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Hamas Considering a Ceasefire Hostage Release Deal to Avert Ground incursion in Rafah; CNN Speaks to a Haitian Gang Leader Who is Now Under FBI's Most Wanted List; Pro-Palestinian Protesters Stormed Columbia University's Main Building; 71 Killed, More than 100 Injured in Flash Floods along Kenya's Capital; CNN Goes Behind the Scenes at the Largest Chinese Car Show. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired April 30, 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]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: In this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.
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CHURCH: Hamas is considering a ceasefire hostage release proposal that Israeli sources say could help avert a ground incursion into Rafah.
Plus, universities across the U.S. cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests, but the demonstrations show little signs of slowing.
And weeks of heavy rain across Kenya and East Africa leave dozens of people dead and thousands displaced. We'll have a live report from one of Kenya's hardest hit areas.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. The White House is telling Hamas leaders they should accept the latest proposal by Egypt to end the war in Gaza. One Israeli official tells CNN that mid-level Israeli security officials will travel to Cairo on Tuesday if Hamas goes as well.
The leaders of Egypt and Qatar say they spoke by phone separately with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday. They discussed the possibility for a ceasefire and a more permanent solution to the conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling from Saudi Arabia to Jordan on Tuesday. He boarded his jet just moments ago. He says the current proposal is, quote, extraordinarily generous. But inside Gaza, not much has changed. Early Monday, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 22 people in Rafah, according to hospital officials there.
CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman joins us now live from Rome with more. So Ben, what is the latest on Egypt's new hostage and ceasefire proposal, a deal that Hamas is considering at this time?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well we understand that this proposal has two parts, Rosemary. The first part would involve the release of 33 Israeli captives currently being held in Gaza. And the idea is that for every day there will be one hostage released. So perhaps we're looking at the possibility of a pause in the fighting for as many as 33 days. Now, the second phase could go on for much longer. During that phase, the remaining Israeli hostages would be released. In exchange, Israel will release some of, it's not clear how many, the approximately 9,500 Palestinians, either prisoners or detainees, being held in Israeli jails.
Now, a diplomatic source says that this proposal, the first phase and the second phase, would basically amount to a permanent ceasefire, in his words. Now, permanent ceasefire is a somewhat dubious idea, given that in the absence of an actual resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli struggle, it will be at best a temporary ceasefire that might last a little longer than usual.
Now, we're now on day 207 of this war. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 34,488 people have been killed. It's believed that at least 70 percent of them are women and children, in addition to thousands who are believed to be still under the rubble, dead, of course.
Now, as you said, an Israeli delegation from Mossad, the Israeli foreign intelligence agency, is expected to go to Cairo today. We do believe, it's believed that Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, will give some sort of response to the Egyptian proposal, either today or tomorrow. Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. We'll wait and see what the outcome is of that. Ben Wedeman, joining us there from Rome. Many thanks.
Aaron David Miller is a former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He joins me now from Washington. Appreciate you being with us.
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR AND SR. FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.
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CHURCH: So Egypt has put forward a new framework for a hostage and ceasefire deal, which proposes the release of 20 to 33 hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is now considering this proposal that could avert an Israeli invasion of Rafah. What is your reaction to this first part of the deal?
MILLER: You know, it's all about urgency, Rosemary. I mean, negotiations close or don't close based on whether or not the parties involved are in a hurry.
And I think we can say this. The administration is clearly in a hurry. Without this Israeli-Hamas deal, and they've been pushing as many people as they can, the Egyptians, the Qataris, anyone with influence on Hamas to encourage them to accept this.
Without this deal, the administration can't even begin to deescalate Israeli military activity in Gaza, free any of the hostages, and or surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza, let alone activate and put on the table its regional peace initiative.
So it's clear that the Americans are in a hurry. The Israelis, I think, are under a little bit of pressure, more pressure perhaps than any time since mid-November during the last exchange. The question is, I think, whether Yahya Sinwar, the only decision-maker on the Palestinian side who's ensconced in a tunnel somewhere below Khan Younis, Rafah, or maybe even in Sinai in a tunnel, whether or not he believes that this deal serves his interests. And that's, I think, very few people, even those intimately associated with the negotiations, can read what Sinwar wants. That's what it's going to depend on.
And I just don't know what his calculations are. Trading hostages means giving away cards. He'll still have 50, even if this deal goes through. But at the same time, I suspect we probably are in a better position and closer than at any point since the last exchange in November to do a limited exchange, limited exchange.
CHURCH: Another part of this new proposal put forward by Egypt includes what diplomats call the restoration of sustainable calm, a one-year ceasefire that would see Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza and the release of any remaining hostages. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who, of course, is in the region, says this is, quote, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel and that Hamas is the only thing standing in the way of a ceasefire. What's your assessment of this new proposal overall and including this, obviously, and how likely is it that Hamas will accept this, do you think?
MILLER: Yeah, I mean, again, this is such an opaque negotiation, done indirectly with the key decision maker. How they're communicating with Yahya Sinwar is unclear. And you know the Israelis are tracking, potentially, trying to divine where he is, because where he is is where the hostages are. But after six-plus months, they still can't find him.
I think it's going to be tricky for the Israelis. A permanent ceasefire, I think, is beyond their capacity to accept. And I just wonder, even if they agree to a sustainable period of calm for six weeks, even several months, they are determined to ensure that Hamas as a military organization is undermined and not in a position to do another October 7, and they're determined to kill the senior leadership. So you have to wonder what kind of commitment the Israelis are
prepared to make. And above all, if in fact you don't get some sort of Palestinian governing structure or Arab force boots on the ground to maintain security, I don't think the Israelis are prepared to accept a situation where they cannot, when they want, enter Gaza to deal with the potential threat of a resurgent Hamas.
Hamas is an insurgency, launching rockets or even trying to attempt another cross-border incursion. So I think that's going to be very tricky. And I think ambiguity here may well serve this deal. The question is whether or not, if this deal goes through and you can advance to a final stage, whether there's any way to create what I think everybody wants to see, which is a end to this war, security for the Israelis and much better security and prosperity, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction for the 2.3 million Gazans.
I suspect there are a lot of moving parts of this, Rosemary, and I think whatever expectations there are for post-conflict stability, I think they're going to be sorely tested if you get through this phase and into the next.
CHURCH: Aaron David Miller, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your perspective. I Appreciate it.
MILLER: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.
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CHURCH: The United States is accusing five Israeli security units of gross violations of human rights. The U.S. says those violations happened long before the start of the current war with Hamas. Four of the units are said to have taken action to remediate those violations. But the U.S. could restrict military assistance to the fifth unit.
CNN's Kylie Atwood explains.
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KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The State Department announced that they found five Israeli security units to be in violation of gross human rights abuses. That is according to the State Department deputy spokesperson. But all of these units are still eligible to receive U.S. arms. And here's the breakdown of what this process called the Leahy Act is actually looking like right now.
Four of those units have actually taken remediation action that the United States has said is credible action. We don't know exactly what that looks like. Presumably, it's those who are involved in these incidents being punished. But we don't know particularly what the back-and-forth between the U.S. and Israelis on that is. And then with regard to the one unit, the one IDF unit that is still being looked at for these incidents, the United States is still in touch with the Israelis on this unit. The Israelis have provided more information to the U.S. on this, according to the briefing that we received.
And the State Department deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, was very clear to say that remediation across the board is consistent with regard to all countries that are required to be looked at under the Leahy law because they are receiving U.S. arms to make sure there aren't violations of human rights abuses. But he also went on to say that remediation is also a country-by-country process. There's no time frame here for when this process needs to be concluded.
So we'll be watching to see when there's a final decision over this IDF unit, if it is still eligible to receive U.S. arms. But as far as we know, that is still subject to the conversations between the U.S. and Israelis on the topic.
Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.
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CHURCH: Now to standoffs, crackdowns and suspensions as pro- Palestinian protests spread to more universities across the United States. The epicenter of the student movement is Columbia University, where tensions are escalating. Not long ago, demonstrators breached one of the main buildings on campus, Hamilton Hall. That is, after negotiations between protesters and administrators fell apart and the university began suspending students. Now, we are keeping a very close eye on the situation and affording a live report from campus later this hour.
Protesters have now been detained on dozens of U.S. universities, most recently at Tulane in New Orleans. And officers in riot gear were seen arresting people at Virginia Commonwealth University on Monday, throwing at least one of them to the ground. The university says the gathering violated policies.
Meanwhile, riot police moved in once again at the University of Texas in Austin, tearing down barriers and forcefully making arrests. Protest organizers say about 40 people were taken into custody.
CNN's Ed Levandera was there.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SR. U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Another week of protests here on the campus of the University of Texas. This is another one of those protests that has lasted hours and it has resulted in the arrest of dozens of protesters here on the campus. Exact numbers we don't know yet, but some organizers and we have seen dozens of people taken into custody. These are protesters who have been chanting for these officers to leave the campus.
That appears to be what is happening now as they're particularly leaving this area, but it has been a tense day as the protests here have escalated into once again seeing arrests. We've also seen some intense flashpoints where protesters were confronted with either flash bangs or pepper spray. We heard several loud explosions throughout the course of the protest, but we also saw state troopers once again come into the campus and circle the encampment and what is described by the protesters as a liberated zone. And that is what university officials say that they were just not
going to allow. Any sign of occupation or occupying any part of this campus, including using tents and any kind of barricade to keep people out was just simply not going to be tolerated by the university. And that's why once again, you saw state troopers here.
Protesters say that they are protesting peacefully, that they are trying to bring attention to the cause of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
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But at this point, the university simply is saying that they are not going to tolerate any kind of encampment or any kind of situation where these protesters are allowed to stay on campus for any extended period of time. The university also says they believe the vast majority of the people who were taking part in this protest today were not students.
So that is another element here that the university believes that a lot of this is being kind of agitated by people outside of the campus community here. But once again, another intense day as we've seen protests and arrests here on the campus of the University of Texas.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Austin, Texas.
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CHURCH: Four law enforcement officers are dead after a shooting in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Eight officers were shot at while attempting to serve a warrant at a home. Three of them were killed on the scene, and one succumbed to his injuries late Monday.
Charlotte's police chief praised their bravery.
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CHIEF JOHNNY JENNINGS, CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT: They knew that they had officers that needed help, that needed to be extracted from their location. Yet they went in, some getting shot themselves as a result. So the bravery, the heroism, everything that goes down with that defines what our profession is, our people demonstrated that today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Local police say the officers were met with gunfire as they approached the home and returned fire, killing one suspect. Police have not yet released all their identities. Charlotte's police chief says this is the most tragic shooting he's seen in more than 30 years of work.
In a statement, U.S. President Joe Biden called the officers heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, adding leaders in Congress need to step up so that we ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, require safe storage of guns and pass universal background checks and a national red flag law. Enough is enough.
Still to come, a CNN exclusive, David Culver and his team brave the streets of Haiti's capital to speak with one of the country's most wanted gang leaders.
Plus, a Russian missile strike hits one of the most popular places in Odessa as Ukraine waits for crucial military assistance to arrive. We'll have details for you after the break.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Haiti is hoping to restore peace and stability, or at least a functioning government, with its newly assembled National Council. But years of corruption and gang violence have left the country in ruin.
CNN negotiated for weeks to get an interview with one of the country's most notorious gang leaders, a man with a $2 million bounty on his head. A warning, though, our exclusive report from David Culver contains some graphic video.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN SR. U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This war-torn intersection in Port-au-Prince is the blurred boundary signaling we are now in gang territory.
This is an area we have never been into before.
(voice-over): We're told to drive to this road and someone will meet us.
He's assured us that he's sending somebody and so we are to just wait for that person. It looks like a vehicle here, a truck.
The armed men in the front seat motion for us to follow, so we do. Over rocky and flooded streets.
We're venturing deeper into land that for months Haitian security experts have warned stay away from, but we've been assured by this gang's leader that we'll be safe. We only hope his messaging reached all the checkpoints.
Four guys in the car behind us as well, so they're fully escorting us in.
CAITLIN HU, CNN SR. EDITOR: Now they've added a motorbike with two guys.
CULVER (voice-over): After 45 minutes.
UNKNOWN: They're asking us to move.
CULVER (voice-over): Okay. Several dozen masked men and women, most carrying guns, direct us towards a driveway.
All right, this guy in front of us now seeming to be leading us to some sort of house. Good.
(voice-over): We're about to step out and meet Vitel'Homme Innocent, considered by both U.S. and Haitian authorities to be a violent criminal and leader of the Kraze Barye gang. He's one of the FBI's 10 most wanted with a bounty of up to $2 million accused in the kidnapping of American missionaries and the death of another American hostage.
Vitel'Homme rarely seeks media attention, yet given he commands what some U.S. officials say is the largest gang in Port-au-Prince and his domain includes the U.S. Embassy, we wanted to better understand his motives. Vitel'Homme agrees to meet us on his turf. Flanked by his followers, he leads us inside this flashy mansion.
And so is this your home?
(voice-over): In a room filled with gold-rimmed furniture and stuffed animals, I ask him about the crisis engulfing Haiti.
Our dream is to rid the country of the corrupt oligarchs and politicians who are holding us back, he says. We need to get rid of the system and return stability to Haiti. He speaks with intention and calls for greater dialogue.
But if it's the same system that's been in power, then as armed groups, we will never put down our weapons, he says.
And so do you have regular communications with, as you say, the other armed groups?
(voice-over): Yes, we're united, he tells me.
The gangs have formed a coalition known as Vive Ensemble, or Living Together. And collectively they push back on foreign intervention, holding tight their grips over a fractured state, some using terror tactics like kidnapping, rape and murder to sustain control.
Is that something you've participated in, in ordering your men and women to kidnap?
(voice-over): He says he hopes to defend himself in court against those allegations. And while not denying his followers have kidnapped people, he deflects blame to outside forces for creating a state of corruption as he sees it.
He's eager to show us parts of his home and territory and introduces us to his top commander.
So you're his cousin?
(voice-over): Security experts suggest Kraze Barye has more than a thousand armed gang members, including recently escaped inmates.
As you can see, a lot of his armed soldiers and followers are around us. And he's suggesting that we follow and drive with them.
(voice-over): He brings us to the edge of his territory. We notice his guards, normally curious and watching us, are instead looking outward, cautiously, toward another gang's territory. A reminder that the coalition of gangs might be more fragile than portrayed.
In the midst of our tour, a disturbing video starts circulating on WhatsApp. It reportedly shows the devastating and deadly aftermath of an allied gang attack on a community a few miles from where we are.
The destruction, the violence, the deaths that have played out. Do you take any responsibility for that?
(voice-over): He only says he made mistakes and is not perfect. He blames politicians.
We're interrupted. Something nearby puts his guards on edge.
We picked up the conversation a short distance away. Senior editor Caitlin Hu further pressing for an explanation to the horrors we've seen in Haiti.
HU: But we have also met in hospitals women, children, innocent people who have been burned, forced to leave their homes, who have been shot, who have been raped. Why are innocent people suffering in this struggle?
[03:25:00]
(voice-over): He does not clearly answer. Instead, he frames the months of deadly street violence as collateral damage. He points the finger at police, saying they refuse to engage in dialogue and instead recklessly open fire. Police say they're desperately trying to keep the gangs from gaining more ground. Vitel`Homme claims to be a man of faith, devout in practicing voodoo, a common religion here in Haiti.
I've heard rumors and I don't know how true they are. So I ask you that you have voodoo protection. Do you feel that protection?
(voice-over): Yes, he tells me confidently. Adding that he prays daily for his fellow Haitians.
Ultimately, what is it going to take to bring stability and a future of calm to this country?
(voice-over): He says he and the other armed groups need to be included in discussions of Haiti's future. That's the only way he sees convincing gang members to drop their guns in exchange for a future outside of violence.
As curfew nears, we head back the way we came. Vitel`Homme stopping several times along the way, mingling with locals, handing out food, smiling as though on a campaign trail.
He wants us to meet these two men, blind refugees. They tell us Vitel`Homme took them in, but it leaves us wondering why help these men and force so many others out of their homes. Look at actions over words, he tells me.
As we near the edge of his territory and the end of our five-hour visit, Vitel`Homme gets out of his motorcade, waves for us to move forward, and strolls to the desolate street corner.
He then comes to our door and shakes each of our hands. His actions, intentional and symbolic.
Here we are, just blocks from the U.S. Embassy, and that's clearly a demonstration of how confident he is and the many he has around him displaying their show of force.
(voice-over): A flexing of strength in a lawless nation, where, today at least, gangs hold the power.
David Culver, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
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CHURCH: Still to come, protesters in Iran are coming out in support of student demonstrations here in the United States. What some Iranian students are telling CNN, that's just ahead.
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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom", I'm Rosemary Church. Want to check today's top stories for you.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Jordan and Israel today. He is pressing both Hamas and Israel to accept the latest ceasefire and hostage release proposal made by Egypt. It would lead to a year-long ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
We are watching a tense scene unfold at Columbia University where pro- Palestinian protesters have taken over a campus building. That's after administrators began suspending students following a breakdown in negotiations. Protesters were given a Monday deadline to leave the encampment.
And John Towfighi is a Columbia student and CNN freelancer. He joins us now from New York. So John, talk to us about how many students have barricaded themselves inside this historically symbolic building and what they're hoping to achieve.
JOHN TOWFIGHI, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND CNN FREELANCER: Well, of course, as you can probably hear right now, there are loud chants for the pro-Palestinian protesters. And that is because about 150 students are currently barricading themselves outside an undergraduate building on Columbia's main campus called Hamilton Hall. In terms of the number of protesters who have actually broken into the building and are now occupying the inside, that is to be determined. But my estimate would be around a couple of dozen. The main scene is truly outside the building where, again, about 150 students are chanting, singing and barricading themselves outside to prevent any administration action to evict students from the building.
CHURCH: And, John, how will Columbia administrators likely respond to this action, given negotiations between students and these administrators had already broken down?
TOWFIGHI: Yeah, so I'd like to reiterate that student protesters have been on Columbia University's main campus since Wednesday, April 17th. So students, as of midnight, are entering their 13th day camping out on the lawn.
And as of last Friday, the university administration notified the community that it would be, quote, unquote, "counterproductive" to call in the New York Police Department. So currently, from Columbia's campus at 3:30 in the morning on Tuesday, April 30th, I would say there is no immediate threat of law enforcement. Rather, the university is taking the approach that they outlined in (inaudible) protest today and that they are planning to place any students still involved with the protest on interim suspension. An interim suspension means all students will lose access to their residence halls, their academic classrooms and will forfeit the right to graduate this year if they're intending to graduate.
CHURCH: And, John, talk to us about how many of these students would be aware of this new hostage and ceasefire proposal just put forward by Egypt and now being considered by Hamas. And would there be any concern that their current actions may actually be overshadowing this possible breakthrough, this possible progress?
TOWFIGHI: Yeah, I think that's a great question. And I would like to say, as a reporter who has been on the campus for the past 10 days, the students would reiterate that their main claims are divestment. That means Columbia University divesting any investments they might have in companies associated with Israel. The protesters have named Boeing, Microsoft and Google, among other companies.
So in terms of current updates in the geopolitics and new updates in terms of potential ceasefire negotiations, I assume the student protesters would say they stand for divestment and they stand for the university not being involved. But the protesters would call Israel's genocide in Gaza.
Now, of course, Israel has denied any genocide in Gaza. But I'd like to reiterate these are the demands of the protesters. And they would say, despite the geopolitics and the updates of the current day, they have a longer, more invested cause that is in the legacy of student protesters before them who have called for Columbia University to not involve the institution with foreign affairs as they see fit.
CHURCH: All right. Want to thank John Towfighi there. He's there at Columbia University in New York. You can hear in the background we know about two dozen students have barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall that is there on campus. And we will continue to follow this story. We thank again John Towfighi for his reporting there. [03:34:59]
Well, students and faculty of Iran's Tehran University are rallying in support of the pro-Palestinian protests sweeping across U.S. college campuses. As CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports, Iran has its own history of cracking down on protesters in the past.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pro- Palestinian protesters at U.S. colleges getting vocal support from Iran. Conservative students and faculty at Tehran University staging a demo this weekend chanting death to America and death to Israel, saying they stand with those occupying U.S. universities.
We not only support them, we are one united voice. This woman says we are like organs of the same body.
UNKNOWN: American students also came out. It's great. We didn't we didn't think that they would come out. But the fact that they came out shows that, you know, we're fighting for the same thing.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): This movement by American students shows that freedom seeking and support of the oppressed has expanded all over the world, this man says.
The Biden administration ripped into Iran over its crackdown of protests that swept the country in the fall of 2022 after the death in police custody of Massa Amini, who was accused of breaking the country's strict hijab rules.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The international community has come together to condemn and confront Iran's brutal crackdown. And we'll continue to act in support of the right of the Iranian people to speak out for their fundamental freedoms.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But now Iran says the U.S.' support of Israel's operation in Gaza, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and police action against some of those occupying campuses is tarnishing America's own reputation.
PLEITGEN: Iran's leadership has been extremely vocal about the pro- Palestinian protests going on on some U.S. campuses. They say the arrests that have been seen undermine America's role as a leading supporter, both of civil rights and of free speech.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): For decades, Iran has been the U.S. and Israel's strongest adversary in the Middle East. Iran and Israel recently trading direct military blows for the first time.
I went to a press conference of the Iranian foreign ministry, the spokesman saying Tehran believes global opinion is now shifting their way.
Public opinion of the world and free thinkers of the world will not tolerate this genocide and their loud voice won't be silenced, he said. And through police actions and violent crackdown policies, they cannot silence the voice of those that protest against this crime and genocide.
Tehran ripping into the U.S. as the protesters on American campuses demand schools divest from Israel and want the Biden administration to pressure Israel to stop its attacks.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: At least five people are dead and 28 others injured after a Russian missile strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa.
Ukrainian officials say the attack targeted one of the most popular places in the city where people go to walk their dogs and play sports. The strike also damaged several buildings, homes and businesses, including the students' palace at the Odessa Law Academy. Officials say two children and a pregnant woman are among the wounded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says incoming military aid is not arriving fast enough. The issue was a top priority in meetings with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv on Monday. Stoltenberg admitted that NATO allies had not delivered what they promised. While speaking alongside Zelenskyy, he said delays in support have triggered, quote, "serious consequences on the battlefield."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Timely support for our army. Today, I don't see anything positive on this point yet. There are supplies. They have slightly begun. This process needs to be sped up.
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Ukraine has been outgunned for months, forced to ration its ammunition. But it's not too late for Ukraine to prevail. More support is on the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Russia is taking advantage of Ukraine's delayed assistance, ramping up pressure on the front line. CNN's Nick Paton-Walsh has more.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While U.S. Congress delayed, the damage here was already done. This is rare body camera footage from Russians, confident in their advances in the east, slow but sure.
Adding to a list of nowhere villages, falling to Moscow day by day, claiming Monday to have taken here Novaya Mikhailovka. As Ukraine almost always stops short of saying how bad it's got.
[03:40:00]
No more true of that is the fate of Ocheretny, another tiny village in Donetsk, also of southern unwanted fame. Despite the brutal pounding and evacuation you can see here, a military spokesman claims Sunday the Russians only had a partial foothold.
Currently, the part where the enemy is located is under our fire control and all measures are being taken to knock the enemy out of there, he said.
This after days of Russian soldiers posting videos of them raising flags inside the town.
Ukraine's official statements, as Russian footage showed, a continued advance, showing a distance from reality, common when you're trying to win a war. But uncommonly now angering, normally loyal Ukrainian bloggers.
So Ukraine's top military commander was forced to set a bleak record straight, saying the front lines had escalated, as Moscow has concentrated its efforts in several directions, creating a significant advantage in forces and in means. He said the changing situation had led to an ambiguous understanding.
Here is another case in point, Berdiche, from which Ukraine was posting bullish videos of Russians being hit, just before their commander said they'd withdrawn Sunday.
Across the eastern front, the news is bleak, the change since the fall of Avdiivka ten weeks ago stark on this Ukrainian blogger's map. Russia making its most concerted, widespread and consistent advances, perhaps since the invasion.
This is Zelenskyy's problem to keep now, as he bolsters morale in towns in the Russian crosshairs. He has the money and so soon the weapons, and the less blame he can shift for failure.
We are cooperating with our partners at all levels, he said, to achieve the level of efficiency and assistance that is needed, not only to maintain our positions, but also to disrupt Russia's war plans. We're still waiting for the supplies that have been promised to Ukraine.
But more is likely coming. Where you just saw Zelenskyy visit, this is what is left of Chassiv Yar. Yet another town that has turned into this murdering ruin, here with incendiary munitions, in the name of liberating and demilitarizing Ukraine.
Nick Paton-Walsh, CNN, London.
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CHURCH: The Philippines is accusing China of shooting water cannons at several of its ships in the South China Sea. A Coast Guard statement says the Philippine ships were in a legitimate area of patrol when the Chinese vessels carried out dangerous maneuvers and obstructions. One of the Philippine ships sustained damage to its railing and canopy. China says it expelled the ships, which were intruding in the waters.
Coming up, another massive flooding incident in Kenya has left dozens dead and many others homeless, with no end in sight to the devastating torrential rain. We'll have a report.
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[03:45:05]
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. At least 71 people have been killed and more than 100 injured by the latest flash flooding incident in Kenya, northwest of Nairobi. First responders and locals say the torrent of water was triggered by water blowing through a clogged tunnel under a railway bridge. Much of Kenya was already suffering from deadly flooding caused by weeks of torrential rain, which has now killed at least 174 people overall, including these latest casualties. Tens of thousands across Kenya have been displaced.
And CNN's Larry Madowo joins me now from Mai Mahiu in Kenya. So, Larry, what is the latest on this devastating and deadly flooding?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, I'm at a school in Mai Mahiu, which has become a temporary shelter for some of those who are displaced by the flash floods that they saw Sunday night into Monday morning.
Some of the people here have lost nine family members. They have nowhere to go. Where their houses stood is completely flat. I just spoke to one woman who survived the flash floods with her husband, but her three-year-old son Isaac did not.
It was Isaac's birthday on the day they lost him. They still haven't found his body, and they are absolutely devastated by this tragedy. This is the worst of the devastation that Kenya has seen since the heavy rains began back in March.
A lot of these people here do not know where they're going to start because where their houses stood is completely flat. We were on scene yesterday, and for just kilometers and kilometers, the rain swept through everything.
Entire houses completely flattened, property, tractors, big SUVs washed several hundred meters down the road, and so they're here figuring out how do they begin their lives.
President William Ruto has called these people the victims of climate change.
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WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: It is a realization that while we had a drought a year ago, today we have floods. A year ago, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique were having floods. Today, they are having drought. That is the reality, that is the new normal, as I said, of our situation, and we have to continuously work at it.
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MADOWO: President Ruto mentioned something important, that countries like Kenya in Africa, who contribute the least to the changing climate, but are the worst affected by this tragedy, and when you see these extreme weather events, the drought and the flooding, and the effect it's having on these poor communities, it's an unspeakable tragedy.
The forecast from the Kenya Met Department is that there's still more heavy rains to come, which means there's likely to be even more destruction. This is not just localized to Kenya.
Tanzania has seen heavy flooding as well. 155 people have so far died. The entire region is seeing some heavy rainfall, partly attributed to the El Nino rains, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Larry Madowo, we thank you for that report.
Well countries in Southeast Asia are enduring a scorching heat wave. Temperatures are so high that Bangladesh and the Philippines have closed schools temporarily. In other countries, the heat has turned deadly. Thai officials say at least 30 people have died from heat stroke in the past month, as temperatures soared to more than 44 degrees, and at least two deaths in India are being attributed to heat stroke. The heat wave is expected to continue with record temperatures until June, when the monsoon season hits the region.
A U.K. energy minister says members of the G7 have agreed to shut down all their coal plants by 2035, which would be a potential breakthrough in the fight against climate change. Ministers from each country have been meeting in Italy, where climate talks are expected to wrap Tuesday. Coal is the world's dirtiest fossil fuel, and ending its use has been a controversial topic at international talks.
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ANDREW BOWIE, U.K. MINISTER FOR NUCLEAR AND RENEWABLES: (inaudible) historic agreement. Something that we weren't able to achieve in COP28 in Dubai last year. So to have the G7 nations come around the table and send our signal to the world that we, the advanced economies of the world are committing to phasing out coal by the early 2030's is quite incredible.
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CHURCH: Moving away from coal would impact Japan the most. Climate experts say nearly a third of the country's electricity came from coal last year. Japan has blocked progress on the issue at past G7 meetings.
[03:49:57]
Top Argentine officials are currently in China to strengthen their decade-long partnership. While Argentina's foreign affairs minister is optimistic about the working relationship, the country's new president doesn't share the same sentiment. CNN's Ivan Perez Sarmenti has the details.
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IVAN PEREZ SARMENTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Argentina and China have had a fluid commercial relationship over 20 years, since 2004. Regardless of who was in office, whether Peronist or not, all this time the relationship has grown till China became its second commercial partner.
Until now. That is, with Javier Milei as president, who has said he was not going to do business with communists.
Even though for years China was the principal buyer of soy, the main Argentina export, and of 80 percent of the exported ravine meat, the commercial relationship has been losing strength since 2023, with former Peronist president Alberto Fernandez. But now, with Milei in office, the European Union is about to take China's place.
According to official statistics, Brazil is still the first, but in December as well as in March, the second place belonged to the European Union, and China has been relegated to the third place.
Only in January, export increased by 10.7 percent, but the rest of the operations continue to have negative numbers. Despite the figures, the relationship remains strong.
By 2020, Argentina was considered the South American country with the largest Chinese investment in infrastructure.
Two years later, the country formalized its entry into the New Zealand route with the promise of new investments of more than $23 billion.
Nevertheless, during his campaign, Milei said he refuses to do business with either China or with any other communist country. Some weeks ago, already as president, he has reiterated that he is not aligned with communists.
However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina and the president of the Central Bank have traveled to China to revive commercial relations and ensure the continuity of the swap enforced since 2009. A portion of that swap, $5 billion, was used by Argentina to pay Chinese imports and to the IMF. 1.6 billion of that amount due in June, but as Milei said many times, there is no money.
Now everybody is expecting the results of this trip. Will Argentina reinforce its relationship with China? Will pragmatism or the need for financial help impose over President Milei's wishes of not having a relationship with countries that he considers to be communists?
Ivan Perez Sarmenti, CNN, Buenos Aires.
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CHURCH: Still to come, get an inside look at this year's auto show in Beijing where electric cars took center stage. But Elon Musk's surprise visit to China also grabbed some of the spotlight. We're back with that in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a surprise visit to China over the weekend as the Beijing auto show kicked off. He was there to get Tesla's full self-driving software approved in the country, according to reports. But the auto show proved he has a lot of competition. CNN's Marc Stewart is in Beijing with more.
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MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Auto China, the largest car show in all of China and one of the largest in the world.
There are a few gas-powered cars here, but the real focus is electric.
[03:55:01]
UNKNOWN (through translator): I came here mainly checking on E.V.s. Now there are many EV brands, so there are lots of options.
UNKNOWN (through translator): We like the standout eye-catching color.
STEWART: There are more than 200 E.V. makers in China. Take a look over here. This is the line to see the latest offering from Xiaomi. It's a Chinese tech company known for its phones. This is the much- talked-about Xiaomi SU7. Yes, it has an aerodynamic design. It can accelerate very quickly. Its battery can take you for about 500 miles. But its most distinct point is this touchscreen. You can use it to control almost all aspects of your life. You can turn the lights in your home on and off. It can even start the coffee maker.
This isn't just about performance. Geopolitics plays a role too.
Elon Musk flew to China over the weekend on a surprise trip and met Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Musk has his biggest overseas Tesla factory in Shanghai, so he has big stakes in China. According to state media, Li said that China is open to foreign business and wants to make it easier for global companies to come here. In addition, Musk said Tesla's gigafactory in Shanghai is its best performing.
Tesla wants to be an even bigger player in the Chinese market in addition to its American base.
ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: It's good to see electric vehicles making progress in China. All cars will be electric in the future.
STEWART (voice-over): As a piece of American technology, Tesla faced lots of restrictions in China out of security concerns. Until this visit, Tesla cars were sometimes not allowed to enter airports, government compounds and other sensitive areas. Well, this time after Musk met Li, Chinese authorities announced that such restrictions on Tesla cars are no more because the company's China-made vehicles have passed the country's data security requirements.
STEWART: As Elon Musk looks for success here in China, for Chinese car makers looking to break into the American market, that may not be so easy. Top U.S. officials have expressed concern that Chinese cars could potentially collect data and send it back here to Beijing. A potential blow for China, the world's largest auto exporter.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
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CHURCH: And thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster.
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