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4-year-old Suspect, Father Appear in Court Friday; Boeing's Starliner Lands Successfully, No Crew On Board; U.S. Activist Shot Dead By Israeli Forces in West Bank; China Silent on Ex-Aide to NY Govs Charged as Secret Agent; Fire at School Dormitory Kills at Least 17. Aired 5-6 am ET
Aired September 07, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN Newsroom.
Students sharing their stories of the moments before a school shooting in Georgia. What we know about the victims and the latest from the courtroom as the alleged shooter faces a judge.
Donald Trump rails against his own legal team and his accusers as he and his lawyers seek a new trial in his defamation case.
Plus, a space shuttle with mechanical issues is back on Earth without passengers. What NASA says about the Starliner capsule's journey home and the fate of the astronauts stuck in space.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Students at Georgia's Apalachee High School won't return to classes on Tuesday with the rest of the school system. They'll take more time to recover after Wednesday's deadly shooting. Teenagers have been sharing their experiences in the attack's aftermath.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you remember about his face? What do you remember about his expression when he was at that door?
RONALDO VEGA, INJURED STUDENT: It was more like -- he didn't smile or nothing. It was just like of, I don't know, just no emotion. He had glasses on at that time. And I did see he had blonde hair and a little bit brown on the top.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The school system's superintendent says the community of Winder, Georgia, is still grieving after a shooter left four people dead and nine more injured mere weeks into the school year.
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DALLAS LEDUFF, BARROW COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT: I told the staff at Apalachee the other day I'll never understand how they were able to do what they did, but I will be forever grateful that my family is a part of this community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Two students and two teachers were killed, including teacher Christina Irimie. According to one family member, she treated her students like her own children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: There's some sound that we have from a young person who heard something about her final moments and I just want to play what she said.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My friend, my neighbor, she was going to get shot, but Ms. Irimie stood up and took the bullet for her. So, yeah. But, you know, that's very, very strong for her to do.
COOPER: It wouldn't surprise you to hear that she wanted and to do anything to protect her kids?
GABRIELLE BUTH, RELATIVE OF SHOOTING VICTIM, CHRISTINA IRIMIE: No. Because they were her kids. Sorry. No, that's what we thought all along, because that's just who she was. She would spring into action. She wouldn't -- she died for her children, like any good mom would do, like a good teacher would do. She couldn't have her own, so these were her kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: During a vigil on Friday, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock said more needs to be done to prevent these senseless tragedies in America's schools.
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SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK, (D-GA): What trauma do we visit upon our children if we say that the only thing we can do for you is to tell you how to hide? We may not all agree on what to do, but surely we can do more than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Suspected shooter Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder and could be sentenced to life in prison if he's convicted. The 14-year-old's father also faces charges, and they appeared separately in court on Friday. CNN's Ryan Young has more.
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JUDGE CURRIE MINGLEDORFF II, JACKSON COUNTY, GEORGIA: Good morning, sir. Are you Mr. Colt Gray?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a green T-shirt handcuffed with unkept hair, the teenager accused of Wednesday's deadly school shooting in Georgia made his court appearance.
MINGLEDORFF: The penalty for the crimes for which you are charged does not include death. It includes life without the possibility of parole or life with the possibility of parole.
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YOUNG: The 14-year-old is charged with four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult, but he's not eligible for the death penalty in Georgia because he's under 18. Colt Gray did not enter a plea in court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, Your Honor, there is not a request for bond.
YOUNG: The teen is accused of opening fire with an AR-15-style rifle at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought I was going to die.
YOUNG: Killing math teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, along with 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
Back in court today, devastated families of the victims embraced and cried. The suspect's father, Colin Gray, also made his first court appearance. Colin Gray was arraigned on multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and child cruelty. An arrest warrant says the 54-year-old allegedly gave his son a gun, quote, "with knowledge that he was a threat to himself and others."
BRAD SMITH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, PIEDMONT JUDICIAL CIRCUIT: You don't have to have been physically injured in this to be a victim. Everyone in this community is a victim. Every child in that school was a victim.
YOUNG: The FBI says in May of 2023, law enforcement interviewed the father and son after receiving several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting. That interview was recorded by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
INVESTIGATOR: Do you have weapon in the house?
COLIN GRAY: I do.
INVESTIGATOR: Are they accessible to him?
GRAY: They are. I mean, there's nothing -- nothing loaded. But they are down.
INVESTIGATOR: OK.
GRAY: We actually, we do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer hunting.
YOUNG: Colt's father even told police he'd been trying to teach his son about gun safety.
GRAY: Yeah, I want you to talk to him and just tell him. Like, I don't -- I don't know anything about him saying (bleep) like that. And I'm going to be mad as hell if he did. And then all the guns will go away.
INVESTIGATOR: Yeah.
GRAY: And they won't be accessible to him. You know, we -- I'm trying to be honest with you, I'm trying to teach him about firearms and safety and how to do it all and get him interested in the outdoors.
YOUNG: In December of 2023, two law enforcement sources said Colin Gray purchased the gun and allegedly used the shooting as a holiday gift for his son. Colin Gray did not enter a plea and faces a maximum penalty of 180 years in prison. The charges against him are the most serious filed against the parent of an alleged school shooter, and this is only the second time a parent has been charged in connection with a minor carrying out a mass shooting.
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: To be purchasing a weapon in December of 2023 under conditions where potentially your son should not have one is troubling. But I do think we are in a world where prosecutors are looking to use all the tools available to them.
YOUNG: The mother and father, Ethan Crumbley, the Oxford, Michigan school shooter who killed four students in 2021, were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year. Of the charges filed against Colin Gray in Georgia, the Barrow County District Attorney says --
SMITH: I'm not trying to send a message, I'm just trying to use the tools in my arsenal to prosecute people for the crimes they commit.
YOUNG (on camera): So many small kids have shown up today to the vigil outside the high school. They want to pay their respects. We've also talked to kids who've lost their friends, people they consider buddies, and that's hard for them. They don't know how they're going to return back to school, how a memorial is going to be set up. These are all questions that people in this community want answered. We do know the DA may have played and put more charges out there. It's something that we'll continue to watch.
Reporting in Winder, Ryan Young, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Every one of these cases, it's political interference. It's a witch hunt just like the fake Russia. It's a hoax. It's a scam. It's a political witch hunt.
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BRUNHUBER: Former President Donald Trump there repeating a familiar accusation about his opponents and their motives regarding his legal issues, but he praised a decision by the judge in his hush money trial to delay sentencing until November 26, well after the presidential election. Trump was in New York on Friday for another case.
He listened to arguments on his motion for a new trial in the E. Jean Carroll sex abuse and defamation case. Afterwards, he lashed out at Carroll and several other women who have accused him of sexual assault, repeating some of the same defamatory comments he was found liable for. Listen to this.
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TRUMP: Frankly, I know you're going to say it's a terrible thing to say, but it couldn't have happened. It didn't happen. And she would not have been the chosen one. She would not have been the chosen one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Two separate juries awarded E. Jean Carroll $5 million and $83 million in damages after finding that he had sexually abused and defamed her. A decision on Trump's motion isn't expected until after the election.
And Trump also took to the campaign trail on Friday. He was in North Carolina receiving the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, and he asked the officers to, quote, "watch out for voter fraud." Here he is.
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TRUMP: I hope you can watch and you're all over the place. Watch for the voter fraud because we win. Without voter fraud, we win so easily.
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BRUNHUBER: Trump also welcomed a North Carolina court decision to have Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name removed from the state's ballot. Kennedy dropped out of the presidential race last month and endorsed Trump.
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TRUMP: Your appeals court ruled today that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name should be taken off the ballot. And --
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TRUMP: And that sounds like a bad thing for him. It's not. It's actually a great thing. He's an incredible team player, and he didn't want anybody to be voting his name because, as you know, he fully endorsed us. He's with us. He's going to be watching out for women's health and everybody's health.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: We are just three days away from the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. While both candidates are getting ready for the showdown, Harris' team is trying to figure out how she can showcase herself despite candidates' microphones being muted when they're not speaking.
Our MJ Lee has the story.
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MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The Kamala Harris campaign has been very clear that they are not fans of the muted mics rule for next week's debate, but they did accept the debate rules earlier this week, though begrudgingly once again complaining that they believe it is going to disadvantage the Vice President. This is how a source put it to me. They said her best moments are when she is drilling down on somebody, so we've lost that, and it takes a big thing off the table for us.
So now as the Vice President is hunkering down in Pittsburgh and spending the next stretch of days really doing debate prep ahead of next Tuesday night's debate against Donald Trump, I'm told by the source that a big mission for the Kamala Harris team is going to be finding ways to remedy for that and showing that prosecutorial side of her.
Often allies of the Vice President will point to moments from committee hearings when she was senator, when she was grilling, for example, Brett Kavanaugh or Bill Barr as being exemplifying sort of her biggest political strength and her messaging strength, and this is the side of her that they had very much hoped would come out next week on the debate stage, that she would be able to respond to and question and even interrupt Donald Trump in real time.
They also hope that the mics being on would be able to show Donald Trump as more unhinged. This is what the Kamala Harris campaign believes, so they are hoping that the fact that the mics are going to be muted is not going to make Donald Trump seem more disciplined than they think he is.
MJ Lee, CNN, at the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: And you can tune in for special coverage of the "ABC News" Presidential Debate simulcast here on CNN. It will air this Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, and then we'll replay the debate on Wednesday at 2 a.m. Eastern, that's 7 a.m. in London, and again at 2 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, 7 p.m. in London, 10 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.
After months of questions about safety, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft successfully returned to Earth with what officials called a bullseye landing. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Touchdown. Starliner is back on Earth. That landing coming at --
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BRUNHUBER: Starliner landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico early Saturday. The capsule launched in June and then docked with the International Space Station. It was supposed to come back to Earth a week later, but helium leaks and thruster problems on its way to orbit prompted NASA to delay the return.
Mission Control in Houston, Texas, tracked the return. The manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program calling the landing a success.
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STEVE STICH, MANAGER, NASA COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM: It was a great day today to return Starliner. It was great to have a successful undock, the orbit and landing of the vehicle. I am thrilled for our Boeing team and all of our colleagues that have worked this mission across the country.
On the NASA team and the Boeing team, they've put a lot of heart and soul into this mission over many years, and it's a testament to those people that we got the vehicle back safely today.
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BRUNHUBER: Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were supposed to return on Starliner and they remain on the space station. They'll return to Earth on a SpaceX flight in February.
All right, still ahead, an international outcry for justice after officials and witnesses say Israeli forces shot and killed a Turkish- American activist in the West Bank. We'll look at what we know about the incident next.
Plus, growing fears that Israel is using its Gaza tactics against Palestinians in the West Bank. A major military operation is on pause for now, leaving cities in ruins and 39 Palestinians dead in its wake.
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BRUNHUBER: The family of an American woman who was shot dead in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is demanding an independent investigation into her killing. The family of 26-year-old Aysenur Eygi says an investigation conducted by Israel wouldn't be adequate. The White House is also calling for an investigation.
The Turkish-American activist was participating in a weekly protest against a nearby Israeli settlement on Friday. That's when witnesses say Israeli forces responded by firing live rounds and tear gas at peaceful demonstrators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN POLLACK, ISRAEL ACTIVISTS AND WITNESS: There were two shot fires from the rooftop. I've been doing this for 20 years. I know the difference in sound between tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, live ammunition. These were two separate shots of live ammunition, shot one after the other. I found her lying on the ground beside the tree, bleeding from her head. I put my -- I put my hand under her head to try and stop the bleeding. I took her pulse. She had a very weak pulse. We called the ambulance.
What happened today is no accident. It is the continuation of the killing of 17 of Beita's residents during demonstrations since 2021. It is an intentional killing that is now receiving the light of day because she is an American citizen. It was an intentional killing.
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BRUNHUBER: The activist group denies Israel's accusation that its members were throwing rocks. The Israeli military has admitted to firing at the demonstrators, claiming they posed a threat. We have more now from CNN's Nic Robertson.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: That's right, the IDF have said that they fired live rounds. They haven't yet said if they'd spotted a gunman in the crowd there. What we know is that this is a regular weekly protest, that it appeared that this anti- settlement protest was getting towards the end. The IDF, the troops were up the hill. The protesters were at the bottom.
The IDF started firing tear gas. This is what we understand from some of the protesters. The IDF started firing tear gas. Some of the protesters were hiding behind huge metal trash bins that were there.
And then they say the IDF started firing live rounds, which is when they started running away, which is when this young 26-year-old activist was shot head in the head, quickly helped by medics who were close by, put in an ambulance very quickly, taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Nablus, but very soon after pronounced dead.
Now, U.S. Ambassador here, Jack Lew, is asking urgently to get more details about what happened. We've heard from the spokesman at the Foreign Ministry in Turkey, because she was also a Turkish national as well as an American national, saying that they will hold accountable, hold to justice accountable those found responsible. But the IDF at the moment really only just beginning to look into this situation, a very tragic ending to this day of protest in the West Bank.
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BRUNHUBER: Palestinian residents in the West Bank are taking stock after what's left after more than 10 days of intense Israeli military operations. Witnesses compare it to Israel's actions in Gaza with widespread destruction. The Israeli military withdrew from the towns of Jenin and Tulkarem on Friday, but says it's only a pause before it returns.
For now, the pause has allowed residents to bury their dead. CNN's Paula Hancock reports.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Reminiscent of the early days of the war in Gaza, airstrikes and raids have reduced small pockets of the occupied West Bank to rubble. Israel's military has bulldozed roads, destroying buildings and infrastructure for the past 10 days, targeting what they call immediate terror threats in real time. It's the most sustained operation here in years.
A funeral procession in the town of Tubas Thursday was led by gunmen firing into the air. A clear sign at least some of the deceased were militants, but not all. This funeral is for a 16-year-old girl killed as she looked out of the window.
Her father said she was shot in the head. The United Nations accuses Israel of using, quote, "lethal war-like tactics in the West Bank," saying children are among the dead, with Israeli forces restricting ambulance movement, depriving residents of access to basic services. The IDF says it is forced to sometimes check ambulances, claiming they're used by militants.
The Palestinian Health Minister said no place in Palestine is safe, not just Gaza. Night raids in the Tulkarem refugee camp have damaged water, electricity and sewage systems. This resident says in 78 years I've never seen anything like this. From the wars of 1948, 1967, all the intifadas, everything I have witnessed, nothing was like this.
Palestinian journalists accuse the Israeli military of targeting them. Footage shows bulldozers driving towards a group clearly marked as press. Gunfire can be heard nearby. One journalist was injured when the car he was traveling in was struck by gunfire. The Palestine Red Presence Society says it treated four journalists for gunfire and shrapnel wounds from just one raid.
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment. Israel says it's targeting militants, planning or directing attacks against the country. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week, Now we are mowing the lawn. The moment will come when we pull out the roots.
An expression Israel historically uses for actions taken in Gaza. On day one of the offensive, Israel's Foreign Minister suggested tactics deployed in Gaza should be transferred to the West Bank, including temporary evacuation of civilians. Fueling concern here that the 11 months of death and destruction they've watched in Gaza is now far closer to home.
Paula Hancocks, CNN Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: A Pakistani man who lives in Toronto has been arrested and charged with plotting to attack Jews in New York City. Officials say the attack was planned for the anniversary of the October 7th terror attacks in Israel. The U.S. Justice Department alleges that 20-year- old Muhammad Shahzeb Khan was going to act in the name of ISIS. Khan apparently discussed his plans on an encrypted messaging app, but unknown to him, he was speaking to undercover law enforcement officers.
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He was arrested in Canada on Wednesday while making his way toward the U.S. border. He faces terror charges in both Canada and the U.S.
After the break, a former aide to two New York governors is being accused of spying for China. But what do the Chinese have to say about it? Not much. We'll have the details coming up. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
Donald Trump is praising a decision by the judge in his hush money trial to delay sentencing until November 6th, well, after the presidential election. The Republican nominee spent much of Friday in another Manhattan courtroom trying to overturn his sexual assault and defamation verdict and lashing out afterwards at his accusers.
Meanwhile, Harris is in Pittsburgh this weekend, preparing for her first and possibly only debate with Trump in three days. Her campaign wants to showcase her skills as a prosecutor, despite microphones being muted while the other candidate is speaking. Several states will start early in-person voting in about two weeks.
An alleged case of international spying and intrigue playing out in the highest levels of New York state government. A former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and former Governor Andrew Cuomo is accused of being a Chinese spy. CNN's Will Ripley reports.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The dramatic downfall of Linda Sun, once a top aide to New York's current and former governors, now accused of secretly working for China, making headlines around the world.
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But on Beijing's tightly controlled state media and heavily censored social media, silence. China's Foreign Ministry refusing to even comment on what they describe as a domestic U.S. case. Prosecutors say Sun was working overtime, pushing Beijing's agenda for years. She's accused of forging documents to help Chinese officials illegally enter the U.S., quietly removing references to China's human rights record from a Lunar New Year greeting in 2021 by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in July 2019, attending this pro-China rally in New York, coinciding with this visit to New York by Tsai Ing-wen, then-president of Beijing's arch-rival Taiwan.
Prosecutors say behind closed doors, Sun was coordinating with Chinese diplomats, blocking Taiwanese officials from key meetings and securing favors for China.
WEN-TI SUNG, TAIWANESE POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm not surprised at all, I mean --
RIPLEY: Taiwanese Political Analyst Wen-Ti Sung says it's all part of Beijing's bigger strategy.
SUNG: So China is really pursuing a full-court press against Taiwan's visibility anywhere and at any level.
RIPLEY: This is just the latest high-stakes scandal involving Beijing's covert influence. Last month, this New York man, Shujun Wang, convicted of spying for the Chinese Communist Party, posing as a pro-democracy activist.
Also last year, the Justice Department says it uncovered a secret Chinese police station operating in Manhattan, accused of intimidating Chinese dissidents living in the U.S. Reports at the time claimed more than 100 secret Chinese police stations in more than 50 countries and territories. China dismissed the claims as completely false, calling the locations service centers to help citizens abroad with renewing official documents like their Chinese driver licenses.
This new 64-page indictment from U.S. federal prosecutors in New York reads like a spy novel, accusing Linda Sun of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, conspiring with her husband, Chris Hu, to commit bank fraud, accusing both of money laundering millions of dollars from China, bankrolling the couple's luxurious lifestyle, paying cash for their nearly $4 million Long Island mansion and $2 million condo in Hawaii, buying brand new cars like a 2024 Ferrari and Range Rover, funneling millions to her husband's businesses, even sending her parents dozens of salted ducks, a Chinese delicacy. The couple is pleading not guilty. Sun's attorney calls the investigation overly aggressive and the indictment inflammatory.
JARROD SCHAEFFER, COUNSEL FOR LINDA SUN: We are looking forward to exercising our right to a speedy trial and addressing these accusations in the form where it's most appropriate, which is a court of law.
RIPLEY: U.S. prosecutors say cases like this reveal just how far China will go to infiltrate and influence the U.S. government.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: China is halting most foreign adoptions of its children, leaving hundreds of families with pending applications in limbo. The country's foreign ministry announced Thursday that no more Chinese children would be sent abroad for adoption. The only exceptions will be those who already have a family connection.
For decades, overseas parents have adopted thousands of Chinese children, many of whom were abandoned under the country's draconian one-child policy. The move comes as China looks to reverse the country's population decline.
China and the United States are facing off in an economic battle over Africa. This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a summit in Beijing with delegates from more than 50 African countries. Xi vowed to elevate ties with them to levels of China's most trusted diplomatic allies. He also promised more than $50 billion in financial support, the creation of one million jobs, and tens of millions of dollars in food and military aid. Now, other powers, like the U.S., are ramping up their efforts to boost ties with African countries and secure critical resources.
Gilles Yabi is founder of the West Africa Citizen Thick Tank and a non-resident scholar at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and he joins us live from Dakar, Senegal.
Thank you so much for being here with us. Good to see you again. So, take us through what's behind this more aggressive Africa strategy by China.
GILLES YABI, FOUNDER, WEST AFRICA CITIZEN THINK TANK: Well, good morning. Pleasure to be with you again. I think that for African countries, for the leaders and for the population as well, the most important thing is to have a condition for more economic progress, more stability, more security, a lot of structural challenges that African countries face, and the idea, of course, of a global competition between the U.S. and China. But it is clear that, I think, for Africans, the primary concern is not the competition between global powers. It's actually not to pay a heavy price for this competition, as it was the case in the past during the Cold War.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, you know, you talk about economic motives here, but for China, the motives aren't just economic, they're political. President Xi seems to be working hard to counter the U.S. global alliance system and particularly recruit countries to his anti- American agenda. Are African countries buying what he's selling?
[05:35:21]
YABI: Well, I think I would not say like that, and I would not maybe forget also that in terms of having aggressive tone, it's not only China. You know, some years ago, I remember John Bolton, who was a National Security Advisor to the U.S., with a full speech which was supposed to be about U.S. relation with Africa, and actually it turned out to be a full speech about the aggressive policies of China and Russia in Africa.
And I think that, again, the point for African countries is not to be just seen as a puppet or object of competition between global powers and over middle powers as well. The primary concern, again, for the African countries now is to be able also to offer a better living condition for the people, and that means probably to have balanced relationship with all important players in the world, including China, who is the number two in the world, and who has a lot of relation with the U.S., with Europe.
China is the trading partner for, I think, more than two-third of the countries in the world. So I don't really see why African countries should not also have -- you know, want to have good relationship with China, which doesn't mean that they have to renounce their relationship with the U.S. or the West.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I guess many countries have to walk that fine line. They don't want to go all in on China and alienate the U.S. So you see it not having to be sort of an either-or, but will they not sort of be forced to choose alliances at some point?
YABI: Unfortunately, I think with the pressures coming from different sides and this perception that African countries should align to one specific leader or global leader in the world, I think that it is putting African countries under a lot of stress, and again, they need to focus on their own problems. It is very important for, I think, citizens in Western countries to be aware that we are talking about basic infrastructure, we are talking about food, we are talking about industrialization, so that the youth in the most populated, well, the most growing continents in terms of people, Africa, we need jobs. And that's one of the reasons why relationship with China is so important, because there are some offers in terms of infrastructure development that can be quite appropriate for African countries.
And again, I think African countries are aware that they don't need to go fully into the hands of China, because they are a lot of concern also about the condition for this cooperation. But it is the primary, again, responsibility for the African countries to develop the capacity to negotiate with the U.S., with Europe, and with China, and that is, of course, the major challenge.
BRUNHUBER: Finally, we saw some high-profile outreach by the Biden administration recently, with the Secretary of State visiting the region in January, a few months ago, the first state visit by an African leader to Washington since 2008. So, what are the stakes here for the U.S. if China peels off more African countries to its cause?
YABI: I think that probably the best thing that the U.S. should do is also to, you know, to keep the interest of the continent, but being quite clear about the fact that they should, you know, let African countries develop a relationship as they like with other countries in the world, including China, but even including Russia.
It doesn't mean, again, that African countries fully follow these countries or want to follow the political model, for example. But I think that in this global world, with a lot of change happening, geopolitical changes, it is very important to respect the need for African countries, again, not to pay the heavy price that the continent has paid in the past for competition, for resources, and for influence on the African soil. BRUNHUBER: We'll have to leave it there, but really appreciate getting your perspective, Gilles Yabi, live in Dakar, Senegal. Thank you so much.
YABI: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Sources tell CNN that Iran recently sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. U.S. and Western officials had warned that this was in the works for almost a year, marking a significant escalation of Iran's support for Moscow. Now comes as Russian forces ramp up missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning of a significant shortfall in vital military aid. He urged allies to speed up deliveries of air defense systems while attending a meeting of the Ukraine defense contact group in Germany. He says they're essential to hold back Russian forces.
[05:40:05]
A dormitory fire kills more than a dozen elementary school children. Coming up, why Kenyan officials hope some of the children now missing are still alive.
Plus, typhoon Yagi continues its tear through northern Vietnam. When we come back, details on the storm's latest landfall and what's in store for the region. Please do stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Pope Francis is in Papua New Guinea as he continues his tour of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The island nation is at the forefront of places feeling the effects of climate change and the pope is expected to address the issue. He also spoke about women's rights and tribal violence and addressed the idea of community in what is a hugely diverse country of more than 800 languages after Papua New Guinea, the 87-year-old pontiff will travel to East Timor and Singapore.
The post-election unrest persists in Venezuela. On Friday, government security forces surrounded the Argentine embassy in the capital of Caracas. Two opposition members had sought refuge inside, according to social media posts made by the duo.
Argentina is one of several countries that's questioned the validity of President Nicolas Maduro's claims of re-election victory and just hours earlier, the Argentine Foreign Ministry requested the International Community Court to issue arrest warrants against Maduro and other senior officials. They cite possible crimes against humanity allegedly committed during post-election protests.
People in a town in Kenya are grieving after a deadly fire killed at least 17 children, but with so much about the tragedy still unclear, their fears the death toll could still grow. Kenya's President called the news devastating. CNN's Lynda Kinkade has more.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Bereaved parents gather around a school that was ravaged by flames after a fire tore through a boy's dormitory in central Kenya overnight Thursday.
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Authorities say more than a dozen people were killed, several others injured, and dozens of students are still unaccounted for. The heavily damaged building housed 150 young boys, primary school students at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kenya's Nyeri County.
This building almost completely razed to the ground. A national police spokesperson said the recovered bodies were burnt beyond recognition. Adding to the chaos, anxious parents had rushed to the scene to pick up their children without properly signing them out with the school.
RIGATHI GACHAGUA, KENYAN DEPUTY PRESIDENT: We still have 70 kids that are unaccounted for. That does not mean that they are perished or they are injured. The word is that we are unaccounted for. I'm appealing to each and every parent who took their child from here to report the scene. We'll give a number that is here by the international records and the school so that we know where that child is.
KINKADE: Investigators are still conducting forensic analysis to determine the cause of the fire. The Kenya Red Cross said local residents were the first responders after emergency vehicles could not access the scene immediately.
ESTHER CHEGE, REGIONAL HEAD, KENYA RED CROSS: We say thank you to local residents for your quick response. If you had not arrived as fast as you did, the loss would have been even greater.
KINKADE: A counselling service has also been set up to help students cope with the loss of their classmates and the trauma. After repeated fires at school facilities, the Kenyan Government passed regulations requiring better emergency exits and other measures to mitigate the loss of life in fires.
Kenyan President William Ruto offered condolences while vowing to thoroughly investigate the tragedy at Hillside Endarasha Academy.
But while the wait for more information persists, the community already grieves for the sudden loss of so many young lives.
Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: Typhoon Yagi has made landfall again, this time in northern Vietnam. The storm also re-intensified to an equivalent of a category 4 hurricane before striking just east of Hanoi. Yagi is now weakening as it moves over land, but it's still a major storm and it's forecast to bring heavy rains throughout the weekend. Dozens of flights were cancelled at Hanoi's airport ahead of the typhoon's arrival. The airport says it will resume operations in the coming hours.
And Yagi made another landfall on China's Hainan island on Friday, killing at least two and injuring dozens in its wake. It's the strongest typhoon to make landfall on the popular holiday island in a decade.
All right, still ahead, NFL fans descend on Brazil for the league's first game ever played in South America. That's next. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: In sports, Brazil is known for its love of football and the beautiful game. Well, Friday night they got their first taste of American football. CNN Sports Correspondent Carolyn Manno joins me now with more.
So, Carolyn, no boring blowout here. They got to see a good one, right?
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I know, and that makes it so much better. You know, the NFL's international series has certainly been a win for the league so far. Several games this year in Europe, now the first game in South America.
American football is really being introduced and branded to new audiences globally now. And Sao Paulo was an incredible host. 40,000- plus filling SC Corinthian Stadium to watch the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.
They also got to see why Philly made Saquon Barkley one of the highest-paid running backs in the league. The longtime New York Giants star stellar in his Eagles debut, scoring two rushing touchdowns and catching another.
Green Bay did have a chance late in this game. They were down by five in the final seconds. Packers fans, avert your eyes. Quarterback Jordan Love going down awkwardly as he was being tackled. He had to be helped off the field with an apparent leg injury. No word yet on how serious it might be. But the Eagles hold on 34-29, making the nine- hour flight from Philly well worth it.
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NICK SIRIANNI, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HEAD COACH: Man, did Brazil get a great game tonight or what? I know we converted some people to be big- time football fans tonight.
A.J. BROWN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WIDE RECEIVER: I don't know if -- I don't know if Sao Paulo like knows, like, when to cheer. But -- but it was great, though. It was great. And it was loud the entire time. SAQUON BARKLEY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RUNNING BACK: Just the opportunity
was amazing. So thankful to the NFL. So thankful to, you know, everyone in Brazil. It was super fun. The energy was amazing. And, you know, I couldn't picture any way better than that.
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MANNO: Back stateside at the U.S. Open, longtime friends Taylor Fritz beat Frances Tiafoe facing each other. But only one would be able to break a generational curse and become the first American man in nearly two decades to reach the final in New York. This one was a classic. Tiafoe taking two of the first three sets. But that's when he started to run out of gas. And Fritz just getting started, winning the fourth set. And then he turned on the afterburners in the fifth, taking it 6- 1. The emotion just pouring out as Taylor Fritz is heading to his first major final.
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TAYLOR FRITZ, WORLD #12: It's the reason why I do what I do. It's the reason why I work so hard. It's -- I mean, I'm in the finals of the U.S. Open.
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It's a dream come true. I'm in the finals. So I'm going to come out and I'm going to give everything I possibly have. And I know that for a fact. I'm going to give it everything I can possibly give. So I can't wait.
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MANNO: The New York crowd loving that, waiting for him. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who had a much easier time in his semi against the Brit, Jack Draper. Even if he quite literally tripped himself up along the way. The reigning Aussie Open champ running all over the court, stumbling to the ground, saving the point, then still has time to shake it off, get up and bury the winner. Sinner taking it in straight sets. The final set for Sunday afternoon here in the United States.
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Meantime, the women's final is later today. Aryna Sabalenka looking at a third Grand Slam win to her two Aussie Open titles. But New York's very own Jessica Pegula will have the home court advantage at Arthur Ashe as she makes her major final debut.
Last for you this morning. What a moment at the Paralympics Friday night for Team USA's Hunter Woodhall. After bronzes in Rio and Tokyo, Woodhall winning the first Paralympic gold medal of his career, running a pretty perfect race in the men's 400-meter T62 classification final.
The win was very emotional for Woodhall. After he crossed the finish line, he flipped his bib around to show the cameras a message that he wrote for his late uncle who passed away from cancer earlier this year. And then he found his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, in the stands who took gold in the women's long jump at the Olympics just a few weeks ago.
So a golden-powered couple for sure. Very touching images there. It doesn't get better than those two. An Olympic gold, Paralympic gold, it's as good as it gets.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, so many levels of emotion there. Just an amazing story to end our sports wrap with Carolyn Manno, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.
All right, well, success of another kind. Before we go, she started as a child actress, became a pop star. Now Selena Gomez is a billionaire. Bloomberg has valued the 32-year-old's net worth at $1.3 billion, making her one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the U.S.
Now the bulk of her wealth is tied to her 5-year-old makeup line, Rare Beauty, which is popular with influencers and teens. She also has her interest in the mental health platform Wonder Mind. And then on top of that, she has her earnings from her music, acting, and social media partnerships.
All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber for viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. From the west of the world, stay with us for African Voices Changemakers.
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