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Hezbollah Says Israel Airstrikes Killed Two Senior Leaders; Gaza Officials: At Least 12 Killed in Israeli Strikes Sunday; At Least 95 Dead after Southeastern U.S. Ravaged by Helene; Dozens of Migrants Feared Dead Off of Canary Island's; More Stimulus Expected in China after Disappointing Economic Numbers. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired September 30, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.
[00:00:35]
Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Israel's first strike within Beirut city limits as airstrikes killed more than 100 people across Lebanon on Sunday.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People trying to cope because it's been very difficult for officials to deliver the aid that is badly needed.
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HOLMES: Residents in North Carolina underwater without power or fresh water as the U.S. government declares a public health emergency in the states reeling from Hurricane Helene.
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(CHANTING)
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HOLMES: And protestors in Austria shouting for Nazis to get out of Parliament after the far-right Freedom Party wins the general election.
ANNOUNCER: Lie from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: It is 7 a.m. in Beirut, London. You see there live images coming to us from Beirut. People on edge after the first Israeli airstrikes overnight within Beirut city limits.
And you can see the damage in this video from an attack near Beirut's Cola Bridge, a major intersection, if you know Beirut. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
This all following an intense barrage of strikes in Lebanon that began about a week ago. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the attacks on Sunday alone killed more than 100 people and wounded more than 350 others.
CNN's Ben Wedeman with more from Beirut.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hezbollah's leadership continues to shrink. Sunday, the group announced two senior figures were killed in Israeli strikes --
WEDEMAN (voice-over): -- Ali Karaki, who was responsible for Hezbollah forces along the border, was killed in the massive Friday airstrike that also killed Hassan Nasrallah. And Nabil Kaouk killed more recently, he was head of preventative security and a member of the leadership council.
A Lebanese security source tells CNN Nasrallah's body has been found, but still no word from Hezbollah when or where or even if he will have a public funeral.
By day's end, the Ministry of Health reported more than 100 people killed in Israel bombing, and also noted strikes have killed at least 14 medics over the last two days.
Hezbollah Sunday claimed around a dozen strikes on targets in Israel. The group has yet to launch any attack that would amount to revenge for the killing of most of its leadership.
WEDEMAN: Perhaps because they're waiting for the right moment. Perhaps because, pummeled by Israel and its senior ranks gutted, it simply can't.
I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Israel confirming it also carried out airstrikes 2,000 kilometers away in Yemen on Sunday.
Videos shot after a strike on a power station shows that inferno there. Emergency crews racing to the scene.
Houthi-run television says at least four people were killed at this location and 45 others wounded. Israel's defense minister says the strikes in Yemen show that for Israel, quote, "no place is too far."
U.S. President Joe Biden says he'll be speaking with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, soon. Biden says a wider war must be avoided, and the U.S. is taking precautions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can an all-out war in the Middle East be avoided?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It has to be. We really have to avoid it. We've already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who wanted to leave. But we're not there yet, but we're working like hell with the French and many others to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Meanwhile, national security spokesperson John Kirby says, although the U.S. is not mourning the Hezbollah leaders' death,
they are mourning, quote, "any loss of civilian life." And there has been much in Lebanon this past week.
The Pentagon says the U.S. will reinforce defensive air support capabilities in the region in coming days, emphasizing it is important to stay ready for a potential response from Hezbollah or Iran.
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[00:05:05]
JOHN KIRBY, SPOKESMAN, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Well, their rhetoric certainly suggests they're going to try to do something. I mean, they're just coming out of Tehran, but we don't really know. We're watching this very, very closely to see how -- if and how Hezbollah and/or Iran may react, as well as the militia groups in Iraq and Syria.
We have to be prepared for some sort of response. We have to make sure that we are ready and we -- and we are. We believe we have the force capability we need in the region.
But it's not clear right now too soon to know how Iran is going to react to this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Michael Eisenstadt is director of the Military and Security Studies program at the Washington Institute. He joins me now from Washington.
And thanks for doing so. How does Nasrallah's death, along with the other hits on Hezbollah, the crippling of Hamas in Gaza, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
How does all of this weaken Iran's reach or influence regionally? Is it humiliating for them?
MICHAEL EISENSTADT, DIRECTOR, MILITARY AND SECURITY STUDIES PROGRAM WASHINGTON INSTITUTE: This is a disaster for Tehran. Their preferred way of war is to operate through proxies and Hezbollah was always the diamond in their crown.
And it played a major role, both in their struggle against Israel and their efforts to create kind of what they call the axis of resistance in the region the -- Hezbollah was a key facilitator, trainer, and exemplar for all these other organizations.
And the fact that Hezbollah now is on the ropes. They've suffered grievous, grievous losses in the current war against Israel. This will -- this is a setback that they take many years, if not
decades to recover from. Ayatollah Khamenei says Nasrallah's blood will not go unavenged.
He didn't mention -- importantly, I think, Iran doing the avenging. How will Iran's next move, how will it be weighing its next moves?
And how does it look if they do nothing?
EISENSTADT: Yes, it's going to be very difficult for them to do nothing.
On the other hand, look, you could go through a whole list of times in which, in the past, they've abandoned allies to their fate in 1991 after the Gulf War, when the Shiites in Iraq rose up, they didn't intervene.
In Afghan in 1997, when the Hazaras were massacred by the Taliban, they didn't do anything except to help some proxies there.
In Lebanon in 2006, they didn't intervene. And likewise in Bahrain in 2011 when there was an uprising that was put down -- of largely Shiites that was put down by the government there. They didn't intervene.
So, in the past, they've left -- they've left Shiite communities to their fate. This -- this will be very difficult for them, though, to step back from.
And we did see in April, they did respond to the killing of two other generals in Damascus with a large missile and drone strike. It's possible to try again.
But look, the Americans now are having a second carrier coming to the region. And they're -- they're in a very vulnerable place; that their main proxies for prosecuting a conflict with Israel or the United States are on the road. So, I think they'll probably be very careful going forward.
HOLMES: Right. You mentioned the U.S. and where -- where are they in all of this in terms of influence? I mean, the Americans have called for and proposed ceasefires. They've called for restraint, de- escalation, either Netanyahu effectively ignores the U.S.
Or perhaps could the U.S. be saying one thing publicly, but under the table, be giving the nod to Israel to continue.
EISENSTADT: I suspect the administration is divided on this issue, but I think the president, on the one hand, he sent signals that he would like to de-escalate. And this is a constant theme in this administration.
On the other hand, they are providing the arms that are necessary for Israel in order to achieve its own goals, which also serve American interests.
So -- and also keep in mind this is the election season, and the Democratic Party is divided on this issue.
So, the president has to take a public posture of, you know, advising coercion and trying to achieve ceasefires. Although let me just mention, it takes two to have a ceasefire.
I mean, there's no indication that there's a willingness on the other side to do so at this point. And the Israelis have what they consider to be a once, perhaps in a lifetime opportunity to land death blows to Hezbollah.
HOLMES: To do -- to do something they've wanted to do for -- for years, in fact.
I've only got a couple of minutes left, but I wanted to ask you about the Jordanian foreign minister; had strong words at the UN after Israel said it was surrounded by enemies.
He said Arab nations guaranteed Israel's security in exchange for a two-state solution for Palestinians. But Israel is the one killing the chances of peace. And that they had no plan -- that was his words.
What do you think Israel's, Netanyahu's plan is, long term?
EISENSTADT: Well, I think his main focus is on dealing with Iran, which has a nuclear program that is making progress.
Right now, he's dealing with Iran's army of proxies, and very effectively, I should mention.
[00:10:04]
Let me just say also, with regard to the Jordanians, their security and their survival is bound up in your security and survival of Israel, no matter what the Jordanian foreign ministry says publicly.
And the Iranians have been trying to undermine the suburbs. Jordan needs it as a base of operations in the West Bank. And the Israelis and the Jordanians operate very, very well and very closely under the table quietly on this issue.
And so, you know, there's a public posture, but there's also the reality on the ground.
HOLMES: Yes, exactly. Fascinating. Great to speak with you. Michael Eisenstadt, thank you.
EISENSTADT: Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, is adding a former rival to his cabinet.
Gideon Sa'ar will become a minister without appointment. Analysts say Netanyahu is bringing on the veteran right-wing politician to shore up his base and protect his government from ultra-orthodox opposition.
Before Israel's escalation in Lebanon, Netanyahu had intended to replace the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and give Sa'ar that position.
Sa'ar insists that he would have been qualified for it, despite his lack of national security experience but now says he will not take the post.
And Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 12 people Sunday, according to Palestinian officials. Israeli shells hitting residential buildings across the territory and a school compound once again, in Northern Gaza.
Now, Palestinians in the enclave fear their plight will be ignored as Israel and the world turns its attention to Lebanon.
Paula Hancocks with details. A warning: her report contains graphic and disturbing video.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another week of hell in Gaza. A mother and her four children were killed when their home in al-Bureij was hit by an Israeli air strike.
Their uncle said it happened at 3 a.m. They were killed while they slept.
Another strike at a school sheltering displaced in Nuseirat camp killed a couple and their five-year-old child.
Israel said it was a precise strike targeting Hamas operatives. A man staying nearby says these are the remains of the missile. They were innocent and displaced, sleeping in this little room.
The next day, a drone strike in al-Bureij killed two children and 20- year-old twin men. Their father says they were sitting by the front door, looking at their phones. They were born together and killed together, he says.
Children playing in the street were rushed into hospital. We have asked the IDF what the target of this strike was.
One little boy is treated on the hospital floor next to the body of a deceased man. No dignity allowed in life or death for the residents of Gaza.
Dozens lost their lives last week while thousands of miles away the United Nations headquarters in New York, world leader after world leader called for the war in Gaza to end.
A U.S.-led proposal for a 21-day ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border is also intended to jolt a Gaza ceasefire, if it happens. But it's a big "if."
Families of hostages still held in Gaza worry the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is overshadowing their cause.
Residents of Gaza fear they're being forgotten by a world that has failed to end their suffering.
This man says, "When the war on Beirut happened, we lost all hope. There's no focus on Gaza. It's barely mentioned."
This woman adds, "Lebanon is full of our brothers and sisters. We stand in solidarity with them. But at the same time, we do not want the world to forget us."
This man says, "I don't think Gaza is forgotten because of the war in Lebanon, because the two are connected. Hopefully, they'll be resolved together."
Since Hezbollah pagers started exploding in Lebanon two weeks ago, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health.
No breakdown of militants versus civilians, but hospitals filled with women and children tell its own story. Israel's shift in focus to its Northern border feels no different on the ground in Gaza.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Still to come on the program, the death toll continues to rise in the Southeastern United States from Hurricane Helene as the governor of North Carolina warns of the dire situation facing many communities.
Plus, Donald Trump questioning Kamala Harris's mental state again. We'll have the latest on the U.S. presidential race in a moment.
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HOLMES: U.S. President Joe Biden plans to visit communities devastated by Hurricane Helene later this week. At least 95 people are now confirmed dead after high winds, torrential rain and flash flooding ripped through the Southeastern U.S.
The federal government has declared a public health emergency in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and will deploy disaster and medical teams to assist states in their recovery.
Catastrophic flooding is still an issue in places like North Carolina, where much of the historic city of Asheville has been completely swamped, as you can see there. Millions without power. It is unclear when it will be restored.
Hundreds of people are missing or unaccounted for, but officials expect that number to drop once communications are restored. CNN's Rafael Romo is in North Carolina with more on the destruction wrought by Helene.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Buncombe County officials news on Sunday, saying that --
ROMO (voice-over): -- at least 30 people have died in this county alone, which means that the figure at the state level is now 36. And officials say that in the Southeast, the states that were hit by the hurricane and the subsequent storm, are now more than 90.
And what we have seen in Asheville --
ROMO: -- here where we are in many streets like this one behind me, covered in mud.
ROMO (voice-over): There's debris everywhere and people trying to cope, because it's been very difficult for officials to deliver the aid that is badly needed by people.
Governor Roy Cooper from North Carolina said that they're trying to get to those communities not only here, but communities in the mountains around here. Some of them are in inaccessible, because the roads are impassable.
And one alternative -- and this is what the governor is -- says that they've been doing is airlifting water and food and basic necessities to those people. And so, they have developed a system by which they bring all the supplies here. And from here, they distribute those things.
Now, we have been talking to people here that tell us that, for the time being, they're OK.
ROMO: But as time goes on, it is going to be more and more difficult to find food. There are many gas stations. There's one right next to where we are that are not operational. There are others --
ROMO (voice-over): -- that are running out of fuel and many people desperate, going to different places to try to get the fuel.
And the reality is that these people, it's going to take a while to get running water. Officials say that they're trying their best to bring the water system back up and running, but they were trying to fix water main breaks before they can stabilize the pressure. The water pressure in the system.
[00:20:03]
And then the third step would be to actually turn the system back on.
Also, power remains a problem for most of the population. And we have learned that at least two cell phone carriers are bringing satellite trucks that are going to provide relief, because people are unable to communicate with loved ones who live in other parts of the country and other states to let them know that they're OK.
Just to give you an idea, the governor said that more than 1,000 reports of missing people. That's what authorities have received in the last few days alone.
ROMO: Rafael Romo, CNN, Asheville, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: In the coming hours, Donald Trump is expected to visit South Georgia, where he will be briefed on Helene's devastation.
The former president is sending his condolences to those affected while at a campaign rally in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
He also launched into his political opponent once again over her weekend fundraising and again accused Kamala Harris of being, quote, "mentally impaired."
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Sad. But Lyin' Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way. There's something wrong with Kamala. And I just don't know what it is, but there is definitely something missing. And you know what? Everybody knows it.
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And Trump spent much of his campaign speech on Sunday railing against the U.S. vice president on immigration issues. He says Harris should be impeached for failing to secure the border.
Meanwhile, Harris concluded her West Coast swing with a rally in Nevada, a state she believes is part of her many paths to 270 electoral votes.
The U.S. vice president taking a dig at Trump's business acumen while using the event to strengthen her support among Latino voters. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Small businesses are the backbone of America's economy. We know that. We know. And Latina small business owners are the fastest growing segment of our economy.
So, my plan is about tapping into that ambition, those aspirations, those dreams, those incredible ideas, that strong work ethic that people have. Also understand that not everybody gets handed $4 million on a silver platter and files for bankruptcy six times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The Harris campaign said it raised $55 million from two fundraisers in California this weekend. Still to come on the program, fears of that wider war in the Middle East grow as Beirut suffers a direct hit, but Hezbollah is vowing to continue its fight against Israel.
The far-right Freedom Party won the most votes in Austria's general election on Sunday. But the question is, will any other party be willing to join them in a governing coalition? We'll have that story and more after the break.
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[00:25:57]
HOLMES: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
We are continuing to follow developments in the Middle East, where Israel continues to escalate attacks across the Lebanese border.
It is now 7:25 a.m. there.
Israeli airstrikes hit within the city limits of Beirut Sunday for the first time since Israel's war with Hamas began last year.
Video shows the chaos and fear unfolding for Lebanese civilians in the capital following the attack Monday morning. It comes after days of intensifying strikes, which Lebanese officials say killed more than 100 people on Sunday alone and more than 1,000 since the strikes began.
The World Food Programme warning that, quote, "Lebanon is at a breaking point, with an estimated 1 million people displaced by the Israeli attacks." That's around a fifth of the population.
Some families sleeping in the streets, as you see, struggling to find food or clean water.
Pope Francis calling for an immediate ceasefire.
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POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Defense always has to be proportionate to the attack. When there is something disproportionate, you can see a tendency to dominate that goes beyond morality; a country that, with its force, does these things.
Any country, I mean, that does these things in such an exaggerated way. They are immoral actions. Even in war, there is a morality to respect.
War is immoral, but the rules of war indicate some morality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Steven Cook is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of "The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East."
Always good to see you, sir. Israel says it wants Hezbollah back behind the Litani River some miles North of the border. Can you see Israel going ahead with a ground operation on Lebanese soil to enforce that. And what would be the risk versus reward?
STEVEN COOK, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Yes, this is now the crucial decision for the Israel Defense Forces.
And apparently, there's some debate within the senior command about -- about doing this. The upside is, of course, pushing Hezbollah back North of the Litani River, which is about 18 miles North of the frontier, which would prevent an October 7th-style attack, as well as making it possible for his blood to use anti-tank munitions against Israeli towns and communities along that border.
Many of the buildings in some of those Northern towns have just been hammered by Hezbollah using these kinds of weapons. The downside is, of course, we've seen this before.
Israel invaded Lebanon in the early 1980s. It ended up being an 18- year occupation of the Southern part of the country for no real strategic gain. And almost 300 Israeli soldiers and thousands of Israel's allied militias in the South. Their soldiers were killed, as well.
So, some members of the IDF senior command believe this to be a deathtrap and want the Israeli Air Force to continue to pound Hezbollah and hopefully re-establish deterrence.
HOLMES: Yes. I mean, the leadership is weakened. There is still perhaps up to 40,000 Hezbollah fighters who are well seasoned, who could enter the fray.
Back in July, you said Hezbollah posed an even bigger threat to the general Israeli public than the actions of Hamas on October 7th.
Do you think that's behind how widespread this Israeli action has been? And is this, in a way, an opportunity for Israel to do what it's wanted to do for a long time, as opposed to being an immediate security imperative?
COOK: Yes, I think that the Israelis are now in the mode where they have Hezbollah back on its heels and now want to grind them down.
Despite the successes of the last few weeks, Hezbollah still has tens of thousands of rockets and missiles that can fire on Israel.
Now, there is a strategy here. The Israelis have taken out a lot of the rocket and missile launchers that Hezbollah can use, making it more difficult to use those munitions.
[00:30:03]
But that doesn't mean that they can't use them. In addition to the fact, as you point out, there's still tens of thousands of Hezbollah fighters out there.
So, the Israelis will likely want to press their advantage in order to do much, much more damage than they otherwise might have done.
HOLMES: Yes. Our own Ben Wedeman wrote a piece today on CNN.com. And I actually just want to quote the final line from that piece and get your thoughts.
He said this: "Beware of those who promise a new dawn, the birth of a new Middle East, a new balance of power in the region, Lebanon is a microcosm of all that can go wrong. It is the land of unintended consequences."
Given Lebanon's history and Israel's own experiences there, as you just talked about, is that fair warning?
COOK: Oh, absolutely. And Ben has spent so much time in the region that he really does know the region and Lebanon very, very well.
Look, there are some people who are suggesting that, now with Hezbollah greatly weakened, that now is an opportunity for the Lebanese government to reassert its control over the country.
Lots of things have to happen in order for that to -- to come true. And as Ben said, there are unintended consequences as a result of what the Israelis have done.
Let's not forget the fact that new leadership could quickly emerge for Hezbollah. The Iranians could help rebuild this arsenal. Or to the extent that the Israelis have destroyed parts of this arsenal.
This is, by no means, the end of Hezbollah. And the idea that the Lebanese are somehow -- some new dawn is emerging right now. Maybe, possibly, but that's a lower -- it's a lower probability then some new leadership in Hezbollah emerging and living to fight another day.
HOLMES: Yes, great point. In many ways, all roads lead back to Gaza in this conflict, as well. Hezbollah, of course, says it only started firing October 8 in support of Palestinians in Gaza as that war began.
And it would stop firing if there was a ceasefire in Gaza. That's what they say. I mean, can the two fronts, Gaza and Lebanon, be decoupled? Or are they inextricably linked?
COOK: Well, I think the Israelis are trying to decouple the two.
First, when it comes to Gaza, the Israelis have been saying that major combat operations are over. They will, of course, maintain a presence there.
They will, of course, maintain security operations there as they have been doing, but they are turning their attention increasingly to Hezbollah.
And I think the idea in Lebanon is to so damage Hezbollah and instill so much fear in Hezbollah fighters that Israel re-establishes its deterrence.
So, regardless of what's happening in Gaza, Hezbollah's hand is stayed.
HOLMES: Always good to get your analysis, Steven Cook. Thank you so much.
COOK: Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: Austrian voters gave the far-right Freedom Party a first general election victory on Sunday. The FPO was projected to take just over 29 percent of the vote, with the ruling Austrian People's Party, the OVP, just over 26 percent; and center-left Social Democrats 20.4.
FPO leader Herbert Kickl said that his party had made history, but the ruling OVP leader warned his party would not join a coalition that included the controversial far-right figure.
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(CHANTING)
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HOLMES: Protestors gathered there after the vote, shouting "Nazis get out of the Parliament." And one expressed fear of a government that would set the country back significantly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHANNA FRANZ, AUSTRIAN PROTESTOR (through translator): That means social cuts for Austria. That means lower salaries. That means a catastrophe, especially for migrants and for women who are demonstrating in favor of abortion. Again, we started demonstrating 40 years ago, and I can't do it anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Hope is fading in the search for survivors off the coast of the Canary Islands. A boat crowded with migrants sank overnight.
Spanish officials say it could be the worst such incident they've seen in the last 30 years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): Scanning the sea for any signs of life. Members of the Spanish Coast Guard search for survivors after a migrant boat capsized near the Canary Islands.
Officials say up to 90 people were on board the vessel, which tipped over when rescuers tried to provide assistance.
ANSELMO PESTANA, CANARY ISLAND'S GOVERNMENT DELEGATE (through translator): When the Coast Guard approached the boat, some of the migrants stood up and caused the boat to become unbalanced, capsize. And many of them fell into the sea.
HOLMES: Some 50 people are missing. Rescuers say wind and poor visibility hampered their search operations. And there are fears that those lost at sea have already perished.
CANDELARIA DELGADO, CANARY ISLAND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE (through translator): If all the predictions become a reality of those who were on that boat, it would be the biggest crisis, the most dramatic we've experienced over the last 30 years in the Canary Islands.
[00:35:04]
HOLMES: Authorities say the migrants came from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal on a route from West Africa to the Canary Island's that migrants are using with increasing frequency.
The European Union's border agency says crossings like this are up 154 percent from January to July, compared to last year.
According to Spain's interior ministry. Over 26,000 migrants have arrived illegally in the Canary Island's since the beginning of the year.
A perilous journey often made out of desperation that, as this void shows, can end in tragedy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Still to come on the program, new economic data in China shows Beijing has more work ahead if it wants to hit its goals. We'll break down the numbers in a live report, coming up.
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[00:38:00]
HOLMES: More economic stimulus is expected in China after disappointing measures of factory activity and services expansion in September.
It comes amid moves from China's central bank and government officials to reverse the trend. But the question remains if it will be enough for Beijing to hit their growth target with the end of the year closing in quickly.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following the story for us from Hong Kong. Good to see you, my friend.
After what was a pretty explosive market rally on Friday, how are investors taking in the latest data about China's economy?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Yes, investors have looked pretty happy so far, but it's a complicated situation here. Look, investors, they're weighing China's stimulus blitz that we've learned in the last few days, but also, they're taking into account weak data coming out of the world's second-largest economy.
This morning, we received the data about manufacturing activity, and it contracted for the fifth consecutive month.
But on Sunday, we also learned -- this is according to China's central bank -- that it would start cutting existing mortgage rates. And on top of that, we've learned that three Chinese mega-cities -- Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Guangzhou -- are lifting curbs for homebuyers.
On Friday, that was when there was an explosive stock market rally after China unveiled a major stimulus package. So, this Monday, let's take a look at the markets. Bring up the live data for you.
We're keeping an eye on the Shanghai composite, as well as the Hong Kong Hang Seng. And if we can bring up the data for you, you can see that it has been trading higher.
The Shanghai composite up almost 6 percent. Here in Hong Kong, the index here rising about three and a third.
I do want to note that markets across China will be closed tomorrow for the Golden Week holiday.
Look, China has been facing a number of economic challenges, including weak consumer spending; including an ongoing and prolonged property slump; including rising local government debt. And for months, economists have been asking Chinese officials and asking Beijing to do more.
[00:40:02]
And it appears that Beijing is finally heeding that call. Last week, the Politburo -- this is China's top decision-making body -- vowed more stimulus to reach China's annual growth target of around 5 percent.
And investors cheered, and economists cheered the news, as well.
I'm going to bring up some comments from Bruce Pang. He's the chief economist, China, for Jones Lang LaSalle, and he says this: quote, "A pickup in government spending will probably be sufficient to drive a turnaround in business confidence market sentiment, and economic activities, helping China to catch up with potential trend growth," unquote.
Now, the pledge from the Politburo, that came days after the central bank of China unveiled a major stimulus package. In fact, so major it was the most aggressive stimulus package China's unveiled since the pandemic.
But experts point out this is not going to be a quick and easy fix. It will take time for the stimulus measures to filter through so investors, even though they're rallying somewhat this Monday, they may have to embrace for more painful data to come in the coming months.
And Michael, there is another challenge for China, which is the challenge of more Western trade curves (ph). The United States is set to slap more tariffs on Chinese products, including electric vehicles. And also, the EU will soon make a final decision on tariffs for E.V.'s made in China.
Back to you, Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Good to see you, Kristie. Thank you. Kristie Lu Stout there.
STOUT: You got it.
HOLMES: Now, a member of the boyband, the supergroup BTS, is paying the price for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.
A judge has fined K-pop star Suga 15 million won. That's around eleven and a half thousand U.S. dollars.
The songwriter and rapper apologized for the incident back in August, calling it careless and wrong behavior.
Two Boeing Starliner astronauts stranded on the International Space Station are one step closer to finally coming home. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft arrived at the station on Sunday and
will bring Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth next year.
It launched from Florida on Saturday, carrying a NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut, but not without a hitch. SpaceX revealing that the upper portion of the Falcon 9 rocket ran into some trouble after it broke away from the capsule, prompting the company to pause flights until it can figure out what went wrong.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. Stick around for WORLD SPORT. And I'll see you with more news in about 15 minutes or so.
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