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CNN International: Gaza Health Ministry.: At Least 45 Killed in Israeli Strike on Rafah; Qatar: Israel's Rafah Strike Could "Hinder" Hostage Talks; Zelenskyy Meets Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez In Madrid. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired May 27, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MAX FOSTER, CNNINT HOST: -- we will have all the reactions and the repercussions this might have on the ceasefire negotiations. Then, whilst Russia continues to pound Ukraine with airstrikes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Spain to seek the country's military support. We'll discuss Europe's diplomacy efforts. Plus, millions of people in the United States face severe weather threats. At least 19 people killed across four states on Memorial Day weekend. We'll have a reality check from the ground.
Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 45 people have been killed in an Israeli strike in the southern city of Rafah. The ministry says more than 200 people were wounded. Video obtained by CNN shows tents on fire. The Israeli military says it was targeting a militant compound, and that two senior Hamas officials were killed. Egypt is condemning the strike, and aid groups are reiterating calls for an immediate ceasefire. Qatar says the strike could "hinder" hostage release and ceasefire negotiations, set to resume in Cairo tomorrow.
Nada is here with more, and you've been looking at the video.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have, and it is distressing. It is horrifying. A lot of the videos that we've been receiving from the ground are simply too graphic to show. We've seen, as you mentioned, tents on fire. We've seen charred bodies of civilians, including children being pulled from these makeshift shelters. And as you mentioned, Max, this was an area known to be housing thousands of civilians. The Tal al-Sultan neighborhood was filled with tents. This wasn't one of the areas in Rafah that had been -- that had received an evacuation order from the Israeli military. So, this should have been a safe zone for civilians.
Now, the Israeli military has said that it was targeting what it has described as a Hamas compound. They say they killed two Hamas officials. But, as we can see, this was an area that was densely populated with civilians. We've heard from the health ministry saying that there are simply no hospitals left in the area that can cope with the capacity needed to treat all those wounded. More than 240, according to the health ministry, have been wounded. And of course, this comes just days after the International Court of
Justice, the UN's top court, ruled and ordered the Israeli military not to go into Rafah. And of course, we have heard condemnation, criticism from some of Israel's closest allies, the Biden administration in particular. Joe Biden has told CNN that he couldn't support the Israeli military going into Rafah without a plan to protect civilians, that the U.S. would not provide arms for that sort of offensive.
But clearly, these warnings are not being heard by the Israeli military or the Israeli government. While we haven't seen a full-scale ground operation, there is an intensification, of course, the air strikes in Rafah, particularly in areas housing civilians.
FOSTER: And how could this play into the ceasefire talks, which are due to restart yet again?
BASHIR: Well, look, we've been hearing for some time now from officials within Hamas that any attempt to launch a full-scale ground offensive in Rafah would result in a total breakdown of those ceasefire negotiations. That is a huge point of concern. Now, we've heard from Qatari officials, of course, a key mediator in those ongoing negotiations, saying this could certainly hinder those efforts to establish some sort of truce agreement or hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.
We know, of course, that negotiations are at this stage set to reconvene in Cairo on Tuesday. Whether or not that goes ahead following last night's attack, remains to be seen. And of course, there is real concern that if this continues to intensify, particularly in Rafah where more than a million civilians are currently displaced and sheltering, that could prove to be a full breakdown in those ongoing talks and negotiations.
FOSTER: Nada, thank you.
Rescue and recovery efforts in Papua New Guinea are continuing at a very slow pace. Friday's landslide there buried as many as 2,000 people in a remote village. That's according to the government, which says the main highway leading to the area is blocked. The landslide happened in the middle of the night, whilst many people were sleeping.
CNN's Ivan Watson has the details.
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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It has taken days for authorities in Papua New Guinea to come to grips with the scale of the destruction from a deadly landslide. They now say that the death toll could have grown into the thousands.
WATSON (voice-over): An outpouring of grief in a village community, where the government says more than 2,000 residents could be trapped under deep rock. Many of the people in these highland villages buried as they slept when a massive landslide hit overnight Friday.
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Satellite pictures from before and after show the sheer size of the landslide. The rubble is so deep that few victims have been recovered.
EVID KAMBU, LANDSLIDE SURVIVOR (voice-over): I have 18 of my family members buried under the debris and the soil that I'm standing on, and a lot more family members in the village I cannot count. I am the landowner here. Thank you to all those who came to help us. But, I cannot retrieve the bodies. So, I'm standing here helplessly.
WATSON (voice-over): Yambali village in Enga province is an extremely remote part of Papua New Guinea. Help has been slow to arrive through mountainous terrain thick with jungle, the terrain unstable even for rescue workers. Without heavy lift equipment, desperate people have done what they can.
SERHAN AKTOPRAK, IOM CHIEF OF MISSION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: They are using -- digging sticks, spades, agricultural forks, and they are (inaudible).
WATSON (voice-over): A small amount of aid has arrived but the landslide has destroyed the main road into the village, and aid workers say violence between local tribes has made the journey even more dangerous. Over the weekend, eight people were killed, and houses and shops burned along the road to the disaster site.
JUSTINE MCMAHON, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, CARE INTERNATIONAL: An evacuation area has been established. Two emergency medical centers have also been established. And the defense force plans to bring in heavy equipment tomorrow.
WATSON (voice-over): Papua New Guinea has called for help as it comes to terms with the scale of the disaster. The United States and close neighbor, Australia, have offered support. But, in this stricken community, hope for rescue is dwindling with every passing hour.
WATSON: Part of what is so tragic is the timing of this disaster. The landslide took place at around three o'clock in the morning local time. That is when most of the members of these rural communities would have been at sleep in their homes. Back to you.
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FOSTER: Thanks, Ivan.
Russia continues to attack eastern Ukraine, approaching the country's second largest city Kharkiv. The death toll from a Russian strike on a crowded hardware store in Kharkiv on Saturday is now at least 16. But, that number could rise. Officials say nearly 200 people were inside the building when it was hit. This was heavy bombardment, killed nine people across three regions in Ukraine on Sunday and injured another 15.
The strikes come whilst the French President Macron -- President Emmanuel Macron makes a state visit to Berlin. It marks an opportunity to show unity between France and Germany, Europe's two major economic powers, at a time when the continent faces challenges from the war in Ukraine and the possible reelection of Donald Trump as U.S. President. Earlier, President Zelenskyy arrived in Madrid to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after previously canceling all upcoming international visits.
Joining me now, Melissa Bell, live in Paris for us. How would you encapsulate what happened over the weekend, Melissa, and what this trip to Spain means actually?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a reminder, of course, over the course that we can, if any were needed, Max, of this continued pressure that Russia is bringing to bear, not just on the frontlines that we've been looking at over the last couple of years, but this renewed frontline up in at Kharkiv for, above Ukraine's second city. That deadly blast, as you say, 16 dead at least. So, the death toll is likely to rise, including we're hearing from Ukrainian officials a 12-year-old girl who was killed in that strike on Saturday.
But, even as in those hellish initial hours after the strike, Ukrainians tried to recover whom they could from the rubble, more attacks on Sunday in the Kharkiv region, in Donetsk, and in Kherson. A reminder that Russia is keeping up that pressure on Ukrainian frontlines at some of which appear to be in difficulty. We've just been hearing from Moscow that they claim two more villages, one in the Donetsk region and one the Kharkiv region. Of course, this in the context of President Zelenskyy's visit to Madrid. He was greeted by King Felipe VI. He is to meet with Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister. That press conference hasn't yet gotten underway, Max.
But, what we expect President Zelenskyy to do is to repeat much of what he said in his Sunday night address, urging the West to keep up its weapons deliveries. He is in Spain after all to sign another bilateral treaty about further aid from Spain to Kyiv, but also against the backdrop of his urgent calls that the United States, the Chinese should take part in the peace summit he is holding in Switzerland next month, that he believes will allow the world to bring pressure to bear on Moscow, Max.
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FOSTER: And what about the -- this kind of big visit, very important for both Germany and France, and one of the big agendas surely will be Ukraine as well?
BELL: It will be. It is the first in 24 years. Last time, it was Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroder. He has been, President Macron, in Germany for this three-day state visit since yesterday. But, it is the speech he is about to make is interesting they will be keeping a close eye on, Max, because what is expected, the French President will say, speaking about the importance of the French and German alliance, the partnership. Remember, they were celebrating, marking in just two weeks' time, the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He is expected to speak about the importance of European unity, but also against the backdrop of the threats that are currently faced by Europe. We heard the French President speak last month in Sorbonne of the
fears, his fears that Europe is mortal, and that much of its survival in future will depend on the decisions that Europeans make. Now, in the context, as you say, of those divisions we've seen over Ukraine and the pressure that is being brought to bear specifically on most eastern parts of NATO and the European Union, that's likely to be at the heart of this speech, an important one for Emmanuel Macron as he tries to focus the minds, even as this war has dragged on. And we're now in its 27th month, the war in Ukraine, Max.
The divisions inside Europe about a number of questions, not just the manner and the speed with which weapons were brought to Ukraine, but also the question of how they might be used. Remember that we've been hearing from Jens Stoltenberg something quite remarkable these last few days that he believes it is time that Ukraine be given the permission by Western allies to use its weapons against Russian targets on Russian soil. That divides allies and Europeans specifically, Max.
FOSTER: Melissa Bell in Paris, thank you so much.
Right now, about 120 million people in the United States face a severe weather threat this Memorial Day. At least 19 people across four states were killed over the weekend, as powerful storms rolled through. This is all that remains at a strip of a -- strip mall in the town of Rogers, Arkansas, after a suspected tornado hit. A state of emergency remains in place after eight people were killed. And this is the damage left in Oklahoma, where two people were killed after storms leveled homes and left widespread damage. In Texas, seven people were killed, including two young children, after a possible tornado flipped 18 wheelers, brought down trees and powerlines as well.
Let's bring in Ed Lavandera, who is tracking the storm from Cooke County, Texas. You've covered these before. Haven't you? How does it compare?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's just simply devastating what we've seen here, north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area in North Texas. The National Weather Service here says that the tornado that ripped through this part of Texas was categorized as an EF-2, which means it was packing winds of 135 miles per hour. And this is the kind of devastation that is left behind when a storm like that rips through this neighborhood where people were scrambling to figure out a way to protect themselves.
As you mentioned here, Max, emergency officials say that in this area here, there were seven victims and all four of those were young children. In fact, a mother who was with her two children and a five- year-old and a two-year-old who were found away from their home, it was rescue teams on ATV (all-terrain vehicles) that found those young victims in this area. So, just a devastating scene. And making it worse, Max, all of this striking in in the darkness of night. So, no one really knew exactly what path and where the tornado was. But, they could feel the pressure dropping, residents told us, and just everything just starting to get destroyed. So, terrifying moments, and not far from where we are. You can see
this as a home. Just look at what the wind did here, piling these four trucks and cars together. The scenes around this entire area have just been devastating like this. And right now, people are simply just picking up the pieces using bulldozers to push everything into piles so that it can be hauled away. And this tornado was on the ground for some time, about a mile or so away from where we are. There was a convenience store where people were driving along in an interstate, piled into the place, into the convenience store because it was one of the few places they thought they could seek shelter. That store took a direct hit. There were more than 100 people inside that had to be rescued out of that debris as well.
And the storm continued, hitting a marina, overturning boats at a popular lake on this Memorial Day weekend. So, these are the scenes in this little sliver of North Texas that is just dealing with the devastating after effects of this a tornado that struck Saturday night, and they will be spending this Memorial Day holiday weekend cleaning up the pieces here, Max.
FOSTER: Yeah. Our thoughts with everyone there. Ed Lavandera in Texas, thank you.
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In many parts of the southern U.S., heat will make conditions miserable this Memorial holiday. South Texas is under an excessive heat warning, as is much of the Gulf Coast in Houston, for example. The heat index will hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The National Weather Service says nightfall won't bring much relief with temperatures still above 10 to 15 degrees above normal, all this on a holiday where most people spend time outside.
Meteorologist Derek Van Dam tracking all of this for us. And it's not over yet, Derek.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No. So, the heat that you're talking about in the state of Texas is really kind of the outer boundary of where the severe storms have been lining up. We've got a stalled frontal boundary that's located across the eastern half of the U.S. So, you've got that division between the wharf to the south and the colder air to the north.
And what happens when you get those collision of air masses, severe thunderstorms start to bubble up, and that's what we've been seeing, this multi-day severe weather setup, now impacting 120 million Americans and this includes much of the Mid-Atlantic, the nation's capital D.C., all the way to New York and Atlanta as well, where a few thunderstorms are moving through the region, causing backups at the Atlanta Jackson International Airport, ground delays and ground stops ongoing there.
This is Dawson Springs, Kentucky, Hopkins County. And this is kind of new footage to CNN. But, I'm bringing this up because this area was ravaged by an EF-4 tornado in December of 2021. So, to see a monster tornado go through the same location, obviously, our hearts break for the people who are being impacted by this yet again. So, the state of Kentucky has some of the most power outages, as we speak, but we're seeing the numbers go up significantly across Alabama. Overall, 725,000 plus customers without power on this Memorial Day, the extended holiday weekend here across the U.S.
There is a rough weather moving across Atlanta. We have a severe thunderstorm watch that's valid through 2 p.m. That extends across central Georgia into South Carolina and Atlanta. Again, there is the rough weather moving through with lots of lightning strikes associated with the system. Wind gusts could exceed 60 to 70 miles per hour.
Now, we have had over 1,000 reports of severe weather blanket the Eastern two thirds of the United States since Friday, 58 of which were tornado reports. This system finally exits off the East Coast later today. And then, we recycle a different weather pattern. This is, again, that collision of air masses across Central Texas. Another round of severe weather possible tomorrow. And this is all amongst the backdrop of a heatwave where heat indices could top 115 degrees. Max.
FOSTER: OK. Derek, thank you.
Meanwhile, in India, a tropical cyclone has claimed at least seven lives. It happened in Southern India where Cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday. A 12-year-old girl and her father were among the dead. They were killed when a shed collapsed on them.
Across India and Bangladesh, more than a million people evacuated to get out of the storms' way. Meteorologists expect the storm to gradually weaken, though, thankfully.
Still to come, three Asian powers held a summit in Seoul. We will tell you what was on the agenda, as the leaders of Japan, China and South Korea met for the first time in years. Plus, Taiwan is working on an ambitious plan, well to keep its digital lifeline alive in the event of a disaster. That story and much more ahead.
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FOSTER: Leaders from some China, Japan and South Korea have ramped up their first trilateral summit in five years. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have talks in Seoul aimed at boosting dialogue, trade and mutual cooperation.
CNN's Mike Valerio reports.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the summit is now in the books, the Premier of China calling it quote "a new beginning for the three countries", the government of Japan calling this "very constructive". And why this matters, why we should pay attention factor here is because this summit is largely about avoiding miscommunication, avoiding any kind of unnecessary escalation at a time when regional tensions are quite high. China is pulling Russia closer into its orbit. The United States pulling Korea and Japan closer to its center of gravity.
So, the three countries here are led by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and the Chinese Premier Li Qiang, are all in agreement that they need to be able to talk to each other at a senior level. But, a wildcard which made itself very apparent just as the summit began, how to respond to North Korea? The North promising to launch a satellite by next Tuesday, June 4. Listen to the response on that front from the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida.
FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (Interpreted): Last night, North Korea once again gave notice of its intention to launch another satellite. But, even if it were to successfully launch it, it would be a breach of United Nations resolutions, and we strongly urge North Korea to cancel.
VALERIO: The South Korean President Yoon said the international community should react sternly to this new planned launch. China said all sides should show restraint. And in terms of deliverables from the summit, China and South Korea agreed to start holding high-level security and diplomatic talks in mid-June. All sides said they are going to work towards a larger free trade agreement, promoting stability and growth. And finally, the three nations said they will hold these summits regularly. Taiwan also came up with Japan saying that no nation should be able to unilaterally change the status quo.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Hong Kong.
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FOSTER: The trilateral summit comes amid ever rising tensions between China and Taiwan. The self-governing island is looking to remedy a crippling vulnerability and that is staying connected to the outside world. Taiwan currently relies on only a handful of undersea cables for its communications.
CNN's Will Ripley reports on a possible solution, though.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep beneath the waters around Taiwan, a fragile digital lifeline, some call shockingly vulnerable to a Chinese attack, 15 undersea internet cables connecting Taiwan to the rest of the world, vital strategic assets and potential military targets. Cut the cables, you cut off the internet, plunging 24 million people into digital darkness, leaving this island democracy dangerously exposed. Elon Musk spent years and billions developing Starlink, using low-orbit communication satellites to provide high-speed internet.
RIPLEY: Here in Taiwan, people have plenty of reasons to doubt the reliability of Starlink. Elon Musk controls it and he has deep business ties with China.
RIPLEY (voice-over): In September, Musk made comments seen as siding with Beijing over Taipei.
ELON MUSK, CEO, SPACEX: Their policy has been to sort of reunite Taiwan with China. From their standpoint, maybe it is analogous to like Hawaii.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Taiwan's Foreign Minister quickly fired back, posting on Musk's X platform, "Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the People's Republic of China, and certainly not for sale."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one.
RIPLEY (voice-over): To protect itself, Taiwan is turning to space, investing billions to develop and launch its own low-orbit communication satellites to ensure uninterrupted internet connectivity in times of crisis, a program spearheaded by Wu Jong-shinn, Director General of TASA, Taiwan's Space Agency.
WU JONG-SHINN, DIRECTOR GENERAL, TAIWAN SPACE AGENCY: The communication etcetera is very important for our communication, resilience during urgent period.
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RIPLEY (voice-over): Starlink, developed by SpaceX, crucial in conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza. TASA is racing to develop a similar system in space.
RIPLEY: The satellite you're developing, if the internet or the communication lines were cut, and Taiwan could go into the dark, right --
JONG-SHINN: You're right.
RIPLEY: -- without this.
JONG-SHINN: Yeah, I think so. So, that's very important for us. Yeah. We take it very, very seriously. Yeah.
RIPLEY (voice-over): A chilling case study of Taiwan's digital vulnerability on its outlying Matsu Islands last year, Taipei accused two Chinese ships of severing underwater cables without providing direct evidence. The only backup, sluggish microwave radio transmission, calls dropped, texting took hours, online videos unwatchable. Taiwan is cooperating with NASA in the U.S., accelerating its space program in the face of rising threats.
JONG-SHINN: China is rising up in space tech. For example, they don't have this political difficulty international, as you know, but in space, there is no country, division, or there is no boundary.
RIPLEY (voice-over): And back on Earth, rising cross-strait tensions, adding urgency to Taiwan's space race.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
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FOSTER: Still to come, it's a pivotal week in the criminal trial of Donald Trump. Closing arguments are tomorrow. Details just ahead. Plus, turbulence causes more troubles during a flight for the second time in less than a week. That story is just ahead.
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FOSTER: Turning now to a second mid-air scare in less than a week, terrifying moments for passengers on board a Qatar Airlines flight on Sunday, when the plane ran into turbulence over Turkey. At least a dozen people, including crew members, were injured on a flight from Doha to Dublin. This comes less than a week after more than 100 passengers were injured. A man with a heart condition died when a Singapore Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence.
Sebastian Shukla looking at the details on this from Berlin. I mean, it's not -- it doesn't seem quite as bad as the last one. But, it is clear -- it came in less than a week, as we said.
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN FIELD PRODUCER: Yeah, Max. I mean, airline incidents in general are so rare that to have two incidents like this so close together is almost completely and utterly bizarre. But, the way that this one transpired compared to the Singapore Airlines, one that you mentioned, seems to have been much less serious, and obviously there are far fewer casualties, but nevertheless, casualties are all the same.
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Those 12 passengers seems to have been much less serious, and obviously, there are far fewer casualties. But, nevertheless, casualties are all the same. Those 12 passengers were -- landed safely and eight of them have ended up in hospital. But, when they arrived in the arrivals hall there, they were talking to reporters and journalists about exactly what had happened. And one woman had even described it as wondering if this was it, meaning that if she may not make it to her final destination. And you could just imagine the fear that those passengers must have had.
As for the how exactly it happened and how it transpired, details of that are still pretty scant on the ground. It appears at least to have been this clear air turbulence, the same turbulence that befell the Singapore Airlines flight because it just happened out of nowhere. They were in the middle of the meal service by the sound of it, and over Turkey, which is still some four hours away from Dublin by that point, at least. So, it's one of those rare incidences of two back-to- back cases like this happening together. And the questions will now become, Max, what exactly will the airlines do to combat this? Because the one thing that the industry is very good at is acting pretty quickly. Max.
FOSTER: A lot of people suggesting this has to do with climate change. It's going to become more of an issue over time anyway, isn't it, but there is not actually much airlines can do apart from reassure passengers. Is that?
SHUKLA: Yeah. I don't think there is anything that airlines can really do. It is natural phenomena that happens up in the sky. It's to do with wind currents. And sometimes, it's easier to detect than others. Usually, there is a process involved with airplanes where the aeroplane in front may warm the aeroplane behind if there is degrees of severe turbulence, but the caveat being that there has to be a plane in front to warn the one behind.
In general, if people are worried about traveling and maybe anxious fliers, particularly when it comes to turbulence, one of the main suggestions tends to be sit in the middle of the plane, closer to the wings, or on the wings, at least. That may give you a little bit more stability when it comes through those turbulent times. But, you're right, Max. I don't think that this is going to be a phenomena that is going to drop off suddenly, because like you say, global warming is in full effect here.
FOSTER: OK. Sebastian Shukla, thank you.
It was a terrifying moment for two passengers on board a small plane in Sydney, Australia, when they were forced to make a crash landing on Sunday. You can see just how close the plane was flying to homes in a suburb. One of the passengers tells CNN affiliate Nine News they didn't think they were going to make it to the airport's hangar, but they did, and luckily, no one was injured. The cause of the crash under investigation. Look at that.
In exactly 25 hours, Donald Trump's hush money trial will begin its final phase. Closing arguments are slated for Tuesday morning, and the jury is expected to get the case on Wednesday. The trial featured several dramatic witnesses talking about various scandals surrounding Donald Trump. The jury will largely be tasked with answering rather technical questions, as they debate whether or not Trump is guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Let's bring in CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz. So, you are in the final phase of this, at least now, and it really goes to the jury. Doesn't it? But, just explain what they're judging here. Is it a case of taking all the evidence and making a general judgment, or are they given a specific task over particular pieces of evidence?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Max, they're going to have to find beyond a reasonable doubt if they end up convicting the former President. They would have to agree unanimously to do that, the 12 members of the jury. What they will be doing, though, tomorrow is the beginning of that final act that leads to jury deliberations, and then ultimately, very likely a verdict, that it will be closing summation. So, the prosecutors will present their case. So, they'll sum up all 20 witnesses, the points that those witnesses made, the evidence that was entered into the record in the trial over the last six or so weeks, as the jurors watched.
They'll hear those summations and the prosecutors will argue that there is enough evidence there to connect the dots showing that Stormy Daniels was paid off in 2016 by Michael Cohen. Donald Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen, and he wanted to hide those payments to Michael Cohen as a way to protect his political campaign. Those are all important pieces the jury will have to find.
The defense team, in their summation, they'll deliver first tomorrow, whenever they speak to the jurors, they are likely to say that there is not enough evidence there to convict Donald Trump beyond a reasonable doubt, that all of this evidence that was presented in court was circumstantial.
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There isn't enough to show that Trump had the intent to commit these crimes to defraud authorities, to hide these payments, to commit campaign finance violations in 2016 to keep these stories about women from the press. So, that's what they will say.
They will also tell the jurors, Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's personal lawyer, he testified for four days, don't believe a word, he said. He doesn't have any credibility. But, it will ultimately be up to the jurors. They will be given instructions from the judge on what they need to do under the law, what the charges entail, and exactly how they could come to a conclusion of sorts whenever they enter deliberations very likely on Wednesday. Max.
FOSTER: OK. Katelyn, thank you, Senior Crime and Justice Reporter there for us.
Now, Donald Trump spent the weekend in two very different places. On Sunday, he attended a NASCAR race where he participated in a couple of photo opportunities but didn't address the crowd or speak to reporters. The big event of his weekend was in Washington, though, on Saturday where he tried to convince the Libertarian Party to pick him as their nominee or at least vote for him. But, his speech to the group didn't go over as well. He was continually booed really and heckled.
Steve Contorno is tracking all the developments with the Trump campaign. He put a pretty brave face on it, though.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: He did. And Max, I've been going to Donald Trump's campaign events since 2015. I have never witnessed one quite like this. As you mentioned, he was booed. He was heckled. He had supporters in the crowd who were at times in physical confrontations with Libertarian convention attendees. And the purpose of this pilgrimage to the Libertarian convention was to try to convince this party which continually gets about one percent to three percent of the vote every election cycle, that look, we have a lot in common, if you're on paper, and you should get behind us. But, just take a listen to how that outreach went.
Oh, I'm sorry. I guess we didn't have the sound there. But, Donald Trump essentially was booed when he tried to suggest that they should nominate him for their party convention or further party nomination. And obviously, they did not do that. They chose someone else on Sunday. But, this attempt, this outreach comes as there is this intensifying urgency over the interest in third-party candidates, and it's not just libertarians. It's Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who continues to poll in double digits, and his support is also coming from libertarians. So, Donald Trump is saying, look, RFK Jr. has less in common with you than I do. You should be supporting me. You should be supporting me even over your own party's nominee. We'll have to wait and see if that actually happens, Max.
FOSTER: It does seem to be going for a much broader base than he did last time he was running for President.
CONTORNO: Certainly. And we've seen him attempt to win over union households. We've seen him go to the Bronx and try to win over African American and Latino voters in New York. And so, yeah, his campaign realizes this is going to be an especially tight election that there are voters who have said, I am a Republican. I will never vote for Donald Trump again. The independents in the suburbs around -- in some of these swing states who have said, I have no interest in voting for Donald Trump this go around. So, he is having to find new voters in unconventional and untraditional Republican households.
FOSTER: Steve Contorno, thank you so much for that.
Now, an actor best known for his role on daytime soap opera "General Hospital" was fatally shot in Los Angeles early on Saturday morning. 37-year-old Johnny Wactor died after police say he interrupted thieves who were trying to steal the catalytic converter, would you believe, from his car. The three suspects drove off. Wactor was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Our affiliate reports that police haven't yet arrested anyone.
Camila Bernal has been following this story. And it's just, I mean, shocking because of who it is. He is very familiar, but also what these thieves were after.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Max, just a catalytic converter. But, it is something that sometimes gets stolen because of the metals there can get sold. Now, police saying they're still trying to search for the people responsible. This happened at around 3:25 in the morning on Saturday, and according to his mother, who spoke to our affiliate KABC, this is after he was leaving work at a rooftop bar in downtown Los Angeles. So, he leaves work and he believes that he sees people working on his car, possibly towing his car, according to his mother. And so, he approaches these people and that's when someone looks up and shoots him.
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Police did not name him as a victim, but did give some details into what happened here. Again, it was three people who were trying to steal that catalytic converter. And then, authorities saying that after he was shot, he was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. So, they continue to search for these three people, and specifically the person who pulled the trigger. And in the meantime, as this investigation continues, the soap opera community here really in Los Angeles and all over the country mourning his loss. He was just 37-years-old. He was on "General Hospital". That's really what he was most known for, more than 150 episodes of the show.
And the show did release a statement. I want to read what they said here. They said "The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor's untimely passing. He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time." Now, his TV wife on "General Hospital" also releasing a statement, putting it on her social media, and saying this, "Johnny was the absolute best. So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard working and humble. With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy."
Now, he was known for being on "General Hospital" but he was also on "Criminal Minds" on an episode of "NCIS". So, again, just a career that had just another future and instead was cut short. His agent saying that he accomplished his dreams, that he was someone who would take his shirt off his back to give it to you, he said. He was a spectacular human being, an example to others. So, people just remembering him today and also hoping that these three men get brought to justice, Max.
FOSTER: Absolutely. Camila Bernal in Los Angeles, thank you for that.
Coming up, activists and lawmakers in Japan are raising the alarm about host clubs, saying many of them are preying on women, forcing them to rack up huge debts and pay them off with sex work. That story is just ahead. Plus, how climate change is costing fishermen their livelihoods in Thailand?
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FOSTER: Japanese officials are responding to a growing number of complaints about romance scams on a type of nightclub called host clubs. One victim of these scams tell CNN she ended up thousands of dollars in debt whilst paying for the company of a handsome host, who she says then pressured her to perform sex work to pay her bills.
Hanako Montgomery has this report from Tokyo.
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YU, HOST CLUB VICTIM (Interpreted): I've hit rock bottom. I don't know if I can start over again.
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I want to go back to my normal life, my ordinary job and play with my pets. I don't know why I ever went to host clubs.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yu is one of hundreds of Japanese women forced to sell their bodies after they've been coerced to spend every penny to their name on a certain type of Japanese entertainment called host clubs.
MONTGOMERY: Right now, I am in the mecca for host clubs, Kabukicho. In this part of town alone, there are over 300 of these types of establishments, and it's in places like these where the problem starts.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Host clubs, part of Japan's expansive night entertainment industry, are bars where female patrons pay for the companionship and attention of male hosts. Typically well-groomed and skilled in flattery, these hosts serve up complements and drinks, offering a fantasy-like escape. But, some of them are outright romance scams and criminal enterprises preying on young lonely women.
Yu, a divorced mother of two, felt her heart flutter when she first met her host. She asks to use a pseudonym because her family doesn't know about her debts. Yu met her host in January 2023 and quickly fell in love. She, a clinician who worked long, lonely hours, spent every spare minute at his club. In return, he showered her with presents, attention, promises, until her money ran out. She spent it all on extremely marked up alcohol, where the bill could run into the thousands of dollars.
YU (Interpreted): He asked me, how are you going to pay me back? And when I said I didn't know, he said, go abroad for sex work. I didn't want to.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Yu said he pushed her into prostitution at home and abroad in Macau and Hong Kong. She never saw the money she earned. All of it wired back to a pimp in Tokyo.
YU (Interpreted): When my body was exhausted or I felt weak, I thought it'd be easier to die. I thought about that a lot.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Hidemori Gen is an aid worker in Tokyo's biggest red light district, who has provided a drop-in consultation service for victims of sexual abuse and gang violence for over two decades. But, in this past year, women with cases like Yu's, he says, have increased fivefold.
HIDEMORI GEN, CHAIRMAN OF VICTIMS' SUPPORT GROUP "SEIBOREN": The last spring when we came out of the pandemic and the masks came off, that's been consultations about host clubs increased dramatically.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Politicians like Ayaka Shiomura have tried unsuccessfully to pass laws to strengthen safeguards against exploitative host clubs.
AYAKA SHIOMURA, LAWMAKER (Interpreted): Basically, it's a romance scam. Some of these women are brainwashed into thinking they're dating these hosts. It's a vicious cycle.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Instead, from April 1, host clubs say they will self-manage and ban customers under 20 and prevent women from incurring massive debts, a measure welcomed by Mikami, a host of 10 years.
RUI MIKAMI, CLUB LEE HOST (Interpreted): These guys know they'll make more money prostituting young women. So, they target girls.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Though he swears he has never forced a customer into sex work, Mikami admits in the past he has coerced women to spend way beyond their means.
MIKAMI (Interpreted): But now, I entertain women without pressuring them for money. I stick to what they can afford. Now, my clients go home every night and say, thank you.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But, for victims like Yu, thank you are the last words out of her mouth, as she wonders if she'll ever get her life back.
YU (Interpreted): I'm still doing sex work because I can't afford to leave. I don't want to do this work. I feel like I'm going to fall apart.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
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FOSTER: All right. Still to come, what was once home to an abundance of sea life, is now a colorless graveyard. How climate change is impacting Thailand's waters and fisherman's bottom line? Just ahead.
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FOSTER: In the coming hours, the World Health Assembly will hold its annual meeting in Geneva to discuss the most pressing global health issues. The center of the agenda is achieving consensus on how to respond to the next health emergency. Just four years ago, the COVID- 19 pandemic began, which killed millions of people, and upended economies around the world. So far, countries have failed to come up with a unified plan on how to prepare and respond to the next pandemic.
With climate change causing ocean temperatures to rise, marine life is dying off, including coral reefs that many species rely on. In Thailand, fishing communities are bearing the brunt of this devastation as they struggle to make their catch with a diminishing supply of fish.
Lynda Kinkade has that story.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST (voice-over): It's yet another beautiful day on the water in Chao Lao Beach, Thailand. But, it's what lies beneath the surface that's been left unrecognizable, where this fisherman used to make up to 10,000 baht or 276 U.S. dollars a day, he says now he is lucky to earn a fifth of that. As the coral below him dies off, the marine animals who inhabit it and feed off it disappear.
SOMMAY SINGSURA, LOCAL FISHERMAN (Interpreted): The coral reef is my heart and soul when it isn't bleached, healthy and abundant, and you can go out fishing at night. You can easily catch a squid and a fish near the coral reef. Earning a living was nice and easy.
KINKADE (voice-over): The third generation fisherman is among some 200 who live and fish on this beach. The fisherman here help provide seafood like blue swimming crabs and other small fish to Bangkok, Vietnam and China. But, with 50 percent of coral in the Gulf of Thailand already bleaching, according to Thai government scientists, their regular catch is dwindling. Without healthy coral, typical marine life is forced to migrate.
LALITA PUTCHIM, MARINE BIOLOGIST, THAILAND DEPT. OF MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCE (Interpreted): The factor causing the bleaching is the rising of the sea water's temperature. When I got into the water just now, I immediately thought that the water was warm, very warm.
KINKADE (voice-over): To some scientists, the term global warming doesn't do the situation justice. Global boiling is a better fit. As atmospheric temperatures rise, so do ocean temperatures. The heat stress is the corals, causing them to lose their algae and pigment. What's left is a colorless graveyard.
SINGSURA (Interpreted): The coral bleaching is happening so quickly this year. It is unusual. Look, all of it has turned white. It's never been this bleach before, all very white this year, all of it is bleached.
KINKADE (voice-over): Unless the will drastically cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, 90 percent of living corals could decrease by 2050, an ominous threat, not just to our reefs, but to the marine life they sustain and the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on them.
Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
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FOSTER: Now, the search is on for a monkey on the loose in South Carolina. Officials say Bradley is roaming around the town of Walterboro on the southern part of the state. He is a Japanese snow monkey and has lived in the area for the past six years. It's unclear how Bradley escaped. Police are advising residents not to approach him, though, and keep an eye on pets that are outside as a precaution. Animal control officials say Bradley is not considered dangerous or aggressive towards people or other animals, but they caution that he is still considered a wild animal.
Finally, the Champs-Elysees isn't just for tourists. That was the message behind the giant picnic that took place at the world famous Boulevard on Sunday. A few thousands Parisians were provided picnic baskets and invited to camp out for a meal at a site that's usually a hub for designer stores and local tourists.
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The participants are selected by lottery and given baskets that included sandwiches, strawberries and cookies. The event organizers said the aim of the event was to bring Parisians back to the thoroughfare. Thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster. Connect
the World with Eleni Giokos is up next.
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