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CNN International: White House: No U.S. Involvement in Damascus Strike; Eight Detained over Deadly Istanbul Nightclub Fire; One Dead, Two Wounded in Finland School Shooting; U.S. Cities in Path of Totality Prepare for Solar Eclipse; Record Ratings for Women's College Basketball. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 03, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us here are some of today's top stories.

Rescue operations are underway right now in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude quake hit earlier today. Officials say at least seven people are dead and more than 700 others injured. This is the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years.

North Korean state media reporting the successful test launch of a new mid-to-long-range hypersonic missile. Kim Jong-un watched Tuesday as officials tested the projectile. And experts say this type of missile can be moved easily to avoid detection before a launch.

More than 35 million people along the U.S. East Coast are under the threat of severe weather throughout the day. Millions in New England are under winter weather alert, so the tornado watch is already in effect for parts of Georgia and South Carolina until 8 a.m. local time.

The Biden administration pushing back against claims that it was involved in a presumed Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. A top U.S. official is warning against any retaliatory attacks by Iran against American forces in the region. Meanwhile, the Pentagon says the U.S. has assessed that Israel carried out the airstrike on the Iranian consulate, but Israel hasn't confirmed if it was behind the attack.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Iranians are vowing retaliation after that massive strike took place and flattened one of the buildings in their very large embassy compound in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

We have, for instance, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei coming out saying that there would be punishment for what he calls the evil regime, of course, meaning Israel. We also have the foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and he said that the Iranians will also hold the United States accountable as well for supporting Israel, for instance, with military hardware.

Now, I've been to that embassy compound in the past, and what we have to keep in mind is that it's a very large compound that the Iranians have there, also one that's very important for them, and, of course, also one that is very active.

When we look at the footage that came out after that incident, we can see that the main building of the embassy appears almost untouched, but the building next to it, which appears to be an annex building, is absolutely flattened, certainly indicating that there was a very precise strike that took place and also one that, at the very least, used some very heavy munitions, possibly several of them.

The Iranians have already come out and admitted that seven of what they call military advisers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in that strike, including two very senior generals who are very important for Iran's operations in the Levant area, of course, meaning Syria and Lebanon as well.

And when the Iranians say that they vow retaliation for all this, they certainly have means at their disposal, at the very least for some sort of limited retaliation. The Iranians have a lot of proxy forces on the ground in the area around Israel, certainly in the wider Middle East as well.

[04:35:00]

One of the things that one former member of the Revolutionary Guard once told me is he said, look, the United States needs to understand that next to every military base that the U.S. has in the Middle East, there is a militia that is loyal to Iran nearby.

The Iranians are saying that punishment will take place. They are not saying how, but certainly right now what we are seeing is heightened tension in that area.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, this is the moment a suspected Ukrainian drone struck its target in Russia, 1,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Russian officials say Kyiv launched several drone attacks south-east of Moscow on Tuesday.

A Ukrainian source tells CNN they targeted a drone factory and one of Russia's largest oil refineries in one of their deepest operations inside Russian territory. Ukrainian officials say it's a direct and justified response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians. At least 18 people, including five children, were injured by a missile strike on the city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday.

Here is President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Dear Ukrainians, rescue operations are currently underway in Dnipro after a Russian missile strike. In particular, buildings of a college and a kindergarten have been damaged. All services are on site.

The Russian terrorists are receiving responses to their strikes, each time longer-range responses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Turkish authorities have detained eight people in connection with a deadly nightclub fire. At least 29 people were killed when the fire started in the club's basement, which was undergoing renovations. All the victims were construction workers. Another eight people were hurt in the fire.

CNN's Scott McLean following developments for us live from Istanbul -- Scott.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Max. Yes, so this is a neighborhood in the Besiktas district of Istanbul, relatively central, a tidy, nice place to live. There are coffee shops, restaurants. The street, though, that this nice nightclub is on is very residential. And so a nightclub undoubtedly stood out there.

And at first glance, this fire didn't seem like it would be that major. It was restricted to the lower part of the building. But only later did we realize that there were dozens of construction workers doing renovations on that nightclub who were trapped inside.

I spoke to a neighbor in the building just across the way who thought that the fire initially was in her building. She actually climbed out the balcony to try to get to safety. And when she got down, she realized it was the other building. And with the flames and with the smoke, she said it looked like she had arrived in hell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCLEAN (voice-over): The camera trembles as neighbors capture the raging fire across the road. Hours later, the human cost becomes tragically apparent as firefighters pull bodies out one by one.

All afternoon police, investigators, and exhausted firefighters came and went, wondering what went wrong. All told, at least 29 people were killed. All of them were workers doing renovations on a nightclub housed in the bottom of this 16-story apartment block.

The slick masquerade nightclub looks out of place on the ordinary- looking residential street.

Seema Sawanja (ph) lives now next door and heard screams when the fire first started.

I used to go to the nightclub from time to time, she says. The bar had one entrance and an exit. There's only one way in and one way out.

MCLEAN: From here, you can see quite clearly where the fire would have started on these lower floors and then raced up the side of this building.

There have been several people detained already as part of this investigation, including the business manager of the club and the person responsible for doing the metalwork renovation inside.

Now, in addition to the fire crews on scene, there are also three occupational safety experts here doing their own investigation into what went wrong.

MCLEAN (voice-over): Across the road, the neighbors invite us to see the aftermath from their vantage point. They asked not to be identified.

It's like a maze inside. There are so many casualties, because they couldn't escape, she says. The workers were kids trying to earn a bit of money. I cried a lot, because I saw these young guys entering the club in the morning before I went to the doctor. I am so sorry this happened.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCLEAN (on camera): So, according to Turkish state media, authorities have now released the names and ages of 28 out of 29 victims. They range in age from 17, the youngest, and 64 is the oldest. Four of them were in their 20s. There was also one foreigner who was killed, though the age, the name, the nationality have not yet been released.

[04:40:04]

Also, one quick update, Max, there have now been nine people, according to TRT, who have been arrested as suspects in this case. And, of course, we don't know the cause of this fire at this stage, but surely there will be questions about the fire safety certification that this nightclub had.

It was last given in 2018, but given what the neighbors told us about this club only having one way in and one way out, there will be questions about the safety of that building and that nightclub in that place -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Scott in Istanbul. Thank you for the update.

Leaders in Haiti are trying to form an interim presidential council amid a surge in gang violence in the capital. But the path to a new transitional council, which could restore order, is being delayed by constitutional and legal questions. Last month, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned after armed gangs went on a rampage.

Meanwhile, foreign nationals are being evacuated from Haiti, including 34 Mexicans and more than 200 Americans. The U.N. says more than 53,000 people have fled Port-au-Prince in the past three weeks, with many travelling south. Finland will fly its flags at half-staff today, signifying the

country's morning after a 12-year-old opened fire at a primary school outside of Helsinki.

The country's national police say one child was killed and two others seriously injured. CNN's Sebastian Shukla has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Really disturbing scenes north of the Finnish capital Helsinki at the Viertola School in the Vantaa district of the Finnish capital where a classmate, a 12-year-old boy turned on his other classmates also 12 years old, where he killed one and severely injured two others. The classmate and the boy has now been remanded in custody but he will be questioned by social services rather than the police given the age of the boy in question.

It is not clear just yet what exactly the motive is behind this and the police are still trying to establish that.

The Finnish Prime Minister who spoke publicly about this particular incident described it as being a deeply shocking and that the authorities are still working to determine the story behind this tragic event. But he also acknowledged that one incident is one incident too many, even in a country like Finland, which is incredibly rarely sees incidents like this compared to other nations in the world, such as the United States.

Finland's last school attack or school shooting of this type came in 2008, where a student who was slightly older turned a weapon on his other classmates. This, though, seems to be very much an open case at the moment and a deeply shocking and disturbing one, particularly as children were returning to school after the long Easter holiday break. And I'm sure that there will be more to uncover in this story as the police continue their investigation.

Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now, Forbes releases its list of the world's billionaires. There are more of them than ever, and they're richer than ever. Details just ahead.

And a first for the royal family as King Charles invites the public to tour the grounds of their Scottish Highlands home.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: A rocket launch originating from a Space Force base in California gave way to a mysterious light show in the sky on Tuesday. In the early hours of the morning, people outside could spot streaks of light moving across the skyline. Fiery lights appear to be orbital debris that followed the SpaceX rocket launch. The company says it's sending 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth

orbit. The Falcon X rocket was originally scheduled for take-off last week but was delayed due to the weather.

Cities in the so-called path of totality are doing what they can to get ready for the solar eclipse. Officials in Jonesborough, Arkansas, want to ensure the safety of those visiting the area to witness this rare event. They're expecting an increase in traffic and adding extra emergency personnel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY COY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, CRAIGHEAD COUNTY: We've kind of been putting out ahead of time to kind of treat this, especially if you live here, treat this like a winter storm event.

For instance, the fire department, they may change from taking a big engine to a medical call to taking more of a truck or an SUV to a medical call that allows them to get there a little easier and a little quicker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Maine's governor says her state has been preparing for the eclipse since last year and is expecting up to 40,000 visitors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JANET MILLS (D-ME): We expect tens of thousands of people to travel to Maine to enjoy this incredible event, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them. But we want to make sure, too, that residents and visitors alike enjoy the eclipse safely anywhere in the state of Maine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: And parts of Texas are counting on tourism dollars to boost the local economy. One restaurant in the city of Red Oak is adding extra staff and beefing up its menu to accommodate the larger crowds.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers shows us which regions are expected to get the best view.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm going to show you both the European and the American model and kind of give you an idea.

If you want to find totality, and you really, really do, because if you just miss it by 1 or 2 percent, you don't get the full effect. But there's your totality right across parts from about Texas all the way up to Maine. 31.6 million people are already in the path, and you don't even have to move.

But you may have to move because we have a storm system that's going to develop here along the Gulf Coast. Both models, American model and the European model, doing the same thing. So there's your totality, and the white, unfortunately, is the computer's idea of where the clouds will be.

That's the American model. Here's the European model, much better. At least most of the Ohio Valley could be clear.

But what you have to understand is that this time of year is the time of year that we have climatologically the most clouds out there. It's spring. So will we see rain? Likely in some spots.

As we get closer, Saturday and Sunday, plan your trip accordingly. You likely will have to move from many locations to the best ones. And right now, probably close to the Mississippi River. We'll see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, join us on Monday for the total solar eclipse as it travels from Mexico across America and into Canada. Our special coverage starts at 12 p.m. Eastern. That's 5 p.m. in London, 8 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.

Some of the biggest names in music are calling on the industry to protect artists from the threat posed by artificial intelligence. More than 200 artists, including Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, Ja Rule and Jon Bon Jovi have signed an open letter addressed to developers and tech companies.

It reads in part: We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists' voices and likenesses, violate creators' rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.

Forbes has just come out with this annual list of billionaires. Their usual names are on top with Bernard Arnault, head of the world's largest luxury brand, LVMH, whose family is worth $233 billion. He's followed by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. But there were some high-profile newcomers this year, including Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin, and a woman who's made quite a bit of news lately.

"Me" by Taylor Swift. And Swift really is one of a kind.

[04:50:00]

She's the first musician to make the Forbes list of billionaires based solely on her songs and performances.

Now, it was an epic rematch as the women of Iowa and LSU faced off in the Elite Eight, and a record number of people turned in to watch as well. That's next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: The Phoenix Mercury are welcoming back Brittney Griner, the 33-year-old WNBA superstar, has signed a new contract with the team. She's spent the past 11 seasons with Mercury, selected as an all-star nine times and led the team to a championship in 2014. Griner rejoined the Mercury last season after being freed from a wrongful detention in Russia. She had said she would never go overseas to play again, but Griner is scheduled to take part in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

The final four in the women's NCAA basketball tournament are locked in now after another pair of thrilling games in the Elite Eight. More than 12 million people tuned in to watch the rematch of the 2023 national championship game between Iowa and LSU. ESPN says that set the all-time ratings record for a women's college basketball game.

The rivalry between Clark and LSU's Angel Reese has helped create an unprecedented moment for this sport. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're on a roll like never before. Superstar Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes team just advancing to the final four and shining a brighter spotlight on the game of women's basketball overall.

Clark, who's broken most of college basketball's scoring and three- point shooting records, scored 41 points Monday night as Iowa defeated rival LSU in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament.

CAITLIN CLARK, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA BASKETBALL PLAYER: We don't want this to end, and we want to keep coming back and working hard with each other and fighting for one more week.

TODD (voice-over): Fans of women's basketball don't want this to end either.

DAVE ZIRIN, SPORTS EDITOR, THE NATION MAGAZINE: Women's college basketball has never been this popular. It is a national sensation. Every corner bar was watching Iowa versus LSU. Every college dorm room was watching Iowa versus LSU.

TODD (voice-over): It's all placed enormous pressure on the 22-year- old senior from Des Moines, pressure that her coach says Clark doesn't shrink from.

LISA BLUDER, HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: When the stage is the brightest, when the spotlight is the brightest, she's at her very best. She loves this. You know, some people wither in the moment. She just gets stronger in the moment. When it's her time, I mean, she's going to just shine.

TODD (voice-over): According to Axios, the cheapest ticket to the women's college basketball championship game this year is 61 percent more expensive than the cheapest ticket to the men's championship game.

Analysts say this spike in popularity is almost entirely due to Clark and her on-court rivalry with LSU star Angel Reese. One of the most debated moments of last year's championship game was when Reese made the you-can't-see-me gesture to Clark as LSU was closing out its victory over Iowa for the title. In an emotional news conference on Monday night, Reese spoke about what she's gone through since then.

ANGEL REESE, LSU BASKETBALL PLAYER: I've been through so much. I've seen so much. I've been attacked so many times, death threats. I've been sexualized. I've been threatened. I've been so many things, and I've stood strong.

JEMELE HILL, WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: Let's be honest. There's a racial element as well. And so she's had to shoulder all of this ever since they won the national championship. Anytime you summon her name, it is just -- anytime I even tweet something about her, the level of reaction, people calling her ghetto, a thug.

[04:55:00]

TODD (voice-over): All of this comes on the heels of the most talked about event at the NBA All-Star Game in February, when Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry barely beat Sabrina Ionescu of the WNBA's New York Liberty in a three-point shooting contest.

ZIRIN: Expect more of that in the future. If it's Steph versus Caitlin Clark, they might need to hold it in a football stadium.

TODD: Will women's college basketball be as popular once Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese leave it? Analyst Dave Zirin believes it will be mostly because of freshman sensation Juju Watkins. Zirin says between Watkins' scoring heroics and the fact that she plays in a major TV market at the University of Southern California, expect her to add to what Clark and Reese have built.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Stories in the spotlight this hour. Basketball legend LeBron James is releasing another children's book. This one's titled "I Am More Than." The picture book is about believing in yourself and your ability to accomplish your goals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, BASKETBALL PLAYER AND AUTHOR: I can dribble and I can code. Either way, I got game. I create new worlds with the swish of a brush and I rally for change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, this latest work is part of a two-book contract signed with publisher HarperCollins. James says with this book, he hopes to continue to inspire children to keep dreaming big.

A lucky millionaire will soon get a chance to own some literary history. Fans of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes stories can bid on an original manuscript at a June auction. According to Sotheby's in New York, the vintage work could fetch $1.2 million. It includes Conan Doyle's handwritten manuscript of his second novel, "The Sign of Four." Along with letters recounting a famous 1889 dinner where Doyle agreed to write the famous story and Oscar Wilde committed to writing "The Picture of Dorian Gray" as well.

Now, in an historic move, Britain's King Charles is opening up Balmoral to the public for the first time. The 169-year-old castle is the royal family's Scottish residence and is said to be the late Queen Elizabeth's beloved vacation spot. "The Independent" reports experience guides will take small groups around several rooms used by King Charles and Queen Camilla. The tours will run from May 4th through to August 11th. The tickets are already on sale for about $126. You've got to pay to get there as well, of course. That's $188 if afternoon tea is included.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London, CNN "THIS MORNING" up next after a quick break.

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