cash donations.
In the trenches on the frontlines, Ukrainian and Russian forces in close quarter combat, and the latest leak for the Pentagon, China reportedly ready to deploy a supersonic high altitude drone. What could be a step closer to a military offensive to take Taiwan?
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Great to have you with us this hour. We begin with a developing story from Yemen. But dozens of people have been killed in a crowd surge during a Ramadan charity event in the capital sutra. Some officials have described what happened as a stampede, which took place at a school where local merchants were giving out cash donations to mark the coming in to the holy month of Ramadan.
There are differing accounts of what triggered the stampede, which left at least 78 dead, dozens more badly hurt. Authorities have ordered an investigation and the two businessmen who organized the event have now been arrested.
Last hour I spoke with journalist Naseh Shaker, who was at the scene after the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NASEH SHAKER, JOURNALIST: All the cameras showed that there were a stampede at the entrance of the school because the school is used for distributing the charities or food from United Nations programs in Yemen. So this is called is not used temporarily to traders to distribute charity or we call it (INAUDIBLE).
So this is called the intramedullary health concern. I blame the traders not to organize with the ministry to bring in more security forces to organize the people because there was very long line of people gathering after sources until the officials consent to distributing the food arrive to open the door and a lot of people rushed into the school so that only those who are able to enter the school can get this donations. And because there is also a long line, a lot of people try to enter before, I mean, so they can get a chance to get the donation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Shaker says the donations the victims are hoping to receive was the equivalent of about 10 U.S. dollars.
Dramatic new video to CNN shows some of the intense close quarters combat in the trenches near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces can be seen badly Russian troops just meters away as the sound of automatic gunfire rings out.
Ukrainian officials say their defensive lines are holding despite the Russian attacks in Bakhmut and across the eastern front lines.
In the Northwest, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukraine's border with Belarus where defensive fortifications are being built head of a possible attack from Belarusian territory. There are ongoing concerns Russia would use Belarus again to launch a military offensive, but the Belarusian President says he has no plans to send Belarusian troops into Ukraine.
Meantime, Ukraine says Russia has launched dozens of airstrikes in the past 24 hours using both missiles and drones. This report from Nick Paton Walsh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voiceover): Close to Ukraine's imminent counter offensive in the southeast, where Russia has long been brutalizing, pain is commonplace, and the damage often everywhere and indiscriminate. The quiet is a blessing that rarely lasts.
We're warned of a missile strike in coming and leave. We can feel the pressure not just behind our armored car.
WALSH (on camera): Matt, can you hear me?
[01:05:00]
WALSH: Mattly John (ph), our producer is in our second vehicle just passed the smoke. The driver Igor Muggeridge (ph) and isn't (INAUDIBLE).
WALSH (on camera): Matt, can you hear me?
WALSH (voiceover): The missile landed right between our cars.
WALSH (on camera): Matt, can you hear me? Matt, can you hear me?
WALSH (voiceover): For 10 seconds we have no idea if they are alive.
WALSH (on camera): She just said something. Matt, can you hear me? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I can hear you. Are you guys OK?
WALSH: We're fine, just leave, drive out the way we left.
WALSH (voiceover): We leave together. For so many that choice of leaving is something imaginary that happens above ground. The only power and water in town down here.
WALSH (on camera): Our life on the ground here has been hard for quite some time, but it will get harder when the counter offensive begins pushing certainly in this direction.
WALSH (voiceover): If there is space for laughter is from this. A screechie slapstick Soviet era comedy about a drunken goofball, briefly bending the fixed set grimaces here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today wasn't quiet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They bomb, planes bomb. With all arms they hit us, they try everything. It's very noise, day and night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At home? If I am with God, with Jesus Christ, who protects us, cares for us, with the guardian angels, we endure.
WALSH: Guardian angels seem here to flit by in a town where 50 died in the war, and 200 were injured. Safety is just a word here. And rubble is a place. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Orikhiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: A fleet of Russian ships sailing the waters around the Nordic countries has been secret gathering intelligence for potential sabotage for a decade, a new investigative documentary by reporters with public broadcasters in Sweden, Norway and Denmark as well as Finland have carried out this three part series it goes to eight now. They say the ships have used underwater surveillance equipment to map key sites. Those include military training areas, oil and gas fields, airports and even wind farms.
The broadcaster's say southern ships identify themselves as research or fishing vessels, but few actually operate. They're looking at beacons. They go as ghost ships. Reports their route suggests that up to something else entirely. Kremlin's chief spokesperson causing the accusations baseless.
Well, Steve Hall is a CNN national security analyst and former Chief of Russia Operations for the CIA. Steve, thanks for being with us.
STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be here.
VAUSE: So in February, Dutch military intelligence reported a Russian ship was detected near an offshore wind farm and was escorted out of the North Sea by the Dutch coast guard with officials later warning, Russia is secretly chatting this infrastructure and is undertaking activities which indicate preparations for disruption and sabotage.
And a few months before that, H.I. Sutton, a defense analysts tweeted this. If you live on the east coast of Scotland, and you look out your window today, you might see the Russian spy ship Admiral Vladimirsky, heading to south, it's been known for a while that Russian ships often described as research vessels or fishing trawlers have been mapping the location of, you know, critical maritime infrastructure.
It seems this new information, which is our public is about the extent of that spying operation, in particular, the number of Russian ships involved. So what more do we know at this point?
HALL: Well, you know, what we know at this point, I think is sort of a reinforcement or simply an escalation of what really has been going on for decades. The Russians, certainly since Vladimir Putin took over but probably before then, as well, has always been very active in the Baltic region, especially in the in the Baltic maritime situation, because it's key to how they view their defensive posture.
And now that NATO has enlarged, notably Finland, which has increased the land border, we can't forget it, because a lot of people spend a lot of time looking at landmass. There is a huge ocean map, of course, that the Russians have to be concerned about, as do NATO allies, new or old because of the huge coastlines that they have.
So this is actually something that's been going on for a long time, but the new pieces, now we're seeing exactly how large this new effort is to collect that sort of intelligence that the Russians believe that they need because of the threat that they feel from NATO.
VAUSE: It's also cutting in the background of the war in Ukraine. So how does that play into this? Can we expect some kind of Russian attack on these maritime assets?
HALL: What this is, is preparation because they understand that they might have to -- there might be a time when they have to either fight to protect themselves or push back or at least that's what they believe. There's also a propaganda angle to the shot.
And that is that the Russians want to say, Well, what did you expect, of course, if NATO is going to act recklessly and threaten Russia, you know, we have to protect our interests. Of course, NATO was a defensive alliance and has no intention of doing anything against Russia unless Russia attacks first, but they have to be prepared the Russians do for any eventuality that they think could happen.
[01:10:09]
VAUSE: It is joint investigations by public broadcasters from four Nordic countries track that the aforementioned vessel the Admiral Vladimirsky, which was approached by journalists from these four broadcasters. This is what happened in that instance, here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're filming everything on the ship and filming antennas. As we've been told by the source, I can see crew members walking around on the deck. I think they're watching us. There's two men staring at us. Wow, they're looking at us. This is really a strange situation, almost a tense situation they're looking at us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Even though this ship had disabled its locator beacon, it appears that Vladimirsky (ph) been approaching wind farms and so it didn't slow down at loited (ph) in the area. And according to the Norwegian Broadcasting Company, that all these Russian vessels have been sailing past military training areas, important oil and gas fields, small airports, deepwater keys and strategically important hubs for the Norwegian armed forces.
So what intelligence are they actually been able to get here? How would that intelligence be used by Russia? And how vulnerable are the sides?
HALL: So this is an intelligence bonanza, I think for Russia is the best way to say it. The Russians are looking at potential targets that they would consider attacking, perhaps as part of their philosophy of not necessarily direct warfare, but hybrid warfare.
So you know, we've seen strange things happen beneath the surface of the Baltics, you know, recently, but there was there was the pipeline that somehow was blown up. We still don't have at least publicly don't understand exactly how that happened.
But the Russians see great value in targets such as gas pipelines, some of these huge communication cables that go across the Atlantic, which carry critical information not just for the functioning of our society, but for the functioning of the military as well.
The wind farms, people might be saying, well, what about a wind farm, but when you think about it, that's essentially infrastructure. And if it's energy infrastructure that we're talking about the Russians are going to be very interested to know how they can make life difficult for the West if they go after some of these targets.
So, all of that is valuable and viable collection information that the Russians really need if they want to conduct some sort of hybrid warfare that they can later deny so that they don't feel the full wrath of NATO or the West in the military fashion against them. There's a lot there for them that they're that they want to collect and are interested in.
VAUSE: These ghost ships they call them which are floating around without they're like located beacons on for, you know, for essentially everyone to see, which is quite interesting and all they see. Thank you for being with us. Really appreciate it.
HALL: Sure, my pleasure.
VAUSE: China may soon deploy a new high altitude supersonic drone, which could help target U.S. warships around Taiwan and military bases in the region. The report comes from the Washington Post based on a leaked document posted on the online platform Discord. CNN's Oren Liebermann has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Let's take a look at this drone. This is a picture from back in 2019 of the WZ8 drone, supersonic spy drone that China rolled out in a military parade in terms of what it's capable of at the time analysts didn't think it was flying yet. But here's a look at what analysts now saying what these Washington Post documents that CNN has not been able to obtain or verify, say about the capabilities of the drone.
It can fly at Mach three or better. So three times the speed of sound at an altitude of 100,000 feet. And those capabilities give it the ability to evade detection and interception. And that's potentially what the U.S. is looking at as worrisome here. And it's not this drone on its own.
In fact, in a bit of a role reversal, the U.S. had its own supersonic spy drone designed to spy on China back in the late 60s, early 70s timeframe, but it was decommissioned and the mission was cancelled after four unsuccessful missions.
So the technology itself, perhaps not that worrisome but it's the big picture of China's surveillance program overall. It's the spy satellites. It's the spy balloon that we of course, remember from just a few weeks back, and now a supersonic spy drone that these documents say is intended to perhaps spy on Taiwan or in parts of South Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to Oren Liebermanm for that, but let's get Eric Noona, now CEO of international cybersecurity firm CyberSheath. He is with us at this hour life of Reston, Virginia. Thank you for staying up late. We appreciate it.
ERIC NOONAN, CEO, CYBERSHEATH: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: So there seems to be two threads here to the -- to follow in this story. Let's go with the first one, which seems to be the development itself of this supersonic high altitude drone. The drone was first seen at a military parade in Beijing 2019. So the question is, does Beijing have the technical capability to actually do this? And if so, how do you expect the U.S. to respond?
NOONAN: John, it's a great question. I think in very -- in many ways the disclosure of this capability by the Chinese government, the Chinese military is very much a lagging indicator, right.
[01:15:03]
I think the leading indicators were many years of cyber espionage that we've seen by the Chinese Communist Party of platforms via drone technology. Probably one of the more famous examples is the F-35 platform where they steal and reappropriate intellectual property for their own application within the Chinese military and the peoples -- in the PLA. And so I think that that's not a surprise by any means. And then the second I think thing that is aided and abetted China, which makes this report very much not a surprise, is the fact that companies both legally and legally around the world continue to export the kind of technology into China that enables this.
Just yesterday, the Department of Commerce finds Seagate $300 million for exporting technology that can be used in drones to Huawei. So I think that China's had a lot of help both legal and illegal and getting to this point.
VAUSE: Yes, the whole joint development program they have in China, if you want your business or you got a, you know, joint venture with a state owned company. It's just fraught with problems, which, you know, is a big story. And maybe we should get it to another time because this itself is still sort of big story.
The other factor here is the U.S. assessment that the People's Liberation Army has established its first unmanned aerial vehicle unit, and it's actually redeployed these drones in plural at a base in the eastern theater command, which is responsible for enforcing China's sovereignty claims over Taiwan. So do you put credit to that report? Does that indicate Beijing is preparing potentially for a military offensive to take Taiwan?
NOONAN: It looks very much to be another page of a playbook we've seen before. So about 10 years ago, this past February, it was disclosed that China has actually a unit, a cyber unit dedicated to cyber espionage, globally.
And so we -- I think this is a very similar to that we should look at that very recent history and expect that this unit will expand it will be well funded. And it'll be dedicated towards the military advancement of drone technology. And whether it's Taiwan, or surveillance of the U.S. and our allies globally. I think we should very much expect that. And I think China has shown us that when they organize in this manner, again, be it relative to cyber drone technology, et cetera. We should take that threat seriously.
VAUSE: So if there was a conflict, how would these drones be used? At this point, is U.S. have any countermeasures?
NOONAN: Well, today, I think that what we're seeing is that this is very much looks to be a -- as your previous segments spoke to a surveillance program in many ways. And so it's collecting of intelligence in the Seagate fine that was levied the other day, because yesterday was around the hard drive technology that they were legally exporting to China that can be used on drone platforms to collect and store and process massive amounts of information.
So I think surveillance would very much be the way these drones could be used against the United States and their allies. And then I think, finally, relative to countermeasures. I think the United States and our allies are always working on countermeasures. And it's recognized now that we need to take the threat from China seriously. So I think that's an ongoing effort by our military that I have full confidence that they're working on that within the military and our intelligence agencies.
VAUSE: Until that's ongoing threat, because these leaked files reveal that a new Chinese missile, apparently capable evading U.S. defenses has been successfully tested. It's a DF27. Again, what are your concerns here?
NOONAN: Well, I think the concerns are again, as if we should believe China for who they say they are, and look at their actions, not their words. And I think that they're very much whether it's in the cyber domain on land, sea and air, I think they represent a credible threat to the United States and our allies around the globe. And so we should be concerned and we should be taking appropriate actions to plan for the defense of our interests globally.
VAUSE: Do you think China is ahead of the United States right now is that they still have some catching up to do overall, from a military point of view?
NOONAN: You know, I think that the United States is the greatest military force in the world. I think that where we have a lot of work to do is bolstering our defenses of our supply chains globally, so that China can't level the playing field by stealing and reappropriating technology. That's really where I think we have a lot of work to do is to better improve our defenses, particularly in cyber because the cost of the barrier to entry of them reappropriating technology via that forum is so low. So I think that's where we have a lot of work to do is on our defenses.
VAUSE: Eric, good way to wrap this all up and some very good insights there as well. We really appreciate your time.
NOONAN: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: Take care. But U.S. senators seem to emerge from a private briefing on the massive online classified doctrine. At least with the same question how could this actually happen.
[01:20:03]
Federal prosecutors say 21-year-old Air National Guardsmen, Jack Teixeira, posted dozens of classified documents from multiple intelligence agencies online. No one yet knows how much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): I think it's stunning that the Department of Defense and the intelligence agencies found out about it primarily from the press is unacceptable. And I'm not sure at least in the time I was in there, I certainly wasn't satisfied with any plans they have in place to prevent this from happening in the future.
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): There are a whole host of questions here, from access to internal security controls, to making sure how we really make sure continuous vetting and an internet driven age actually can spot anomalies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, many senators believed the Biden administration is taking the leak seriously. They've added that Congress needs to investigate how sensitive information is handled, who has access to it, with an eye to creating more congressional oversight.
Meantime, lawyers representing Teixeira have been given more time to prepare their case. Teixeira appeared briefly in a Boston courtroom on Wednesday to waive his right to a preliminary hearing, facing charges under the Espionage Act but has yet to enter a plea.
Meantime, the Air Force Intelligence Unit Teixeira was assigned has been told to stop its intelligence activities. The Air Force Inspector General also plans to investigate how well the group was complying with policies, standards and procedures you'd imagine not very well.
Still ahead. Another day another ceasefire broken in Sudan, food and water running out for so many under fire. One side accusing the other using civilians as human shields.
Also damned if they do damned if they don't, UN struggling without to help the people of Afghanistan. And they're stuck living under the threatening rules of the Taliban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: In Sudan, a second ceasefire in as many days has collapsed within hours, leaving residents in the capital hunkering down afraid to leave their homes as clashes between rival military factions were reported late into Wednesday night.
Many heavy left for days now without electricity or running water, many or without food as well. The World Health Organization says close to 300 people have been killed since fighting began on Saturday.
Sudan's army says the leader of the rival force has lost control of his troops, saying they're acting like criminal gangs attacking and losing homes as well as businesses. Thousands have now decided to flee the capital heading for safer parts of the country.
The U.N. though demanding an end to attacks on civilians, as well as aid workers.
Medical facilities are a major concern right now. Medical (ph) frontiers tells us half of the hospitals in the capital Khartoum are out of action. Doctors and nurses say it's not safe to go to work, hospitals are being shelled, or bombed. More details now from CNN's Larry Madowo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Smoke billows and plummets Khartoum's sky as residents woke up to an another day of heavy artillery and bombardment.
[01:25:05] In the wake of the escalating conflict, RSS leader Hemedti is according to multiple sources commanding his forces from one of Khartoum's busiest residential areas, prompting the Sudanese army to accuse the RSF of using civilians as human shields.
What were once bustling with cars and people since Saturday, Khartoum's streets have been left deserted, with some residents hiding their homes and fearing for their safety.
Just like Hadeel Mohamed, who says since the fighting broke out, she has been housebound and thinks forces may break in to steal supplies.
HADEEL MOHAMED, SUDAN RESIDENT: Once they run out of food and equipment and what they have and what they need, they're very easily will be able to walk into houses and say, give me what you have because they've got a bigger agenda and a war to win.
MADOWO: Other residents took advantage of Tuesday's ceasefire announcements by queuing outside shops. Desperate not to be locked in doors with nothing to eat. In the wake of a broken ceasefire, Kenya's President William Ruto warns that attacks against civilians are equal to crimes against humanity.
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAK PRESIDENT: Attacks on diplomatic installations and personnel, as well as targeting of hospitals, hotels and other vital public and social spaces are deliberate, systematic, and tantamount to atrocities against humanity.
MADOWO: As the fighting rages on, days long struggle, it leads residents to question when will there be an end to this war, or if they will even survive? Larry Madowo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Kpop singer Moonbin of the boy band Astro has died. He was just 25 years old. His record label confirmed news and reports he was found dead at his home in Seoul. CNN's Paula Hancocks with us live again from Seoul. So what else are we learning at this hour about how all this happened?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we've spoken to police who have confirmed that around about 8:10 p.m. on Wednesday evening, they had a phone call from his manager who had found him unresponsive in his home in Seoul.
Now the police say to her that they believe he has taken his own life and there is no sign of foul play, but there will obviously be an autopsy which they will wait to determine the exact cause of death.
Now, this is a 25-year-old man who had been in the spotlight for some time. He was a child actor. Originally, he then debuted with the fairly well known group, Astro here in Korea in 2016. He also had a subgroup if you like, one of his band members was in another group with him. He had been on tour with him. He had just been in a number of Asian cities and he was expected to have a concert in Macau this Saturday. Now he also comes from a Kpop family his sister is also in a band. This is Moon Sua, she's in the girl group, Billlie. Now unsurprisingly, that agency has said that they are canceling all upcoming schedules for that group.
Now Fantagio, which is the music label that Astro belongs to said that they are heartbroken. They are shocked. Also saying that suddenly he left us and became a star in the sky and that they are deeply mourning his loss at this point. They are asking for privacy for the family to be able to grieve.
Now there has been significant online response to this social media. Many fans have been expressing their condolences. They're shocked that they're upset at what has happened and certainly we can expect to see much more of that throughout the day. John?
VAUSE: Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks some sad news from Seoul.
Well, widely used abortion pill remains on sale in the U.S. at least for now. But that could all change in two days. And we'll explain why.
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[01:31:30]
VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone.
I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The U.S. Supreme Court has extended access to a widely-used abortion pill until midnight Friday local time while it considers a flurry of legal challenges. This all started when a Trump appointed federal judge in Texas suspended access to the abortion drug which has been safely used by millions of American women for decades.
CNN's Paula Reid picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: As of now, this commonly used abortion medication will remain widely available. The Supreme Court is expected to issue another update on Friday.
At the center of this case is mifepristone. It's one of two drugs used in a process called medication abortion, which accounts for over half of all abortions conducted in the United States.
Several weeks ago, a judge in Texas though revoked the FDA's approval of mifepristone. And now the Supreme Court is mulling what happens to that decision while this case makes its way through the courts.
Now, they have several options. One is the Supreme Court could decide that they're just going to take up this case, trying to decide it before the term ends in June. They could also allow the case to continue working its way through the appeals system, potentially eventually ending up at the Supreme Court. But eventually this issue does have to be decided on the merits. And
right now it is up to the justices what will happen to this medication in the interim. Will it remain on the market, or will they uphold that Texas decision while this case moves forward.
We expect at this point, the Supreme Court will have another update, though it's unclear if it will be a final answer by midnight on Friday.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The U.N. is dealing with the difficult situation in Afghanistan right now and hopes to get the international community on the same page about how to deal with the Taliban and their bizarre desire to erase women from public life.
This comes after a Taliban edict, which banned women from working for the United Nations as well as other humanitarian groups. It's just the latest in a string of Taliban edicts, which tried to restrict the role of women in society.
The Taliban want recognition as the legitimate authority in Afghanistan, a decision the U.N. has been hesitant to make.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANE DUJARRIC, UNITED NATIONS SPOKESPERSON: It's an urgent priority to advance an approach based on pragmatism and principles, combined with strategic patience and to identify parameters for creative, flexible, principled and constructive engagement.
It is his aim that the discussions which will be held behind closed doors can contribute to more a unified consensus regarding the challenges ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, joining me now is Fawzia Koofi, former deputy speaker of Afghanistan's parliament. Thank you for taking the time to be with us.
FAWZIA KOOFI, FORMER DEPUTY SPEAKER OF AFGHANISTAN'S PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: My, how things have changed there in Afghanistan. Now, here's a headline from Tuesday.
U.N. ready for heartbreaking decision to pull out of Afghanistan, the reporting goes on to say operations could be withdrawn by next month.
But then by Wednesday, we had a statement from the United Nations. UNDP reaffirms its longstanding commitment to stay and deliver for the people of Afghanistan.
You know, this seems to be a situation for the U.N. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. But if they do pull out if they do have to make that decision, which seems unlikely, but what would be the impact on the people of Afghanistan if that should happen?
[01:34:52]
KOOFI: The U.N. is in a very, very difficult position, I think from, you know, when the ban happened on the 26th of December on women working with humanitarian organizations, we knew the next would be the U.N. national female staff.
We knew that -- we now know the next might be the U.N. international female staff. So I think it's -- we're not only talking about 200 female staff of the U.N. we're talking about hundreds of thousands of women who lost their jobs since the Taliban resumed.
And what we had expected the U.N. to have a firm position towards all of this to like set red lines because I think if the U.N. is like putting the -- setting the bar very low. It is moving towards and you know, kind of dangerous precedents, which could raise many questions about the U.N. existence itself and how much the U.N. is impactful in circumstances where, like Afghanistan based on the U.N. charter.
VAUSE: I want you to listen to the U.N. Development Programme's representative in Afghanistan. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDALLAH AL DARDARI, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: The engagement continues. We speak to them every day, and we present the numbers that we are presenting to them, showing how detrimental the absence of women in public life, education and work is to the future of the Afghan economy. But at the moment, we don't see any positive response.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And by them, he's obviously talking about the Taliban government, which gets back to my other point. Is there any point here using logic and using reason to try and convince the Taliban that you know, it is a good thing for women to be working, that their policy is wrong, that this will have such a detrimental impact on the country, detrimental impact on so many people?
Because at the end of the day, the Taliban just don't care.
KOOFI: Well, I believe that if the U.N. really have a firm position and the Security Council members, including the countries in the region, do not look at their engagement with Taliban only as a matter of security or financial mutual interest, but rather as a matter of human rights and women's rights. And women's rights at the end of the day is a matter of security.
VAUSE: Our thanks to Fawzia Koofi for speaking with us there just a short time ago.
Now ever since the Taliban came to power, the United States has tried to ensure financial aid to Afghanistan bypass the Islamic militants. But in testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, the inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction admitted he has no idea that billions of dollars in aid earmarked for the Afghan people actually has gone to the Taliban and not reached those in need.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SOPKO, U.N. INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION: Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban. I haven't seen a starving Taliban fighter on TV. They all seem to be fat, dumb and happy. I see a lot of starving Afghan children on TV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: A lot of finger pointing during this hearing among Republicans and Democrats over which party was to blame for failures during America's longest war.
But as the inspector general put it four administrations made many mistakes over that 20 years, and that is to say the least.
Still to come India on track to have the world's largest population sometime this year. We're live in New Delhi with what that actually means for an already overcrowded country.
[01:38:28]
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VAUSE: During a televised address on Monday, the French president said he heard the anger on the streets over his pension reforms. On Wednesday, he heard the anger firsthand.
During his first public appearance since signing the bill, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Some workers banged on pots and pants, demanded he resign. Power briefly cut at the factory, which was being toured by Macron. Others though notably shook his hand as he stood firm on the need for the reforms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): This is the time we're living in and that should not prevent us from moving forward. We have a lot of challenges. It is not the pots and pans that will move France forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Demonstrations have broken out across France over the past three months. Macron says it's time now to focus on other issues like working conditions and education and possibly austerity as well.
India's population is set to pass China's by the middle of this year. U.N. data indicates both nations will have more than 1.4 billion people with India edging ahead by nearly three million. And it comes as a challenge of finding enough jobs for everyone.
For more CNN Vedika Sud live for us in New Delhi. So they get the crown, but there's a lot of problems that come with that. Problems that they've already had for a long time though.
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely John.
But I just want our viewers to know that, according to the United Nations, when it comes to China and India together, they will soon account for more than a third of the estimated global population. Those are staggering numbers there that we're talking about.
But also, interestingly, contrary to public perception, India and China both have seen a decline in the population growth, but with a huge and stark difference. And this is what it is.
While the labor force in China has been shrinking, in India you have more than 60 percent of the population under the age of 30. And we spoke to some of these young people in India, asking them about their aspirations, their dreams at a time when India will very soon be getting that undesirable global title of being the world's most populous nation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUD: In a village outside New Delhi, a doting mother attends to her little girl. Mahi (ph) is just two days old. Her cries mark a symbolic moment.
India is expected to surpass China as the world's most populous country.
Mahi's father (INAUDIBLE) Singh and mother Lakshmi are school dropouts. Their families had little income and many children to feed. Singh, a farmer started working with his father in their fields at a young age. He says he'll do whatever it takes to help Mahi achieve her dreams.
"Even if I have to sell my field to educate her, I will."
One of the biggest challenges she'll have to face is the country's growing population. There's stiff competition, Singh tells me.
India's birth rate has slowed, but the country is still quickly adding to its 1.4 billion strong population.
According to UNICEF, more than 67,300 babies are born in India every day. That's one-sixth of the world's growth counts daily.
Already more than half of all Indians are under the age of 30. That means a huge potential to grow the national economy. But education and investment need to keep up if there are going to be jobs for a new generation. KAUSHIK BASU, FORMER WORLD BANK CHIEF ECONOMIST: I really feel it's a
10 year opportunity. Do it right and this is a dividend. Do it wrong and this is going to be extremely worrying for the Indian economy and India's youngsters.
28 year old Sunil Kumar (ph) has a postgraduate degree but doesn't hold a steady job. For years now he has been sweeping the floors of a school in his village in Haryana State and doubling up as a tutor for young students.
Despite his education, Kumar barely makes enough to support his ailing father and the rest of his family.
[01:44:58]
SUD: Sunil says it angers him that he doesn't have a steady job despite his educational qualifications.
Across India, the most highly sought after jobs are more competitive than ever before. Pursuing their dreams, tens of thousands of students from small towns move to big cities to be coached for the coveted civil services exam.
Some like Sarin Agraval (ph) have been trying to crack the exam for four years now. Agraval says his younger brother is sponsoring his education. "They could have bought three to four cars with the money they've spent on me," he says.
Over one million people sit for the entrance test each year, less than 1 percent make the cut.
BASU: The population is growing and the working age population is growing. If that category of people do not find enough employment, then what was meant to be an opportunity, the bulge in the demographic dividend so called could become a huge challenge and problem for India.
SUD: India's new global title will mean little if it doesn't come with fresh opportunities.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SUD: Experts warn, John, that these numbers could turn out to be a huge liability for India if they do not create enough jobs. And if policymakers do create enough opportunities for them, this could be the golden opportunity for India and a huge boost to its economy, John.
VAUSE: Vedika, thank you for that.
Let's head over now to CNN Hong Kong. Kristie Lu Stout, you know, it's always been the case in China, Kristie that, you know, they need this 8 percent economic growth to get enough jobs for all these graduates from high school and college.
That's no longer the case. The economy slowed down, but they're still creating the jobs.
So what's the situation there in China at the moment?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes it presents a new set of challenges for China with China set to be overtaken by India as the world's most populous country. This according to new data out from the United Nations.
By mid this year, China will have 2.9 million less people than India, and that issue was addressed at the daily ministry of foreign affairs briefing on Wednesday. The spokesperson, Wang Wenbin (ph) emphasized what he called China's talent dividend.
Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG WENBIN, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESPERSON (through translator): When assessing a country's demographic dividend, we need to look not just at the size but also the quality of the population. Size matters. But what matters more is talent.
Nearly 900 million out of 1.4 billion Chinese are of working age and on average, they receive 10.9 years of education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: But last year, China's population fell to 1.411 billion people, the first drop since the 1960s and a number of factors are behind that drop. Let's bring up the graphic for you.
For example, one factor, of course, China's one child policy, which was introduced in the 1980s. It was later scrapped in 2016.
Another factor changing attitudes in China towards marriage and family. And of course, the challenges, the economic challenges of raising children in China in its expensive cities.
China's falling population has economic implications. You know, a shrinking workforce is going to make an economic recovery, especially after zero COVID in the pandemic even more difficult for China. It has social implications as well.
I mean this is going to hit China's social security system that's going to come under strain and Beijing. The Chinese government is addressing this last year released this plan to strengthen maternity leave to offer tax breaks and perks to families.
In fact, local governments like Guangdong province have even offered cash to encourage people to have more babies. But so far these efforts have done little to stop this downward trend.
And John, just want to underscore the downward trend for you. Last year, online searches on Baidu.com for baby strollers slumped 17 percent. In contrast, searches for elder care homes surged some eight times last year. Back to you.
VAUSE: That's a pretty good indicator.
STOUT: Yes.
VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout for us. Vedika Sud in New Delhi -- dueling populations. Good to have you both. Thank you.
New research into breast cancer suggests black women may need a mammogram eight years earlier than previously thought. That comes at age 42, not age 50. Researchers say clinical trials are still needed to investigate whether the guidelines should actually be changed.
Black women are 4 percent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer compared to white women, but they're 40 percent more likely to die from it.
One of the studies also says the take home message is that race and ethnicity should be considered when determining at what age screenings should begin.
When we come back, it took years for an American family to build, but soon it will head to auction. Just ahead the fabulous art collection about to be sold to the highest bidder. Who will that be? Could it be Richard Quest? We'll tell you why.
[01:49:48]
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VAUSE: Well, this was a cliffhanger, not. Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel has won a second five year term in office.
Return to power with a 97 percent landslide by the 470 member national assembly. It's kind of expected despite the tough economic conditions facing Cuba. The 63 year old electrical engineer first took power in 2018, and since then he's faced economic sanctions, the COVID pandemic, the largest anti government protests since the Cuban revolution.
In 2021, thousands took to the streets to protest blackouts, appalling living conditions and a lack of personal freedoms -- nothing's changed.
Diaz-Canel is the first non Castro to lead since 1959. He took over from Raul Castro. Cuban law limits presidents to two five-year terms which must start before the president turns 60.
A sad story now from Thailand, where a 21 year old giant panda has suddenly died. Lin Hui, the star resident of the Chiang Mai Zoo passed away early Wednesday after suddenly falling into a coma.
China had loaned her to Thailand almost 20 years ago. Cause of death remains unclear. They're looking into it right now. China says it tried to help Lin Hui's zookeepers when she fell ill, but to no avail. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG (through translator): China is grieved and sorry over the death of the giant panda Lin Hui who lived in Thailand. According to Learn Information, Lin Hui suddenly fell into a coma on the evening of April 18th.
After knowing about it, the great China Panda Conservation Center immediately organized experts to support the Thai side to carry out the rescue work through video connection.
We feel very regrettable that its life could not be saved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: I guess it was Lin Hui, not Lin Hui? The panda was set to return to China in October. Her male companion died in (INAUDIBLE) 2019. They do have a daughter born in 2009 living right now in China.
It took decades for the American tycoon Erving Wolf and his wife, Joyce, to put together but soon their extensive art collection will hit the auction block. Sotheby says the trove of more than 1,000 paintings and art objects is expected to fetch $50 million.
CNN's Richard Quest reports the proceeds will benefit not the family but the tax man.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is an exquisite collection of American art. And it was built and fueled by the oil industry. That's where the Wolf family made their money. And it took half a century to put all this together.
There are more than a thousand pieces of art. Their son, Mathew, walked me through what is truly the collection of a lifetime. And he was very honest about why it was now being sold and broken up.
MATHEW WOLF, SON OF ERVING AND JOYCE WOLF: A lot of it is being sold to pay estate taxes of my mother. It was owned by my father. So upon my father's death that went to my mother's estate. And my mother passed away, and now there is various estate taxes to pay.
And so that's a reason why we're selling this.
QUEST: Every collection starts with the first piece.
WOLF: In 1970 when they moved to New York City, they just happen to purchase an apartment on Fifth Avenue across from Sotheby's Park Burnett. This is their first purchase. They paid $2,400 for it including the 10 percent buyer's premium.
[01:54:56]
QUEST: 1970.
WOLF: In 1970.
QUEST: Not bad investment. Two, the estimate is $300,000.
WOLF: And I guarantee you my mother was behind the purchase. And when my father found out how much he paid for it, he would have said, how much did you pay for that piece? Are you crazy?
But now you see my mother as often was right.
QUEST: As we walked around all the porcelain for sale, the phrase "bull in a China shop" came to mind. Imagine living amongst all of this.
WOLF: A lot of this Chinese export porcelain was in my family's dining room in cabinets, but also on tables and for some reason it survived.
And there really wasn't a fear growing up of breaking anything. And somehow we made it.
QUEST: In our own smaller, perhaps ways we all aspire to be a collector. And Mathew has sound advice.
WOLF: This is a window for the Coolie Playhouse done by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1912. It's important to collect something that is globally appreciated versus locally appreciated. And whatever you do, buy the very best.
QUEST: The break up of this collection, maybe the end of one dynasty but Mathew's sure it's the start of another.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to Richard Quest for that.
Now, a final note. In certain parts of the world, you may want to turn your eyes to the sky for today's solar eclipse. These are images a short time ago from Exmouth in Australia. This small town in western Australia was the best spot to view the rare hybrid eclipse.
According to NASA the next one will not happen until 2031 but we'll be here to report on that when it does.
Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
My friend and colleague Rosemary Church picks up our coverage after a short break.
See you right back here tomorrow.
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