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Israel Strikes Houthi Targets at Yemeni's Capital; Russia, Ukraine Releases and Transfers Prisoners of War; Trump to Meet South Korea's Lee at White House; Vietnam Braces for Typhoon Kajiki. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 25, 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]

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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.

Israel strikes Yemen's capital after Iran-backed Houthi rebels launch a new type of attack.

Diplomatic talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine appear to lose momentum, but a new prisoner exchange between the two countries creates emotional reunions.

Plus, today is the 8th anniversary of the Rohingya exodus from Myanmar and humanitarian conditions for these refugees may be worse than ever.

Later, India revises its plan to tackle its stray dog population after animal lovers take to the streets.

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

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

And we begin with developments out of the Middle East where the Israeli Prime Minister says anyone who attacks Israel will learn the hard way that there will be a price to pay.

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The Israeli military says it struck several targets inside Yemen, rocking the Yemeni capital. Israel says this comes in response to the latest attack by the Iran-backed Houthis who fired a new type of missile at Israel on Friday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Houthis will continue to pay a very heavy price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Whoever attacks us, we attack them. Whoever plans to attack us, we attack them. I believe the entire region is learning about the strength and determination of the state of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Israeli military is also unleashing strikes on Gaza City ahead of its planned takeover of the enclave's largest city. Israel's defense minister is vowing to push forward with the offensive despite international criticism and concern for civilians.

On Sunday, funerals were held for those killed in the latest attacks. The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 64 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 300 injured in Gaza over the past 24 hours, among them a nine-year-old boy whose family says he was killed while going to buy food.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is following developments. She joins us now live. So Paula, what is the latest on the strikes in both Yemen and Gaza?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Rosemary, we're starting off with Yemen. We did see those Israeli strikes that were specifically targeting a military strike which was close to the presidential palace in Sanaa, in the capital. Now this is, as far as we understand it, one of the first times we're seeing the presidential area being targeted itself.

We know also two power plants and a fuel storage site were targeted by the Israeli Air Force. They say they used some 10 fighter jets for this mission.

From the Houthi side, the Houthi-run state television is saying that four people were killed and 67 were wounded. But they are also, we're hearing from Houthi leadership, saying that they will continue to target Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. That's really the only time that they have stopped firing these missiles against Israel is when there was a ceasefire in Gaza.

Now the reason Israel says that it has targeted Sanaa in this way is because there was a new type of missile that was used against Israel. It had a number of submunitions attached to the missile, like a cluster bomb, which were designed to detonate on impact, which means that if it had reached its mark, the impact would have been more severe. So this is what we're hearing from the Israeli side saying that is why they decided to target close to the presidential palace at this time.

Now when it comes to Gaza, we are seeing intensifying Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Gaza City ahead of this imminent takeover we've been hearing about from Israel of Gaza City that was approved a couple of weeks ago. The defense minister, Israel Katz, has said that it will go ahead.

[03:05:03]

They have also said, he said on Friday, that the gates of hell would be opened on Hamas if Hamas didn't agree to release all of the hostages. Now we know just a week ago Hamas agreed to the U.S.-led proposal,

which Israel had agreed to last month, which released a number of the hostages. Israel has now said that it wants all of the hostages or this plan of takeover of Gaza City will go ahead. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Alright, our thanks to Paula Hancock for bringing us that live report, I appreciate it.

With peace talks seemingly stalled, Russia says Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday that sparked a fire at the Kursk nuclear power plant. It's one of the biggest in Russia. Plant officials told Reuters that despite some damage, radiation levels were normal and there were no injuries reported.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine completed a new prisoner exchange. Moscow says it included the return of at least 146 prisoners of war from each side. The former mayor of Kherson was among those freed after spending more than three years in Russian captivity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR MYKOLAYENKO, FORMER KHERSON MAYOR (through translator): I always wondered what would be the new date of my birthday and I am very happy that my alternative birthday turned out to be on the 24th of August.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: World leaders traveled to Kyiv on Sunday to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day. August 24, 1991 was the day that Ukraine declared itself free of Soviet rule.

The Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, attended the ceremony and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made his first official visit to the country. He expressed Canada's unwavering support for Kyiv; he also did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more on Kyiv's Independence Day and a letter sent to Zelenskyy from the U.S. President.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well marking Ukraine's 34th Independence Day, U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter of support, praising the nation's courage and saying the United States believes in its future as an independent state.

The letter was shared on X by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked Trump for his message, with Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine envoy, in attendance for Kyiv's Independence Day ceremony on Sunday.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, also delivered his own address to Ukraine, reiterating his determination to triumph against Russia. In recent weeks, Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia, particularly when it comes to Russia's energy infrastructure. According to a CNN tally of attacks, Ukrainian drones have struck at

least 10 key Russian energy facilities this month alone. And while reports have emerged that the Pentagon has for months been blocking Ukraine's use of U.S.-made long-range Army tactical missile systems to strike inside Russia, President Zelenskyy said Sunday that he has not yet discussed the use of such weapons with the U.S. and that Ukraine is currently using domestically-produced long-range weapons.

Efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, meanwhile, appear to have stalled once again, with the Kremlin pouring cold water on the possibility of a meeting between President Putin and Zelenskyy in the near future. However, speaking to NBC, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance indicated some degree of optimism, saying that Russia has made significant concessions and that the U.S. will keep on pushing for a diplomatic solution.

Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

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CHURCH: The Russian President will travel to China for four days next week. Major talks between Russian and Chinese delegations will precede Vladimir Putin's visit. He will then join more than 20 other leaders for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and finally a military parade in Beijing on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

And for more on the visit, I'm joined now by CNN's Marc Stewart in Beijing. Good to see you again, Marc.

So, what is the significance of this visit? And of course, its timing coming after the recent Alaska summit meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good to see you, Rosemary.

I think one point of significance is the fact that Vladimir Putin is going to be entering friendly territory, perhaps a contrast from his meeting with President Trump, a much more complicated, strained relationship. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have a very deep, loyal friendship. In fact, the Russian leader and the Chinese president have what's being described as this no-limits friendship between the two nations and between the two of these two men -- these two world leaders.

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In fact, China has never officially condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. With all of that said, Xi Jinping is feeling some pressure to perhaps encourage Vladimir Putin to resolve the war. Pressure in the sense that we have seen United States imposed tariffs, facing tariffs on India because of its purchases of fuel from Russia, China also purchases fuel oil from Russia.

So, it may be feeling some pressure. So, as we watch this meeting, we're going to be very curious to see what kind of role in any kind of discussion with Ukraine, ending the war or calling for a ceasefire on the part of China.

I should point out that it's not just Vladimir Putin who will be here in China. It will be a number of world leaders from this Eurasia part of the world. This includes the President of Iran, the Prime Minister of India.

All of that precluding a big military parade that will take place on September 3rd. There have been a lot of preparations already taking place here in Beijing, Rosemary.

In fact, every weekend we have seen military vehicles in the streets and planes flying overhead. It will be a spectacle to show that China is a force.

CHURCH: All right, we'll be watching. Marc Stewart, bring us that live report, I appreciate it.

In the coming hours, U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for their first summit. The South Korean President says Trump wants more flexibility for the nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea, allowing them to shift their focus to China if needed. South Korea's President says it won't be easy to agree to that demand.

CNN's Betsy Klein has more from the White House.

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BETSY KLEIN, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well South Korea is such a critical ally to the United States for national security, economic and geographic reasons. So, it will be a very closely watched moment on Monday as President Trump hosts South Korean President Lee here at the White House.

Now, you may recall that Lee came to power just a couple of months ago after South Korean President Yoon was removed from office for declaring martial law. So, this will mark Lee's first trip to the United States here as President and it is going to be a key moment for him to shore up ties with President Trump amid so many questions for the future of the U.S. and South Korean alliance.

Now, one of the major topics of discussion on the agenda Monday is going to be trade. This comes just weeks after the U.S. and South Korea secured a trade deal with the U.S. placing 15 percent tariffs on goods from South Korea.

The President announcing that in a post to social media at the time. He said, quote, "South Korea will give to the United States $350 billion for investments owned and controlled by the United States and selected by myself." Now, that is also going to include $150 billion for the shipbuilding industry.

There are other key topics expected to come up during this meeting on Monday, including the nuclear threat from North Korea. And we saw just over the weekend as North Korea launched missiles ahead of this meeting a key sign of the tensions there. There's also the possibility of a conflict over Taiwan and we have seen China escalating its military activity in recent months.

There was a critical moment across the globe as well heading into this summit as President Lee traveled to Japan for a key summit with the Japanese prime minister. Now, of course, Japan had colonized South Korea in the past. So the fact that these two leaders were able to come together and showcase their warm relations really underscores how they are looking to work together amid all the uncertainty of the Trump era.

Betsy Klein, CNN, the White House.

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CHURCH: Eight years after fleeing Myanmar's military crackdown, more than a million Rohingya Muslim refugees are facing a growing humanitarian crisis in southern Bangladesh. Coming up a closer look at the situation on the ground.

And later, U.S. states are racing to redraw congressional districts in an effort to have more power in Washington. We'll give you the expert opinion about how it could affect the midterms. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Eight years ago today, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled eastern Myanmar in search of refuge in southern Bangladesh. The exodus came as a result of a brutal military crackdown by the Buddhist majority in Myanmar following attacks on security outposts by Muslim insurgents. More than a million Rohingya now live in the impoverished camps of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh near Myanmar's border.

The U.N. Refugee Agency estimates roughly 95 percent of the population there relies entirely on dwindling humanitarian aid. And the Trump administration's freeze on U.S. aid has now cut monthly food rations for Rohingya refugees in half. Most non-profit learning centers in the district have also been forced to close, halting the education of nearly half a million refugee children.

[03:20:02]

With little to no alternatives available, their parents and teachers are growing increasingly concerned about their future.

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KAFAYAT ULLAH, MATH TEACHER AT A NOW-CLOSED LEARNING CENTER (through translator): It's deeply painful. The children in the camps have lost access to education, none of them can study anymore. We fled persecution in Myanmar, watching our homes burn.

Now here in the camps, it feels like the dreams of our new generation are being burned too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now for more on this is Nay San Lwin, co-chair of the Arakan Rohingya National Council. He joins me live from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, where he is attending the International Stakeholders Dialogue on the Rohingya situation. Thank you, sir, for talking with us.

NAY SAN LWIN, CO-CHAIRMAN, ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL COUNCIL: Thank you so much for having me.

CHURCH: So on this eighth anniversary of the Rohingya crisis, marking the mass exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine state to camps in Bangladesh, how would you describe their lives now after fleeing the brutal military crackdown?

SAN LWIN: Well, it has been eight years now. I have been visiting the camp frequently, meeting with my fellow brother and sister. So the situation is worsening day by day, especially as you mentioned earlier, due to the funding shortage and they don't have any likelihood of the opportunity.

They are fully dependent on the Russian distribution and also the support by the international NGOs, and especially the education, health care, and all the sectors. They are suffering a lot.

So this situation will only improve if the Bangladesh government allows them to walk and find the opportunity for their livelihood. Then this can be improved. Otherwise, the situation will be worsened right now.

CHURCH: And even after all these years, the genocide continues in Rakhine state with increased violence and targeted attacks, forcing an additional 150,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh over the past 18 months. That's according to the U.N. What more can you tell us about this ongoing genocide in Myanmar and of course, the additional strain put on the camps in Bangladesh now?

SAN LWIN: Well, this is what I wanted to tell you. In 2017, the genocide was committed by the Myanmar military and the government, by the help of the Rakhine people. And now, since last year, since the early 2024, we have got the additional perpetrator, the rebel army.

They have been committing mass atrocity against the Rohingya. For example, like on May 2nd, 2024, in one small village called Trakshokha, locally known as the Hoya city, in this village, they massacred at least 600 Rohingya babies, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women, women and men.

All the village -- most of the villagers were massacred by the Rakhine army. This happened in the other villages as well, especially in the village called Tamimchok.

In this village also, hundreds of people were killed by the Rakhine army. So the Rohingya youth are adopted by the Rakhine army and disappeared, and they have burned down a lot of villages. On August 5th last year, at the Nam Riverbank, when the people were trying to flee to Bangladesh, they dropped their drone bombs and killed around 300 people.

So since last year, they killed at least 2500 Rohingya, and all this kind of torture, persecution, everything continues up to today. So when we raise about this massacre in Trakshokha and about the 600 people, they are denying and fabricating like what the military has planned in 2017. They are just denying that they haven't done anything wrong.

But we have got the evidence here in the Cox's Bazar, and the survivors are here. We have got the photo and the video of this mass grave recently, Al Jazeera also revealed all this. So this additional perpetrator is enjoying the impunity because their international faith in 2017 mass violence against the Rohingya state, that the perpetrator, the military is enjoying that impunity, and also that justice hasn't been delivered yet, and the Rakhine army, they will also have the same impunity.

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And since last year, we have been raising with all the government, and they are not even releasing a statement of concern or the condemnation that gives the signal to the Rakhine army to continue more crime against the Rohingya.

CHURCH: Nay San Lwin, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

SAN LWIN: Thank you so much.

CHURCH: President Trump is threatening to deploy the National Guard to more cities, places he said have out-of-control crime. Ahead, how Chicago officials are pushing back against his plans.

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

Israel says it has struck targets in Yemen in response to the latest attack by the Iran-backed Houthis. The Israeli military says it hit a military site where the presidential palace is located, as well as two power plants and a fuel storage site just two days after the Houthis fired a missile at Israel.

Russia and Ukraine completed a new prisoner swap on Sunday while Kyiv was marking its Independence Day. It led to emotional reunions like this one. Moscow says the exchange included the return of at least 146 prisoners of war from each side, most were in captivity since 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. In the coming hours, South Korea's new President will meet his

American counterpart at the White House in their first summit. The two leaders are expected to discuss increased defense spending. President Trump has previously accused Seoul of being, quote, "a money machine" that takes advantage of American military protection.

Members of the U.S. National Guard deployed in Washington D.C. are now carrying weapons. A spokesperson for the mission told CNN the troops started carrying sidearms on Sunday. And a CNN reporter saw two Guard members carrying rifles in the city.

It's a drastic shift in the Guard's presence since President Trump deployed them. The President says Chicago could be next, but Chicago's mayor is pushing back, threatening legal action for what he calls unlawful actions.

And it appears many people in Washington D.C. are not happy with federal troops in the city. A "Washington Post" poll shows 69 percent of residents strongly oppose the president taking control of D.C.'s police and deploying the National Guard.

CNN's Julia Benbrook has more on President Trump's crackdown on crime and talk of sending federal troops to more cities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump has made it clear that he plans to expand these efforts outside of This is a part of his anti-crime agenda and his immigration crackdown.

Here in the nation's capital city in recent weeks, Trump has temporarily taken control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police. And then there's this constant visible National Guard presence. While he does have more authority here in the district to implement these changes, he says that he plans to expand this further.

In fact, on Friday, he was speaking in the Oval Office, and he said that he's looking at Chicago next. Take a listen.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent Mayor, grossly incompetent, and we'll straighten that one out probably next.

And the people in Chicago, Mr. Vice President, are screaming for us to come. They're wearing red hats just like this man, but they're wearing red hats.

BENBROOK: Officials who spoke with CNN said that the plans to send troops there have been in the works for weeks. It's still unclear how many would be sent and when those deployments would start. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said that the Trump administration has not been in direct contact with his team or the governor.

He has accused the President of, quote, "stoking fear" and says this is not the way to bring down crime in his city. MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D), CHICAGO: What he is proposing at this point

would be the most flagrant violation of our constitution in the 21st century. The city of Chicago does not need a military occupation, that's not what we need.

In fact, we've been very clear about what we need. We need to invest in people to ensure that we can build safe and affordable communities.

BENBROOK: In a statement, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said this. He said, "The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the president of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states or sending active duty military within our own borders."

[03:35:07]

While it is not uncommon for federal authorities like the National Guard to help out across the country in times of emergency, like natural disasters or civil unrest, experts say that sending in the National Guard in a blanket order to combat crime and implement the president's immigration policies is unprecedented.

So we've seen this start here in Washington. He says that Chicago's next. Then he says he's taking a look at New York.

In recent weeks, he has also criticized other major cities, calling them, quote, "very bad," including Los Angeles and Baltimore.

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CHURCH: The next U.S. midterm elections are more than a year away, but lawmakers are already trying to come up with ways to secure a majority in Congress. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells CNN that House Democrats are ready to act to prevent the U.S. president from trying to, quote, "steal the midterm elections."

It comes amid a Trump-backed Republican redistricting effort in Texas to gain five more congressional seats. Jeffries says Democrats have made too much progress and it will be difficult for Republicans to overtake them.

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REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: In Texas, this is a racial, partisan gerrymander ordered by Donald Trump as part of an effort to rig the midterm elections. And we're not going to let it happen.

And at the end of the day, we were 24 seats down during Donald Trump's first midterm election in 2018, we won 40 seats in 2018. There's no way that Republicans can mathematically gerrymander their way to an artificial victory next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Over the weekend, the Texas Senate approved a new congressional map, which now heads to Governor Greg Abbott's desk for approval. California is retaliating with a plan of its own led by Governor Gavin Newsom. That measure will go before voters in November.

Earlier, I spoke about redistricting with Eric McGee, policy director and a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. And I asked him what effect redistricting could have on next year's midterm elections. Here's part of our conversation.

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ERIC MCGEE, POLICY DIRECTOR AND SR. FELLOW, PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA: The number of seats that are potentially at issue here is really constrained by a number of factors. First, it's just the number of seats that each state has available for one party to take from another. Another variable here is just how many seats -- additional seats you could draw for your party within each state.

We have the Voting Rights Act at the federal level that does put still constraints on what you can do with minority representation. And then there's just the question of which states have complete control from by one party or the other. And that's going to constrain things as well.

So you put all that together, and we're probably talking about, you know, maybe as many as 15 seats for Republicans and maybe as many as half of that for Democrats. That's if all goes well for each side.

Yes.

CHURCH: Right. Okay.

Well, I mean, they're considerable numbers. So now that two of the country's largest states are trying to seize power through gerrymandering, how many more might do the same? And do red states have a distinct advantage at this game? It sounds like with those numbers.

MCGEE: Yes, they do. And it has to do with some of the constraints that Democratic states have placed on themselves. Some states have, you know, California is going to try and get five more Democratic seats, but they have to do a special process because they have a commission that draws their districts.

New York is kind of a similar situation where they have provisions in their constitution that prevent them from doing the decking redistricting. So it really does, in the end, benefit Republicans more than Democrats. Beyond Texas, the number of states is kind of a question mark, right? So there's Indiana, there's Kentucky, there's North Carolina, Ohio actually has to draw its districts again for some complicated reasons.

So they're going to probably get another two or three seats for Republicans there. But beyond that, it's kind of a question of each state. And we're just going to have to see how it all unfolds but there is definitely a Republican advantage to this whole process.

CHURCH: And Eric, what are the numbers show you about how fair and democratic redistricting efforts have been up to this point?

MCGEE: Well, it's kind of a funny situation where individual states often are very heavily gerrymandered. But at the national level, we have a pretty fair balance between the two parties. In some ways, the Democrats are actually just a little bit advantaged because even though Republicans have a majority of votes and seats, they don't have quite as many seats as you might expect, given the votes that they have.

[03:04:03]

So there is kind of a but overall kind of a balance at the national level. This could actually throw that balance out of whack. But we'll just have to see what transpires.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Still to come, India's Supreme Court modifies its ruling on stray dogs after a wave of public outrage and protests. Why the court had weighed in on the issue, that's just ahead.

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CHURCH: India's Supreme Court has modified part of its ruling concerning stray dogs, allowing them to be released after sterilization and vaccinations. The original ruling requires stray dogs to be captured and sent to shelters sparking outrage and protests.

Critics of the original decision claimed there weren't enough shelters to implement the ruling. The original decision came after a reported surge in dog bites and rabies infections. Dogs that were picked up over the past few weeks will be sterilized and vaccinated before being released, except those that are deemed aggressive or show signs of rabies.

Well joining us now is the Managing Director for the Humane World for Animals in India, Alokparna Sengupta. I appreciate you joining us.

ALOKPARNA SENGUPTA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HUMANE WORLD FOR ANIMALS INDIA: Thank you so much, glad to be here.

CHURCH: So what's been the reaction to India's top court reversing its stray dog relocation order, now directing the release of these dogs after sterilization and immunization instead of sending them to these shelters?

SENGUPTA: I mean, it's been a relief to be honest because this is the law of the land. The animal birth control rules from 2001 talk about sterilizing, immunizing and then releasing back to the shelters for the WHO guidelines and the 11th August order was very scary. So we are really grateful to the Supreme Court for reversing the order

and now it's expanded beyond Delhi. So now it's going to be taking up all the pending matters from across the country and be deciding something. So we are hopeful for the law to be continued and for animal cruelty to be kept at abeyance and for the animal birth control rules to be upheld, which it has been upheld right now.

CHURCH: And how will this new court ruling prevent these stray dogs from biting people, some of them at least? I mean, they have said they'll filter out the more aggressive dogs, but it's still possible, isn't it?

SENGUPTA: It is. And I think that's now when the Supreme Court calling the civic bodies out and the NGOs out is also very important because now the civic bodies really have to up their game. The problem has been that the municipalities or the municipal corporations have really not been doing their job well.

It has taken animal protection organizations to convince them to do sterilizations, to do immunizations, whereas it is the government's duty. So with this push, we hope that the civic bodies will now be a little more rejuvenated and actually do the work that they are meant to do.

Sterilizing and immunizing alone cannot prevent dog bites. And dog bites will happen, yes, but we at Humane World for Animals India have been working with communities to understand dog behaviors, to work with volunteers who do take care of the stray dogs and to understand from them how we can better work with stray dogs so that dog bites are prevented, conflict is prevented, and we can live and coexist with these animals.

And I think the most important thing that our government needs to do is that while they're expanding cities and doing a lot of urban planning, we need to take these animals into our notice and into our cognizance before we just haphazardly expand cities because that's when the conflicts start.

CHURCH: I did want to ask you that because many animal lovers there in India, in Delhi, signed petitions and took to the streets to protest against the original court order to send these stray dogs to shelters. So why are there so many stray dogs if so many people in Delhi appear to be animal lovers willing to fight for these dogs? Would they take them into their homes?

SENGUPTA: That's not a right argument, is it? Just because I like children does not mean I take all of the children and the poor children into my home.

The idea is that there is a misplaced compassion in the sense that people think that feeding dogs is enough, but if you are taking care of your dogs, if you're feeding them, you need to also sterilize and immunize them. But the problem is that, again, individuals cannot sterilize the thousands of dogs together, right?

[03:50:04] And that's why scientific processes need to be involved where the sterilization process is much higher. The number of dogs getting sterilized is much higher than the reproduction rate.

So it has to be a concerted effort. Individuals or NGOs cannot do it alone. The machinery that involves is the NGOs and the government machinery have to work together.

A lot of the sterilization programs come to a halt because the government does not pay up and NGOs cannot afford to continue to do it by themselves. So the government of India has now said that they will invest in this process. And that's what needs to be done.

So again, of course, there has to be some amount of responsible caretaking of street dogs where they should not just be feeding haphazardly. And we welcome the Supreme Court's guidance on a verdict on saying you should just not be public feeding. There needs to be feeding spots and there needs to be a feeding time where humans and dogs do not have to face each other.

So there is, again, less conflict there. But it is a collaborative work and collaborative journey. It cannot be an (inaudible) situation.

CHURCH: Alokparna Sengupta, thank you so much for talking with us, I appreciate it.

SENGUPTA: Thank you so much.

CHURCH: Orphaned by poaching and human encroachment into their natural habitat, young elephants in Zimbabwe are getting a second chance at the life they deserve. Isabel Rosales explains how rescuers are rearing them so they can eventually return to the wild.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Excited for their next meal, these elephant calves are taken care of day after day at the Wild is Life Animal Sanctuary in Zimbabwe. These calves are orphans, the sanctuary says, because their parents died in human-wildlife conflicts like poaching and car collisions.

Established in 2013, the Zen Nursery became a vital part of the sanctuary and the first elephant nursery in the country, nurturing young and vulnerable orphans until they're about three years old. Here, they're able to play, stay well-nourished, and roam free in the bush, shielded from any harm that might come their way in the wild.

The founder of the sanctuary, Roxy Danckwerts, says while they're difficult to hand raise, she's potentially saving them from a difficult introduction to life.

ROXY DANCKWERTS, FOUNDER, WILD IS LIFE: They persecuted in many ways and I wanted to try and highlight that within Zimbabwe to just create awareness and just get people to really care.

ROSALES (voice-over): In the nursery, the elephants gradually acquire survival skills to live in the wild and are eventually introduced into a conservation area to join herds. Danckwerts hopes to do more than just save the animals, but also return them to the wild.

DANCKWERTS: People didn't really believe that elephants could be rescued and rewilded and I was very insistent that we rewild these ellies, that we don't, you know, keep them in captivity.

Captivity is not great for elephant.

ROSALES (voice-over): Praise for their work by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, each day, Wild is Life gives these ellies someone to count on to help them grow until it's time to head back into the wild.

LUCKMORE SUFULI, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE: We've managed to rescue over 50 elephants and as IFAW we are proud to be part of this achievement.

Isabel Rosales, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Typhoon Kajiki is stirring up panic across coastal communities in Southeast Asia. Coming up, we'll bring you the latest out of China and Vietnam as the storm gathers steam.

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[03:55:00]

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As Vietnam braces for Typhoon Kajiki to make landfall today, officials are planning to evacuate over half a million people. The typhoon strengthened as it grazed China's island province of Hainan on Sunday.

The tourist destination Sanya issued a red typhoon alert, the highest severity warning as torrential rainfall drenched the area. Boats have been banned from leaving several coastal provinces in Vietnam, with dozens of regional flights already delayed or cancelled.

Russia's first giant panda cub just hit the terrible twos. Kajusha marked her second birthday at the Moscow Zoo with a cake made of fruit, ice and bamboo.

Born to pandas on loan from China, she has become a symbol of Russia- China ties. Zoo officials say she's thriving, growing fast and has a bold and mischievous personality.

Well some people race horses, but in one German town they race oxen. This unusual race began in 1983 and happens every four years. The jockeys ride without a saddle and only have a harness to hold on to and it can lead to a pretty wild ride, race organizers stress the importance of animal welfare.

Sticks, whips and spurs are banned and the oxen must be checked by a veterinarian before the race.

I want to thank you so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "Amanpour" is next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" with M.J. Lee, coming up at 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London, enjoy.

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