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At Least 87 Killed in Strike on Northern Gaza; Investigation Into Leaked U.S. Intelligence Docs Underway; Harris Sits Down for Interview with MSNBC's Al Sharpton; Trump Campaigns in Pennsylvania, Stages Work Stop in McDonald's; Cuba's Power Grid Collapses for Fourth Time Since Friday; North Korean Troops May Join Russian War in Ukraine; Elephant Community Inspires Message of Conservation. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired October 21, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome. I'm Anna Coren.
[00:00:30]
Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, Israel launches a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah-affiliated financial institutions.
Just over two weeks and counting. U.S. presidential candidates hit the campaign trail, hoping to find an edge in a race that's in a virtual dead heat.
And North Korean soldiers receive uniforms in Russia. What this could mean about Russia's two-and-a-half-year war on Ukraine.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Hong Kong, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Anna Coren.
COREN: We begin in the Middle East, where Israel is still bombarding Lebanon, launching a new wave of airstrikes on Sunday.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
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COREN: This video, geolocated by CNN, captures the moment a strike hit a building near Beirut's international airport, sending it crumbling to the ground.
You can see the airport in the background of another video, with plumes of smoke rising from a building in front.
The Israeli military says it's targeting financial institutions linked to Hezbollah. The Lebanese Health Ministry says more than 1,800 people have been killed since Israel ramped up attacks on the Iran-backed militant group last month.
But the IDF is vowing to continue defending the Israeli people, saying Hezbollah fired about 200 projectiles into Israel on Sunday. Well, meanwhile, an Israeli official says top Israeli and Egyptian intelligence officials discussed the stalled ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.
The head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency met Egypt's new intelligence chief on Sunday. Egypt has played a key role as mediator between Israel and Hamas for years, especially since the October 7th attacks.
The meeting comes after Israeli troops killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week.
Well, Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 87 people, including children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Northern Gaza on Saturday.
CNN's Matthew Chance has more now from Tel Aviv. And a warning: some of the images in his report are disturbing.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israeli forces patrolling the labyrinth of narrow streets in the central Gaza Strip. These latest images from the Israeli military, what they say is their continued activity amid the devastation to dismantle Hamas.
To the South in Rafah, where the Hamas leader was recently killed, drone footage of strikes of what Israel says are more Hamas fighters and infrastructure.
While across Gaza, civilians are paying a heavy price. At this hospital in the North of the Gaza Strip, an influx of casualties from a new Israeli strike at Bet Latnia (ph), where Palestinian health officials say dozens of people, including women and children, were killed.
Among the shrouded bodies of her family, this woman calls her father to grieve their loss. "I swear dad, nobody is left," she sobs.
Israel says the casualty figures are exaggerated and that they operate against Hamas in a precise and targeted manner. Eyewitnesses at the scene say the Israeli air strikes felt like an earthquake.
It was just Wednesday when an Israeli drone captured the final moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's life, his killing fueling hopes of a hostage release, even a ceasefire in Gaza and beyond.
In fact, the region seems to be plunging further into chaos, with Israel stepping up strikes, pressing deeper into neighboring Lebanon, hitting what it says are strongholds of Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Like here, the town of Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon.
Back in Israel, Hezbollah rockets have been striking the country's North. One drone even hitting near the Israeli prime minister's private House in the coastal town of Caesarea. He called it an assassination attempt by agents of Iran, vowing to press ahead with military action.
[00:05:04]
Iran denies involvement, and Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We're going to win this war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, will something deter you?
NETANYAHU: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Amid fears of an even wider, escalating war, all sides seem bent on pressing ahead.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: As the humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza, and land aid routes are cut off, countries are using air drops as a way of getting vital food into the enclave.
But Palestinians are describing the airdrops as dangerous and humiliating. One devastated family in central Gaza is speaking out after an air drop aid pallet killed their 3-year-old child.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They dropped parachutes of aid, and the aid killed our children. We don't want this aid. A little boy who is running for safety in his tent, a ton fell on him and killed him. Look at this little girl. Her mother was injured. What for? I don't want aid. My son is gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what our child died for: beans. Take your aid. We don't want it. Is this our dignity? Packs of tea? Packs of sugar?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Officials say an investigation is underway into the leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence on Israel's plans for retaliation against Iran.
But Israeli sources say this was a, quote, "minor league" that was unlikely to have been the work of an Iranian spy. CNN's Arlette Saenz has more.
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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. continues to investigate how exactly highly classified intelligence documents showing the U.S. assessing how Israel is planning to retaliate against Iran were leaked in public.
There are major questions about who had access to these documents and who might have leaked them. And also, whether there is any other highly sensitive information that could also potentially be leaked.
House Speaker Mike Johnson --
SAENZ (voice-over): -- confirmed the investigation and said that the leak is very concerning.
It comes at a time when the U.S. is trying to assess exactly how Israel will proceed as it's planning its response to Iran's barrage of missile attacks, which it had launched at Israel earlier this month.
Now, these documents started to surface on Friday after they were posted on Telegram. There are two documents that are marked "Top Secret" and also bear markings suggesting that they were only meant to be viewed by the U.S. and its so-called "Five Eyes" allies. That includes the U.K. and Canada.
Now, without getting into the specifics of these documents, they appear to show how the U.S. is assessing that Israel is preparing for its response.
SAENZ: That includes satellite imagery descriptions of Israel's military activities in preparation, as well as the movement of military equipment such as munitions.
Now, while the details of Israel preparing for a response against Iran are no surprise, the fact that these documents were leaked is a key concern to the U.S.
It comes at a delicate moment as the U.S. is trying to speak with Israel on a regular basis about their next steps. President Joe Biden has said that they -- he believes that he does have a sense of how and when Israel will be responding.
Now it's unclear whether this leak might cause Israel to change any of its plans. But this is something that the U.S. is trying to get a handle on, trying to figure out exactly how these documents were leaked at a very sensitive time.
Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, let's bring in Ryan Crocker, who joins us from England. He's a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria, and the distinguished chair in diplomacy and security at Rand Corporation.
Former ambassador, good to see you.
In the wake of Yahya Sinwar's death, the Biden administration said that now was the time for a ceasefire, an opportunity that both sides needed to grab that was immediately shot down by Hamas and Israel. What does that tell you about the direction of this war?
RYAN CROCKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: That the war is going to grind on. It's got two distinct fronts in Gaza with Hamas and in Lebanon with Hezbollah.
It seems that neither side is ready to call it quits or even accept a truce at this point. So, it's going to be a long, tough slog.
COREN: There is much talk, I guess, about the decapitation of Hamas and Hezbollah leadership in recent weeks.
We've heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu who says the balance power in the region has changed in Israel's favor. Do you agree with his assessment?
[00:10:05]
CROCKER: Sadly, I don't. We've seen decapitation before. I was ambassador to Lebanon back in 1992 when Israel killed Abbas Musawi, the predecessor of Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah only got stronger.
So, I think that what we see with Hezbollah and with Hamas are two organizations committed to their fight and prepared to decentralize operations considerably.
The rockets continue to fly across the border into Israel, even with the -- the operational command in Hezbollah, as you say, decapitated. I think they're ready for this, and they'll continue to fight.
COREN: Do you find Israel's over-confidence alarming?
CROCKER: I find it alarming if it is matched by a commensurate U.S. over-confidence. And we've seen this film before 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon in something called Operation Peace for Galilee to eliminate the PLO so-called military threat to Israel's Northern area.
That operation brought the birth of Hezbollah, not the end of violence. And it certainly did not bring peace for Galilee.
And there was a lot of confidence at that time. Something called the Reagan Initiative was launched, an ill-fated effort to bring broad peace to the Middle East by the United States, trying to build on the Israeli invasion.
We don't need to see that history repeated. This is the time to think small, to do everything we can, particularly in Gaza, for the sake of the remaining hostages; and in Lebanon, to try to bring about a ceasefire on the basis of an existing U.N. Security Council resolution.
This is not the time to try to remake the Middle East. It's the time to try to bring a pause to the fighting.
COREN: Well, Hamas's new leader is yet to be announced. But what do you foresee this group evolving into?
CROCKER: Well, I'm afraid that what we're going to see in Gaza is a prolonged Israeli military occupation and a grinding insurgency.
Hamas clearly foresaw the -- the -- the firestorm that their attack on October 7 would spark. I think they're ready for it. I think that they are looking at this as a very long game; that they're prepared to fight on, obviously, at a very reduced level.
But I -- what I see is, at best, perhaps a temporary pause in which it might be possible to get the hostages back.
But the Israelis, I think, are set for a prolonged occupation of Gaza. And Hamas, for its part, is prepared for a prolonged insurgency.
COREN: We are waiting for Israel to respond to Iran's missile attack on the 1st of October. Nuclear and oil facilities have reportedly been ruled out as targets.
But what are these tit-for-tat strikes going to achieve? And is there a risk of dragging the United States directly into this war?
CROCKER: I think the Biden administration has been very prudent in his posturing and his position on this, making it clear that it will do what it takes to defend Israel, but also resisting any impulse to become directly involved.
And for its part, I think Iran would certainly have the good sense not to attack United States assets directly in the region or elsewhere.
My fear in this direct engagement between Iran and Israel is that it will spark a decision in Iran to proceed with nuclear weaponization on an accelerated pace.
COREN: Former Ryan -- former Ambassador Ryan Crocker, we're -- we're going to have to leave it there, but we appreciate your time and your analysis. Thank you so much for joining us.
CROCKER: Thank you.
COREN: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have 15 days left to convince voters they're the right choice to lead the United States for the next four years.
Polling shows the race is historically close, and the candidates are hitting the campaign trail hard, trading barbs and sometimes personal attacks as they look to pick up the support they each need to pull ahead in the race.
The entire election will likely come down to just a few key battleground states. Well, that's where Harris, Trump and their running mates spent their weekend and where they will be focusing their attention in the coming days.
Well, Kamala Harris spent her day in Georgia at a church in suburban Atlanta. Supporters sang to the vice president as she marked her 60th birthday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:15:05]
COREN: Well, Harris urged Georgians to cast their ballots as soon as they can, and she sat down for a conversation with MSNBC's Al Sharpton, where she explained why she feels Donald Trump is simply not fit to lead the country.
Eva McKend has more.
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EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: In an interview with Al Sharpton, the vice president arguing, when the former president demeans her, he is denigrating --
MCKEND (voice-over): -- the office of the presidency and that he lacks a basic standard to return to the White House.
And we have seen the vice president employ this argument with increasing frequency over the last several days. It seems targeted to a very specific type of voter, a voter that perhaps doesn't agree with her on every policy matter but is in alignment with this broader argument that the former president --
MCKEND: -- is unfit for the White House. Take a listen.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, we -- we, representing the United States of America, walk into rooms around the world with the earned and self- appointed authority to talk about the importance of democracy, rule of law; and have been thought of as a role model, imperfect though we may be, but a role model of what it means to be committed to certain standards, including international rules and norms, but also standards of decorum.
And what you see in my opponent, a former president of the United States, really is -- it demeans the office.
MCKEND (voice-over): A big component of this Georgia swing over the last two days was for the vice president to reach black voters in this critical battleground state. She did that through the Souls to the Polls events. They are targeted
to the faith community, where essentially, black voters, they organize and mobilize in church, and then immediately after church, take advantage of early voting.
And this comes at a time when Democrats have been --
MCKEND: -- accused of taking black voters for granted, the base of the party. But the campaign is not operating in that space. They will argue that black voters are persuadable voters and that the campaign is doing all that they can to reach them in these pivotal closing weeks.
Eva McKend, CNN, Stonecrest, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, Donald Trump spent his Sunday in the critical state of Pennsylvania. And after making headlines on Saturday with a meandering story about Arnold Palmer that included a vulgar reference to the gulf legend's genitals, the former president kept it more low key this time, focusing mostly on attacking his opponent.
Our Danny Freeman reports.
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DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On Sunday evening, frankly, we saw a more disciplined former President Donald Trump on the campaign trail here in Pennsylvania. There were far fewer tangents. The event was even shorter than normal, and it certainly seemed like me former ESPN host who moderated the event, plus the campaign-selected voters who asked the candidate questions really were able to keep former President Donald Trump more on track throughout the evening.
He emphasized his proposals on the economy, including no taxes on tips and overtime. He talked about supporting fracking. And of course, he mostly railed against the Biden administration when it comes to immigration.
Now, there were, of course, several exaggerations when it came to the subjects of the economy, immigration, and crime. And there were some of his normal asides.
He spoke about bragging about his poll numbers. He also aired his some of his grievances against ABC News for the last presidential debate. But there was nothing particularly vulgar or odd, like we saw at Saturday evening's rally in Western Pennsylvania, for example, that odd Arnold Palmer story.
Trump did, however, continue to boost his new campaign surrogate, Elon Musk, the billionaire who has been stumping for him in Pennsylvania over the course of the weekend, in fact, even including offering a raffle of a million dollars to supporters who signed a petition to get into some of the events, which some legal experts tell CNN, it might be illegal. But take a listen to what the former president said this evening about
both Harris and Elon Musk.
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This woman is so incompetent. She's so bad. You cannot -- and I would normally not like to speak like this. If they get chosen, our country is finished.
You know, Elon Musk is a very smart guy. You've got to see his endorsement. He said, if this election isn't won by Donald Trump, our country is essentially finished.
FREEMAN (voice-over): And early on Sunday, former President Trump stopped by a McDonald's in all-important Bucks County in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
He was -- seen to be a photo op, making fries in the fryer --
FREEMAN: -- and also serving some patrons from the drive-thru.
Danny Freeman, CNN, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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COREN: Tropical Storm Oscar is now barreling through Eastern Cuba. We'll have more on the storm and where it's heading next.
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[00:21:51]
COREN: Oscar is now a tropical storm, hours after making landfall as a Category One hurricane on the Northern coast of Eastern Cuba.
The slow-moving storm has brought heavy rainfall, and the National Hurricane Center warns that could cause significant flash flooding and mudslides.
It's expected to continue moving across Eastern Cuba through Monday, eventually turning to the Northwest. It's then expected to make another turn to the Northeast on Tuesday, when it's forecast to move near the Southeastern and central Bahamas.
Oscar's landfall comes as Cuba continues to cope with ongoing power outages. The countrywide blackouts are causing worry about food spoilage and a lack of water as the storm is expected to delay urgent efforts to restore power.
Well, CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports from Havana.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Cuba on Sunday afternoon lost power across this entire island f or the fourth time in as many days. That's 10 million people that were left without light, some of whom have never had their electrical service restored. We briefly had power here in our offices for the first time since this
crisis began on Friday. And of course, it felt like a moment of celebration to have power and not rely on a generator, as we have for the last several days.
But it was short-lived. The power went out immediately, not just for us --
OPPMANN (voice-over): -- but across this entire island. And it really speaks to how aging and outdated the infrastructure is in Cuba.
There are power plants from the 1970s that they are trying to put back into usage, according to officials here with the Ministry of Energy.
They spoke to us earlier today and said that they were confident --
OPPMANN: -- that power will be restored soon, that 52,000 different workers from the Ministry of Energy are working around the clock to restore power.
But at this point, it is becoming less and less clear whether power can be restored and whether it can stay on. This is a huge problem for Cubans, most of whom do not have generators. Most of whom -- who are now having to throw out food, because it is spoiling.
You do not get water here when the power is out, because there are no pumps to bring that water to your house. A lot of people use gas from lines on the street to cook with. They do not have that right now.
OPPMANN (voice-over): So, while people are staying stoic, increasingly, people are asking for answers, from some sense of when power will be restored.
All they're hearing from the government at this point is that school will remain closed throughout much of this weekend until at least Thursday. And people should not go to work in most workplaces --
OPPMANN: -- unless there are, quote, unquote, "essential employees" who are needed to try and restore power here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Patrick Oppmann there, reporting from Havana.
Well, at least one person is dead in Northeast Italy after heavy rain caused extensive overnight flooding across the region. The victim was reportedly driving when his car was swept away by the torrent.
Emergency services are active in the region, and the mayor of Bologna has urged citizens to stay indoors as many of the roads remain underwater.
The area is still recovering from devastating flooding brought on by Storm Boris, just one month ago.
[00:25:06] A wooden boat carrying 231 migrants, including 14 women and three children, was intercepted off Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday. It's the largest number of people to be rescued from the same boat off the island this year.
More than 30,000 migrants have taken the boat journey from West Africa to the Spanish island since January, marking a rise of nearly 40 percent from the same period last year.
Well, fans across the world are paying tribute to the late singer, songwriter and former One Direction member Liam Payne.
In Indonesia, hundreds of mourners held a prayer vigil in Jakarta on Sunday. In Spain, dozens of heartbroken fans gathered in central Madrid to honor the late singer's impact and legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAITIARE ACOSTA, LIAM PAYNE FAN (through translator): For me, Liam Payne was a member of the band that saved my life when I was a girl. They were part of my childhood and gave me the stability I didn't have at the time. This loss means a lot to me, as he was like someone I knew all my life. He was a vital part of my life, and his loss has broken my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Payne was just 31 years old when he died after falling from his hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Investigators in Argentina are working to reconstruct his final hours.
However, the public prosecutor believes Payne was potentially experiencing some kind of episode due to substance abuse at the time.
Well, still to come, new missile strikes in Ukraine amid reports Russia would have reinforcements coming to the battlefield. We'll have the latest on the conflict.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Welcome back to our viewers around the world. I'm Anna Coren. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, we're following developments out of Ukraine, where a CNN producer on the ground in Kyiv reports hearing loud explosions and air raid sirens early Monday.
The city's mayor warned residents, on social media, to take shelter as air defenses had been activated.
Well, it comes amid reports of more than a dozen people injured in central Ukraine in the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Officials say a missile attack damaged several buildings and a local gas pipeline.
Meantime, President Zelenskyy is warning of a new threat amid reports North Korean soldiers may soon join the war to support Russian troops.
The U.S. defense secretary could not confirm those reports but said it may signal something even more important about the conflict.
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LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I can't confirm those reports at this point in time. It's something that we will certainly continue to investigate.
[00:30:06]
If that is the case, it's serious, obviously, and -- but also indicates that Putin is having trouble, you know. We know that -- that he's law. He continues to lose a lot of people. And you heard me say before that he's lost somewhere North of 350,000 people killed and wounded. And we believe that that number is probably much higher than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, joining me now is Mick Ryan, a retired major general in the Australian army, former commander at the Australia Defense College, and author of "War Transformed: The Future of 21st Century Great Power, Competition, and Conflict."
Mick, great to see you.
This news, that 1,500 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia. There are reports that this is just the beginning, that there could be thousands more on the way. What are you learning? And what does this mean for the broader war?
MAJ. GEN. MICK RYAN (RET.), AUSTRALIAN ARMY: G'day, Anna.
Well, we're yet to receive definitive confirmation that the North Koreans will be dispatched to the front line, even though we've had that briefing from people like General Budanov in Ukraine. But it's highly likely that they will be there.
And if they do get into the frontline, North Korea, in effect, becomes a co-belligerent in this war alongside Russia against Ukraine.
That has interesting implications for NATO and the E.U.
COREN: Why are they there? Is this something that Kim Jong-un would have suggested? You know, you can train up our guys, who have not had a battle experience? Or is this a plea from Putin saying, you know, we need reinforcements?
RYAN: Well, it could have been a bit of both, actually. Generally, countries that are doing well in most endeavors don't seek North Korean help.
So, it probably indicates that the Russians are having some trouble with manpower at the moment. Putin is very unwilling to go through another mobilization effort. So, this might be some way did he can push that back, at least until after the results of the U.S. presidential election alone.
What it will do, however, is also expose North Korean troops to modern war. And that will not make the South Koreans very happy.
COREN: Yes, let's discuss that, because North Korea has one of the largest militaries in the world, something like 1.2 million soldiers. But as you say, they lack that combat experience.
I guess the question is, yes, they could gain that experience, take it home if they survive what is very much the meat grinder that Russia uses in its fight against Ukraine.
RYAN: It's clear that they will use this as a learning opportunity. The North Koreans have not fought in any kind of conflict for decades. It will be a major learning opportunity for them.
So, this deployment doesn't just have implications for the war in Ukraine. It has implications more broadly in Western Asia. So South Korea, Japan, and others will be deeply concerned at this development.
COREN: I presume, Mick, that language is going to be an obstacle here. Or would these North Korean troops -- and we've seen pictures of them picking up their uniforms in Russia -- would they -- would they speak Russian, considering they'll be dealing with Russian soldiers and commanders?
And perhaps talk to us of the other challenges that they will face.
RYAN: It's likely they might have some translators, but very unlikely all these North Koreans will be able to speak Russian.
So that will be a major issue for them, not just in base locations, but coordinating battlefield operations. Things like logistics, food, fighting doctrine. These things (ph) will all be very different between the Russians and Koreans. And they'll have some problems integrating the North Koreans, at least in the initial phases of their deployment.
COREN: Mick, President Zelenskyy, he recently issued his -- his plan for victory. I guess many thought, well, this is just more of what you've been saying. There hasn't been much of a response from the West, from NATO countries to his demands.
Where do things stand at the moment?
RYAN: Well, the victory plan that President Zelenskyy briefed to the Ukrainian Parliament last week and has subsequently briefed at the European Council, as well to heads of states in various European countries and the United States, has an array of different elements to help Ukraine terminate the war on conditions that are more favorable to it.
It needs more equipment. But most importantly, needs a sustained commitment from NATO and the United States to help it beat Russia. That is yet to be forthcoming.
COREN: And Mick, are you surprised that Lloyd Austin said he wasn't aware of reports that North Korean troops were -- were in Russia? Does that come as a surprise, considering this is intelligence that the South Koreans are reporting?
[00:35:05]
RYAN: Yes, it's hard to believe he wasn't informed of this. This has been -- reports have been on about this for days now. So be very difficult to believe that either he or the president haven't at least been briefed on this.
COREN: Mick, obviously, Ukraine, it's not in the headlines like it once was. And yes, this is a war that has now been going on for -- for two-and-a-half years. But as we know from our team that is on the ground in Kyiv, there are air-raid sirens going off. Obviously, there -- there are attacks that are occurring every single day.
Perhaps you can bring our viewers up to date as to what the landscape is like on the battlefield and how Ukraine is faring in this war.
RYAN: Well, the conditions in Eastern Ukraine are pretty grim for the Ukrainian armed forces. They're -- they're generally holding their own, but the Russians are managing to eke out slow advances, albeit at very, very high costs, not just in manpower, but they use hundreds of these glide bombs every day. And these inflict massive casualties on the Ukrainians, but also massive damage on the Ukrainian towns and cities that the Russians seek to take over.
Kursk at the moment is -- you know, an ongoing campaign for both Ukraine and Russia. The Russians can't beat the Ukrainians out of Russia at the moment. But this will be something that will be a tough fight in the months ahead.
And at the end of the day, it's going to be a very grim winter for the Ukrainians, who are on the backfoot in the East and have less power generation to keep their people warm than what they've had for the last two winters.
COREN: Yes, it's really important for us to keep across this story. Mick Ryan, we appreciate you bringing light to it, as you always do. Mick Ryan, good to see you. Thank you.
RYAN: Thank you.
COREN: Well, coming up, how conservationists are using an art installation to combat an invasive species and bring attention to the plight of elephants.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Conservationists in India are taking a novel approach to dealing with two environmental issues: invasive plant species and the plight of elephants.
CNN's Bill Weir shows us how this intrepid group is taking an art installation to New York, designed to draw attention to both.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the South hills of India, a conservation success story stomps through the tea fields. A couple hundred elephants living in relative harmony with a quarter million humans.
The densest concentration of wild pachyderms and people in the world.
RUTH GANESH, CO-FOUNDER, CO-EXISTENCE COLLECTIVE: They know all the elephants by name and personality. I mean, it's the most incredible story. And if we could tell that story, we might be able to inspire, a little bit, sort of close living with other animals, as well.
WEIR (voice-over): So, Ruth and her fellow wildlife lovers decided to spread the message of coexistence in a way that turns heads: a 100- elephant migration across America.
[00:40:09]
Each one a life-size replica of a beloved individual, all hand-made by the people who know their wild neighbors best.
TARSH THEKAEKARA, WILDLIFE RESEARCHER, CO-FOUNDER, REAL ELEPHANT COLLECTIVE: The other thing is we used to make furniture before, right? Millions of people don't use furniture in their lives. But when we started making elephants, they're the experts. They know the elephants better than we know it.
So, it's an amazing sense of pride, and their kind of position in society has changed: from being at the bottom rung, manual laborers, they've become these very skilled artisans, making these things that are traveling around the world.
WEIR (voice-over): They hope to sell hundreds of these to raise millions for conservation efforts everywhere. And since their art supplies come from a toxic invader, there's also a powerful message in the medium.
WEIR: These are made out of an invasive tree or shrub?
GANESH: Yes, they're made out of an invasive weed called lantana, which is the second most invasive plant in the entire world. And it's choking about 40 percent of India's forests right now. So, we're trying to create an economy and demonstrate a use for it so it can be removed at scale.
WEIR (voice-over): Lantana can also be turned into a powerful weapon against climate pollution as something called bio char, the ancient technique of reviving farm soil with charred plants, which also locks away planet-warming pollution.
THEKAEKARA: There are vast areas that have taken over by lantana. If we can convert all of that into carbon and put it back into the ground, it's usually exciting as a way of mitigating climate change, as well.
The idea is that, if people are able to live with elephants, hopefully, people other places can live with other forms of life. Like, even in New York, can you better live with birds? Can you have more greenery around you?
All of these are very relevant questions everywhere in the world.
WEIR (voice-over): The coexistence parade heads next to Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, and maybe the world.
Bill Weir, CNN, New York.
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COREN: King Charles and Queen Camilla are in the Australian capital, Canberra after visiting Sydney. They visited the Hall of Memory at Australia's National War Memorial and paid their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.
Well, King Charles took the opportunity to highlight past war efforts and shine a light on the new fight against climate change.
The British monarch also visited the Parliament and met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. King Charles will travel back to Sydney on Tuesday before heading to Samoa for a commonwealth leaders meeting.
Well, thanks so much for your company and for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren. I will be back in 15 minutes' time with more news. WORLD SPORT is next.
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