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U.S., Ukraine Sign Critical Minerals Deal; U.S., China Urge Resistance and De-Escalation of the India-Pakistan Conflict; MAGA- aligned New Media Joins the White House Press Corps. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 01, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, the U.S. and Ukraine sign a critical minerals deal just days after the country's presidents met at the Vatican.

The world's two largest economies are on a collision course. Both Americans and Chinese will suffer from the trade war, but who will cave in first?

And mass deportations in the U.S. Some are citizens as young as two years old. As the Trump administration stands firm on its immigration crackdown, we'll hear from a lawyer who says there's no due process.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us.

Well, Russia has launched a new attack against Ukraine just hours after Kyiv signed a significant economic deal with the United States. At least two people were killed and 15 injured overnight in what Ukrainian authorities say was a large-scale Russian attack on Odessa. The strikes caused fires and damaged residential buildings, forcing more than 200 people to evacuate.

Hours earlier, Ukraine and the U.S. signed an agreement that will give Washington access to Kyiv's rare earth minerals. In exchange, the two countries will establish a joint investment fund which will help pay for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. As part of the terms, Ukraine says it will retain full ownership and control of its resources, with Kyiv determining which minerals to extract and from where.

Going forward, new U.S. military aid to Ukraine can count as a contribution to the investment fund. The agreement comes after weeks of intense negotiations that turned bitter in late February when President Trump and members of his administration berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an Oval Office meeting at the White House.

More now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny at the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: A diplomatic breakthrough of sorts between the United States and Ukraine with both countries coming together on Wednesday to sign that long- awaited deal, a reconstruction and investment fund between the two countries all over the rare earth minerals.

Of course, think back to a little more than two months ago when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the White House for that meeting in the Oval Office with the U.S. President Donald Trump. That was the day that this deal was originally intended to be signed. Of course, that meeting ended in a spectacular fashion with a dramatic diplomatic breakdown and then a bit of a stalemate between the two countries.

But we are told it was that meeting in the Vatican at St. Peter's Basilica right before Pope Francis' funeral. Such powerful images as we all remember the two presidents sitting there together one-on-one.

That got this deal back on track and nearly over the finish line. Some last-minute hurdles as well, but they also were resolved. We're told one of those is the U.S. will not be able to essentially profit, get money back from some of those rare earths if they are able to be mined or the like for the money that the United States gave to Ukraine.

Of course, that money was never intended to be a loan. It was intended to stop the incursion of Russia after illegally invading Ukraine.

But the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent, he hailed it like this. He said, this agreement signals clearly to Russia and the Trump administration that they're committed to a peace process that centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine also signing the deal here in Washington. She's writing, together with the U.S., we are creating the fund that will attract global investment in our country.

So certainly a major diplomatic breakthrough. Now, of course, the hard work continues for reaching a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Minerals Deal marks a significant link now between the U.S. and Ukraine. Earlier, my colleague Jim Sciutto spoke with Nataliia Shapoval, she is the chair of the KSE Institute, an analytical center at the Kyiv School of Economics. He asked her about the Minerals Deal and whether Ukrainian leaders see it as the price of maintaining a relationship with President Trump.

[03:05:07] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATALIIA SHAPOVAL, CHAIR, KSE INSTITUTE: In this current version, it's a win-win. So Ukraine stays, like win-win. Like Ukraine stays at the negotiation with the Trump team.

It was very important for them, so we didn't have a way without it. Secondly, it's a recovery investment fund, so which is going to invest in Ukraine. And thirdly, this critical raw materials and the energy and infrastructure that the deal covers.

They are really priority sectors for Ukrainian economy to invest for Europe. So right now it looks as a very positive story on every angle.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY ANALYST: Does Ukraine, as we move to discussion of the potential peace agreement, which has been stumbling in a large part because Russia has not agreed to a ceasefire or to any other concessions, does the Ukraine see President Trump changing his view of Vladimir Putin and Russia?

SHAPOVAL: Yes, so not much wins on that front, unfortunately. So Ukraine, I think, every day is getting a little bit frustrated, like regular Ukrainians, like myself, that there is no strong leverage from the U.S. side that we would see, okay, this is how it's going to be negotiated and we don't expect that, like talking about myself, that Putin is going to comply with the ceasefire.

So I think many Ukrainians want something stronger than only like trade, investment negotiations. So but, you know, if Trump can deliver that, everyone is going to be just happy about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Nataliia Shapoval with the KSE Institute speaking there with CNN's Jim Sciutto.

Well, the numbers are in for the first three months of the year, and they don't look good for the Trump administration. The Commerce Department reports the U.S. economy shrank by three-tenths of a percent in the first quarter, its worst performance since 2022. Economists had predicted growth of eight-tenths of a percent.

President Trump, meeting with his Cabinet, blamed his predecessor for the shrinking economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We came in on January 20th. So this is Biden. And you could even say the next quarter is sort of Biden, because it doesn't just happen on a daily or an hourly basis.

But we're turning it around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: President Trump also said Americans may need to adjust their spending and consumption as his tariffs take full effect, and that the U.S. does not need most of the goods China exports. They made a trillion dollars with Biden, a trillion dollars, even a trillion won with Biden selling this stuff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Much of it we don't need. You know, somebody said, oh, the shelves are going to be open. Well, maybe the children will have $2 instead of $30.

And maybe the $2 will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More now from CNN's Julia Benbrook reporting from the White House.

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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump is looking to take a victory lap at this 100-day mark. But recent CNN polling shows that his approval rating stands at just 41 percent, and that Americans are frustrated with the overall state of politics right now.

One of the top issues for voters is the economy, and a new report shows that the U.S. economy had its worst quarter since 2022. That's a sharp slowdown from the fourth quarter's 2.4 percent rate. And much worse than the 0.8 percent rate economists projected.

Before even starting his current term in office, Trump looked to take credit for the economy, writing, "This is the Trump stock market because my polls against Biden are so good that investors are projecting that I will win."

But following this new report, he looked to place blame on his predecessor, writing, quote, "Our country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden overhang," claiming that this will take a while and has, quote, "nothing to do with tariffs."

Now, the Trump administration has been on a chaotic tariff spree over the past several months, escalating trade tensions. And most economists say Trump's monumental bid to reshape global trade is likely to send inflation climbing in the United States.

So how do Americans see Trump's overall handling of the economy? Recent polling shows that 59 percent say that his policies have worsened U.S. economic conditions. His message to Americans right now is to, quote, "Be patient."

Reporting at the White House, I'm Julia Benbrook.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Tokyo's Nikkei is reacting after the Bank of Japan decided to leave interest rates unchanged. It also cut its growth forecast amid uncertainty over the Trump tariffs. You see there Japan's Nikkei up more than one percent.

[03:10:00]

We are seeing growing signs the Trump tariffs are already starting to take their toll in the U.S. and China. So which of the world's two largest economies is better prepared to deal with the trade war?

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us now live from Hong Kong with some answers. Good to see you again, Kristie. So how much pain can the people of China handle in the event of a long tariff war with the U.S.?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, with the United States and China locking horns over tariffs, an economic pain war is underway.

And experts say that China has the capacity to endure it. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN: This will be a fast war.

LU STOUT (voice-over): "The Battle at Lake Tianjin" is one of China's biggest ever blockbusters. Commissioned by the Chinese government, it glorifies the Chinese soldiers who fought American troops in the Korean War.

LU STOUT: Fast forward to today and China and the U.S. are locking horns in another epic battle.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them.

LIN JIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Trump started this war with China, aiming in part to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.

Chinese netizens mock the idea with A.I.-generated videos showing a post-tariffs world of dingy American factories with downcast workers.

Decades of trade have brought bumper profits to both countries. And as U.S.-China trade withers, fortunes are turning.

In the U.S., the price of goods could shoot up, fueling inflation and putting the U.S. at real risk of recession.

And in China, a prolonged trade war could put countless factories out of business.

LU STOUT: The question is, how much pain can the people of China handle in the event of a long trade war with the U.S.?

EDWIN LAI, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: I think the price threshold is probably higher for Chinese society. The Chinese government, being an authoritarian government, may have its own advantage because it can more easily reallocate resources.

LU STOUT (voice-over): The Chinese have endured famine, the Cultural Revolution, and more recently, three years of strict COVID-19 lockdowns before protesters bravely took to the streets.

And in this trade war, pain is already being felt. On social media, Chinese factory owners post images of their products piling up in warehouses, while workers show how machines and production lines have shut down.

Despite a dire economic forecast, many patriotic entrepreneurs are standing firm.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Even if the tariffs increase to 500 percent, I'm not afraid. Please rest assured, we can hold on.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Stop all the orders. Stop all the export orders. I will not chicken out.

UNKNOWN (through translator): We can give up the U.S. market. I can let this batch of orders rot in the warehouse. We must give up illusions and prepare for struggle.

LU STOUT (voice-over): In the battle at Lake Tianjin, U.S. soldiers are seen gorging on Thanksgiving turkey, while Chinese troops chew frozen potatoes in the trenches. Yet, they still beat the Americans later.

Trump's trade war pits the U.S. and China in a new challenge of resilience that's not about business or money. It's about honor and national pride.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Look, China is putting on a brave face, but China is indeed starting to feel the pain from Donald Trump's tariff war. In fact, new economic data out this week on Wednesday said that for the month of April, factory activity in China has fallen faster than expected.

On top of that, international banks have slashed growth forecasts for the year for China. China has also been dealing with a myriad of economic challenges at home, including high youth unemployment, rising local government debt, a prolonged property crisis, etc.

But China, again, putting a brave face forward. We're seeing that with the new propaganda push out this week, with social media videos saying that China, quote, "won't kneel to U.S. tariffs."

So, China is digging in for a protracted and painful battle ahead. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Alright. Our thanks to Kristie Lu Stout bringing us that incredible report there. I appreciate it. Well, the board of directors at Tesla has begun the process of

replacing Elon Musk as CEO. That is according to a report from the "Wall Street Journal" citing anonymous sources.

The journal says it's not clear whether the search is ongoing or if Musk was even aware of it. Tesla reported last week that both sales and profits plummeted in the first quarter. Musk announced the same day that he was stepping back from his government work to focus on his electric car company.

He received a friendly farewell at a cabinet meeting Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELON MUSK, TESLA CEO: A tremendous amount has been accomplished in the first hundred days. As everyone has said, it's more than has been accomplished in any administration before ever. Period.

[03:15:01]

TRUMP: You know, you're invited to stay as long as you want. At some point, he wants to get back home to his car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Musk claims his DOGE team has cut about $160 billion in government spending. That figure has been disputed and it's far short of his initial goal to cut $2 trillion.

Still to come, there are reports the U.S. and El Salvador are discussing the mistaken deportation of a migrant. But the man is no closer to being returned. We'll have details for you after the break. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

A Palestinian man arrested in the U.S. during a citizenship interview says immigration agents used the meeting as a trap. A judge ordered Mohsen Mahdawi to be released on Wednesday and issued a ban on any government attempt to remove him from Vermont or the country. Here's some of what he told reporters after his release.

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MOHSEN MAHDAWI, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT: We say no to the war, no to the killing of innocent people, no to the funding of the genocide. Basically, the threat is saying no to their policy, which is a policy that is a pro-war and against peace, anti-peace. Keep in mind that, yes, you might think I am free, but my freedom is interlinked to the freedom of many other students, including Drumeister Osorek and Mahmoud Khalil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The two people he mentioned there both remain in the custody of immigration officials. They're accused of engaging in activities supporting Hamas.

Well multiple sources tell CNN the U.S. Secretary of State has been in contact with El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, over the mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia back in March. While there's been little movement in efforts to return him to the U.S.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz has details on where the court battle stands.

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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: There's no resolution in the situation of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly sent by the United States to El Salvador and who remains there.

His case has been in a standoff. But there were glimmers of possible movement, a possible diplomatic resolution that sources say was being discussed between his side, the U.S., and potentially El Salvador over the past couple of days. It put a pause on his court case.

What we also know is that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele, they were in touch to talk about Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, what to do with him.

And on top of that, there has been a U.S. official who's saying that the Trump administration was working closely with El Salvador, made the ask to return Abrego-Garcia to the United States. And Bukele in El Salvador said it's not going to happen.

And so it has not. He still is there. There is still this court standoff and a judge that's looking closely at this, all of it, at a time where the judge has been unsatisfied with what the Trump administration has been willing to do for Abrego-Garcia after mistakenly sent him to El Salvador.

And the judge is now asking for the government to turn over evidence to Abrego-Garcia's lawyers, answering questions as well as putting officials under oath for depositions to explain exactly why this mistake was made, what the agreements are with El Salvador over his custody, and what steps have been taken, if any, to potentially get him out of that country where he was not supposed to be sent.

Katelyn Polantz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Venezuela is taking issue with President Trump's controversial immigration reform. Their foreign ministry accuses the U.S. of kidnapping a two-year-old girl after she was separated from her parents, who were both deported.

The U.S. claims they were protecting the girl and accused her parents of belonging to a violent gang. Venezuela's president says they intend to rescue her and other migrants deported from the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I ask for the full support of the people of Venezuela for the effort we are going to make to rescue this kidnapped girl and to rescue, safe and sound, sooner rather than later, the 252 Venezuelans kidnapped in El Salvador.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: We're also learning more about three children who were taken to Honduras last week despite being U.S. citizens. Attorneys and advocacy groups confirm it's because their mothers were seized during routine meetings with government officials.

President Trump's border czar says the parents ultimately decided their children would go with them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: What we did is remove children with their mothers who requested their children depart with them. This was a parental decision, parenting 101. The mothers made that choice.

And I tell you what, if we didn't do it, the story today would be the Trump administration separating families again. No, we're keeping families together.

Parents will make a decision what happens to their child. Having a U.S. citizen child does not make you immune from our laws.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Earlier I spoke with Sirine Shebaya, an immigration attorney who represents a two-year-old girl taken to Honduras with her mother who was deported. She says the government tricked the women into thinking they were just meeting for a regular check-in. Here's what she told me about the situation.

[03:25:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIRINE SHEBAYA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL IMMIGRATION PROJECT: We are learning more and more every day about what these parents went through and how they were misled every step of the way before they and their children were forcibly removed from the United States.

What the Department of Homeland Security is calling a choice was really a trap. There was no option in the situation, there was no due process, no justice. Neither of the mothers willingly wanted to come with their kids or present their passports or go for deportation.

What happened in that situation is that they both thought that they were coming for a regular check-in with ICE or the immigration authorities. And actually, the immigration authorities called the check-in a family visit for one of the mothers. And she thought that they were checking in on the wellness of her children and that's why they had asked her to bring the children with her.

And for the other mother, ICE told her that they were bringing her into check-in on the status of her ankle monitor, even though the monitor was working just fine. So in both cases, there was an overt ruse and deception to get the moms to bring their children with them when they went to the check-in.

The moms were also told that ICE needed copies of their passports -- of the children's passports. And that's why they had to bring the passports with them. And so they took the passports and then the moms did not get those passports back until they were already in Honduras.

So there are just like all these facts that are coming out as we have more time to talk to the moms now that they are there and trying to figure out what their next steps are. There's just been like a huge amount of misinformation that has been put out there.

But truly what happened here is an instance of family separation where you have U.S. citizen kids and their moms, none of whom were given any opportunity to go through the normal processes that you would go through in order to even establish whether or not you should be deported.

And of course, for U.S. citizens, that is never an option. You should not be deported, and that was very much a situation where the moms did not have a choice. They did not have an ability to consult with family members or with the loving custodians who were able to take the U.S. citizen children at all times.

And instead, they were just hidden away from the world, not allowed to talk to their attorneys and then put on a 6 a.m. flight and sent over to Honduras.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Our thanks to immigration attorney Sirine Shebaya for her insights there.

And we'll be right back.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check some of today's top stories.

The U.S. economy is moving in reverse under President Donald Trump. The Commerce Department reports gross domestic product fell three- tenths of a percent in the first three months of the year, it's the first quarter of negative growth since 2022. President Trump blames his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Israel is facing a national emergency and seeking international help to battle wildfires burning out of control near Jerusalem. More than a dozen people have been taken to hospitals because of the fires, fueled by dry conditions and strong gusty winds. At least 10 communities have been evacuated.

The U.S. and Ukraine have signed an agreement giving Washington access to Kyiv's rare earth minerals in exchange for a joint investment fund to help pay for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. The U.S. Treasury Secretary says the deal sends a message to Russia that the U.S. is committed to the peace process and a free and sovereign Ukraine.

Well Canada's Prime Minister is vowing to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia. Prime Minister Mark Carney called President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday after leading Canada's Liberal Party to victory at parliamentary elections on Monday. The two leaders agreed Ukraine must be at the table if a lasting peace with Russia is to be reached.

They plan to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit that Canada is hosting next month. Mr. Carney also spoke to U.S. President Trump. The P.M.'s office says the two agreed to meet in person in the near future. President Trump says the meeting could happen at the White House within the next week.

Well Prime Minister Carney's election victory could be a sign of a trend that voters are starting to throw their support behind anti- Trump leaders. Mr. Carney upended his conservative rival even though his Liberals trailed by 25 points just a couple of months ago. The turnaround is generally credited to a backlash against President Trump's policies towards Canada.

A similar sentiment seems to be picking up steam in Australia, which goes to the polls on Saturday. Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is surging in popularity even though his defeat seemed inevitable just weeks ago.

[03:35:09]

His conservative opposition has hit the wall as voters are furious over Mr. Trump's tariffs.

Well, for more, we are joined by Ben Wellings, an Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Monash University. He joins us from Melbourne, Australia. Appreciate you being with us.

BEN WELLINGS, ASSOC. PROF. OF POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, MONASH UNIVERSITY: Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, the world just witnessed a stunning political comeback in Canada, where the Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney, as we said, came from behind to seize victory on the back of an anti-Trump campaign. Now, that same backlash appears to be playing out in Australia, where federal elections will be held Saturday. What does polling reveal about the Trump effect in Australia? WELLINGS: Well, Rosemary, I think, overall, the polls have suggested

that the incumbent Labor government, led by Anthony Albanese, has remained consistent, but support for the Liberal-National Coalition, so that is to say the center-right party in Australia, is falling away slightly. Now, this could be to do with a whole host of local factors.

But one of them that is in the mix is indeed the sense that Peter Dutton, who is the leader of the Liberal Party in Australia, has, in some senses, been a little bit too close to some of the Trump messaging and some of the Trump policies that we have seen in the first hundred days of the U.S. presidency. And this appears to be having some sort of effect on support for the Liberal Party and, in particular, for its leader, Peter Dutton.

CHURCH: Right. And so it is worth pointing out to our viewers that voting in Australia is mandatory, so everyone has to cast a vote. And at the start of this campaign, as you point out, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was behind, but Donald Trump appears to have dramatically changed the fortunes of conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton, who thought he was going to win this race, didn't he?

So why specifically have Australian voters appeared to switch to Albanese, or back to Albanese, perhaps?

WELLINGS: I think that if we sort of isolate the Trump effect, because, of course, there are lots of things going on, and the cost of living crisis is uppermost in many electors' minds. But when I think to some specific policies that were very MAGA-aligned, if you like, Trump-aligned, these seemed to be something that the Liberal Party, in the middle of the campaign, had to suddenly drop and row back on.

So, for example, the mandating that all federal public servants would have to work five days in the office was dropped very quickly. Of course, that's borrowed from the U.S. example.

But it seemed to remind electors that the Liberal Party in the last election lost a lot of support from women. And of course, working from home benefits women, who, whenever we think about this, carry more of the caring responsibilities still.

And so I think that adopting a kind of cut-and-paste policy approach that was seen to, sort of like, punish public servants and play into some sort of populist notion about lazy public servants, which isn't true, really backfired for the Liberal Party, because it just reminded people of why they didn't vote for them in the previous election.

CHURCH: Of course, worth pointing out, the Liberal Party in Australia is the Conservative Party, which is very confusing for a lot of Americans. But we are also seeing a rise in polling for sitting Liberal leaders in places like Mexico. How long might this Trump effect on global elections continue, do you think? And is it only in countries where leaders have taken an aggressive stand and challenged Donald Trump?

WELLINGS: Yes, well, look, I think the Australian case is interesting. I wouldn't necessarily say that Anthony Albanese has challenged Trump. I mean, they've kind of, in some senses, just remained quiet.

And the sort of guilt by association has landed on the leader of the center-right opposition party. And so I think, in some senses, the Labor Party -- the governing Labor Party strategy is to say, look, we're the kind of sensible ones. We're the ones who kind of like, you know, tinker around the edges of the economy, generally make things better if you give us enough time.

And it's been able to, they've been able to position the opposition party as just too close to Trump and Musk. And all those figures that survey research shows are not as popular outside of the U.S. as they are in parts of the U.S. So it's been a bonus.

[03:40:09]

I mean, it certainly was a bonus for the Liberals in Canada and in other places too. But some of this is actually just trying to sort of manage a potentially difficult phase in an otherwise solid relationship between Australia and the U.S.

CHURCH: Ben Wellings, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

WELLINGS: Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: South Korea's Supreme Court has overturned a not guilty verdict in a criminal case against a presidential frontrunner. And that's raising questions about his eligibility to stand for elections.

Lee Jae-myung is the candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party, which controls Parliament. A short time ago, the top court said he violated the election law and sent his case back to the appeals court.

If he's convicted, he could be barred from standing in elections for at least five years. It's unclear if the lower court will have a ruling before the presidential election on June 3.

Just ahead, efforts to bring India and Pakistan back from the precipice after a deadly massacre in Kashmir and a look at how the decades-long conflict began. We're back with that and more in just a moment.

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[03:45:00]

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CHURCH: India has shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines as tensions soar over the recent massacre in Kashmir. The reciprocal move comes after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines last week. The two countries have been engaged in tit-for-tat hostilities after the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

India accused Pakistan of being involved in the attack. Pakistan has denied any responsibility. The U.S. Secretary of State has urged both sides to de-escalate after a Pakistani official claimed to have credible intelligence that India would soon take military action. China is also urging restraint.

The violence marks the latest flare-up in the decades-old conflict over Kashmir. CNN's Ryan Young explains why it's a dangerous flashpoint.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For nearly 80 years, the disputed region of Kashmir has been at the center of conflict between India and Pakistan. After the British partitioned the Indian subcontinent into the nations of India and Pakistan, several princely states and kingdoms remain independent, including Kashmir.

Ultimately, the Hindu ruler of the Muslim-majority region decided to join India, sparking the first war between India and Pakistan, which killed thousands before an easy stalemate was established.

Another war over Kashmir sparked up in 1965, and the two powers went to war again in 1971, which led to the breakup of Pakistan and independent Bangladesh on India's eastern flank.

Following the last war, the two sides officially established the Line of Control, the border separating the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir from the Pakistani-controlled side. India and Pakistan claim the entire region. India controls around 45 percent, Pakistan about 35 percent, and China controls the rest.

Decades ago, both sides agreed to a referendum to allow the people of Kashmir to decide which country to join, but the vote has never been held.

While outright war has been avoided for decades, the region has seen numerous border clashes, and in 1989, Kashmiri militants began an insurgency against India that has lasted to this day.

India has accused Pakistan of training and arming the militants, a claim Pakistan has repeatedly denied.

The resulting conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians.

Tensions again escalated between India and Pakistan following militant attacks in 2016 and 2019. Both times, the nuclear powers were able to de-escalate the conflict before all-out war broke out.

Ryan Young, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, we will meet some of the people from the so- called new media who are covering the Trump White House. Stay with us for that.

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CHURCH: May Day events will be getting underway around the world in the coming hours. Thousands of Argentinian workers started early with a huge rally on Wednesday, a day before the holiday.

They protested against the high cost of living and demanded new wage negotiations. May Day, or the International Workers' Day, dates back to the 1880s. It became an international holiday after a deadly clash during a labor strike in Chicago.

More rallies are expected to be held from South Korea to Europe to Latin America.

The press briefing room in the White House has changed quite a bit in President Donald Trump's second term. The correspondents in the room now include people who represent MAGA media outlets and have no pretense or impartiality. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan introduces us to some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: This is my first time in here.

NATALIE WINTERS, STEVE BANNON'S "WAR ROOM": Well, you're only probably with the most controversial White House correspondents.

CARA CASTRONUOVA, LINDELL T.V.: I'm actually really good at yelling because I used to be a ring announcer.

WINTERS: We're all biased, right? We just wear our bias, which I think is a pejorative term to begin with, on our sleeves.

BRIAN GLENN, REAL AMERICA'S VOICE: I mean, there's no doubt about it. I'm pro-Trump. The questions I ask, in my opinion, are going to help highlight the good things that he's doing for America.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): These are White House correspondents like you've never seen before. They're part of the Trump administration's push to bring so-called new media into the White House.

LEAVITT: We have an individual in our new media seat today.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Cara Castronova is White House correspondent for Lindell T.V. Yes, that Lindell.

The new media outlets have full access to the White House briefing room where they ask questions like this.

CASTRONUOVA: Will you guys also consider releasing the president's fitness plan? He actually looks healthier than ever before. Is he working out with Bobby Kennedy and is he eating less McDonald's?

LEAVITT: I can confirm the president is in very good shape.

UNKNOWN: Why don't you wear a suit? Why don't you wear a suit? You're the highest level in this country's office.

O'SULLIVAN: And the characterization that what you were doing, asking Zelenskyy that question, that you were trolling.

GLENN: I'm not a troll. I never have been. That was a legitimate question I just wanted to ask.

I didn't mean to, you know, get everyone fired up like they did.

O'SULLIVAN: Right now the briefing room, the seats are, you know, big networks up front. You're hoping that that will be rearranged so that outlets like yourself might have a more prominent seat here?

WINTERS: Definitely. If it were up to me, I'd kick a lot of these outlets out. I view my role here more as sort of reporting on not so much the White House, but really the media.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Natalie Winters is White House correspondent for Steve Bannon's show "War Room."

WINTERS: Our bias is not to be sycophants for President Trump. Our bias is for our audience, which is the working class of America, the people who want to put this country first.

O'SULLIVAN: If Trump messes up, will you guys call it out?

WINTERS; Yes, and we have. I think time and time again, particularly on immigration. We are not for stapling green cards to diplomas.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): We met the new media correspondents on the day Trump announced tariffs that could upend the world economic order. As other news outlets reported on the tanking stock market, on Bannon TV, they celebrated.

WINTERS: This is the first day where a sitting president put America's working class first. And it's a glorious day to be standing here at the White House and to be able to say that and bring that to you.

[03:55:01]

O'SULLIVAN: Have the quote unquote "traditional reporters" that are here been hostile to you at all?

WINTERS: Well, I think they know better than to come after Natalie Winters and the "War Room" posse. But it's the looks, the eye rolls, the conversations that I overhear.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): They're adjusting to life as part of the White House press corps.

O'SULLIVAN: These big tents here is where you have CNN, ABC, the networks, and you guys are kind of off to the side here.

CASTRONUOVA: So we're kind of off to the side, which is what a lot of alternate media is doing right now.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): From the protocols.

CASTRONUOVA: There were times at the beginning when we're standing kind of here, not realizing we're in people's shops.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): To the snack selection.

CASTRONUOVA: The vending machine is full of junk food, and I'm a big MAHA person. I almost ate a beef Slim Jim yesterday. I was desperate.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you consider yourself a journalist?

WINTERS: Yes.

O'SULLIVAN: Tell me.

WINTERS: Seems like you took a little pause to process that.

GLENN: But I think we all should have a seat at the table. I really do.

And the very first week she did the new media, it was Axios. And Axios, by no stretch of imagination, is a conservative new media.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But while not all new media here are MAGA media, a lot of them are more cheerleading President Trump than challenging him.

O'SULLIVAN: You are a Trump fan, right?

CASTRONUOVA: Yes, I'm definitely a supporter of President Trump.

O'SULLIVAN: So will you be able to hold him to account then?

CASTRONUOVA: I will be able to hold 100 percent him to account.

O'SULLIVAN: Is there anything so far in this administration you've disagreed with?

CASTRONUOVA: I'm not going to -- let me put some thought into that for a second. I'm just overwhelmed. Like, just overwhelmed with how well I perceive things to be going.

O'SULLIVAN: But to the people, and I'm sure you see this online every single day, who say you don't deserve to be here because you're not a real journalist. What's your response to them?

WINTERS: Well, I'm pretty sure the group of people in there spent, what was it, four years covering for someone who was essentially dead, and that's being charitable in my description of him, a president by the name of Joe Biden. So to all those people who are apoplectic over having new media voices, you guys failed, and that's why we're here. O'SULLIVAN: And of course, in reality, there are many journalists from news organizations all around the world that are working very hard every day in the White House, no matter what administration, is there to hold the powerful to account. Clearly, that is not what these mega media outlets are doing. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: It's a whole new world. Thanks so much for spending part of your time with me. I'm Rosemary Church.

"Amanpour" is next. Then stay tuned for "Early Start" with Rahel Solomon, starting at 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London. Have a wonderful day.

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