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CNN International: Iran Declares Five Days of Mourning After Helicopter Crash; London Court Rules Assange Can Appeal U.S. Extradition; Taiwan's New President Urges China to Stop Intimidation; Scheffler's Attorney: No Intention to Take Plea Deal. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 21, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. Here are our top stories this hour.

Funeral ceremonies for the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are underway right now. Mourners are gathering in Tabriz, Iran. Over the next few days, the President's body will travel to Tehran. Mr. Raisi was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Desperately needed humanitarian aid is getting into Gaza through that floating pier built by the U.S. military. Central Command says nearly 570 metric tons of supplies have been delivered so far. Donors include the U.K., the UAE and the European Union.

And in the U.S. today, an outbreak of severe thunderstorms is possible for the Midwest region. That includes the potential for strong tornadoes throughout the day. In total, more than 65 million people are under some sort of severe storm threat.

Well, as that funeral gets underway for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, tributes to him are pouring in from Iran and around the world. The iconic Azadi Tower in the capital Tehran was lit up on Monday with Raisi's image and the Iranian flag.

Raisi died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, along with the country's foreign minister and other high-ranking officials.

This was the scene in the central city of Kerman in Iran, of course, where mourners lit candles and they laid flowers. People in Kazan, Russia also paid homage to Raisi outside the Iranian consulate. Iran is believed to be supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine.

The scenes were similar in Baghdad, Iraq, where people gathered outside the Iranian embassy to remember the late leader. They held pictures of him and they lit candles.

Well, CNN's Fred Pleitgen walks us through the events of the crash now. What it means for a country that's already deeply divided?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is helicopter parts are here.

[04:35:00]

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Iran's presidential helicopter completely destroyed after crashing into a mountain in the remote north of the country. Dense fog, frigid conditions making the recovery effort even harder.

President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir- Abdollahian and seven others were killed in the crash. Rescuers having to carry the bodies away through the rugged terrain.

A CNN Turk journalist showing how challenging the conditions are.

FULYA OZTURK, CNN TURK CORRESPONDENT (through translator): This place is a very difficult terrain with dense trees, deep valleys, and steep mountains. We can say that this is the most challenging terrain of Iran.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Raisi inaugurated a dam with the president of Azerbaijan and was traveling to nearby Tabriz. The chopper, a decades- old American-made Bell 212, a model developed for the Canadian military in the 1960s. The chopper crashed in poor visibility. Iran, under heavy sanctions, has been unable to acquire more modern helicopters.

President Ebrahim Raisi was rumored to be a possible successor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 84 years old. As the chopper went missing, the Supreme Leader taking the reins, chairing a meeting of Iran's Security Council and vowing the country's government will continue to work.

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER (through translation): Be assured that there will be no disruption in the country's affairs.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Black flags have been hoisted across Iran as the country's leadership has ordered five days of mourning, canceling most public events. Also deeply mourning the country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was instrumental in the past months as Iran and Israel came to the brink of full-on war and traded missile strikes.

Amir-Abdollahian also challenging the U.S. in a recent interview on CNN's "OUTFRONT WITH ERIN BURNETT."

HOSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translation): I do think that America must pay closer attention and focus on the adventure-seeking regime in Israel so that such a crisis will not happen in Gaza because Netanyahu showed he will not respect any of the red lines.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Tehran has launched an investigation into the crash that killed two key figures of the Islamic Republic's leadership, while vowing that the nation will carry on.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin. (END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Anna Coren joins us now. Because, you know, that's one side of it. Isn't it? That the story comes from the regime, but, you know, this isn't one cohesive society but a but diaspora and there a lot of people celebrating today.

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of people celebrating hoping, Max, that this will be a change in the direction for Iran. Whether it will be the diaspora or the very disgruntled unhappy people in Iran, they are hoping for change. But the big unknown, of course, is who will replace Ebrahim Raisi. The 63-year-old divisive hardliner known as the butcher of Tehran for his role in the extrajudicial killing of thousands of political prisoners back in 1988. You know, as president, as Fred was saying, he was seen as being groomed for the top job of supreme leader, and he was very loyal to the Ayatollah.

Those succession plans are now in flux. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he is 85 years old. He is, of course, the ultimate decision maker.

But in recent years, he has struggled with illness. In 2022, it was reported he had to cancel all public appearances and was gravely ill, that he had to have surgery for bowel obstruction. So whoever they put in as president, and remember, elections in Iran are rigged and engineered. That person will need to be ready to take over as a future supreme leader.

And as I say, you know, hopes that there will be a change, you know, a correcting course, I think is wishful thinking. Reformists were shut out of elections for the presidency in 2021. And then again, for the parliamentary elections earlier this year, they had the lowest voter turnout in the republic's history.

Raisi was a hardliner. The next president will be too.

Now, the Supreme Leader's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, he is seen as a possibility. He's a cleric. He works very much behind the scenes. But he's also seen as close to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which are, of course, the driving force behind Iran's nuclear program for almost 40 years. However, that dynastic succession would be seen perhaps as an indulgence of pre-revolution, Persian monarchs and Arab presidents. So that may not fly with the regime.

[04:40:00]

Another hardline cleric of stature and close ties to the security services is Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami. He's a member of the Assembly of Experts, who we believe is tasked in selecting the next supreme leader.

The vice president, the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, who we've heard from, he's been appointed as the acting president. We know he's close to the supreme leader and perhaps he is also a contender. But really, it is a guessing game at this moment.

This is a closed and very isolated regime. Under the Constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days of the president's death. So the date has been decided. That will be 28th of June.

I guess in the coming weeks, Max, we will get a better idea of who the Supreme Leader and the regime will back for president.

FOSTER: OK, Anna, thank you.

London's High Court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal his exposition to the U.S. He's been wanted by U.S. authorities for more than a decade on espionage charges for publishing classified documents exposing alleged U.S. war crimes.

CNN's Clare Sebastian has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was a big reaction from the crowd here outside London's Royal Courts of Justice when Julian Assange was given the right to a full appeal against U.S. extradition. His legal team successfully argued that as a foreign citizen, he may not be given the full rights to use the First Amendment in a U.S. trial despite U.S. assurances. Now, this means that his battle in the U.K. courts continues. And as of now, he remains in Belmarsh High Security Prison in London. So for his wife and for his team, this means a partial victory.

STELLA ASSANGE, JULIAN ASSANGE'S WIFE: As a family, we're relieved. But how long can this go on? This case is shameful. And it is taking an enormous toll on Julian.

KRISTIN HRAFNSSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WIKILEAKS: It's a victory in the battle. Yes. And a recognition that Julian faces serious discrimination in the U.K. -- U.S. court system if he's extradited.

So it should be an open and shut case in the formal process of the appeal to actually stop the extradition. But why wait for that? The signal is clear to Joe Biden and his administration. Don't prolong this. It's just going to get worse and worse for you. Drop the case.

SEBASTIAN: Many of the flags outside court here read, let him go, Joe, a reference to comments just a few weeks ago from President Joe Biden saying that he was considering a request from Australia, Assange's home country, to drop the case entirely.

So the ruling today, the fact that he can now appeal again in the U.K. has offered new hope to his supporters. But there is also a hope that the political climate around this case may be shifting.

Clare Sebastian CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: The U.S. says it's, quote, extremely concerned after reports emerged that American citizens were involved in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A military spokesperson tells CNN the armed men targeted the country's presidential palace and the homes of top officials on Sunday. The DRC says the attempted coup was led by opposition leader Christian Malanga, who was killed in a shootout.

The spokesman claims that Malanga was a U.S. citizen, but the U.S. State Department says it has no record of him. The DRC says three other Americans were also involved in the plot. U.S. officials say they will cooperate with DRC authorities and hold accountable any U.S. citizen involved in criminal acts.

Now, the cargo ship that slammed into a Baltimore bridge in March has been moved from the crash site back to the port. Officials say this will allow commercial vessels to enter and exit the port of Baltimore and restore waterway commerce in that area. Federal authorities are still investigating why the cargo ship lost power, veered off and smashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge, killing six construction workers.

There's danger brewing beneath a densely populated Italian city, and experts say a super-volcano could be waking up after -- well, for the first time, really, in more than 500 years. On Monday, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck a volcanic area near Naples. Volcanologists say it's part of an ongoing seismic storm that's seen more than dozens of events in just a few days.

The last major eruption of the super-volcano, called Campi Flegrei, was in 1538. Now, Monday's quake caused mild damage. More than half a million people live in what's called the red zone. That's the area at highest risk if there is indeed an eruption.

[04:45:00]

Now, one Japanese landmark has become a little less friendly towards people taking selfies. Officials ordered a 65-foot or 20-metre barrier to obstruct the view of Mount Fuji from a grocery store parking lot near its base.

The spot has been popular amongst photo-seeking tourists, but traffic, littering and lack of parking have really been a nuisance for locals. The area is one of many locations across Japan taking action to deal with the surge in international visitors.

Still ahead this hour, no plea deal. An attorney for golfer Scotty Scheffler talks about the assault case against his client.

Plus, how China is reacting to Taiwan's new president as he takes on Beijing in a defiant inauguration speech.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Taiwan's new president called on China to stop intimidating the island during his inauguration speech on Monday. He said China needs to face the reality of Taiwan's existence. And joining us now is CNN's Will Ripley in Taipei.

I can imagine how this is going on, how this is going down in China. WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, predictably, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, Max, is slamming President Lai Chang- te's speech saying that it sends dangerous signals of seeking independence and provocation. Of course, President Lai himself sparked controversy in Beijing a number of years back when he talked about being a practical worker for Taiwan independence, which absolutely put him on the blacklist from the Beijing perspective.

Not to mention his Taiwan Vice President, Hsiao Bi-khim, served as Taiwan's top envoy to the U.S. up until the election. So now you have these two people running this self-ruled democracy who've been elected by the majority of voters here who Beijing absolutely despises.

And the question, as China says it will never tolerate or condone any form of Taiwan independence, even though these candidates have softened their language and are trying to maintain the status quo.

Will Beijing accept their government? And how will Beijing respond?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (voice-over): Taiwan begins a new era with a new leader, Lai Chang-te.

The island democracy's 64-year-old president steps into a political minefield. China's communist leaders loathe Lai and his government.

RIPLEY: How's Beijing likely to respond?

WEN-TI SUNG, FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S GLOBAL CHINA HUB: Beijing is likely to play a hard ball towards Taiwan, more military exercises from Beijing, likely targeted economic sanctions against Taiwanese economic exports to China.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Just hours into his presidency, Lai called on the communist mainland to stop its military and political intimidation and recognize the sovereignty of democratic Taiwan, using the island's official name, the Republic of China.

LAI CHING-TE, PRESIDENT OF TAIWAN (through translator): I hope that China will face the reality of the Republic of China's existence and respect the choices of the people of Taiwan.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Lai faces rising tensions at home and across the Taiwan Strait.

[04:50:02]

RIPLEY: This is the first time in the history of Taiwan's democracy that any political party has won a third consecutive presidential term, but the next four years could be even more challenging for the new president.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Challenges like chaos in a fiercely divided parliament. A brawl broke out last week over legislative reforms to give more power to Lai's political opponents, champions of more China- friendly policies.

SUNG: The opportunity, however, is that there's always a possibility for the ruling party and the opposition party of Taiwan to kind of play good cop, bad cop towards Beijing.

RIPLEY (voice-over): At a closed-door briefing in Taipei, a senior official telling CNN Taiwan's new president is bracing for a turbulent tenure. Taiwan is spending billions to bolster its military defense, forging friendships with like-minded democracies, despite a dwindling number of formal diplomatic allies. One of many huge hurdles facing President Lai Ching-te as democratic Taiwan prepares for an uncertain future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (on camera): Over the past eight years under Lai's predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan lost a total of 10 formal allies at the U.N., vital voices to speak on behalf of this island. They only have 12 tiny allies remaining, but they do have a large number of friends, powerful democracies like the United States.

But in a closed-door briefing here in Taipei attended by CNN, Max, Taiwanese officials did acknowledge that the upcoming U.S. election and uncertainties about the political climate, the arguments in the U.S. about involvement by America in overseas affairs, that could potentially throw a wrench into things and create new challenges for this new president of Taiwan.

FOSTER: Will Ripley in Taipei, really appreciate that. Thank you so much.

Now, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says military aid from the U.S. and other allies is arriving but a year late. His comments come as Ukraine faces a new wave of Russian attacks, which are most intense in the country's northern border. Mr. Zelenskyy suggested that allies could help by shooting down Russian missiles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Russians are using 300 planes on the territory of Ukraine. We need at least 120, 130 planes to resist, to fight back in the sky.

You can't provide that right now? OK, so we're going back to air defense. You can't provide that either? S-16, you cannot provide yet. So we are returning to the planes that you have on the territory of neighboring NATO countries. Raise them up. They are there. Use them. Shoot down targets, protect civilians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Ukraine says it has managed to stall Russian advances in the Kharkiv region. Russia has been targeting the embattled town of Vovchansk. But Ukrainian officials say their forces now control about 60 percent of the town, adding that the situation in that region has stabilized. Open AI facing a backlash, accused of ripping off the voice of one of Hollywood's biggest stars. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: An attorney for world number one golfer Scotty Scheffler says his client has no intention of taking a plea deal.

[04:55:00]

Scheffler is accused of felony assault on a police officer and several less serious charges including reckless driving after an altercation in Louisville, Kentucky last week.

His attorney says Scheffler didn't do anything wrong. He wants the case dismissed but he's also prepared to litigate if necessary. The district judge in the case granted a defense motion to postpone Scheffler's arraignment until June the 3rd.

Now to the WNBA where the Indiana Fever have yet to win a game. That's despite another solid effort from Caitlin Clark. The number one draft pick scored 17 points against the Connecticut Sun on Monday night. Clark and the Fever traveled to the west coast on Wednesday for a matchup with the Seattle Storm.

Now life imitated art a bit too closely with OpenAI's latest artificial intelligence tool. The company announced on Monday it would pause its use of ChatGPT's AI voice. That voice has prompted comparisons to the fictional voice assistant played by Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film "Her."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good Morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good Morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have a meeting in five minutes. You want to try getting out of bed?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you're too funny.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get good and funny.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to learn everything about everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Johansson says she declined an offer from the company last year to let them use her voice. The organization denies using her voice for its AI tool. The actress says OpenAI agreed to remove the voice after she hired legal counsel.

In a statement, the actress talked about her disappointment in the organization's CEO, Sam Altman. She said: When I heard the release demo, I was shocked, angered and in

disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine.

Now a new 50 pence coin has been released by the British Royal Mint commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The silver coin depicts Allied soldiers disembarking a landing craft onto the beaches of Normandy. The code names given to beaches where the troops landed are inscribed around the image. The director of the project says it's a reminder of everything that was sacrificed by the soldiers for the U.K.

And finally, the canine community was making waves in northern Spain this weekend. Dozens of furry surfers hit the beach with their owners for the third annual dog surfing competition. A chocolate lab was crowned the winner of the competition. Organizers of the event say the goal is to promote dog adoptions by showcasing fun ways to bond with your pup.

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

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