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Thousands Flee Nagorno-Karabakh; Ukraine Says It Killed Russian Naval Commander; U.S. Grapples With Migrant Surge At Border. Aired 2- 3a ET

Aired September 26, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:30]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. A race to escape. Thousands of ethnic Armenians fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan's lightning offensive to seize the breakaway region.

A strike at the heart of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine claiming it killed the commander of the naval fleet in last week's attack on the Crimean Peninsula.

And a surge at the U.S. southern border. Local communities reaching a breaking point as authorities in Latin America warn the number of migrants could rise even further.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Laila Harrak. New details are emerging about a powerful explosion at a gas station in the Nagorno-Karabakh where ethnic Armenians had been lining up to get fuel as they leave the disputed region. Well, Armenian state media reports, more than 200 casualties. There's no word yet on what caused the blast. But it comes at a very volatile time.

More than 100 bodies have been found after Azerbaijan's military offensive according to our medium state media. And since then, thousands of ethnic Armenians have been fleeing the enclave. Many of the refugees or women, children and the elderly. They're arriving in Goris. An Armenian town near the border with Azerbaijan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The gunfighting was everywhere, all the time, not even a five-minute break. It was going on all the time. We could not leave the basement because it was dangerous. We could die at any moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'll never ever come back. Never in this life. Azerbaijan wouldn't even let us take the dead ones away and a lot of them are still there.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRAK: Well, the misery on the faces of many evacuees is plain to see. They have been under a food and fuel blockade for months and now are leaving Nagorno-Karabakh out of fear that an ethnic cleansing of their community will come next.

CNN's Becky Anderson shows us what they're facing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voiceover): A mass exodus raising fears for Armenia of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan. A charge (INAUDIBLE) staunchly denies. So far, thousands of ethnic Armenians have fled the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia. A tragic journey they've become all too familiar with.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SVETLANA HARAPETYAN, NAGORNO-KARABAKH RESIDENT (through translator): We had three wars, three times we left and came back and now we, I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Last week, Azerbaijan forced the surrender of ethnic Armenian fighters in the breakaway disputed region. Closing a major chapter in a conflict that has simmered for decades. But like every walk, the horrors don't stop when the fighting abates. Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is home to about 120,000 ethnic Armenians who make up the majority of the population.

Over the last three decades, the two countries have fought intense wars over the enclave with a larger, more powerful Azerbaijani military seizing increased territory. Russia, the traditional power broker says it's been delivering aid to the region's capital Stepanakert and then it's peacekeepers on the ground will help escort civilians fleeing to Armenia. But despite Moscow's presence, Nagorno- Karabakh has been under a blockade for nine months.

Azerbaijan-backed forces blockading the lashing corridor, the only road connecting Armenia to the region, preventing the import of food need and separating families and loved ones.

On Saturday, just days after the ceasefire was signed, the first convoy of humanitarian aid into the region from the International Red Cross. Its members also carrying out medical evacuations. But there are still fears aid isn't reaching those who need it most. With thousands here having been surviving with little to no food and fuel for close to a year. And that is why many of those fleeing seem to prefer an uncertain future in Armenia over a bloody and vicious past in their homeland.

Becky Anderson, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:05:05]

HARRAK: And Russia is refusing to accept any responsibility for that bloodshed because on one day the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Armenian Prime Minister's attempt to blame Moscow was "unacceptable" and accused the Armenian leadership of making itself a "hostage to the geopolitical games of the West." The Kremlin also said that Russian peacekeepers have been showing true heroism while fulfilling their duties.

Journalists Lara Setrakian is the president of the Applied Policy Research Institute which is based in the Armenian capital. And she is with us now from Dubai. Lara, thank you so much for joining us. What can you tell us about the human rights situation right now in the ethnically Armenian enclave?

LARA SETRAKIAN, JOURNALIST: By official counts, 13,000 refugees have poured out of that area into Armenia since Saturday. People are desperate. As you heard in Becky's reporting, they have been deprived of food and medical supplies for nine -- more than nine months since December 12 of last year. So the military escalation last Tuesday and offensive by Azerbaijan to retake the region couldn't have come at a worse time for these people.

We've been hearing not just about civilian casualties, but about children killed in the fighting and the explosion, of course, as well, as you reported earlier. They're desperate to leave. The hope had been that you would see genuine peace talks between the government of Azerbaijan and these Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. What we've seen instead was a military offensive to reintegrate this landmass by force.

And so, people are now fleeing for their lives. In complete desperation, we're hearing about elderly having trouble leaving. Of course, with that many people crossing a border, there's a lot of desperation and a lot of struggle to survive.

HARRAK: Now, I want to ask you about the, you know, on the face the international inaction during this major escalation. Are there any diplomatic political efforts underway? I mean, we understand that the European Union at some point had a civilian mission to Armenia. How are they managing the crisis? What happened to any efforts to broker peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia?

SETRAKIAN: I think the U.S. and the E.U. expected that Azerbaijan would pursue peace talks and more of a diplomatic process to resolve this issue. The area of Nagorno-Karabakh has been autonomous and run by Armenians since the 1920s. The very earliest days of the Soviet Union. It was always a complicated question as to how you would reintegrate Armenians and Azerbaijanis so they could live in peace side by side.

A lot of violence, a lot of loss on both sides over many decades. This escalation really killed the hope for a diplomatic track. You will still see leaders meeting in Europe in the coming weeks. That's what we expect. The E.U. is going to try to mediate peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But really, this escalation and all of the pain and suffering that it's caused, has really poisoned the well.

The trust building, the peace building that would have been required for this to stabilize seems to be completely shot. And there's a real fear of escalation and expectation. In fact, in some respects, a pledge by Turkey and Azerbaijan, that this will continue, there will be some form of military escalation, possibly before the end of 2023. That involves the Armenia proper, so basically an expanding conflict if their demands are not met.

So, what we're seeing in this conflict at this point, is that what Azerbaijan wants it is taking by force, the mediators, the U.S., the E.U. are being caught on the backfoot. Russia does not want to be left out. They still want to be a power broker. But since the invasion of Ukraine, they simply haven't been able to keep the peace in this neighborhood like they used to.

HARRAK: So, Armenia's options are right now going by what you just said, seem very, very limited. So, what needs to happen now?

SETRAKIAN: Armenia put a lot of faith in those peace talks and the leadership in Armenia convinced the population that that was a good idea. Since that hasn't worked out, there's a lot of instability, a lot of turmoil within Armenia. A lot of calls for some other way forward. It's a very dark moment in the South Caucasus. And we really don't know how we're going to get out of this crisis without continued military escalation.

Azerbaijan is much stronger militarily. They have a much bigger resource base and much wealthier country than Armenia. Turkey has vowed to fight with Azerbaijan, side by side. And so, what we've seen from the leadership in Turkey and Azerbaijan promising their own people that they're going to continue to make gains, territorial gains, possibly one thing that they've been playing for and talking about even at the U.N. General Assembly was their desire to basically establish a land bridge across southern Armenia, which would be very dangerous for Armenia basically cutting off North from south.

But at achieving something substantial for Turkey for Azerbaijan because they'll be essentially connected by land.

[02:10:06]

And so, that -- that's what we're watching next frankly. We're waiting to see whether there will be some sort of military escalation. Without diplomatic or economic pushback on military action. What we've seen, especially since 2020, is that the demands get higher and the risks get higher, the humanitarian fallout gets greater. And so, that is the moment we're living in. And the region frankly, is just desperate for some degree of stability.

Some sense that these military escalations are going to -- are going to die down, but so far, there's no sign of that.

HARRAK: Lara Setrakian, thank you for joining us.

SETRAKIAN: Thank you. HARRAK: A spokesperson for Ukraine's Navy says Russian ships in the Black Sea are still launching attacks despite the reported death of their commander. While Ukraine claims Viktor Sokolov was killed Friday in an attack on Sebastopol in Russian annex Crimea along with 33 other officers and more than 100 service members. Kyiv says Russia has been using Crimea as a logistics hub.

Meanwhile, Russia reports it has repelled a new Ukrainian missile attack on Sevastopol and several drone attacks in the Belgrade and course regions. A new the video purports to show Ukraine shooting down and Russian missile headed for its port city of Odesa. The defense ministry calls it a pathetic attempt to retaliate for Friday strike on Sebastopol. Ukraine says the missile and drone attacks which have now continued into Tuesday badly damaged the port's infrastructure and destroyed and abandoned hotel.

More now from CNN's Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Ukraine dismissed this as a pathetic attempt at retaliation. A Russian bombardment of the port city of Odesa with drones and long-range missiles. Two warehouse workers were killed and abandoned hotel smashed in what could have been an almost routine attacked by Russia. But for this. Kyiv have now claimed to have killed the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov.

Ukraine says it also killed another 33 Russian officers in the missile strike against the Fleet headquarters in Sebastopol on Friday. The Ukrainians have targeted senior Russian officers throughout this war, often using intelligence from NATO. And specialist units have been tasked by Kyiv with these killings. They're aimed at sapping morale, and undermining command systems.

CNN has no independent confirmation of Ukraine's claim to have killed Russia's Admiral. But it would be its biggest success in this campaign. And part of an ongoing effort to break through Russia's defense lines to ultimately strike at Crimea. They've included earlier attacks on Putin's Navy and a bridge to Russia itself. The first batch of U.S.-donated Abrams tanks have now also arrived in Ukraine. But they're not the strategic weapons that Ukrainian say they need.

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Defense packages from the United States including artillery, necessary shells, HIMARS munitions, air defense missiles, additional air defense systems, tactical vehicle. And some other types of weapons that will prove themselves on the battlefield.

KILEY (voiceover): Give wants these ATACMS. Long-range missile systems to attack deep behind Russian lines to kill more officers and destroy logistics hubs. The U.S. has yet to announce that Ukraine will get these missiles before the winter freezes over the frontlines where they are.

Sam Kiley, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And CNN has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comments on reports of the Black Sea Fleet commander's death. We also spoke with our former Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty.

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JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Sometimes when big news happens, big bad news happens in Russia or for Russia, the silence tells you that it's serious. And right now, there's no confirmation, there's no denial, there's really not much have any reaction to this news. And I think that's significant. They really probably do not know what to say at this point. It would be I think, extremely serious.

The only thing that I've seen is kind of an uptick in the -- I would call it kind of apocalyptic comments on social media and the Russian- state controlled media of revenge destroying Ukraine completely that type of thing which also to me, you know, lend credence to this theory that it's really very bad for Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:15:06]

HARRAK: Well, Jill also says she believes there is serious concern in Moscow about the arrival of the first U.S. Abrams tanks in Ukraine, which she calls significance.

The U.N. Human Rights Council is taking a hard line against Russian activity in Ukraine. The group says there is continuous evidence of Russian war crimes, including attacks harming civilians and attacks on medical facilities and energy infrastructure.

In Kherson region, the council reports Russian soldiers rapes and committed acts of sexual violence against women from 19 to 83 years old. And they heard accounts of torture.

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ERIK MOSE, CHAIR, U.N. COMMISSION OF INQUIRY IN UKRAINE (through translator): The victim who suffered torture through electric shock stated, every time I answered that I didn't know or didn't remember something. They gave me electric shocks. I don't know how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity. In some cases, torture was inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: The Commission says it's also looking into the alleged transfer of unaccompanied minors by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation.

Still ahead. New tension in the South China Sea as the Philippines tries to assert control over disputed area. We'll go live to Beijing. And a drought around New Orleans is pushing saltwater up the Mississippi River. We'll explain why that's such an environmental threat. A governor has asked for a state of emergency.

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HARRAK: The Philippines says it has removed a floating barrier installed by China in a contested part of the South China Sea. Philippine Coast Guard use knives to cut ropes holding the barrier in place. Its government says it poses a hazard to navigation. All parts of the South China Sea have been in dispute for years as nations in the region have conflicting claims to islands and weeps until recently a nervous detente has existed.

Let's get you more now. Steven Jiang joins us now live from Beijing, China. A volatile situation Steven. Why did China install a sea barrier so far away from its coast?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Laila, because let's not forget, China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea based on "historical proof," even though that has been rejected by an international tribunal. But nonetheless, Beijing still claims sovereignty over some 1.3 million square miles of area. And that's why some of these disputed waters and reefs are so far away from its mainland coastline.

Now as we mentioned, these waters have been hotly contested for decades but it is only China that's been doing this extraordinary and increasingly aggressive thing that has in the past few years through land reclamation and the massive construction.

[02:20:11]

They have turned some previously uninhabited reefs and atolls and islands into manmade islands equipped with sophisticated radars, air strips and other equipment. That really is the basis of why China has become increasingly able to project its military power in this area through its navy, its coast guard, but also through its nominally civilian maritime militia. And we've been following this story for years.

But we have seen this uptick of publicized incidents between China and some other claimants, especially the Philippines. We have seen the Chinese Coast Guard, for example, using water cannons and also what Manila describes as aggressive and dangerous maneuvers to chase and drive away Philippine boats. And Manila, also accusing Beijing of destroying marine ecosystems near its borders through deliberate actions.

But Beijing Of course, for its part has been pushing back all these allegations, saying the only thing that's changed recently is the change of government in Manila. The new president, President Marcos is now doing the U.S. government's bidding, instigating tensions and creating a political force. They also seem to be very angry at the Philippines' decision to bring international media along to witness some of those encounters, saying this is all a stage performance aimed at creating this false narrative of China being the bully here and creating more favorable international narrative for the Philippines.

But the underlying question of the saw, of course, if nothing changes, the Chinese are definitely not retreating from these military bases that they have built. So, what happens in terms dynamics and how do you stop the Chinese behavior short of a war. Laila?

HARRAK: Steven Jiang there reporting. Thank you so much.

Hoping to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the leaders of some of 18 Pacific Island nations Monday at the White House. While the group met for a summit meeting, as Mr. Biden announced new infrastructure funding and millions of dollars in other assistance. They also had a roundtable talk about the threat to climate change poses to their region with U.S. climate envoy, John Kerry.

Well, Mr. Biden has cited World War II to suggest America's commitment to the region is long term.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Like our forebears during World War II, we know that a great deal of the history of the world will be written across the Pacific over the coming years. And like them, we owe it to the next generation to write that story together.

To do the hard work, that stark work at General MacArthur said and I quote him again, "For which a better world for all calm."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: A highlight of the summit was new U.S. diplomatic recognition for two Pacific Island nations. The Cook Islands and Niue. Libya's attorney general's office has detained 16 officials as it investigates the deadly collapse of two dams in the city of their Derna. While thousands of people were killed when the dams gave way earlier this month amid heavy rains. And it's now apparent that there were warnings that the dams needed maintenance and may not have gotten any for years.

The 16 are now being held in pretrial detention. They include Derna's mayor and water officials in charge of managing the facilities.

Heavy rains in Guatemala City caused a river to flood and sweep away homes killing at least six people. Officials say one of the victims was a little girl and they warned they will likely find more bodies. 13 people are missing. The river overflowed in an area just three kilometers away from the capital cities downtown. This rainy season has been a particularly deadly one in Guatemala. Before the heavy rains Sunday night, at least 29 people have been killed in floods.

Louisiana is having the opposite problem. Very little rain and an increasing drought and that's beginning to threaten the Mississippi River. That state's governor has just requested federal disaster declarations for four regions. That's because relatively low water flow in the river is enabling saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico.

CNN's Becky Anderson asked our chief climate correspondent Bill Weir to explain it.

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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: The mouth of the Mississippi River is lower than where it enters the Gulf of Mexico. And because saltwater is denser, this sort of wedge of heavier water pushes up depending on the strength of the mighty Mississippi, which is not so mighty in the age of climate change alas. Back in 1988, it actually got into the water system of New Orleans for a couple of days.

Now the river is so low and dry. They worry could encroach and stay in that system for weeks or months and thus the emergency measures that are be taking place now preparing for this.

[02:25:00]

You can actually watch this wedge move upstream here. The officials say in order to beat it back into the sea where it belongs, the entire Mississippi Valley would need about 25 centimeters of rain. That's how the drought is right now.

And it's not just drinking water Becky, for folks in Louisiana and Mississippi. It's food for everybody, so much food comes in barges down the Mississippi from the grain belts. Last year when this happened, the price of shipping a bushel of soybeans went up 300 percent. And there's worries that that could be repeated as well. But there you can see the timing as the saltwater wedge moves winds its way up north up the Mississippi there as well.

And already a couple thousand people's drinking water supplies are affected. Another 20,000 will be affected if it reaches Belle Chasse, which you see there on October 13th. And then the big worry, of course is all the folks who live up New Orleans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: And that was CNN's chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. It's been just more than a month since wildfires ravaged the wind town of Lahaina killing 97 people. While on Monday, some residents were finally able to return to the remains of their homes for the first time. Well, the first zone that was reopened to residence was deemed safe enough for reentry but officials warn that risks remain.

Debris and ash could contain dangerous material that could become airborne if it's improperly handled. But Hawaii's governor says it's important to let residents say goodbye to their properties. And to grieve in the places where many loved ones died.

Still to come. Reaching the U.S. for better opportunities. That's the goal for this group of mostly Venezuelan migrants embarking on a long journey north. Details on the many challenges they face.

Plus, wage jobs and paychecks on the line. What damage a government shutdown could do to the U.S. credit rating. Experts weigh in, next.

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HARRAK: Welcome back to all of our viewers around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN Newsroom. A border town the mayor in Texas says he's planning to extend the city's emergency declaration as a migrant surge shows no signs of slowing down at the U.S.-Mexico border.

[02:30:07]

The mayor of Eagle Pass said he'll be meeting with the border patrol chief as thousands of undocumented immigrants are coming in. A US border official is warning that migrant crossings are expected to remain high in the near term.

A US homeland security official tells CNN border patrol agents apprehended nearly nine thousand people on Sunday. That's more than seven thousand the day before, sorry more than seven thousand the day before. Well Venezuela is one of the countries where many of the migrants are coming from, Stefano Pozzebon reports on why they are taking the incredible risks to reach America.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (voice-over): The journey for the American dream starts before dawn. At four AM, this group of migrants is getting ready to cross the Darien Gap, the stretch of tropical forest between Columbia and Panama. In the darkness, a loudspeaker invites each migrant to sing the anthems of the countries they've left behind.

The voices of the Venezuelans resonate the loudest. At sunrise, the gates of this makeshift migrant camp open up and the group advances into the forest. Panamanian authorities estimate that on average, more than 1400 people have crossed this thick stretch of forest every day this year.

Already more than double the numbers in 2022. Most of those crossings are Venezuelans, but migrants from Ecuador, Haiti, Columbia, and even China also attempt these routes. Hundreds of thousands of personal stories, but one shared goal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have a lump in my throat, but I'm doing this for my family. For a better future.

POZZEBON (voice-over): The hike lasts several days across rivers and jungle mud, but the prospect of making it to the United States, over two thousand miles north from here, is stronger than ever.

MARISELA SILVA, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: So the longer term mission, I think it's difficult to say right now but we can work with what we see in terms of a trend and the trend is that the numbers will continue increasing.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Venezuelans have been leaving their home country for years. But until recently, most of them headed towards other South American countries. What sets this year apart is that hundreds of thousands of migrants are now traveling directly towards the United States.

Worryingly according to the United Nations, a growing number of unaccompanied children are attempting to track on their own. These little ones instead follow their parents, tied together, so they don't get lost in the crowd. On the other side funneling Panama, a small group gets a passage on a boat down the river. Others heal their feet, wounded from the hike before the journey continues north.

From the air, these soldiers can only monitor the record flow, but there is no way of stopping it, Colombian and Panamanian authorities say. And for most of these people, there is no way of turning back. Despite recent economic reforms, Venezuela remains in deep humanitarian crisis with over 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line, according to independent figures.

POZZEBON: With living conditions in Venezuela not showing any sign of improving anytime soon, and the rest of South America that is already struggling with their own problems, call it the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, inflations in the last few years, it's only natural that a growing number of people are trying to reach what is seen as the only place where they can have better opportunities. The United States. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well meantime in Washington, pressure is building as a deadline of a possible government shutdown draws closer. There is less than five days until the federal government runs out of money, meaning some departments will shut down completely and some federal employees will stop getting paid.

The lawmakers are at a standoff on a new agreement, but US President Joe Biden and his top aides aren't going to let Americans forget who's to blame. They're planning to continue highlighting the group of conservative Republicans refusing to entertain a short term deal.

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JOE BIDEN, US PRESIDENT: Now a small group of extreme House Republicans, they don't want to live up to that deal, and everyone in America could be faced with paying the price for that. We made a deal, shook hands and said this is what we're going to do, and now they're reneging on the deal, which is not really a surprise these days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he thinks he has enough votes from Republicans to make some progress this week, but right now lacks enough votes to push through a short term bill to fund the government.

[02:35:08] Well financial experts warn a shutdown could also affect the nation's credit rating. Moody's investors services says it would be, quote, "Credit negative for the country." The firm is one of three that have given the US a Triple A rating, or outstanding. Moody's forecast predicts a short-lived shutdown would have minimal effect on the economy, but the longer it lasts, the bigger damage it would deal to businesses, consumers, confidence and financial markets.

An investigation is underway now after Molotov cocktails were thrown at the Cuban embassy in Washington Sunday night. Cuba's foreign affairs minister is calling it a terrorist attack. He says the attacker threw two makeshift bombs at the building, but no one was hurt. And the secret service says no one has been arrested so far. It's the second time the embassy has been attacked. The first time was in 2020 when a man opened fire on the building with an AK-47 rifle.

As tensions continue between India and Canada, dozens of Canadian Sikhs staged protests outside India's diplomatic missions on Monday. Some protestors burned the Indian flag and called for the expulsion of the Indian ambassador to Canada. The protests happened a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said intelligence agencies were investigating credible allegations that India was potentially behind the killing of a Sikh separatist activist on Canadian soil.

India has denied the allegation calling it absurd. Coming up, an Australian petroleum company wants to use underwater sonic blasts to scope out fossil fuel deposits. Why activists say this sound will be catastrophic for whales.

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HARRAK: Australian activists are challenging an offshore gas project that's not only threatening to pump deadly fossil fuel emissions into the air, but may deafen the whales that live off of Australia's west coast. CNN's Anna Coren explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is seismic blasting. It's a method fossil fuel companies use to find gas and oil under the sea. Air guns launch sound waves towards the ocean floor. How long it takes them to bounce back gives an indication of the fossil fuels trapped under the sea bait. The bubbles and bangs may look harmless, but Greenpeace warns they can be deadly to marine life.

RICHARD GEORGE, GREENPEACE SENIOR CAMPAIGNER: And they're louder than an atomic bomb, and that's really problematic if you're a whale because whales depend on their hearing for everything. To navigate, and find their mates, and to look for food.

[02:40:00]

So a deaf whale is a dead whale.

COREN (voice-over): The western coast of Australia is a whale super highway. It's also where energy giant Woodside Energy wants to blast this southern spring, searching for gas for a huge new fossil fuel project known as Scarborough.

GEORGE: If it goes ahead, we're looking at emissions going up to 12 years Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions. So it's a disaster for our climate and it's a disaster for our oceans as well.

COREN: Woodside provided CNN with its marine environment plan for the Scarborough gas project dated this June. There will be no lasting effect on whales, however, there could be short term hearing impacts, the report reads. Woodside will have dedicated marine fauna observers and systems which can listen for whale song on some vessels, the company says.

Adding the presence of whales can postpone activities. Another powerful concept is acknowledged in Woodside's report. The importance of the marine environment to the traditional customs and culture of indigenous Australians.

RAELENE COOPER, SUING WOODSIDE: Those animals represent a song. A dance that we, as indigenous people all over this continent, hold.

COREN (voice-over): Raelene Cooper is taking Woodside to federal court, arguing she is not being properly consulted on seismic blasting.

COOPER: And it's our sacred, significant areas that continually get hammered. Our people are being attacked. Our ancient history, our wildlife, our ecosystems, our water.

COOPER: Those song lines, the rocker - -

COREN (voice-over): Earlier this month, Cooper won a temporary injunction against the blasting while her case is heard. Woodside could begin blasting on Friday. In a statement to CNN, Woodside said we also welcomed the federal courts proposal to hold a further hearing regarding Miss Cooper's challenge, and went on to say it had consulted extensively on its environmental plans, and met regulatory requirements and standards.

The Australian government continues to back the project saying it will be good for jobs and energy security. That is despite also pledging to be carbon neutral by 2050. Scarborough is set to run two decades past that date. Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: The developers behind ChatGPT have announced a new feature. You will soon be able to talk to it and it will answer you. You can ask ChatGPT to tell your kids a bedtime story or settle a dinner table bet. The new feature will be available to paying customers.

Meanwhile Amazon says it's adding generative AI to its Alexa voice assistance. Brave new world. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Laila Harrak. WORLD SPORT is next, and then CNN NEWSROOM continues with my colleague, Bianca Nobilo. I'll see you tomorrow.

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