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U.S. and UK launch strikes on Houthi targets, hinting at extended military action. Israel intensifies offensive in Khan Yunis, targeting Hamas; casualties reported. Spy chief proposes plan for Gaza ceasefire, urges Hamas leaders' departure. Lawmakers face pressure over Hamas negotiations; protests disrupt parliament. EU diplomat criticizes Israel's stance, questions alternative plans. Nikki Haley leads initial results in New Hampshire primary. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis exits presidential race, boosting Trump in NH. Ammunition Running Low for Ukrainians on Front Lines; Modi Inaugurates Controversial Temple; Pope Francis's Modern Relationship with the Media. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 23, 2024 - 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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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: American and British forces have carried out large-scale multiple strikes on Houthi targets across Yemen Monday. A nighttime operation which could signal the beginning of an open-ended military operation by the United States. The leader of the Iran-backed militants warns that military action by the West will only strengthen their resolve to continue to target commercial shipping in the region. According to U.S. and U.K. officials, eight Houthi sites on Monday were hit, including missile drone systems, radar systems, and weapons storage facilities. CNN's Oren Lieberman has more details now reporting in from the Pentagon.
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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: For the eighth time over the course of the past two weeks, we have seen the U.S. carry out strikes in Yemen targeting Houthi assets that have been used to strike and launch against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, two of the world's most critical waterways. This time, once again, we saw the U.K. take part in these strikes with an international coalition consisting of Canada, the Netherlands, Bahrain; and Australia. The U.S. used not only F-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, an aircraft carrier that's been in the region, but also surface vessels and a submarine to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The U.K., meanwhile, says they used Typhoon fighter jets as part of the strike. The U.S. carried out strikes on eight separate sites using some 25 to 30 precision-guided munitions, according to a senior military official who briefed reporters following. The strikes were, quote, successful and achieved their desired effect, according to that official, as well as a senior defense official who was part of that briefing. Now, they pointed out that the U.S. was specifically going after the sorts of weapons and capabilities that the Houthis, an Iranian-backed proxy in Yemen, have used to attack international shipping, meaning they're not trying to expand the target set over the types of weapons they've tried to destroy over the course of the past two weeks.
Now, crucially, they say they were successful in targeting these weapons that includes drones and missiles, as well as an underground storage site for these capabilities for the first time. But it has degraded the Houthis' abilities, the U.S. believes, to go after and threaten commercial shipping. The threat remains on the table at this point. If the Houthi attacks continue against international shipping, so will the U.S. operations here. And we've again now seen the U.K. join in this as well. They issued that same warning, that unless the attacks on international shipping lanes stop, U.S. and U.K.-led strikes on Houthi assets won't stop. The question, where does this go from here, the officials who briefed reporters wouldn't sort of predict in which direction this goes, only to say that the U.S. will continue to operate as it sees the need to. Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.
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VAUSE: Major Israeli offensive is underway in Khan Yunis in Gaza's south. The IDF expects fighting to last for several days in the territory's second biggest city, but claimed the operation will be precise because of the dense civilian population. Israel says Hamas outposts, infrastructure, and command and control structures are being targeted, and claims Hamas fighters have allegedly been spotted in sensitive sites like hospitals. Palestinian health officials say medical facilities in the city are being battered by Israeli forces, and the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza says dozens of people have been killed and wounded already, adding to a death toll which has now passed 25,000. More details now from CNN's Ben Wedeman.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By hand, they bury the white, shrouded body of a young girl on the grounds of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The soft sand at the hospital, one of the only safe places to put the dead to rest. The girl suffocated. They couldn't save her, says her grandmother, Saadia Abu Taima (ph). Khan Yunis is now the focus of Israel's offensive e in Gaza, where Israel believes some of the hostages, as well as some of Hamas's leaders are located, but after weeks of intense operations, they've found neither. The war is well into its fourth month. Israeli leaders warn it could go on until year's end. The prospect of an early halt to fighting brushed aside by the White House.
JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: We don't believe a ceasefire is going to be to the benefit of anybody but Hamas.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Some in Gaza might beg to differ. Israeli forces have pulled out, for now, from parts of central Gaza. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, people search for what's left of their shattered lives. Or perhaps just scraps of firewood. Hundreds of thousands have taken refuge in now overcrowded UN schools. Officials warn that lack of sanitation, clean water, medicine and proper shelter is leading to the spread of disease. Um Hamad (ph) fled here with her family, only to find no space.
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Where's their shelter where we can stay, she asks. We're not the Hamas people they're talking about. We just want to live like everyone else. By Al-Bureij camp, at another UN shelter, school books keep the fire going to cook a meal. It was a nightmare here while the fighting raged nearby, a nightmare that, for some, isn't over. My father's gone. My father, the pillar of my life, is gone, says 11-year-old Karim Hussein (ph). How can I live without him after the war? His father's body and others lies in Gaza's soft sand behind the school. No gravestone, just names spray-painted on the wall. Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Beirut.
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VAUSE: And Israel's spy chief has put forward a ceasefire plan, proposing senior Hamas leaders leave Gaza in return for a months-long pause in fighting.
VAUSE (voice-over):The details were shared exclusively with CNN from two officials familiar with the ongoing discussions. They tell CNN once those leaders are given safe passage out, their control over Gaza could or should weaken. The suggestion has been discussed as part of a broader ceasefire negotiations at least twice in recent weeks. It's not clear which Hamas leaders would go, but there's no bigger target for Israel than Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's top official in Gaza, one of the architects of the October 7 attack on Israel.
VAUSE: Israeli lawmakers are coming under increasing pressure to make a deal with Hamas for the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza. Protesters forced their way into the Israeli parliament Monday, blocking the entrance to the Knesset while others disrupted a committee meeting. No reports of any arrests inside the Knesset. A new polling shows falling support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and he would lose an election if it was held today. The National Unity Party, led by former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, would be the biggest winner, with Netanyahu's Likud party finishing a very distant second.
Meanwhile, the European Union's top diplomat says the Israeli government's opposition to a two-state solution is unacceptable. Joseph Borrell questioned whether Israel could provide any alternative to a lasting viable state for the Palestinians.
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JOSEP BORRELL, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: Which are the other solutions they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill off them? 25,000 already in Gaza. 70% are women and children. Certainly, the way of trying to destroy Hamas is not the way they are doing, because they are seeding the hate for generations.
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VAUSE: We'll stay with the story for a little longer. We head to London, and Yaakov Katz, a senior columnist for the Jerusalem Post, as well as a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for getting up early.
YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST, JERUSALEM POST: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: So, it's taken, what, 108 days for this broad international support for Israel, after Hamas carried out a despicable, vile attack on hundreds of innocent civilians, including children and pregnant women. And now it's shifted to international efforts to revive a two- state solution which is opposed by Benjamin Netanyahu and his entire government. And there is a criticism for what many see as a recalcitrant Israeli Prime Minister, like this.
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MICHEAL MARTIN, IRISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Those remarks by Prime Minister Netanyahu are unacceptable, and do not contribute in any way to the prospects of peace. He needs to listen to the vast majority of the world who want peace and who want a two-state solution on the basis that a two-state solution is the ultimate security guarantee to Israel.
BORRELL: I think that we have to stop talking about the peace process and start talking more concretely about the two-state solution process. Because peace could be many different pieces. What kind of a peace you are talking about? So, let's talk about what we want to do. And we want to do is to build a two-state solution.
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VAUSE: Is this a problem of Israel's own making? It didn't have to be like this, did it?
KATZ: Well, I think what Israel could do, John, is potentially outline and articulate what it wants to see happen the day after the war in Gaza. Because the military action is just a means for a political resolution. And until now, Israel has been pretty much radio silent on what it wants to see. And what that does, I fear, and we're seeing that play out right now in the EU and other places, is it opens and creates a vacuum for other players to present what they think needs to happen. But I think that what we have to remember is that Israel wants peace. There was peace, as a matter of fact, on October 6th. It was October 7th when Hamas invaded that that changed everything. And there can easily be peace if Hamas were to return the 130-plus hostages that it holds on to, lay down its arms and stop vowing to control. And then Israel will continue to attack Israel, as it says it will.
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VAUSE: Well, Netanyahu is also unapproached now from within his own extreme right-wing government. These are the extremists and the bigots, like Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is also national security minister. He has warned Netanyahu and others, if there is no war, there is no government. I've said it all along. There is a war going on. We know it. But if, God forbid, it is decided to stop the war, I will not be part of the government. So what? Netanyahu now faces a choice. What's best for the country, what's best for him?
KATZ: That is the choice that Netanyahu faces. You said it perfectly. It's a delicate balancing act for Netanyahu. On the one hand, he knows that the world is waiting and wants to see him fall in line and declare the stated objective that at the end of this war, we're going to work towards the prosperity for both sides. Of course, we have to ensure that no future Palestinian entity, whether a state or not exactly a state, whether they govern themselves or not, but will not present a threat to Israel and be able to carry out the attacks of October 7th.
On the other hand, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich and other people in his coalition are pulling him to the right. And they're basically saying to him, if you dare utter the words of a Palestinian state, we will leave your coalition. So, he's facing a political existential crisis. The last thing he wants right now is an early election. He's bleeding from the failures of October 7th that are at his doorstep. He is the prime minister. He's the man responsible. But so, on the other hand, though, he knows that the world is waiting and there is mounting pressure. Can he continue to carry this forward? I'm not sure. It's going to have to go one way or the other very soon.
VAUSE: And the Israeli foreign minister doesn't seem to be helping things a whole lot in Brussels for talks with Europeans about ending the war. At the meeting, Israel Katz showed ministers video of an envisioned artificial island off the coast of Gaza. Here's part of the video. Take a look at this.
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UNKNOWN: An international policing force will be responsible for security and public order on the island and for a checkpoint on the bridge which will connect the island to the coast. The ability to secure the island will be significantly greater than if a port were to be built on the Gaza coast itself. And should the need arise, the island could be disconnected from the strip.
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VAUSE: It's like the fantasy island, but n8ot fun. This is an old presentation made before Katz was even, you know, the foreign minister. Kind of sends the wrong message, really, to say the least.
KATZ: I've seen this video before, John. It was back when, I would say, almost 10 years ago when he was the minister of transportation. And it's actually an interesting idea that's worth talking about, creating this artificial island that would give the Palestinians of Gaza their own port, would have some sort of security. What exactly it has to do with what's happening in the Gaza Strip right now and the war that Israel is fighting, you know, that's a bit of a loose connection but that's not exactly what people are thinking about.
What we're more focused on, I would say, in Israel, in the EU, in the US, everywhere, is how do we end this war as quickly as possible? How does Israel get back its people? How do the people of the Palestinian territory get some stability after these, after 100-plus days of fighting? There is a tragedy that's also unfolding in Gaza. We can't ignore it, but Hamas is responsible. And we need to see the elimination of Hamas as soon as possible. So, this artificial island, or fantasy island, as you called it, John, I'm not sure what that has to do with it.
VAUSE: Yeah. Well, it's always great to have you with us. We really appreciate your time and your insights, sir.
KATZ: Thank you.
VAUSE: Breaking news, kind of. On the first US presidential primary of 2024, the first votes have just come in from New Hampshire. The tiny township of Dixville Notch opens and closes the polling sites at midnight local time. Just received a total of six registered votes. Those votes are for Haley. All six of them. Donald Trump did not receive any. There we are. What that means, yeah, we'll find out in the coming days. We'll take a short break. I'll have much more on the New Hampshire primary and why it could be the last chance for any Republican to try and stop Donald Trump's bid for the party nomination. That's just after a short break. You're watching CNN.
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VAUSE: Yes, the first results from New Hampshire are already in. We can call the tiny township of Dixville Notch with just six registered voters. Well, looks like they've gone for Nikki Haley, all six of them. CNN's Eva McKend is there live for us. Okay. So, six people, great. Is this indicative of any way in the past of how New Hampshire will actually go overall?
EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, from 1968 to 2012, this community has picked primary winners. So, it is instructive in that regard. But really, you know, the community here tells me that they participate in this process. They do this midnight voting really as a way to inspire the whole state. Because if they can get out here and trek in the wilderness in northern New Hampshire, at midnight to vote, then they hope that the rest of the state follows suit. But listen, Nikki Haley has a big support here in this state. That's because there are a lot of moderate and independent voters.
You know, I was speaking to a lifelong Republican earlier this evening, and he told me that in 2020, he actually voted for President Biden, and he was really looking for a candidate that he thinks can bring the country together. So, he didn't tell me who he was going to vote for, but he certainly gave an indication where he was moving there. So, I don't know if this spells or will translate to an all-out Haley victory. Former President Donald Trump is still favored to win. But still, what it illustrates is that she has a lot of support here. And the type of voters in New Hampshire are the ones that are inclined to support someone like Nikki Haley.
VAUSE: Ava, thank you for the update there and the analysis as well. And, you know, midnight, there's not a lot to do in Dixville, not to anyway, I guess. This is the exciting time of year. Thank you for being with us. Appreciate the live report. Well, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race on Sunday, and that saw Trump widen his lead over Nikki Haley in New Hampshire to 13 points in new CNN polling. But as we've learned all too well, the polls aren't always right. Ask Hillary Clinton. CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in New Hampshire with more.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIATE (R): We have to win on Tuesday.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a two-person race in New Hampshire. The question is for how long.
NIKKI HALEY. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIATE (R): America doesn't do coronations. We believe in choices.
ZELENY (voice-over): On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, Nikki Haley stands as the last remaining challenger to Donald Trump in a one-on-one contest that could show he's vulnerable or unstoppable and on a march to the Republican nomination.
HALEY: Can you hear that sound? That's the sound of a two-person race.
ZELENY (voice-over): The former president heading back to New Hampshire for one final rally before the voting begins. Embraced by former rivals rallying around his candidacy after Ron DeSantis threw in the towel on Sunday.
TRUMP: He ran a really good campaign, I will tell you. It's not easy.
ZELENY (voice-over): In rally after rally, Trump's closing arguments revolved as much around defending his pending legal cases, suggesting the president can act outside the law than articulating a vision for the party's future.
TRUMP: If you have a president that doesn't have immunity, he's never going to be free to do anything.
ZELENY (voice-over): To keep the primary race alive, Haley is trying to build a community. A coalition of independents and Republicans, like Carol Booth, who met Haley today at a Manchester brewery.
CAROL BOOTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: I just feel she has a shot, especially now that DeSantis is gone. I think that between her and Trump, I think Nikki's got a good chance.
UNKNOWN: We're in it for you.
HALEY: Get everybody else to vote. Get all your friends out and we'll get it done. ZELENY (voice-over): Eric Meyer left the Republican Party when Trump was elected. He believes Haley could unify the country and win the White House.
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ERIC MEYER, NEW HAMSPHIRE VOTER: It seems like she wants to sustain her campaign, at least with South Carolina. So that gives me hope.
ZELENY (voice-over): Some Haley supporters fear it's an uphill battle. But the New Hampshire primary has a storied history of delivering surprises. BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: New Hampshire tonight has made Bill Clinton the comeback kid.
ZELENY (voice-over): And different verdicts than the Iowa caucuses. In 2000, John McCain's resounding victory over George W. Bush.
JOHN MCCAIN, FORMER U.S. STATE SENATOR: On to South Carolina. Thank you very much.
ZELENY (voice-over): And in 2008, Hillary Clinton's defeat of Barack Obama opened an epic fight for delegates.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are in it for the long run. Yet history may offer limited lessons for this race, considering Trump is a quasi-incumbent who is swiftly coalescing the Republican Party around him and eyeing a rematch with Joe Biden.
TRUMP: This is the greatest movement in the history of politics in this country.
ZELENY: As Nikki Haley was making last-minute appeals to voters on Monday in Manchester, one man approached her and said, stay in the race. Stay in the race. She said, Don't worry. We will stay in the race until South Carolina. That primary, of course, is February 24th. But the question is, does she leave New Hampshire as a winner or reassessing her candidacy to Donald Trump? Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Salem, New Hampshire.
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VAUSE: Joining us now is political analyst Michael Genovese, president of the Global Policy Institute, at Loyola Marymount University, and author of The Modern Presidency, Six Debates That Define the Institution. Welcome back, Michael. It's good to see you.
MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to be here, John.
VAUSE: Okay, so this primary in New Hampshire, it's a one-on-one race that Haley wanted with Donald Trump, but appears that there was no boost in the opinion polls after Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign. Haley didn't sort of benefit from that much at all. Still, she is now the Republican Party's non-Trump candidate, which, back in 2016, probably would have won her the nomination. Today, the best she can get is, what, second place to Donald Trump. And if that's on a close second on Tuesday night, will that effectively end her campaign?
GENOVESE: It might very well. Donald Trump is polling a little above 50%. He wants 50% because he thinks that will be the knockout punch, about 12 points ahead of Nikki Haley. And so, Trump and Haley are in two very different universes campaign-wise. Trump is engaged in what the military would call attrition warfare, just pounding someone, beat them down, wear them down. He's got the resources to do that. Whereas Nikki Haley is engaged in what the military would call maneuver warfare. You've got to be flexible. You've got to be agile. You've got to make surprise attacks. She has not been a great attacker.
She's been keeping her powder dry and holding back. She started a little bit recently with her attacks on Donald Trump's mental fitness after he made several big flubs. It's a risky strategy. I think she's afraid to go full bore in that. So, it's time for her to make an 11th hour Hail Mary pass. Otherwise, she's going to be choking at windmills and really have no rationale for her campaign if she doesn't get within a 10 or 9 point margin in New Hampshire.
VAUSE: So to that point, so on the sort of the make or break moment for Haley, she's fighting for a political survival against a twice impeached, four times indicted, self-described wannabe dictator. And here's how Nikki Haley spent the final few hours on Monday campaigning in Salem, New Hampshire.
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HALEY: This really is an option. Do you want more of the same? Or do you want to go forward? Are we really going to say that we're okay with having our options be two 80-year-olds that run for president? I'm not being disrespectful. I'm saying we need somebody with eight years.
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VAUSE: Yeah. Is that the best argument at this point that Trump is as old as Joe Biden?
GENOVESE: Well, it's a pretty tame and lame argument. But that reflects the power that Donald Trump has within the party. I mean, party management, give him credit. He had a hostile and successful takeover of the Republican Party in 2016. He built a new party around himself, cultural personality. He browbeat Republicans into submission. And he's dominated the party. He's been very successful at it. Other presidents have tried to dominate their party. And have not been successful. So give Donald Trump some credit. It's quite extraordinary the extent to which he controls almost all of that party.
VAUSE: I want you to listen to a fake robocall, which is doing the rounds, falsely claiming to have been recorded by Joe Biden, the president, urging Democrats not to vote in the New Hampshire primary. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNKNOWN: It's important that you save your vote for the November election. Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again.
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VAUSE: And here is Donald Trump talking about Nikki Haley and who's voting for her.
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TRUMP: Nikki Haley, I know her well, but she's made an unholy alliance with the rhinos, the never Trumpers, Americans for no prosperity, globalists, the radical left communists, and they want to get liberals and Biden supporters.
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VAUSE: The Trump campaign denied any involvement in the fake robocall because, you know, Donald Trump would never be involved in election interference. But what are your thoughts on this robocall? Where did it come from? The use of AI. And also, this is kind of the first time we've seen Joe Biden make an appearance in this race, and it wasn't even really Joe Biden.
GENOVESE: Well, you know, this is the beginning with artificial intelligence and with deep fakes. Technologies is going to be used in the future to really shake up and discombobulate elections. False information. False flag. There's going to be a whole series of problems. You won't be able to tell what's true and what's false. The fake robocall was persuasive. It sounded right. It sounded good. And it will only get better in terms of the ability to fake things and to spread disinformation. So I think this is just the beginning of what in the future is going to be a terrible, terrible and difficult time trying to sort out the truth in elections.
VAUSE: And also, Joe Biden just seems to be absent right now, too.
GENOVESE: Yeah, he's -- Joe who, Joe who . He's missing in action. I think that's partly because Donald Trump commands and demands all of our attention. And he is ubiquitous. We just can't get enough of him. He's the national car crash that we can't turn away from. And so, Biden is left with no real public space to occupy, no space for him to make his case. We all love to look at Donald Trump as crazy as he sometimes is, but as entertaining as he always is.
VAUSE: Michael, as always, great to see you. Thank you for being with us.
GENOVESE: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: When we come back here on CNN, fighting a war of survival with dwindling supplies of ammunition, a new reality for Ukrainian troops on the front line. Also, the Indian prime minister officially opens a Hindu temple. Why, that could just be a major milestone in his efforts to move India from a secular state to a Hindu state. More on that in a moment.
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VAUSE: Welcome back to the viewers all around the world. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN Newsroom. With major U.S. funding for Ukraine still stored in Congress and also stored in the European Union as well, that means ammunition now running low for the Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
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Here's CNN's Fred Pleitgen with a closer look at what that actually means for the fighters on the ground.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Artillery is key as Ukrainian forces try to hold off massive Russian assaults on the Eastern front, but Kyiv's ammo shortages are getting worse by the day.
This U.S.-provided M109 Paladin Howitzers near Bakhmut is often silent, because they don't have enough shells to target the Russians, the commander tells you.
"We cannot fulfill our tasks 100 percent," he says, "although we really want to. My crew and other crews are just waiting for it and are ready to work around the clock."
But it gets even worse. Finally, resupply does arrive, but it's only four rounds. And this type of ammo won't hurt the Russians much.
PLEITGEN: This really illustrates the shortages the Ukrainians have to deal with. Four rounds. That's all they're going to get right now. And by the way, wait, they're not even explosive rounds. They're smoke rounds.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): These shells will barely explode on impact. It's almost like firing cannon balls in medieval times. But the commander says, sometimes, it's all they can do.
"Every shell that is suitable for the Paladin, we use," he says. "It's better than no shells."
The Russians face no such shortages in this area. Ukrainian military intelligence believes Russia produced around 2 million rounds last year and acquired around 1 million from North Korea. Massive barrages have laid waste to Bakhmut and much of the surrounding area.
At the headquarters of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade's artillery division, the frustration is palpable. From their drones, they can see the Russians gather to continue their assaults on Ukrainian positions. But they often can't take them out, because they need to conserve ammunition, the commander tells me. "The ratio is about ten to one," he says. "Ammunition is very
important to us. Russia is a country that produces ammo. They have strategic reserves. Yes, they use old Soviet systems, but Soviet systems can still kill."
Even without enough ammo, the Ukrainians say they are stopping most Russian assaults here. And the M-109 crew did manage to fire at Russian positions.
But they know they'll need a lot more firepower to stop Russian advances.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, near Bakhmut, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: What might just be a key moment in Sweden's NATO application is set for debate now in Turkey's Parliament later today. An approval by Turkish lawmakers would end a delay that has strained Ankara's ties with the West.
Sweden and neighboring Finland began the process of joining the military alliance in 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But Turkey, along with Hungary, kept Sweden waiting until it toughened its stance on local members of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, which Ankara has listed as terrorists.
India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated a controversial temple in Ayodhya on Monday, fulfilling a key promise as he seeks reelection this year for a third term.
The new temple stands on the site of a 16th Century mosque, destroyed by Hindu nationalists in 1992. It triggered nationwide riots that killed about 2,000 people.
For some, it's a reminder of that religious division, as well as the violence. CNN's Vedika Sud has details.
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VEDIKA SUD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Millions tuned in from all corners of Indiana and abroad to watch the consecration of a Hindu temple in the city of Ayodhya.
SUD (voice-over): India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, participated in the ceremony up front and center. But the event is also very controversial.
The temple is being built on land that was once home to 16th century mosque the Babri Masjid, and stands at the site of one of the bloodiest communal clashes in independent India.
Many Hindus believe it's the birthplace of Lord Ram, Hindu deity. After decades demanding a temple in his honor and years of legal battles over the land, a Hindu nationalist mob tore down the mosque in 1992. It ignited communal violence across the country. Over 2,000 people
lost their lives.
SUD: In 2019, after decades of legal battles, India's top court allotted the site to Hindus, calling the mosque's demolition illegal. It gave the Muslim community another plot of land, but the ruling was seen as a blow towards India's Muslim minority.
SUD (voice-over): For some, this consecration ceremony has reopened old wounds. Mohammed Azees lost his father in the 1992 riots.
MOHAMMED AZEES, AYODHYA RESIDENT (through translator): What I feel towards that incident is it was our mosque and will remain our mosque till the end of my life, my judgment day. Even if they give us the whole of Ayodhya in return, it will not matter to us. Our plots, our mosques, those lands that belonged to us then, will always belong to us.
SUD: This temple inauguration is the culmination of a relentless and protracted push by right-wing groups for a Hindu nation.
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Many opposition leaders boycotted the event. They claim Modi's using a religious occasion to consolidate his Hindu vote base, calling it, quote, "a beginning of a new time cycle."
NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The sun of the 22nd of January has brought with it a wonderful aura. Twenty- second of January 2024 is not just a date on the calendar, but a beginning of a new time cycle.
SUD (voice-over): But analysts fear the event could further weaken India's secular fabric in the world's biggest democracy. But there's little doubt that it strengthens Modi's legacy as a Hindu nationalist leader in a year he's seeking a history third term in office.
SUD: Vedika Sud, CNN, Ayodhya, India.
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VAUSE: Still to come here on CNN, the pope and the press. A closer look at the relationship between Pope Francis and the Vatican reporters. And why they've been embraced by the Holy Father.
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VAUSE: A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Northwestern China's Xinjiang province early Tuesday, local time. The quake had a depth of (AUDIO GAP), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Video shows fish tanks and light fixtures swaying at the moment of the quake.
State media reports at least three people were hospitalized. A child was pulled from beneath some rubble. Hundreds of rescue workers are being deployed to the quake zone, and dozens of aftershocks have already been reported.
Just because you say it doesn't mean it's true. So without providing any evidence, Elon Musk has said his platform X, which was -- used to be Twitter, has less antisemitic content than other social media platforms.
The comments came out after Musk visited the Auschwitz death camp in Poland with his 3-year-old son.
Musk also attended a conference of the European Jewish Association, during which he admitted he wasn't aware until recently that antisemitism was a pervasive problem in the U.S.
He's faced heavy backlash over antisemitic content on X, including a conspiracy theory that he amplified by retweeting it in November of last year.
Well, Bishop Jorge Bergoglio became pope a decade ago. And ever since then, he urged the world to become more open and caring, along with challenging the Catholic church to examine itself, as well as its traditions.
He engaged with the media and it's been a vital part of his work, increasing his presence, his visibility like no other pope before.
CNN's Christopher Lamb has our report.
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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A newsmaker from day one, Pope Francis has never been afraid to engage with the media.
In a private audience he held for the Vatican press corps Monday, he underlined how critical responsible journalism is in today's world, telling a room full of reporters that being a journalist is a vocation, somewhat like that of a doctor, who chooses to love humanity by curing illnesses.
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POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: To protect and defend human life.
LAMB (voice-over): Ever since taking up office, Pope Francis has spoken out on many issues, including the death penalty, nuclear weapons.
He's been a consistent advocate for migrants, for peace in Ukraine, Gaza.
POPE FRANCIS (through translator): There is no conflict that does not end up in some way indiscriminately striking the civilian population.
LAMB (voice-over): He's also been a vocal defender of the planet, carving out a prominent moral voice for himself from the world stage by engaging with the media and his followers online, giving more interviews than any other pope.
MICHAEL CZERNY, CARDINAL: I think he would say is, I speak out because of the commitment of the faithful. In other words, I'm not speaking, because I have personally some kind of a special response to give. No, I speak out because there are millions of Catholics, and other Christians, and other believers, and other people of goodwill for whom are or in whose voice I'm speaking. And we're trying to trying to say to the world's decision makers that their decisions are anti-human, short-sided, suicidal.
LAMB (voice-over): Like Pope Francis, Cardinal Czerny has been pushing efforts to galvanize Catholics, and indeed the world, to welcome and support refugees fleeing war and poverty.
CZERNY: Absolutely. What we try to do is to help the church locally, wherever it is, to accompany the migrants and refugees, to welcome them, to protect them, to promote them, and to integrate them.
LAMB (voice-over): To Cardinal Czerny and the pope, refugees are not about numbers but names, faces, and people.
Francis made headlines in 2016 when he bought back Muslim refugees on his papal plane after a trip to the Greek island of Lesbos.
In an age of heightened misinformation and attacks on journalists, the pope has also emerged as a defender of freedom of the media.
Francis is 87 years old and has had some health difficulties. Yet, he shows no sign of slowing down and, in a fast-changing, unpredictable world, he's likely to keep on making headlines.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.
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VAUSE: Quickly, before we go, there's word coming through from the Israeli Defense Forces. They've released a statement saying ten Israeli soldiers have been killed in a single operation in Southern Gaza. We told you earlier about an operation which was ongoing around the Southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, the second biggest in the territory.
We're expecting more word on this from the IDF at a news conference sometime within the hour. As soon as we get that, we will bring it to you live here on CNN.
But in the meantime, I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT is up next.
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