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Israeli Strikes in Gaza; Russia Claims Gains in Kharkiv Region; Sussex Fever. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired May 12, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

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ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, nowhere to go. Some Palestinians say they are out of options as Israel conducts strikes over much of Gaza.

Russia is claiming gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Ukraine denies that, but is sending in reinforcements.

And Sussex fever, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, are a smash in Nigeria. How their visit is being received.

Palestinians in Gaza say they have no safe place to go, as Israel conducts strikes from the north to the south. Israel is now conducting airstrikes and artillery strikes in Northern, Central and Southern Gaza. This is one of those strikes in the north.

In the south, the Israeli military says about 300,000 Palestinians have evacuated Rafah to what Israel calls expanded humanitarian areas. The president of the European Council calls those areas unsafe zones and unacceptable.

Well, meanwhile, trucks carrying aid are backed up at the Rafah border crossing. And Egypt is refusing to coordinate the shipments with Israel. Egypt's state-run media cites an Egyptian official saying it's because of the, quote, unacceptable Israeli escalation, end quote. Israel took control of the Gaza side of the crossing earlier this week.

Well, Journalist Elliott Gotkine joins us now live from London with more on the situation. And, Elliott, the UN in Gaza said that the World Food Programme and UNRWA will run out of food to distribute by Sunday. I mean the situation is beyond dire. Is anything being done to solve this?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: And I think it's clear that whatever is being done simply isn't enough. And the main problem here is that we are talking about distributing aid in an active combat area. And so as a result of that, the Egyptians who are indispensable when it comes to getting aid coming from the Egyptian side into the Gaza Strip, they are saying that they will not coordinate with the Israelis in terms of distributing that aid so long as Israeli tanks are on the ground. And with Israel saying that, if anything, its ground operation in Rafah is going to expand. It's hard to see how that situation is going to get any better.

And we've spoken to the head of the Gaza Crossing Authority, and he tells us that no aid has got through to Rafah for the best part of a week. So, of course, attention then turns to Kerem Shalom on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip to the south of where Rafa is.

Now, Israel says that over the past few days, some 200, 000 liters of fuel have gone in from the Kerem Shalom crossing into the Gaza Strip. But, of course, the problem there as well is that that was closed for a few days about a week ago when Hamas rockets were fired towards it, killing four Israeli soldiers. Israel says that it's since reopened despite additional rocket fire.

But it seems that whatever is getting through perhaps is having problems, not just physically getting into the Gaza Strip but being distributed. And, of course, you have drivers of these trucks who are simply scared to drive into these active combat areas. And as a result, the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is simply getting worse.

And if you cast your mind back just about ten days when U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken was in Israel meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I wouldn't say praising the Israelis, but certainly noting the increase in humanitarian aid that had happened since the since the airstrike on the World Central Kitchen had taken place, killing seven foreign aid workers.

Noted the increase in aid, saying that that needed to be accelerated and sustained. But given the situation there on the ground right now, rather than being accelerated or sustained, the amount of aid going into the Gaza Strip appeared to have gone into reverse. And there's no sign that that situation is going to improve anytime soon. Anna?

COREN: Elliott Gotkine in London, we appreciate the update. Thank you.

Well, the airstrikes and artillery strikes throughout Gaza are taking a deadly toll. Scott McLean shows you what it's like on the ground after one of those airstrikes. And we have to warn you, his report contains some disturbing images.

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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The bomb that hit this building in Central Gaza didn't leave much of anything or anyone intact.

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Locals say it hit in the middle of the night while families were sleeping without any warning. With little more than flashlights in their own hands, rescuers dig for survivors but find only bodies. As this child is loaded into an ambulance next to another, their pulses are checked. It seems only in vain.

These are the victims of a series of strikes across Central and Northern Gaza that killed scores of civilians, many of them children. The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on specific airstrikes, but said it was operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities.

At the hospitals, they save who they can. The dead are placed in body bags. This one is big enough for three. Their bloodied, soot covered faces are wiped off, a small measure of dignity in death. Inside a field hospital, shell shocked kids lie on dusty gurneys. Even after seven months living in a war zone, the sound of a nearby airstrike is no less terrifying.

From an ambulance, this man is rushed inside through the hospital and hoisted frantically onto a bed. But it's quickly apparent he's dead. For a moment, a relative sits with him in stunned silence. Before more family arrive, overwhelmed.

By daybreak, they're still pulling bodies from the rubble, like this one crushed under the weight of a cement slab. Without heavy equipment, the process is slow. The biggest body part we've recovered was half a child, this man says. They were all civilians. There were no militants here. What did the children do to deserve this, this man wonders.

Meanwhile, the IDF has now told civilians in parts of Central Rafah to leave, sign the ground operation there is about to pick up. Streets look increasingly empty as people pack up and leave, by car, horse cart or on foot.

It's horrible, is the world happy to see this, this woman asks. We can't find a place to stay. We don't know where we're going.

Israel is directing people here to a designated area along the coast now flooded with tents but little infrastructure to accommodate the roughly 300,000 people it estimates are now there. With ceasefire talks, seemingly at a standstill, the citizens of Gaza are just waiting for this nightmare to end.

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MCLEAN (on camera): And some of the people packing up and leaving Rafah told our CNN stringer on the ground in Gaza that this is the seventh or eighth time since the war began that they're being displaced. One man said he doesn't care if he dies. The only reason that he is moving is because of the kids that he had with him. He said, is this a life? Death is more honorable than this humiliation.

Scott McLean, CNN, Istanbul.

COREN: Ukrainian drones went after the largest refinery in southern Russia, causing a brief fire this morning. Well, that was from the governor of the Volgograd region, who says the attack was repelled, but at least one drone crashed and caused an explosion. He says there were no casualties. Well, meanwhile, Russia is claiming progress in its new offensive in Northern Ukraine. Moscow says it has captured five villages in the Kharkiv region, but Ukraine says they are still contested. Local officials say the bordered town of Vovchansk was hit by more than 20 aerial bombs on Saturday. At least two civilians were killed, two others injured.

President Zelenskyy says Ukraine is now rushing in reinforcements and strengthening its positions there. More than 1,700 people have been evacuated from the region since Russia launched the incursion on Friday. That's a new push for Russia's ground forces who have so far been focused on Eastern Ukraine.

More than 300 people are dead after heavy flooding ravaged Northern Afghanistan. That's according to the World Food Programme. And that death toll is expected to rise.

More details now from CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice over): Children crying as they face a devastating reality. Raging floodwaters rendering their home unrecognizable after heavy rains set off flash floods in several of Afghanistan's northern provinces Friday. Residents forced to dig graves for their loved ones. Saturday now marked as a day of mourning. Among the hundreds dead, many are women and children.

I lost five members of my family, this man says, two sons, two daughters and their mother, as a result of these devastating flash floods.

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We were standing on the other side of the flood but we could not help them.

Streets and homes across multiple provinces buried under mud and debris. The floods so swift, many who'd left their houses for Friday prayers were unable to get home in time.

The raging floodwaters destroying everything in their path and taking with them precious belongings, even people unable to fight the torrent of water that ripped through without warning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rain started heavily. And half an hour later, the flood started coming. It carried away six children, a woman and other stuff of the people, including a car, carpets and other home accessories.

This is just the latest flood disaster in the region after weeks of abnormally heavy rain. Deadly floods also hitting in recent weeks in Brazil and Kenya, emphasizing the consequences of climate change worldwide in regions most susceptible to its compounding effects.

Allison Chinchar, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: As Allison just mentioned, heavy rains and floods continue to ravage Southern Brazil. At least 136 people are dead, more than a hundred people are missing in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, according to the local civil defense agency. The storms have affected nearly 2 million people in Brazil, displacing hundreds of thousands.

And the chaos and destruction are far from over. Meteorologists warn intense rain is expected to continue in parts of Southern Brazil until Sunday, with some areas expected up to -- expecting up to 15 centimeters. That's according to Brazilian forecasters.

Well, Prince Harry and Meghan are causing quite a stir in Nigeria. The Sussexes continue their tour in the West African nation. We will bring you the details after the break.

Plus, you could have another chance to see an aurora in the night sky as a massive solar storm continues to hit Earth.

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COREN: Former President Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail Saturday after an explosive week of testimony in his hush money trial in New York. He held a beachfront rally in New Jersey, a state he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020 by about 16 points.

Some Republicans questioned his decision to campaign there, as the state has voted Democrat in the last seven presidential elections. But a Trump campaign official says it's an opportunity to tap into the nearby battleground state of Pennsylvania.

During the rally, Trump, of course, blasted Democrats and President Biden and reiterated his support for Israel.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I support Israel's right to win its war on terror. Is that okay? I don't know. I don't know if that's good or bad politically. I don't care.

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COREN: Reports say Donald Trump may owe more than a hundred million dollars in back taxes. That's after the Internal Revenue Service investigated past claims of huge losses on his Chicago skyscraper.

After declaring a loss in 2008, the former president's lawyers moved the Chicago Tower into another partnership in 2010. Different Trump businesses would then be shifted into that same partnership over the years, which was reportedly used as the foundation for more lost claims from the building. Trump's son, Eric, says, quote, this matter was settled years ago. It seems Nigeria has Sussex fever. Prince Harry and Meghan continue to be well received on their tour of the West African nation, where they've been meeting with wounded service members and promoting the importance of mental health.

Our Stephanie Busari is there in Abuja with the details.

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have continued their three day private visit to Nigeria with an event on Saturday held by the country's Defense Chief of Staff and Nigeria and conquered the local equivalent to the Duke of Sussex Invictus Games Foundation.

The focus of the visit so far has been on the wounded soldiers and also on mental health, with Harry telling students at a school the previous day that it's, quote, okay not to be okay.

During Saturday's visit, Harry caused a lot of excitement when he joined the sitting volleyball game with Invictus team on one side and the other led by the Nigerian Defense staff. And they narrowly won by 25 to 21.

Meghan watched and cheered from the sidelines and sat next to a nine- year-old Nigerian girl, Siwatokwe Akombe (ph), who told CNN after that she was, quote, so happy that she met Meghan today, and I will never forget it all my life, she said.

The Sussexes have been well received in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, and wounded Nigerian service members have been speaking out. About what the visit means to them. One flight sergeant, Ifilma Owago (ph), told CNN she didn't know amputees could swim until after she lost her leg in a line of service. She added that her life has changed completely since getting involved in the Invictus Games.

Nigeria took part for the first time in the Invictus Games last year, September, the first African country to do so.

Ahead of the visit, Meghan had previously talked about discovering that she was 43 percent Nigerian through a genealogy test. And during a visit to the country's defense H.Q. on Friday, she wrote in a guest book that she felt welcome and at home.

Nigerians have also been very vocal about receiving her. A group of women on Saturday approached Meghan and called themselves the Sussex Squad Nigerian, surrounding her after the volleyball game and chanting quotes, we love you, Nigeria loves you, welcome home.

Stephanie Busari, CNN, Abuja.

COREN: A severe solar storm is still hitting the Earth, giving many around the world another shot at seeing auroras light up the sky today. The Space Weather Prediction Center says we could see a spectacle similar to Friday's show.

Well, this was in Vancouver, where Canadians flocked to see the northern lights. And take a look at the view in Spain as shades of pink and purple painted the sky on Friday. Well, that's when the solar storm hit levels we have not seen in more than 20 years.

Shawn Dahl is a senior space weather forecaster at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, and he joins us now from Boulder, Colorado. Shawn, wonderful to have you with us.

After an incredible display of northern lights across North America and Europe, more is in store. Tell us what's next.

SHAWN DAHL, SERVICE COORDINATOR, SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER: Hi, Anna. Thanks for having us on your show here. It's great to get out and be able to let people know about space weather and be more space weather-ready for these kinds of events. So, yes, it's true. We've been dealing with well quite a rare, very rare, extreme geomagnetic storm. We haven't seen this since the year 2003, and we're not over this. Right now, we're in a bit of a little bit of a lull.

So, things have settled down as one CME. These are called coronal mass ejections. Think of it as pieces of the sun with a strong magnet embedded in it flung through space and reached Earth. But we have another one coming, much faster. We think it's going to be a stronger strike here towards Earth. And so we'll enjoy our lull while we have it because tomorrow we expect things to ramp right back up again.

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COREN: So what does that mean? You know, another display of these vivid lights or could we see days of this -- nights of this, I should say?

DAHL: Yes, we don't expect to see night after night after night of this, but we will have, I would imagine, the aurora, if things are favorable for this, should be spinning up once again tomorrow night, and perhaps even the night after, if it takes a little while for this CME coming from the sun to pass over Earth and beyond it.

So, in the meantime, we continue to monitor things, like some of the displays you see behind me as we continue to check out the sun and look for these CMEs as they leave, or solar flares, other types of storms that are out there and ongoing even right now as we speak.

COREN: We're looking at this incredible display of images that people have captured, you know, across Northern America and Europe. And I believe you in Boulder, Colorado, also witnessed this overnight.

DAHL: That's true out of my colleague right here in the forecast office last night. He got some great pictures with his phone of the northern lights. You could see the red and the green colors. And it was really quite amazing. And it was not just on the horizon this time. It was way up in the sky, nearly overhead. That was the strength of the storm. We don't normally see that here in Colorado to that extent.

I was able to see it from my home further north of here with the light-polluted sky just to the north of me, really quite amazing.

COREN: So, for us mere mortals, Shawn, explain to us what causes these powerful geomagnetic storms and why we see these vivid colors.

DAHL: Sure. These coronal mass ejections are the main driver for these events. So, they leave the sun because of stressed out magnetic fields that exist in the sun. We see these as sunspots when they get strong enough. We've been dealing with one of these large sunspot groups, one of the longest we've seen in decades as well, for this week, entirely through this week. And that's been the active area that's been launching these coronal mass ejections into space.

And when they arrive here, they not only have billions of tons of solar material that bang into our protective magnetic barrier here at Earth, but following it, behind it is a strong magnet itself, magnets connected to the sun. And that can interact here with Earth.

But what we need to happen is we need the magnetic field to be the right direction. And by that, I mean, Earth's magnetic field is pointed up. It comes out the bottom of our planet and goes into the top. So, along comes a CME. It needs to point the opposite direction is Earth. Otherwise, it's like repelling magnets. When it turns south, we connect and activity drives up.

This entire passage of coronal mass ejections throughout the last two days has been with well connected southward-directed components that magnetic field and then that filters into our atmosphere and all the interactions that go on between those energetic particles from the sun with Earth's molecules in the high atmosphere eventually creates light and that's what we see as the aurora.

COREN: Absolutely extraordinary. Now, these northern lights, Shawn, as we know, they're normally observed at latitudes closer to the North and South Poles. So, why are we seeing this further afield?

DAHL: Because the intensity was much stronger. Our magnetic field that we measure out in space, and, by the way, we do this with an instrument about 1 million miles from Earth, so 92 million miles from the sun, that's where we see these things like these CMEs reach. And then we know that they're about to reach Earth.

And what happened this time is the normal magnetic field out in space, it increased by over ten times its normal background level when it arrived. That's quite extraordinary. And it was very favorable. Most of that was well south-directed. And therefore we had an immediate response. We drove up very quickly into the G4 levels and then not much longer later, we actually reached that G5 that we haven't seen since 2003.

COREN: It truly is a gift from the heavens. Shawn Dahl, you enjoy the evening. We'll let you get back to work. Thank you so much for joining us.

DAHL: You're very welcome, Anna. Good night.

COREN: It was a chaotic and controversial Eurovision Song Contest, but this year's winner is evoking pure joy. Swiss singer and rapper Nemo won the affection of the audience and judges with their song, The Code, a celebration of the artists accepting their non-binary identity.

Well, this is the first Eurovision win ever for a non-binary person and Switzerland's first win since 1988.

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NEMO, EUROVISION SONG CONTEST WINNER: I hope this contest can live up to its promises and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person in the world.

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COREN: The musical extravaganza took place while protests against the war in Gaza raged outside. And some people inside the arena booed and left the arena as Israeli singer Eden Golan gave her performance.

Well, earlier I spoke with Michael Idato, culture editor-at-large with the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age. After a controversial Eurovision Song Contest, I asked him whether there was any controversy with the winner. He said no and explained why.

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MICHAEL IDATO, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND THE MELBOURNE AGE: It's kind of a strange, magical place, you know, and the press-centered journalists sing along. It's a very energetic kind of bubble. And the people that love it, you know, it's not necessarily the biggest story breaking out of the biggest city on Earth, but for the people that inside the Eurovision bubble, it's kind of a magical mystery tour that they like revisiting every year, and they have done for 68 years. So, it's been a wild time.

COREN: Tell me, I can hear you're a little hoarse, your voice, but what made Nemo's performances stand out?

IDATO: Look, the thing is, the great thing about Eurovision is they're quite wildly different performances. Nemo's performance was sort of colorful and kind of a little bit clownish, I thought there was an almost (INAUDIBLE), kind of there's a clown like quality to their sort of stature on stage, but it's quite wild and different.

You know, Spain is sort of an elegant, ladies singing, the other people have like pretty girls and dances. It kind of gets -- it sort of -- it's quite a diverse sort of space and very colorful. And I think what always surprises people, you know, is kind of where it turns. This year, absolutely, everyone was convinced that Croatia was going to win, then at second, it was going to be Ireland. It turns into this kind of last second photo finish.

And I think everybody thought Switzerland was sort of a solid, safe country that might just get overtaken in the last league of the race. And then, lo and behold, Nemo comes soaring through to the finish line and takes the show.

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COREN: Michael Idato speaking to me earlier.

And just before we go, a high-flying crowd pleaser for aviation history buffs in Washington on Saturday, dozens of historic planes took to the skies as part of an air show that included aircraft from every era of general aviation, everything from biplanes built in the early 20th century to modern small civilian aircraft. The idea was to display the 15 different chapters in the history of U.S. civilian flight.

Organizers say this was the first general aviation show held in the heavily restricted airspace over Washington.

Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Generation Next is next. And then there's more CNN Newsroom in about 30 minutes' time. Stay with CNN.

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