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More Than 800 Killed After Strong Earthquake Hits Afghanistan; Over 1000 Killed In Landslide In Western Sudan Village; China Prepares For Major Military Parade To Assert Power; Israel's Actions In Gaza Meet Legal Definition Of Genocide; Tension Over Tariffs Grows Between Trump And India; Kim Jong-un And Putin To Join Xi Jinping For Huge Military Parade; Russia Denies Targeting Plane Carrying E.U. Leader; Cryptocurrency Usage Soars At Bolivian Businesses. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired September 02, 2025 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:33]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. China is stepping up efforts to shift the global balance of power, welcoming the leaders of Russia, India and North Korea for summits and military parades. But other handshakes and power dynamics enough to shake up the West.

Rescue efforts are underway in remote mountainous regions of Afghanistan after a major earthquake. We'll have a live report on the challenges they face.

Plus, the world's top genocide scholars accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel denies the claim, calling it Hamas propaganda. We'll speak with one of the experts behind the report.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: Rescuers are desperately trying to reach survivors after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan. At least 800 people were killed and more than 2.800 injured in the 6.0 magnitude quake near Jalalabad.

Military helicopters have been flying missions throughout the day to evacuate casualties. Entire towns and villages have been decimated in the remote mountainous region near the Pakistan border. And as our Nic Robertson reports, economic and political conditions are adding to the challenges.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Chaotic scenes searching for survivors in the dark. Most people asleep in their homes. And the magnitude 6 quake struck by day. The scale of destruction becoming clearer.

This young boy desperately calling for his older brother as other villagers arrive to help. The relatively shallow quake, 8 kilometers or 5 miles, contributing to the destruction and staggering death toll.

Kunar Province, the worst affected homes here are often made of mud, rock and trees particularly vulnerable to quakes. 95 percent of the houses in our village have been destroyed. This survivor says every household has lost between five to 10 family members. We appeal to all Muslims to open their hearts and help us at this time of hardship.

Some of the worst affected areas in the mountainous rural east of Afghanistan could only be reached by helicopter as dirt roads already weakened by weeks of heavy rain were cut by quake induced landslides.

KATE CAREY, DEPUTY HEAD OF OFFICE, U.N. OCHA: There are some locations and some villages in a few of the most hard districts that are only accessible by foot up to three hours. And of course, the priority is also to unblock impassable roads.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The Afghan government spokesman warning while they've reached most villages it will take some time before international aid agencies will get there to help. The nearest major city Jalalabad receiving some of the injured. Only the luckiest survivors able to get to hospital. At least one NGO the International Rescue Committee reporting entire villages have been destroyed.

In our district alone 100 to 150 people were killed, this man says. We still don't know the number of the injured. The roads are still closed.

The Taliban ruled country is already reeling from the effects of shrinking international aid budgets. Health care at the forefront of basic services impacted. U.S. aid contracts alone down $1.7 billion over the last year.

In 2023, a magnitude 6.3 quake caused more than 2,000 deaths, not clear if the toll this time will exceed that but for sure the country's ability to cope with this type of catastrophe is weakening. Nick Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: With more on this I'm joined by from Kabul by Thamindri De Silva.

[01:05:03]

She's the national director of World Vision Afghanistan. Appreciate your time today. Thank you for joining us.

THAMINDRI DE SILVA, NATIONAL DIRECTOR, WORLD VISION AFGHANISTAN: Hi, Lynda, thanks for having me.

KINKADE: So you've been on the front lines of humanitarian work in Afghanistan. Just talk to us about the scale of devastation following this quake and what are you hearing on the ground from those close to the epicenter?

DE SILVA: Sure, I was -- I experienced the 2023 earthquake in Herat and we were able to reach communities fairly quickly. The difference between that and this is the remoteness of the location because even after almost 36 hours since the earthquakes, we are still struggling to get through.

People are still walking on foot and it's taking up to three to four hours of walking to get to there, which means that a lot of the assistance hasn't come through. And even though there have been several flights of helicopters and it's limiting the levels of access and support that can be given to survivors and those who are still trapped within.

KINKADE: And I imagine it's quite hard to get information out from that region. What do you know about the scale? Like how many villages and towns were impacted by this quake?

DE SILVA: We can't really estimate the number that -- the number of towns affected. But one of the latest details that I got in the humanitarian country team is that there's almost 587,000 people in that estimate. People in the areas affected. So that's quite a significant number that will, we will then have to sort of verify as the assessments continue.

KINKADE: Wow. And of course, aid agencies like yours have faced, you know, huge funding shortfalls since the Taliban took power. How has that affected your ability to respond to this crisis?

DE SILVA: We are very respect restricted. World Vision doesn't work directly in the location, but we're working through partners, we've already struggled because we've not only this is not the first shock that we face this year. We've just undergoing a drought. We're supporting the returnee response. We are still working with the earthquake affected people in Herat and there's a huge malnutrition crisis in the country.

So it's not just the funding shortfalls. It's the compounding of, you know, shock after shock in the country which is stretching already very thin resources.

KINKADE: And of course so many international donors are wary about working in Taliban controlled territory. Can you explain how World Vision ensures that aid reaches the who need it, especially vulnerable groups like women and children?

DE SILVA: Sure. We prioritize the needs of women and children. We work particularly in health and nutrition, as well as in education and child protection to ensure that aid is given. We try to verify every single detail and every single sort of number and beneficiary that we work with. And we also try to triangulate data to make sure that we have our own assessments.

And we triangulate it with those of the humanitarian architecture as well as with the defective authorities. So we try to work with the most vulnerable and we try to work in the areas that are of most need.

KINKADE: You've worked in complex emergencies before. Just talk to us about what's going to be needed in the next few days as you respond to this crisis.

DE SILVA: Sure. What I just heard a few minutes ago is that the greatest need is in terms of body, but body bags. The next thing is going to be some sort of shelter and tents and food. And with the restrictions of access and even movement, I mean, we can't even get vehicles to most locations. It's going to be very difficult to get, you know, tents or food or water or any of those items.

So it's definitely, you know, where we're looking at the basic necessities to make sure that people are able to continue because many haven't moved away from their locations. Their houses may be damaged, but they're still staying within their area, you know, and village. So it's a matter of making sure that we're able to get them supplies to survive.

I mean, they would have lost clothing, they would have lost furniture, they would have lost cooking equipment. So it's definitely a lot of, you know, non-food items, a lot of, you know, kits for hygiene, for water, for, you know, especially for women and children. Those are necessities that we need to make sure are met urgently.

KINKADE: So you said about half a million people are in that impacted, affected area of the quake zone.

DE SILVA: Yes.

KINKADE: If there are international donors or leaders or just viewers that want to donate, what can you tell them about donating, especially if they have concerns about their donation getting to those who actually need it?

DE SILVA: Sure. There are established mechanisms in the country. You have the U.N. present, you have agencies like World Vision and others who have very strong checks and balances and making sure that we move it through. We do a severe vetting of our local partners to make sure that they are able to deliver.

There are ways and means possible. And so we would encourage donors to give because this is a need. This is a need in a country that has faced so many shocks even in the last year.

[01:10:05]

KINKADE: Yes. Thamindri De Silva, we appreciate all the work you and the team at World Vision are doing in Kabul. Thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.

DE SILVA: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: Well, in Sudan, a rebel group says a landslide has killed at least a thousand people in the western part of the country. Days of heavy rain caused the disaster, which destroyed a village in a remote mountain region on Sunday.

According to the Sudan Liberation Movement army, only one person survived. The group is asking the United Nations and international aid agencies to help them recover remains. The victims sought shelter in the area from the raging war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the North Darfur state.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has just unveiled his country's diplomatic vision for the world, framing China as a stable superpower and counterforce to the west during a major security summit this weekend. And now Beijing is preparing to put on a massive show of military strength. On Wednesday, will host a parade marking the end of World War II following Japan's formal surrender.

China says it will show the country's latest weaponry and military advancements. And it will feature some high profile guests, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who's traveling to Beijing right now on his famous armored train, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who's also set to attend.

He's in Beijing where he just met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for their first formal bilateral meeting since Putin arrived in China on Sunday. CNN's Ivan Watson breaks down everything that's happened so far at the summit.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A show of international solidarity at a time of global uncertainty, leaders of three of the world's largest countries happily rubbing shoulders at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin, China.

The leaders of China and Russia have long complained that the U.S. and its Western allies have dominated international relations. So now they've gathered heads of state from across Asia and the Middle east into this vast building to call for the creation of a new world order.

WATSON (voice-over): The host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, denouncing bullying and double standards and promoting China as a champion for developing countries.

XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): The house rules of a few countries should not be imposed upon others.

WATSON (voice-over): Those points echoed by his close partner, Vladimir Putin, even as his military continues its nightly bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Defying U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for peace. But the Russian president accuses the west of starting Russia's war with Ukraine and makes his own appeal for a new global system of governance.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A system that would replace the outdated Eurocentric and Euro Atlantic models, taking into account the interests of the broadest possible range of countries truly balanced.

WATSON (voice-over): But it is the presence of India's prime minister that has been most notable at this gathering. Narendra Modi came to China still stinging from 50 percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods. Snubbed by Washington, Modi is now mending fences with China despite an ongoing Chinese-Indian border dispute that five years ago turned very deadly.

Modi also spent an hour talking to Putin in the Russian president's limousine, demonstrating India has other powerful friends if it can no longer count on U.S. support.

WATSON: Chinese leader Xi Jinping demonstrated diplomatic might at this regional summit. In a few days time, he'll put on a show of military might. China is set to hold a huge military parade in Beijing. The VIP guests are to include Vladimir Putin as well as the leaders of North Korea and Iran. Ivan Watson, CNN, Tianjin, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, CNN senior China reporter Simone McCarthy joins us from Beijing. Great to see you again, Simone. So Vladimir Putin topping the list of leaders attending Xi's military parade. Just how significant is it for the Chinese president to have the Russian president by his side?

SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR CHINA REPORTER: Lynda, it's incredibly significant. You've seen these world leaders gathering here in China for Xi's summit and now he's putting together this vast military parade. This is an important moment for Beijing to showcase itself as a global leader and an alternative to the United States.

And for Xi, he's worked for years with Putin where the two of them have had a vision to rebalance the global order of power that they see as stacked against them.

[01:15:04]

Having Putin by his side, Xi is making this really significant show this week is critical because the two of them together have a shared history too that they will look to showcase at this event. And what I'm talking about there is the history of World War II where they see that, you know, Russia and as the Soviet Union and China together fought in that war alongside the allies and they see themselves now as the protectors of that post war order. That is the rhetoric that they're going to put out in the coming days.

That said, this is not just about rhetoric. The two genuinely have a close relationship and we've seen that in the optics of their meetings in recent days. At the SCO summit, Xi was seen speaking animatedly with Putin and he looked relaxed in a way that we don't often see the Chinese leader.

Look, the two have just met here in Beijing. We're waiting to learn about that relationship, what came out of that bilateral meeting. But we can be sure that they will have stressed how important that relationship is and how they want to continue to deepen ties.

KINKADE: And of course among some observers in Washington have warned of anti-American access between North Korea, Iran, China and Russia. How is the President? The presence of the leaders of Iran and North Korea at that parade also factor into the optics here. MCCARTHY: This is a very significant moment. Analysts in Washington

have called these four countries a potential axis of unheed, of upheaval and access, of malign intent. And the reason for that is that each of these countries have strengthened their support for Russia over the course of its war in Ukraine with North Korea, that's of course the provision of weapons and troops. With Iran, that's weapons for the war. And with Russia, they've been an important economic and diplomatic backer for Russia as it wages war in Ukraine.

But now we haven't really -- so far, we haven't really seen, as observers have really delved into, in their analysis, kind of a four- way coordination between these leaders. So when they're standing together on the sidelines of this military parade, that is a significant moment in terms of their coordination.

And it's also a really significant message from Chinese leader Xi Jinping because he's saying, OK, the west is concerned about these countries, it might see them as pariahs, but I don't, in my world order, these are countries that are my friends and I stand beside them. And so I think it's a very powerful kind of narrative shift that we're seeing come from the Chinese leader.

KINKADE: All right, good to have you on the story. Simone McCarthy in Beijing. Thank you.

A leading association of scholars says Israel's actions in Gaza meet the definition of genocide. We'll hear from a member of that group when we come back and we'll get Israel's reaction.

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KINKADE: The world's leading association of genocide scholars says Israel's policies and actions in Gaza have met the legal definition of genocide. That announcement coming in a resolution passed by the group. They also Israel's actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined international humanitarian law.

In its resolution, the association called on Israel to, quote, immediately cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza, including deliberate attacks against and killing of civilians, including children.

Israel blasted the association's claim, calling the resolution, quote, an embarrassment to the legal profession and to any academic standard. It also argues the group's assessment is based on a campaign of lies by Hamas.

Joining me now from Washington, D.C. is Emily Sample, an executive board member with the International association of Genocide Scholars. Thanks so much for your time.

EMILY SAMPLE, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS: Thank you for having me. KINKADE: So your association has declared that Israel's actions in

Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. What is the definition of genocide under international law and what evidence has led your association to come to this conclusion?

SAMPLE: Well, so the International Association of Genocide Scholars uses the same definition that is outlined by the United Nations in the U.N. Genocide Convention from 1948 and that outlines that there are five ways for a party to commit genocide which specifically looks at the attacks on a group based on their racial, ethnic, religious or national identity.

And so what we found -- what the resolution authors found in this resolution was that they were committing the atrocities across all five types of the definition of genocide. And the threshold for genocide is only one of those. So what we do see is the killing of members of the group. We see that there is causing of serious bodily or mentally harm. There's the deliberate inflicting of conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's destruction.

There's measures intended to prevent birth and there is the relocation of children. So as you'll see in the resolution itself, there's quite a bit of citation and evidence that is shown through the scholars attempts to build the evidence base for all of those different aspects.

[01:25:10]

And that evidence shows that those five acts are happening right now and have happened over the last 23 months.

KINKADE: And of course there's no doubt you've seen Israel's response strongly rejecting these claims, calling them politically motivated and based on misinformation. How does your association ensure the integrity in the accuracy of its findings?

SAMPLE: Well, whereas an association of scholars, so there is a level of professional academia that is ensuring that these claims are true or at least up to a scholarly standard. In terms of looking at the evidence that we've accumulated in this resolution, the idea behind it is that it is not groundbreaking evidence. It is not a report. It is a resolution that shows specifically that our membership believes that all of these aspects are happening and that they are speaking up in a group against these actions.

KINKADE: And of course, critics often argue that war zones are complex and civilian casualties are tragic but unintentional. How do you distinguish between legitimate military action and acts that legally constitute genocide?

SAMPLE: There is a threshold for collateral damage that war scholars will speak to. But the real difference is when understanding a genocide is the intent behind the extermination of a group and as such, and that is what many of our scholars are speaking up against, is that there is this well beyond the threshold of what would be committed under war or under committed under self-defense. KINKADE: And so what do you hope will happen next in terms of an

international response should the U.N. or the International Criminal Court get involved? What are the next steps?

SAMPLE: What we are hoping is that this resolution is able to provide evidence and pressure for our policymakers and our civil society who work directly with policymakers to continue to pressure Israel towards a cease fire and to bolster the evidence base for eventual ICJ or ICC hearings that will hopefully bring justice to the Gazans when there that is possible.

KINKADE: Emily Sample, we appreciate your time. Thanks so much for joining us.

SAMPLE: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: Well, Israel is now considering the possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Three Israeli officials tell CNN that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an initial discussion on that idea last week, but the Security Cabinet has not discussed the matter and no decision has been made.

It's just one of the steps Israel is weighing in retaliation for the anticipated recognition of a Palestinian state by a growing number of countries at this month's U.N. General Assembly. The latest to join that list is Belgium, which also plans to impose new targeted sanctions against Israel.

Well, Kim Jong Un is on his way to Beijing from North Korea as part of Pyongyang's push to look like a power player on the global stage. How the reclusive dictator is using state media to control the narrative. That story next.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Great to have you with us.

Well, the Trump administration says India's recent show of unity with Russia and China is troublesome. Over the weekend, India's prime minister met with China's leader at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization security summit. The two leaders discussed the importance of partnership, not rivalry. And that meeting comes as India faces major trade pressure from the U.S.

Kristen Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: India's prime minister Modi sending a clear message to Washington regarding those intense 50 percent tariffs that went into effect last week during what appeared to be a warm meeting with him and the leaders of Russia and China. It was one message that President Trump didn't miss posting on Truth

Social this, "What few people understand is that we do very little business with India. They do a tremendous amount of business with us. In other words, they sell us a massive amount of goods, their biggest client, but we send them very little."

Then he went on to say it was a one-sided relationship and essentially blamed Modi.

[01:34:46]

HOLMES: Now again, the White House itself was paying very close attention to these meetings in which all these leaders seem to praise each other. This is what one of Donald Trump's top trade advisors had to say.

PETER NAVARRO, COUNSELOR TO THE U.S. PRESIDENT: It's time for Modi to step up. I have great respect for Modi. I love the Indian people.

It's -- it was a shame to see Modi getting in bed as the leader of the biggest democracy in the world, with the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world, in Putin and Xi Jinping. That doesn't make any sense.

HOLMES: Now Navarro also called the show of unity, quote, "troublesome". The one thing to keep in mind here, when he says that doesn't make sense, this Modi turning to China and Russia is something that had concerned economists as well as foreign policy experts because of these increasing tariffs.

We know that there have been a strained relationship between China and India. India -- this is the first time Modi has visited China in seven years because of that relationship.

But if the United States is not going to help India continue to grow its economy, it does appear they are looking for other options and other opportunities. And where they find them, perhaps with the leaders of Russia and China.

So how this ends, how this moves forward seems unclear at this point. We should note one thing. While President Trump seemed to focus his ire, so did the White House, on Modi. We did hear some pushback against Russian President Vladimir Putin from the Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent who talked about sanctions, saying that they were still on the table, specifically saying that since that meeting in Anchorage between Putin and Trump, since the call that Putin and Trump had after the meeting with European leaders and President Zelenskyy, that Putin had done basically the opposite of everything he had indicated he wanted to do.

And because of that, they were considering all options again, including sanctions. However, we've heard this before, unclear if there's actually going to be any movement in that direction.

Kristen Holmes, CNN -- the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is on his way to Beijing for a massive military parade hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He'll also stand alongside Russia's President Vladimir Putin in a rare gathering of more than two dozen world leaders.

North Korean state media released images of Kim leaving Pyongyang by armored train after he was seen inspecting a reportedly new missile production line.

CNN's Mike Valerio reports.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prepares to take an elevated place on the world stage traveling to Beijing for a historic first, Kim meeting with both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim's regime is out with a new highly-edited propaganda video designed to show the North Korean people an idealized glimpse of how the North's army is fighting in Russia's war in Ukraine.

But the reality of the video, multiple if not most of the scenes appear to be staged. CNN cannot verify if any scenes show actual combat. The point of the display though, experts say, is to show glory, a sanitized picture of sacrifice.

Title cards purporting to describe how some North Korean soldiers were killed, painting their service as part of a heroic struggle helping Russia.

HONG MIN, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, KOREA INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL UNIFICATION (through translator): It could form a narrative that North Korea's national status has risen through its participation in the Ukraine war. And that it is forming a solidarity front with powerful countries on the diplomatic stage.

VALERIO: While much of the footage is dubious, the message is clear. North Korea trying to show it's no longer the isolated regime of years ago.

MIN: It does connect North Korea's participation in the Ukraine war with its diplomatic achievement of Kim Jong Un becoming an important leader with a strategic position in North East Asia that is on par with Putin and Xi Jinping.

VALERIO): But Professor Andrei Lankov notes the timing of Kim's latest propaganda documentary could be part of a continued effort to show the new experience North Korea's army is gaining.

ANDREI LANKOV, PROFESSOR OF KOREAN STUDIES, KOOKMIN UNIVERSITY: For a long time, for decades, North Korean propaganda always emphasized the significance of the military. However, it had very little, real, actual stuff to talk about.

VALERIO: North Korean state media also released new photos on Monday showing Kim examining a, quote, "newly-inaugurated missile production line". Taken together the images paint a picture of a nation trying to assume a new place on the geopolitical stage. North Korea figuratively and literally standing with Russia and China.

Worth noting the last time a North Korean leader was at a Chinese military parade, that was back in 1959. This will be the first multilateral meeting Kim Jong Un attends with more than two world leaders present.

[01:39:45]

VALERIO: In fact, there will be more than 20 world leaders at this gathering in Beijing.

Mike Valerio, CNN -- Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, still ahead, with their currency crisis and inflation soaring, some Bolivians are now banking on bitcoin as a way of doing business.

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[01:44:49]

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Russia denies it had anything to do with targeting of a plane carrying the European Commission. President Ursula Von Der Leyen was on board when officials say something or someone tried to jam the planes navigation signal as it landed in Bulgaria. The plane thankfully landed safely. The commission suspects Russia was behind that incident, but the Kremlin says that's incorrect.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A plane carrying the top E.U. leader targeted by GPS jamming. Ursula Von Der Leyen, the European Commission president, was on a whistle stop tour of eastern Europe and trying to land in southern Bulgaria when the planes systems went down with the pilots having to land the aircraft using paper maps. That's according to a source close to this incident.

What we've learned from the European Commission is that they heard from Bulgarian authorities very quickly after the incident, and then announced it to the public on Monday that the Bulgarian authorities believed that it was Moscow behind these attempts.

This, of course, in the wake of many years of hybrid warfare being waged on European ground, often in the shape of these sorts of incidents of GPS jamming.

Ursula Von Der Leyen landed safely in southern Bulgaria, but spoke immediately, having knowledge of what had just gone on but before the rest of the world found out of the fact that there was an important need to remember the urgency of continuing to deal with Russian aggression and continuing to support Ukraine.

That's what her tour had been about, trying to shore up support for Ukraine, even as ceasefire talks appear to falter.

Melissa Bell, CNN -- Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Venezuela's president has a warning for the U.S. If you mess with our country, you're messing with all of South America. President Nicolas Maduro made those comments at a rare news conference Monday amid the build-up of U.S. Naval forces in the Caribbean.

Officials in Washington say ships are moving into the region to combat drug trafficking, allegedly linked to Venezuela. But President Maduro hasn't taken kindly to the show of force, calling it the biggest threat seen in South America in a century. He says Venezuela is at maximum readiness and will not bow to threats.

I want to go to Bolivia now, where more and more businesses are banking on cryptocurrency as a way to cope with the country's struggling economy. For some, bitcoin has become an accepted and even preferred form of payment.

As CNN's Cris Ulloa explains, its largely due to the freedom bitcoin can offer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CRIS ULLOA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In this little blue coffee stand in Bolivia's La Paz, business is booming. Here you can pay for your matcha and oat milk lattes with cash, card or digital currency.

CRISTOPHER SALAS, OWNER KE RIQUITO CAFE (through translator): We've accepted bitcoin payments For some time now. It's a currency that's not controlled by the state or banks. A free currency. When you buy with bitcoin here, it's like buying an unseizable (ph) coffee.

ULLOA: Christopher Salas is the owner of Ke Riquito Cafe, located in the city's bustling downtown.

The country's economic crisis and lack of foreign currency led him to venture into what are called cryptocurrencies.

SALAS: There's a bitcoin community here in La Paz promoting the use of cryptocurrencies in various businesses.

A friend Alfredo came by and opened my eyes. It's like a digital wallet, like a regular bank QR but with satoshis which are the smallest unit of bitcoin.

The customer scans the QR, we do the conversion and they can buy their coffee. ULLOA: Last year, Bolivia's central bank authorized the use of these

digital assets, claiming that it would benefit the productive and commercial sectors.

Fast forward to 2025, the use of cryptocurrencies has soared.

ANA RECABADO, USER OF CRYPTOCURRENCY (through translator): Now it's practically a necessity. The limited access to dollars has caused the number of people managing cryptocurrencies to grow by 500 percent.

ULLOA: From restaurants to gyms, local businesses are implementing virtual currencies as a method of payment.

FACUNDO BAZAN, OWNER, LA CASA DEL SILIPANCHO RESTAURANT (through translator): Because of that, I can pay for advertising. I take payments from people coming from abroad or wanting to pay via cryptocurrencies.

ULLOA: A revolutionary wallet that some experts say could help face the financial crisis.

MARGOTH AYALA, ECONOMIST, (through translator): These are digital assets created with blockchain technology. I'm currently using them as a store of value considering the devaluation of the Bolivian peso. It's a good option to preserve worth.

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain could actually be an opportunity for Bolivia to mitigate or reduce the impact of the ongoing economic crisis.

ULLOA: A chain of technology that promises to enhance investment security, facilitate international payments and money remittances, among other potential benefits for the Andean nation's economy.

But Salas has some advice.

SALAS: I always tell people not to buy or invest in bitcoin without studying what bitcoin is. And to ask themselves what is money? Because many people fall for pyramid scams.

[01:49:51]

ULLOA: And as the central bank announces that it's working on its own digital currency, the internal inflation rate came close to 25 percent last month, adding fresh pressure to an already fragile economy.

For CNN, Cris Ulloa -- Santiago, Chile.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: A Manchester United fan hasn't cut his hair in 300 days. What he says will finally get him back into the barber's chair. We'll have that story next from CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back.

At the U.S. Open, the tennis tournament in New York, Naomi Osaka, the 23rd seed, has advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2021. She beat the third seed, American Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion who has won those top tournaments every time she's made the quarterfinals and all on a hard court.

Also on the women's side, Poland's Iga Swiatek has advanced beating Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 6-3, 6-1.

And on the men's side, top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner took just under two hours to defeat Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 as he moves to the quarters. It was the Italian's 25th consecutive victory in a grand slam match on a hard court.

Well, a Manchester United fan thinks his team is a cut above the rest. Frank, who is based in Spain, has refused to cut his hair until his team wins five games in a row.

World Sport's Don Riddell caught up with the die-hard fan as he waits for a win, and his next haircut.

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FRANK ILETT, MANCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTER: I started the challenge of not cutting my hair until Man United wins five games in a row back in October last year. I thought it would just be a bit of fun for a few months. And it's obviously gone on for a lot longer than expected.

I almost went for three in a row, and you know, me being me at the time, feeling optimistic, I went oh three is too easy, isn't it?

So I thought, oh I've got to go for five to make it a bit more of a natural challenge. Otherwise people won't be interested.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: So how did you start? Did you -- did you take the head back down to ground zero to give yourself a chance?

ILETT: Yes. I mean I had quite short hair anyway, but yes, just to kind of make it official. I got the clippers out and went over to -- just to, you know, to have my last haircut. And then before starting the challenge.

RIDDELL: So what are the rules? Five straight wins. Is that five games in any competition or -- explain it to us what they have to do?

ILETT: Well, all competitive games. So five wins in in competitive games. So that's Cup games, League games and anything else. But yes for example over the summer, not that it would have made a difference, but I didn't count pre-season friendlies and things like that.

RIDDELL: I'm sure you're very familiar with the fixture list this season. Where do you think they might get these five consecutive wins?

ILETT: It's been a bit of a tough start to the season. I was hoping for maybe some of these first games to get it out of the way straight away, but I looked a bit further down the line, and I think there's a group of games between the end of November and middle of December. And yes, they kind of look quite winnable.

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ILETT: Now the thing is, is because it does include Cup games, obviously there are Cup games that haven't been scheduled yet, so that could make it a lot easier or a lot harder depending on who we draw.

RIDDELL: What has surprised you most about letting your hair get this long?

ILETT: The heat. I mean, I'm currently living in Spain and it's been absolutely boiling is I think that's been the hardest part of the entire challenge so far.

RIDDELL: Can you imagine how you're going to feel if and when Manchester United have won four in a row? What are you going to do for that fifth game? What's it going to be like?

ILETT: I think it's going to feel like a champions league final for me my own mini champions league final. The plan would be to go to Old Trafford and to be there for the fifth game for sure.

I mean, if for any reason I couldn't be, then yes, definitely maybe a live stream or something to kind of have the moment with other people. But yes -- no, the plan would be to be there at Old Trafford for the fifth game.

RIDDELL: And you hope they get it done.

ILETT: Absolutely. Yes. No, if they didn't, if I went all the way there and they didn't. Yes, that would be absolutely heartbreaking.

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KINKADE: Seems fair. No wins, no trim.

Well, the band Gorillaz is making a major comeback 25 years after their groundbreaking debut.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somewhere between order and chaos, there is another world.

An exhibition like no other.

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KINKADE: Gorillaz are returning to the spotlight after their 25 years. They're in the middle of a four-show residency in London that features an immersive exhibit in Olympic Park. The group that blended rock and animation is bringing back its eclectic mix of songs, including hits like Clint Eastwood and Rock the House. The group confirmed in March that a new Gorillaz album is coming later this year.

Well, thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

That was CNN NEWSROOM. Much more news continues in just a moment with the lovely Rosemary Church. So stick around. You're watching CNN.

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