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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Nepal's Prime Minister Resigns After Protests Turn Deadly; Israeli Military Orders Palestinians To Leave Gaza City; South Korea's Foreign Minister Headed To Washington. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired September 09, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brian, I think we can say here that the prime minister of Nepal definitely resigned after these very violent protests that shook the country on Monday and on Tuesday. As you said, at least 19 people were killed and hundreds more were injured during clashes between the government, between the police, and also with protesters.

Now, it's important to note here that the protests did initially start out as quite peaceful but when some protesters breached the parliamentary complex in the capital Kathmandu these protests quickly turned violent. We are hearing from local media reports that some police shot into the group of protesters with live ammunition, with water cannons, and also with tear gas.

Now his resignation also follows after some members within his own government called on him to resign -- to leave his post.

Now Brian, these protests were triggered by a social media ban that took effect last week but has since been lifted. This social media ban targeted very popular platforms in Nepal like WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube. And the government said that this ban was necessary because they wanted to stop the spread of fake news, of hate speech. And they also said that many of these platforms didn't comply with Nepalese authority's regulations when investigating misuse of these platforms.

But protesters criticized this move saying that it was a form of censorship. That it was infringing upon the people's free speech.

But Brian, it's important to note also here that these protests were about a lot more than just a social media ban. Many people have accused the government of widespread corruption. And they also say that the government just does not allow for many economic opportunities for young people in Nepal, many of whom led these protests on Monday and on Tuesday.

In fact, here's what one demonstrator said about why he was protesting on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every corruption in the country from the local level to the federal level -- all the Nepalese citizens are fed up of corruption. Every youth are going outside the country. So we want to protect our youth and make the country better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: Now Brian, again, just emphasizing here that in Nepal there is this widespread feeling that there just aren't enough job opportunities for many young people in Nepal and many of them are forced to leave the country for a better life.

But again, Brian, after the prime minister's resignation and after several ministers also leaving their posts, Nepal's political chaos is still far from over -- Brian.

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Hanako Montgomery for us in Tokyo. Hanako, thank you.

Russia is dismissing Western threats of further sanctions following its largest aerial assault yet on Ukraine. The Kremlin warned such measures would be absolutely useless in terms of exerting pressure on Russia. That's after President Trump said he's ready to expand sanctions against Moscow and as Europe's top sanctions envoy arrived in Washington.

Meanwhile, Ukraine officials say the Russian president only understands force and has no intention of stopping the war.

Over the weekend, Russian strikes hit a Kyiv government building for the first time, and several people were killed during the onslaught that targeted multiple Ukrainian cities.

Leaflets are being dropped over Gaza City urging residents to evacuate as the Israeli military prepares for a major expansion of its offensive there. The details and a live report just ahead.

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[05:38:10]

ABEL: The Israeli military is now ordering all Palestinians to leave Gaza City and all its neighborhoods ahead of an expanded military offensive. A military spokesperson warned the IDF would be operating with "great force" to defeat Hamas.

Leaflets carrying the evacuation message -- you see some of them being dropped here -- included a map. They were dropped across the area.

On Monday, airstrikes again targeted high-rise towers in a densely populated area as the Israeli military moves forward with plans to occupy Gaza's largest city. One building that collapsed after a strike had housed the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. Israeli says it's targeting buildings because of the presence of Hamas' infrastructure.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is following these developments and joins us live from Abu Dhabi now. And Paula, leaflets were dropped last week as well on Gaza City and only about 10 percent of people living there have gotten out of town.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Brian, it could even be less than that. The figures we had from last Wednesday from a senior Israeli official was about 70,000 Palestinians had left Gaza City. Now there could be up to one million people who are in this city at this point, and these aren't just people who are from Gaza City. These are many displaced families having moved a number of times from other areas as well.

So what we're hearing and what we're seeing from these leaflets is the Israeli military telling people to leave immediately. Now on these leaflets there is, as you say, a map telling people to head west until they reach the coast, and then to head south, saying they should go towards Al Mawasi. And they have called it a humanitarian zone. Now it has not been called a humanitarian zone by anyone apart from the Israelis. In fact, the United Nations NGOs says it is unfit for habitation.

[05:40:10]

We heard from the head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency in charge of Palestinian refugees just today saying that it is a large and growing camp concentrating hungry Palestinians in despair.

So the Israeli military has said that there would be tents or everybody that will be going to Al Mawasi. We've heard from an Israeli source that some 3,000 tents have been allowed in at this point and that they are hoping for 100,000 over the next three weeks. But when you're talking about just in Gaza City alone, up to one million people heading to this ever-shrinking area in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, it is inevitable that the dire humanitarian situation will get worse.

And we have heard global condemnation about this plan to take over Gaza City and we have heard governments calling on Israel to reject these plans. We're hearing from NGOs from the United Nations.

But we are hearing from Israel that it will go ahead. Let's listen to the Israeli prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In the past two days 50 such towers have been brought down by the air force. But all of this just a prelude -- just the beginning to the main intensified action -- the ground maneuver by our forces who are now organizing and assembling on Gaza City.

That's why I say to the residents of Gaza -- I take this opportunity and say it loud and clear: You have been warned. Get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now we do know that some have left Gaza City. What they have -- some of them have spoken to our stringers on the ground as they are dismantling makeshift shelters, tents, and trying to move south. But we have also heard from many residents -- some of those who are older, who are injured, some who have been displaced a number of times, saying that they would rather die in their homes than to be displaced yet again.

So it is unclear how many people exactly will leave the area of Gaza City, but the IDF is being very clear that the evacuation should be immediate.

We are seeing a number -- an increasing number of high-rise buildings being targeted in Gaza City. Israel says that Hamas is using them for its purposes. Hamas denies that. We know from people on the ground that many are being used and lived in by Palestinian families and those displaced.

So it is a very desperate situation for the civilians in Gaza City, many of whom -- in fact, all of whom were hoping that this day would not come -- Brian.

ABEL: All right, Paula Hancocks for us in Abu Dhabi. Paula, thank you.

British artists Banksy has struck again, this time with a new mural outside of London's high court. The painting -- it shows a judge holding his gavel over a protester. Banksy has not commented on its meaning, but the work appeared after the arrest of nearly 900 demonstrators supporting the group Palestine Action on Saturday.

This July, the U.K. declared Palestine Action a terror group after members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes.

The mural was later seen covered and protected by guards. The court says the artwork will be removed.

Donald Trump is still on the hook for an $83 million judgment after a federal court agreed he repeatedly defamed E. Jean Carroll after she accused him of rape. Why the U.S. president said he shouldn't be held liable. That's ahead on CNN.

And he's off, he's on. He's fires, he's not. Radio disrupter Howard Stern orchestrates some serious drama.

Those stories after the break.

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[05:48:28]

ABEL: Welcome back. I'm Brian Abel. Here are some stories we are watching today.

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing President Trump to continue using immigration agents for "roving" patrols in Southern California. Their decision involved a series of incidents where masked and armed agents interrogated people identifying as Latino, some of whom were U.S. citizens. Critics say the interrogations violated the Fourth Amendment. Nepal's prime minister has resigned after the country as rocked by

protests in which 19 people were killed. On Monday, the government decided to lift a ban on about two dozen social media platforms. The decision came after the worst unrest the country has seen in decades.

President Trump plans to attend a New York Yankees game on the anniversary of 9/11 according to a White House official. The president is also likely to appear at a Pentagon memorial event before heading to New York. Thursday will make 24 years since the tragic terrorist attacks.

And we have breaking news out of Ukraine. President Zelenskyy says a Russian airstrike overnight killed at least 20 civilians in a rural village in the Eastern Donetsk region. Zelenskyy described the airstrike as "directly on people -- ordinary civilians," adding, "Such Russian strikes must not be left without an appropriate response from the world."

[05:50:00]

Well, in the coming hours South Korea's foreign minister is expected to meet with U.S. officials here in Washington to discuss the return of hundreds of ICE detainees to South Korea. A Korean airflight will head to the U.S. as soon as Wednesday to bring them home.

Amy Kiley has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES KUCK, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: You'd be foolish not to think about this.

AMY KILEY, CNN NEWSOURCE JOURNALIST (voiceover): South Korea's top diplomat is in the U.S. today at a tense moment for relations between the countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Hyun is visiting Washington as about 300 South Korean nationals are detained in Georgia. That's where ICE and other law enforcement raided a Hyundai plant last week. Korean Air says it could start flying home the detainees tomorrow.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ICE was doing right because they were here illegally.

KILEY (voiceover): An attorney for two of the detainees argues that's not the case for everyone ICE arrested.

KUCK: Under the ESTA business visitor or the B-1 business visitor program you can come in and go to business meetings. You can do engineering oversight. You can do after-sales service and installation, which is what these people were doing in the United States.

KILEY (voiceover): The raid is causing outrage in South Korea. Its businesses are investing billions in the U.S. much at the behest of President Donald Trump. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obviously, they're going to have huge hesitation about investing in the U.S. if your employees are going to be treated like common criminals.

KILEY (voiceover): The Georgia plant is supposed to open next year as Hyundai's first U.S. facility dedicated to electric vehicles and batteries. Trump acknowledges setting it up requires workers with specialized skills.

TRUMP: And we do have to work something out where we bring in experts so that our people can be trained so that they can do it themselves.

KILEY (voiceover): I'm Amy Kiley reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: A federal appeals court in New York has denied Donald Trump's request to overturn and $83.3 million jury verdict against him for damaging the reputation of E. Jean Carroll. In January of 2024, a jury found Trump had, for years, defamed the writer after she went public with a claim that he had raped her back in the '90s.

Trump denied the allegations, saying the accusations were a hoax and a con job Carroll had made up to increase the sales of a book she had written.

The court, on Monday, rejected Trump's argument that the verdict should be overturned because he deserved presidential immunity.

In an ending worthy of a T.V. series finale -- you may think about one in particular -- Rupert Murdoch's family succession dispute has come to a long-awaited end. Under the agreement, Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan will remain in charge of the family's conservative media empire, which includes Fox News and The Wall Street Journal.

As the family existing trust set-up is replaced, three of Murdoch's adult children will reportedly depart with a billion-dollar payout each.

The Murdoch succession drama kicked off in 2023 when Rupert moved to amend the trust to consolidate control with Lachlan and cut his other children out of the business.

Scientists are making progress on research to improve the performance of pig organ transplants in humans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead for human trials involving kidneys from pigs that have been genetically modified to be more compatible with human recipients.

That could be welcome news for the more than 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for organ donations. Eighty-six percent of those on that list need a kidney. The average wait time to get one from a human donor is currently three to five years, but depending on the recipient it could take as much as 10 years.

Up next, quite a comeback. Minnesota's 22-year-old quarterback and Michigan alum rallies the Vikings to victory in his hometown of Chicago.

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[05:58:25]

ABEL: Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy's first NFL game as a team starter was one for the record books. After missing his rookie season because of injury he left the Vikings to a 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears and became the first quarterback to score three fourth- quarter touchdowns in his league debut -- two passing, one rushing, all unanswered.

The late rally came after a commanding start by Chicago and soared the first home game for its new coach -- soured, rather.

McCarthy, a Chicago native who grew up a Bears fan, said he couldn't be more proud of his teammates. Well done.

Howard Stern's listeners were stunned when they tuned into his show on SiriusXM radio yesterday morning to find he'd suddenly been replaced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY COHEN, "THE HOWARD STERN SHOW": I know that you're expecting a big announcement from Howard, and this is actually not how things were meant to go. There has been a lot of talk about what's going to happen with Howard. Is he fired? I don't know how much I'm allowed to say except that he's not here and I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Speculation had been growing for weeks fueled in part by Stern himself that he could be on his way out. But then about 10 minutes later came the big reveal. It was all a hoax.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD STERN, HOST, "THE HOWARD STERN SHOW": What pisses me off is now I can't leave. I was -- I've been thinking about retiring and now I can't because then they'll say I got pushed out.

[06:00:00]

Here's the truth. SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future. And by the way, I'm absolutely flattered that anybody even cares whether I resign. So, I mean, in a way, it was confirmation that I matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Howard Stern and some serious business.

And finally, some cool looking canines hit the waves this weekend for a surfing competition in Southern California. The annual event raises money for a local animal center. The dogs were judged on how long they stayed on the board, the size of the wave, and other fun factors. A dog named Faith took first place.

Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.