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U.S. Official: Kim Jong-Un May Meet With Putin In Russia To Discuss Potential Arms Deal Amid War In Ukraine; U.S. Urges North Korea To Halt Arms Sale To Russia; Turkish President: Ukraine Must Soften Approach On Grain Deal; Zelenskyy Visits Frontline Fighters After Defense Minister Shakep; Driving Ban Due To Mud Lifted At Burning Man Festival; Burning Of Giant Wooden Effigy Underway At Festival; Military Junta Leader Sworn In As Interim President; Japan Increases Financial Support For Fishing Industry After Chinese Banned Seafood Over Release Of Treated Nuclear Wastewater; Asian Leaders Meet in Jakarta Among Rifts; Delhi Neighborhood Uprooted Before World Leaders Arrive. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired September 05, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:30]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN. Brothers in arms, Kim Jong-Un is said to be planning a rare journey beyond North Korea to discuss in person a weapons deal with the Russian president. Breakthrough, Ukrainian troops in the south breach a major Russian defensive line. And burning the man at Burning Man, the weeklong festival which saw tens of thousands stranded by heavy rain and mud comes to an end, with a mass exodus from the desert.

UNKNOWN: Live from the CNN CENTER, this is CNN NEWSROOM, with John Vause.

VAUSE: Good to have you with us, this is CNN NEWSROOM. We begin with U.S. intelligence. The leaders of North Korea and Russia could meet in person, possibly as soon as next week, to discuss a weapons deal and other areas of military cooperation.

According to the New York Times, Kim Jong-Un is expected to travel from Pyongyang likely by armored train to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, which Vladimir Putin is expected to attend. Russia is looking to North Korea for supplies of artillery shells, and anti tank missiles, while the North Koreans are said to be hoping for advanced Russian missile and satellite technology.

These possible talks which follow the Russian defense minister's trip to Pyongyang in July when he visited North Korea's hall of weapons. But any weapons deal with North Korea would violate UN security council resolutions which Russia has approved. Let's go live now to Hong Kong, CNN's Kristie Lu Stout standing by with more on this. This is all very speculative at this point, but what more do we know about the specifics of this potential meeting? KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, this is what we know. Kim Jong-Un may be meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia, this is according to the U.S. national security council. They are expected to discuss potential arms deals for Russia to get more North Korean weapons to use in its war against Ukraine, and the timing of this meeting is unclear.

Now it was the New York Times that first reported this potential meeting, saying Kim will travel from Pyongyang to Vladivostok where he would meet with Putin at a forum set to run from September the 10th, roughly around the same time as the G20.

Vladivostok is a port city, it's not far from North Korea, it is also where this scene played out as you see on your screen there, where Kim and Putin met for the first time back in 2019, and as you may recall Kim made that journey on his famous train, the heavily armored slow chugging green train. Now as for this new potential meeting, it has been reported that in exchange for weapons, North Korea is seeking two things.

It is seeking advanced technology for satellites, nuclear power submarines, as well as food aid, which it desperately needs. Now this potential meeting would follow the recent visit by the Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu who went to North Korea in July. It also comes after U.S. officials said that the two countries are, quote, "Actively advancing their talks over another potential arms deal for Russia and Ukraine."

Last year, the U.S. said that North Korea delivered rockets, delivered missiles to Russia for use by Wagner forces. North Korea denied those claims. Now Russia and North Korea have been edging closer, we now know the Russian defense minister is saying joint military drills with North Korea are currently being discussed.

And, we know that both Kim and Putin had exchanged letters pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation. In fact, on August the 15th, the North Korean state news agency KCNA published a message that Kim sent to Putin, and we have that message, let's share it with you. Apparently this is what Kim told Vladimir Putin on August 15.

Quote, "I am firmly convinced that the friendship and solidarity between the DPRK and Russia will be further developed into a long- standing strategic relationship, and that the two countries will always emerge victorious." Now the U.S. is urging North Korea to end its arms talks with Russia. Back to you.

VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout, live for us there in Hong Kong. David Sanger is a political nationalist security analyst for CNN as well as a White House and national security correspondent for the New York Times. It's good to see you.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good to see you, John.

VAUSE: Okay so here's part of a statement from the White House national security council, we urge the DPRK, North Korea, to cease its arms negotiations with Russia, and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. That would seem to be unlikely here at this point.

[00:05:04]

So how much military help can Pyongyang offer Moscow in its war in Ukraine, and in return, how much or how far is Moscow willing to go to help Pyongyang with its own ballistic missile program?

SANGER: Two great questions, John, and I think on the first one, I think there could be modest help from the North Koreans, mostly to give them artillery rounds, much as South Korea, though it didn't want to advertise it, provided Ukraine indirectly through the United States, with I think about 650,000 rounds of artillery.

Because the Korean peninsula has warmed up on both sides with exactly the kind of artillery that is useful to both the Russians and to the Ukrainians. So it's been a natural shopping ground. That said, we don't know how well Kim Jong-Un is set up for mass production, or exactly how much he has kept in storage that he may be willing to sell.

There is a lot more to gain for him than there is in some ways for the Russians. Really, he gains three things. One, a large power is now dependent on him, that hasn't happened in a while. The second thing he gains is the possibility of access to more oil, until now everything that he has gotten has pretty much been through the Chinese, and they turn it on and off at will, to have a second supplier is important.

And thirdly, at the moment that Kim Jong-Un is testing his ballistic missiles, particularly the long range ones, many of which have design commonalities with Russian missiles, he can get a lot of help there.

VAUSE: So laying the groundwork for this meeting, it seems to have taken him some time, and a matter of months. I want you to listen to the Kremlin spokesperson speaking last Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Moscow and Pyongyang have good relations, mutually respectful relations. We intend to further develop these relations. Contacts are being made at various levels. This is our neighbor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So you mentioned that North Korea has a lot more to gain from this than the Russians do, but is this potentially just a tactical move by both or is there some strategy here? How does this play to the strengthening ties that Moscow has with Beijing as well as Moscow has with Tehran? How does North Korea fit into this group of pariah nations if you like?

SANGER: Well, they are pariahs in our mind. To them, to themselves, they are the axis of the aggrieved, John, right? They have a lot of grievances with the United States, they have a common interest in making sure that there is an alternative world order out there that is not run by American rules, guided by UN sanctions resolutions, or prohibitions on the North Koreans and the Iranians.

So, when we heard the American ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas Greenfield, come out earlier today and say, we expect them to live up to their resolutions on this issue, they don't live up to these resolutions and they never have. There is a resolution that has to do with North Korean missile testing, they have never lived up to that resolution.

There are all kinds of resolutions prohibiting them from getting nuclear weapons, we think they now have 60, 70, 80 nuclear weapons. There are resolutions against nuclear testing, they have conducted six tests and may be headed to a seventh. So providing arms to the Russians does not seem to me like a very big leap for Kim Jong-Un. Particularly when he is dealing with President Biden, who has been really unwilling to go engage with him at all.

VAUSE: So with that in mind, if this deal does go ahead, what options are left for the United States and for the UN security council of which Russia and China are permanent members with a veto?

SANGER: Well, this is the big good news for the North Koreans, and to some degree the Iranians. If you think back over the past decade of nonproliferation efforts, Russia and China have largely been on the same side as the United States, and Europe.

The Russians and Chinese sat in on the Iranian negotiations in 2014 and 2015 on the same side as the Europeans in the United States and signed on to that deal. That would not happen with Iran today. The Russians and the Chinese have periodically engaged in nonproliferation talks with the North Koreans and condemned some of their tests. That would not happen today.

[00:10:05]

So the North Koreans are actually facing a more permissive world, one in which, as you point out, they are not going to have to worry about future UN security council resolutions, because they will be vetoed.

VAUSE: David, thank you. We appreciate your analysis. Good to see on this holiday here in the United States. Have a good Labour Day.

SANGER: Great to speak with you. Take care.

VAUSE: After talks with the Turkish president, Vladimir Putin blamed the west for the collapse of the black sea grain initiative, and he would consider reviving only when all restrictions on Russian agriculture exports were lifted. Ukraine's foreign minister was quoted as saying that was classic blackmail. The Turkish president who is a key mediator in striking the deal in the first place, says it is now mostly up to Ukraine to save the agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): In order to be able to take common steps with Russia, Ukraine needs to soften its approach, especially now. Grain which will be sent to the least developed poverty-stricken African countries, is important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In July, Russia withdrew from the agreement, nearly a year after it was brokered to guarantee safe passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain in the black sea. Russia's decision to end those guarantees has led to global food security concerns and a spike in commodity prices. Now a day after announcing the biggest war time shake up of Ukraine's government, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a highly visible journey to the front lines in both the east and south.

Zelenskyy says he specifically went to the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions, to hear directly from Ukrainian troops who talked about their need for more ammunition, artillery shells and drones, critical military aid mostly supplied by U.S. and other allies. There have been ongoing questions about corruption within the defense ministry and criticism from some NATO officials about the slow pace of the counteroffensive.

Zelenskyy removed his defense minister over the weekend. His likely replacement is known as an anti-corruption crusader. All of this comes as Ukrainian troops fend off what they call massive attacks from Russian forces, more details on that now from CNN's Melissa Bell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ukraine once again hit by dozens of missile and aerial strikes this Monday according to Ukrainian authorities, many of those at various points along the front line, but many of those parts of the frontline that are still inhabited, densely populated with towns and villages.

There was some damage done to infrastructure, some of those were intercepted. The Ukrainian president has been visiting this Monday with troops in Donetsk where some of the fighting has been fiercest these last few days.

Much of the attention here in Ukraine remains focused here on the southern Zaporizhzhia region and on that front line that appears to be inching closer to Ukrainian objectives, with much effort now going to consolidate the bridge head to the south of the Robotyne.

Comes, of course, that pressing head of the counteroffensive, even as Ukrainian authorities announced an important shakeup at the helm of Ukraine's department of defense, out goes Oleksii Reznikov, in comes Rustem Umerov, a man who's widely seen as a fairly safe pair of hands at a critical juncture for Ukraine in this war.

Looking as it will be to getting more western weaponry over the next few weeks and months as tries to press ahead with its counteroffensive hoping that it has the momentum behind it, but also looking to get the country's own weapons manufacturing up and running further still with a particular eye on doing more of what he's been doing recently in Ukraine, and that is bringing this war much more clearly to Russian soil. Melissa Bell, CNN, Zaporizhzhia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining me now from New Haven, Connecticut, is Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven. Also former professor of strategic planning at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Good to see you.

MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: Good to see you, John.

VAUSE: Well, the Ukrainian defense ministry has been under investigation for dodgy deals and hundreds of millions of dollars which are missing, CNN is reporting allegations of corruption did not impinge personally on Reznikov, the defense minister, or former defense minister, wh acknowledged they had been damaging.

The investigation also led to some unease about the allocation of aid among western partners. The other side of the equation here is the likely replacement, Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's main privatization agency, the state property fund, which he has run for a year, there he gained praise, according to the Washington Post, for instituting massive audits and weeding out alleged corruption and misappropriation of funds.

Connect the dots here for us between this counteroffensive, corruption, ongoing western military aid, and the biggest wartime shake up the Ukrainian government has seen.

SCHMIDT: You always give me the easy questions. Let's start with the current phase, wars go in phases and I think we are moving to a period here where the counteroffensive phase is culminating somehow. And we are moving into something different, I'm not sure what it is yet. But Umerov is a great choice for moving into something different.

[00:15:08]

Look at what he signals. He signals anti-corruption, right, with a track record. He signals Crimea, because he is a Crimean. He signals that he did negotiate in '22 when things looked really bad for Ukraine. He was there trying to find political solutions, he was there after 2014 trying to get Crimean prisoners brought back.

He is a signal to Crimeans who have been under Russian occupation for almost a decade now that they are welcome back in Ukraine. And he is a signal to the west that, again, he is going to fight corruption. So he is a great choice moving into the future to change the direction, to change the phase that we are going in.

Reznikov is basically falling on his sword. He is looking out here in consultation with Zelenskyy saying, I'm not the future. I'm not corrupt, but I couldn't stop what was going on in this ministry, you need someone's head to roll, I will resign. And I think that is really the connection, Zelenskyy's trying to figure out how to transition from the past, and go forward to this new phase.

VAUSE: With that in mind I want you to listen to the Russian president speaking Monday about Ukraine's counteroffensive, and peace talks.

(BEING VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Ukrainian counteroffensive is not a stalling, it is a failure. In any case, it looks this way as of today. Let us wait and see what comes next, but I would like to say that Russia has never rejected peace talks with Ukraine. And we do not reject it now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Wow, that came out of nowhere. Riddle me this, why raise peace talks if Ukraine's offensive has failed. Why raise it at all? Why raise it now with the sacking of Ukraine's defender minister?

SCHMIDT: Because the Russian press is lauding Umerov's nomination as exactly that. They are saying that now that you are nominating this guy, we know he tried to negotiate in 2014, in a different context, but they are hand waving that, and we think he will negotiate now. So this is a counter propaganda on the Russian side.

But it should be clear, right? Again, Umerov is an interesting choice here because he is a Muslim, right, and so he also has connections in Saudi Arabia. He was in those talks just a few weeks ago, and he was in talks with Erdogan in Turkey on the grain deal. So he has connections to reach out in the two places where there have been negotiations with Russia on and off in this war.

VAUSE: Here is the latest battlefield assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (INAUDIBLE) Think Tank they tweeted this, or Xed this, Ukrainian light infantry has advanced beyond anti-tank ditches and dragon's teeth anti-tank obstacles that comprise the current Russian defensive layer ahead of the Ukrainian advance in western Zaporizhzhia.

Ukrainian forces likely intend to hold those positions. I am willing to say that the lines have actually been breached as such until they see light heavy infantry there. But still, this would seem to be a significant moment for Ukrainians especially in the south so talk to that and this seems to gain speculation that the defensive minister was sacked because the counteroffensive was moving too slowly, but he does seem to be on the precipice of something here.

SCHMIDT: These are successes for the Ukrainian military but they are not what they hoped it would be and in the end the only military objective that can create the kind of political effect that would bring down Putin's regime, put him in a corner, politically, force him to negotiate on Ukraine's terms, is the loss of Crimea.

Ukraine can win in the south, it can win in the east, but if it doesn't take Crimea, I don't think it can push Russia. And I think, again, that might be what is being signaled here too, is that Crimea is the center of gravity of this war.

This is what happened in 2014 when Russia took Crimea, that is what started the war and it has to end with Crimea. And I think one way or another, that is what Zelenskyy is signaling, that we are not letting go of our claim on Crimea, whatever happens on the battlefield elsewhere.

VAUSE: Matthew, as always, great to have you with us. Matthew Schmidt there in New Haven, Connecticut. Thank you.

SCHMIDT: Take care.

VAUSE: We will take a short break here. When we come back, Japan looks to support its fishing industry after China banned Japanese seafood over Fukushima wastewater concerns and radiation. Plus, the main event of the Burning Man festival is underway right now, that is after it was delayed by bad weather which left almost 100,000 people stranded in ankle deep mud. We will have the very latest on that exodus from the Nevada desert.

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[00:21:55]

VAUSE: Organizers at the Burning Man festival with the driving man Monday aligning for a mass exodus of tens of thousands from the Nevada desert after a weekend storm turned roads into ankle deep mud. With the weather finally improving, organizers are now moving forward with the big finale, the main event, the burning of a giant wooden effigy of a man.

There he is. The ritual was delayed 24 hours, said to get underway, any moment now with the guy lit up there, in a few hours it will be followed by another ritual, the burning of the Chapel of Babel. CNN's Camila Bernal shows us why this year's festival will be remembered for a very long time, for maybe not the right reasons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ONE: it is a real sloppy mess out there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: we put them over around the --

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tens of thousands of people stuck at Burning Man in the Nevada desert over the weekend, after heavy rains made a mess of the dirt roads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE TWO: We drove out and got stuck and made one bad decision. It was up to here.

BERNAL (voice-over): Hundreds of cars ended up stranded on roads leading out of the Black Rock Desert, in the northwestern part of the state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE TWO: Everything was shut down, getting out was a nightmare.

BERNAL (voice-over): Paul Romero and his wife left Maui's devastation for what was supposed to be a relaxing honeymoon. PAUL ROMERO, BURNING MAN ATTENDEE FROM HAWAII: It became a mini disaster for a lot of people. It was impossible to function. Impossible to move around. Impossible to communicate. Entire camps became pretty much destroyed.

BERNAL (voice-over): Less than an inch of water fell over one 24-hour period, from Friday to Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE THREE: So much water. We are flooded.

BERNAL (voice-over): Organizers of the weeklong festival asked attendees to shelter in place, and to conserve food, water, and fuel.

TONY "COYOTE" PEREZ, CITY SUPERINTENDENT: It has been fairly festive, everybody is taking it in stride.

BERNAL (voice-over): But not everybody. Some so-called burners say the mood was festive, until supplies started running out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE THREE: Everybody took their shoes off, started dancing in the mud, it was great. And then the reality sunk in that we couldn't leave.

BERNAL (voice-over): There was one death over the weekend which authorities say is not weather related. No serious injuries have been reported.

DJ DIPLO, DJ: Everybody was helping each other out, some people were making mud sculptures.

BERNAL (voice-over): Dj Diplo and a few others, including comedian Chris Rock, managed to walk out and hitch a ride.

DJ DIPLO: I think Cindy Crawford walked with us, Kaia Gerber, Austin Butler. It was a challenge, but honestly one of the highlights of the whole trip.

BERNAL (voice-over): Tens of thousands are now slowly inching their way out of the event grounds.

BERNAL: Organizers say that this line and the amount of time that they wait here is normal, the difference here is that people are coming out muddier, and obviously happier to be out than previous years just because the last couple of days have been difficult. Camila Bernal, CNN, Black Rock City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Let's go back now to a previous story about the Burning Man festival. You can see the big finale is finally underway. It's been delayed 24 hours, the big finale will be the burning of the man. You can see the fireworks now starting, and it appears that the man is being torched.

[00:25:06] This after a very, very muddy weekend. We saw 70,000 people plus trapped in the desert because of storms and flooding and muddy roads. This is expected to go on now for the next couple of days, much delayed but there you have it. Quite a spectacle right now there, the view from Black Rock City, Nevada, just coming to 9:30pm at night, on a Monday.

Well the leader of Gabon's military coup was sworn in Monday as the traditional president. General Brice Nguema seized power less than a week ago. It is not entirely clear what transitional actually means. He says Gabon will not rush into a new election to avoid repeating past mistakes. The coup ended the political dynasty of the Bongo family which had been in power for more than 50 years.

The ousted president, Ali Bongo, has been placed under house arrest. Japan is getting financial support for its fishing industry after China banned Japanese seafood over the recent release of treated radioactive waste water from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. New details now from CNN's Ivan Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Backlash in China over Japan's decision to release treated nuclear waste water from the Fukushima Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. The Chinese government banning all Japanese seafood imports to prevent the risk of radioactive contamination and to protect the health of Chinese consumers.

Fears over Fukushima prompting panic buying of salt in several cities until authorities reassured the public that China consumes mine salt more than sea salt. Ripple effects also felt here at a Japanese food court inBeijing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ONE (through translator): I told my daughter that we should go and eat some seafood now while it is still safe. And let's not eat it anymore afterwards. Nothing from the ocean is edible from now on.

WATSON (voice-over): Fears echoed by her daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE TWO (through translator): Of course first seafood will be affected, but other crops and food will also be affected later on. It is only a matter of time.

WATSON (voice-over): The nuclear controversy potentially crippling business for this sushi chef. Some customers are disgusted by this news. They no longer want to eat Japanese food, he says. His once busy restaurant, now largely empty.

After the pandemic, our business this year has not recovered yet, and now with this news from Japan, our business is worse, he says. Some scientists argue these fears are unfounded. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Japan's plan to release wastewater is in line with IAEA standards. RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: Our cooperation and our presence will help build confidence in Japan and beyond, that the water disposal is carried out without an adverse impact on human health and the environment.

WATSON (voice-over): And yet, the heavily censored Chinese internet still bubbles with anger at Japan, including prank calls harassing Japanese businesses. This group of young people are reportedly calling random numbers in Japan.

Why do you release nuclear waste water into the ocean, this young man shouts. Elsewhere, a Chinese restaurant owner makes a show of tearing down Japanese decorations at his Japanese restaurant.

The Chinese government is tolerating these displays of anger at Japan, tacitly encouraging nationalist fervor, even if it results in empty restaurants, at a time when China is increasingly suffering from economic uncertainty. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Coming up here on CNN, the families in New Delhi who say their homes were demolished by the government to improve the city's appearance ahead of the summit of G20 leaders.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:00]

VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Leaders from Southeast Asian nations have gathered for an ASEAN summit in Jakarta, where the official opening ceremony was held just in the past hour or so.

The summit comes within amid rifts within member states over stalled peace efforts in Myanmar and other regional and international issues.

For more, let's go to CNN's Steven Jiang, live in Beijing. Really, Myanmar seems to be the big one here. And just how kind of toothless, I guess, in many, ways ASEAN really is.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right. You know, the thing is, even though the summit is in Jakarta and not in smoggy Beijing, I think they're very much trying to seek clarity on that issue and other major issues you mentioned.

As these are the problems that have been dogging ASEAN for years, and certainly overshadowing this summit. You know, Myanmar, of course, the crisis has been more than two years after the military there overthrown the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a bloody coup.

But also other issues, because remember, South China Sea is a huge problem there, with some ASEAN members have had long-standing territorial disputes with Beijing, especially with the recent episodes of Chinese coast guards using water cannons to try and stop the Philippines, an ASEAN member, from re-supplying one of its ships, not to mention the newly-released so-called ten dash line maps from Beijing, which seems to indicate an even bigger claim than compared to the previous already very expansive claim.

And remember, another ASEAN member, Vietnam, actually banned the movie "Barbie" because of the -- the previous nine dash line map from China. Just imagine their reaction to the nearest version.

And then, of course, is this dilemma and the choice faced by a growing number of countries around the world, but especially within ASEAN, because of the member states' very close economic and trade relationship with Beijing. That is their role and their choice in this increasingly heated U.S.-China competition, with tension very much remaining high between Beijing and Washington.

And against all of that backdrop, of course, is the rather conspicuous absence of U.S. President Joe Biden, who in the past has usually attended the summit in person. So that, of course, gives analysts another reason to question this bloc's relevance and reigning influence and the White House priority in the region.

Now, of course, the U.S. very much rejecting that and pointing to Biden's track record, as well as the fact that he actually hosted eight of the ten ASEAN leaders in the White House just last year.

Now attending the summit in his place is U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. And coincidently, China is also sending its No. 2 leader, Premiere Li Qiang, to Jakarta.

So a lot of scrutiny over all of these interactions between these leaders as ASEAN very much trying to present this image of unity and relevance, and with a focus on economic growth in this increasingly fractured world -- John.

VAUSE: Steven, thank you. Steven Jiang there with the very latest on what's happening at that ASEAN summit.

Well, leaders of the world's largest economies meet for the G-20 summit in New Delhi later this week. They'll pass by ornate fountains and leafy green plants on the way to where the conference is being held. They will never see the homes which were destroyed before they arrived.

CNN's Vedika Sud spoke with some of them who had been forcefully displaced.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CRYING)

(CONSTRUCTION MACHINES TEARING DOWN BUILDING)

VEDIKA SUD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A bulldozer tears down Savita's home in Delhi. Helpless and distraught, she looks on, recording on a mobile. [00:35: 06]

Her daughter is just off-camera; try comforting her. "Stop crying mother, or you will fall sick," they say.

Savita is just one of tens of thousands who have been rendered homeless in the lead-up to the big G-20 meet in Delhi, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will want to be seen as the voice of the global South.

SUD: When world leaders arrive in New Delhi this weekend, they won't see some of the slums that would have fallen on their route. Instead, what they will see is this: statues and fountains that are part of the government's massive beautification drive that activists say have displaced the poor.

SUD (voice-over): Almost three months after this mass demolition drive, we meet Savita. She's as inconsolable as she was on the morning bulldozers rolled into the neighborhood.

"Our children were hungry. They were thirsty. We had no place to cook after the demolished our homes," she says.

Amid the rubble, Savita's family camped under a tarpaulin sheet. They were homeless for almost six weeks.

"We knew we were building our homes in an unauthorized colony, but people have been living here for over 40 years now. Why didn't authorities demolish these homes earlier? Why now?" she asks.

In a document submitted in court, the Delhi government stated it intends to rehabilitate those impacted by the eviction in new homes. But that hasn't happened.

Human rights activist Harsh Mander says the Modi government is showing no urgency in rehabilitating the poor.

HARSH MANDER, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: What strikes me most is that India, the Indian -- Indian state, is ashamed of what's ostensible poverty. It doesn't want poverty to be visible to people who come here.

SUD (voice-over): In July, the Indian government, in a written response in Parliament, denied any links between the demolitions of homes and the G-20 summit.

CNN has reached out to both the Delhi and central governments. We have yet to receive a response.

About 200 meters away from the G-20 summit venue, Jayanthi Davy (ph) scavenges for the buried remains of her belongings under the rubble of her home.

"Our home, a small eatery, a grocery store, everything was destroyed," she says. "People say authorities have cleared out the settlement because of the G-20 summit." She now runs a tea stall along with her husband. Since June, they've

been spending nights in this makeshift shelter.

"We're so angry, but our poverty makes us powerless. We can't speak up," says Jayanti.

Now, plants shroud the rubble that's still scattered around Jayanti Devi's home. High walls have cordoned off the land where Savita once lived.

Amidst the noise and grandeur, the voices of the marginalized grow even softer.

Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Still to come on CNN, Beatles fans are looking for a long-lost bass guitar belonging to Paul McCartney. If you've got it, let us know. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC: "ALL STAR" BY SMASH MOUTH)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That's Smash Mouth's breakout hit, "All Star," featured in the Disney movie "Shred," with the former lead singer, Steve Harwell, whose manager says died on Monday, a day after entering hospice care.

Harwell led Smash Mouth from the group's founding in 1994 until 2021 when he retired. He could be heard on hits like "Walking on the Sun" -- bit of ska music there -- and the band's popular cover of "I'm a Believer." Much better than the original Monkee version.

Harwell's manager says he passed away at home in Idaho, surrounded by family and friends. He was 56.

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VAUSE: Yes, please help if you can. The search is on for a missing piece of music history.

The Lost Bass Project, a group of dedicated Beatles fans, looking for a bass guitar that once belonged Paul McCartney. The Hofner (ph) bass was purchased by McCartney in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961. It's featured an early Beatles hits, including "Twist and Shout" and "Love Me Do."

Though it's not been seen since 1969, the team says it's hoping they can still find it. If you've got it, let us know.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is sporting an eye patch these days. Arrgh. Getting a lot of kidding about it.

Scholz posted this image of himself on "X." His spokesperson said he was injured from a fall while jogging.

In the caption, Scholz says it looks worse than it is and he looks forward to the memes. Arrgh. Plenty of them. Many have shown Scholz sporting a pirate look, such as this one, where he wears not only the eye patch but a buccaneer's hat and a parrot on his shoulder. You know what they say about their ears.

I'm John Vause. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM, but first, WORLD SPORT starts after the break.

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