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Progress Between Israel and Hamas Towards Ceasefire, But Don't Appear to Close a Deal; Israeli Demonstrators Call for Further Action to Release Captives; Netanyahu Under Pressure from Israel's Right Wing to Carry On with the War; Police Clear Out Antiwar Encampment, At Least 25 People Detained at the University of Virginia; Pro- Palestinian Protesters Removed from University of Michigan's Graduation Ceremony; Biden Behind Trump Among Young Voters; Republican Fundraising Event at Mar-a-Lago Attended by Trump; Catastrophic Flooding in Texas; WFP Director: Northern Gaza is in a "Full-Blown Famine"; Over 14,100 Children Lost Their Lives in Gaza, According to Ministry of Health; Mexican Authorities Confirming the Recovery of Three Bodies Amid Ongoing Investigation; Execution of Iranian Rapper Being Contested by Human Rights Lawyers; Zelenskyy is Officially a Wanted Man in Russia; 150th Kentucky Derby Won by Mystik Dan; Manchester City Vying for Remarkable Fourth Consecutive Championship. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 05, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Reports of progress, but no breakthrough from ceasefire talks in Cairo between Israel and Hamas as thousands vent their anger toward Israel's government.

Opposition to the war here in the U.S. is one reason Joe Biden is facing a new problem in the polls. The loss of young voters. Why a majority say they think Biden presidency has been a failure.

And flooding is wreaking havoc around the world from Texas to Brazil. As local governments urge residents to flee the rising waters.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber".

BRUNHUBER: How talks are going in Cairo depends in part on who you ask. Egyptian state media report that negotiators have made some progress between Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire and releasing at least some hostages, but they don't appear to be close to a deal. Both U.S. and Israeli officials say, any agreement could take days to finalize.

And adding to the pressure to end the fighting scenes, like this one. In Rafah, video shows a child being rescued from a damaged building after an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. In total, rescuers saved two children and two adults from the building. The death toll in Gaza is now more than 34,000, according to the Ministry of Health.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now with the latest on the negotiations. So, Paula, what are you hearing?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, there's certainly a feeling that there has been more progress this weekend than where we were last weekend. But there is also a lot of caution on all sides, given the fact that we have been here before. That there have appeared to be significant progress made and then there was no agreement at the end.

But what we're hearing at this point is that Bill Burns, the CIA director, was in Cairo on Friday. Now, the Egyptian officials have been key mediators in trying to secure the ceasefire, along with the Qataris. And we know that Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday. Now, we heard from a Hamas leader saying that they were coming with a positive spirit. Saying that they are determined to finalize the agreement.

Now, the onus is on Hamas at this point, according to the Israelis and the Americans. They say that there is a proposal on the table. The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called it extremely generous on the behalf of Israel.

So, at this point, we are waiting for some kind of response from Hamas, believing that that could come at any time. This, we understand, would be an agreement on the format, the framework of a deal which would come in stages. Now, we understand the latest proposal to be around about 33 hostages.

We cannot give an exact number because that is unknown at this point. But those hostages would be women, it would be the elderly, the sick, the wounded, and that would be in return for a temporary ceasefire, a pause in fighting in Gaza. There would also be a number of Palestinian prisoners released in conjunction, to that.

Now, the framework itself has had some difficulties along the way. There are certain demands that Hamas has been making that Israel was not willing to give. We know, for example, from an Israeli source that they have agreed now to allow those displaced to move back to their homes or what's left of their homes in Northern Gaza, that was one of the key demands by Hamas.

So, really, what we're waiting for is whether or not this is a framework that Hamas can accept. Now, we have also heard from U.S. and Israeli officials to -- cautioning that even if Hamas does say yes, that's not the end of the deal. There are still details to be hammered out. It could still take several more days to try and finalize the finer points of this deal. But it is key that it will be in stages.

So, if this first stage can be agreed to, there is certainly a hope that once the ceasefire is in place, it gives everybody room to try and discuss the next stages, which would be further hostages being released, including soldiers in return for further Palestinian prisoners. [04:05:00]

And of course, the key element in all this is that any kind of ceasefire will allow humanitarian aid to get in, something that agencies say is absolutely imperative. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. I appreciate you bringing us the latest on the negotiations. Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi. Thank you.

In Israel, protesters are pressuring the government to do more to get the hostages home.

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BRUNHUBER: They were on the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night calling for new elections and the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Some family members of hostages and those killed in the October 7th attack say the government is neglecting the hostages to pursue its war with Hamas.

Now, for more on the protests in Israel, my colleague spoke with Gideon Levy, a columnist for "Haaretz Newspaper" and a former advisor to Shimon Peres, and says the protesters don't yet have the numbers to force new elections. Here is.

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GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST, HAARETZ AND FORMER ADVISOR TO SHIMON PERES: It seems that it's growing, but it does not reach a critical weight in which Netanyahu will have to listen to them. The protest is focusing only on two issues. Getting rid of Netanya, this is one part, and obviously releasing the hostages, which is another part. Not always together. None of them is calling to end the war and say, I don't see it getting more momentum than it got until now, which is very impressive. But it's not enough.

Elections will be only if they will -- if Netanyahu will lose his majority in the parliament. There is no other way to get there. And his government, his coalition seems, until now, very solid. Would he go to an agreement right now, he might lose this majority, and that's exactly what stops now the negotiation because Netanyahu is more concerned about his government rather than the deal. The deal might bring the fall of this government because the right wingers threaten him that they would leave the coalition and then he doesn't have a government.

It depends now on Israel and on the United States. Unlikely what Blinken, said as far as we hear it here, the main obstacle right now is Netanyahu and he tries to sabotage it. No other way to describe it. He published two announcements over the weekend on the name of sources, anonymous sources, in which he claimed that Israel will go to Rafah, in any case, and it will not bring the end of the war. This is sabotaging the deal. And this, in my view, is almost criminal, because Israel has now the last chance to release the hostages. And a very big chance for creating a new reality in the Middle East. I don't exaggerate because Saudi Arabia is waiting. Hezbollah is waiting. We are really in a turning point, very dramatic one, and this government might spoil it all, and this will never be forgiven.

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BRUNHUBER: Some American universities are cracking down on pro- Palestinian demonstrations as graduation ceremonies get underway. The University of Virginia says after days of peaceful protests, it had to call in police on Saturday to clear out an antiwar encampment. At least 25 people were arrested. The university says, police were met with what it called agitation chanting and violent gestures.

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BRUNHUBER: Also on Saturday, pro-Palestinian protesters were removed from the University of Michigan's graduation ceremony. Planes flew over the area with dueling banners reading, Divest from Israel and Stand with Israel. Now, it's not clear if anyone was arrested, but CNN has reached out to Michigan State Police for comment.

Nationwide student protests are highlighting a new issue for President Biden, the possibility of losing young voters. A recent CNN poll shows that Biden trails Donald Trump by 11 points among young people. Only 40 percent of voters between the ages of 18 to 34 say they plan to vote for Biden, compared to 51 percent of voters in the same age group who say they will support Trump.

Now, looking back to 2020, exit polls showed that 60 percent of Americans between 18 and 29 voted for Biden. Now, these new poll results also show that 68 percent of young voters say they believe Biden's presidency has been a failure.

All right. Joining us now is Mark Shanahan, associate professor of politics at the University of Surrey. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, if you're a Democrat, those numbers not great. So, put them into context for us. Just how bad are they for President Biden?

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MARK SHANAHAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF SURREY: They are a real worry for President Biden. If you think of 2020, 50 percent of young voters under the age of 35 came out and voted, that was 11 points up on 2016. And Biden needed that vote. In order for him to win, he needs an alliance of young voters, minority voters and women. And if he loses one of those constituencies, and the young voters are key within that, then he really is in trouble.

It's interesting that they say that they're going to vote for Trump. I think the likelihood is that they just won't vote at all. This issue around protest is not a wedge issue. Trump is likely to come down, or he has said that he would just close down entirely.

So, it's not something that's just going to divide the party. It's just making young voters feel less positive about politics in general in an election where there are two fairly unpopular candidates for the young vote.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So, the real threat here is that these voters may not switch to Donald Trump, but they might not just vote at all. So, I want to show you something else. CNN's recent poll suggests the war on Israel is very or extremely important to some 80 percent of young voters, if you add up those two figures there. But polls also suggest economic issues are still most important for this demographic. So, how important truly is the war in Gaza as a motivating factor for these young voters, do you think?

SHANAHAN: It's not 1968. This is not like Vietnam. Young Americans are not being drafted to fight in this war. Joe Biden is no Eugene McCarthy. It is an important, it is a salient issue. But healthcare, abortion, the economy, the cost of living, getting affordable housing are all of the issues that probably matter more to younger voters. And Biden's record isn't bad on them, but he hasn't really been highlighting that young vote and what he is doing for younger people. And if he wants to get them on boards and get them out to vote come November, he really has to push those issues.

As it happens, I mean, students are going to be going home for the summer soon. This issue will die down on student campuses. But he is lackluster with this portion of voters. So, he really, really has to be far more proactive to gain their votes.

BRUNHUBER: Now, as I mentioned earlier, our poll suggests more than eight in 10 young voters disapprove of Biden's handling of the war. But they don't seem convinced that letting Trump win, if they don't vote, for example. Trump, who has a much harder line on Palestinians and who, by the way, this week vowed to restore the Muslim ban. Will they be swayed by the argument that Trump winning would be far worse for their cause?

SHANAHAN: I think that argument should be played with younger voters. At the moment, this is a wonderful deflection from Trump sitting in a New York courtroom. While he has made some noises around it, all of the attention has been on Biden and his order must prevail statements. Biden is taking the flack at the moment, even though his position is probably more pro-Palestinians than Trump's is.

So, if the Biden campaign can turn some of that fire on their opponents, it's probably going to help with younger voters.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. You --

SHANAHAN: But this is the wrong war at the wrong time for him.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. You talked to Democratic Party operatives and they say, you know, basically the same thing. Polling underestimate support for Biden. They say when push comes to shove, these young voters will show up at the polls if only because of issues like we talked about abortion. And of course, you know, if it is to stop Trump. Are they deluded on that?

SHANAHAN: No, they're probably not deluded. I mean, it is -- we are still very, very early in the cycle. Normally, we would be still talking primaries at this point. But of course, we're talking about two candidates who emerged right at the beginning of the primary season. There are plenty of other issues that will gain greater salience before the election day. And while this is not a popular war in terms of the way that Biden is handling it, it is not going to be the absolute key issue that drives voters to the polls or keeps them away from it.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, as you suggest, lots of twists and turns still left in this election. Mark Shanahan, thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

SHANAHAN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, fresh off his criminal trial in New York, Donald Trump lambasted Democrats, Saturday, even comparing President Biden's administration to the Gestapo.

[04:15:00]

Now, the comments came in a Republican retreat in Florida where the former president also railed against prosecutors behind his 88 criminal charges and praised a former Illinois governor convicted of corruption.

CNN's Alayna Treene reports the main purpose of the retreat was fundraising.

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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump traded the courtroom in New York for Florida this weekend on the backdrop of the Republican National Committee's annual weekend retreat. Now, during one of those sessions, hosted by Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, two of Donald Trump's campaign managers, as well as Tony Fabrizio, one of his pollsters, they walked the group through the latest fundraising figures.

Last month, they said that they brought in $76.2 million. And this is noteworthy because it comes as they are trying aggressively to match President Joe Biden's campaign in their fundraising and their ever- growing war chest.

Now, on Saturday, part of the event was hosted at Mar-a-Lago and Donald Trump addressed the group and also appraised many of the vice- presidential contenders on his short list, that includes people like Elise Stefanik, Tim Scott, Doug Burgum, and J.D. Vance, among others. He brought them up on stage and talked largely about the core issues that he cares about for his campaign.

Now, during one of these presentations today, they also laid out a plan of how they want to be competitive in states like Minnesota and Virginia, both traditionally Democratic leaning states that they said they're going to run toward aggressively ahead of November.

Alayna Treene, CNN, Palm Beach.

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BRUNHUBER: After the break, evacuations and rescues amid historic flooding in southeast Texas and even more rain is on the way. Deadly floods create havoc in parts of Brazil, submerging homes and roads and displacing tens of thousands of people. When we come back, how the country's responding to the devastation. Stay with us.

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[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: Flooding is devastating parts of Southeast Texas where some towns saw almost two feet of rain in just five days. River flooding in Harris County, which includes Houston, is expected to top out at a level not seen since Hurricane Harvey in 2017. One county official says, 224 people have been rescued from homes and vehicles.

CNN's Rosa Flores is there.

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ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's been a lot of emotional and very tense moments for individuals who have been rescued from these rising waters. What you hear in the background is an airboat. They're still rescuing individuals, but they're also trying to convince them to evacuate.

Let me show you around. This is an area that called the River Bottom. Now, this street curls around and there are homes back there, R.V.s back there. I've talked to neighbors who say that there are between eight and 15 individuals back there who do not want to evacuate. But take a look around and you'll see the water level. You see the water level on the fence and on the trees. If you look closely, the good news is that some of the water is receding because you can tell that water level from the tree.

Now, I talked to the owner of this mobile home. Her name is Stacy Smith (ph), and she is one of the individuals who's -- has access to her home. She has taken everything out. She has left the area, but she says that she's trying to come back because she's trying to convince the eight to 15 individuals that she calls friends and family who are back in the River Bottom because she's hoping that they evacuate to safety. Take a listen.

STACY SMITH (PH), EVACUEE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS: The ones that didn't want to come right now, we're going to go back and get with a personal boat. And we're going to go get everybody. We're not leaving nobody behind because they're like our family. They're like family down there. FLORES: And just to put this into perspective, Harris County, Texas is one of the biggest counties in the country. And according to authorities at this point, they estimate that several hundred homes are being impacted.

Now, the damage assessments have not been made. According to authorities, that might start on Monday. That, of course, is if the water starts to recede. But the message to everyone in those evacuation zones is the following from authorities, get out. They are asking individuals to please go to safety, to higher ground because there is more rain expected overnight and through the weekend.

Rosa Flores, CNN, Harris County, Texas.

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BRUNHUBER: Flooding in Kenya has killed at least 210 people. The country delayed the reopening of schools nationwide until further notice. The Kenyan president says, the situation is expected to get worse. More intense rainfall is forecast over the coming days and weeks. Heavy downpours are expected today in some parts of the country. The president blames the extreme weather on climate change.

And at least 56 people have been killed and 67 are still missing in Brazil as torrential rains pummel the southern part of that country. A governor there calls it the worst disaster in the state's history.

CNN's Allison Chinchar has the details.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Houses submerged to their rooftops. Roads only navigable by boat. Some, like this couple, forced onto their roof. Rising waters giving them nowhere else to turn.

RAUL JR. METZEL, RESIDENT (through translator): Humans must be doing something different for her, the planet, to be basically punishing us. I think pollution. Something is happening because this is not normal. It's not natural at all. This has been caused by something.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): Tens of thousands of people in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul are displaced as heavy rainfall pounds the southern state. Authorities declaring a state of emergency and rescuers searching for the dozens missing among the devastation.

[04:25:00]

Hundreds of thousands of people have been without access to electricity or drinking water. While blocked roads, damaged bridges and rising waters make it difficult to reach safety. More than 8,000 residents have found what refuge they can in shelters. many able to salvage nothing but themselves.

SUSETE PEREIRA, EVACUATED TO SHELTER (through translator): I lost everything. I lifted some furniture that I could, but I believe I lost everything. I really am desperate. It's the first time this has happened.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): Authorities have urged people to avoid highways, rivers, and hillsides. Warning of mudslides and further flooding. Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, stressing that his government will be, "100 percent available to the suffering state."

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL (through translator): I want to tell you there will be no shortage of aid from the federal government for health care. In other words, there will be no shortage of money to take care of transportation. There will be no shortage of money to take care of food.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): As heavy rains make their way from northern to southern Rio Grande do Sul, floodwaters won't begin to recede for days, keeping away those hoping to return to their homes or what's left of them. Forcing the ominous question of when or how to rebuild.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: The head of the World Food Programme says Northern Gaza is now experiencing a full-blown famine. Just ahead, what she says Israel can do to help those who are starving. Please stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom".

The director of the World Food Programme says, Northern Gaza is now in a full-blown famine. Cindy McCain told NBC News that the situation is, "A horror". She says, it's hard to hear and watch what Palestinians in Gaza desperately need food, water, sanitation, and medicine. Here she is.

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CINDY MCCAIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Whenever you have conflict like this and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens. And so, what I can explain to you is, is that there is famine, full-blown famine in the north and it's moving its way south.

And so, with -- what we're asking for and what we continually ask for is a ceasefire and the ability to have unfettered access to get in safe and unfettered access to get into the -- into Gaza, various ports and various gate crossings.

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BRUNHUBER: In Cairo, negotiators are working to reach a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Egyptian state media report that negotiators have made some progress, but they don't appear to be close to a deal. And both U.S. and Israeli officials say any agreement could take days to finalize.

CIA director Bill Burns is there representing the U.S. in the talks. Officials from Egypt, Qatar, and Hamas are also taking part. The director of Israel's Mossad isn't there, but Israeli sources say he could travel to Egypt quickly if Hamas agrees to the framework.

CNN has been investigating a strike on a refugee camp in Gaza that happened two weeks ago. More than a dozen people were killed, most of them children in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. Yet the Israeli military still hasn't taken responsibility for the attack.

Jeremy Diamond has more on what CNN has learned. And we just want to warn you, his report does contain distressing images.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This grainy home video is the closest Mona Audatallah (ph) will ever get to seeing her 10-year-old daughter. A stack of school certificates, a wardrobe of her favorite clothes, the perfume she used to wear, all that remains of the daughter Mona poured everything into.

There is no Shahed (ph) now. Every time she came in, she said, Mom. I would say my soul, my soul, my soul is gone.

Shahed (ph) was one of ten children killed when an Israeli airstrike hit the crowded street in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp where she was playing with her friends. Her pink pants impossible to miss among the small bodies splayed around a foosball table in the chaotic aftermath. Two weeks later, the Israeli military still won't take responsibility for the strike that killed her.

CNN provided the IDF with the coordinates and time of the attack, based on metadata from two different phones in the immediate aftermath. The IDF said they did not have a record of that strike. They said, they carried out a strike at a different time than described, and that the collateral damage as described in the query is not known to the IDF. The IDF makes great efforts to mitigate harm to the civilian population from areas where strikes are being carried out.

Evidence recovered and documented by CNN at the scene of the strike paints a very different picture of Israeli military responsibility. This circuit board and bits of shrapnel, walls and shop steps distinctively pockmarked, and a small crater barely a foot wide. All pointing three munitions' experts to the same conclusion. The carnage was likely caused by a precision guided munition deployed by the Israeli military.

CHRIS COBB-SMITH, WEAPONS EXPERT: I've seen these strikes so many times. There's a relatively small crater in the road. There's no large shrapnel holes or fragmentation holes that would have been -- which would have been caused by, say, a mortar round or an artillery round. The fragmentation is consistent.

DIAMOND: So, in your view, this strike was caused by a precision guided drone fired missile?

COBB-SMITH: Absolutely. This is an Israeli munition. The local militias, the local forces do not have anything with this amount and sophistication.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Before carrying out the strike, Israeli drones would have surveilled the Al-Maghazi refugee camp from above. Seconds later, the missile hits the street below, landing in the middle of the road, just a few feet away from the foosball table where Shahed (ph) and her friends were playing that day, delivering certain death.

Against all odds, these children have returned to play at the very same foosball table, including some of Shahed's friends.

[04:35:00]

I miss her a lot, Samah (ph) says, wearing a necklace Shahed (ph) made her. She says she was nearly killed with her friend, going home moments before the strike to drink water.

Others were not as lucky. Eight-year-old Ahmed (ph) is fighting for his life. Bleeding from his brain, his skull fractured. His chances of surviving are slim, his doctor explains. He is fighting not to become the 11th child killed in that same strike.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

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BRUNHUBER: And sadly, Ahmed (ph) died of his wounds earlier this week. He was eight years old. Ahmed (ph) becomes the 11th child killed in that Israeli strike. More than 14,100 children have been killed in this war since October 7th, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Protests over the war are ramping up on university campuses in the U.K. and Ireland. Students at Trinity College Dublin piled up benches to block access to a popular tourist attraction, the Book of Kells. The school decided to close the attraction until Monday. Now, it comes after the student union was fined more than $200,000 for the disruption caused by pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

In the U.S., the University of Virginia says at least 25 people were arrested during a protest on Saturday. Police were brought out in to clear out an antiwar encampment. The university says, police were met with agitation chanting and violent gestures.

A group of protesters stood up and walked out of Indiana University's graduation ceremony on Saturday night. CNN's Whitney Wild has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Here at Indiana University, what we saw was dozens of students stand up as Indiana University President Pamela Whitten began speaking. And while it did not disrupt the ceremony, people that we spoke to who were inside Memorial Stadium here in Bloomington said that they could at least hear the protest. Our understanding, based on those conversations as well as social media video, is that the students stood up, made this audible protest and then walked out.

It was a big question here, to what degree protests might disrupt the ceremony, if at all, for two reasons. The first is because Indiana University had set up a protest zone outside Memorial Stadium, but also because they have had pretty robust protests here in Bloomington.

It was in April that 33 students were arrested at Indiana University at a pro-Palestine protest. And what we've seen all across the country is that schools that have seen those protests, in many cases, have seen disruptions to their ceremonies. For example, at the University of Michigan, pro-Palestine protesters were able to actually disrupt the ceremony briefly before they were escorted out by Michigan State Police.

So, again, that was the big question here at I.U. in Bloomington, Indiana. 41,000 people inside that stadium. And our understanding is that just dozens of students stood up, again, as the president was speaking and then filed out. It was audible, but it was not disruptive.

Whitney Wild, CNN, Bloomington, Indiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Some displaced Palestinians in Gaza are praising the campus demonstrations and thanking protesters for taking up their cause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAITHEM GHURIAB, DISPLACED FROM NORTHERN GAZA (through translator): I support the U.S. student protest and solidarity with the Palestinian people, and support the continuation of these protests as they make it more known of the Palestinian cause. They say that the Palestinians are living under injustice and more people stand with us and our cause.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: After the break, authorities confirmed they have recovered three unidentified bodies in Mexico as the search for three missing surfers continues. We'll have the latest, next.

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[04:40:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the world's news network. BRUNHUBER: Mexican authorities are confirming the recovery of three bodies from a cliff near Ensenada, Mexico, but the remains haven't been formally identified. Now, this comes amid an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of three surfers, two Australians and one American. Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has the latest.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican authorities, as well as the families of the three missing surfers, are still waiting for the final results from the forensic examinations performed on the three bodies that were recovered on Friday morning.

At this point, the authorities want to make sure that there is an ultimate and definitive DNA match between those three bodies that were recovered in a cliff about 50 miles south of the city center of Ensenada. And the three surfers, two Australians, one American, before drawing any conclusion. Of course, these are hours of frantic wait and great caution.

CNN's affiliate network in Australia have reported that the family of Jake and Callum Robinson are traveling to Ensenada to be as close as possible to the investigation and perhaps even assist with that DNA matching.

In the meantime, the three Mexican citizens who had been previously brought in for questioning in relation to this investigation had since been detained on the allegation of kidnapping, according to the attorney general of Baja California, the state where Ensenada is located.

The FBI and Australian Foreign Office are also assisting the Mexican police, but so far, the ultimate clue on what happened to those three tourists who have been reported missing since April 29 have -- has not surfaced yet. And we will be sure to report back to you as soon as there is an official pronouncement from the authorities in charge of this investigation.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Human rights lawyers are trying to prevent the execution of an Iranian rapper. Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death last month because of his involvement in protests that swept Iran in late 2022. They were sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody who was arrested for allegedly not properly wearing her headscarf.

Now, a group of London based lawyers has filed an urgent appeal to the U.N. Saying, the rapper's treatment violates Iran's international obligations. They say, time is running out because he had only 20 days to appeal since his sentencing. The rapper's treatment has drawn widespread international condemnation.

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is officially a wanted man in Russia. A state news agency says he's been put on the government's wanted list under Russia's criminal code. Ukraine dismissed the move as an act of desperation and a publicity stunt.

Meanwhile, six people are injured after the city of Kharkiv came under attack for a second straight day. Officials say, debris from a Russian drone fell in a residential neighborhood this morning, damaging multiple buildings. Ukraine says, it shot down multiple drones the day before, but the falling debris left four people injured.

A 98-year-old woman says she walked six miles to escape Russian shelling in her Ukrainian hometown. She used sticks to support herself, but fell several times along the way.

[04:45:00]

Lidia Stepanivna says she left her town in the Donetsk region, now occupied by Russia, hoping to reach Kyiv controlled areas. She slept on the ground without food or water, legs shaking and giving out throughout the journey. But she says, after surviving World War 2, she's determined to survive this war as well. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIDIA STEPANIVNA, ESCAPED RUSSIAN SHELLING ON FOOT (through translator): I woke up, they were shelling. It was horrific. How could one possibly sleep? My daughter-in-law said, we must leave. I said, son, we should have left before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's military found the woman and handed her to police who took her to an evacuation shelter. She wasn't injured. She says her character helped keep her going.

Ceremonies are underway around the world as orthodox Christians celebrate their Easter.

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BRUNHUBER: This is video from St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv where a service began earlier this morning. Some Ukrainians flock there to receive blessings and pray for peace. Similar scenes will play out at orthodox churches around the world today. The holiday falls on a different day than in Western churches because the orthodox ones used a different calendar and because orthodox Easter is celebrated after the Jewish Passover holiday.

All right. Still to come, it's the season of dazzling spring flowers. And in the Netherlands, tulips are taking the spotlight, but not all is as it seems. We'll explain why coming up. Stay with us.

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[04:50:00] BRUNHUBER: It's tulip season in the Netherlands. At this time of year, the flowers can be seen blooming at their best. But as CNN's Lynda Kinkade explains, these days, they're falling victim to rising temperatures, wetter weather, and border controls.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Springtime is bloom time for tulips, the flower, a sign of unconditional love, rebirth and forgiveness. From afar, these majestic blooms in the Netherlands look like a perfect field of budding pink and red tulips, but up close they're suffering. These fields have grown generations of tulips with Arjan Smit's family overseeing operations since 1940, but climate change is changing their production year after year.

ARJAN SMIT, TULIP FARMER: Last winter it was very wet, totally in our sector. We lost around eight to nine percent of the bulbs in the fields. They kill by water. And we were planting also four hectares -- four percent, of the total less.

KINKADE (voice-over): Smit says, with this change, they'll lose at least 13 percent of next year's bulbs. Higher temperatures add more water vapor to the Earth's atmosphere and cause wetter winters.

SMIT: And what you see here is the damage from the water.

KINKADE (voice-over): Hottest springs and summers are also less than ideal for farming. When Smit began this work 30 years ago, he says they only watered the fields two to four times in spring. Now, he says sometimes they have to water them every week, but the changing climate is not the only challenge. Farmers say, Brexit and its increased border controls could have negative repercussions for tulip farmers.

SMIT: I think, it cost export from the Netherlands, from the flower industry to send to England because it's -- sometimes it's happened that trucks staying many days to waiting by the border before they can pass.

KINKADE (voice-over): Even with an uncertain future, Smit stays positive. Recalling the smiles his flowers brought when he donated them to the people of Ukraine.

SMIT: I was silent there. People comes to me, they tell me with tears in their eyes and shaking their voice, thank you for the flowers. It means for us a little bit mental health and it gives you so -- then everybody can say what they want, but we need flowers. They need tulips, more different varieties, more colors, happiness.

KINKADE (voice-over): Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, it might have only been by a nose, but Mystik Dan is the winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby. It was a dramatic three horse photo finish at Churchill Downs, starting the race at 18 to one odds. Mystik Dan edged out Sierra Leone and Forever Young to take the first leg of the Triple Crown, and more than $3 million in prize money. It's the closest three horse photo finish in almost 80 years. Next race of the prestigious Triple Crown is May 18th at the Preakness Stakes in Maryland.

Well, just two weeks left until the final day of the English Premier League season, and it's far from decided. Arsenal and Manchester City are in a dog fight over who will come out on top. CNN's Patrick Snell has the details.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Manchester City are seeking a historic fourth title in a row, no team has ever done that. When you have Erling Haaland on board, anything is possible. The young Norwegian is back and fit again, and it shows, just ask Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were thrashed five-one on Saturday. Haaland with four of them, including two penalties.

The English born star now with a total of nine hat tricks in his story career. His overall tally for the season is 36 and he's flying just one city need in most. Two gladiators (ph) men extending their and beating home streak to an amazing 43 matches city, now unbeaten in 19 Premier League games and they look a really good bet for yet another title.

Meantime, on Saturday, Arsenal continuing their quest to be crowned champions of England for the first time in two decades. At this stage of the season, of course, no margin for error as Arsenal hosted Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium. A nervy wait for the home fans for that first goal, but it does come in first half stoppage time. Bukayo Saka converting from the penalty spot.

At 20 minutes from time, the hosts doubling their lead as Belgian star Leandro Trossard finishing superbly for two-nil there. Huge relief for the home fans. And then the icing on the cake for Arsenal as Declan Rice, who'd set up that goal for Trossard, putting some real gloss on the scoreline, deep into injury time. Three-nil Arsenal, the final score, a vital win for Mikel Arteta's team.

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So, atop the table, we can see that it is Arsenal who lead the way by a point from Man City. City do though have that vital game in hand. Liverpool taking on Spurs, Sunday. At the wrong end of the table, a vital win for Nottingham Forest on Saturday, giving them hope of staying up, but a really damaging defeat for Burnley against Newcastle.

Now, winning England's Premier League title brings with it joy unconfined for any team that goes on to be champs, but just getting the chance to even compete in the most lucrative, successful and famous football league in the world is utterly life changing.

On Saturday, Ipswich Town's date with destiny. The team trying to get promoted back to the big time for the first time since 2002 and a two- nil win over Huddersfield doing the job. An amazing feeling when the final whistle goes. Ipswich known as the Tractor Boys becoming just the fourth side in the Premier League era to go from the third to the top tier via consecutive promotions. An incredible story. And what a moment for the Suffolk Club, which was sold to American investors for just $50 million.

Taking you now inside the Ipswich Town Dressing Room. It's such an incredible experience for any player, the coaches as well. A celebration, 22 years in the making. Ipswich finishing second behind champions Leicester City. And our congratulations to everyone at Ipswich Town Football Club. Back in the big time, it's back to you.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. That wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom". I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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