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Smart Phones, Electronics Now Exempt From Latest U.S. Tariffs; U.S., Iran Hold Constructive Round Of Nuclear Talks; Faithful Hope To See Pope Francis At Palm Sunday Mass. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 13, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

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[03:00:00]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta.

Ahead on CNA Newsroom, reversing course, new exemptions from the tariffs and U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with China.

Resuming a dialogue, what we know about the results of talks between US and Iranian negotiators sitting down in Oman.

And as Christians prepare for Palm Sunday, it's unclear if Pope Francis will make an appearance in St. Peter's Square.

The American president has taken a major U-turn in his tariff war. U.S. officials say many imported electronics will now be exempt from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. On his way to the UFC martial arts fights in Miami earlier, the president brushed off questions about the exemptions. But he again touted the strength of the US economy while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Inflation's dropping. Americans have more money and the country has more money. You know, we've been making $2 or $3 billion a day the last couple of weeks. We didn't make that ever. And we are making a lot of money. And then to be nice, I lower the tariffs on everybody, but we've been making a lot of money and it's always been the other way around. Other countries, in particular China, was making a lot of money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Now, things like smart phones and computers will not have to face the 145 percent tariff imposed on China. Analysts say tech giants such as Apple that rely on China for production can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

CNN's Kevin Liptak takes a deeper look into the tariff exemptions

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: This decision by the president to exempt certain products from China is significant. It could have sweeping implications for global trade. It's also really the first example that we've seen since President Trump started this trade war with China of offering any kind of relief for Beijing.

But I do think it's notable that the tariffs will still apply on some of these products. Because, remember, what President Trump has been doing is essentially layering these tariffs one on top of the other when it comes to China. That 145 percent reciprocal tariff that he applied last week, that is now the exclusion for these products. But they will still be applied, that 20 percent tariff that he had put in place to try and curb the fentanyl crisis, will still be a applied to these items.

And it is a relatively long list of products that will now be excluded, whether it's smart phones, laptop, computers, transistors, flat panel monitors, hard drives, semiconductors, all products that, for the most part, are not manufactured in the United States, those will now be excluded.

That could be a real boon for American consumers who had been worried about higher prices on, for example, their iPhones. It could also be a real benefit to the companies that make them. You know, Apple is someone that had been warning that these products could now cost more. They have also spent the last two months cultivating President Trump and his administration that now perhaps paying off.

But I do think it will have to be seen exactly how long this reprieve will last. Because when you talk to White House officials, they do make the point that the president has advocated in the past for more specific tariffs on these products, essentially, a more finely tuned tariff program, essentially opening the door for tariffs potentially at a lower rate on these items going forward.

I also heard from a White House official that the president will be ordering up a study, a national security study of semiconductors, those computer chips that power so many of the popular American consumer products, oftentimes those studies will result in tariffs once they're completed.

Now, what the White House said on this is a statement from the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, she said that President Trump has made clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies, such as semiconductors chips, smart phones and laptops. That's why the president has secured trillions of dollars in U.S. investments from the largest companies in the world, including Apple, TSMC, which is the Taiwanese chip manufacturer, and Nvidia. At the direction of the president, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.

[03:05:06]

As soon as possible, is a relative term here. It could potentially take decades for these companies to uproot their production in Asia and move it into the United States.

I think all of this just underscores the uncertainty that continues to hang over the president's trade agenda as really this trade war continues a pace.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

ABEL: The U.S. and Iran have scheduled a second session of nuclear talks. Negotiators held their initial meeting in Oman on Saturday, describing it as constructive and agreeing to meet again next week. U.S. President Donald Trump later said the talks are, quote, going okay. Iran's foreign minister led his country's delegation. He said the two sides focused on studying a framework for future negotiation. He also described how the talks were conducted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I think the Omani foreign minister shuttled between the Iranian and U.S. delegations about four times, and the views of both sides were conveyed to each other. It lasted about 2.5 hours, and in my opinion, as a first meeting, it was a productive one. It took place in a calm and positive atmosphere. No inappropriate language was used.

Both sides demonstrated their commitment to advancing these negotiations until reaching an agreement that is desirable for both parties and conducted on equal terms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: The talks began after us President Donald Trump gave Iran two months to reach a deal or face possible military action.

Mr. Trump said he wants to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb, but he didn't spell out how the new agreement would be different from the one he pulled out of during his first term.

Salma Abdelaziz has more.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After an initial meeting that was described as constructive, delegations from the United States and Iran have agreed to meet again next weekend to continue nuclear talks.

Now, this initial meeting held in Oman was largely an indirect negotiation with Oman's foreign minister shuttling between the two parties. Although, according to Iran State Media, there was a brief face-to-face meeting between Steve Witkoff, the head of course, of the U.S. delegation, and Iran's foreign minister. That would be the first direct contact that's taken place between a Trump administration official and an Iranian official. That is a sign of progress. And it comes, of course, after President Trump has said that he wants to reach a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for potentially easing sanctions on that country.

For both of these parties, this initial meeting held essentially the same objective. They were trying to suss each other out. There's a great deal of mistrust, of course, between the U.S. and Iran, and particularly because President Trump is the one who pulled out of the JCPOA, the nuclear deal, in 2018, for many Iranians, there is a sense that he might not be a good faith actor. But the initial reports from this first meeting that lasted for about 2.5 hours are positive with Oman saying that these parties were very close to reaching the framework of an agreement to begin negotiations, but this is still very early days with the next meeting set for Saturday in Oman.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

ABEL: Russia denies that Chinese soldiers are fighting alongside its forces in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has identified more than 150 Chinese nationals fighting for Russia, and he says two of them have been captured.

China says the claim is groundless. Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister is praising U.S. President Donald Trump for closing the door on Ukraine's NATO membership. Mr. Trump said Ukraine's push to join NATO is, quote, probably the root cause of the war. The Russian minister said the same at a security conference in Turkey on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: President Trump was the first and so far, I think, almost the only one among the western leaders who repeatedly, with conviction, several times stated that it was a huge mistake to pull Ukraine into NATO. And this is one of the root causes which we quoted so many times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: For more analysis, we are joined by Mick Ryan, a retired major general of the Australian Army. He also authored the book, The War for Ukraine, Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire. General Ryan is speaking with us from Brisbane, Australia. Thank you so much for your time, sir.

Let's, start with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, meeting with Putin Friday behind closed doors for hours. President Trump was asked about that meeting on Air Force one a few hours ago and here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think Ukraine, Russia might be going okay, and you're going to be finding out pretty soon.

[03:10:03]

You know, there's a point at which you just have to either put up or shut up. We'll see what happens. But I think it's going fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: So, Major General, what do you make of, might be okay and, more broadly, the U.S. efforts so far to broker a deal. And do you have any sense of who will be putting up or shutting up and when? What does that look like? MAJ. GEN. MICK RYAN (RET.), AUSTRALIAN ARMY: Well, I think that comment was very much like we'll end the war in 24 hours. There has been no progress in any broader ceasefire or ending the war. Both Ukraine and Russia are too far apart at this point in time. And the way the U.S. envoy is acting, parroting Russian messaging, there's very little that the Ukrainians can do to kind of bridge that gap at this point in time.

ABEL: Okay. Well, let's set politics aside for just a moment and talk about the current state of the war on the ground. Ukraine says it believes the Russian spring offensive has begun. It appears that the March limited ceasefire agreement has not held. What does all of this tell you about ceasefire prospects moving forward, and what are the latest developments you are seeing on the battlefield?

RYAN: Well, the March ceasefire was a pretty limited one. It was focused on energy infrastructure and Black Sea operations. I mean, it's been violated several times. And it should cause us all to draw a bit of breath as we rush breathlessly into some kind of quick peace deal. Getting a peace deal will be very difficult and will take time to negotiate.

When we look out east, it is clear that the Russians have stepped up the tempo of their attacks. The Ukrainian commander-in-chief has made that very clear they've seen a step up of attacks in the last couple weeks, but the Ukrainians appear to be holding their own at the moment and causing significant casualties to the Russians.

ABEL: Okay. Well, let's go back to the politics for just a moment. Just days ago, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, resigned after nearly three years into the post. So, she served for both U.S. administrations, both Biden and now Trump. I'm curious what your takeaway is from this abrupt departure hours before that Witkoff-Putin meeting, what it says about Washington's relationship with Kyiv and the Kremlin for that matter.

RYAN: Well, I think the ambassador had a pretty tough gig to try and transition between two administrations that had such vastly different views of the war and views towards Ukraine. And I guess this ambassador just decided that she'd had enough of trying to bridge that gap.

I think the relationship between the United States and Ukraine is strained. The Ukrainians know they need a good relationship with the Americans and are trying to do that. But at the same time, they're not going to accept peace at any cost.

ABEL: Another U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg has described his support for the deployment of an allied reassurance force in parts of Ukraine if a ceasefire is not reached. Walk us through what that means. What would be the implications and the practicality of such a move?

RYAN: Yes. There's been discussions amongst the British, Germans, French and others, coalition of the willing, as they describe themselves, to insert some kind of force on the conditions, that there is a ceasefire, that a force would have some kind of mandate and that they could agree to some kind of rules of engagement. We don't know where it might be deployed, whether it be ground forces or air forces or something else. There's some way to go. However, at the post- Ukraine defense contact group press conference on Friday, the British defense minister said that plans were well advanced.

ABEL: And, Major General, what would you see as the next actual substantive step in all of this, in negotiations and any move towards peace?

RYAN: Well, I think the U.S. negotiators are going to have to take a breath and realize that they just haven't made any progress yet, that Putin isn't very keen at all on peace. He still thinks he can win this war. So, are U.S. negotiators satisfied that Putin might seek to drag this out for the rest of 2025 in the hope that he might win the war?

ABEL: Major General Mick Ryan, Mick, thank you for your expertise.

RYAN: Thank you.

ABEL: Israel says it intercepted three projectiles launched from Gaza on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it's encircled the city of Rafah. And Israel has now issued an evacuation order for several neighborhoods in and around KhanYounis. By CNN's counts, Israel has issued 20 evacuation orders since March 18th.

All of this comes as Israel looks to create a large buffer zone between Gaza and Israeli territory. The plan is pushing Palestinians into an ever shrinking bubble. It reported 400,000 Palestinians have been ordered to move in the past three weeks.

Still to come, the Trump administration's latest scheme to make the U.S. inhospitable to migrants is to count thousands of them as dead.

[03:15:06]

Plus, El Salvador's president is heading to the White House. More about the man who calls himself the world's coolest dictator, and why the Trump administration is cozying up to him.

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ABEL: Relatives of a family killed in a helicopter crash in New York City are talking about their grief. A Siemens executive, his wife and their three young children died when their helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday. The brother of the woman who was killed visited the crash site on Saturday and placed flowers in the water. The woman's sister said she takes comfort in the fact that the family left together without suffering.

The family of five was visiting from Spain and was on an aerial tour of the city. The helicopter pilot was also killed. There's no word yet on what may have caused that crash. New York's Mayor says the entire city is grieving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NEW YORK CITY, NY): I want to say to the family members and to the wider Spanish community that we are here with you. And this symbolic gesture is our way of knowing and acknowledging that our words cannot bring back their family members but it is our way of saying as New Yorkers, we stand united with this family during this moment of grief, and their grief is our grief.

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ABEL: The White House has tried to force thousands of immigrants with valid Social Security numbers to self-deport by taking away those Social Security numbers, and in turn, making daily life nearly impossible. The Department of Homeland Security has requested the Social Security Administration add more than 6,000 living people to its database of dead people.

Rafael Romo has the details.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Social Security Administration already has a list previously created to track people who have passed away. It is now also going to be used to invalidate legally obtained Social Security numbers that were given to some immigrants. According to an official, the Trump administration is hoping this will drive these immigrants to self-deport, given that it will become virtually impossible for them to do most financial transactions.

According to a White House official, the Department of Homeland Security has identified over 6,300 temporarily paroled aliens on the terrorist watch list or with FBI criminal records. The administration provided no evidence to back up the assertion. DHS terminated parole for all of these individuals effective April 8th.

Furthermore, the Social Security team, the official told us, determined these immigrants were ineligible to receive Social Security benefits and moved their Social Security numbers to a list called ineligible master file. This is a new name for a list that used to be called death master file. And this is important because this file was previously used only for people who had died so that no unqualified individuals would have access to Social Security benefits.

An Atlanta immigration attorney explained to us the severe impact this is going to have on immigrants whose previously valid Social Security numbers were placed on the death master file.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUSTIN BAXTER, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: They're going to be cash dependent, because even though they have work authorization in these valid Social Security numbers, they're not going to be allowed in most instances to open bank accounts to cash checks, to apply for credit cards, to lease apartments, to get on their company, health insurance, all those things are going to become virtually impossible to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMO: A Trump administration official told CNN. This should not be a surprise to anybody. In a statement, Liz Houston, a White House spokeswoman, said that President Trump promised mass deportations. And by removing the monetary incentive for illegal aliens to come and stay, she said, we will encourage them to self-deport. He is delivering on his promise he made to the American people.

But Dustin Baxter, the immigration attorney we spoke with, told us that the immigrants affected by this action are all people who were vetted before they came to the United States and were paroled in lawfully. This action targets immigrants who have social security numbers and may have entered the United States under programs that have ended, like the Biden administration's temporary work programs.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

ABEL: The Trump administration says a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador's notorious mega prison is, quote, alive and secure. It's the only information the Trump administration has offered regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia's wellbeing, and whereabouts.

The father of three was a legal resident who was granted protected status by an immigration judge in 2019. However, he was arrested and deported last month on what the White House calls an administrative error. The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the Trump Administration to facilitate his return.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele is in the United States this weekend. He arrived on Saturday ahead of a visit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Mr. Trump says he's looking forward to it. In his social media post, the U.S. [resident praised him for accepting an imprisoning, quote, violent alien enemies. So far, the Trump administration's deportations to El Salvador have led to at least one documented wrongful deportation that you just heard about. And the migrants are in the custody of a leader with a well-documented history of human rights abuses.

Isabel Rosales has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Nayib Bukele swept into office in 2019, becoming El Salvador's youngest ever president at just 37. The former advertising executive adopted numerous unorthodox policies, such as making El Salvador the first country in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal tender.

In March 2022, he declared a state of emergency and began a mass crackdown on gangs, suspending constitutional rights, and giving police the authority to detain anyone they suspected to be involved in gang activity, resulting in more than 80,000 people being in prison since.

Crime rates have plummeted since the crackdown, boosting Bukeles's popularity both in his own country and in the surrounding region.

[03:25:05]

In 2024, he easily secured a second five-year term, winning with more than 80 percent of the vote. But many human rights organizations say Bukele's government has wrongfully imprisoned thousands of innocent people.

ANA PIQUER, AMERICAS DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: The testimonies we have obtained of arbitrarily detained people under the state of alarm, affirmed, tortures, cruel, inhuman, or humiliating treatments have become habitual practices in prisons.

ROSALES: Part of this crackdown included the building of the massive and now infamous CECOT Prison Complex or terrorist confinement center, that can house up to 40,000 people. In recent weeks, the prison has housed alleged gang members deported by the Trump administration in exchange for money, and Bukele reached an agreement with the administration to potentially even imprisoned criminals who are U.S. citizens.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: He has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those of U.S. citizenship and legal residents.

ROSALES: Bukele has been accused of authoritarianism and has even described himself as the world's coolest dictator. In recent years, he has worked to align himself with conservatives in the United States, including speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2024 and promoting himself as the United States' top ally in Central America.

Isabel Rosales, CNN.

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ABEL: Voters in Ecuador are heading to the polls in a runoff election later today. The second round of voting for president is expected to be extremely tight. Incumbent Daniel Noboa has been president for just over 16 months. He beat Luisa Gonzalez in 2023 to finish out his predecessor's term.

Today's runoff will mark a third face off between the two. Both candidates say they will tackle gun violence and improve Ecuador's economy. If Gonzalez wins, she would be the nation's first woman elected as president.

Thousands gathered at a pro-government rally in Serbia's capital on Saturday. This was a show of support for the embattled Serbian president whose power has been threatened by months of anti-corruption protest. Elsewhere, protesters sprayed red paint outside a police station in the latest anti-government demonstration. The paint was a reaction to alleged excessive force by police earlier in the day. The country has seen months of anti-government rallies after a deadly roof collapse at a railway station sparked corruption accusations.

When we return, an exclusive interview with South Korea's leader, what he plans to do about President Trump's tariffs. Plus, how maple syrup producers in the U.S. are caught in the middle of a trade war they don't want.

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[03:30:00]

ABEL: Welcome back. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta. Let's check today's top stories.

The Trump administration says a man they mistakenly deported is, quote, alive and secure in a terrorism confinement center in El Salvador. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident, was arrested and deported last month. So far, the White House has refused to comply with a Supreme Court ruling to facilitate his return.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators will continue their nuclear talks in Oman next week. They held their first round of negotiations on Saturday, describing them as positive and constructive. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened with a military action if Iran doesn't reach a new nuclear deal with the U.S. in two months.

U.S. officials say many imported electronics will now be exempt from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. That includes smart phones and computers. This move has a major impact on tech companies that make their products in China, which were facing 145 percent tariffs.

South Korea, a longtime U.S. ally, is hoping to secure a tariff deal with President Trump. This week, Mr. Trump passed his 25 percent tariff on South Korea for 90 days, put a pause on them.

But just before that happened, CNN's Mike Valerio sat down for an exclusive interview with South Korea's acting president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm curious, Acting President Han, do you see a role for any potential cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea to fight back against these U.S. tariffs?

HAN DUCK-SOO, SOUTH KOREAN ACTING PRESIDENT: I don't think the real trade fight among countries, I don't think that kind of, you know, fighting back will improve the situation dramatically.

VALERIO: You do anticipate that this 25 percent tariff level will not stay. That's your anticipation?

DUCK-SOO: Depending on the negotiations.

VALERIO: That's certainly your hope?

DUCK-SOO: Yes.

VALERIO: Are you optimistic? How do you feel on a gut level these negotiations are going to go?

DUCK-SOO: Well, 57 countries are actually subject to that kind of tariff. So --

VALERIO: 25 percent though, that's pretty steep for friends, for generations.

DUCK-SOO: Well, it's a pity because we are evaluated in that way. But I think that kind of different assessment can always happen in this kind of situations.

VALERIO: For a White House negotiating with an interim leader, there's a chance that they may have an issue with that. What do you say to address that potential concern?

DUCK-SOO: Our relations between the United States and Korea have been very good. We have a, you know, very strong alliance relationship, not only in the military terms but in technology area, business areas and many economic areas. So, there are so many things that we should talk together and work together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: U.S. farmers producing maple syrup worry that the trade war will sharply increase their production cost. They say all they can do is pass those costs onto consumers.

CNN's Lee Waldman has a story from Upstate New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Is this fresh from this year?

KEVIN KEYES, CO-OWNER, DRY BROOK SUGAR HOUSE: This, fresh from this year.

WALDMAN: Okay.

KEYES: I figured we all ought to sample it, give us a little lift for the afternoon.

[03:35:01]

WALDMAN: I love that. Perfect. Cheers.

BOB CHAMBERS, CO-OWNER DRY BROOK SUGAR HOUSE: Okay. Cheers.

WALDMAN (on camera): For nearly 30 years, Kevin Keyes and his brother- in-law, Bob Chambers, have run Dry Brook Sugar House in Salem, New York.

Oh my God, that's incredible. That's really good.

This year, they made 4,000 gallons of maple syrup, their best season yet.

CHAMBERS: This equipment did come out of Canada. It is a Canadian. When we bought it, there was no tariffs. WALDMAN: Tariffs put into place on Canadian goods by the Trump administration have put Chambers and Keyes in an uncertain position. Nearly all of the equipment needed to make syrup comes from Canada.

KEYES: If something is going up 25 percent or 5 percent, whatever, and you sell it at the same price you've been selling it at for the last five years, that is going to dent our pockets.

WALDMAN: Up the road at Mapleton Farms, co-owner David Campbell is having those same conversations.

DAVID CAMPBELL, CO-OWNER, MAPLELAND FARMS: It's hard to raise the price to the consumer when you're trying to give them a fair price, and we got to make a living too. So --

WALDMAN: Below the tree tops, Campbell has up to 20,000 tap lines running during maple season to collect sap. While New York and Vermont are the largest producers of maple syrup in the us, Campbell tells U.S. syrup imported from Canada makes up approximately 70 percent of what Americans consume.

CAMPBELL: We need to purchase a lot more equipment. We would have to search for more labor, which is an issue.

WALDMAN: The International Maple Syrup Institute wrote to the Department of Agriculture urging them against imposing tariffs. Quote, rather than supporting U.S. maple producers, these tariffs would disrupt trade and contribute to inflationary pressures for consumers.

For now, all these farmers can do is sit and wait to see how the trade war trickles down to their family farms.

KEYES: We're going to just hold steady.

CAMPBELL: If the tariffs do go in place on the syrup, they haven't actually as of today, but that can change tomorrow, so we are going to have to raise the price based on that if they do.

WALDMAN: In New York, I'm Lee Waldman.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Crowds are gathering at St. Peter's Square as the Vatican is set to host today's Palm Sunday service. Coming up the question everyone is asking, will Pope Francis be in attendance?

And a new European satellite could tell scientists just how healthy the planet's forests are. We get an inside look at the scanner just ahead.

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[03:40:00]

ABEL: The Vatican is preparing for today's Palm Sunday service in the coming hours, and despite two surprise appearances by Pope Francis in recent days, it's unclear if the pontiff will be in attendance at St. Peter's Square or if he'll be at any of the Holy Week events. His potential absence, it comes as the pope continues to recover from a battle with double pneumonia, which hospitalized him for 38 days.

When he visited a Roman basilica to pray on Saturday, Pope Francis arrived in a wheelchair aided by a small nasal tube, offering him supplemental oxygen.

Colm Flynn is the Vatican correspondent for EWTN, the Catholic News Television Network. He joins us live from Rome. Colm, thank you so much for being with us.

It's about to be Holy Week, a very important time, of course, for Catholics and there sure to be an immense amount of focus on the pope with this being the first Holy Week since the pontiff nearly died in the hospital. Are there any indications of how involved Pope Francis will be this week? Will we see him at all?

COLM FLYNN, VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, EWTN NEWS: Well, Brian, a very good morning from Rome. As the eternal city wakes up to, as you rightly say, the beginning of Holy Week, the most important time of the year for not just the Catholic Church but for 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, marking the death and crucifixion of Jesus, but then also the resurrection.

And this, Brian, is normally the most busiest time of the year for the Holy Father as well but this is going to be an Easter week like no other we believe. Because the big question here in Rome is how involved will the pope be able to be in some of the main liturgical celebrations across the week, the first one being today on Palm Sunday?

Now, as you said, he is just out of hospital, five weeks in hospital, remember, this is the longest stay in hospital since he became pope in 2013. As you mentioned too, the doctor said when he left that, make no mistake about it, how serious this was. the pope nearly died on two occasions.

So, what they prescribed him was a strict two months of rest. He has already broken that a number of times, Brian, by leaving Casa Santa Martha, where he lives within the walls of Vatican City. He was spotted being wheeled through the Basilica, St. Peter's Basilica, much to the surprise of tourists and pilgrims who were there. He was wearing kind of a wide under -- it looked like a T-shirt draped in a blanket or a shoal, and he looked quite weak, very vulnerable. That caused a lot of concern by people online who are watching on wondering how the pope was doing. He was receiving that supplementary oxygen.

But the Vatican has said that he continues to improve slightly. He is still getting respiratory and motor physiotherapy within Casa Santa Martha. But, Brian, the big question now is it remains to be seen, what will happen throughout this week? Will he deputize many of the main celebrations or how involved will he be right up until Easter Sunday?

ABEL: Well, Colm, so many of us in the journalism world joined the Catholic world in closely monitoring for updates while the pope was in the hospital, which sparked naturally speculation and potentially some planning as well for what comes next. So, what is the feeling around the Vatican about Pope Francis' future? Could we see a second pope in a row retire?

FLYNN: Well, you know, according to the Vatican, Brian, we still have a Holy Father. We still have a successor of Peter, who is in the Vatican. And, you know, while we pray for a miracle and for him to make a full recovery, I think people here are -- you know, they have to be realistic and practical and expect the worst as well.

So, you're right in saying that Pop Benedict the 16th, the previous pope, he was the first to retire in almost. 600 years. So, this sent shockwaves right across the Catholic Church. Now, someone's asked me the other day and said, well, he set a trend. And I said, no. He was the first to do it in 600 years. If Pope Francis continues that, then you see a trend being set.

And, you know, Pope Francis is a Jesuit, so sometimes he can speak in a way that leaves people guessing. I think he likes to create conversations around things, so sometimes he doesn't give a straight answer. For example, I was on the papal fly with him coming back from, I think it was Mongolia. And someone said, Holy Father, would you retire like Pope Benedict? And he said, well, me, personally, I believe the papacy is for life. That's just my opinion. But then he said, Brian, now that's how I feel today, ask me the same question again tomorrow.

[03:45:04]

ABEL: So, we shall see. Well, as you mentioned, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, but also the first Latin American pope, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, yet he hasn't returned to his hometown roots of Argentina since becoming the Holy Father. It's my understanding you just came back from doing some reporting there. So, did you get any insight why he hasn't been back?

FLYNN: Brian, yesterday I made the 14-hour flight back from Buenos Aires, his home city in Argentina. I was there for a week producing a documentary for EWTN News. And you're absolutely right. It was fascinating because I got to meet some of his childhood friends, some of the people who worked closely with him. I even interviewed someone who was claiming to be his previous girlfriend before he became a priest.

But the one question I asked all of them, you know, apart from his legacy and what he was like as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, was Pope John Paul II went back to Poland, Pope Benedict went back to Germany, why has Francis never returned to his homeland? And I got lots of different theories. But you have to remember, this was a very politically -- there was very -- a lot of turmoil in the country. He was seen as a very politically active figure, especially in the sermons that he gave denouncing corruption and those in government, liked by many, not so much by another portion of the society.

So, I think the best answer I got, Brian, was from his assistant, the man who was by his side for almost a decade. When I asked him, why hasn't he returned home? He posed, he laughed, and he said, Colm, I don't know. That's the million dollar question.

ABEL: The million dollar question, indeed. I look forward to seeing that documentary.

Colm Flynn, thank you for joining us.

FLYNN: My pleasure, Brian. Thank you.

ABEL: Well, a space probe will soon launch into orbit to help scientists uncover how healthy our rainforests are. They say a new radar scanner will map the carbon content and help show how deforestation and climate change are impacting the planet.

CNN's Anna Stewart has more.

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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): We all know trees are beneficial to people and the planet.

MICHAEL FEHRINGER, BIOMASS PROJECT MANAGER, EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY: The forest is the lung of our planet.

STEWART: One of their many benefits, trees absorb heat trapping carbon dioxide, releasing fresh oxygen as a result.

Now, a project from the European Space Agency aims to find out just how much CO2 our forests store, and, in turn, measure how much deforestation is affecting us.

FEHRINGER: The forests surround the threat. We need this data.

STEWART: Then how can one team possibly gather data from the huge forests across Africa, Asia, and South America, from outer space, of course?

FEHRINGER: When you fly with an optical instrument over the forest, you only see the leaves. What we are interested in is how much wood. You can also say how much carbon is stored there, and that is not an easy thing to do.

STEWART: ESA plans to launch a biomass space probe this month, carrying a radar scanner that can penetrate forest canopies. For several years, it aims to collect data on carbon dioxide levels in remote forests. This will help assess how much of that carbon then gets emptied back into our atmosphere when forests are degraded,

FEHRINGER: We'll provide data to combat, to provide information for politicians to take decisions. So, it's absolutely timely to do it now.

STEWART: With the effort to combat climate change comes the need to understand what changes it. And the Biomass Project aims to help by breathing fresh air into the green lungs of our planet. Anna Stewart, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: And we will be right back.

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ABEL: Veteran Surfer Jordy Smith claiming victory at the World's Surf League championship tour in El Salvador on Saturday. It was Smith's first victory in eight years. He comfortably beat his fellow South African opponent in the final. Smith, now is fifth in the men's world rankings. Hawaiian surfer Gabriela Bryan won the women's event. The surfers now head to Australia for three more events before a winner takes off final in Fiji.

Residents of Toronto embraced their inner child on Saturday as they took part in the city's fourth annual pillow fight.

Oh, man, about a hundred people gathered for the good nature melee with friends and strangers letting off some steam in the city's Nathan Phillips Square. The organizers revived the event after the COVID pandemic and say it's a about putting aside people's differences and building a sense of community.

That looks like a lot of fun.

Well, one town spent Saturday celebrating an American Southern staple. Check out the National Grits Festival in Warwick, Georgia. It featured a variety of grits themed activities from a messy grits pit competition to a cook-off and a corn Husky event. Grits is a porridge made from ground corn and it's hugely popular in the Southern U.S.

Organizers say the festival puts a spotlight on small towns and rural communities. It began in 2003 when Georgia's governor proclaimed the city of Warwick the grits capital of Georgia and Georgia the grits capital of the world.

Belgian chocolatiers are taking Easter to a whole new level this year at an exhibition in Brussels. Confectioners are showcasing their mastery through a collection of large and luxurious chocolate eggs. They say the city itself inspired the edible arts cutting edge designs.

Ben Hunte has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): A sweet treat in Brussels that's as much a feast for the eyes as the stomach.

MICHAEL LEWIS-ANDERSON, BELGIAN CHOCOLATIER: Chocolate and sweet is for happiness. You want to give a good energy. People are already inspired by this. HUNTE: These are no ordinary Easter eggs. 35 top Belgian chocolatiers created the edible works of art for a charity exhibition, which is ongoing. And just like Brussels is famous for its chocolate, it's also known for its art deco architecture, which was the theme of the exhibit.

[03:55:04]

MARIJN COERTJENS, BELGIAN CHOCHOLATIER: So, I have the cut out of the flower, all cut out by hand, and I have the mosaic with the metal pieces.

HUNTE: The eggs are 50 to 60 centimeters tall and they're all edible, too big for an Easter basket, probably more appropriate for a museum.

But even so, some of the chefs took their designs to the next level.

COERTJENS: So, this time I chose to put in a laser. So we have a very thin layer of white chocolate, which actually is a little bit translucent. And that makes that the laser comes true. And we can project from the inside of the egg and we can see it through the cutouts.

HUNTE: The eggs are available for sale for about $850 a piece with the proceeds going to a local hospital.

But some confectioners say this is a moment to savor. The price of chocolate was already on the rise because of a global cocoa shortage, even before the tariffs.

LEWIS-ANDERSON: Chocolate, which was affordable to everybody, now is becoming a luxury product to gain. It is the same with vanilla. All these importations, it's always a price to pay.

HUNTE: At least not here, those rising costs aren't taking a bite out of enjoying these exquisite creations.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Thank you for joining us. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta.

There's more CNN Newsroom just ahead with Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.

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