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U.N. Warns of Growing Risk of Genocide in Sudan; Ethnic Cleansing, Crimes Against Humanity in Darfur; Kenyan Officials Arrive in Port-au-Prince Ahead of Security Mission; in Japan, Officials Ordered a 20-meter Barrier to Obstruct the View of Mount Fuji From a Grocery Store Parking Lot Near Its Base; Caitlin Clark Inks Signature Ball Deal. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 22, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:22]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming on CNN Max. I'm Paula Newton.

Just ahead, Iran says farewell to its late president as new details emerge about the helicopter crash that killed Ebrahim Raisi and eight others.

The U.N. warns that Israel was making it impossible to deliver aid to civilians in Gaza as Benjamin Netanyahu levels new criticism against calls for his arrest.

And a terrifying incident midflight leaves one person dead and dozens more injured. What we're learning about the severe turbulence aboard a Singapore Airlines flight.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: And we do begin in Iran and you are looking at live pictures out of Tehran where huge crowds have gathered to pay their final respects to late president Ebrahim Raisi.

Now, the prayer ceremony is part of a day's long funeral event, the country's foreign minister and seven others killed in a helicopter crash this weekend are also being honored.

Just moments ago, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be seen leading the prayers. Iran announced offices will be closed for a public holiday observed for the day of mourning. Iranians also gathered in the Grand Mosalla Mosque on Tuesday to honor the late president after his body was flown into Tehran.

The Capitol is just the latest stop in funeral ceremonies that begin to -- began Tuesday in the Northwest city of Tabriz, they will conclude on Thursday night in the city of Mashhad where Raisi is set to be buried. CNN'S Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen joins us now live from Tehran and riveting pictures there, Fred. Just give us your impression, set the scene for us as we see you're amongst mourners now in Tehran.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, we are definitely among this massive crowd. As you can see, it's seriously swollen since we spoke last time. Right now I would say that thousands of people are literally going past us. This is the actual funeral procession, Paula.

So, very soon we do expect that the caskets with the President Ebrahim Raisi, the foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and the others who perished in that helicopter crash will be brought past here as well.

And as you can see, very large crowd has turned out. You can also see that many people in the crowd are holding placards or holding posters, a lot of them have been printed, you can see one here showing Ebrahim Raisi. That's definitely a sign that we see a lot here in Tehran right now.

In fact, the entire city is full of signs like this one, you can see that the crowd is obviously very loud as it's sort of moving in that direction to a place called Azadi Square, where the procession will then end. It's about five kilometers from here.

But the key thing here is, Paula, this is a very public show of mourning, and certainly one that the government definitely has encouraged very much here in Iran. They've called for people to come out here.

And as you've mentioned, this is one string of events, laying those who killed -- were killed in that helicopter crash to rest.

Obviously, today, we're in Tehran, and then tomorrow, we will be in Mashhad seeing something very similar as well.

And as you can see right now, many, many people have turned out here to pay their final respects, as well as the supreme leader, as you mentioned, leading that final prayer, which is actually inside Tehran University, to then begin the procession -- funeral procession that's going to pass by our location very soon as once again, you can hear those chants erupting here in the crowd, many of them, of course, in support and showing their condolences for those who were killed in that helicopter crash, Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, incredible pictures and in the outpouring behind you, considering it's really been less than three days since its incident even happened. And according to the president's chief of staff, who was in another helicopter accompanying the president. Really, they're chilling details, Fred, that we've learned the fact that one of the passengers in the helicopter was alive for three hours and using the pilot's phone and broke the news that everyone around him had died.

You know, I wonder since you've arrived there, what have you heard from people about what they know about this incident? And if they still have more questions?

PLEITGEN: I think a lot of people still do have more questions. And quite frankly, I also think that the authorities here have more questions as well.

I also saw that interview that the chief of staff of Ebrahim Raisi -- a former two staff (ph) of Ebrahim Raisi again to Iranian public television where he did say that apparently it was the president's chopper that when they got into cloud cover, and the visibility became very poor, that told the other two helicopters that were in that convoy of choppers to go and try to get to a higher altitude to get away from that cloud cover.

[02:05:12]

And then when the two supporting helicopters were up, they realized that the president's helicopter was gone.

So, there certainly are still questions. As you know, there's also an investigation that has been launched here by the Iranians. When you speak to people here on the streets, they say, all they know so far is what the authorities have put out that the chopper crashed, that apparently, there was poor weather.

But of course, right now, no one here knows whether or not there might have been some sort of technical malfunction, or something else that was in play.

Nevertheless, it is a very key issue, though, Paula, because I do think that many people that you speak to here in the crowd, but also among people who are in the power structure, they do once again blame the U.S. and its allies, at least in part for this crash happened.

You had, for instance, Javad Zarif, the former foreign minister of Iran, who came out and he said that he believed that the sanctions were in part responsible for it because of course, this was a very old U.S. built, Canadian built chopper, and the Iranians have had serious problems getting their hands on spare parts for such choppers, because of some of those sanctions. So, that is definitely one of the things.

And we are hearing that, we're seeing that here in the crowd as well. We keep seeing the crowd erupt into chants of death to America, death to Israel. So, there is that political element among all of us as well, Paula.

And yet, you know, the point is they allowed both their foreign minister and their president in the same helicopter and given the importance of having these VIPs travel safely. They were still in that -- in that helicopter.

Fred, I want to ask you in terms of what we're seeing on the ground there and the succession planning, right. How nervous do you believe people are about what happens next, despite the fact that the Ayatollah made it clear, look, he does not see any disruption and is guaranteeing that there won't be any? PLEITGEN: Yes, I think that's key. I think that's one of the things that a lot of people here that we're speaking to here on the ground, but in general are talking about is that they do want that continuity, they don't want any sort of disruption in government services. That's definitely something that's very important. I think we've heard that from the Supreme Leader.

And I thought it was quite key, actually, that's the supreme leader in the hours when it was unclear what happened to the helicopter, he actually chaired a meeting of Iran's national Security Council himself. And that's where he first put out that mantra saying that there will be no disruption in government services, everything will continue.

At the same time, it is also key that right now they are already moving towards a succession plan, where they are saying that, of course, Ebrahim Raisi was a key figure as the president, Hossein Amir- Abdollahian no less a key figure, of course, very much responsible for this country's foreign policy over the past -- really almost a decade that I've been following his work.

However, at the same time, they have already called for new elections in about 50 days from now on June 28th. So, they certainly want to move forward with this fairly quickly. But at the same time, of course, right now, the stage is being set for who the next president might be. It's unclear who that could be. There are a couple of names out there, one of them, for instance, the speaker of parliament, but a couple of others, as well.

So, the big question for a lot of the folks that you're seeing here on the ground here, and you can see actually a chopper of almost the same make (ph) as the one that the president crashed, right now hovering above us.

The big question is here, which direction is the policies or the politics of this country going to go into? Is it going to remain fairly conservative in our line as Ebrahim Raisi was and his government was or could move towards a more moderate direction, depending on who might become the next president, Paula.

NEWTON: Fred, we will continue to stay in touch with you in the coming hours. An extraordinary view you're giving us of mourners and as you say, the procession will likely move right behind you in the coming hours. Fred Pleitgen for us in Tehran, really appreciate it.

The U.N. warns that Israel's military operations in North South and Central Gaza are making it impossible to deliver aid to desperate civilians. One senior official says the situation in the Enclave is worse than "hell on earth." UNRWA says its distribution center and the World Food Programme warehouse in Rafah are low on supplies and inaccessible forcing the agency to suspend food distribution in the southern city.

Meantime, the U.N. says the Karem Shalom Crossing from Israel is technically open but moving aid into Gaza is extremely difficult because of hostilities and logistical challenges. U.S. says 569 metric tons of humanitarian aid has reached Gaza across

its new floating pier. But one U.N. official says security issues and convoy raids have kept the aid from being distributed to the people who need it. The Pentagon acknowledges the issue.

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BRIG. GEN. PAT RYDER, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: The causeway has been able to get over 569 metric tons of aid into Gaza for onward delivery. So, yes, very shortly I think you'll see aid starting to be delivered.

[02:10:04]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But none of that has been delivered, right? As of today.

RYDER: As of today, I do not believe so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is once again lashing out at the pursuits of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him and his defense minister.

Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday, he said claims of war crimes are based on a pack of lies. He denied allegations that he is starving civilians in Gaza as a method of war and insisted that Israel has been allowing food and medical aid to enter the Enclave.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I think these charges are exactly as President Biden called them. They're outrageous. They're beyond outrageous.

This is a rogue prosecutor that has put false charges and created false symmetries that are -- that are both dangerous and false. And the first false symmetry is, he equates the democratically elected leaders of Israel with the terrorist tyrants of Hamas.

That's like saying that, well, I'm issuing the arrest warrants for FDR and Churchill, but also for Hitler, or I'm issuing arrest warrants for George Bush, George W. Bush, but also for bin Laden. That's absurd.

Secondly, the charges are completely false. Let's take this charge of starvation. We have put in 500,000 tons of trucks, of food and medicine for this population. We have taken 20,000 trucks. We have paved roads to put those trucks in. We have opened border crossings that Hamas closed down. I have had airdrops that have facilitated, sea route supplies.

I mean, the whole thing is absurd.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: We should note, though, it's not just the ICC expressing concerns about the lack of humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. President Biden and his administration and their officials, not to mention European allies of Israel and their officials, they have all been making this case for months that Israel is not letting enough aid in.

So, when President Biden expresses concern about you not letting enough aid in, is he wrong?

NETANYAHU: Well, no, we have the same concerns. We were trying to get the aid in. We got the aid in, and Hamas was looting the aid. That's what was happening. They were taking it for themselves or extorting the population. We were letting the aid in from the start.

And, look, I have been -- this was my directive from day one. The day one thing was, we have to provide -- we comport with international law. We comport with the rules of war. We have to get those trucks in. We're getting hundreds of trucks every day in.

And that's been an aspect of our conducting -- conduct of war, because we try to get civilians out of harm's way. We have done things that no country, no army has done in history. It's not me saying that. It's General Petraeus saying that. The head of the urban warfare at West Point, Colonel John Spencer, says it.

Israel's gone out of its way, both in humanitarian aid and getting civilians out of harm's way with millions of text messages, millions of phone calls, and leaflets that we have been dropping, giving up the element of surprise. Israel is given here a bum rap. It's a -- I think it's dangerous, because, basically, it's the first democracy that is being taken to the dock when it is doing exactly what democracy should be doing in an exemplary way.

I think it will endanger all other democracies. Israel may be first. You're next. Britain is next. Others are next too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Mr. Netanyahu also laid out his plans for Gaza once the war's over, saying Israel has no intention of resettling the Enclave and his goal is to defeat Hamas.

Now, its resources familiar with the latest round of Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations tells CNN that the reason the deal failed is because Egypt changed the terms last minute.

The ceasefire agreement that Hamas announced on May 6th, that was not what Israel had agreed to. And it was not what a Qatari or American negotiators believed had been submitted to Hamas for review.

One source tells CNN, an Egyptian official took the framework that Israel had tacitly agreed to and inserted more Hamas demands without Israel or any other mediators knowing.

The altered framework that Hamas agreed to included a permanent ceasefire. Israel has been averse to discussing an end to the war before Hamas has been defeated and the remaining hostages in Gaza are freed.

Now, sources tells CNN the Egyptian changes to the framework enraged the top U.S. negotiator, and the deal faltered quickly after that.

Now, in a sharp reversal, Israel says it will return a camera and broadcast equipment belonging to the Associated Press. Now, it seized the gear on Tuesday and shut down the agency's live feed showing Gaza. The move comes following swift backlash from U.S. officials including the White House and press groups.

Israel says A.P.'s feed was stopped in the equipment confiscated because the agency was providing Al Jazeera with content which is banned by Israel. The Associated Press has condemned Israel's actions in the strongest terms.

[02:15:03]

Still ahead, a terrifying moment onboard a flight from London to Singapore, extreme turbulence at 37,000 feet. One passenger says, all hell broke loose.

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NEWTON: An investigation is underway after extreme turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines flight leaving one passenger dead and more than 70 others injured. The flight from London to Singapore was diverted to Bangkok due to the medical emergency on board.

Data from Flightradar 24 shows the Boeing plane rapidly dropping and climbing multiple times within 90 seconds. The injured were taken to hospital and the deceased has now been identified as a 73-year-old British man.

One passenger described the moment when the turbulence hit.

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DZAFRAN AZMIR, PASSENGER ON FLIGHT SQ321: Seatbelt signs were off. There were a lot of -- there were people within the lavatories and the crew that were working. Anybody who were standing especially the people within the laboratories and -- were the most injured from what I've seen, but I saw people from across the aisle just like going completely horizontal, hitting the ceiling and landing back down and like really awkward positions. People like getting massive gashes in their head, concussions.

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NEWTON: CNN's Anna Coren is following developments and joins us now from Hong Kong. And Anna, obviously, listening to him it is just terrifying. And this is not what we would think is an isolated incident because so many of us can put ourselves, you know, in the shoes of these passengers. What were you learning about the investigation?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that's what's so terrifying, right, Paula? We all get on planes and we all expect to get safely to our destinations.

But yesterday, SQ321 hit this turbulence in the afternoon, it was flying over the Irrawaddy basin over Myanmar on route from London to Singapore, it was 10 hours into the flight and only had a few more hours to go.

And there were storms in the area, but the passengers who have spoken said that there was no warning. In the lead up that the seatbelt sign wasn't on. Meal service was underway, people were up walking around the cabin using the bathrooms and suddenly the plane began shaking, it tilted and then violently dropped.

And that's you know, when people began flying through the cabin, hitting the roof, everything loose in that cabin became a projectile.

And we're looking at these images of the aftermath, you know, paneling from the ceiling has come off. Obviously the oxygen masks you know, there is just debris littering everywhere.

And there were photos or I should say there are photos circulating of cabin crew with bloody faces. You mentioned the British man, the man who died on board, 73-year-old Geoffrey Kitchen from the U.K. We understand that he had had a heart condition, an autopsy is underway to determine the cause of death but his wife was also on the plane and she was among that the 71 people who were injured, six are in a critical condition and we are waiting, Paula, for an update from the hospital there in Bangkok .

[02:20:31]

The plane had to make an emergency landing about an hour and a half, just less after the -- it hit the turbulence and then later a relief plane for those passengers who wanted to go on to Singapore which was of course their final destination. 143 passengers and crew then flew to Singapore while the remainder stayed in Bangkok for medical treatment.

Now earlier today, the Singapore Airlines CEO, he released a video message on social media offering his sincere condolences and assuring everyone that an investigation is underway.

We have to remember, Singapore Airlines it's one of the best and safest airlines in the world. Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, they too have launched an investigation as have the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Remembering this is a Boeing 777, so because of that, the U.S. is involved. As I mentioned there were storms in the area. Experts believe that the flight, you know, could have been affected by clear air turbulence. Now this is something that we're hearing from experts and from pilots is very difficult to detect, Paula.

NEWTON: Anna, what can you tell us about something that many of us will not find comforting and the fact that climate change may be having an effect on this kind of turbulence? COREN: Yes, it's becoming a huge problem. And more so moving forward. But research has shown that turbulence is rising because of climate change. And it's the elevated carbon dioxide emissions specifically that are affecting air currents.

There was a study in 2022 that predicts that clear air turbulence which they think is the perhaps the reason why the Singapore Airlines Flight, you know, hit this -- had this, you know, fatal incident, that it will in fact increase significantly around the globe in the coming decades along the busiest flight routes, and the strongest type of turbulence will increase the most. Let's now have a listen to CNN's Aviation Analyst Miles O'Brien.

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MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: It's becoming more common, and there appears to be a climate change length. As the planet warms, it warms in an uneven manner, both north and south and also at altitudes.

And what that creates is, among these rivers of air we call jet streams. It creates what's called wind shear, which means sudden changes in the direction of wind at any given altitude. And this is where the real clear air turbulence problems happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: It's alarming, Paula, because, you know, we could be seeing more of these incidents happening, you know, midair, these bumpier flights and injuries happening to passengers and crew.

NEWTON: Yes, a lot of information in your report. Anna, thanks so much. And again, a reminder to everyone, buckle up as much as you can on those flights. Anna Coren for us in Hong Kong, thanks. Thanks so much.

Now, threatened howler monkeys have been dropping dead from trees in Mexico south eastern tropical forests in recent weeks. A nationwide drought and heatwave as temperatures soaring across much of the country.

One environmental group says at least 83 monkeys have now died since May 5th. Authorities in the state of Tabasco say the deaths were caused by dehydration. Volunteers are providing water and food to help keep those animals alive.

Temperatures there forecast to surpass 45 degrees Celsius this week. Some officials have been sprinkling a lime on the bodies of the dead primates. Mexico's president has pledged to support -- some support to those who are helping the monkeys.

Newly released documents revealed a federal judge found "strong evidence Donald Trump intended to hide classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort months before he was ever charged."

The judge wrote there was no explanation provided for how the former U.S. president could miss the classified -- the documents marked classified. There were actually found in his own bedroom.

The judge also cited the discovery of additional materials months after the FBI searched the property. His assessment was among hundreds of pages previously sealed filings that were made public Tuesday.

They include photos of alleged coconspirator Walt Nauta, moving the documents around Mar-a-Lago. The case against Nauta and Trump has been indefinitely postponed by the judge who was appointed by Trump.

[02:25:08]

The defense has rested its case against Trump's first criminal trial with closing arguments now set for next Tuesday. The former U.S. president is facing 35 counts -- pardon me, 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

CNN's Kara Scannell reports on the final day of testimony and the key moments leading up to it.

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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The defense rested their case on Tuesday without Former President Donald Trump taking the stand in his historic hush money trial.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, I'm finished. Being there almost five weeks in court.

SCANNELL (voice-over): On Monday, the prosecution rested its case, having called 20 witnesses over 19 days, totaling over 50 hours of testimony.

Meanwhile, Trump's team called just two witnesses with about two hours of testimony. The majority of that time came from former adviser to Trump's ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, Robert Costello.

The defense hoped to use Costello to attack Cohen's credibility, but Costello ended up angering the judge on Monday, leading the judge to clear the courtroom to address his decorum.

TRUMP: I have a phenomenal case, one case by any standard.

SCANNELL (voice-over): Prosecutors began their case approximately one month ago by questioning former National Inquirer publisher David Pecker. Pecker laid out the catch and kill scheme at the crux of the prosecution's case. Prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to block her story of an alleged affair with Trump from becoming public to influence the 2016 election.

Trump denies the affair.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Was it hush money to stay silent?

STORMY DANIELS, FORMER ADULT FILM ACTRESS: Yes. The story was coming out again.

SCANNELL (voice-over): All eyes were on Daniels when she took the stand. Prosecutors sought to bolster her testimony by having Daniels recall specific details of her alleged sexual encounter with Trump and the events surrounding it.

The prosecution's final and star witness was Michael Cohen, the only one who can directly link Trump to the alleged crimes.

MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: I just want to get through this so that I can start my own life again.

SCANNELL (voice-over): Cohen walked the jury through Trump's involvement, recounting conversations with Trump when he directed Cohen to pay off Daniels before the 2016 election, as well as the 11 checks, including ones Trump personally signed to reimburse Cohen for the funds that he paid to Daniels out of his pocket.

COHEN: And he says to me something to the effect of, don't worry, Michael, your January and February reimbursement checks are coming.

SCANNELL (voice-over): Cohen testified the check stubs were false because they said the payments were made for a retainer agreement. During intense cross-examination, Trump's team's main objective was to undercut Cohen's credibility, aiming to paint him as a vengeful liar who hates Trump.

TRUMP: Michael Cohen is a convicted liar, and he's got no credibility whatsoever.

SCANNELL (voice-over): Trump attorney Todd Blanche got Cohen to admit he stole from the Trump organization. In one of the most dramatic moments in the trial, Cohen was pressed over his memory of a key phone conversation when Cohen said he told Trump, Daniels deal was getting resolved.

Kara Scannel, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Still ahead, the U.N. sounds the alarm over the threat of genocide in Sudan where an ongoing civil war is fueling a growing humanitarian crisis.

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[02:31:12]

NEWTON: The U.N. Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide is warning about the growing crisis in Sudan. Appearing before the Security Council on Tuesday, she said the risk of genocide in that country, Israel (ph), the bloody conflict between Sudan's military and rebel militias has resulted in severe ethnic violence, particularly in the Darfur region.

Now, the U.N. estimates more than 12,000 people were killed between April and December of last year. But they do believe that might be an underestimate of people who have lost their lives, millions more, in fact, have now been displaced and that includes many have fled to neighboring countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICE WAIRIMU NDERITU, U.N. SPECIAL ADVISER ON THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE: Genocide does not happen overnight. Genocide is part of a process that is well-planned, prepared, and followed through. Desecration (ph), today, bears all the marks of risk of genocide. We have strong allegations that this crime has already been committed. Civilians are far from protected. Civilian populations are targeted on the basis of identity. In Darfur and Al Fashir, civilians have been attacked and killed because of the color of their skin, because of their ethnicity, because of who they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Akshaya Kumar is the Director of Crisis Advocacy at Human Rights Watch, and she joins us now from Philadelphia. I am really happy to have you on given the severity of the situation in Sudan at this hour. Now, the U.N. Special Adviser on Genocide just declared, "The protection of civilians in Sudan cannot wait. The risk of genocide exists in Sudan. It is real and it is growing every single day." In terms of your organization, what evidence have you seen of that?

AKSHAYA KUMAR, DIRECTOR OF CRISIS ADVOCACY, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Well, at Human Rights Watch, we have been following this situation in Sudan for decades now. Most recently, we published an in-depth report about an ethnic cleansing campaign conducted by the Rapid Support Forces and their allied Arab militias in West Darfur, Al Geneina, the town to be specific. And what we noticed and what I think many who observed the situation in Sudan have been warning now is that, that situation and Al Geneina is something that no one will be able to fix. It was a horrific atrocity crime that took place.

But what we do know is that there is a risk, a similar degree of carnage could happen now in another town to the north, called Al Fashir, and that is why all of us are mobilized really with all of the alarm bells ringing and you are hearing it from the Special Adviser on Genocide Prevention, really the person who is mandated is to watch out for this that the situation in Al Fashir is deeply concerning.

We have seen what the Rapid Support Forces can do when they go through a town, systematically looking for non-Arab, African, dark-skinned people. We have seen their use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, their attacks on hospitals. The way in which they targeted children and what we are trying to do is prevent that from happening one more time in one more town. Darfur has seen too much of this kind of violence.

NEWTON: It sincerely has. And the issue is the prevention and how difficult it is to prevent it. I mean, the violence that Human Rights Watch described is absolute we depraved. I mean, to quote your report, they piled up the children and shot them. They threw their bodies into the river. This is what you were getting from witnesses. What can happen in the next few weeks and months to try and prevent this from happening again in the same region?

KUMAR: Well, we are extremely concerned about Darfur in large part because for many years, the United Nations had a full-fledged peacekeeping mission there.

[02:35:00]

And even peacekeeping mission that existed in that same town where you read those testimonies of children being piled up, of people being shot as they tried to flee across the river, of women being raped, and that peacekeeping mission was forced out of the country. They were forced to draw down. The United Nations has a skeletal presence in Sudan now and there is extremely limited humanitarian aid operations and absolutely no real sense of a protective wedge for civilians.

So, those are the things that existed in the past that protected these communities. After the violence that many of the viewers might be familiar with from back in 2003, 2004, 2005, and without those security measures, without that active wedge, people are really at the mercy of these Rapid Support Forces and their soldiers, and that is what we are trying to stop.

NEWTON: Sudan remains the largest, arguably the largest displacement crisis anywhere in the world, right now. Famine stalks many parts of the region. I mean, we have been talking about a situation in Gaza. We are continually talking about the war in Ukraine, obviously, worthy conflicts that demand attention. But do you feel that at times, the crisis in Sudan is not getting the attention that it deserves?

KUMAR: We are trying our utmost at Human Rights Watch to bring Sudan to the spotlight. And so, I am incredibly grateful that CNN is covering this situation. But you're right, we are in a moment of really competing disasters and there is no hierarchy of harm or wrong here. But what I can say about the people of Sudan is you are right, far too many are starving.

In fact, just today, we got a report about over 100 people in a camp for internally displaced people, and that includes older people, pregnant women, children passing away, not from being attacked with that kinetic violence that we saw and that you've read, but also from the impacts of not having access to food, of having humanitarian aid cutoff, of having doctors not being able to work. And so, cumulatively, I think the people of Sudan are facing an incredibly grave situation and one that does deserve the world's attention. We were happy to see someone like Nick Kristof, who wrote about Darfur almost on a weekly basis, a couple of decades ago, returning now --

NEWTON: Yeah.

KUMAR: -- to this issue. But, far too few two people have their eyes on this situation in North Africa.

NEWTON: And Nicholas Kristof, of course, the opinion columnist for "The New York Times" is, as you say, has highlighted this and we wanted to highlight it as well because this is a critical time, especially in terms of the food security crisis there, many saying it will only get worse.

Akshaya Kumar, we will have to leave it there for now. We will continue to check in. Appreciate it.

KUMAR: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now, a number of troops are expected to arrive in Haiti in the day ahead as part of a multinational security mission led by Kenya. That's according to a law enforcement source there who spoke to CNN. Haiti's national police are battling deadly gangs that have seized control of much of the capital Port-au-Prince. The source says a delegation of Kenyan command staff arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, ahead of the U.N. approved mission. Meantime, officials say Port-au-Prince's international airport resumed passenger flights Monday. Gang violence forced authorities to close it in early March.

Coming up, she launches three-pointers and dominates that court. Now, breakout star Caitlin Clark is getting her own signature line of basketballs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:41:00]

NEWTON: So, one of Japan's most famous landmarks has just become a little less accommodating for people who want to take those selfies. Officials ordered a 20-meter barrier to obstruct the view of Mount Fuji from a grocery store parking lot near its base. Now, the spot has been popular among photo-seeking tourists, but traffic, litter, lack of parking have been just a nuisance for local officials. Now, the area is one of many locations across Japan taking action to try and deal with the surge in international visitors.

Basketball star Caitlin Clark has unlocked a new achievement. The WNBA player has inked a multiyear deal with Wilson Sporting Goods, the league's official basketball supplier, for a signature basketball collection. The company released its first set on Tuesday featuring gold-colored basketballs and a drawing of Clark and her signature. What a great pose there.

The company says Clark will test and advice on a range of basketball products. She will also direct her first-ever signature basketball line that is set to roll out this year. The endorsement deal is the first of its kind since the company created a collection for Michael Jordan back in the 1980s. The question is, will it help me make those three-pointers in the backyard?

I want to thank you for joining us. I'm Paula Newton. "World Sport" is next. Then, more "CNN Newsroom" at the top of the hour with Max Foster.

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