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Over 1,000 Dead after Myanmar Thailand 7.7 Earthquake; Myanmar Quake Death Toll Could Surpass 10,000; VP Vance Visits Greenland as Trump Pushes to Annex It; Top FDA Vaccine Official Resigns, Slams Kennedy; Israel Strikes Beirut for the First Time since Ceasefire; Ecuador Wants U.S. Troops to Help Fight Gangs; UNESCO Say Glaciers Are Melting Faster than Ever; LSU Heads to Elite Eight. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 29, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello. And we want to welcome all of our viewers watching in the United States and around the world. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York City.

And ahead here on the CNN NEWSROOM, searching for survivors after a powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar and Thailand. Nearly 24 hours since that quake struck and there is still hope for survivors.

Also, the U.S. vice president and the second lady visit a coveted Arctic Island, Greenlanders giving them an icy welcome.

And president Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney sharing their first phone call since Carney took office as the clock ticks toward new U.S.-imposed tariffs on Canada.

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SANDOVAL: We want to begin with another significant update on the death toll in Myanmar and Thailand after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake. More than 1,000 people are now reported dead, the vast majority of them in Myanmar, according to the state broadcaster.

And that number is expected to rise, sadly and sharply, with U.S. officials estimating that the toll is likely to surpass 10,000 lives.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Thai capital are scrambling to find dozens of people that are feared buried beneath the rubble of a collapsed building. Rescue workers are detecting what they are describing as vital signs from 15 people that are possibly still trapped. Here's how one man described it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It was shaking. And I felt dizzy. After that, debris like cement pieces started falling down and the shaking got stronger. So I shout out for everyone to run. Then I heard the boom, boom, boom sound coming down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Yes, he is lucky to be alive, especially after seeing these pictures. At least 10 people have died in Bangkok so far. Residents are being urged to get out of two buildings in the city that are severely damaged. CNN's Will Ripley starting our coverage from the Thai capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been an absolutely exhausting and excruciating night.

And now morning here in Bangkok, where most people here have not slept a wink since that massive 7.7 earthquake 600 miles away caused this skyscraper that was under construction to come tumbling down in a matter of seconds.

And there were well over 100 construction workers inside. So far, more than a dozen of them have been found alive but injured. At least 10 of them have been found dead. But finding them is very slow going. They know that there are around 100 people still in there. Some of them may be alive, others have not survived.

They can even hear people's phones ringing. They have sniffer dogs out, searching for any sign of life. They've also been flying drones overhead. But because they don't want to disrupt the rubble and create instability in air pockets, where there could be potential survivors, they're basically digging by hand.

And they're going to continue doing that out here, they say, for the next 72 hours or so and then they'll reassess after that, depending upon how many survivors they've been able to recover, what their conditions are and what they can learn about what's going on inside.

In the meantime, you have these family members of the construction workers who've been out here throughout the entire night, sitting and waiting for any information. And, of course, information is coming far too slowly for them and for so many others affected by this quake.

Because I need to stress again, this is 600 miles away from the epicenter in Myanmar. This quake hit along a fault line near a densely populated city of about 1.5 million people, with a lot of old buildings and dilapidated infrastructure.

There are reports of widespread damage, destruction, building collapses; we've seen video of a bridge collapse. But the number of dead, they're now saying, the U.S. Geological Survey is estimating it could likely be upwards of 10,000 people, even though the official death count is only in the hundreds right now.

And so here in Bangkok, this search and rescue effort continues. But they don't have a similar search and rescue infrastructure in place in Myanmar. That's why the military junta, which has been gripped in a civil war for the last several years, has made a rare plea for international assistance. They've been asking the world to come in and help in what they

describe as a dire situation. But the problem is there are militias that control parts of Myanmar.

[03:05:00]

The military junta doesn't control all of it. So even coordinating that logistical nightmare to get aid in is going to be a huge challenge. And if this is the situation 600 miles from the epicenter, one can only imagine just how bad things are right now in Myanmar, closer to where this massive 7.7 earthquake struck -- Will Ripley, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Hard to believe that used to be a building behind Will. Let's now go to Tokyo and my colleague, Hanako Montgomery, who's live at this hour.

You've brought us some extraordinary images, Hanako, in the last several hours.

Can you tell our viewers just how really, how far-reaching is the impact from this quake?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, of course, I mean, this earthquake was so powerful. In fact, it was the most powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar in over a century, that it was felt in parts of China and in parts of Thailand. You heard Will there talking about just the devastation that he's seeing in the capital of Thailand, in Bangkok.

And currently, rescue operators are trying to locate any remaining survivors in a high-rise building that collapsed on Friday. Now we've heard from the Thai authorities that at least 15 people so far have been rescued from those building sites. Those individuals had vital signs, which is a very good sign.

And, of course, is some bit of good news in what's been a very, very tragic 24 hours. But, of course, dozens of people are still expected to be trapped inside. And family members of those expected to be trapped inside are waiting for any bit of good news, any bit of information that their loved ones might also be rescued.

Now in Myanmar, where the epicenter of this earthquake actually occurred, the situation has been extremely devastating. We're hearing from residents that they were scared to death and didn't know what to do when the earthquake struck around 1 pm local time on Friday. Here's one individual's account of that earthquake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was on patrol as a security guard during the quake. It was the first time in my life I felt such intense tremors and shaking. I've never experienced anything like it before. And the strong tremors made me feel extremely dizzy. There was no

damage at home but my children were terrified and are still feeling disoriented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: Now the military government in Myanmar has said at least 1,000 people have died in the country. But, of course, that death toll is expected to rise in the coming days and weeks.

But unfortunately, Polo, it's going to take us a couple of weeks to fully ascertain the situation in Myanmar on the ground there, because of a civil war that's been raging in the country since 2021 now.

The military junta has been controlling the country for over four years and has restricted access to the internet and has limited news outlets from reporting on the ground. Also important to note is that the military junta doesn't control the entire country. There are rebel groups and militias that control large parts of it.

So it's difficult to get a full picture here, all the details in one go. Now also important to note is that this earthquake struck central Myanmar, a part of the country that's been particularly ravaged by the fighting.

In fact, according to Amnesty International, more than a third of the country is in desperate need of humanitarian aid in just this year alone and more than 3 million individuals have been internally displaced.

And what makes matters worse here, Polo, is that Myanmar is in desperate need of aid and it doesn't have sufficient aid right now. According to one U.S. think tank's estimates, about US$ 52 million of USAID funding has been cut from the country under the Trump administration.

Now Trump did say that he was going to assist Myanmar in some way, shape or form, that the U.S. was going to provide some aid. We don't have all the details of that yet. So far, the countries that have offered aid are India and China. We've seen teams there deployed on the ground, assisting in rescue efforts.

And also we're hearing some reports, preliminary reports about Singapore and Russia also assisting in those efforts. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes. It's so important to remind our viewers of all those complicating factors. Hanako Montgomery, thank you very much for that.

All right. So our correspondents bringing us the very latest. Now let's get the perspective of a volunteer. This is Harry Roberts. He's our next guest. He's with ShelterBox, that charity organization. He joins us live at this hour from Bangkok.

Harry, thank you very much. I know it has been quite the last 24 hours for you. You told us that you were home in the center of the city when the shaking began. You evacuated your apartment, pet cat and all, thankfully, onto the streets with your fellow residents.

What else do you remember about that moment?

And how extraordinary is it to experience something like that where you live?

HARRY ROBERTS, VOLUNTEER, SHELTERBOX: Thank you for having me. It was pretty scary, I think, at first.

[03:10:00]

ROBERTS: I think, maybe, like a lot of residents in Bangkok, we just couldn't believe this was happening. And really, not until I stood up in my apartment, I realized that, hey, this is -- this must be an earthquake. And the idea was to get out.

So I grabbed Nico the cat and went down through the fire exit and pretty much everyone else was doing the same. And then as soon as we got on to the streets, it was chaotic. We've got some really tall buildings around us and these buildings were really swaying and, yes, it was pretty scary.

SANDOVAL: Yes, we've seen some of those remarkable images of the swimming pools atop buildings, splashing water onto the ground below. I can just imagine what that was like for people there on the street.

If we could now just shift to ShelterBox's participation of efforts on the ground.

We're curious, how is your organization preparing to overcome the challenges of providing support in neighboring Myanmar?

For a long time, this country has kept much of the world out.

So how does it prepare now to get some of that crucial aid in?

ROBERTS: So we have a team on the way to Bangkok right now. They should be in country, hopefully, pretty much soon. As soon as that team arrives here in Bangkok, meet up with that team. And then we'll be putting a plan together.

I mean, I would imagine headquarters in the U.K., Cornwall in the U.K., they'll be already looking at logistics, putting a plan together, looking at what aid is available. But you know, as much as the authorities in Myanmar are saying, you know, they need help, this needs to really trickle down to immigration, the customs.

Because really, as an NGO organization, like other NGOs, we can't really move until we have that information. So it's about information gathering at the moment. So we might make those right decisions.

I would imagine on the ground at the moment it's pretty chaotic. And the communication within that country is pretty slim at the moment. We've heard nothing from Yangon. U.N. not sure (ph) at the moment. So as soon as we get the appropriate information, then we can start responding. SANDOVAL: And as your fellow volunteers gather to create that plan,

I'm curious, what do you think will be needed to really scale up the assistance, really increase the potential positive impact on the ground?

Is it more fuel?

Is it clearing a path into some of the devastated regions?

ROBERTS: Well, yes, it's going to be all about access, trying to get to those most vulnerable people. I know for a fact that the communications at the moment in Myanmar are not good. Fuel is limited.

You know, you can't just pull up at a petrol station there. You know, you've got to buy fuel. And that could be an a logistic nightmare for us trying to travel into the country. So there are many layers of complexities that we need to work through and also safety and security of our teams.

And I would imagine other NGO organizations will be thinking the same.

Is it safe to move in the country?

Because we've got to remember that, you know, there's a war going on as well, alongside the disaster. So it's a real complex situation.

SANDOVAL: And really just that, that leads me to my last question here. Harry, you're no stranger to some of these natural disaster sites. I read about you. You've responded to tropical storms, to subsequent flooding.

So how does a seasoned volunteer for these kinds of events wrap their head around the situation at hand?

ROBERTS: Well, you know, we received really good training and, you know, we're all like-minded people. We really want to help the vulnerable communities around the world that are affected by disaster.

And, you know, the training is very good. It really does prepare. As soon as this happened, I was already looking at my grab bag. I'm available to go. And as soon as the team arrives here in Bangkok, I'm hoping I can be a part of the response.

SANDOVAL: Yes. Harry Roberts, you and the rest of the volunteers, do take care of yourselves first so you can help all the people on the ground. Harry, thank you very much for updating us now and telling us a little bit about what you experienced. We're glad you're safe.

ROBERTS: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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SANDOVAL: U.S. vice president JD Vance pitching his case for why America should take over Greenland while visiting the island on Friday. He's accusing Denmark of neglecting the self-governing territory and says that Greenland would be better off under U.S. security. Here's CNN's Tom Foreman.

[03:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need Greenland, very importantly for international security. We have to have Greenland.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even as President Trump continued beating the drum for a U.S. takeover of Greenland, his vice president, J.D. Vance, was there.

VANCE: It's cold as shit here. Nobody told me.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Towing the White House line at the U.S. military base, Greenland has hosted since World War II, insisting Russia and China's interest in nearby shipping channels are making the largest island in the world unsafe.

VANCE: We can't just bury our head in the sand or in Greenland, bury our head in the snow and pretend that the Chinese are not interested in this very large landmass.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The trip by Vance, his wife Usha, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, was clearly aimed at a very different photo op. The Second Lady was set to lead a delegation attending Greenland's national dog sled races, making nice with locals.

USHA VANCE, SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I look forward to meeting many of you soon and to learning from you about your beautiful land, culture and traditions.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But the dog sled diplomacy was soon on the run. A poll earlier this year showed Greenlanders strongly objected to the idea of a takeover and the trip quickly unraveled as they and their leaders began sounding off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want you here.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Calling the visit uninvited, unwelcome and highly aggressive. The U.S. delegation ended up more than 900 miles away from the Greenlandic capital, a move no doubt fine to officials in Denmark who said Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people and Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom and that is not going to change.

Still, Team Trump keeps hammering away that anyone who opposes the proposed land grab by political, economic or even military force must step aside.

VANCE: This has to happen and the reason it has to happen, I hate to say it, is because our friends in Denmark have not done their job in keeping this area safe. TRUMP: And I think Denmark understands it, I think the European Union understands it. And if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them.

FOREMAN: The vice president says he thinks that the move for independence in Greenland can somehow be turned into a movement to join the United States. But that seems unlikely, since many of them are now saying MAGA should really stand for Make America Go Away -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Some not so positive news on the U.S. economy, where markets continuing their slide on Friday, driven in part by a new report that finds consumer sentiment tanking in the U.S. We'll get you those details.

Plus, the leaders of Canada and the U.S. sharing what's been described as a productive phone call but neither side backing down from their trade threats. We'll get you the latest on the call.

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[03:20:00]

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back.

This right here is how you do not want to see a trading week close. U.S. stocks closing in the red, amid continuing tariff anxiety, stubborn inflation and weakening consumer sentiment. All three major indices sliding on Friday with the Dow closing more than 700 points. The S&P 500 is on track for its worst quarter since 2022.

A closely watched report released on Friday found the consumer sentiment tanked in March, down 12 percent from February. And respondents' outlook on the economy, that plummeted; 18 percent. Probably has something to do with tariffs.

They were one of the topics as president Trump and Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, had their first phone conversation since Mr. Carney took office just two weeks ago. Both sides are describing their call on Friday as productive and very constructive.

But Mr. Trump did not back away from threats to impose new tariffs next Wednesday. Nor did Mr. Carney back away from his vow to retaliate. And while the tone was less contentious than previous talks with Justin Trudeau, Mr. Carney said that Canada's relationship with the U.S. has fundamentally changed.

As CNN's Paula Newton reports, the situation is still very fluid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Fluid was a very good description.

And I think for Canadians and as well as any Canadian government officials, they're being incredibly cautious.

I mean, look, I'm going to state the obvious. We are in the middle of a campaign here in Canada and a federal electoral campaign. Right now until the end of April, no one's even sure who is going to be prime minister.

Having said that, of course, a lot of relief with the tone change. But as I heard from Canadian officials as well as Canadian industry officials saying, look. It's not even a tariff until we see the paperwork.

And as far as the prime minister's office is concerned, it is -- they're not taking anything for granted until it's in writing and it is in negotiation. I think the prime minister's office told me that, look, they were very pleased with the call.

They thought it set things off on a completely different level but one that will end in a negotiation that is to Canada's liking. I think right now, still a lot of uncertainty, a little bit of optimism for sure.

But I think the capricious nature of the president has everyone, quite frankly, burned here. And I do not think that one call is going to turn around the feeling here in terms of having to really pull away from the United States, both economically and militarily.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has lost its top vaccine official. Dr. Peter Marks resigned after he was told to quit or be fired.

[03:25:00]

In his resignation letter, obtained by CNN, he laid into his boss, HHS secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. Marks said Kennedy doesn't care about truth and transparency and wants people to confirm his, quote, "misinformation and lies."

A department official replied that Kennedy is trying to restore science to a golden standard, according to them. But if Marks is not on board, he shouldn't work there. Marks was instrumental in rolling out the U.S. COVID vaccine program.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving ahead with its efforts to abolish the top U.S. government aid agency. The State Department formally notified Congress on Friday that it will effectively shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development by July 1st.

President Trump claiming that the agency mismanaged taxpayers' money and funded programs that are not in the interest of the United States. But supporters of the agency say that it has promoted America's soft power by fighting hunger and poverty around the world. A dismantling is expected to face legal challenges in court.

U.S. vice president JD Vance wrapping up a quick trip to Greenland on Friday. What he said about the island and how people there are responding to his visit when we come back.

Plus, Israel carries out its first strike on Beirut since a ceasefire with Hezbollah started just four months ago. A report from the region on the rising tensions is on the way.

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[03:30:00]

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Let's check on today's top stories.

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SANDOVAL (voice-over): More than 1,000 people are reported dead, most of them in Myanmar, with additional deaths confirmed in Thailand. This after yesterday's powerful earthquake. The casualty toll is expected to rise sharply. U.S. officials estimating that it's likely to surpass 10,000 people.

President Donald Trump and the Canadian prime minister sharing their first phone call. This since Mark Carney assumed Canada's leadership just two weeks ago. Both described the call on Friday as productive and very constructive but neither side is backing away from their threats of tariffs.

U.S. vice president JD Vance visited Greenland on Friday as Mr. Trump pushes to take over the territory. Vance warned that the self- governing Danish territory is vulnerable to Chinese and Russian threats. He says Greenland would be better off under U.S. security.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Let's get some expert analysis now from Peter Rasmussen. He's our next guest. He's the director and editor in chief of OLFI, a Danish news outlet.

Peter, it's fantastic having you on. Thank you very much.

PETER RASMUSSEN, DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, OLFI: You're welcome.

SANDOVAL: So let's jump right in. The way president Trump put it today, we need Greenland for international security -- his words -- and that the U.S. will get it one way or another.

But his vice president on the other hand, was, shall we say, more measured was even complimentary, said that ultimately it will be up to the people of Greenland.

So tell us, what's your take here?

Which is it?

What should we believe about the U.S. position right now?

RASMUSSEN: Well, I wrote an editorial after the visit stating that the mission has failed. And the mission has failed, because what Donald Trump has said is that he wants to purchase, he wants to control and he wants to own Greenland, to own Greenland.

And the way he has tried to do that has been taken down as a provocation. And the Greenlanders has said very clear that they do not want to be American. And the same as the Danish government.

The Danish prime minister has called it unacceptable way to talk to the Greenlanders and to Denmark. And in my opinion, what JD Vance said yesterday in Greenland was that the U.S. would not go to war to get Greenland. They, the U.S., will respect the Greenlanders' voice.

And I read that as a step down from a very harsh, confrontational line toward Greenland and Denmark.

SANDOVAL: With elections there, Peter, can you tell us just about the dynamic at play here with -- or at least the timing of the vice president's visit?

How should the residents of that territory interpret the timing of what we saw play out today?

RASMUSSEN: Well, in my opinion, it was a provocation because there was no government formed (ph) when Usha Vance announced that she was going to visit Greenland.

And that made the Greenlandic politicians saying very clear and loud, don't visit us at this moment because we do not have a government. What happened yesterday was that the Greenlandic government was formed and, at the same day, the American vice president visited Pituffik space base.

[03:35:00]

And I see that as a disrespectful move toward a Democratic process in Greenland.

And therefore it was also seen as a provocation, because why should an American vice president visit Greenland at this very same day that the Greenlandic democratic government was formed?

And that is how I think the Greenlanders have seen this visit.

SANDOVAL: It's fascinating; as you put it, a failure, a provocation. So it is your expert sense that really that is sort of the dominating feeling on that territory after the vice president was wheels up. RASMUSSEN: It is seen like that. And you also have to understand that

Denmark and the United States has had a defense treaty going on since 1951. And America has been able to establish any military base that they want to during the Cold War.

The U.S. had up to 17 military facilities, ranging from harbors and airports to listening facilities. And it is the U.S. decision to shut down all those facilities. And today you only have the Pituffik space base.

But if you want to, you could open up military bases tomorrow. You did not even have to ask the Danish government. So when Donald Trump and JD Vance says that we need it because of the world peace and international security, they are not right because they could do whatever they want to without owning and without purchasing Greenland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Peter Rasmussen. A fascinating conversation.

How about we keep the conversation on the people of Greenland?

How do they feel about all of this?

Well, there's some polling that's showing that a majority of them, they do not want to become part of the United States. And many Americans also don't think this is a good idea. Earlier, our colleague CNN's Harry Enten took a closer look with Kaitlan Collins.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Let me tell you, it's not a popular idea here.

We're talking the vast majority of Americans, 70 percent of Americans, no, no, no. They don't want to join Greenland. Look at this, just 26 percent say yes. I think that's the same percentage of Red Sox fans in New York City, for goodness sake. Even among Republicans, it's basically a 50-50 split, Kaitlan.

But, of course, the big question is, how do they feel about it in Greenland?

Well, if you thought that 26 percent was low, when it came to the yes category, check out how Greenlanders feel. You know what percentage say that they want to join the United States of America?

Six percent. Six percent; 85 percent say no. Six percent is lower than the percentage of Americans who believe we faked the moon landing. This is unpopular all over the place.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Wait. Say that number again.

ENTEN: 6 percent. That's the percentage of Greenlanders who do not want -- who do want to join the United States. That is lower than the percentage of Americans who believe that we faked the moon landing. COLLINS: OK, that's a pretty good comparison.

ENTEN: There you go.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: Also, there were protests that were actually planned in Greenland's capital. That's actually where about a third of Greenlanders live. And that was before the Vances' trip was scaled back, though.

It was originally built as a chance for the second lady to experience the island's culture. Here's what some of the residents had to say after the Vances were wheels up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STINA SORENSEN, RESIDENT OF NUUK, GREENLAND: I think it's OK for him to visit his own business. And I'm very happy that he didn't come here to Nuuk because I don't want the U.S. to invade us.

JUSTUS HANSEN, GREENLAND PARLIAMENT MEMBER: We want to take that decision ourselves.

And again, the protection is through NATO, through the kingdom of Denmark. And the U.S. is a very good ally through NATO also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Always great to hear from Greenlanders.

The proposed sale of two strategic ports near the Panama Canal, that is now on hold. The "South China Morning Post" reporting that the deal was supposed to be signed next week.

But a U.S. consortium that had agreed to buy the ports from a company based in Hong Kong, according to that paper, it's saying that it's all been postponed because Chinese regulators, they're currently investigating what they're describing as trying to protect fair competition.

The deal was seen as a way to dial down tensions involving the U.S. president. Donald Trump threatened to take over the canal after wrongly claiming that China owns it.

Well, Israel's military carried out an airstrike on southern Beirut on Friday for the first time since November, when Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire. The strike was in response to two projectiles that were that were launched from Lebanon at Israel.

The exchange is raising concerns about the shaky ceasefire and also the risk that comes with this increased fighting. Here's CNN's Jeremy Diamond with the latest from Tel Aviv.

[03:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Israel on Friday carrying out an airstrike in the Lebanese capital after two rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel. It is the first time since the November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect that the Israeli military has carried out strikes in Beirut.

The Israeli military said that they went after a Hezbollah drone storage facility. You can see the enormous blast caused by that airstrike. And in the aftermath of that strike, absolute destruction, that entire building was leveled in that strike. And you can see the damage in this video.

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for that area about 1.5 hours before carrying out this strike and it said it carried out this strike in retaliation for those two rockets that were fired earlier on Friday against Israeli territory. One of those rockets was intercepted by the Israeli military. The other fell short in Lebanese territory, actually, according to the IDF.

Now Hezbollah has denied that it was responsible for carrying out those rocket attacks. And in fact, the images that we have of those two rocket launchers that were used in Friday's attack appear quite rudimentary. And it led Lebanon's president to say that he does not believe that this was Hezbollah. Instead, it seems more likely that this was a smaller militant group. Perhaps that is also based in southern Lebanon.

But the Israeli government has made quite clear that they will consider any kind of attack from Lebanon toward Israel, that they will fire back at Hezbollah, whether or not it was Hezbollah actually responsible for that attack. They have also said that they will hold the Lebanese government responsible for any violations of the ceasefire that occur on Lebanese territory.

And this all comes at quite a precarious moment for Lebanon. It is just trying to stand up this new government, funding coming in from the United States and France to stand up the Lebanese army and to send them into southern Lebanon, to take over territory that was previously largely held by Hezbollah.

And now, the question is whether or not this cease fire will actually hold up. Questions over whether Hezbollah will feel the need to retaliate against Israel for this strike in Beirut. A very tenuous moment, a very fragile moment, certainly, as everything seems to be escalating in the region at the moment -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: At least four people are dead after a Russian drone strike on Friday in the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine. Ukrainian officials adding that 19 others were injured in the attack, which ignited multiple fires and damaged several high rise buildings.

Meanwhile, the two sides are accusing each other of attacking energy infrastructure. Moscow says that Ukraine nearly destroyed this gas facility and also tried to strike an oil refinery on Friday. But Ukraine is blaming Russia for hitting gas and power facilities in two of its regions. Both sides had agreed last week to pause attacks on energy targets.

CNN has learned that Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, is flying to southern Florida for an unannounced visit with U.S. president Donald Trump this weekend. He is expected to push for U.S. support in the fight against violent drug gangs in Ecuador. And not only that but Ecuador is also preparing to host American troops.

CNN's David Culver went to Ecuador to see firsthand the violent situation on the ground. And we do have to warn you that some of the images in his report are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The element of surprise is essential. They've got to move fast. But with Ecuador's arm hitting into a gang stronghold, an advance team records as they move in first. Their target?

A man linked to one of Ecuador's most feared criminal groups.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

CULVER (voice-over): They detained one guy, suspected to have ties to Fito, the infamous gang leader who escaped prison last year. Soldiers rip through the place, spotting an altar. Look closely. That's Santa Muerte, a saint of death, adopted by Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and now revered by gangs across Ecuador. We see the image everywhere.

CULVER: A lot of the gang leaders live in this area and you can see some of the markings of Choneros, which is one of the big gangs here in Ecuador, if not the biggest.

CULVER (voice-over): And this is the problem. Ecuador has become the murder capital of Latin America and they're now turning to the United States, desperate for help.

Renderings shared with us by a high-level Ecuadorian official appear to show plans for a potential deployment of U.S. troops into Ecuador, including a floating dock that jets out some 500 feet into the Pacific.

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said to accommodate up to seven Coast Guard vessels.

And here, details of a workspace and possible military housing, the structure complete with offices, beds, a kitchen, mess halls and plenty of parking, allowing for a foreign force to carry out sustained security operations here, according to the source.

GIAN CARLO LOFFREDO, ECUADOR'S DEFENSE MINISTER: When troops from another country come, they come with resources and those are what we need the most. CULVER: And there were troops, U.S. troops here back in -- up until 2009, roughly, right?

LOFFREDO: Yes, they were.

CULVER: And does that help when there's a U.S. troop present?

LOFFREDO: , of course, it helped a lot.

CULVER (voice-over): U.S. defense officials and the White House have not confirmed any such deployment but Ecuador's officials are hopeful.

For a decade, a U.S. military base in the port city of Manta was used as a key surveillance hub to monitor cartels operating in the region. But Ecuador chose not to renew the contract in 2008, forcing U.S. troops to pack up and leave the following year. In the time since, officials say cocaine has flooded into Ecuador, fueling deadly violence spearheaded by the cartels.

TRUMP: Today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

CULVER (voice-over): Applauding President Trump's Inauguration Day pledge to combat organized crime, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa and his wife front and center as Trump took the oath of office in January.

Back home in Ecuador, Noboa finds himself in the midst of a tight run- off election, where security is the number one issue. But for many, it's too late. Grief is sweeping across Latin America's so-called island of peace, gang violence constantly claiming lives.

It's become so common here and yet locals, as though in disbelief, tell us over and over, Ecuador was never like this before.

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SANDOVAL: After the break, we'll shift gears and talk sports. Be right back.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back. Melting glaciers, they are now the leading contributor to rising sea levels. United Nations scientists say that, in the last three years, we've seen the largest glacial mass loss on record. At the current rate glaciers are melting, experts warning that they could disappear completely -- get this -- in the next 75 years.

In northern Spain, wild horses, they are helping to reduce the risk of wildfires as the mountain herds take center stage in a unique cultural tradition there. CNN's Nick Valencia has more on the critical role that they play in protecting the surrounding environment.

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NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This isn't a rodeo you're watching. These are Aloitadores -- horse wrestlers. Three, four of them tackle one wild horse to the ground at a time. A contest just as important to the horses' health as it is to Galician culture.

During the annual Rapa das Bestas or shaving of the wild horses, Aloitadores aren't brawling with these beasts just for fun. These bestas, as they're known, are getting a trim; also, tags and vaccinations, an effort to keep these culturally iconic horses healthy as they scamper around northern Spain.

LAURA LAGOS, CISPAC RESEARCHER (through translator): The main motivations to keep having wild horses in the woods is emotional. Everybody tells you that they want to keep the tradition alive, to keep doing what their ancestors did in the past.

VALENCIA (voice-over): But these bestas aren't just saving tradition. They're saving Galicia from wildfires. As the wild horses graze, they clear combustible undergrowth so effectively that they've been dubbed clearing machines.

XAVIER ALVAREZ BLASQUEZ FERNANDEZ, SECRETARY, ASSOCIATION OF WILD HORSES IN SERRA DI GROBA (through translator): They eat almost all the time. Where there are bestas, vegetation is not going to overgrow.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Southern Galicia Son con Meddan (ph) gives bestas much of the credit for protecting its villagers. As a September fire quickly enclosed on the village, the horses grazed even faster, heroically chomping away on flammable vegetation.

CESAR LEIROS, FIREFIGHTER (through translator): We saw the town surrounded by fire. But thanks to the indigenous trees, the clearing that we do and the clearing that our animals do, the town was saved.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Written off as cattle by some, there is much more to these bestas, not just symbols of cultural tradition but protectors of those who cherish them -- Nick Valencia, CNN.

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SANDOVAL: All right, let's talk college basketball now, where top schools are battling to survive March Madness.

On the men's side, the Michigan State Spartans have advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019, following a hard-fought contest with the Ole Miss Rebels. Despite Ole Miss jumping ahead to an early lead, the Spartans bouncing back in the second half, holding on for a narrow win, 73-70.

Michigan State, facing number one seed Auburn on Sunday, with a trip to the Final Four on the line right now. And on to the women's side now, the LSU Tigers winning their Sweet 16

matchup against North Carolina State. The two teams traded leads late in the second half of the game but LSU, going on a 10-point run to seal the win, 80-73. The Tigers continuing on to their third straight Elite Eight appearance.

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They'll be facing number one seed UCLA.

We want to thank you for joining us here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval. In the next hour, we will be taking you to Atlanta, where my colleague, Kim Brunhuber, will be taking you through the latest headlines, including the very latest out of Southeast Asia. Don't go anywhere.