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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

India and Pakistan On Brink of War After Indian Strikes; Cardinals Vote For New Pope On Day 2 Of Conclave; Trump "Major Trade Deal" Will Be Announced Today. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 08, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Rahel Solomon. It is Thursday, May 8th, 5:00 a.m. here in New York -- just about 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, folks, I won't be able to talk to you until you see the white smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I couldn't tell if it was black or white, to be honest, because of the -- how dark it is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are expecting our cardinal from the Philippines. We haven't had a new pope yet.

[05:00:03]

But it's okay.

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Strikes, rhetoric and emotions pushing these two bitter neighbors to the brink of a wider conflit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This really is all-hands-on-deck. But, hopefully put a cap on this before it leads into a higher level of war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

SOLOMON: And we begin there this hour with reports of more shelling between India and Pakistan across their de facto border and the disputed Kashmir region. This, as fears grow that the two sides are on the brink of a wider conflict. Pakistan's military says it is on high alert after it shot down 25

Indian drones across the country overnight in what it calls a serious provocation. The drone activity killed at least one person and injured five. CNN has reached out to Indian authorities for comment.

This comes as Pakistan has vowed to retaliate after India launched military strikes against its neighbor over tensions in the Kashmir region. Pakistan's military says that the death toll has risen to 31, with 57 people wounded, whose casualties coming from the initial strikes, as well as Indian gunfire at the line of control. The Pakistani defense minister says that Indias attacks on the country and on Pakistan administered Kashmir were a, quote, clear cut violation. But he also says that Islamabad is trying to avoid a full fledged war.

Pakistan's prime minister says that he has authorized the military to carry out, quote, corresponding actions, and it has pledged to only hit military targets in India, not civilian targets.

Meanwhile, a senior Indian defense source tells CNN that shelling by Pakistan has killed at least 12 civilians and wounded 57. Residents in Indian administered Kashmir describe a night of confusion, a night of tension after more shelling by Pakistani forces across the border with those living in some areas ordered to evacuate their homes.

Now, both countries have had near-daily exchanges of fire since the April 22nd massacre of tourists in Indian administered Kashmir. And that's what sparked this latest conflict.

Pakistan has reopened its airspace after Indias attacks prompted closures and disrupted airline flights in the region. More than 20 airports across northern India, however, will remain closed until Saturday.

Take you to the region and get right to journalist Vedika Sud who is live in the capital of India, New Delhi.

Vedika, what more can you share with us? What's the latest on the ground there?

VEDIKA SUD, JOURNALIST: I want to start with two political voices, one from India and then from Pakistan. The first is of India's foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, who is currently holding bilateral talks with his counterpart from Iran. And here's what he said to his counterpart, which was also captured on camera. Listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

S. JAISHANKAR, INDIAN MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS: It is not our intention to escalate the situation. However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that it will be met with a very, very firm response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUD: This statement coming in about an hour ago.

Now, in Pakistan last evening, the Pakistani prime minister, Sharif, addressed the nation. And here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEHBAZ SHARIF, PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Last night, India made an aggression and made a terrible mistake. And now, they have to pay the price.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUD: So while no -- so while no more missiles are operating or being launched from India into Pakistan, what really is happening is that the rhetoric has been really high on both sides of the India-Pakistan border. But I want to shift your attention now to the human cost of this conflict that has ensued in the last 36 hours. I'm talking of the people living on both sides of the border. Let me now bring you visuals from the Indian side of the line of control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan. There are hundreds of people living by the border, and they are fearing for their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

You're getting visuals coming in from hospitals of the injured. According to the Indian government. 13 people have died in the cross- border shelling and over 50 have been injured. I want to even read an excerpt from a man that CNN spoke to, a young man who said, and he's a villager who lives near the line of control.

And he said, and I quote him here. We went to a safe place last night fearing shelling and firing. We sent all the children and women there while the others were in the house, in the back rooms, trying to escape shelling.

[05:05:01]

This is the reality on the ground, Rahel, that cross-border shelling will continue for a while. It has been ever since the gruesome attack on those tourists, those 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. And that is the reality of the day. Given the rhetoric that you've just heard on both sides of the border.

We don't know what's coming next. It's a matter of time and place, and Pakistan has made it amply clear that it will be a time and place of their choosing. And India has made it absolutely clear that were ready to hit back.

Back to you.

SOLOMON: Certainly, all eyes are watching to see how both sides calibrate their responses moving forward.

That's Vedika Sud in New Delhi for us -- Vedika, thank you.

All right. We are looking at live pictures now of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, where it is 11:05 a.m. where day two of the conclave to choose a new pope is underway.

Now, inside the Sistine Chapel, there are 133 cardinals who will cast secret ballots to elect the next pope.

Let's get back to CNN's Erin Burnett, who is in Rome, and she picks up our coverage now of the conclave.

Erin, good morning.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT": All right. Well, good morning to you, Rahel.

And yes, right here, people are -- are anxiously awaiting. They are eager, they are ready. And they have been flooding in over this past hour. We could have smoke.

We could see it at any moment here. We are well within the window of when we could get a vote. And if there is a pope, were going to see white smoke.

So, we've got that chimney because as we understand it, the cardinals are there in the Sistine Chapel right now.

All right. So, Christopher and Kim, as we sit here, let's go inside that room because Christopher, they are voting and they could be voting right now. Now, they're going to do two rounds this morning. One of the first round we only see smoke if there is a pope. The second round, we'll see smoke one way or the other. And then if there's no pope, they go to lunch and they come back.

But I think everyone needs to understand because you are explaining this, they're not deliberating. They're not hearing speeches. None of that's happening in the Sistine Chapel. It is a silent vote, and that's it.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. They are processing up to place their ballot, each of them in the urn. And they're saying when they put their ballot in the urn, they're saying, you know, this is the person I believe God is calling or I believe he's worthy to be pope.

And that is basically a procession that is -- that goes on and it takes some time. And, you know, the cardinals, you know, wait for their turn and it's -- it's basically, they're waiting. Some of them are praying. But it does take time.

And I mean, I heard an anecdote of previous conclave, one cardinal who was, you know, reading a book of detective fiction during the voting because he was, you know, trying to sort of pass away the time because it does it does take quite a bit of -- kind of bit of waiting.

BURNETT: Yeah. Well, 133 people voting and in essentially silence and no debating. You're basically just waiting your turn to vote, and then all the counting has to go on. And then when there's no pope, you start again, right? Because of the two rounds. So essentially, it is a lot of waiting.

KIM DANIELS, DIRECTOR, INITIATIVE ON CATHOLIC SOCIAL THOUGHT AND PUBLIC LIFE, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: It's a lot of waiting. And again, it's such a solemn moment to walk up and put that vote into this chalice in front of the front of the last judgment, saying this incredible words as Christ is my witness, this is the person I believe to be the right person to lead the church. And I think they're probably doing a lot of praying as well when they're going back to their chairs.

BURNETT: It is incredible.

Father Back joining us again -- you know, as we were with the mass yesterday, and now they are in their voting literally this feeling that at any moment it could come because we simply don't know where they are in the process. And if we see smoke in this first round of ballots, which could be finishing up around now if, if, if the general timelines that we have hold up could mean that we -- if there is a pope, see that white smoke any moment.

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Yeah. And that would be kind of miraculous moment, I think, because that would mean it happened rather quickly. And they rallied around one person after only one vote, and that person would have to be a pretty strong contender and a pretty consensus candidate if that were to happen.

But, you know, as you were saying, the way they were voting and the deliberation of it, it's even a little bit more solemn than that, which is why I think it does take so long. When they get up, they have to hold up the ballot so that everybody can see it. So, it's just one ballot. They process up, they kneel, and they swear that they are voting for the one they believe is the one who should be elected. Then they place it on top of a patent, a plate, and then they turn the patent into the urn so that everybody can see just one vote is going in.

So, it's very deliberate and it's very -- so I only have one vote. I'm only putting one in.

[05:10:02]

And, you know, in one of the elections with Pope Francis, a cardinal accidentally had two ballots. One of them was blank and he put two in and no one really saw it. And they had to redo the vote.

So sometimes, that also takes so long. If they count all those ballots and there are too many, then they have to do it all over again.

So, again, it would be great to see white smoke and that would mean there would be really a candidate that people rallied around and supported, and that would be a strong candidate. If it goes on longer, it means there's just more deliberation, more diversity. People want to think about this more, and it's going to maybe be more someone they settle on that probably doesn't have everything that every cardinal wishes, but that that's the person they believe that God is choosing at this time.

BURNETT: Yes. And Father Del Brocco, they, of course, have -- I mean, they've had a long time to think about this in the sense that Pope Francis has had been ill and -- and his final months, of course, were -- were a protracted illness and suffering.

And yet even so, many of them weren't here at that time for all of this, right? And we've talked about how they're wearing name tags so they even can identify each other.

But it is truly incredible to imagine being in the Sistine chapel under that grandeur. Michelangelo. And sitting in silence and contemplation, meditation, I would imagine for some, for such a long period of time, right? Your own vote is -- is a -- is a 30-second to a minute long process, but over 133 cardinals, that's an hour and a half per vote.

FATHER ENZO DEL BROCCO, ROMAN CATHOLIC PASSIONIST PRIEST: Yes. And as you mentioned, I mean, to be in the Sistine Chapel during that silence. I think it is kind of awesome and amazing. I mean, who else has all that time to just stare at that beautiful frescoes of Michelangelo and just contemplate all the details and everything?

But at the same time, I think it is it is a moment of meditation, of prayer, but also a really, you know, asking, asking themselves, what does God really want from us? You know, what does -- what is the world expecting?

And to carry all that weight on your shoulders and see the judgment, the last judgment with Christ, with his hand, you know, up in the air with, you know, expressing the judgment, it's -- it's kind of like a great mystery that you're living because this goes beyond what you just represent as a person. This is something really what they're living is something mystical. And if they take it that way, I'm sure that they will deliberate the right -- with the right decisions and the right choice.

And as Father Beck was mentioning, you know, at the end, it doesn't really matter who is really my candidate or not, but its really to this togetherness and in silence and to and with quiet, especially with your own conscience and really trying to understand where is god moving us and what -- what is -- what is the world expecting also in this moment?

BURNETT: So, Christopher, if we see black smoke, we -- if we see smoke in the -- in the next few minutes, it would be -- it will be white because, it will be the first vote and they're only going to show it if it is a pope. They would only put smoke up. If the first smoke we see is black, that means that they've done two votes and they're going to go to lunch and it is there, right there that then the conversations are had.

LAMB: That's right. After this round of voting, that will mean they've had three ballots. Let's say we don't get white smoke in this -- in this moment, but we get black smoke and they go back to Santa Marta. That means three ballots have been done.

And there they will have a chance to talk to each other. They have lunch. They are in the Santa Marta. There are rooms there. I've been in there a few times. You can meet -- there's meeting rooms where you can talk. There's the

chapel. That will be a time to kind of reflect, regroup and think, where are we going with this?

BURNETT: Right. And but fascinating because they're allowed to go into groups. Then when you're in a group in a setting like this, then other people, who's in that group and what are they? You know, one can only imagine, I guess, the only insight that many of us have would be the movie.

DANIELS: Exactly. And I think the movie, one way in which its accurate, I think, is its portrayal of Santa Marta. I've been in Santa Marta as well, and it's something that they'll be going back to is pretty simple, right? The refectory, the cafeteria style area.

BURNETT: The dining hall is similar to that.

DANIELS: It's very simple. Their meals will be simple, chicken and pasta, rice and fish, fruit. You know, they -- a little bit of wine maybe during the day. But in other words, it's not. The idea is to make sure this is moving forward.

BURNETT: Yes. All right. Well, that -- that is, of course, where we will be unless there is white smoke here in this next, maybe couple of hours of window. I mean, this has all gotten a little broader simply because it's been taking more time, more cardinals, 20 more than there were in the last papal election of Pope Francis.

[05:15:06]

All right. We're going to return later this hour with so much more here live from Rome as people are streaming into St. Peter's Square, where we are.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

Russia is getting ready for Friday's Victory Day parade in Moscow. And for President Vladimir Putin, that means welcoming visiting heads of state. He's meeting today with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two exchanged lavish praise during their initial talks. They're expected to discuss the war in Ukraine, as Russia has declared a three day unilateral ceasefire.

[05:20:04]

Now, despite that, Ukraine's air force reports that new Russian strikes on the Sumy region. A local prosecutor says that one woman was killed and several others wounded. Now, CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance says that the Trump administration's patience with Russia is wearing thin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: I wouldn't say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution. What I would say is right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Meantime, President Trump says that he will announce a trade deal today. And a source tells CNN that deal will be with the U.K. The president said on social media that he'll hold a news conference about a, quote, major trade deal with representatives of a big and highly respected country. It's another sign that relief could be in sight for the global economy, which has been roiled by Trump's historically high tariffs.

But President Trump also says that he will not cut tariffs on China, ahead of Saturday's trade talks, trade between the world's two biggest economies has essentially ground to a halt after two, after the two engaged in a war of tariffs. Officials from the U.S. and China are expected to meet over the weekend. But when asked about any concessions on Wednesday, President Trump sent a firm message to Beijing. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: China says in order to have substantive negotiations, you have to bring down your 145 percent tariffs. Are you open to pulling back your tariffs in order to get China to the negotiating table?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Trump's warning to Beijing comes ahead of this weekends high stakes meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with Chinas top economic official in Switzerland. Bessent was on Capitol Hill Wednesday where he spoke about the nature of those discussions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: I will be going to Switzerland and the negotiations will begin on Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are those negotiations considered advanced?

BESSENT: As I said on Saturday, we will begin, which I believe is the opposite of advance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell is warning that trade talks with key partners could materially change the U.S. economy. Powell's comments come as the federal reserve announced that it is holding interest rates steady, as was the expectation, even as the economy starts to show the effects of Trump's trade war. Powell spoke with spoke about the possibility of stagflation.

That's when the economy is hit with a bit of a double punch of high inflation, high unemployment and slowing growth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: It's not at all clear what the appropriate response for monetary policy is at this time. And, you know -- and, by the way, our policy is in a good place. So, we think we can wait and move when it is clear what the right thing to do is, really not at all clear what it is we should do.

If the large increases in tariffs that have been announced are sustained, they're likely to generate a rise in inflation, a slowdown in economic growth and an increase in unemployment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: All right. And here's where U.S. futures stand ahead of the opening bell on Wall Street. All higher between three quarters of 1 percent for the Dow to about 1.3 percent for the Nasdaq. That's on top of a higher day yesterday.

All right. Coming up, we'll head live to Islamabad with brand new claims of military escalation between India and Pakistan today. We'll take you to the region.

Plus, we'll go back live to Rome, where Erin Burnett continues our coverage of the conclave that will choose the next leader of the Catholic Church.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:28:09]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. I'm Rahel Solomon.

And here are some of the stories we are watching for you this morning.

Russia is welcoming world leaders as it prepares to celebrate Victory Day. Chinese President Xi met with Russian Leader Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin earlier today. And that comes amid reports that Moscow has already broken its three day unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine.

The White House has pulled its nominee for U.S. surgeon general just a day before she was due to have a Senate confirmation hearing. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News medical contributor, was abruptly cast aside Wednesday and replaced with Dr. Casey Means. President Trump didn't explain the move in his social media post.

The Indian army has posted footage that appears to show its recent strikes on Pakistani targets. India says that it went after the camps of terror groups accused of launching deadly attacks, including the massacre last month in Indian administered Kashmir. Pakistan says at least 31 people were killed in the strikes on Wednesday.

And let's stay there and follow up on our breaking news on the India- Pakistan tensions. Pakistan's military says that it has now shot down 25 Indian drones in the past few hours.

Let's get to CNN's Nic Robertson, who is live in the region, who's been doing this reporting in Islamabad.

Nic, what's your sense? I mean, what are you hearing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: And what the Pakistani military are saying is that they're calling this a new and serious provocation. This was absolutely not something that Pakistan was expecting.

However, it began in the early hours of the morning. So, for about the last ten hours, India has been sending these drones. According to the Pakistani military, 25 of them, that it says it has neutralized so far, or most of them have been neutralized. So far, it's been sending them into Pakistan. There are loitering, explosive munition.