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Trump Wraps Meeting on Iran Deal with No Decision; Trump Physical Exam Results; Bondi under Fire during Capitol Hill Interview; Four Remaining Men Pulled Safely from Cave; ICE Agent Arrested over Shooting during Minneapolis ICE Operation; River Ahmad Is First Afghan Woman to Reach Everest Summit. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 30, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you. Watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Donald Trump meeting with top advisers to make what he calls a final determination on whether Washington and Tehran have a deal as Iran spells out where things stand from their end.

Divers head back into a flooded cave in Laos to save the four men trapped underground for more than a week as concerns grow about their health.

And the White House releases results from president Trump's latest physical. Look at what they say about the bruises on his hands.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber

BRUNHUBER: There's still no word on whether president Trump has reached a decision on a peace deal with Iran after wrapping up a two- hour meeting in the Situation Room. That's despite saying he planned to make a final determination before walking into the meeting.

U.S. officials told CNN Washington and Tehran reached a tentative agreement this week to open the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear talks. But Iran's foreign ministry says the two sides haven't yet finalized the so-called memorandum of understanding. CNN's Nada Bashir joins us live from London to walk us through the latest.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've been hearing a series of positive indications, both from the United States officials and those familiar with those ongoing negotiations and mediation efforts. But clearly, at this stage, no final agreement has been confirmed as to this memorandum of understanding.

As you mentioned, Kim, there was a two-hour meeting between the U.S. president and his advisors in the White House Situation Room. Again, no firm conclusion from that meeting.

We have heard from the U.S. Defense Secretary, who has indicated that the president is trying to be patient on trying to hammer out those finer details and ensure, in his words, that this is a good deal. Take a listen.

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PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The status as of right now is that any deal will be a good deal and I had a chance to talk to President Trump this morning.

He wanted me to reiterate how patient he is in ensuring that with America undertaking this kind of historic endeavor, any deal will be a good one, a great one and he is patient in the pursuit of that.

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BASHIR: Now we did also hear from the Defense Secretary warning that American forces, in his words, "are fully prepared" to resume hostilities in Iran if ordered by the United States and that the U.S., according to the Defense Secretary, has enough weapons stockpile to, again, in his words and I'm quoting it, "get the job done."

So there is that looming threat hanging over this memorandum of understanding that is still being hammered out.

And, of course, from the Iranian side, what we've been hearing from the foreign ministry spokesperson is a similar messaging that the deal has still not been finalized, that there are still some terms to look through and work through.

And, of course, we've been hearing from the Iranian regime over the last few days being quite clear in its messaging that it has still some clear demands as to what would take place.

Not only over this period, that would see the memorandum of understanding being played out over what is expected to be a 60-day period before a final and firm peace agreement is signed but also in the long run as well what that will mean for Iran and, of course, for the United States.

The key focus here is getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened on a permanent prewar level. And, of course, for Iran, there are also other clear demands. They, of course, want to see an end to hostilities and that will be a central aspect of that memorandum of understanding.

But they want to see the blockades lifted on their ports. They want to see frozen assets being released. So clearly there are still many significant issues that will need to be ironed out. And the question is whether we will hear any good news on that memorandum of understanding this weekend, as some officials have touted.

But, of course, there's also the question around the nuclear deal as well. And where that might stand., of course, while there has been some suggestion, an indication that that would be part of the memorandum of understanding.

Iranian officials have been clear that any firm agreement on that nuclear issue would be agreed following this initial agreement.

[04:05:04]

This wouldn't be part of the memorandum of understanding. But, of course, all those details, we hope, will become much more clearer upon the actual signing of this memorandum.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, the world will be watching and waiting to see if there's any movement on this deal. Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much.

So while waiting for a deal to be reached, Iran is quickly digging out its vast missile stockpiles that were buried by U.S. and Israeli strikes. That's according to a new CNN analysis of new satellite images, which casts doubt on president Trump's claims of nearly wiping out Iran's military capabilities. CNN's Tamara Qiblawi reports.

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TAMARA QIBLAWI, CNN SENIOR DIGITAL MIDDLE EAST PRODUCER (voice-over): These are recent satellite images of Iran's missile bases taken after the start of the ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel. Dump trucks and excavators digging through piles of rubble along the mountainside but it's what lies beneath the surface that makes this significant.

A vast stockpile of missiles trapped by U.S. bombs and likely intact according to weapons experts, with satellite images showing Iran quickly regaining access to them, casting doubt on U.S. president Donald Trump's claims of having all but vanquished Iran's formidable rocket arsenal.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces. Very few of them left.

QIBLAWI (voice-over): CNN previously identified a pattern of U.S.- Israeli strikes to put Iran's missile complexes out of commission, not by destroying them but by blocking the tunnel entrances leading in and out of them, leaving the rockets trapped inside and severely hampering Iran's ability to wreak havoc on U.S. allies in the region.

But that was only a temporary solution. Iran is already undoing the effects of that strategy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged that Iran has been repairing the damage.

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them. You have no defense industry.

QIBLAWI (voice-over): But the recovery is widespread and it is happening quickly. CNN looked at 69 tunnels across 18 underground missile bases. At least 50 of those access points appeared to have been cleared and many others are being repaired.

Take this base in Western Iran. Just weeks ago, U.S.-Israeli fighter jets destroyed all four entrances to the underground complex but now two of them appear wide open.

The roads needed to wheel out its trapped rocket launchers repaved. And Iran is already in the process of clearing the remaining two. It's also repaired some of the more than a dozen craters left behind by U.S.- Israeli munitions.

The craters indicate that a large amount of firepower was used to destroy just two tunnel entrances. And all Iran needs to reopen them?

Dump trucks and bulldozers. As Iran rallies around the missiles that survived the war, weapons experts say it will continue to come up with new ways to protect its arsenal from any renewed U.S.-Israeli bombing -- Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, London.

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BRUNHUBER: In response for our requests for comment, the Pentagon referred CNN to a previous statement.

Quote, "America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands, while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests."

The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, says on average, 11 children have been killed or injured per day during Israeli operations in Lebanon in the last week. A Lebanese news agency reported four more deaths, including children, in new strikes on Friday.

Now many adults have another problem bidding goodbye to their homes after Israeli evacuation orders. One resident says she doesn't have the heart to leave the city of Tyre, which Israel struck earlier this week. Relief workers say Israeli operations in Lebanon have displaced about 1.3 million people

Well, we're getting the results of president Trump's latest physical exam. A three-day delay prompted concern over a possible lack of transparency by the administration. The memo from the president's physician says Trump remains in excellent health, with normal cognitive screening results and no major cardiac abnormalities.

But it recommends weight loss and more exercise. The report also addresses the much discussed bruising on Trump's hands, attributing it to frequent hand shaking and aspirin use. Here's CNN medical analyst Dr. Dr. Jonathan Reiner's take

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The other thing that they mentioned once again is this nonsense about his -- the bruising on his hand related to vigorous handshaking. OK. Maybe that's why his right hand is bruising.

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Why is his left hand bruising as well?

So they have to really stop it, trying to write off the bruising to that. What they haven't been able to explain is why he is taking so much aspirin. So again, there are bits and pieces of facts here. The labs that they present appear to be all within range, which is good.

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BRUNHUBER: Now the results of that exam may have been about the only good news Trump got on Friday. His planned anti weaponization fund suffered a setback in federal court. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has the details.

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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: A federal judge is blocking for now the $1.8 billion that the Trump administration wants to give to what they say are people who have faced lawfare or weaponization from the federal government, especially when there are Democratic officials in charge.

Now this is the so-called anti weaponization fund, something that the Justice Department announced last week, saying it was a settlement so that people who could benefit if they had been somehow hurt by the federal government.

There has been a ton of blowback since then and very many lawsuits filed against this so-called anti weaponization fund.

One of those lawsuits, a federal judge has acted very quickly and put a stop on even the ability of that fund to establish themselves and move forward.

Judge Leonie Brinkema in the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday, she decided that no funds at this time should be irreversibly dispersed from the anti weaponization fund.

And she has told the federal government, the executive branch, the Trump administration, that they can't take any steps toward creating the fund, operating the fund, getting claims from people who may want to apply for money from the fund.

That includes potentially January 6th rioters who say they want to apply for these claims and they can't disperse any of the claims that may be coming in. So that is what is stopped.

This is going to be only the beginning of several of these lawsuits. This one is from a group of people challenging this anti weaponization fund. The group says that they've been discriminated against because they are people that the Trump administration doesn't like, that they may get shut out from the fund.

And it's unfair that allies of Donald Trump could get payments from the fund. The people in this lawsuit that have brought this lawsuit and at least one, this temporary stop from the judge, they include a former January 6th prosecutor.

A nonprofit organization, a college professor who was arrested protesting immigration enforcement in recent months, and then also the City of New Haven, a so-called sanctuary city in the United States that they say have been unfairly targeted by the Trump administration.

What they're going to be arguing to Judge Brinkema in the coming days is they're going to say that this is an unconstitutional fund, that Congress should have to have some control over the money that the federal government pays out, that Donald Trump can't just do something like this.

And it is implicitly endorsing dangerous conduct, such as the involvement of January 6th in the riot at the Capitol. And now those people who have been pardoned for crimes, many of them who were convicted, may be getting money.

But we will see exactly where the judge stands on this in two weeks. She's having a hearing on the 12th and there are other cases moving forward as well, just not as quickly as this one. Back to you.

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BRUNHUBER: And that wasn't the only legal setback for the White House. Another federal judge has ruled that president Trump's name must be removed from the Kennedy Center within two weeks and all mentions of the Trump Kennedy Center must be removed from the Center's website.

The judge also blocked Trump's plans to close the venue for years-long renovations. Shortly after the ruling, the president appeared to back down from his plans. He says he's transferring control of the Kennedy Center from the executive branch to Congress.

Former attorney general Pam Bondi appeared before lawmakers Friday in a long sought-after interview but she didn't say much about how the Justice Department handled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, repeatedly noting that her successor, Todd Blanche, was largely in charge. CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid has more.

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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Former Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared here on Capitol Hill where she answered questions for just under four hours in a much anticipated interview with lawmakers. This was their opportunity to grill her on the Trump justice department's handling of all things Epstein.

Now Democratic lawmakers say that she tried to pin the blame for a lot of the mistakes, especially in the review and redacting process on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Let's take a listen.

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MELANIE STANSBURY, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: This is absolutely a cover up and a smokescreen to prevent Pam Bondi from having to testify under oath pursuant to a congressional subpoena.

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MAXWELL FROST, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: Every single one of our questions got one of three responses. One, not to my recollection or I don't know. Two, talk with Todd Blanche. I don't know anything about it. And three, I am not talking about Donald Trump.

ROBERT GARCIA, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: What she's saying here in her words and remarks is that it was Todd Blanche, the current acting AG, that was leading the Epstein investigation.

And, quite frankly, all of the mistakes that we saw, the redactions, not protecting survivors, she continues to push that back onto the acting AG, Todd Blanche, by the way, was Donald Trump's former personal lawyer.

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REID: But on social media after the hearing, she said that that was not true and she defended Blanche's handling of this and his "Herculean efforts."

Now the committee says she is the 13th witness that they have talked to in this investigation, though because this happened behind closed doors, it was not televised or even recorded, we won't know what they learned and what she said until they release a transcript as early as next week -- Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Still ahead, cave divers are gearing up as they try to rescue four men still trapped deep inside a flooded cave in the remote jungles of Laos. CNN report from the scene next. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The director-general of the World Health Organization is calling for greater international support in the fight against Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Use this opportunity actually to ask the international community to increase their support so the health workers get the supplies, the protective measures they need and they are -- they are protected.

Because, you know, without health workers, it will be very difficult then to help patients.

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BRUNHUBER: The rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the DRC is believed to have killed at least 238 and caused more than 1,000 suspected infections. The Red Cross says it's working to help community members with safe and dignified burials.

Meanwhile, carpenters have been working to rebuild an Ebola treatment center in the DRC that was burned last week by protesters angry over the burial of an Ebola victim.

Two people are still missing and presumed dead after a chemical tank rupture at a paper mill in Washington state. Emergency crews recovered another body Friday from the rubble of the facility in Longview.

Officials say a tank containing a chemical mixture used in the paper process ruptured on Tuesday. Nine people have been confirmed dead. Authorities say some of the chemicals entered the Columbia River. Officials are evaluating the environmental impact.

A bus crash on Friday on an interstate highway near Quantico, Virginia, has left five people dead and dozens injured. State police say the bus, with 34 people on board, failed to slow down for a traffic entering a work zone.

It slammed into six cars, injuring 44 people, three of them critically. Four of the five people killed, including two children, were in the same car. Police say charges are pending against the 48- year-old bus driver.

Much of Western Europe remains in the grip of a prolonged heat wave, with temperatures still climbing in some areas. In France, the French Open is dealing with some of the hottest conditions in years.

Athletes and tennis fans are struggling with heat over 32 degrees Celsius or 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Germany. People are heading to lakes and rivers to cool off.

And in Spain, tourists and residents are flocking to beaches as officials issue heat warnings. While some relief is expected in the coming days, temperatures in parts of the region could still climb before cooler conditions arrive. Extreme heat has been linked to several reported deaths across the region.

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BRUNHUBER: We have breaking news for you. The four remaining villagers have been pulled out of the cave safely in Laos. We go live now to CNN's Will Ripley, who is on the scene. Will, what can you tell us?

I mean, a jubilant moment that so many people have been waiting for. Take us through what you're seeing right now.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I can (INAUDIBLE) and I apologize (INAUDIBLE)

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BRUNHUBER: His side is quite poor. We'll try to reconnect with Will Ripley in a few more moments. We're going to take a break here. For our viewers in North America, there'll be more news at the moment. For our international viewers, "CNN CREATORS" is next.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

The four remaining villagers in Laos have been pulled out of the cave safely. We want to go live now to CNN's Will Ripley. And we just want to acknowledge the fact that he is in a remote area. So his cell connection isn't the strongest.

But Will, what can you tell us about how they got the men out?

RIPLEY: Hi, Kim. So they have been on the scene, trying to pump out water for much of the morning. There's been rain in the forecast and they've said all along from the very beginning that, if it does start to rain today as predicted, they would have to stop this entire operation.

And they've also known that these four remaining villagers, if they don't get them out today, there's a very good chance that their health could have continued to deteriorate. The conditions in the cave were worsening, particularly the air quality.

So they were up all night pumping water out of the cave and they actually set up pumps in two different places. So they're pumping water from different directions to try to clear as much of the passage as possible.

At the same time, they've been training these villagers inside the cave for the last day, getting them fitted in wet suits and getting them fitted with very technical diving equipment. And what these remaining villagers, four of them, essentially had to

do in order for this, what rescuers really have described as a miracle to happen, they had to -- they had to technically complete one of the most dangerous and sophisticated dive operations that even experienced divers acknowledge as very dangerous.

And that people could panic in a situation when you're in pitch-black, shockingly cold water and you're going through a very narrow walkway with very jagged edges. I mean, there's just a lot of potential problems. Somebody could panic under the water. People can drown that way very, very easily.

But -- and we're still waiting to get all the details from the divers who were inside the cave, who we have been speaking with. We interviewed them last night and we are in touch with them. So we will definitely be getting more information in the coming hours.

But what it seems like they were able to do was to get down there. And while we've had this period of several hours of dry weather, they got everybody suited up. They got everybody through that 100-foot or 30- meter very dangerous, dark, flooded tunnel.

And then they got them into the next chamber of the cave, where then they had to physically climb out, even if they're unwell. And obviously they're now all going to be getting checked out. They're going to be going in ambulances to hospital to be checked out.

But they were able to physically climb their way out. And so we saw something that, frankly, we were not sure was even possible, one after the other, after the other, after the other. They all came out in a very short period of time.

And you saw this video -- I don't know if we have it in the system yet, if you guys haven't seen it yet but you will soon -- of just the huge cheers at the entrance to the cave.

You had hundreds of people up there who have been working around the clock tirelessly without sleep with, you know, just in some of the most difficult and treacherous conditions to try to bring these five villagers who were found alive home.

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They brought the first one out last night and that was the model for how they were going to do this. The way that they pulled it off, they would have two expert divers and then a villager in the middle. And then you have one expert in the front. Villager in the middle, another expert diver in the back.

And then the three of them would go in tandem through that dark tunnel. And they did that one after the other, one after the other. It takes up to 50 minutes, almost an hour for each crossing to take place.

And then they have to go back and then do it all over again. But clearly they were able to pull it off. I actually have goose bumps just talking to you about this, Kim, because I was speaking with some of the divers this morning who were saying they were very concerned.

They were very concerned that this might not be possible, that some of these guys might not make it out alive. It was really uncertain. And you could see in their eyes they were worried about this. They were trying to prepare themselves for any possibility.

When I asked them, are these guys going to all make it out alive?

They said, we really don't know. We really don't know. We hope so. But there's a lot of factors that would need to go right for this to happen.

And just a few minutes ago, Mikko Paasi, one of the divers who we've been speaking with, he sent us a message. All five miners out, safe and sound, with a heart emoji. And that certainly sums up how people are feeling.

BRUNHUBER: It is absolutely just miraculous. And we haven't seen those triumphant pictures of the villagers celebrating as they were pulled out yet. But we are showing the pictures inside the tunnel. And we're getting a sense from those pictures and from your description of just how tight it was, how much water was down there.

And as well, another challenge that you spoke to me about yesterday, the fact that there was so little air and also dangerous chemicals down there that they had to deal with as well.

RIPLEY: Hey, Kim, you're not going to believe this. I have just gotten a new piece of information. This is even more extraordinary. I -- we literally just found out they got out alone without assistance from the divers who were down there.

The divers went into the cave and found that they had already passed on their own and were on their way out. These villagers were so determined.

So what it seems like is because -- and this is a brand new piece of information we've just learned -- it seems like because they were pumping all morning, the villagers saw that the water levels were lower. We're presuming; we don't know because we haven't talked to them yet.

But maybe they got the water levels in the cave finally low enough so that the villagers could go without having to perform a dive, in which case they just went for it. This -- we just learned this. That's absolutely incredible. Let me see. I'm going to read this message.

This is just coming in from the People's Volunteer Association. "The Laos rescue team has reported that rescuers were preparing to enter the cave and assist the four survivors.

"However, the four had already managed to walk and crawl their way out on their own and they happened to meet the rescue team coming in from the opposite direction."

They're also saying, as for the remaining two people who are still missing, the team is currently assessing the situation and planning the next steps for their search and rescue.

Kim, this is absolutely extraordinary, the bravery, the determination and the decision that these men, these four remaining men, who've been living in the dark for the last 11 days, made, to bravely make their way out of that cave without the assistance of the professional divers.

I am gobsmacked. I did not think that that was going to be possible and the divers certainly did not think that that was going to be possible.

BRUNHUBER: Wow. Yes. Just incredible, Will, I mean, that's the last thing I would have thought of when you described, I mean, how technical it was to be able to get in there and try and get these people out.

I mean, I thought it would be such a such a complex operation. The fact that they were able to do that now, I guess, is a -- is a testament to all of that pumping effort that you talked about and how I mean, presumably those men were able to get in there in the first place.

So presumably if the conditions were similar, they'd be able to get out. But still, you imagine that they were so determined to take advantage of that window with the weather, the bad weather possibly on its way.

You were saying how much that would have complicated the rescue efforts if there was more rain coming in. So presumably that's why they wanted to take advantage of that window.

RIPLEY: Absolutely. I mean, I'm sitting here, you know, we're -- we are in a very remote jungle road. We actually had to pull over to a place to get a signal to speak with you here. We're moving closer to the cave entrance now in our -- in our SUV here.

But I'm looking up at the clouds and the clouds are getting darker by the minute. It definitely looks like rain is on the way. That's certainly what the forecast has been calling for.

But it actually was supposed to start raining a lot earlier in the day and they would have had to call off the entire search and rescue operation had that happened, because rain would have made it far too dangerous for the technical divers to get into that cave.

Now they have been -- they -- it's been an extraordinary effort and real cooperation between the officials here in Laos, the rescue teams from Thailand.

[04:35:08]

The two countries obviously very close. So they came and they collaborated but they actually had to, in a matter of days, carve out an access road to get to the remote cave site so that some of this heavy equipment could go in. And one of the things they were doing, in addition to bringing in

heavy duty pumps, but they were also digging a hole so that they could pump the cave water into the hole. Because one of the consistent problems and challenges in recent days has been they've been doing all this pumping. But the water levels just weren't going down.

However, we know that, during the overnight hours, ever since the -- well, really throughout this whole process but particularly picking up overnight and this morning, they were doing a lot of pumping, trying to pump as much as possible before even entering the cave.

And I'm just, we just got a text message now from one of the divers, Josh Richards. He says, "I was literally" -- I'm reading this text to you, Kim.

"I was literally putting my wet suit over my head and putting my head in when they emerged on their own."

So nobody had any idea that this was going to happen. Nobody had a clue that the water levels had gone down because they had not even gone into the cave yet. They were waiting to give it more time before they started pumping.

BRUNHUBER: Well, you mentioned that video of the cheering villagers. I believe we have that in our system now. We're going to -- we're going to play it for our viewers. Have a have a look and listen to this.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Well you can hear laughter. You can hear the cheering as we could try and make out the visuals of some of those people coming out, Will. But just an incredible jubilant moment for those men and for their families. I mean, you've been to that scene. Talk to me about the emotions now that this has been done.

RIPLEY: Well, look, this is a very -- this is a very poor area. And a lot of the villagers around here have really not much more than the clothes on their back and, you know, the house that they live in and they work hard to provide for their families.

The reason why these villagers went into this cave is because they were panning for gold. And in fact, we learned last night that some of the guys who've been down in the cave ever since they were given headlamps from the rescue workers, they were actually still panning for gold because they had nothing else to do.

And some of them actually found some gold, which they put in their pockets and told themselves they were going to bring that -- those pieces of gold home. They were going to have something to show for this ordeal that they've been in for the last 11 days.

So this is the spirit of the people who went down there. Now there's going to be a big conversation here in Laos because they have a problem with illegal mining in this country. There's a huge, vast network of underground caves beneath these very thick jungles. And these are areas where gold deposits are known to happen.

But we have seen play out in real time the extreme danger when you're entering a cave that is obviously unsafe, because if it's going to fill up with, you know, flood waters in a matter of minutes, whenever there's a big storm, that's not a place that people have any business being.

So that is a conversation that they're having, that they're having here at the local level, at the government level. It's part of the reason why this is a somewhat of a sensitive story, because, you know, nobody wanted to see these guys in the cave in the first place but they were there.

It's something that local villagers have been doing for a long time, trying to find gold in these caves. They got word that there was gold in the cave. Everybody wanted to go have a look. And as a result, you now have a situation where there are, you know, still two families, including a man who just had just recently had a baby with his wife.

They have two young children. And he's one of the missing, chatting with his brother-in-law yesterday.

And they said, you know, he when he heard about the gold, he went into the cave when he was sick. He was not feeling well but he thought, oh, this is too good of a chance. I don't want to pass it up. So he went in there and he has still not been recovered.

Now that the water levels are lower, they're going to see if it's safer for them to go in and search more and see if they can find these remaining two. But I'll tell you, people have been kind of losing hope, even the family members that, at this point, after this much time has passed, that they would have a chance of finding these two alive.

However, people have survived for longer underground. Think about the Thailand soccer team. Back in 2018, they were underground for a total of 18 days. And given the miracle that we have just witnessed, I would say, Kim, that anything is possible.

So we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best until we hear any official word about what is happening with those other two missing villagers.

But just extraordinary scenes of happiness and relief for the families who've been going up to the cave entrance every single day, bringing food, praying, gathering together and just waiting and hoping that their loved ones were going to make it out.

[04:40:00]

And now five of them have.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Still such a happy moment for those families. But as you point out, still two families waiting for their loved ones. We have to go. But we wanted to bring you that breaking news. Great to have you, Will Ripley, there. Thank you so much. We'll be back with more in a moment here on CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with

us.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, well, we have breaking news for you. The four men who were in the caves of Laos have been rescued. At least they have emerged safely. And we're showing some jubilant pictures as people were celebrating the fact that the four men have emerged.

Now the divers were preparing to enter the caves to rescue the men. But in fact the men emerged themselves because so much water had been pumped out of those caves that they were able to crawl and walk to the mouth of the caves.

And you're seeing the jubilant people from across the world, an international team that had been gathering to help get the men out. And you see one of them emerging there, absolutely celebratory scenes there in Laos, as those men have been trapped for so long.

And, of course, the weather was turning bad. There were fears that the men wouldn't be able to be rescued. But now you're seeing hugs and celebrations as these men are finally out. Of course, there are two still men, two men who are still missing and rescuers are now planning to see how they can go and find those who are still missing.

But just happy scenes here today as we see those men emerging safely from the caves of Laos.

Prosecutors say a U.S. immigration agent has been arrested in Texas. Christian Castro is facing several assault charges tied to a shooting involving two Venezuelans in Minnesota.

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Now it happened during the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration earlier this year. CNN's Whitney Wild has the details.

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WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An ICE agent named Christian Castro has now been arrested on four counts of second degree assault and one count of making a false report of a crime.

This all stems from a January 14th incident that happened in Minnesota when, according to the Hennepin County attorney, a case of mistaken identity erupted into a shooting, where a man named Julio Sosa-Celis was injured.

What we know, according to the Hennepin County attorney, is that ICE agents were trying to track down one person. They mistakenly tracked down another person. That man jumped out of his car in a north Minneapolis neighborhood and ran toward a home.

Julio Sosa-Celis came out of that home and was standing outside when the ICE agent and the other person began running toward that house. Julio Sosa-Celis and the other man ran inside.

And that's when, according to the Hennepin County attorney, ICE agent Christian Castro opened fire, shooting into the home even though, according to the Hennepin County attorney, he was never in any danger and certainly was not in any danger at the moment that he opened fire.

The four charges account for the people inside of the home, which included children. According to the Hennepin County attorney, the bullet flew through the door. It injured Julio Sosa-Celis. And a bullet lodged in the wall of a child's bedroom.

What we know now is that Mr. Castro was arrested in Texas. It is not clear when he's coming to Minnesota, if he's already there. It is also not clear if he has an attorney. CNN is working to contact to find a possible attorney and contact that attorney when that information becomes available.

We've also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security. What's really notable about this case was that, in the immediate aftermath of that incident, DHS had issued this full-throated defense of Mr. Castro's actions, saying he acted in self-defense.

It was because Julio Sosa-Celis and someone else were beating him that, again, that the agent was acting in self-defense. And the Hennepin County attorney said the video shows that is just not true.

And actually, after DHS issued that defense, later, they distanced themselves from that agent, saying that, after reviewing the video, they had serious concerns that the information provided by the agent was simply not true, that that agent was put on administrative leave.

And again, Hennepin County attorney made very clear that the agents' description of the event simply did not match the video here and again reiterated previously when announcing the charges that that agent was never under any kind of danger at the time that that agent opened fire.

We're continuing to look into this case and we will certainly it as it unfolds. But that is the latest here. And again, it is an extraordinary moment because as the ICE, you know, the ICE really went into Minnesota, there were many questions about what state officials were going to do about actions they saw that they believed were illegal.

And now we know, according to the Hennepin County attorney, they were able to file charges and at this point have been successful in gaining an arrest -- Whitney Wild, CNN, Chicago.

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BRUNHUBER: New clashes have broken out at a controversial ICE detention center in the state of New Jersey. Officials say state police temporarily cleared protesters from the area Friday night after they threw fireworks and gas canisters.

Officers earlier, officials said, the state police would take over public safety operations around Delaney Hall. The move follows days of clashes between protesters and federal agents over allegations of inhumane conditions inside the facility. Federal officials deny those claims.

More here on CNN NEWSROOM coming. Please stay with us

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BRUNHUBER: Novak Djokovic's quest for a record 25th grand slam title is over at the French Open. The world number four cruised to take the first two sets until 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca staged a stunning comeback.

He closed out the next three sets to win the nearly five-hour thriller. The Serbian superstar said Fonseca played an unbelievable match, while the teen said it was a pleasure to play against Djokovic, calling him an idol.

In the NBA playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are tied at three games each heading into a decisive game seven Saturday night. Now this final showdown will decide who will represent the Western Conference in the NBA championship against the New York Knicks.

The defending champion Thunder are looking to repeat last year's winning performance but the Spurs have proven to be real contenders despite not reaching an NBA final championship since 2014.

One of the most prestigious club competitions in world soccer is set to take place this weekend. Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are set to face off in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday. Both clubs completed their final training sessions at Puskas Arena in Budapest ahead of the match.

Nearly 70,000 supporters are expected to fill the stands. The winners will lift the most coveted trophy in club football.

Well, from escaping the Taliban to climbing Mt. Everest, River Ahmad is now the first woman from Afghanistan to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain. It's been quite the journey for her to get there. She spoke to Isa Soares from Kathmandu just a few days after her remarkable achievement.

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ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): River Ahmad has just made history as the first Afghan woman to summit Mount Everest.

RIVER AHMAD, FIRST AFGHAN WOMAN TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST: I feel so powerful after the summit. That was amazing feeling. I never had that feeling that I

had up there. This is so beautiful.

SOARES (voice-over): Standing at the highest point on earth to highlight the plight of women and girls back home in Afghanistan.

AHMAD: If I can climb this mountain, the highest mountain in the world, as the first Afghan woman in this part of the history.

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With those kind of a struggle, one day we can climb this part of the history and we have to have hope.

SOARES (voice-over): Hope has been her driving force after a life that has been nothing short of a miracle. She survived a deadly Taliban attack as a

teenager, faking her own death with menstrual blood.

AHMAD: When I saw the Taliban, like they were walking to me and I would just cover my eyes. And I was like, how I should act that I am dead and

these people not noticed. But I hold my breath and these people checked that I pretend that I'm dead. And it was a scary time. It was so scary. I

carry that memory up to Everest too.

And then they checked that they thought, oh, this lady is dead, when they moved out of the bus and was like, am I alive?

SOARES (voice-over): Twelve people were killed in that attack in 2014, she said. River was one of three survivors. She found solace in mountaineering.

AHMAD: Climbing is not easy at all. And you have to put your 100 percent to get to the top.

And you have to dedicate your time and your determination to do this. I put it this because world forget about Afghanistan right now. It is almost five

years. The situation is getting worse and worse. The child marriage and education back home there. And I thought the only things that I can do is

to climb and bring awareness for women and girls back home and to encourage them.

And by climbing to see me and how I am challenging my body, my limits to get to the top and to encourage them to.

SOARES (voice-over): A message of strength and defiance as the Taliban continues to tighten its holds on the life of women and girls in

Afghanistan.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.