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New Amnesty Report Slams Anti-Terrorism Laws in Russia; Russian Flag Raised in the Ukrainian Town of Avdiivka After Months of Battle; Two Police Officers and a Firefighter Killed in the Line of Duty in Minnesota; Shanghai Back in Business after the Lunar New Year Holidays; Oppenheimer Wins Big at the BAFTAs; Italian Prisoners Make Musical Instruments from Scrap Migrant Boats. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired February 19, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Watching from the United States and around the world. I'm Anna Coren, live from Hong Kong. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom."
Putin is watching, a stark warning from one U.S. senator to fellow lawmakers, as he urges Congress to pass aid for Ukraine. We'll discuss how inaction from Congress is impacting Ukraine's front lines.
And Israel sets a deadline for the release of hostages before it expands military operations in Rafah.
Plus, a Minnesota town is grieving the loss of three first responders. Details on the domestic incident that ended in tragedy.
We begin in a town in eastern Ukraine. Russian flags are now flying over Avdiivka, after Kyiv withdrew its soldiers after several months of intense battles. Ukraine is now waiting anxiously for U.S. artillery, as a key aid bill remains stuck in the U.S. Congress.
But U.S. House Republicans are on a two-week recess instead of pushing along that bill. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated America's support for Ukraine during a phone conversation. But Mr. Zelenskyy says that aid is critical to stop the Russian president's plans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The conversation with President Biden, very important points, including about Avdiivka and the need for continued, principled and sufficient support for Ukraine. And each conversation clearly confirmed the key point. Ukraine alone can stop Putin and create conditions for him to be punished for all the evil he has done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, meantime, Putin critic Alexei Navalny's sudden death in an Arctic prison is further highlighting the dangers posed by Russia.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is demanding House lawmakers pass the bipartisan National Security Bill, saying Navalny's death is ringing an urgent alarm bell. And Vladimir Putin, quote, "is watching".
A spokesperson for Alexei Navalny said his mother and lawyers were denied access on Monday to the morgue where his body is allegedly being held. A Russian human rights group says nearly 30,000 people have signed a petition demanding that authorities release his body. Officials say Navalny died Friday after losing consciousness. The exact location of his body still remains unclear.
Well, meantime, people around the world are expressing their outrage over the activist's unexplained death. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the center of Berlin to pay tribute to Navalny. They blamed Vladimir Putin for his death.
Well, in London, a temporary shrine outside the Russian embassy has been growing by the hour. Supporters have left hundreds of bouquets and condolence messages for Navalny and his family.
For more, let's go to CNN's Clare Sebastian in London. Clare, those hundreds of people in Russia laying flowers, holding vigils, dozens now in jail, this real act of defiance, you know, they are coming out despite knowing the consequences of their actions.
Update us, please, on the public opposition perhaps growing within Russia and when Navalny's body will be returned to his family.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so first of all, on the body, Anna, since we have had some updates this morning from his spokesperson, as you were saying, Kirill Yarmysh, posting on X that the mother and lawyer who are now in that remote polar region since Saturday, they arrived at the morgue. We understand this to be the same morgue that they had already visited on Saturday with no results. Apparently, they were literally, one of the lawyers was literally pushed out.
They were told they were out. But when they asked if Alexei Navalny's body was still there, no one said anything.
And they're now hearing, according to Kirill Yarmysh from the investigative committee, we assume in that region, they've been the ones communicating on this, that the investigation of the death of Navalny has been extended, but they haven't said how long it will take. And the cause of death is still unknown.
[03:04:58]
Ms. Yarmysh saying that they lie by time for themselves and do not even hide it. I think the question is, are the authorities there trying to test essentially how long Alexei Navalny's mother and his lawyer are willing to stay in that polar region, or will they give up and go without his body? So that is the update on that. In terms of the reaction to Alexei Navalny's death, yes, we have seen
an unusual in this Russia, which has now seen a significant uptick in repression, certainly over the last two years since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, people coming out laying flowers. They know the potential consequences. We have seen disproportionate reactions from police, people being forcibly removed, 387 people detained.
Now, according to independent human rights group OVD-Info, a number of those have, I should note, been released, but that still shows, though I will say to put that into context, this is a country of 140 million people. This is not a majority. This is not even close to what we saw in terms of reaction to the death of Boris Nemtsov, that other major opposition figure who was gunned down just near the Kremlin in 2015.
Then we saw rallies, we saw marches, thousands turned out. This is nothing like that, and this is a measure, I think, of the level of propaganda within Russia and the level of repression, which, as I said, we have seen significant increase since the start of the war.
COREN: Let's talk more, Clare, about that oppression, because there is fear of a broader crackdown ahead of Russia's elections next month, elections that, you know, I don't even know why Putin's holding them, but that will certainly give him a fifth term in power. Tell us about this latest report from Amnesty International that really speaks to those concerns.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, Amnesty International putting out a report today on what it calls the abuse of vague anti-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation. We should note that one of the several convictions that were placed on Alexei Navalny were under those laws.
They said that they have been significantly, well, the use of them has significantly increased. The number of convictions is up 50-fold in the last 10 years, and in the first six months of 2023, there were more convictions for planning or carrying out terrorism-related crimes than there were during any entire year over the past decade. So you can see that there.
But look, this ever-expanding toolkit that the Russian state is equipping itself with to stamp out any kind of dissent involves not only laws that existed before the war, but new offenses like the wartime censorship laws, discrediting the army, spreading fake information about the army. Those have been added to that toolkit, and we've been taking a look at how that has changed the landscape of life in Russia. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The woman being led away, not an opposition activist, but a 67-year-old Moscow pediatrician.
Her lawyer stands helplessly by.
Moments earlier, in a video provided to CNN, Nadezhda Buyanova surveys the graphic aftermath of a visit by federal investigators to her apartment. I asked them to be more careful, she says. Hers is one of a steady stream of lives turned upside down by Russia's
wartime censorship laws. Her alleged crime, spreading knowingly false information about the Russian army, one of several new offenses created in the early turbulent days of Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine.
Now, along with discrediting the army, they form a key pillar of the Kremlin's effort to stamp out all dissent and independent media.
DARIA KOROLENKO, OVD-INFO ANALYST: They will imprison old people, they will imprison people who have disabilities, they will imprison people with children, women with children. They just want everyone to be silent.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Almost two years in, thousands of civil cases have been brought under these laws, and more than 400 criminal cases, according to human rights group OVD-Info, some resulting in long prison sentences.
The crackdown is getting ever more fierce. Russia's parliament just passed legislation allowing the state to confiscate certain assets of those convicted.
SEBASTIAN: Why do they feel the need to expand the scope of these laws as time goes on?
KONSTANTIN EGGERT, RUSSIAN JOURNALIST IN EXILE: I think the regime works as an engine. They have to generate these displays of loyalty every day. And they know that the only way to do it is actually to strengthen repression, to continue clamping down harder and harder.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The laws have turned social media into a minefield. Pensioner Yevgenia Mayboroda jailed in January for five and a half years for two pro-Ukrainian reposts.
Maxim Lipkhan, 18 years old, when arrested last year for planning an anti-war protest, currently being held in a psychiatric facility pending trial, a detention reminiscent of Soviet practices.
[03:10:08]
EGGERT: Social media is very, very thickly and intensely monitored by the FSB, Russia's secret police. And crash, boom, bang, these people find themselves in trouble.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): For Nadesh Ulyanova, the trouble started during an ordinary day at work. She was effectively denounced by the mother of a patient. Purportedly, this woman who claims Ulyanova told her a family member who had recently been killed in Ukraine was a, quote, "legitimate target". Ulyanova denies this.
KORORENKO: I think the climate is fed by the mainstream media that everyone wants to destroy Russia, destroy your home.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): A climate of fear, Russia's most powerful weapon to control its people, increasingly feeling the strain of war. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: It's interesting to note that in their report on these anti-terror and anti-extremism laws, Amnesty International calls them vague in their wording and arbitrary in their application.
The same thing, I think, applies to these wartime censorship laws. That is how that level of fear is maintained, the arbitrary application of those laws. And this is the context in which, Anna, we see this spark of defiance in the wake of the death of Alexei Navalny, which I think otherwise may have been a lot bigger.
COREN: Clare Sebastian, we appreciate your reporting. Thank you.
Well, joining me now is Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of Kyiv School of Economics. He's also former Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine. Great to have you with us. Let's start with Avdiivka.
Some security analysts believe that the fall of Avdiivka is more important, more significant than the fall of Bakhmut because it was, in fact, better defended and had more strategic value. Would you agree with that assessment?
TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Well, not necessarily, but I do think that it opens a way forward towards Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, and those are strategic cities in Ukraine. And I think we've already seen some signs of attacks, increased attacks by drones.
COREN: How do you feel about the fall of Avdiivka?
MYLOVANOV: I'm sad. I'm frustrated. This could have been avoided. So many people died. Nothing is left of Avdiivka. I think Russia is sending a signal that as the U.S. becomes embattled in Democrat- Republicans in fighting, that it is taking an advantage of it and it's costing lives.
COREN: The decision to withdraw was, of course, one of the first orders from the new general, Oleksandr Sersky. He obviously wanted to save lives and to move troops to, quote, "more favorable lines". But can Ukraine secure these defensive lines, considering the lack of weapons and ammunition that Ukraine is facing?
MYLOVANOV: The good news is that it appears to be that the front line is not collapsing. So that's a good news. There's no rapid movement forward of Russian troops. But you're absolutely correct. We don't have enough artillery. And of course, we have to prioritize on the directions like Avdiivka, but in some other directions we have nothing left. So it's a very grim situation, to put it diplomatically.
COREN: It was being described as acute shell hunger, which is what the troops in Avdiivka were facing. But as you just mentioned, it's not just isolated to Avdiivka. It's right along the eastern front. I mean, Russia has scored its first battlefield success in nine months. It does have this renewed momentum. I mean, what is going to happen if U.S. Congress does not pass that critical $60 billion aid package for Ukraine?
MYLOVANOV: Yeah, so Russia is pushing along three directions. Avdiivka is just one of them, and that's the one in the news, and that's where they have made progress. And you are absolutely correct that in some areas which are less active, such as northeast, for example, we might not have, and in some points or villages, we might not have any artillery left at all, because we have to prioritize.
What will happen? Russia is likely to gain more territory and keep pushing. And God knows where they will stop. They will take as much as they can.
COREN: The Ukrainians that I speak to, they are very concerned. They're worried. They say that there is a gloom over the country. There's not panic yet. But what sense do you get?
[03:15:01]
MYLOVANOV: Yeah, it's a dark time in Ukraine. It's a feel of determination. Indeed, there is no panic. But it's a permeating sadness of how many people will die or have been dying. And it's a sense of frustration with the allies, and specifically with the promises to provide support.
COREN: Tymofiy Mylovanov, we thank you for your time and we wish you and your countrymen well.
Well, meanwhile, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is comparing himself to Putin critic Alexei Navalny. He suggested on his social media platform that he's being targeted by the Biden administration the same way Putin went after Navalny.
Earlier, I spoke about that with Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, it's a completely absurd analogy, Anna, but it's something that you would expect from Donald Trump. I mean, Trump's playbook with the court cases is fairly predictable at this point. Complain that it's election interference, blame it on a left-wing conspiracy, show no contrition, then declare that an attack on him is an attack on all Americans.
Every single piece of evidence that we've seen so far is that embracing that martyrdom complex works for Trump. So he's going to keep on exploiting it. I think for any other politician, a case like the one that we just saw would crash and burn their political career.
For Trump, it's just business as usual. And, you know, for Republican voters, every guilty verdict just reinforces this narrative that they've come to adopt. It doesn't matter if Trump's lying. They just think that sort of facts are rigged. And so they're going to support him. COREN: I mean, it shouldn't surprise us that Trump made Navalny's
death about himself. But are you expecting him to say anything substantial about the death of Russia's most prominent opposition leader? And as Nikki Haley said, really denouncing Putin for what has happened?
GIFT: Well, I don't expect language like that from Trump because we haven't heard it from him before. I mean, if anything, Donald Trump has been cozying up to dictators, including Putin for years. He's expressed his admiration for Putin.
He's talked about how much of a genius he is, how savvy he is for all of his political maneuverings in Eastern Europe. And so I think Donald Trump both respects on a fundamental level Putin, which is quite remarkable and concerning. But also, he just doesn't want to disturb this very delicate relationship that he seems to have with Russia's leader. And I think Nikki Haley is absolutely correct that Americans can't afford to have a president where that's the mentality.
COREN: Thomas, the White House has produced an advertisement about Trump's recent comments that said that Russia can do the hell that it wants with NATO countries that don't pay their bills. Let's first have a listen to that ad.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Trump wants to walk away from NATO. He's even given Putin and Russia the green light to attack America's allies.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): No president has ever said anything like it. It's shameful. It's weak. It's dangerous. It's un-American.
COREN: Do you believe that will resonate with an American audience or, more importantly, Trump supporters?
GIFT: No, I don't. That's the long and short of it. And I think that's the case because Donald Trump supporters are prostrate before him and they just listen to anything that Donald Trump says. And if you look at public opinion polls toward Russia, basically they track the kind of language that Trump uses. So he has this incredible power over the base.
And more so, I think there are just a lot of voters that don't take Trump seriously. I mean, language like this is just completely unhinged. It's sort of unbelievable that we can have a major nominee of one of the two parties using rhetoric like we've seen and basically no one bats an eye. But I don't think that it's going to damage Donald Trump. I think his supporters are just going to follow him. It's more of the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: That was Thomas Gift speaking to me last hour.
Well, Israel is issuing a warning about when it could launch a potential ground offensive in Gaza's southernmost city, Rafah. Those details ahead.
Plus, dreams of a life after war. We'll hear from children in Gaza as they share their hopes amid the fighting.
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[03:20:00]
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COREN: Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz says forces will expand military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah if Hamas does not return the remaining hostages by Ramadan. The holy Muslim month is expected to fall on the second week of March.
His words come after Israel's Prime Minister said the release of hostages can be achieved through tough negotiations and strong military action.
Meantime, in central Gaza, a spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital says at least 18 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike Sunday, although CNN cannot independently verify the number of casualties.
And near Khan Younis, the WHO and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry say Israeli forces have put the Nasser Medical Complex, quote, "completely out of service". A ministry spokesperson says only about two dozen medical staff remain but are not able to handle critical cases. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
The International Court of Justice is expected to open hearings on the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in Palestinian territory soon. Well it comes as the war rages on in Gaza, the case arrives more than a year after the U.N. General Assembly voted to ask the court for a non-binding opinion on the long-running dispute. Palestinian representatives are expected to speak first at today's hearing.
[03:25:03]
Well, the children of Gaza have now been living with the harsh reality of war for more than four months, and even with no end in sight, they're still holding on to their hopes and dreams for a life after the fighting.
CNN's Nada Bashir has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): In this camp for the displaced in Deir el-Balah, little Mohammed has only these biscuits to sell.
Two for just under 30 cents is his price. Just the one for this young girl.
Another child feeling the pain of Gaza's deepening hunger crisis. Children across this camp are part of the near two million people who
have been displaced in Gaza.
Fleeing in search of safety, warned by the Israeli military of its forces encroaching operation.
But even as bombs continue to come crashing down around them, children here, like Rafa, still have hope for a life after war.
I hope to go home and see my brother, she says. I want to apologize to him and kiss his feet. We left and couldn't take him and my grandparents with us.
After the Israeli military ordered Gazans to move further south of the strip, many were left with nowhere else to turn. Just like Nama and her five grandchildren, whose parents were killed in an airstrike.
I don't know what to say. I don't know how it happened, she says. I suddenly found everyone had been killed. Nobody was left. The memory is clearly still so raw and painful for her grandchildren. Instead, she asks Mustafa what he wants to do when the war comes to an end.
The beach, he says. God willing, we will be able to take you to the beach and the amusement park too.
But that joyful dream is short-lived, punctured by the unavoidable reality surrounding them.
Tell them, my dear. Tell them about how you lost your parents and how they saved you from under the rubble. Tell them. Tell them everything.
Back at the camp, Ahed paces up and down, checking his phone for news from his friends. It's his dream, he says, to see them alive one more time.
I want to go back to my home, safe and sound, to see my friends, to go to school and learn.
But as Israel warns, the war could last for many more months. The dreams of Gaza's children are slowly fading, as they try to survive just one more day.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Absolutely tragic.
The U.S. says it struck an unmanned underwater vessel deployed by Yemen's Houthi rebels for the first time during a series of strikes Saturday in the Red Sea. Three anti-ship cruise missiles and an unmanned surface craft were also hit after U.S. officials determined they were an imminent threat.
It's the first time the Houthis have used an underwater vessel in their attacks on commercial shipping. They've been targeting international shipping lanes since Israel invaded Gaza following the October 7th Hamas attacks.
Well, tragedy in Minnesota. The town is in mourning after two officers and a firefighter were killed in the line of duty.
Plus, the U.S. west coast is on the receiving end of severe weather from another atmospheric river. The areas that face the biggest risk of potentially dangerous flooding after the break.
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[03:30:00]
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ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Welcome back. A Minnesota town is in mourning after two police officers and a firefighter were killed after they responded to a domestic incident on Sunday. CNN's Camilla Bernal has more on this tragic story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMILLA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A heartbreaking day for the community in Burnsville where they now say they are grieving the loss of three heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. I want to start by naming those victims.
Officer Paul Elmstrand, 27 years old, and Officer Matthew Ruge, also just 27 years old, and the paramedic firefighter Adam Vincent, 40 years old.
Officials say that these three men were killed after they received a call at about 1:50 in the morning on Sunday. This was a domestic dispute, and they say that when they received the call, they knew that this was a man who was armed. This was a man who barricaded himself in the home with his family. Seven children were in that home, ages two to 15. Those officers negotiated with that suspect for quite some time, according to authorities, but at some point, gunfire broke out.
Officials say that they know at least one officer died inside of the home, but it's unclear exactly what happened. They say they're still trying to piece all of this together, but they do say that that suspect had several guns. They also said he had a large amount of ammunition, and he injured another officer as well. That officer has non-life-threatening injuries, so he is expected to recover.
Nonetheless, this community is in mourning and really honoring and remembering these three men. I want you to listen to the chief of police who was very emotional when speaking about what they're going through. Here's what she said.
CHIEF TANYA SCHWARTZ, BURNSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We are all hurting. Our officers, our fire department, our families, all of our staff, our community. We're heartbroken.
We are heartbroken. We are going to need time to be together. Please. Our families need time to grieve. They need time to be together. We need you to pray for them.
BERNAL: And this investigation is still ongoing, but officials saying that the suspect was reported dead at around eight in the morning. They say the family, the seven children, were able to exit the house later on in the morning. They say there is no longer a threat to that family or to the community.
Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[03:35:09]
COREN: Meanwhile in Texas, Joel Osteen's megachurch is open again, about a week after a shooting there left two people injured. There was heightened security when services resumed on Sunday at the packed Lakewood Church in Houston. Some worshippers wore Lakewood Strong shirts, while a tearful Osteen expressed gratitude and prayed for the shooter.
On February 11th, a woman opened fire in the house of worship, shooting one man before she was killed by police. The woman's young son, who was with her, was also struck during the incident and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Another atmospheric river has formed along the U.S. West Coast and residents are facing more potential flooding this week. This as heavy rain has already impacted communities from California to southern Oregon.
CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis has more on the severe weather risk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A variety of weather threats over the next 24 to 72 hours across the West Coast. And California is especially weather weary, considering the atmospheric rivers have really impacted the West Coast over the last couple of months.
All right, here's that deep Pacific moisture taking aim at the state.
And so the variety of weather threats, primarily we're expecting heavy rainfall in a lot of these areas that have already seen significant rainfall totals like San Francisco, about 11 inches of rain so far this year.
There could be an additional two, three, four inches of rainfall expected there. But it isn't just the rainfall, it's also the wind and the snow. And with the long weekend, a lot of people probably trying to get to some of the ski resorts, that's going to be problematic too. Because some of those ridge tops, we're looking at snowfall in feet and wind, 75, 80, maybe 90 mile per hour winds. So be careful if you're traveling up in that direction, it's going to be rather treacherous.
Also treacherous on the roads down into Southern California, where the threat once again prevails. We could see the potential for heavy rainfall, could see downed trees, downed power lines, mud flows, debris flows. There's a lot that could happen here over the next couple of days. Because this atmospheric river is moving so slowly, so the threat is multiplied over each day.
All right, here we go. There you can see it, where you see the pink, that's the Front Range, that is the Sierra Nevada, there's Santa Barbara. And the computer models have really suggested that this area is going to see a tremendous amount of rainfall and already has this year. Two to four inches, certainly likely, but extending all the way down towards Los Angeles and also into Orange County.
So we'll be here in the CNN Weather Center to keep giving you updates regarding this latest atmospheric river. So keep it right here on CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Karen Maginnis, thank you as always.
Well, the Shanghai Stock Exchange just wrapped up its first day of trading since reopening from the Lunar New Year holiday. Investors saw modest gains despite new government figures that show travelers ramped up holiday spending compared to last year.
Well, let's go to CNN's Marc Stewart live in Beijing. And Marc, holiday travel at Lunar New Year always a huge boost to the Chinese economy. But can these numbers be trusted?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Anna. It's always appropriate to raise questions when we get this data from the government. I think there's no question that people were moving and that we saw some increases. But that's what the data shows. That's what we have seen on the ground. I was at a train station just before the real rush of the holiday. It certainly was packed.
So travel was up domestically. International travel, though, appears to be down. That includes visits to Hong Kong and Macau. But the real question is about holiday spending, about spending, whether or not it was up by as much as 50 percent as the government is portraying. We have done some data which shows differently, suggesting that spending was actually down compared to pre-pandemic levels.
This is because of one of many factors, including the fact that this holiday this year was eight days. And in the past, it has been seven days.
People, though, were out about spending. There's no question about that. In fact, movie theaters were very busy. But if you look at some of the key measures of the Chinese economy, for example, the price of pork, that still was very weak during the holiday period.
As far as the housing sector, the property sector, it wasn't a rush to buy homes. In fact, there was also some declines there.
So, yes, people were traveling, but spending, Anna, still very much in question as to just how much people really did pay and invest and go shopping. All those figures seem to be under a bit of scrutiny right now.
[03:40:08]
COREN: And Marc, China's stock market was seeing some big losses before the Lunar New Year holiday, but some modest gains today. Tell us more.
STEWART: Some modest gains today. Shanghai up about 1.5 percent. Shenzhen index also seeing some gains of just about one percent.
There's no question that the markets after this holiday break would like to see some momentum once again. And while some of this data that we were getting from the government may be a little bit suspect in some people's eyes, investors seem to like it. But long term, is the real question. And right now, based off of the conversations I've had with analysts, what we are seeing in some of these public conversations, there really needs to be some kind of resolution to the property crisis.
There's very much a push for Beijing to take charge, to perhaps provide some kind of stimulus, some kind of investment in infrastructure that would perhaps eliminate some of the losses that have been leading up to this holiday period, Anna.
COREN: Marc Stewart in Beijing. Good to see you. Thank you.
Well, still ahead, London rolled out the red carpet for the BAFTA awards on Sunday. We'll find out who won big in just a moment.
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COREN: "Oppenheimer" was the big winner at the 77th British Academy Film Awards or BAFTAs in London on Sunday. The biopic about the man who helped usher in the nuclear age got 13 nominations and won seven awards. CNN's Max Foster has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): London rolling out the red carpet.
FOSTER: Welcome to the BAFTAs, the biggest night of the year for the British movie industry.
PHOEBE DYNEVOR, NOMINEE, EE RISING STAR: So much talent comes out of England. So to be here, it's exciting.
UNKNOWN: I'm having the best time, kind of absolutely mental, but also just in the best way.
[03:45:04]
FOSTER (voice-over): The British Academy Film Awards are where cinema royalty meets U.K. royalty. But some glamor was missing this year as the Princess of Wales continues to recover from surgery.
Prince William attended alone, signaling that Kate is at least well enough for him to return to public duties.
The night, a celebration of British culture.
Seeing Sophie Ellis-Bextor perform her 2001 single Murder on the "Dance Floor", currently experiencing a social media explosion after its appearance in "Saltburn".
SOPHIE ELIS-BEXTOR, SINGER AND SONGWRITER: Other songs have had a resurgence, like many decades after they released. Never in a million years thought I would be able to experience that.
FOSTER (voice-over): The ceremony also paid tribute to those impacted by the war in Ukraine, as "20 Days in Mariupol" took home the prize for best documentary.
MSTYSLAV CHERNOV, DIRECTOR, "20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL": Thank you for empowering our voice. Let's just keep fighting.
FOSTER (voice-over): But alongside the impassioned political statements, the ceremony found some lighter moments.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR, "WONKA": Oompa Loompa. Dompedee Dom. Most of these films were frankly too long.
FOSTER (voice-over): Despite taking some heat for its three-hour runtime, "Oppenheimer" cleaned up, bringing home seven BAFTAs in total.
CILLIAN MURPHY, ACTOR, "OPPENHEIMER": I want to thank my fellow nominees and my Oppen-homies. That was a right one.
UNKNOWN: The BAFTA goes to --
UNKNOWN: Poor Things.
FOSTER (voice-over): An imaginative feminist take on Frankenstein. Poor Things also took home five awards, including leading actress.
EMMA STONE, ACTOR, "POOR THINGS": Thank you for the line, I must go punch that baby.
FOSTER (voice-over): And in a BAFTAs first, the award for the best film, not in the English language, went to a British film, "The Zone of Interest."
CLAIRE FOY, ACTOR, "ALL OF US STRANGERS": I think that the BAFTAs celebrate smaller films in a way, which I think is really amazing. I think it's really important that younger filmmakers are appreciated and that it's a diverse set of filmmakers.
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FOSTER: So it was interesting being behind the scenes. I have to say, you know what these things are like, Anna. You know, you're sort of put in a pen and then you're presented with different celebrities. And we obviously get very interesting people because they come to CNN, but there was a bit of talk, I have to say, about the relevance of all of these awards this season, because, you know, we saw some female winners there.
The number of female winners and nominees isn't particularly going up. I think it actually went down a bit this year. There's also a big question about "Barbie". Obviously, this is made by the same company as us, but, you know, the most popular film last year, by far the biggest box office earnings, didn't win anything at all.
And interesting speaking to people involved in these categories of best foreign language film and how, you know, that's a bit of an anomaly because, you know, what is a foreign language film? You know, we live in international world. Many of these actors move around the world. A lot of people have several different languages. So questions about the relevance really and how, you know, just a select few of, sort of, you know, critics arguably choose what are the best films, but are they the best films? And a few questions behind the scenes about that.
COREN: Yeah. Well, I watched "Oppenheimer" on the weekend and that is truly three hours. There's no denying it. Very good. But yeah, long. Hanging out with celebrities, Max, that is all in a day's work for you. I want to know any gossip, drama, highlights. Come on. I know you've got something.
FOSTER: Well, I think a lot of people were a bit disappointed with the fashion. Can I say that? I'm not putting myself out there as a fashion expert like you are.
COREN: Fashionista.
FOSTER: People were saying there wasn't enough fashion and how the real A-listers, you know, the "Barbie" cast, you know, some of the other really big names there sort of bypassed all the cameras and just went straight in.
So a bit of frustration amongst the showbiz reporters. I'm not one of them, so I can't speak with great authority on that. But, you know, it was good fun and it is, you know, it's an event.
COREN: It certainly is. Next year, they must consult with you, I think. Max Foster as always. Yeah. Lovely to see you.
FOSTER: Cheers, Anna.
COREN: Looking very smart, I might add.
Still ahead, from crisis to concert. We'll show you how abandoned migrant boats are being turned into musical instruments in Italy. Please stay with us.
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[03:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COREN: Sunday marked exactly one year since former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care. The 99-year-old was last seen in public in November following the death of Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years. Carter's grandson, Jason, gave an update about his grandfather's health.
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JASON CARTER, GRANDSON OF FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER: After a year in hospice, on a daily basis, we have no expectations for his body, but we know that his spirit is as strong as ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
The Carter family also released a statement saying, quote, "President Carter continues to be at home with his family. The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked many family discussions across the country on a very important subject."
In Milan, Italy, prisoners are making musical instruments from migrant boats abandoned in scrapyards. They're also bringing migrant issues to the forefront, honing their woodworking skills and making instruments for musicians. Barbie Latza Nadeau has this report.
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BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): How does one take this and turn it into this?
Inmates at Milan's opera prison are putting their woodworking skills to use, taking scraps from abandoned migrant boats and turning them into beautiful classical instruments.
The boats carry migrants from around the world, departing from North Africa, seeking refuge across the Mediterranean Sea, one of the world's deadliest migration routes.
Once they landed at Italy's Lampedusa Island, many of the boats are left to sit in a scrapyard.
[03:55:04]
An Italian foundation called House of the Spirits and the Arts found a way to recycle the boats, while also teaching local prisoners a new trade. Some prisoners say these projects aren't just another task, but it brings new meaning to everyday life.
NICOLAE, DETAINEE (through translator): I feel like another Nico compared to who I was yesterday. I feel reborn. In short, I feel rediscovered. I found myself.
NADEAU (voice-over): As he searches through what's left of the boats to find wood, it's a stark realization for people like Andrea, who's serving a life sentence. He sees the work as a form of redemption.
ANDREA, DETAINEE (through translator): We receive the boats with everything still inside, except the people. Many times we realize that our personal problems, our miseries, can be much more solvable, however difficult, than many other problems.
NADEAU (voice-over): While the prisoners work to bring new life with their skills, they're also bringing the migrant issue to the forefront.
In 2023, more than 150,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Italy, according to the U.N.
ARNOLDO MOSCA MONDADORI, PRESIDENT, CASA DELLO SPIRITO E DELLE ARTI (through translator): The wood from boats that is taken and disposed of as special waste. The migrants who at every moment are fleeing from every country, from poverty and war, and are treated like waste. And the inmates who work here, and who are often treated as people who do not have a second chance.
NADEAU (voice-over): Once done with their hard work, Andrea and Nicolae have a chance to watch their violins of the sea come to life in a concert at La Scala Theatre.
Watching the debut of Orchestra of the Sea from the Royal Box, they're reminded of their own journey, and the difference they can make despite hardships.
ANDREA (through translator): We are not imprisoned for no reason. It's a journey we take together.
NADEAU (voice-over): Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren, in Hong Kong. "Newsroom" with the very stylish Max Foster, he's coming up next.
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