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Eight Israeli Soldiers Killed in Southern Lebanon Says IDF; Ukraine Confirms Russian Troops Captured Vuhledar; Four Journalists Prosecuted in Russia for Ties to Navalny Team; U.S. World War II-era Bomb Detonates at Japanese Airport; 100+ People Accuse Sean Combs of More Sex Crimes; Experts Say Painting Found by Junk Dealer is Likely by Picasso; Round-the-world Voyage Stopped After Launch. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 03, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:33]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and to everyone streaming us on CNN. Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead. Israeli air strikes rock central Beirut sending terrified residents into the streets. We will have a live report on the latest from the region.

Deranged Jack Smith. Donald Trump responds to new explosive evidence just unsealed in his January 6 criminal case.

And no power or water. U.S. officials say Hurricane Helene's recovery and cleanup could take months.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. And we begin this hour in Beirut, Lebanon, where Israeli air strikes once limited to the southern suburbs are now hitting the heart of the city. It's the first time Israel has struck the center of the capital since its war with Lebanon in 2006. The latest strike on a multi-storey building in Beirut killed at least six people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

And left the structure blackened and in ruins. A resident of the neighborhood tells CNN, the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority had an office there, and the area is known to be dominated by the group's Shia allies.

Well, meantime, the Lebanese Foreign Minister told CNN Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day temporary ceasefire just days before he was killed by an Israeli air strike. Abdallah BouHabib told CNN, a senior White House adviser was then set to go to Lebanon to negotiate the ceasefire.

And CNN's Paula Hancock joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, what more are you learning about these latest Israeli strikes on central Beirut?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary. This happened just after midnight, local time, and it was in the Bashura neighborhood of central Beirut, very close to downtown, about a kilometer from the parliament there. So, it's certainly an area that we have not seen targeted since the war back in 2006. There was one other strike in the -- at the Kola intersection which was within the city limits of Beirut on Monday.

But it really has been mostly focused on the southern suburbs which are Hezbollah stronghold. So, this particular strike was on a building that did have a Hezbollah affiliated authority within it, called the Islamic health authority. We know that that was one of the flaws within that building itself. But it is obviously putting those in central Beirut on even more of an edge, given you've got many hundreds of thousands who are displaced at this point.

A million throughout the whole country and they came many from southern Lebanon, believing that central Beirut would be a safer option for them. So, this is certainly of great concern to civilians within Beirut itself. Now, when it comes to the fighting in southern Lebanon, we understand from both Israel and Hezbollah that there has been harsh fighting, close range engagements.

We're hearing from the IDF saying that they've destroyed more than 150 Hezbollah sites. Hezbollah itself saying that they have carried out more than two dozen strikes against Israeli soldiers in that area. The Lebanese army say that they believe the Israeli troops have gone into southern Lebanon three times but have withdrawn after that. Israel also suffering its first loss of life from this grand incursion with eight soldiers being killed. Rosemary?

CHURCH: And Paula, the region is on edge, waiting for a response from Israel to Iran's ballistic missile attack on Tuesday. Some Israeli officials calling for a strike on Iran's nuclear sites. What are you hearing about this?

HANCOCKS: Well, we've heard from the Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon at this point and he has said that they're weighing up options at this point, but it will be a very strong, painful response and it will be soon. But he also pointed out that it had to be a calculated response because Israel does not want a full-on war with Iran. And he said he doesn't believe that Iran wants a full-on war with Israel either.

[02:05:05]

So, at this point we wait and we see what they will be targeting at this point. The U.S. President Joe Biden was asked specifically about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you support an attack on Iran's nuclear sites by Israel?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The answer is no. They have a right to respond, but they should respond in proportion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now two senior administration officials tell CNN that this is slightly different this time around that Biden administration officials are not privately telling Israeli officials to hold back the way that they did after Iran's attack on Israel in April. At that point, the U.S. was pushing Israel to show restraint, which it did, in a very targeted response after Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel.

And there was a real sense that the U.S. was trying to tell Israel and President Biden said it in as many words, you should take the win, the fact that this did not impact Israel in a large way. The fact that it was repelled this attack, that doesn't appear to be the case this time around because the Iranian attack used 200 ballistic missiles, according to Tehran and It was a more significant attack against Israel itself.

So, the concern is, of course, about the response that Israel will carry out. We've heard the prime minister saying Iran made a big mistake and they will retaliate. Rosemary?

CANNING (voice-over): All right. Our thanks to Paula Hancocks for that live report from Abu Dhabi.

Clara Broekaert is a research fellow at the Soufan Center and she joins me now from New York. Appreciate you being with us.

CLARA BROEKAERT, RESEARCH FELLOW, SOUFAN CENTER: Pleasure to be here. So, Iran's attack on Israel represented a much bigger threat than their attack back in April. This time involving nearly 200 ballistic missiles and now the world waits for a response from Israel, with Prime Minister Netanyahu vowing to make Iran pay. Now, some Israeli officials are even calling on Netanyahu to strike at Iranian nuclear sites.

What Israeli response are you expecting given what we know so far?

BROEKAERT: First of all, I will say Israel is absolutely going to retaliate today. At U.N. there were calls for diplomatic resolutions. Netanyahu has vowed for a powerful and swift response to Iran's attack. It's facing significant pressure on different fronts to respond. Israel had built successful momentum in the region, and Iran successfully disrupted the momentum. Israel had building in the days after it successfully assassinated Nasrallah.

Currently, Iran is attacking Israel, while Israel is attacking targets in Lebanon, Damascus, Yemen. And Israel will now to attempt -- will attempt, to gain the pre-Iran attack momentum. And I suspect they will keep betting on the escalate -- to deescalate strategy which they have been following in the -- in the previous weeks. The fact we saw eight Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon in the past few days will put extra pressure on Netanyahu to act against Iran by the Israeli general public. I think there are a couple of different options available to Israel at this point. CHURCH: Now, U.S. President Joe Biden has given a hard no to Israel targeting Iran's nuclear sites, but Netanyahu has been ignoring U.S. calls to avoid expanding this war and has made it very clear that he has no intention of accepting that 21-day ceasefire that's still on the table. What happens if Netanyahu goes ahead and strikes Iran's nuclear sites?

BROEKAERT: Well then -- well, first of all, let's take a look at what Iran is saying at this point in a lot of Iran-aligned telegram groups and outlets. Today, there was talk about what would happen if Israel retaliates and strikes any of its refineries, oil refineries or nuclear facilities. And they're saying, well, if that's done, we're going to strike back and we're going to target oil refineries throughout the Middle East that are in U.S. partner countries such as Saudi Arabia, such as Bahrain.

So, what we're seeing is Iran knows Israel is going to retaliate and they're already preemptively putting a message out. We are going to respond.

CHURCH: And given the U.S. has been making it very clear that an escalation of this war is not acceptable. But Netanyahu is ignoring those cause, isn't he? Why isn't President Biden do you think using his considerable leverage to rein in Netanyahu?

BROEKAERT: Well, I think Biden has, for example, like he stated today alongside the other G7 countries, said, you know, we understand Israel need to respond to -- respond to this. But I think Biden has, for example, like he stated today, alongside the other G7 countries said, you know, we understand Israel need to respond to the -- respond to this, but only proportionally so.

[02:10:11]

What we cannot have is Israel starting to target nuclear facilities, oil refineries. Imagine oil refineries are being hit, what the impact would be on the global energy market just weeks before a really important U.S. presidential election. So, I think you know, what we have seen in the past months as well of the war is Netanyahu knows that the U.S. at this point is kind of a lame duck. Hard to say, but it is that way it has.

Netanyahu and his cabinet have repeatedly kind of gone against exactly the recommendations made by the Biden administration here in the United States.

CHURCH: And as you point out, Iran is saying that if Israel responds militarily, it will hit back even harder with a stronger response. And we already know that Iran has some 3000 ballistic missiles in its arsenal. So, where will all this likely go, this cycle of violence and this tit for tat strikes?

BROEKAERT: Well, that's a really good question. I think what you're seeing is we're moving away from now a tit for tat kind of dynamic to and on, potentially an all-out war with Israeli boots on the ground in Lebanon. I'm really concerned about that possibility. Unfortunately, from kind of my perspective here, I think Israeli is acting in a little bit of a self-defeating manner.

Of course, it had every right to respond to the horrific attacks of October 7th. But for example, a recent analysis found that public perceptions of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader that Israel killed a couple of days ago have grown more positive across the Middle East since his death, even among Sunni Muslim communities. So, while Israel may have some tactical wins, you know, they took out Haniyeh, they took out Nasrallah.

Strategically, they might be losing the plot if people even, you know, Sunny Muslim communities throughout the Middle East are becoming more sympathetic towards a character like Hassan Nasrallah.

CHURCH: Clara Broekaert, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

BROEKAERT: Thank you.

CHURCH: The judge in Donald Trump's 2020 election subversion case has unsealed a court filing detailing the government's evidence. It's offering the fullest picture yet of the prosecution's case against the former president. The 165-page document from the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith was previously filed under seal and was only made public with some information redacted. CNN's Paula Reid has more.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This filing is the first time the public is getting to see Special Counsel Jack Smith's full argument for why he believes former President Trump was acting in his private capacity when he allegedly tried to undermine the 2020 election. Now this is important because the Supreme Court ruled in July that Trump cannot be prosecuted for things he did in his official capacity or for official acts.

So, prosecutors in this filing emphasizing things that Trump did as an office seeker, not an office holder, saying "at its core, the defendant's scheme was a private one. He extensively used private actors and his campaign infrastructure to attempt to overturn the election results, and operated in a private capacity as a candidate for office."

This new filing also includes some never-before-seen evidence, including conversations he had with then Vice President Mike Pence and his White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows. It's unclear, though, if the prosecutors will be successful in using that because the Supreme Court also said you can't use anything you do in your official capacity as evidence, and those are, of course, two of the President's top advisers.

This is all coming out because the judge overseeing this case, Judge Tanya Chutkan, is allowing this to be released. Special Counsel submitted nearly 200 pages detailing his argument, but it was up to the judge to allow this to be released. Lawyers for former President Trump have objected to the release of this evidence, especially so close to the election, and after it was disclosed today, they started shifting to political arguments. Trump arguing that this was, "a political hit job," and then the campaign framing it as an effort to interfere with the election. Now they write in a statement, "the release of the falsehood ridden unconstitutional January 6 brief immediately following Tim Walz's disastrous debate performance is another obvious attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to undermine American democracy and interfere in this election.

This is similar to the arguments we've heard across all of Trump's four criminal cases. They have repeatedly argued that he is somehow the target of some effort to interfere with the November election. But it is important to note that it was up to the federal judge to release this, not the special counsel.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

[02:15:10]

CHURCH: When we come back, why it's so hard to get supplies to those suffering in the wake of Hurricane Helene. We're back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: After days of slow walking toward the island, Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taiwan just a short time ago. The storm already dumped one meter of rainfall in some areas before coming ashore with half a meter more expected as it moves inland. The typhoon now has winds of close to 135 kilometers an hour, significantly slower than earlier in the week. But Taiwan's President still warns of potentially catastrophic damage.

U.S President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris split their time on Wednesday visiting states impacted by Hurricane Helene and now facing monumental recovery. The President visited North and South Carolina, where he took an aerial tour of the devastation. Those are two states hit hardest by Helene. And the President assured leaders the federal government support would continue.

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BIDEN: The United States, the nation has your back. The nation has your back. We're not leaving your back on your feet completely. My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced the unthinkable loss, but we're here for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, Vice President Harris toured some of the damage in the state of Georgia. She updated officials and the public on FEMA's disaster relief efforts and announced that President Biden has approved Georgia's request to be 100 percent reimbursed by the federal government for storm damage costs. Harris promised that residents would receive continued support amid the immense loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAMALA HARRIS (D) UNITED STATES DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There is real pain and trauma that has resulted because of this hurricane and what has happened in terms of the aftermath of it. And so, my final point to the -- to the residents of this community and the region is that we are here for the long haul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: It is becoming more evident every day that some communities affected by Hurricane Helene may never be the same again. CNN's Gary Tuchman spoke with residents in a hard to access area near North Carolina's Green River. And while some already have plans to rebuild, others have not yet decided what their next step may be.

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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I walk with a man who plans to deliver two five-gallon cans of gasoline and food to a friend whose storm damaged house is at the bottom of a North Carolina gorge.

[02:20:08]

The only road in and out was largely destroyed in the storm. So now you can only leave via emergency helicopter or by taking a vigorous and muddy three-mile hike out about 1000 feet up.

TUCHMAN (on camera): It will undoubtedly be a very long time before our vehicles are safely able to use this road again.

Josh, how much farther do you think we have here?

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The man I'm walking with, Josh Parker, hasn't been able to get in touch with his friend Brian and is worried. We run into other civilians who have been hiking down in order to help survivors who are either stranded or don't want to leave.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got hell of chainsaws on there. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): As we approach the bottom of the Green River Cove gorge, we run into Fred Ruddock. He was among many gorge residents who rode out the storm.

FRED RUDDOCK, GREEN RIVER CORVE RESIDENT: The older people would infirmities have been airlifted out my place, total loss, but --

TUCHMAN (on camera): I'm sorry.

RUDDOCK: I expected that.

TUCHMAN (on camera): I'm sorry about it, man.

RUDDOCK: But I'm alive and my loved ones are alive and getting folk and such. So, we got everybody --

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN (on camera): I'm glad you're OK.

RUDDOCK: -- safe that night.

TUCHMAN (on camera): I'm glad you're OK.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): We arrive at the bottom after about 90 minutes of hiking. Houses, R.V.s, cars, trucks destroyed. Roads have disappeared into the Green River, which is now so wide it's unrecognizable to residents.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Your house, you can tell, is beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was. We'll get it back there again.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Are you going to rebuild?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, if they let us. We don't even know what's -- yes.

TUCHMAN (on camera): If they allow you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): As we make our way farther into the gorge, a helicopter starts flying directly towards us. Aboard the chopper are members of the South Carolina helicopter aquatic rescue team. Two of the rescuers being repelled down to the ground to make sure people are okay. As of now, there have been no reports of deaths in the gorge or serious injuries. We see Fred Ruddock again at his property. He was in his home when the storm hit, but found higher ground.

TUCHMAN (on camera): This is where your house was before the storm?

RUDDOCK: Yes, sir. This is where my house was. The front corner to kitchen, right across that monkey grass dorby facing right at us, just to the left of that push mower.

TUCHMAN (on camera): OK. And there's this huge tree.

RUDDOCK: Yes. The house got pivoting.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Here's what it is.

(CROSSTALK)

RUDDOCK: -- turn to arrive there against those trees before this debris trap that -- so it didn't continue going down and around back into the river like post debris did here.

TUCHMAN (on camera): It was incredible.

RUDDOCK: It's incredible. I mean, it was epic. It's sad. I mean, I pretty much lost everything.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The house has been in Fred's family for more than a half century. His late grandmother lived there.

RUDDOCK: I wholly intend to rebuild. I feel like my sweet grandma Katie would have expected me to do so. She got me hooked on these white wire rivers and the lovely great outdoors. This was beyond my control, Grandma Katie.

TUCHMAN (on camera): So, you're doing this for your grandma, for yourself? This is your life.

RUDDOCK: This is it. This is in my blood.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Before hiking out of the gorge, Josh Parker finally gets to his friend Brian's house, only to find he's not there. We are told Brian was airlifted out just hours earlier when his health became a concern.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you want to leave the gasoline here anyway?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to leave it for somebody.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Yes. Somebody can use it.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Brian's dog, Maggie (ph), wasn't taken on the chopper, but volunteers are about to take Maggie on the long hike out of the muddy gorge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: So how long will it take to rebuild and repair this gorge community? Well, even if it was the only community in the state of North Carolina to suffer damages, it will undoubtedly take a very long time because the damages are so extensive, but this is one of many communities in the state with similar problems. So, people we've talked to there realize that it's very likely it will take years to get back to normalcy.

Gary Tuchman, CNN in Saluda, North Carolina.

CHURCH: Earlier I spoke with Craig Fugate, a former FEMA Administrator, about the recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene. He says there may be plenty of supplies available to affected communities but the biggest hurdle emergency responders are facing is how to get those supplies to people who need them most.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG FUGATE, FORMER FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: When people are asking the governor, are -- is there anything you're not getting? Their answer is -- we're getting what we need. It's the challenge of getting into these areas when the roads are cut off. That's why you're seeing a lot of helicopters, especially from the National Guard and other groups, flying supplies into these areas. But the big issue was the devastation to the road networks and the fact that these areas were cut off.

CHURCH: I mean, one of the biggest problems is getting clean water to a lot of these people. I mean -- and it's just tragic when you're thinking people in this day and age are waiting to get access to water. Could there be maybe more air drops to some of these people?

[02:25:00]

FUGATE: Well, again, you're looking at it from the standpoint of, you know, what's being pushed in the area, what's being handed out and getting to those folks. But this is something that we also don't usually see. Is the entire water supply for Asheville being damaged and not working? So, this is a huge undertaking. And again, FEMA job supporting the governor governors, working with local officials, and getting it to that last mile, to that last driveway, is the challenge, because even where you can use helicopters, they have to have a place to land.

And they're not able to get to each individual home. In some of these areas, the homes are not close together, so that makes it even more difficult to get aid to those households.

CHURCH: So, what is the solution in this sort of situation? Because, I mean, you don't want to see people actually suffering, perhaps even dying because they're not getting access to water.

FUGATE; Well, this is a disaster. I mean, that's -- I think we got to remember, this is not something that you would just drive in and hand things out. This is a disaster area where they are still doing search and rescue operations. They're still trying to get the people that may be cut off and isolated, and they're still trying to get enough supplies in there to keep people going.

So, it's not going to get back to normal anytime soon, and the emphasis is still on search and rescue and lifesaving activities and getting those supplies in there and getting them distributed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And you can see my entire conversation with Craig Fugate next hour right here on CNN.

Coming up. As the Israel-Hezbollah war ramps up, there are growing fears of a wider war in the region. We'll have details just ahead.

Plus, Russian troops raise their flag over a small town in Ukraine that could have a big impact on their future military moves. We'll have that and more in just a Moment.

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CHURCH: You are looking at live pictures out of Beirut. Smoke continues to rise over the city after Israeli air strikes shook the center of the city overnight. The country's health ministry says at least six people were killed and several others wounded on Wednesday. The airstrike landed in an area where displaced people had sought refuge from bombings elsewhere. One resident says the strike hit the Hezbollah affiliated Islamic Health Authority Office Building.

Meantime, Lebanese citizens escaping the Israeli air strikes are arriving at Cyprus's airport daily. Several countries are also ramping up efforts to evacuate their nationals from the country amid the escalating conflict.

Well, meanwhile, Israeli military officials say eight soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. CNN's Nic Robertson has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:30:06]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Israel's long slog into Lebanon turning deadly for the IDF on its second day. The limited, localized, targeted raids as the IDF characterizes them, triggering fierce resistance. Helicopters inside Israel picking up the casualties; a nearby trauma hospital declaring a mass casualty event. The IDF confirming eight dead and several others injured in attacks, Hezbollah claims took place in three villages.

Hours earlier, overlooking the area of at least one of the attacks --

ORA HATAN, NORTHERN ISRAEL RESIDENT: Jabal el Blat and behind it -- (inaudible).

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israeli border resident, Ora Hatan, already worrying about the troops.

HATAN: I think that it's very dangerous to the army to go to the Lebanon because many, many traps waiting for them.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): She refused to evacuate last year, was busy preparing the troops' holiday dinner for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and hopeful their raids would bring her respite from Hezbollah attacks.

HATAN: I feel more safe, I feel more protected because of the army inside.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The whole country however, entering a new era of uncertainty following Iran's ballistic missile attack Tuesday. The United States and other allies blunting the impact, intercepting the majority of the fast, long-range, high-explosive ballistic missiles.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay for it. We will stand by the rule established -- whoever attacks us, we will attack them.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israeli officials say all the bases targeted are fully operational, including their long-range combat mission airfield. The scale of Israel's response likely determining the pace of escalation. Israel's combat operations on other fronts continuing uninterrupted. Palestinian health officials claiming Israeli strikes killed more than 90 Palestinians in Gaza Wednesday, as a new operation against Hamas opened up in Khan Younis.

In Syria, smoke rising after a strike near Damascus, unclaimed by Israel but blamed on them by Syrian state media. Airstrikes continuing deeper into Lebanon too, targets in Beirut and beyond. Civilians in parts of the capital warned by the IDF to evacuate their homes as the country's death toll passes 1,300 and a million people displaced.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Ukraine confirms the eastern town of Vuhledar is now in Russian hands. The Ukrainian military says its troops pulled out to avoid being encircled in a town that's largely reduced to ruins. Vuhledar is a coal mining center with a pre-war population of 14,000 people. But as Fred Pleitgen explains, it has an oversized importance in military terms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): This video shows soldiers raising the Russian flag on the City Council Building in a key Ukrainian town, Vuhledar in the eastern Donetsk region where today the Ukrainian army have announced their withdrawal. It was filmed a few days ago, but only released on October 1st. So why is all of this significant?

Well, Vuhledar sits about 30 miles south of Pokrovsk, which is sort of the main area of attack in the east of Ukraine where the Russians have really been pushing over the past couple of months. And the Russians have been trying to take Vuhledar for about two years now and taking significant losses. While it's not a transport or logistics hub, it has been seen as a critical intersection of Ukraine's eastern and southern fronts. There have been videos in the past of whole Russian armored columns destroyed by the Ukrainians.

But the fact that the Russians have now been able to take Vuhledar certainly shows that they do appear to have a good degree of momentum on the eastern front. It also calls into question Ukraine's own incursion into the Kursk area in the west of Russia and the Ukrainian say, it also shows how badly they need further Western military aid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Supporters clapped as four Russian journalists were led into a courtroom in Moscow for their trial, for their alleged ties with an "extremist organization." Prosecutors say the journalists created content for Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.

[02:35:00]

The late opposition leader's organization is banned in Russia, denounced as a foreign agent. Human rights advocates condemn the charges and Russia's wider crackdown on free speech, which has intensified since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If convicted, the journalists face up to six years in prison. A U.S. bomb from World War II that had been buried at a Japanese airport exploded on Wednesday. The blast created a large crater on a runway at an airport in southwestern Japan. More than 80 flights were canceled, but no injuries reported. Officials are trying to determine what caused the bomb to suddenly detonate after so many decades.

Well, more legal trouble coming for Sean "Diddy" Combs. Dozens of people are accusing the music mogul of sexual abuse and other sex crimes. Hear what their attorney told CNN about the allegations, that's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: About 120 men and women are now accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and numerous others sex crimes. The music mogul has already pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including sex trafficking. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister spoke with the accuser's attorney.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 100 new accusers plan to pursue legal claims against Sean "Diddy" Combs, according to their attorney.

TONY BUZBEE, ATTORNEY: These were people that were there, that were allegedly drugged and then allegedly raped, passed around, woke up the next morning just completely clueless about what had happened to them.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Combs denies the allegations. His lawyer telling CNN in part, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. Combs already faces a dozen civil lawsuits and has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Houston attorney, Tony Buzbee tells CNN he intends to file individual lawsuits against Combs for each of the 120 new accusers, some who he says have already spoken to the FBI.

WAGMEISTER: Do you have video evidence of your clients allegedly being sexually abused?

BUZBEE: It's full-on video of things happening that would never be appropriate for public viewing.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Buzbee says, he's in the process of collecting video, photos, text messages, medical records, and drug tests.

WAGMEISTER: Many of your clients have alleged to you that they were given a horse tranquilizer.

BUZBEE: You know, you hear that one time you think that's really strange. You hear it three or four or five times, all of a sudden you're like, holy -- well, what is going on here? WAGMEISTER (voice-over): In the indictment, federal authorities also accused Combs of drugging victims.

WAGMEISTER: They do not believe that Sean Combs acted alone.

[02:40:00]

BUZBEE: I do agree with the FBI and the federal authorities. I do think that there were a lot of individuals involved and a lot of entities involved.

WAGMEISTER: Household names? Are we talking about celebrities, executives, and the entertainment industry?

BUZBEE: All the above, yes.

WAGMEISTER: We've all heard about the white parties just because a celebrity is photographed wearing white out of Sean Combs' party does not mean that they are complicit in any criminal activity.

BUZBEE: White party comes up quite often and typically, later in the night, with the same MO, a drink -- drink laced with something in some cases.

WAGMEISTER: Was this all happening in plain sight at these parties?

BUZBEE: That's the allegation that people saw exactly what was going on and did nothing about it.

WAGMEISTER: Now, these new potential lawsuits come as Sean Combs is already incarcerated in a Brooklyn jail awaiting his criminal trial. The attorney tells me that out of these 120 new accusers, 60 are men and 60 are women. He also says that 25 of them alleged that they were minors at the time of these alleged incidents. The attorney says that he plans to start filing these lawsuits within the next 30 days. Back to you.

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CHURCH: A painting discovered decades ago by an Italian junk dealer is likely the work of Picasso, and experts say it's probably worth more than $6.6 million. The painting was discovered in 1962 on the Italian island of Capri in the basement of a villa. It's signed Pablo Picasso, but the junk dealer who found it didn't realize for years it was valuable and hung it in the family's home. But since they realized it might be of value in the 1980s, they have been on a decade's long journey to authenticate the signature on the artwork.

A cruise ship that was due to begin a round-the-world voyage back is May is still struggling to start its journey. The Villa Vie Odyssey set sail from Belfast in Northern Ireland Monday night after months of setbacks. But two days later, it was still anchored in a Belfast waterway due to what's been described as a paperwork issue. The ship's previous delays were blamed on the certification process taking longer than usual. But once everything gets sorted, the passengers will finally begin their 3.5-year voyage with their first stop in Northern France.

I want to thank you joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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