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U.S., Ukraine Officials Gather In Saudi For High-Stakes Talks; Stock Markets Plunge On U.S. Recession Fears; Rodrigo Duterte now Under Police Custody; Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation Of Arrested Palestinian Columbia Student; Kurdish-Led SDF Agrees To Integrate With Government Forces; Cargo Ship Carrying Sodium Cyanide Hits Oil Tanker; Strike Cancels Most Flights Across Germany on Monday; Young People Celebrate Freedom to Learn; Vatican: Pope Improving, No Longer in "Imminent Danger". Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 11, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:27]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, I'm Rosemary Church in Atlanta. Just ahead on CNN Newsroom, representatives from the U.S. and Ukraine are in Saudi Arabia hoping to repair a relationship strained by their president's White House showdown.
U.S. markets plunge after Donald Trump refuses to say whether his trade war could spark a recession.
And former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is in custody on a warrant for crimes against humanity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, in just a matter of hours, U.S. and Ukrainian delegations will begin a new effort to find an off ramp for the war in Ukraine. The high stakes talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia come less than two weeks after the last U.S.-Ukraine meeting devolved into a shouting match at the White House.
This time Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not expected to take part in the actual meeting with the US. But the Ukrainian president is in Saudi Arabia and says his discussions with the Saudi crown prince have been focused on security guarantees.
The top American diplomat says he wants to know what concessions Ukraine would be willing to make, adding these talks will be key in determining whether the U.S. will lift its pause on military aid and intelligence sharing. CNN's Alex Marquardt has our report from Jeddah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Both President Zelenskyy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived here in Jeddah on Monday evening. They each met separately with the Saudi crown prince MBS, but the main focus here in Jeddah is going to be that Tuesday meeting between the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations, which President Zelenskyy is not expected to attend.
Now, of course, this comes a week and a half after that extraordinary acrimonious shouting match between President Zelenskyy, President Trump and The Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office in Washington. And since then, American and Ukrainian officials have been trying to patch things up and get the relationship back on track.
On Rubio's way into Jeddah, he told reporters on his plane that he is hopeful that Tuesday's meeting will go well. He said that he's going to be in listening mode, listening for difficult decisions that the Ukrainians are willing to make to get closer to a peace deal, listening for concessions that they are willing to make, as he put it, he wants to hear concessions that are in the realm of the possible.
They won't drill down into specifics, he said. They won't be, for example, pulling out the maps and drawing lines on different maps to show where territory could be given up or taken back. But this does also come at a time when the U.S. has put a freeze on, put a halt on that military and intelligence sharing assistance that is absolutely critical to Ukraine. Rubio saying that Tuesday's meeting will be key for jumpstarting that again, for getting that tap turned back on for the Ukrainians.
So Tuesday's meeting is essentially step two in a longer process to try to get Ukraine and Russia to the same table. The first step was three weeks ago in Riyadh, also here in Saudi Arabia, when Rubio and other Americans sat down with the Russians. The U.S. now trying to identify the concessions, the ideas, the positions of each side, with the eventual goal of trying to get the Russians and the Ukrainians to the same negotiating table. Alex Marquardt, CNN in Jeddah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's economic policies are rattling Wall Street, with the Dow tumbling nearly 900 points to close the day down more than 2 percent Monday. All three major indices ended the day in the red. The Nasdaq alone fell 4 percent and marked its biggest single day decline since September of 2022.
The market instability comes amid growing fears over the impact of Mr. Trump's tariffs and his refusal. Recession isn't helping calm nerves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Are you expecting a recession this year?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we're doing is very big. We're bringing wealth back to America. That's a big thing. And there are always periods of it takes a little time. It takes a little time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:05:05]
CHURCH: CNN's Jeff Zeleny is following developments from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: President Trump out of sight Monday at the White House and unusually silent as the market was suffering its biggest loss of the year. Now, the president over the weekend spoke about recessions. When asked if he feared a recession coming later this year, he did not rule it out. And it was those simple words that sent the markets reeling once again on Monday.
Of course, the uncertainty over his trade policies also are contributing to this. There is no question the White House keeping a very close eye on the market. White House officials telling CNN that they were pointing to the success of the first term of the Trump administration as a metric where they believe that they will be successful in the second term. But that is very much an open question. Not being able to point to anything specific in the short term.
But markets around the world, of course, were responding to this. But the president is scheduled to meet with business leaders in Washington on Tuesday at the Business Leaders Roundtable. That, of course, is that some of the top American CEOs.
So the president perhaps will offer some more clarity on his trade policy. But even as the off again, on again policies for Canada and Mexico have underscored the volatility, new tariffs were imposed from Beijing on Monday, hitting the ag sector, soybeans and pork and chicken. That, of course, is worrying some of those red state senators.
A new aluminum and steel tariffs also set to take place on Wednesday and then a bigger round of tariffs in April. The open question in all of this is will the president continue with these tariffs or will they simply be a threat and used in negotiations?
One thing is clear. For as much as the president has followed the stock market over the years, he has said he is not paying attention. Now, we of course, shall see about that. But he's scheduled to meet with business leaders on Tuesday. We'll see how the markets react. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Joining me now is Christopher Clarke, an assistant professor of economics at Washington State University. Appreciate you talking with us.
CHRISTOPHER CLARKE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS, WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having me tonight. CHURCH: So stock prices tanked Monday, a day after the U.S. president
declined to rule out a recession this year. And Donald Trump didn't say a word, even though his words and his tariffs caused all the panic. So what is the economic reasoning behind Trump's belief that his tariffs will make America rich if he stays the course?
CLARKE: Well, the idea is if you protect American industries, they'll be more prosperous. They'll able to survive more and produce more stuff. The problem with that point of view is it comes with higher prices and that means households and consumers can't buy as much as they otherwise would. Households are more poor, not the country is less prosperous. And we don't get as well off as he would hope.
CHURCH: And of course it's not just his tariffs, is it President Trump and Elon Musk's aggressive cuts to federal jobs and services causing panic as well across the country. What impact could these cuts have on the U.S. economy?
CLARKE: Well, presently it's not terribly clear how much it's going to have. We're not seeing it in the weekly layoff data for example, yet. But my biggest concerns for all the cuts is not so much the short run disruptions, but the long run decline in public services.
The reason we have governments is because they provide things that the private market will under provide. And so we won't get these innovations in science against the careful regulations to protect the American consumer.
CHURCH: And of course most economists would agree. I'm sure some people push back on this. But the U.S. economy was actually the envy of the world not so long ago, certainly at the beginning of January. Now we're talking about a recession. So how big a threat do Trump's tariffs and massive cuts actually pose? And could a recession be averted if he changes course now or perhaps a few weeks from now?
CLARKE: Well, absolutely, this is going to be a self-owned recession if it comes on the table. And it's really disappointing to see the President of the United States flirt with causing a recession. You know, five years ago in 2020 when we saw a massive recession coming, the administration put forward some of the most Main Street focused stimulus packages to prevent the suffering from a recession. So to see that suffering being presented now is quite troubling.
How big of a recession could we have? All this depends on how large of a tariffs we're going to put on how big of a disruption we're planning to do. We're already seeing disruptions happening, tariffs or not, simply by businesses not wanting to invest in new things with all this uncertainty.
CHURCH: And former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, he was saying yesterday on CNN that Trump's recession threat is a self-inflicted wound with his tariffs and unpredictability.
CLARKE: Yes.
[01:10:07] CHURCH: So what's the economic solution to all this and what is a better way of applying tariffs? Is there a better way?
CLARKE: If you're going to have any change in public policy, it needs to be done carefully, with foresight and gradual implementation. A plan is what is needed. There isn't a great way to put in these protectionist tariffs. Of course, there are concerns about geopolitical situations with the relationship with China, but those types of tariffs need to be narrow, such as the sanctions that have been applied on Russia. Broad, bold faced tariffs like this won't work, planned or otherwise.
CHURCH: All right. We'll see what happens. We'll see whether he stays the course or looks for other options. Christopher Clarke, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate your analysis.
CLARKE: Cheers.
CHURCH: Well, the controversial former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been arrested by Interpol. The International Criminal Court had issued a warrant for his arrest for crimes against humanity before leaving office in 2022. He presided over a brutal crackdown on drugs that led to thousands of killings.
Duterte was detained in Manila earlier after returning from a campaign rally in Hong Kong. And CNN's Mike Valerio is following this live from Seoul. He joins us now. So, Mike, what more are you learning about Duterte's arrest?
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, we're actually hearing from him in scenes that are equal parts compelling and equal parts bizarre. His daughter is actually streaming some of his comments on her Instagram page of what he said now that he's been detained on this warrant from the International Criminal Court.
So let's listen to the clip. And in a nutshell, he's essentially asking reporters and law enforcement officers who are gathered around him, what law have I been detained under and under whose authority? Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODRIGO DUTERTE, FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Now, the legal basis for my being here as I apparently I was brought here not of my own volition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: OK. So he says not on his own volition was he brought here under arrest. We should note it's pretty rare that people are brought before the International Criminal Court on their own volition. So, Rosemary, here is the background. Rodrigo Duterte is accused of killing at least 6,000 people in a crusade against illegal drugs throughout the Philippines from roughly November 1, 2011, until March 16, 2019. That seems to be the scope of this investigation. And of course, this has galvanized a whole multitude, a multitude of
people within the Philippines as to how to deal with this crisis. Of course, it's all right to take a stand against illegal drugs. The problem here, what has been so outrageous according to critics and a whole host of people, is that you need due process.
You need to be arrested, you need to go through a trial, have an investigation proceed, not being killed on the spot by vigilantes who have been accused of killing untold scores and hundreds and then reaching into the thousands of people in the name of ridding the Philippines of this problem.
So we also have new reaction from the Human Rights Watch sending CNN a statement a short time ago saying, quote, the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a critical step for accountability in the Philippines. Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity in relation to thousands of extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs. His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends the clear message that no one is above the law.
That seems to be echoing so many critics of Duterte who were hoping that this moment would come sooner. It hasn't because of the Philippines withdrawing from the International Criminal Court. But it seemed as though the current administration of President Marcos said that if an arrest warrant came down, the Philippines would cooperate. It remains to be seen, Rosemary, how an extradition would take place bringing him from the Philippines to The Hague. So we are watching that in the hours to come. Rosemary.
CHURCH: Of course, Mike Valerio, many thanks for your live update there.
VALERIO: Thanks, Rosemary.
CHURHC: Well, coming up, the Trump administration hits a roadblock as it attempts to deport a legal U.S. resident over his anti-Gaza war activism. Plus, Israeli police raid a well-known Palestinian owned bookstore in Jerusalem. What that means for free speech in the country. We'll take a look.
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[01:19:20]
CHURCH: Protesters in New York are demanding the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist who was arrested by U.S. Immigration officials on Saturday.
The legal U.S. resident is being targeted for deportation by the White House for his prominent role in anti-Gaza war protests at the university, but Khalil has not been charged with or accused of any crime. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claims that Khalil, quote, led activities aligned to Hamas, but offered no evidence to back those allegations.
[01:20:07]
On Monday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from removing him from the U.S. and set a hearing for Wednesday. Civil rights groups and Columbia University faculty are condemning the crackdown on free speech and immigration rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL THADDEUS, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Students like Mr. Khalil flock to the United States from every corner of the globe, in large part because of our reputation as a beacon of liberty. Here, the world thinks someone cannot be summarily arrested and imprisoned merely for expressing an opinion or advocating a political cause. The case of Mahmoud Khalil has dealt a severe blow to that trust placed in us by the world.
YINON COHEN, FELLOW FOR ISRAEL AND JEWISH STUDIES, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Rescinding visas, canceling green card, and intimidating students and staff have become the tool of choice for stifling free speech and undermining the First Amendment. Columbia University includes Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and athletes. And none of us will be safe unless we're all safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Critics say the Israeli government is conducting its own crackdown on free speech. They point to a recent police raid on a bookstore and the store owner's detention as proof that the government is becoming increasingly intolerant of pro-Palestinian voices in Israel. CNN's Nic Robertson shows us what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In East Jerusalem, undercover cops rifle the shelves of an internationally renowned bookstore. Owner Mahmoud Muna looks on in disbelief, watching, he believes, the erosion of his and his customers intellectual freedoms.
MAHMOUD MUNA, OWNER OF A EAST JERUSALEM BOOKSHOP: Any book that had the word Palestine, had a flag, had colors, had any expression of a national or political identity of the Palestinians, became possibly a suspect book.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Muna, under house arrest when we met, was still struggling to understand why he had been targeted.
MUNA: What I do in the bookshop is I create a space and I put in it books that create conversations.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The police carried away bags of his books, returned most of them, and ultimately focused on a child's coloring book, which Muna says was in a back room, not for sale, titled from the river to the Sea, words many Israelis interpret as a threat to the Jewish state. Muna and his nephew were taken into custody, held almost 48 hours. MUNA: There's a devastating feeling that in this place, within 30
minutes, you could be running one of the most international bookshops of the city. And within 30 minutes, you are in a dungeon underground in a detention center.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Lawyers, international diplomats and Israeli friends rallied to his side in the courts. A petition was signed by some of Israel's leading writers and poets. Police arrested him for, quote, selling books containing incitement and support for terrorism.
The charges later downgraded, Muna says, to the catch all, disrupting public order, that Palestinians should feel mistreated by Israeli police is not new. But Muna's cultural standing has some on Israel's left worried that since Hamas October 7 attacks, Israeli freedoms are increasingly under attack too.
GIDEON LEVY, JOURNALIST: And what happened in the bookstore, in the educational bookshop should be a red light, a very strong red light for all of us.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Respected journalist Gideon Levy, once a go to voice on the Israeli left, is slowly disappearing from the national conversation. No longer inviting, he Sundays, for Israeli TV interviews.
LEVY: In Israel, there is a government which is using anti-democratic means, not to say fascist means, against freedom of thought, freedom of speech, any kind of freedom. And they do it with pride.
ROBERTSON: And they say that this is the only democracy in the Middle East.
LEVY: This joke, I think nobody takes it seriously anymore.
ROBERTSON: The list of Israelis getting leaned on is growing. Knesset member Ofder Cassif is a case in point. Knesset members voted to expel him last year when he said Israel may be committing genocide in Gaza.
OFFER CASSIF, KNESSET MEMBER: The very fact that members of Parliament can impeach another member of parliament, that's anti-democratic because that's a clear case of tyranny of the majority.
[01:25:00]
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Cassif narrowly avoided the expulsion, but even now is banned from the chamber. Aside from voting, there is an ongoing.
CASSIF: Profound, systematic political persecution of anyone who raises an alternative voice to the government.
ROBERTSON: Freedom of speech is at stake.
CASSIF: Freedom of speech doesn't exist. It's not even at stake anymore. It doesn't exist.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israeli government officials reject Cassif's characterization.
DAVID MENCER, INSRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: We'll maintain freedom of speech under the rule of law. So any measures which are taken are always taken within the framework of Israeli law with all the appropriate checks and balances from our democracy.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Levy, whose own newspaper Haaretz, lost government funding last year over objections to their critical coverage of Israel's actions in Gaza, worries he too will be shut down.
LEVY: This government has an agenda and this agenda is to try as much as they can to shut mouths and to close any criticism.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Muna and his nephew stores are open again. A group of visiting British MPs among the latest customers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just very good to be able to come here and see you open.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The stakes of successful trade, Muna says, are higher than ever.
MUNA: You are creating a whole generation that their ability to think will not beyond that framework that has been set by the government. This is a very dangerous, very dangerous.
ROBERTSON: Muna says he's never received a list of banned books. And the Israeli government pushes back against accusations is cracking down on free speech. But the raid on this store has raised awareness that this government is different to previous and that may come at a cost. Nick Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Turning now to Syria, a cause for celebration following some of the worst violence seen in the country in years. Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa says he's reached a deal with the Syrian Democratic Forces to integrate them into the country's new state institutions. The Kurdish led group which controls much of Syria's oil rich northeast is backed by the United States.
This comes amid Syria's worst violence since former President Bashar al Assad was ousted last year. Fighting broke out between the new interim government and Assad loyalists. A U.K. based monitoring group, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, reports hundreds has have been killed, including civilians.
A fiery collision in the North Sea. Two large vessels crashed, one loaded with jet fuel, the other carrying a highly toxic chemical. We'll have details on the other side of the break. Stay with us.
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[01:33:21]
CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
I want to check today's top stories for you.
Delegations from the U.S. and Ukraine are getting ready to hold talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia aimed at resolving the war with Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. will be in listening mode and wants to hear what concessions Ukraine would be willing to make to end the fighting.
Concerns over the U.S. president's economic policy have led to a widespread sell off on Wall Street. The Dow dropped nearly 900 points to close Monday, down 2 percent, marking its worst day of the year. Mr. Trump has heightened concerns after refusing to rule out a recession.
The former populist president of the Philippines is in police custody right now. Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila after Interpol carried out an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. He's accused of crimes against humanity for his bloody crackdown on drugs.
And we're just getting word of what could be the largest Ukrainian attack on the Russian capital since the start of the war, according to Russian state media. Officials say Ukraine launched dozens of drones toward Moscow, killing one person and wounding three others. The Moscow mayor says falling debris damaged buildings. Reuters reports the attacks forced four airports to close for safety reasons.
[01:34:50]
CHURCH: The attack comes just hours before the scheduled talks between the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on ending the war with Russia.
A cargo ship smashed into an oil tanker off the northeast coast of England on Monday, causing a massive fire. The ship contained sodium cyanide and alcohol, and the tanker was loaded with jet fuel. One crew member is still missing, but authorities say the search for the person has ended.
CNN's Anna Stewart reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The alarm was first raised at 9:48 a.m. local time. Two large vessels collided in the North Sea off the coast of Hull, causing a fire and huge plumes of black smoke.
The UK Coast Guard and Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the RNLI, both responded to the incident sending helicopters and lifeboats.
Now the focus shifts to the question of how this collision could happen during daylight hours and in spite of the safety and navigation features common to these large vessels.
Now, according to Crowley, which is the operator of the Stena Immaculate oil tanker, the vessel was anchored off the North Sea coast when it was struck by the container ship called the Solong.
The tanker was carrying jet fuel, which started to leak due to a ruptured tank and multiple explosions followed.
The Solong is a Portuguese-flagged smaller ship which, according to Vessel Finder, was en route to the Netherlands, having left a port in Scotland.
In addition to investigating the cause of this collision, there will likely be an assessment on the environmental impact of the fuel spill in the North Sea.
Anna Stewart, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Nearly all of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world last year were in Asia. That's according to a new report.
Swiss company IQ Air tracks global air quality and looked at one of the most dangerous pollutants for their data, PM 2.5. A town in north east India recorded more than 25 times the recommended level of that pollutant by World Health Organization standards.
The report says air pollution overall remains a significant health burden, reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years.
Germany has seen some major travel disruptions after a one-day strike led to most flights being canceled across the country Monday. The so- called warning strike is related to two separate pay disputes.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more details from Berlin's airport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The departures hall here at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport is pretty much a ghost town. You can see over there that what would normally be a bustling area with many people trying to reach their flight right now is pretty much empty.
And if we look at the main departures board here at Berlin Brandenburg International, you can see that literally every single flight has been canceled.
Now here in Berlin, that means a couple of hundred flights that are affected. However, all of this is much bigger. It's going on at all major airports here in Germany because a union has called for a major strike by ground staff.
Now, all of this also includes the main hubs here in Germany, which is of course, Frankfurt and also Munich. That has a lot of the international and transatlantic flights going from there.
In total the Association for Airports here in Germany says that more than 3,000 flights will be affected and around half a million passengers.
So this is certainly massive. And the airlines and also the authorities here in Germany say that if you are looking on Monday to travel either to or from Germany by plane, you can pretty much forget about it, at least on this day.
They say the thing to do is get in touch with the airline that you're traveling with as early as possible, as fast as possible, and ask them if there are any other viable options, or also possibly what options in the next couple of days there might be.
All of this, of course, is set to cause disruption, not just here in Germany, but it is, of course, the biggest country in western Europe and so all of this can spill over into other countries in western Europe as well.
All of this is happening because of a walkout that was called for by the Trade Services Union, which also represents public workers here in Germany. They want significantly more money.
However, politicians here in this country say at this point in time for Germany with a bad economy right now, that simply isn't possible.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- at the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Coming up, the global celebration of freedom is here. We will check in with students in Hong Kong.
But first, here's what students in Macau and Libya have to say about the freedom to learn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Compassionate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merciful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sensitive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Benevolent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Empathetic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sympathetic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Charitable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affectionate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:39:45]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:44:55]
CHURCH: Students around the world are celebrating the freedom to learn. That is the theme of this year's "My Freedom Day". They're trying to break the cycle of exploitation.
We've heard from young people across the globe who want to see a world without child trafficking like these students in Taiwan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUDENTS: You have freedom.
But millions don't.
Modern slavery still exists.
But not by raising awareness
And taking action.
We can make them free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Hanako Montgomery is in Hong Kong speaking with students as they wrap up activities for the day.
And Hanako, you showed us a sweatshop simulation last hour. So what are students telling you about what they learned from that experience?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosemary.
So as you just described, students here at Hong Kong's King George V School just participated in a simulation that mimics a factory like setting. It was an intense 30 minutes or so.
And I have two students here with me, actually, who are willing to tell me about their experience. Thank you so much for joining me today, ladies.
So we have Hitomi here and Annabella both in Year 12. So ladies, please tell me what was the simulation like?
HITOMI, STUDENT, KING GEORGE V SCHOOL: Oh, it was honestly quite intense as you said. It was quite -- it was really motivating and inspiring to see how other kids from around the world have such a different lead -- such a different lives than us.
And it was honestly, I felt such fear throughout the entire simulation. It was like I was right there. And honestly, I can't express how it really felt unless you were in that moment yourself.
MONTGOMERY: Yes. Very powerful. Thank you.
And what about you?
ANNABELLA, STUDENT, KING GEORG V SCHOOL: Well, I like -- it was only 20 to 30 minutes long. However, like I felt the intense amount of pressure and stress. And, I don't know, like, I just know that it's not the worst kind of conditions. And I just have so much empathy for all the kids around the world who are facing this on a daily basis.
And I don't think that we're ever going to truly be able to solve the problem without working together, you know, and really like trying to -- like, make everyone aware and raise money to help this cause.
And that's the goal of "My Freedom Day", right? To get more empathy, to understand what some of your peers are going through, right.
And what kind of impact or what lessons did you learn about the impact of child slavery on education?
HITOMI: I definitely did not know that. It was like one in ten kids that endure this every day. The percentage of kids who are under this type of condition in Asia is 62 percent. That's absolutely mind blowing.
And the impact it has on me is that I lead a club here in KG5. We raise awareness ourselves. And before this sweatshop, I didn't actually realize the extent, the severity of this kind of problem that we have in our society.
And it's definitely empowered, like (INAUDIBLE) and this entire simulation, it's inspired me to continue what I do here, even though it's definitely a much smaller scale.
and it's definitely impacted me to go and research more in this topic, in this field, to see what I can do.
MONTGOMERY: That's great to hear. And what about you, Annabella?
ANNABELLA: Well, I mean, like, I really did not understand the severity, like, you know. And even though we only saw a small part of it, I didn't understand the extent how uneducated these children are, like, I take education as a privilege as well as many other of my fellow students. And we don't truly understand that it is a privilege until we don't have it.
And it's kind of invisible to us because we don't see ourselves in a world where we don't know how to read or how to count. But through this sweatshop, I really understand that there are, like many children that are just, you know -- have to work all the time and like, they don't get the access to education like we do.
MONTGOMERY: A lot more widespread right than we might imagine. And what about today's lessons changed the way you think about your own educational opportunities?
HITOMI: Yes, it absolutely did change my perspective of my education here. I feel so grateful, first of all, like that I get to be in this part of society where education is given to me. It's something I get to experience every day instead of what other
kids might be doing. And it's definitely made me feel like I can do much more with what I have now to help the other people who might not have what I have.
[01:49:47]
HITOMI: Because it's definitely quite putting off to think that these children will never grow up to have or have the same childhood that I grew up to have.
And yes, it definitely made me rethink my whole kind of what I do here, my education and what I can do in my place here in KG5.
MONTGOMERY: Very well put. Thank you.
How about you?
ANNABELLA: I mean, I truly feel grateful for what I have and the opportunities I have because how -- like my education is so valued and my parents really try to support me the best I can to do the -- like, have the most opportunities I can have.
And I didn't understand until today where I realized that, you know, there are one in ten children don't have that. And like, not only that, but some, we have some of the best education in the world, like, and we have such good access to facilities and materials, resources.
So I just feel -- guilt in a sense if I've ever like, expressed ungratefulness or lack of satisfaction or I've just complained about going to school, like, I really don't want to complain anymore.
MONTGOMERY: School is fun. Yes.
ANNABELLA: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: Well, thank you so much, ladies.
And Rosemary, as you heard there, I mean, this simulation really struck a chord with the students here at Hong Kong's King George V School.
Because really, as we know, the freedom to learn, the right to learn is not actually guaranteed for millions of children worldwide. But hopefully with this program, with what the students learned here today, they become better advocates for a world free of exploitation, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Indeed, impressive insights from those two young students. Many thanks.
Hanako Montgomery in Hong Kong.
Well, our international coverage of "My Freedom Day" continues throughout today. Send us your thoughts on freedom to learn using the #MyFreedomDay on social media and visit CNN.com/MyFreedomDay for more information.
And we'll be right back.
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CHURCH: For the first time since his hospitalization, doctors say Pope Francis' health is improving.
CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb brings us the latest from Rome.
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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's good news for Pope Francis in his battle with pneumonia.
On Monday, the Vatican saying that the Pope remains stable, that the improvements of recent days have been consolidated and the doctors have decided to lift the prognosis which a Vatican source says means the Pope is no longer in imminent danger from the infection with which he was hospitalized.
Now, Francis has been at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome since the 14th of February, battling pneumonia in both of his lungs. He's 88 years old.
He's had a really horrendous time in the hospital. He's had bronchoscopies. He's had breathing crises. There's been an aspiration of vomit from the Pope on one occasion. It's been really very, very tough.
But on Monday the doctors essentially envisaging a way out of hospital for the Pope in his battle with pneumonia.
Now, Francis will remain in the hospital for the coming days for treatment. Given his age, given his health challenges, risks still remain.
[01:54:49]
LAMB: There is still a sense of caution from the. Vatican and from the doctors About the Pope's condition. But clearly a marked bit of improvement and good news for the Pope.
Now Francis has during his hospitalization, signaled he's still governing the Catholic Church. He's still signing documents from his hospital. He's been calling the Catholic Parish in Gaza, and on Monday sent a telegram of condolence for the victims of floods in Argentina, his homeland.
The Vatican also saying he's been following from his hospital room the spiritual exercises for the leaders of the Vatican, which are taking place in the Paul VI hall on my right. He's been doing that while sitting in an armchair.
We are told Francis will remain in hospital to continue his treatment in the forthcoming days. We are expecting further updates from the Vatican on Tuesday. And of course, the Pope still has a number of challenges when it comes to his recovery. But good news on Monday for Francis.
Christopher Lamb, CNN -- Rome.
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CHURCH: A big year for red hot rapper Doechi just got a lot bigger.
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CHURCH: The rap star has been named Billboard's 2025 woman of the year, joining the ranks of Madonna, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and others. The honor follows her first ever Grammy win for Best Rap Album, which she received in January, along with nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance.
Billboard says the rapper will be honored at an event later this month.
I want to thank you so much for your company this hour.
I'm Rosemary Church.
I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Please stay with us.
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