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Potential U.S.-Iran Talks Uncertain As Ceasefire Deadline Looms; Deadly Shooting At Mexico's Historic Teotihuacan Pyramids; Tim Cook To Step Down As Apple CEO; U.K. Prime Minister Apologizes In Parliament For Peter Mandelson's Appointment; Potential U.S.-Iran Talks Uncertain as Ceasefire Deadline Looms; Iran's Nuclear Program Major Sticking Point Ahead of Talks; Global Airlines Face Jet Fuel Shortages Amid Iran War; U.S. Delegation Meets With Cuban Leadership in Havana; Migrants Begin Applying for Legal Status in Spain; Pope Leo to Leave Angola, Travel to Equatorial Guinea; Eight Children Killed in Louisiana Mass Shooting; British Royals to Mark Queen Elizabeth II's 100th Birthday. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 21, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:39]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey everybody, it's great to be with you. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York, and here's what's coming your way here on CNN NEWSROOM.

Tenuous cease fire between the U.S. and Iran set to expire soon. It says the two countries send mixed signals ahead of a possible second round of talks.

A gunman opens fire on a crowd at an ancient tourist site in Mexico. We'll tell you what we know about the deadly shooting.

And calling it the greatest privilege of his life. Tim Cook stepping down from Apple, what we know about the new CEO.

ANNOUNCER: Live from New York. This is CNN NEWSROOM

with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Let's begin with uncertainty over the state of potential negotiations between the U.S.-Iran -- and Iran, with the ceasefire deadline looming. Sources are saying that U.S. President J.D. Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan on Tuesday. His goal will be to take part in a second round of talks.

But the situation remains fluid, with heated public rhetoric by both the U.S. and Iran. President Donald Trump who says a cease fire ends Wednesday evening, Washington time, insists that Iran will negotiate and warns of consequences if they don't.

But Iran's foreign ministry says Iran will decide on how to proceed, claiming that cease fire violations and provocative actions by the U.S. are major obstacles to diplomacy. Iran also vowing retaliation for this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Motor vessel Touska, motor vessel Touska. Vacate your engine room. Vacate your engine room. We're prepared to subject you to disabling fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: That's the U.S. military firing at and then seizing an Iranian flag cargo ship it says was attempting to violate the naval blockade of Iranian ports over the weekend, some of this night footage captured. You can actually see Marines there boarding the vessel which remains in U.S. custody, Iran now calling for the immediate release of this ship.

CNN's Eleni Giokos joining us now from Dubai, following the latest out of the Middle East. Eleni, I wonder if you can get us started by perhaps giving us the latest on these perspective talks.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, everything you've just said Polo, it just shows the confusion, the contradictions, coupled with maritime confrontations that have basically defined the last few days as we've been heading towards the end of the cease fire, which technically expires today, that seems to be being pushed back until Wednesday.

Be that, as it may we know that initially we had heard that Vice President J.D. Vance wouldn't be included in the talks because of security concerns that changing the vice president will be in Islamabad. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as President Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, will be in the second round of negotiations.

There was also a lot of confusion around whether Iran wanted to, you know, get involved in these negotiations. That's now changed. They're sending a delegation to Islamabad.

So, all of this even without getting to the substance of the issue. And the substance is what happens with Iran's nuclear program. Iran really digging in its heel, saying it has sovereignty and rights to, you know, create some kind of nuclear program specifically for power generation. The U.S. clearly pushing back very strongly on that.

And then the other big point is what happens in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran initially had said it would open the Straits on Friday, then hoping the United States was going to reciprocate by removing the U.S. naval blockade. That didn't happen.

Then we saw an escalation of narratives, and then we just saw an escalation out at sea as well. But these conversations are going to be absolutely pivotal. A lot of the experts are saying, don't expect a breakthrough, but rather some kind of incremental move, you know, to create room for more diplomatic talks, for more conversations.

But what the U.S. wants in terms of its demands, and what Iran wants is completely far apart. The question now becomes, what is the pain threshold of Iran, and what is the pain threshold of the United States and also the global economy? Because that is around the Strait of Hormuz, and where can they see eye to eye?

And we know that Iran has really been restricted now with the U.S. naval blockade, unable to sell any of its oil on international markets. And of course, the big question is whether President Trump is going to once again start striking in Iran. That would mean escalation. And from our understanding, nobody wants that at this point.

[02:05:09]

SANDOVAL: Right. And then, as you were speaking during your report to, we're seeing that marine map. Just wondering if you could also bring us up to speed on what traffic is like there on the Strait of Hormuz right now. Is it pretty much at a near standstill?

GIOKOS: Yes, it's a really good. Question, because the Iranians are saying, you know, authorization from the IRGC gets you transit, using the Iranian designated route, means that you can cross to the Strait of Hormuz.

And actually, released video showing that they allowed certain vessels to transit. Now, for a lot of the shippers, that could potentially mean compliance issues, because that means you're negotiating directly with a designated terrorist organization that is the IRGC. You're also taking an Iranian route. You potentially are paying a toll, which, of course, the United States has said that would potentially mean indictment for some of these shippers that have coordinated directly with Iran.

Now, interestingly, seeing the footage that Iran is really saying, saying there are lying vessels through these vessels are going to still hit the U.S. naval blockade remains to be seen what happens there, but CENTCOM says to date, they've been able to stop and turn around 27 vessels.

And of course, the big maritime confrontation that we saw was firstly, Iranian gunboats were firing at some tankers, specifically an Indian flag tanker on Saturday, and then we saw U.S. Central Command releasing videos showing that they had, you know, not only seized but also boarded the Touska, which is an Iranian flagged vessel.

The Iranians are saying they're going to retaliate on that. And then we also saw the finance -- the foreign minister, pardon me, Abbas Araghchi, saying, there is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all its capabilities to defend Iran's national interest and security and to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens.

It's also clear that the full responsibility of any further escalation in the region lies with the United States. Iran wants to see the removal of the U.S. naval blockade because, of course, it has been gaining revenue from selling its oil on international market through the Strait of Hormuz that has dominated a lot of the traffic that we've seen. But also for everyone else, you have around 800 vessels that are still

trapped in the Persian Gulf. And experts say even if the Strait of Hormuz opens up today, there is such a huge backlog of vessels that need to get out, then you need to get tankers in, and you need to fill those up. So, expect higher prices for longer. That is the reality that we're facing right now. This war is definitely being felt on a global level.

SANDOVAL: With Iran clearly doubling down on that defined tone. Eleni Giokos, thank you so much for that live report.

Let's keep the conversation going and explore more of what we just heard and bring in Malcolm Davis, he's a senior analyst in defense strategy at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Malcolm, it's always great to have you with us.

MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, THE AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Thank you for having me.

SANDOVAL: Let's get started with your thoughts right now, as we -- with the potential again, another round of talks on the horizon. How hopeful are you about that round of negotiations in Islamabad?

DAVIS: Look, I'm not that hopeful, I have to say, because both sides, demands or agenda is far apart from each other.

So, the Americans, for example, quite understandably, want Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. The fissile material closed down nuclear infrastructure. The Iranians are refusing to do that. The Americans quite understandably, want the Iranians to open up the Strait of Hormuz without any sort of interference whatsoever, including the charging of tolls. And the Iranians are not prepared to do that either.

So, I think that it's not a good likelihood that we will see something come out of this that will actually resolve this. What is more likely is that the negotiations will happen. They'll be inconclusive. Both sides will go back to their home capitals and one of two possibilities, either this naval blockade and the counter us blockade will continue, or potentially, the U.S. will go back to a war fighting mode once that cease fire expires.

SANDOVAL: So, if we were to see negotiations fail, in your view, what do you think the Trump administration's next move could be?

DAVIS: It's hard to say, because if the U.S. goes back into war fighting, if it starts bombing Iran again, there's no guarantee that simply bombing Iran is going to necessarily achieve U.S. strategic objectives. The Americans and the Israelis will certainly attack remaining Iranian military forces, including their missile and drone forces, the Australians will certainly go after Iranian leadership. President Trump has indicated he's going after the power facilities and also bridges. The Iranians will retaliate against that.

And so, you will see Iranian attacks across the region, including potentially against Gulf oil infrastructure. The Iranians have threatened also to attack water desalination plants.

[02:10:09]

So, there's a real risk that this war spins out of control and it doesn't really achieve anything. The deployment of ground forces in such a return to war, fighting, I don't think would necessarily achieve anything either.

So, going back to war fighting necessarily doesn't solve anything, but neither does President Trump simply declaring victory and walking away, because essentially what that does is essentially leave Iran with a strategic victory. They still control the state of Hormuz. They still have their nuclear capability, their nuclear program and their fissile material. The regime is still intact, so there's no good options here in terms of one path definitely leads to success over the other.

SANDOVAL: And because of all of that and the current situation, instead of regime, assuming that we do see that and the Trump administration declares a victory. What perception do you think some adversarial countries may have, perhaps Russia or China, of a Trump administration who declares victory? Yet that entire list that you just laid out, including the existing missile capabilities of Iran continues.

DAVIS: Well, I don't think anyone is really going to be convinced by President Trump declaring victory when, as I said, the regime is still there effectively, and he's even, even more hardline than what it was before. Iran's nuclear ambitions are still intact. They can reconstitute their missile capabilities, and they still control the Strait of Hormuz.

The Chinese and the Russians in particular, are going to see a U.S. declaration of victory and a disengagement from the war as a sign of weakness. So, that would encourage, I think, Moscow and Beijing to see that sign of weakness as an opportunity to perhaps be more aggressive, be emboldened.

So, you could see, for example, Russia behaving more aggressively along NATO's Eastern frontier. You could see China moving more aggressively against Taiwan.

So, I think declaring victory and walking away doesn't mean victory. If there's no actual victory to demonstrate, if we haven't achieved any of the U.S. strategic objectives, then that's not victory. And I'm not sure how President Trump can actually claim it's victory.

SANDOVAL: Right. And keep into account your skepticism that you shared at the beginning of the potential -- of any potential success out of these -- out of these next talks would be a best-case scenario you think?

DAVIS: I think a best case scenario would be, obviously, if the if the talk succeeded in having some sort of peace deal. But if that doesn't happen, then ultimately, what the Americans need to do, I think, is maintain the pressure on Iran through this counter blockade. They need to have the ability to hit Iranian targets to whittle down and reduce Iran's ability to interfere with shipping in the Persian Gulf.

And ultimately, what we're talking about here is a military operation that could last several weeks to force open the Straits of Hormuz and allow shipping to start moving through without Iranian interference.

But that's an incredibly complex and fairly long operation. There's no guarantees of success, so there's no sort of easy path here towards success. I'm afraid we've seen the U.S. back itself into a corner. The Iranians have essentially been a more resilient adversary than I think the U.S. thought they were and I think it's a challenging situation, because this conflict is not just about Iran. This has strategic implications for the wider international strategic environment, and we talked about China and Russia specifically.

SANDOVAL: And then, of course, there's the impact on consumers around the world, which we'll get into a little later in the broadcast for now though. Malcolm Davis, thank you so much. Really appreciate your expert insight on this.

DAVIS: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: An eyewitness captured the moment a gunman opened fire on a crowd of tourists visiting the historic Teotihuacan Pyramids in Mexico. Look at this video.

You may make out that gunman actually on top of those steps. You see him pacing back and forth. You also may have made out some of the shots that were fired by the suspect as he's seen walking on the pyramids. A Canadian woman was shot and killed before the gunman took his own life, according to Mexican authorities, among the wounded are six Americans, three Colombians, a Russian, two Brazilians and a Canadian citizen.

CNN's Gabriela Frias with more details out of Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GABRIELA FRIAS, CNN ANCHOR: A shooting at Mexico's Teotihuacan Pyramids has left at least one person dead, according to the Mexican authorities, a man fired shots at the popular archeological site, killing a Canadian woman before taking his own life. The security cabinet said on X.

[02:15:04]

The Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico, where the pyramids are located, told reporters that the situation is now under control.

Among the wounded are two Colombian nationals, one Canadian and one Russian. According to the Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico, he said that the situation is now under control.

Authorities say they have seized a firearm, a bladed weapon and live cartridge at the site. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says authorities from federal, state and local agencies are responding to the matter. What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply hurts us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the people affected and their families. We are in contact with the Canadian Embassy. She wrote on X.

Teotihuacan is one of the most famous ruins in Mexico. It's located some 50 kilometers northeast of Mexico City. A one-day trip to see the ruins is one of the most classic things to do when traveling to Mexico City. And the shooting comes as President Sheinbaum and local authorities face scrutiny over its security measures some 50 days before the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Gabriella Frias, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: It's the end of an era for Apple as Tim Cook announces that he's stepping down as CEO the head. What's next for the company and who's taking charge of the tech giant.

Plus, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, says that he's sorry for appointing the scandal ridden ex ambassador to the U.S. and he's telling Parliament how it happened despite Peter Mandelson's failed vetting.

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[02:21:11]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. It's the end of an era. After more than a decade leading Apple, Tim Cook is preparing to step aside, marking a major shift in leadership at one of the world's most valuable companies. CNN tech Reporter Clare Duffy explains what's next for the company and who's taking charge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: That's right. After 15 years, Apple CEO Tim Cook will be handing over the reins, stepping into the role of executive chairman at the company, and John Ternus, currently Apple Senior Vice President of hardware engineering, will take over the role of CEO.

Tim Cook has had an incredible run at Apple. He took over from its iconic founder Steve Jobs back in 2011 and had the sort of difficult task of defining the post jobs era at Apple. He has really overseen building out this whole ecosystem around Apple's products, adding the Apple Watch the AirPods, Apple services like Apple T.V. Plus and games. He also built out Apple's global supply chain and oversaw its rise to become a $4 trillion company.

He also guided Apple through some really difficult periods for the company, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which of course, disrupted production, also President Trump's tariffs in both his first and second terms.

But still, this handoff was not totally a surprise. There have been questions that Apple has faced over the future of its leadership, especially amid some high profile stumbles over the past few years, in particular, the Vision Pro headset, this V.R. headset that Apple said was going to be the future of computing, has remained a very niche product didn't get widespread adoption among consumers.

And Apple is also seen as behind in artificial intelligence. Of course, many in the tech world see as the future of technology.

So ,there have been some questions and some thinking that Apple may need some fresh leadership and some new tech innovation. John Ternus is a well-respected long time Apple employee. He's been at the company since 2001 and I think this timing of this transition will give him an opportunity to come out and really introduce himself to Apple's consumers at the company's annual iPhone event in September.

And so again, we didn't exactly know this was coming today, but not a totally surprising timing as Apple tries to look forward and define the next era for the company. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to CNN's Clare Duffy for that report, and you may recall President Trump's claim that other countries would be paying the tariffs.

Well, just two months after the Supreme Court struck down the most sweeping tariffs, American importers can now apply to get their money back, they're owed some $166 billion in refunds, that's not including interest. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, estimating the process will take about 60 to 90 days. Importers of record can apply through the CBP website, but not all tariffs are refundable just yet. Add to that, the Trump administration could still take action to delay or even reduce the size of the refunds.

The British Prime Minister is apologizing to lawmakers over the scandal involving Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the U.S. Keir Starmer is insisting that he did not know that Mandelson failed security vetting before he was appointed. CNN's Clare Sebastian with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Once again, the British prime minister has had to come here to Parliament to face the mounting fallout of his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, veteran politician with ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to the post of Britain's ambassador to the United States. For these latest revelations, coming seven months after Starmer sacked Mandelson. A revelations published by a British newspaper last week that Mandelson had actually failed his security vetting ahead of taking up the post in Washington.

But that Foreign Office officials overruled that failure so that the appointment could go ahead. Keir Starmer the prime minister over and over again, repeating in the House of Commons that he had had no idea about this, and if he had known, he would never have appointed Mandelson in the first place.

[02:25:10] KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: A deliberate decision was taken to withhold that material from it. A deliberate decision was taken to withhold that material. This was not a lack of asking. This wasn't an oversight. It was a decision -- it was a -- it was a decision taken not to share that information on repeated occasions.

SEBASTIAN: Well, you can hear it there. The backlash was fierce. There was a parliament questioning not only the assertion that Starmer didn't know about the vetting but his overall judgment in making the appointment of Peter Mandelson.

KEMI BADENOCH, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER: The right hand gentleman's defense, is that he, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, is so lacking in curiosity that he chose to ask no questions about the vetting process. He asked no questions about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein. He asked no questions about the security risk Mandelson posed.

Apparently, he didn't even speak to Peter Mandelson before his appointment. It doesn't appear that he asked any questions at all.

SEBASTIAN: All of this is a moment of high risk to the British Prime Minister coming amid already weak approval ratings and ahead of key local elections in just over two weeks time. The saga continues on Tuesday, when the Foreign Office official that Starmer has sacked over this latest scandal, Olly Robbins, will come here to this building to give his version of events to a parliamentary committee.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And after the break, we'll return with the impacts from the war with Iran. Jet fuel reserves, they are dwindling for airlines around the world as the Strait of Hormuz closure drags on. Coming up, a closer look at what travelers could be facing in the coming months.

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[02:31:25]

SANDOVAL: Sources are telling CNN that U.S. Vice President, J.D. Vance is expected to leave for Pakistan in the coming hours. He's expected to take part in the latest round of talks with Iran. And while President Trump insists that Tehran is "going to negotiate," CNN's Fred Pleitgen takes a look at what the Iranian leadership is truly saying.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly there are a lot of very strong voices inside Iran who question whether or not diplomacy at this point in time is something that is worth it, or at least diplomacy in the form of talks with the United States, be they direct or indirect.

Certainly, one of the things that the Iranians have been pointing to is what they call severe ceasefire things that continue to go on, violations of the ceasefire, where they say, for instance, halting that Iranian cargo ship and seizing that Iranian cargo ship is a severe ceasefire violation, which also, of course, involved shooting at that ship as well.

Then the blockade in general by the U.S. Navy, they also say, in general, is a violation of the ceasefire, and the Iranians say that that's something that they simply aren't going to stand for.

Now, the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry has come out and said that, at this point in time, it's not clear whether or not the Iranians are actually going to show up at those talks in Islamabad, if those are going to take place. At this point in time, actually, the Iranians are saying that they don't plan to show up at those talks, but certainly, they also say that things could still be up in the air and that decision could obviously be changed at any point in time.

But one of the things that's also very important is that there are still big discrepancies, apparently, in the way that the United States sees things and the way that the Iranians see things, especially after some of the posts that U.S. President, Donald Trump put out at the end of last week, where he claimed that the Iranians had agreed to halt uranium enrichment.

The Iranians are saying they believe they have a right to uranium enrichment. They certainly say that they've not agreed to halt uranium enrichment indefinitely. Also, the highly enriched uranium that apparently is still inside Iran, the U.S. President, Donald Trump said that the Iranians were willing to hand that over to the United States. The Iranians are saying that that is not true.

They believe that their rights would be infringed on, their international rights would be infringed on. And as the Iranian deputy foreign minister put it at a conference in Turkey, he said that Iran refuses to accept being an exception from international law. So they believe that they have these rights.

The Iranians continue to say that they support diplomacy, that they are in favor of diplomacy, but they also say that they're not going to be rushed into anything by the United States. And certainly, right now, they believe that the Trump administration is trying to force Iran into what it sees as a possible surrender and that's certainly something that the Islamic Republic says it's not up for.

SANDOVAL: With trade still tied down in the Strait of Hormuz, some airlines are warning that they are on the brink of running out of jet fuel. Jet fuel remains the second largest cost for most airlines globally, just behind labor. Many commercial jets burn upwards of 800 gallons of fuel an hour, and the bigger the jet, the more fuel the plane uses.

Europe is now warning that it's expected to be hit hard by the shortage due to its heavy reliance on its jet fuel imports. And despite exporting a lot of jet fuel, Asian supply is also strained due to a lack of essential crude oil. Travelers on Korean Air, one of Asia's largest airlines, they will see fuel surcharges hit seven times their pre-war values starting in May. The U.S. doesn't appear to be in danger of running out of jet fuel, but the global pinch is also raising fuel prices for major U.S. carriers.

[02:35:00]

I want to show you some of these numbers here, where you could see just how volatile those prices have been over the past few months, driving up airfare costs and fees to offset the surge. Delta and United say that they could be forced to potentially spend billions more on fuel this year if things stay the way they are.

All right, let's discuss how this conflict is and will probably continue to affect customers and their wallets. I'm joined by Brian Kelly. He's the Founder of The Points Guy.

Brian, it's great to have you with us.

BRIAN KELLY, FOUNDER, THE POINTS GUY: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: So with the war continuing, in your view, how much more can passengers expect to pay for their travels this summer?

KELLY: Yeah, we've already seen increases across the board of around 20 percent, but certain routes are now up almost double. So the pinch is really hitting international flights. And what we're seeing is not only airlines increasing fares, but also fees as well. Most of the major U.S. airlines have boosted their checked bag fees, and they're even stripping away perks, even in business class. So yeah, there's a lot more to come if this doesn't get resolved soon.

SANDOVAL: Brian, let's pivot to the jet fuel concerns that we're seeing really around the world. Given that, how much higher are the odds of either flight cancellations or schedule cuts, particularly for customers who may be flying on European or Asian carriers, especially those that depend on imported jet fuel?

KELLY: There are going to be cancellations across the board with the situation that's going on, but consumers have already seen cancellations. I've seen friends of mine who have L.A. to Rome flights on Norse Airways. They've already emailed customers cancelling international, though most of the cancellations we've seen so far are within Europe and short haul within Asia. Simply put, because Europe may run out of jet fuel as early as this summer if things don't open up, since they get most of their jet fuel from the Middle East.

The U.S., we produce a lot here, so it's a little bit less dire. But we can certainly expect more cancellations if the situation does not get any better anytime soon.

SANDOVAL: And I know you, Brian, and the rest of the team at The Points Guy, closely watch these diplomatic talks that are ongoing that we hope certainly will produce some results, some positive results.

As you watch that, though, how much anticipation -- I'm curious, just even if we were to see a deal between the U.S. and Iran that would address the Strait of Hormuz, it's almost as if the impacts or the positive changes wouldn't happen immediately, I assume. I was reading just a short while ago, United Airlines cutting like five percent of its schedule already over the next six months. So with how much anticipation do carriers usually lay out their schedules and set their pricing?

KELLY: Yeah. Carriers are in the active mode right now of planning for the summer, and they're cutting back. I've read -- you know, I've talked to people that have said July would be the earliest if everything were to go back to normal right now. Because remember, there's a huge backlog of tankers waiting to get out of the area and, of course, empty tankers getting back to refineries.

So this doesn't happen overnight. So even if a deal were to be struck today, there's still going to be disruptions this summer. And I think most people assessing this situation will say this summer is going to be rocky no matter what. So that's why consumers need to track their flights, because airlines will be consolidating routes.

And so it's always important to make sure your contact information -- and I use apps like Flighty. So anytime there's a change to my flight or a change in the time, you immediately get a notification.

SANDOVAL: Brian, what's your key piece of advice, especially for people who are either booked or about to book travel, perhaps to Europe this summer, especially on non-U.S. carriers? What should they be doing?

KELLY: If you're about to book travel, I would say, number one, add in at least three hours if you've got any connections. Where possible, I would fly nonstop to Europe. And you know, if you have an option to do a connection in the U.S. and then fly nonstop to Europe, I would do that versus flying to Europe and having a connection there.

And really just stay diligent and stay on top of your flights and just build in as much time as possible, because not only is the jet fuel crisis happening, the E.U. also has their EES system, which is causing two- to four-hour backlogs of getting in. That system has been rolled out just this month and it's experiencing huge delays. So people are missing their connections. So build in extra time. This is going to be a pretty rough summer for travel to Europe.

SANDOVAL: Brian, I have a few seconds left with you. I mean, just for context, you know, over the last decade and a half or so of helping travelers try to do it successfully and as issue-free, I mean, how do the last, like, seven months stand out, you would say, especially for travelers?

[02:40:00]

How is that just so significantly different than other situations we've seen in the past, pandemic included?

KELLY: The past year has simply put, been chaotic from the air traffic control shortage to multiple government shutdowns to now Europe and Asia experiencing problems. I've never seen so many problems, it's like hot potato, it just keeps getting passed around. So it's unfortunate and I'm an optimist, so hopefully we get through this --

SANDOVAL: Yeah.

KELLY: -- but it's been tough for travelers.

SANDOVAL: We all are. Brian Kelly, thank you so much, as always, for sharing all your advice. Appreciate your time.

KELLY: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: A high-level U.S. delegation is visiting Havana as the Trump administration continues ramping up pressure on Cuba. The State Department would not identify which officials took part in the delegation, but it's said that they sat down with Cuban leadership in one of the highest-level meetings between the two countries in roughly a decade.

Sources are telling CNN that talks included demands from the U.S. representatives that Cuba's government enacts economic reforms and also releases its political prisoners. The visit comes as Cuba faces deepening economic issues as well as infrastructure and energy crisis under strict U.S. sanctions and an ongoing blockade.

Spain is launching a new program that the government says could legalize about half a million undocumented migrants. Long lines formed outside Spanish consulates as in-person applications started on Monday.

The program allows immigrants without legal status to get a permit to stay in the country for one year, and that permit is renewable. To apply, they must have spent five months living in Spain with a clean -- with no criminal record.

Pope Leo enters the final state of his marathon tour across Africa. Up next, his very pointed message to world authoritarians.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:46:40]

SANDOVAL: Pope Leo XIV is saying farewell to Angola, a country that has welcomed him with open arms. The pontiff has spent several days greeting worshipers and speaking with local leaders.

On Monday, he celebrated mass with some enthusiastic crowds. He urged Angolans across the country to strive for peace and to bridge divides created by nearly three decades of civil war there. And in the coming hours, the pontiff is set to travel to Equatorial Guinea.

It's the final leg of his marathon tour of Africa. CNN's Vatican Correspondent, Christopher Lamb traveling with the pope.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Leo in Angola criticizing authoritarian leaders who exploit their people, another forceful speech from Leo during his trip in Africa. He has been more strong in his criticisms of leaders who he said, in Cameroon, are ravaging and exploiting their people.

Now, Leo has been clear that despite his strong speeches in Africa, they have not been aimed at President Donald Trump who has, of course, criticized the pope during the first part of his visit to Africa. Leo telling reporters on board that he's not trying to debate President Trump and that his message is broader than just one individual.

Now, Leo is finishing his trip to Angola and will be heading on Tuesday to Equatorial Guinea, the final stop on his four-country tour of Africa. This has been the longest trip of Leo's pontificate. He's kept up a hectic pace, but he seems as a relatively young pope, aged just 70, that he's able to keep up that pace.

He's been received well in Africa so far. This is a continent where, of course, around 20 percent of the world's Catholics live. And the pope, of course, having been a missionary in the global south, in Peru, seems very much at home in this continent. So, Leo will begin the final part of his Africa tour on Tuesday.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Luanda.

SANDOVAL: The city of Shreveport, Louisiana, came together on Monday for a vigil honoring the lives of eight children killed in the nation's worst mass shooting in more than two years. Community members offering prayers and sang worship songs in an attempt to offer strength to the families of those involved in this just absolutely heartbreaking shooting. The attack has also left two women critically injured.

CNN's Isabel Rosales is in Shreveport, Louisiana, with more.

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TABATHA TAYLOR, SHREVEPORT CITY COUNCILWOMAN, DISTRICT A: This is real, and this is the result when someone snaps. So, I'm going to ask the community, along with prayer, with every mental health consultant, counselor that is out here, this family and this community needs you. I need you, because how do we get through this?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep grief in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the details unfold in a horrific domestic attack in this community. It happened in the early morning hours of Sunday.

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Just after 6 a.m., police received a call that someone had entered a home where nine people lived and shot everyone inside. Minutes later, police received another call reporting a shooting at a nearby house. Authorities say they quickly realized the two incidents were connected.

Police say the shooter then carjacked a vehicle. They chased him into the next parish, where officers fatally shot him. CNN obtained video showing police closing in on the gunman after he fled the scene. In total, police say 31-year-old Shamar Elkins killed eight young children ages three to 11. Seven of the kids were his own, the eighth a cousin.

He also shot his wife and another adult woman, both have serious injuries. The shooter's brother-in-law, Troy Brown says he doesn't know how to make sense of it all.

TROY BROWN, SHAMAR ELKINS' BROTHER-IN-LAW, SON KILLED IN SHOOTING: I don't know how to feel. I don't know how to act.

ROSALES (voice-over): He said the shooter, who served in the Louisiana Army National Guard until 2020, was struggling with his mental health and had sought help at the VA Hospital for something personal. He didn't elaborate.

BROWN: He seeked help. He got help. He came home. Everything was good. A couple of weeks ago -- a couple of weeks to a month, everything like to him was falling apart.

ROSALES (voice-over): An uncle, Lionel Pugh, says it's very hard to cope right now.

LIONEL PUGH, UNCLE OF VICTIMS: It was devastating because, I mean, I got here and all I could see is just yellow tape, you know a crime scene.

ROSALES (voice-over): Both Pugh and Brown told CNN that the shooter's wife wanted a divorce and Brown said that they were due to appear in court today to sign the papers. A neighbor who lives across the street tells CNN he witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.

FREDDIE MONTGOMERY, SHAMAR ELKINS' NEIGHBOR: I opened my curtain and looked out the curtain, and it was -- it was the Shreveport Police Department. They will make an entry into the side door, going into the house.

ROSALES (voice-over): He said he saw the shooter just yesterday.

MONTGOMERY: I waved just being neighborly and he actually waved back and the children were playing in the yard. And so, I just went home and 12 hours later, this.

ROSALES (voice-over): Brown says the family is struggling but resilient.

BROWN: I'm not OK. I'm not going to be OK for a while. These were eight babies, precious babies, so no, I'm not OK. And yes, I am going to seek help for myself as well as my child, my wife and my sister-in- law. We're all going to go to counseling. Yes, it's going to take a while, but we're going to make it.

ROSALES: There's been an incredible show of support from the community, parents, everybody, of all ages coming out here, leaving teddy bears, candles, balloons, notes of encouragement to this family that has gone through so much. Troy Brown, by the way, told me that his son died up there on that roof, trying to get away from the gunfire. His daughter survived by jumping off the roof. She was mostly uninjured, he told me. But her aunt was shot nine times. She's out of surgery, the family tells me. She is awake. She is aware and she is talking. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Isabel Rosales for that for that story. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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SANDOVAL: In the coming hours, Britain's royal family will be observing what would have been the 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. She died nearly four years ago, but remains the longest serving monarch in British history. Celebrations included the opening of a new garden memorial, a digital memorial with archival material from her reign as well as a new charity founded in her honor.

King Charles III reflected on his mother's optimism and how it guided her actions.

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KING CHARLES III, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: Today, as we mark what would have been my beloved mother's 100th birthday, my family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a sovereign who meant so much to us all and to celebrate anew the many blessings of her memory.

Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Buckingham Palace is also hosting an exhibition and commemorative stamps as well as coins have been released honoring the late queen.

Artemis II Mission Commander, Reid Wiseman is showing us what is one of the most surreal views that any human has ever seen. I think I've seen this clip a dozen times. Take a look.

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REID WISEMAN, ARTEMIS II MISSION COMMANDER: Would you look at that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): You are looking at the earth setting behind the moon instead of the other way around, like we're all used to.

WISEMAN: Wow. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): This is called an earthset. The video was taken by NASA Astronaut, Reid Wiseman, while he, along with three other crew members, were aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission.

In a social media post, Wiseman described the experience as only one chance in this lifetime, like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos. The historic flyby lasted seven hours, during which the astronauts enjoyed views of the moon never before seen by human eyes.

CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: It's gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: It really is absolutely incredible.

I really appreciate you watching the last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. "CNN Newsroom" continues with my colleague, Rosemary Church, in a moment. Don't go anywhere.

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