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CNN International: IDF: About 250 Projectiles Fired By Hezbollah Into Israel; Israeli Cabinet To Vote On Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal Tuesday; Briton Captured By Russian Forces While Fighting For Ukraine. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired November 25, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

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RAHEL SOLOMON, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": -- cabinet is set to vote on a Hezbollah ceasefire deal Tuesday. This as cross-border strikes continue. We are live in Jerusalem with the very latest. Plus, the uphill battle facing some of Donald Trump's unconventional cabinet picks amid the push for their confirmation. And as the UN marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a disturbing report out today showing why this issue in this day is more important than ever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

SOLOMON: Let's get right to our breaking news. There are fresh hopes that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah could be near. The Israeli Prime Minister's office tells CNN that Israel's cabinet will vote on a ceasefire agreement Tuesday. A source says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the deal in principle. More than 3,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks since mid-September. The Lebanese Health Ministry says that at least 84 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday alone.

Hezbollah, meantime, says that it carried out at least 30 attacks against Israel and ditched troops in Lebanon over the weekend with drones, missiles and rockets. Israel says that some 250 projectiles fired from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory.

Let's get more now from Nic Robertson, who was in Jerusalem. Nic, I mean, it sounds like a pretty big breakthrough here. I mean, what's the latest with the ceasefire deal?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It certainly has that feel about it, and this does seem to be as close as we've come so far. Israel still has some reservations. One of the key things for them is that in this proposed 60-day ceasefire, they would have the right to respond immediately if Hezbollah violated the ceasefire, and that appeared to have been something of a sticking point, something they were insisting upon. Where the language around that has finally landed isn't clear.

But, we've heard from the Foreign Minister today laying out some of the terms that he believes must happen as part of this deal that Hezbollah has to go back 30 miles north of the border, that's over the Litani River. That's per previous agreements with the UN. But, here is another point. He said, look, we want to make sure that Hezbollah cannot regrow, and there is an opportunity for sort of a broader political dispensation in Lebanon. That's a big ask to have essentially a stake in the sovereign affairs of another nation. That's what he is saying.

So, it does appear to all be on track. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, in the -- in Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet, one of the sort of most hardline, hard-right members, outspoken often, has today said that he has actually advised the Prime Minister against accepting the deal. He said, Look, Hezbollah is weak. Now is the time to really go ahead and crush them. And he is telling the Prime Minister, in his words, to continue, continue, continue with the operations. Does that mean he'll vote in the cabinet against this proposed ceasefire? It's not clear. But, it does.

We do have a sense here that even the metrics of the uptick in fighting all point towards a ceasefire, because oftentimes, going back 2006, the last time Israel and Hezbollah negotiated a ceasefire, it was the same then. There was an increase in fire, both directions across the border, as we see now. So, I think people are really hoping that this could be the moment, benefits for the Prime Minister, of course, because he will get the ability to return 60,000 Israeli residents to the northern border, where they've been evacuated for well over a year now. That would be a big political plus for him if he does that.

SOLOMON: Yeah, and that vote, again, scheduled for tomorrow.

Nic, turning to the West Bank, you have this new reporting on Palestinians fearing more evictions in the West Bank under Donald Trump. What are you hearing? What have you learned?

ROBERTSON: Yeah. One of the reasons for that, just one of the reasons, is because Donald Trump's pick to be ambassador, Mike Huckabee, has really questioned the Palestinians themselves and their right to be in the West Bank. Now, international law declares that the West Bank is occupied, that Israel is occupying the land. But, Mike Huckabee doesn't see it that way, and that's something has been on record for some time about, which really pleases the settler movement here in Israel that with those hard right-wing members in the Israeli government are actually pushing to annex the whole of the occupied West Bank.

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And so, the settlers are looking to Huckabee and saying, here is a guy that thinks like us. He has got the real sort of Evangelical Christian backing in the United States. That will be an influence on Donald Trump. And for the Palestinians on the ground, they think, yes, that this annexation that they see happening around them every day that it will accelerate under a Trump administration. That may not happen, but that's what they fear.

SOLOMON: OK. Nic Robertson live for us there. Nick, thank you.

The White House is condemning the killing of an Israeli rabbi in the United Arab Emirates, calling it a horrific crime against those who stand for peace, tolerance and coexistence. Authorities in the UAE have arrested three Uzbek nationals in connection with the rabbi's death. He had been filmed by a friend days before his murder, and had been missing since Thursday. On Sunday, the UAE Interior Ministry confirmed that his body had been discovered. Israel says that he was killed in an antisemitic act of terror.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (Interpreted): The state of Israel will use every means to bring the murderers and their dispatchers to justice. None of them will escape accountability. I greatly appreciate the cooperation with the UAE in investigating this murder. Together, we will strengthen our ties in the face of attempts by the axis of evil to harm our peace relations.

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SOLOMON: Well, a British man fighting for Ukraine has been taken prisoner while in Russia's Kursk region. That's according to Russian state media, which identifies him as a 22-year-old former British soldier.

Let's get to our Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell, who is following all of these developments from Paris. Melissa, what more do we know about the soldier?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're starting to get an idea of who this man is, Rahel, James Scott Rhys Anderson, a 22-year-old former soldier for the British army, who had left the British army and then headed to Ukraine when the war had broken out. We have seen the videos that were first released on the messaging service Telegram and then by the Russian TASS media agency. It's unclear. We don't know whether he is speaking under duress, but he explains how he came to Ukraine and was fighting in that Kursk region, the part of Russia where Ukrainians had in a counter-offensive in September, managed to take some territory.

We know that the fighting is extremely fierce there, that the Russians have positioned huge amounts of troops, 50,000 according to President Zelenskyy, just a few days ago, with the addition of those North Korean troops in the hope of taking back that Russian territory. We know also that the Ukrainians are facing losses on the Eastern Front, and under a great deal of pressure there.

This latest capture, whilst we're talking about just one soldier, we know that British media have managed to track down his father, who has spoken of his fears for his son, the fact that his son had told him that when soldiers were captured, they tended to be tortured. His worries about that happening for his son, and the fear that he might be used as a bargaining chip, Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. Melissa Bell live for us here in Paris. Melissa, thank you.

We want to turn for a moment to some lighter news and take you to the White House, where President Biden is about to carry out a Thanksgiving tradition, the pardoning of two turkeys. Let's listen together.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- Liberty and Bell, and today, Peach and Blossom will join the free birds of the United States of America, born this past July at the Zimmerman family farm, raised by the -- yeah, I hear you, Peach wants to speak a little bit here, raised by the family with the help of neighboring -- neighbor children who helped the turkey get ready for this very moment. According to experts, Peach weighs 41 pounds, and loves to eat hot dish and tater tots and cross-country skis. You know, dreams to see, but the real dream he has to see the Northern Lights, I'm told. He lives by the motto, keep calm and gobble on.

Meanwhile, Blossom weighs 40 pounds, loves to eat cheese curds and watch boxing. Dreams to visit each one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. He lives by the motto, no foul play, just Minnesota nice. It just finished a two-day road trip from Minnesota to Washington. By the way, you have chairs. Sit down. I forgot you had chairs. I'm sorry. Started thinking about the arduous trip they made.

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You guys are still standing. That ship is 1,100 miles. It takes 16.5 hours. Through it all, they stayed calm and they gobbled on and still gobbling. They were staying nice listening to their favorite music, which apparently includes a song "Living on a prayer". Well, fellas, your prayer is going to be answered today. Based on your temperament and commitment to being productive members of the society, I hereby pardon Peach and Blossom. They will now head back to Farmamerica - Minnesota Center for Agriculture and Interpretation, to serve as education ambassadors of America's top turkey growing state and inspire the next generation of agricultural students. Congratulations.

Let me close on a more serious note. This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington. It's also my last time to speak here as your President during this season and give thanks and gratitude. So, let me say to you, it's been the honor of my life. I'm forever grateful. Later today, my wife Jill and I will travel to Staten Island, New York, for a friends giving, with members of the Coast Guard and their families, to demonstrate our gratitude for their service and sacrifice like my son.

We're also keeping our hearts for those who have lost so much, who will have an empty seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table tonight, or excuse me, Thursday night. May we use this moment take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most, our families. My dad used to have an expression of families at the beginning, the middle and the end, our friends and our neighbors and the fact that we bless these to live in America, the greatest country on Earth, and that's not hyperbole. We are. No matter what, in America, we never give up. We keep going. We keep the faith. Just remember who we are. We're the United States of America, and there is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. So, Happy Thanksgiving, America. God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you.

SOLOMON: All right. You've just been watching U.S. President Joe Biden participating in what is very uniquely American tradition, the pardoning of one or two turkeys just before Thanksgiving this Thursday. You're looking at, I'm not sure, if that one is Peach or Blossom, but the two turkeys who hail from the great state of Minnesota, who will then go back to Minnesota after today's event, where they will be, of course, pardoned from being on anyone's Thanksgiving table on Thursday. They will instead go to Farmamerica, which is apparently a site where they will be on display. It's sort of like a petting zoo, but that is, in fact, what we are watching.

The President sort of ending his comments there, saying, it has been the honor of my life. I am forever grateful. This is, of course, his last turkey presidential pardon, after he decided not to run for re- election over the summer.

All right. Turning to other news this afternoon -- this morning, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are high on the agenda for the G7 foreign ministers meeting. Top diplomats from the group of seven are gathering in Italy, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, for his last G7 meeting before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Now, amid the uncertainty over the future of U.S. funding for the war in Ukraine, Britain's Foreign Secretary urged his allies to back Ukraine.

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DAVID LAMMY, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: It's hugely important at this G7 that all colleagues across the G7 continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it lasts. And we are confident that Ukraine can have the funds and the military equipment and kit to get through 2025. Our assessment is that Putin shows no signs at all of wanting a negotiation. We have to ensure that Ukrainians are equipped for the fight.

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SOLOMON: And for more now, I'm joined by Global Affairs Analyst Jonathan Wachtel live from New York. Jonathan, great to have you. I want to get back to Ukraine in just a moment. But first, let's start with this new reporting this morning that there appears to be a deal in principle between Israel and Hezbollah with this vote happening tomorrow. Jonathan, that this deal would happen, after a year of fighting and months of elevated conflict, how significant is this, in your view, both, of course, for all of the people who can now return to their homes on both sides at the border, but also the wider implications?

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JONATHAN WACHTEL, GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's massively significant. It has been an ongoing irritant for world affairs since October 8th, when Hezbollah decided to support Hamas and started attacking Israel. So, it is closing one of the chapters that has been a terrible chapter for both Lebanese and Israelis living on either side of their border, unable to have normal lives, and unfortunately, it has also been the cause of a lot of loss of life because of the back and forth attacks.

So, it is wonderful to be seen a situation in which at least that chapter could be closing. It is also a very significant event in terms of U.S. foreign policy and Western policy, and of course, Israel's policy to try to contain Iran, which has been the fuel behind Hezbollah and Hamas largely. So, that tap seems to be closing also, which, of course, has significant bearing on what the future is going to hold for the region.

SOLOMON: And what about the future for Ukraine? I mean, last week, G7 leaders reaffirmed this pledge to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes. But, Jonathan, realistically, what does that look like come January, when Trump takes office?

WACHTEL: Hugely important question, Rahel, and so many unknowns. What we do know is that the fighting has intensified with the expectation of both the Ukrainians and the Russians, that with an incoming Trump administration, the support of Ukraine, the wholehearted support of Ukraine and the United States has carried most of the financial, and one could say geopolitical weight in trying to support Ukraine here, that could shift, and the question would be then, how much resolve? Indeed, we heard a short time ago from the British Foreign Minister how much resolve there is among the Europeans to step up and ensure that Ukraine has that support that it needs to sustain itself as it continues to battle Russia.

In terms of the United States, we've seen signals. We've heard signals that President Trump would like to see an end to the conflict. In fact, he has claimed that he can pull it off within 24 hours to get there to be a ceasefire between the two countries. That certainly is a tall order, but something that he has said that he would like to see happen. And so, we see this intensified fighting as an attempt by both sides of this war to try to secure their positions, to be in a stronger negotiating position, to be able to push through whatever ceasefire might be arranged.

SOLOMON: Let me ask, with the two major wars raging that we just discussed, but also the conflict in Sudan, also the conflict that we've seen on the ground in Haiti, clearly, a lot to discuss. Is there a single issue, Jonathan, where you think real, tangible progress can be made at this G7?

WACHTEL: There is only so much that can happen at a G7 Summit. This is kind of an echo chamber, right? This is not the position of Russia. And ironically, there was a thing called the G8 and it existed. It had Russia as a full participant for a while, and then that ended the moment Russia decided to annex Crimea and to move on the Donbas region of Ukraine.

So, there are strictly two sides here of a very geopolitical issue and a contest, actually, for power within world affairs. And Russia feels very pinched by the advance of NATO and wants to assert himself. That's Vladimir Putin. And so, we see ourselves where we are. So, certainly, you would have some sort of unified G7 idea coming out of this summit and solidarity in trying to support Ukraine in its time of difficulty. But, there is a whole other side to this geopolitical seesaw that is not represented at the table in Italy today.

SOLOMON: Yeah. Very fair point, to put it mildly. Jonathan Wachtel, great to have you today. Thank you.

WACHTEL: My pleasure.

SOLOMON: And the picks are in. Now the hard part begins. The Trump transition team begins preparing for the confirmation process, and the uphill battle that two cabinet voices are facing in the Senate. Plus, Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary has some CEOs, a lot of CEOs, actually, breathing a sigh of relief. We'll tell you why, straight ahead.

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SOLOMON: Well, if you blink, you may have missed it. President-elect Donald Trump wrapped up his cabinet picks over the weekend at breakneck speed. He announced Brooke Rollins as his choice to lead the Agriculture Department, rounding out his picks to lead the executive branch department. Now, two selections facing Senate confirmation are looking at a slim margin for error, Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, and Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard is facing growing security over a 2017 meeting, among other things, with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. One anonymous GOP aid tells CNN, quote, "If we're ranking the most in trouble, she is number one."

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SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): Well, we'll have lots of questions. She met with Bashar Assad. We will want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she has made and get them into full context. So, sure, there is comments that are floating out there, but we want to be able to know the rest of the story.

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SOLOMON: And Fox News host and Army veteran, Pete Hegseth, is also facing tough questions in his bid to lead the Pentagon. During meetings with key senators last week, Hegseth was warned that high- stakes confirmation hearing will dig deeply into accusations of sexual assault in 2017. Now, Hegseth was not criminally charged and has denied any wrongdoing, but did later into a settlement agreement with his accuser.

Let's bring in CNN's Alana Treene, who was in West Palm Beach where the President-elect is spending the holiday week. So, Alayna, talk to us about what you're hearing from the Trump transition team and how they're preparing for these confirmation battles ahead.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Right. Well, and as you said, Rahel, Donald Trump has moved very quickly to fill out his core cabinet. He does still have some cabinet positions open. There is about four left for him to choose. But, this is a much faster pace than we've seen other President-elects and people in his position move at. If you look back and compare it to 2016, when Donald Trump had first won, at this point in his transition process then, he had only selected one cabinet official, his attorney general. At this point as well for Biden, Joe Biden hadn't selected any cabinet member.

So, he is moving very quickly on this, and because of that, we're really starting to see the attention turn behind the scenes at Mar-a- Lago to getting these different picks confirmed and getting them through their confirmation process. Part of that, of course, is because we saw last week that senators do still have a lot of power here, even though Republicans control both the House and the Senate, and many of them want to show their loyalty over the next four years to Donald Trump, they also had made clear that Matt Gaetz, for example, his first pick for attorney general, did not actually have the math to get confirmed.

And so, there is a lot of tension going on that I'm picking up behind the scenes, really about what they can do to address some of the concerns that different members may have about these different picks, and also try to assuage those concerns, primarily behind the scenes, in one-on-one meetings with senators before this even plays out in public.

And similarly, we did see both Matt Gaetz, who later withdrew, but then Pete Hegseth as well, Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, go to Capitol Hill last week. They were accompanied by the VP-elect J.D. Vance, and meet with some of these senators behind closed doors. Part of that, I'm told, is so they can really kind of nail down what some of their vulnerabilities may be, what some of these senators who are going to be key to getting them confirmed are looking for, what are the answers that they need to be assured on, and then making sure all of that is done before we really see this play out in public.

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SOLOMON: And then, Alayna, just talk to us a bit more about the pushback you're seeing on certain picks.

TREENE: Yeah. There is definitely a couple of Donald Trump's nominees that people are most concerned about, and you mentioned them before, really Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth.

I'll start with Gabbard. Part of the reason there is some consternation around Gabbard not because she is a former Democrat, but because of some of her stances when it comes to surveillance. We know that she has a deep skepticism of the way that the American government has been conducting surveillance thus far, really, could be we could see her be challenging some of those practices in the agencies that she is overseeing. You also mentioned some of the meetings that she has had with foreign leaders, leaders that are really viewed by many within government here, as foes of the United States. You mentioned that 2017 meeting where she met with the Syrian President Bashar al- Assad. That is something I know a lot of senators are bringing up that they want to have questions be answered to.

And then, Pete Hegseth, of course, one is those sexual assault allegations, but also people want to understand if he has the credentials and the experience to really be the leader of all of U.S. armed forces.

So, those are some questions we're expecting that they're going to be working on behind the scenes with senators on. Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. Alayna Treene, appreciate your reporting, live for us here from West Palm Beach, Florida. Alayna, thank you.

And Donald Trump's choice to lead the Treasury Department is a billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent. He has been a Democratic mega donor in the past. More recently, though, he played a key fundraising role for the President-elect and advised him on economic policy. His track record includes work with some of the world's top money managers, and if he is confirmed by the Senate, he will step into his most high-profile role yet, tasked with carrying out Trump's economic agenda.

Let's go to CNN's Matt Egan, who joins us now with more on this critical pick. Matt, talk to us about how the markets, business leaders, investors, Wall Street, I mean, how is -- how are we reacting to this news?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Rahel, I think the sense of relief is palpable. I mean, this is a serious job, and investors and CEOs relieved that the President-elect went with a serious person, not an extremist here. Yale professor Jeff Sonnenfeld said there is huge relief in the business community about this selection of Scott Bessent. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, he is a fan too. A source close to Dimon told me that he thinks very highly of Bessent and believes that this is an excellent choice. Jay Timmons, the manufacturing executive who has in the past been critical of Trump, he called this an outstanding choice. And even Anthony Scaramucci, someone who fiercely opposed the re-election of Trump, he praised Bessent as a great guy, a safe and stable pair of hands.

And as you mentioned, the market, the market is also reacting positive. You see the U.S. stock market moving significantly higher, the Dow up almost 400 points, around one percent, the NASDAQ up around a half percent. But, the bond market too is applauding this decision, where we see Treasury rates coming down, which is significant as well. I think the hope is that Bessent could be someone who will moderate some of Trump's more aggressive economic promises, especially around tariffs.

Just a little bit more about Bessent. He is a hedge fund manager. He has deep knowledge of world markets and the economy. He has worked with some of the most famous investors on the planet, including Stanley Druckenmiller, and notably George Soros as well. And on tariffs, it's clear that Bessent believes in using tariffs as a negotiating tool, but maybe not the blanket tariffs that Trump has called for. Jeff Sonnenfeld told me that Bessent knows history and he does not want to repeat the mistakes of the Great Depression, where tariffs made that economic disaster even worse. Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. And here is hoping those falling bond yields also mean lower mortgage rates for those of us who are in the home for a market, who are in the market for a home.

Matt, let me also ask, talk to us about his economic goals. Scott Bessent talked about it a little bit during a radio interview over the weekend. What did he say?

EGAN: Yeah. Bessent was talking to Larry Kudlow, and he stressed that one of the key parts here is going to be tax cuts. He also talked a lot about deregulation and their efforts to try to increase energy production, oil and natural gas. Now, there is some skepticism that production could be that much higher than it is right now, especially with prices being low. But, one of the key things that Bessent was talking about is around the budget and how they're going to really try to slash government spending. Take a listen to what he told Kudlow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF SCOTT BESSENT, TRUMP'S PICK FOR TREASURY SECRETARY: I've been in the investing in the bond market for 35 years, and I think this is going to be something that the bond market hasn't ever seen.

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So if we can get that spending down and get the growth that you and I love up, the trajectory of the debt could be better than anyone could imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EGAN: Now, this caught my ear, because we know that the bond market has not responded well to the election. We saw Treasury rates go higher. Mortgage rates, to your point, Rahel, have also been going higher. But, this shows that Bessent is taking those concerns seriously, and he is trying to message to the bond market that they're not going to blow up the budget deficit and dramatically increase the national debt. Of course, we'll see if they can do all that, right, get those --

SOLOMON: Yeah.

EGAN: -- tax cuts without dramatically increasing budget deficits.

SOLOMON: It's funny, Matt, you took the words out of my mouth. I was just thinking, expectations are high. So, we'll see ultimately what he can do.

Matt Egan, we'll leave it here. Thank you.

EGAN: Thanks, Rahel. SOLOMON: Well, across the world, people are taking to the streets to

voice concern over violence against women and girls. Coming up, shocking statistics and what's being done to try to turn the tide. Plus, first responders at the site of this morning's deadly cargo plane crash near a Lithuanian airport. The latest on what investigators are learning, straight ahead.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.

And around the world today, people will be marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. According to the UN, last year, a woman was killed every 10 minutes by a partner or a family member. People are taking to the streets to show support for the cause and anger at the shocking statistics. The report shows that globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023. Much of the violence against women and girls happens in the home. 60 percent of all female homicides are committed by intimate partners or family members, with 140 women and girls on average losing their lives to domestic violence every day. Now, a UN women is calling for accountability and action from decision makers.

I'm pleased to welcome on this very important day, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda. She is United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director. Nyaradzayi, great to have you today to explain this report and help us understand the issue. First, the numbers that we just went through are obviously staggering. But, how would you describe the results of 2023 compared to previous years? I mean, put the problem in context for us. Is it worsening? Is it flat lining? I mean, how do you see it?

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NYARADZAYI GUMBONZVANDA, U.N. ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL: The numbers that we have, the 85,000 cases of femicide and the 51,000 of killings committed by an intimate family member, they are staggering, but they are also the tip of the iceberg, and this behind the numbers we are talking about real life lost, Laken Riley. We remember Rebecca Cheptegei. We remember Reeva in South Africa.

So, yes, we have seen an increase of just looking at 2022 indicative numbers for some of the regions. But, this is our first substantive report, is UN Women and UNODC, and it's showing that reporting cases of femicide is very difficult, and it's not all deaths that are recorded, and also not all communities keep a track. And we are talking about death committed within a family, and it has all those complications. So, it's staggering, and one death is one too many. Violence against women is unacceptable.

SOLOMON: I mean, I certainly agree. To your point, I mean, help us understand how challenging the data collection is, because as you pointed out, it's just the tip of the iceberg. How much does the data collection sort of mask how widespread this may really be? GUMBONZVANDA: The data collection starts, of course, from the official information that would be there in the official records, information that is presented to the police and/or through the women's networks and shelters, in case these are communities. But, at the same time, what is very clear to our experience as you -- in women, is the complexities, as said earlier, of having to first understand that this is femicide and where a case and would have been reported previously, territory signs would have been known, early warning indicators would have been there before the actual murder or death happens. And therefore, the complexities not only in just recording the death, but also having a history of violence against women that these women and girls would have experienced before they missed this tragedy.

SOLOMON: And what about the complexity of understanding what are the underlying factors that continue to drive femicide?

GUMBONZVANDA: It's very clear from our work at UN Women over the years and through -- since the Beijing conference in 1995 and beyond, that what we are dealing with is actually the power over women, the control of women's bodies, women's lives, women's decision-making, and that, for us, is what is really behind the killings. It's not -- it's really grounded within the unequal gender relations that exist in society, and therefore, the issues around patriarchy, control over the economy of women, the voices of women and the inability to negotiate.

What is even much more astounding for us and much more painful is that this is violence happening within the family, a place which is supposed to be a place of love, a place of joy, a place in which people go to every day. Therefore, we continue to call out, at UN Women, on this very important day that we need families and communities to be safe for women and girls

SOLOMON: And as we look at these images of protests and gatherings around the world, I mean, it is clearly a global issue. But, in looking at the data, are there regions or parts of the world where it appears to be especially dire?

GUMBONZVANDA: Yes. As I said, every death and every situation is very unacceptable. But, we start to see -- we see Africa is 21,000 in the last year. And we see the prevalence in the Americas being 28,300, and also for Europe, we have astounding numbers. So, essentially, at UN Women, we are clear that whilst the numbers might look large in regions like in Africa, with the 21,000 recorded last year in our report, but this is also relative to populations and to the data collection. And for us, violence against women and femicide is happening everywhere and is unacceptable everywhere. We need justice. We need prevention, and we also need support to witnesses and those who are seeking healing and closure for their families.

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SOLOMON: Yeah. It's an important issue. We appreciate you being here today and the time. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, thank you so much.

GUMBONZVANDA: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. SOLOMON: OK. And here are some of the international headlines we're watching for you today. A surprise result in the first round of voting of Romania's presidential election. Pro-Russian populist candidate Calin Georgescu has secured a spot in the runoff, beating out the incumbent Prime Minister. Now, despite having or not having a clear political agenda, his TikTok videos have gained popularity, amassing more than 1.5 million likes. He will face off against reformist Elena Lasconi in two weeks.

The father of an Australian teenager who died of methanol poisoning while on holiday in Laos is calling for the government there to fully investigate for death. He is also urging the Southeast Asian country to protect others from similar incidents. 19-year-old Bianca Jones is one of six tourists who died after drinking suspected tainted alcohol in a popular backpacking destination.

At least five people have died in Britain as Storm Bert swept across the United Kingdom and Ireland over the weekend. Extreme weather left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. To move everything upstairs and everything that we have sentimental value to, and we're going to move to Hereford until it's over, really, we kind of expect it to happen. So, it's really sad.

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SOLOMON: And travelers are facing widespread train and flight cancelations. The storm is expected to move away by Wednesday, but for now, many people in the UK and Ireland are working to recover from the damage.

And investigators are trying to find out why a cargo plane crashed near Lithuania's capital this morning. A DHL plane skidded into a home and burst into flames as it was arriving at the airport. You can see that that moment was caught on video. One person was killed, but remarkably, three others on board survived, along with a dozen people inside the house.

Let's get to CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, who joins us from London. Salma, first to start with, what's the latest here? What can you share with us?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really remarkable when we're talking about the survivors of this plane crash, particularly if you look at the footage, we have new surveillance footage that's just emerged of the moment of this crash, you see a plane beginning its descend towards this airport, and then there is a flash in the images when it comes back. There is just this huge fireball, just a massive amount of fire that's engulfed that plane. Rescue workers rushed to the scene, according to authorities, and were able to rescue three individuals from that cargo plane, but one crew member was dead and also from that home. So, we understand this plane crashed right into the courtyard of a residential home. 12 people rescued from that home. What authorities are saying took place is that around 05:30 local

time, this cargo plane crashed near a runway in the Lithuanian capital. It then skidded for a few 100 yards, again, stopping just short of that family home. Authorities say investigations are now underway. They are continuing to collect evidence at the scene. And while they have not ruled out terrorism, they say most likely that this was due to human error or a technical fault on the plane.

It was of serious concern among investigators, because earlier this summer, around July, this summer, European authorities were investigating incendiary devices that had been put on planes. They believed, allegedly, that this was done by Russian saboteurs. There is no connection at this time when it comes to this crash in Lithuania. Again, investigators saying that this could take days to find what caused the crash, but they believe at this time, most likely it was human error or a technical failure.

SOLOMON: Salma, is it clear how those who managed to survive this crash did it?

ABDELAZIZ: It's extraordinary. It is not clear at this time. And again, when you look at those images of that plane fully engulfed in those flames, just that massive blaze, you wonder, how did people survive, not just in that plane, but in that home that it, right, that it crashes almost directly into debris flying towards that home. But, authorities are pointing to the fact that the plane did not appear to explode or to have anything happen to it until the moment of the crash. That's why they've largely said, yes, we cannot rule out terrorism entirely, but it doesn't seem that there was any malpractice here and that this is a crash.

SOLOMON: Wow. Just incredible and incredible to see it. Salma Abdelaziz in London, Salma, thank you.

And still ahead for us, the Menendez brothers have a court appearance today. We'll have a live report on their legal fight to be re- sentenced after nearly three decades in prison.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. The Menendez brothers will face a judge in California today as they fight to be released from prison decades after they were convicted of murdering their parents. Erik and Lyle Menendez have drawn renewed public interest since the release of recent documentaries on the case, with growing support from some celebrities.

CNN's Camila Bernal has more.

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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN U.S NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This status hearing is the latest step in the brothers' bid to freedom after the Los Angeles County District Attorney recommended their re-sentencing. It is the first time that we'll see them in nearly 30 years after they were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of their parents, and it is nearly 30 years later that this judge will also decide what happens, whether they appear in person or virtually. It is likely that they will appear virtually. And it is a hearing that will start at 10:30 a.m. at a Van Nuys courtroom here in the Los Angeles area.

The judge also setting very strict rules around what happens in this hearing. There will be no cameras and no cell phone. In fact, the cell phones will be sealed in bags. Journalists will be allowed to attend, but only 16 members of the public will be allowed in that courtroom, and they will get their seats via a lottery. There is huge attention and interest in this case, especially after a 2023 docuseries on Peacock, where a member of the boy band, Menudo, also alleged that he was a victim of sexual abuse by Jose Menendez, the father of the two brothers. So, that, along with a letter that Erik Menendez wrote before the killings, describing the sexual abuse, is what the defense team says should be used, and is why they are asking a court to reconsider the sentence and the conviction.

And so, the district attorney here in Los Angeles agreed with the defense. The problem for the defense is that that district attorney was essentially voted out of office. Nathan Hochman, the incoming district attorney here in Los Angeles, sees this case a little bit different. Here is what he told us.

NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY-ELECT: Now, as to whether or not I'm going to support that particular motion or not, you've got to do the hard work to make that decision. You've got to review thoroughly the facts and the law. You need to actually speak to the prosecutors, speak to law enforcement officers, speak to the defense counsel, and speak to any victim family members as well. Only after I do all that work will I be in a position to weigh in on the Menendez case, because then I'm not going to weigh in on it, I'll have to defend that decision in court.

BERNAL: And the question here is not whether the brothers killed their parents. They have admitted to doing so, but have said that they did it in self-defense after years of sexual abuse, emotional and physical abuse. The prosecution at the time argued that this was premeditated and that the brothers did this for the money and because they wanted their parents' money. So, again, we'll have to wait and see what the judge on Monday decides to do.

[11:50:00]

But, there is also another hearing that we're waiting for, that is scheduled for December 11th, and that is the sentencing hearing, which could be more consequential for these brothers, as this case continues to move through the courts.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SOLOMON: All right. Still ahead for us, Macy's is delaying its quarterly earnings report. In today's one more thing, we'll explain how a single employee is behind the delay. We'll be right back.

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SOLOMON: Before we go, one more thing. Macy's quarterly earnings report is being delayed due to a single employee. Macy's announced that the one employee hit up to $154 million worth of expenses. Now, it happened over the course of three years and caused numerous accounting irregularities. Macy's was forced to conduct an independent forensic accounting investigation to get to the bottom of exactly how this happened.

Joining us now to explain is CNN's Business and Political -- Politics Correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich. Vanessa, how did this happen?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Macy's is trying to figure that out themselves. But, essentially, during the preparation of their third quarter's earnings report, they realized that there was some funky accounting going on in their small packages expenses department, and they did an independent investigation, and they found that a single employee intentionally hid money to the tune, though, of $154 million, and this did not just happened one time. This was happening over the course of three years.

Now, Macy's saying that they are still investigating, which is why they are not doing their full earnings report today. They're pushing that to December 11th, as they try to figure out exactly what went wrong. Macy's also saying this did not have an impact on their cash on hand. This did not have any impact on their vendors. And during this time period, the $154 million that was being hid by this single employee was over the course of three years, and at that same time, the total expenses in this department was $4.3 billion. So, a small amount, but still a significant amount.

The CEO of Macy's this morning saying, quote, "At Macy's, we promote culture of ethical conduct. While we work diligently to complete the investigation as soon as practicable and ensure this matter is handled appropriately, our colleagues across the company are focused on serving our customers and executing our strategy for a successful holiday season." That's from Macy's CEO Tony Spring there.

But, of course, Rahel, this raises a ton of questions, how did this go on for so long, and why are they just catching it now? This is going to make investors a little bit nervous, as we do wait for their final earnings report, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. The timing of this couldn't be worse with the holidays upon us. I mean, we know a lot of retailers make the bulk of their sales during the holidays. How are investors? How are the markets responding to this?

YURKEVICH: Yeah. Well, we got a little preview of the third quarter's earnings report. They said that sales slipped by about 2.4 percent. Macy's, obviously, hopes for a strong fourth quarter in terms of holiday spending, but investors there, a little bit maybe moved but unmoved with this news. I think potentially they're more rattled by the sales decline. But, this news, of course, forcing Macy's stock down about three percent today. It's a lot of questions, more questions than answers. But, Macy's says that they're on the case, and this employee, I should note, is no longer with the company, Rahel.

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SOLOMON: Vanessa, do we have any sense of what the employee's motivation was here?

YURKEVICH: We have no idea. I did reach out to Macy's to try to get some more answers on this. Was this someone who did act alone? That is what Macy's is saying. But, it seems like this was obviously going on for several years, very much flying under the radar, and I think Macy's is trying to get to the bottom of why and how this happened. $154 million is a lot of money. May not be that much to Macy's, at the end of the day, but it's a lot to everyone else, and a lot of eyebrows have been raised here.

SOLOMON: For sure. It sounds like more than just a minor accounting error. So, keep us posted.

Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you.

YURKEVICH: Thanks.

SOLOMON: All right. And thank you. We know your time is money. So, thanks for spending some time with me today. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next.

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