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Isa Soares Tonight

French Government Pushes Through Pension Reforms Without Vote; Pentagon Releases Footage Of U.S.-Russian Drone Incident; Poland Promises To Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine; U.S. Bans TikTok From Government Mobile Devices; #MyFreedomDay; David Guetta Creates AI Song With Eminem's Voice. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired March 16, 2023 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Christina Macfarlane in for Isa Soares. Tonight,

protesters are on the streets of France this hour, after the government used special powers to push through controversial pension reforms. Their

new video shows that mid-air confrontation between a Russian jet and a U.S. drone.

Plus, Poland says it will be the first NATO country to send Ukraine desperately-needed jets. A live report from Ukraine just ahead. Well, we

begin with major developments in France over President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform bill. The government has pushed the bill

through without a vote from the lower house of parliament by invoking special constitutional powers.

Here, you see some opposition lawmakers booing as Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne made the announcement. Opposition parties say, they will request a

vote of no confidence in the government. CNN Jim Bittermann joins me now live from Paris with more on what has become a pivotal day in France. And

Jim, in forcing this bill through, it might seem like the easiest option for President Macron, but it's also extremely risky.

And we have been seeing in the past few hours, protesters already amassing, once again, on the streets of Paris. So Jim, what's going to be the fallout

here?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's exactly what the risk is, Christina, that, there will be more and more protests, and it has a

tendency that this is rarely used as an article called 49.3, it's basically passing legislation by decree, and it's rarely used, but when it is used,

it has the tendency to enrage the opposition, and it certainly did today, this afternoon, when Elisabeth Borne went before the parliament and said

that the members of the parliament were, in fact, not going to be able to vote on the legislations that they were going to pass it by decree. And

here's a little bit of how she tried to justify that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELISABETH BORNE, PRIME MINISTER, FRANCE (through translator): We cannot bet on the future of our pensions. This reform is necessary. It's also

because I am attached to our social model, and because I believe in parliamentary democracy. It is your reform on parliament task. Fruit of a

compromise between the two assemblies, the time ready to engage my responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: And in fact, you can kind of see what the reaction was there inside the National Assembly chamber. And outside, a crowd had gathered to

sort of be on hand for this vote that didn't take place, and they immediately started protesting outside. And that's the kind of thing that

we have seen tonight, and it continues at this hour.

A lot of people on the streets, the police just used water cannon just a few minutes ago in the Place de la Concorde la Hado Paris, trying to get

the demonstrators to disperse. And as was expected and predicted by the union chiefs themselves, the joint union committee meeting this evening,

they are going to continue their strikes and demonstrations in the days that come.

They have planned a big demonstration for March 23rd, that's on Thursday this week, Christina.

MACFARLANE: And Jim, opposition lawmakers have now got 24 hours to file a no confidence vote. Some have said they're already going to go ahead and do

that. How likely is it that a motion like that will succeed?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think it's definitely likely it's going to be filed. We've already heard from a couple of the party leaders that it has to be

passed, though, in parliament. And one of the things it does is that it means that if, in fact, it is voted in, that the government is dissolved,

and they will have to have elections.

Now, a lot of these members of parliament were only just elected last June, in June of 2022. So, as a matter of fact, they are not really -- they don't

really have an appetite for running for re-election again. But if -- you know, they feel strongly enough about this motion and against the

retirement reforms, it could well happen.

[15:05:00]

So, it's a difficult one to say, just as today's events were difficult to predict, I think we're in a period now of time when things are going to be

unpredictable for a while in France.

MACFARLANE: And Jim --

BITTERMANN: Christiane?

MACFARLANE: Just remind our viewers why President Macron, why this government is so pledged to this pension reform. Because we know this was,

of course, a part of his, you know -- this was announced as part of his campaign trail. But why is Macron so unwilling to budge on this issue?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think it's been the kind of issue that governments all over Europe have been toying with and trying to get through their

parliaments for years now. Basically, the retirement system is in a huge deficit and runs in a higher deficit each year, the debt is growing. And

when you look at the life expectancy in France, which is now 82 years old, if you're saying that a person retires at 62, it means that the person will

be living off a government-sponsored pension plan for 20 years.

And that money has to come from somewhere. It's been coming from debt. And as a consequence, I think that now, the government is -- Mr. Macron is

drawing a line and saying, look, we've got to reform this pension plan. Christina?

MACFARLANE: Yes, and he's certainly staken a lot on it, risking perhaps his political legacy. Jim Bittermann there live from Paris, thank you very

much --

BITTERMANN: Yes --

MACFARLANE: Tonight, Jim. Now, just hours ago, NHS unions reached a pay deal with the U.K. government, a major breakthrough bringing the long-

running dispute closer to an end. The deal includes a 5 percent pay increase, and one of bonus payments for key workers. Both sides said they

have reached, quote, "a fair and reasonable settlement".

This comes after months of dispute over pay. And as for what happens next, well, union workers will now vote on a decision and further strikes will be

suspended until they do. Now, democracy or death? That's one of the chants heard on the streets of Israel, as protesters once again are demanding the

government scrap plans to dramatically weaken judicial oversight of its own actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(DRUMMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: These are new pictures from Tel Aviv tonight, just into CNN. Demonstrators have been blocking roads there and across Israel today, but

despite weeks of scenes like this and new warning from Israel's president about possible civil war, the government so far isn't budging. CNN's Hadas

Gold takes us into the crowds of Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We are with some dozens of protesters across Israel, another massive day of disruption.

Israelis taking to the streets in the tens of thousands, protesting against this massive judicial overhaul planned by Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

We are here actually at a student protest, this is the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and many of these students -- what they see is the beginning of

the end of Israeli democracy if this overhaul goes through.

At its core, this overhaul would not only allow the Israeli parliament to overturn Supreme Court's decisions, it would also drastically change how

judges are appointed in Israel. But supporters of the reform say that it's sorely needed, that it's been lacking for a long time, that will help re-

balance the branches of the Israeli government.

Last night, the Israeli President Isaac Herzog put out his own compromise proposal, warning that if a proposal -- if a compromise is not reached,

then the country could be on a brink of a civil war.

ISAAC HERZOG, PRESIDENT, ISRAEL (through translator): I'm going to use a phrase I haven't used before. An expression that there is no Israeli who is

not horrified when he hears it. Whoever thinks that the real civil war of human lives is a limit that we will not reach, has no idea. Precisely now,

in the 75th year of the state of Israel, that this is within touching distance.

GOLD: But the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejecting the compromise proposal, saying it doesn't do enough, and he says it would

only perpetuate what he believes is the current problem with the judiciary. Now the question will be, what will Benjamin Netanyahu's government do

next? Will they push forward with their very speedy unilateral action, trying to get it done within the next few weeks, potentially even few days?

Or will they possibly potentially soften their legislation just a little bit, to help tamper down these very fervent emotions that we're seeing here

on the streets of Israel? Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Our thanks to Hadas for that. Well, a prominent U.S. Senator says America must send a message to Israel, accusing the Netanyahu

government of an assault on the two-state solution. Chris Murphy spoke earlier to CNN. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): There are very few people who know the Israeli mood better than President Herzog, and I was deeply disturbed to see his

comments yesterday. I think he speaks to how the Netanyahu government is really fraying the bonds that have connected Israelis together.

[15:10:00]

And I worry that we are at a moment in which we are watching a future Palestinian state be obliterated by the pace of settlements by the

legalization of outposts. And I think the United States needs to draw a harder line with this government. If we're going to continue to be in the

business of supporting the Israeli government, they have to be in the continued business of a future Palestinian state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, Palestinian Health Ministry says, a day time Israeli military operation in Jenin has killed at least four Palestinians including

a teenager.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Palestinian news agency, "Wafa" calls it a surprise raid by undercover Israeli forces. The Israeli army says two of those killed where

militants suspected of terrorist activities, and another had tried to attack them with an iron rod. Palestinians say, 23 people were wounded,

five critically. Now, the Pentagon has released dramatic video of the confrontation between Russian jets and a U.S. drone high in the skies over

the Black Sea.

You can see here a Russian fighter jet approaching the drone from behind, and then unleashing a wave of fuel against it. Then you can see the jet

approach a second time, and according to the Pentagon, clipped the drone's propeller briefly, knocking out the camera you can see just there. And when

the video resumes, the damage of the propeller is clear to see.

Moscow says its jet never collided with the drone, but the apparent contact forced the drone out of the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES: This hazardous episode is a part -- is part of a pattern of aggressive, risky and unsafe actions

by Russian pilots in international airspace. And the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, CNN's Oren Liebermann has been taking a close look at the video and joins us now from the Pentagon. Oren, I guess in releasing

this video, the U.S. are moving to provide evidence of their account of what happened after repeated denials from Russia. Just walk us through what

we're seeing in these clips, and how rare this access is.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It's incredibly rare to get drone video like this. It simply doesn't happen all that often that the

Pentagon released this video from a spy drone operating over the Black Sea, so close to a war zone. So, let's talk about the two different parts of

this video. There are two separate passes from Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets against an MQ-9 Reaper drone.

In the first one, you see as the jet approaches, starts to jump jet -- dump jet fuel, and then passes by the drone itself. You also then see back, you

see the fuel vapor essentially hanging in the air and the propeller itself functioning, that is, spinning. In the second part of the video, you see

another pass. Again, the same dumping of jet fuel, and then, this is the crucial moment.

When the video itself freezes or pixelates a little bit, that's a result of the collision here, and then you see the impact of the collision damaging

the propeller. It is that damage to the propeller that forced the U.S. drone operators to bring the drone down some 70 miles southwest of the

Crimean Peninsula in international waters. During that process, CNN has learned that the drone operators wiped the sensitive software, essentially

the sensitive memory and capabilities off of the drone itself before it crashed into the water.

CNN has also learned that the Russians reached the crash site, U.S. made it clear that it wouldn't be able to recover it itself in all likelihood

because there are no Navy ships in the Black Sea. But there certainly are Russian ships, and they made clear that they would try to make an effort to

recover it. Even if they can't recover any sort of sensitive data, information or Intel, it is still a propaganda victory for Russia, if

they're able to pick up some of those pieces off the water.

MACFARLANE: Yes, and Oren, the U.S. have said that they were successful in managing to remotely wipe the drone before it was downed. Does the fact

that we have this video actually support that claim? Because obviously, this was able to be recovered.

LIEBERMANN: I don't think the presence or existence of the video tells us anything about the decision to wipe the memory of it, because that -- the

video itself is of the moment of the collision. And keep in mind, this encounter lasted quite some time, right? The Pentagon says it was 30 to 40

minutes that these two Russian fighter jets were essentially harassing the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The decision to wipe the memory would have come after this. How do we know that? It's a very difficult thing to be able to prove. That's from the

Pentagon here and from officials here that, that was the measure taken to make sure there was no sensitive information falling to the Russians. We

have heard General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, as well as John Kirby, from the National Security Council, say the U.S. did take

steps in mitigating measures to make sure that there was nothing sensitive that fell into Russian or other hands.

MACAFARLANE: All right, our Liebermann, we appreciate you breaking that down for us, thank you.

[15:15:00]

Now, Poland will become the first NATO country to send jets to Ukraine, fulfilling Kyiv's increasingly urgent request for fighter planes. Speaking

earlier, the Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country will hand over four MiG-29 jets in the coming days. Also has taken a lead among NATO

allies in supplying Ukraine with heavy weaponry to counter Russian attacks.

Their support comes as fierce fighting continues on the battlefield especially around Bakhmut. Both Russia and Ukraine saying the situation

there is quote, "complicated". So let's bring in senior international correspondent David McKenzie for us live from Kyiv tonight. David, Ukraine

as we know, have been calling for fighter jets for months.

How significant is it that Poland are the first NATO ally to offer them, and do we know anything about how soon they can be operational?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they say they would come within days, and that these MiG 29s, according to the

Polish President, Christina, have been refurbished and are ready for use. So one can assume that it could be imminently -- no, I don't think

necessarily, these four MiG jets which were holdovers from the former east Germany and then sourced by Poland, will necessarily turn the tide of this

war.

But I think it's important in two ways. It does break a psychological barrier of some kind, I would say, of NATO country supplying fighter jets,

and clearly, an attack asset to Ukrainians, something Zelenskyy has asked for, for some time as you say. And also, that they will open the door,

potentially again, for other countries to follow suit.

The Ukrainian president has repeatedly asked for this kind of assets to get in the hands of their pilots, and so, yes, it's definitely very

significant. Christina.

MACFARLANE: And David, how likely are we to see other NATO allies follow suit. Because we've already heard repeatedly from the U.S. for instance,

their stance from their stead, it will be impractical to send jets because, you know, at the very least, require an awful lot of training.

MCKENZIE: Well, we've had that reasoning, given for other types of military assets including tanks and more complex systems like the HIMARS

systems. And yet, the Ukrainian military has successfully operated those systems. So, yes, there is a different level of sophistication, I would

say, with some of the more sophisticated NATO level fighter jets and training required for that.

There's some indication that Ukrainian pilots are already getting some kind of testing and training on those systems. In the short term, there may be

more Soviet-era airplanes that could come to Ukraine. So it's important from the Ukrainian perspective. I think what is perhaps more pressing are

the nuts and bolts need of the groups on the ground in the eastern front for artillery pieces and artillery shells.

Just today, the chancellor of Germany say they need to accelerate the supply of Ukraine's military on the ground, particularly in the east for

the very intense shelling that is ongoing there, and the fact that at least for more than a month now, we're hearing that the -- if not running very

low, certainly running short of this kind of ammunition, which actually gets the job done on the ground during this conflict. Christina?

MACFARLANE: Yes, important to remember that, that intense fighting in Bakhmut is still ongoing. David McKenzie there live from Kyiv, thanks very

much, David. All right, still to come tonight, embattled banking giant Credit Suisse gets a lifeline to the tune of $54 billion. How that and

other news impacted the markets today.

And later, a handshake 12 years in the making. We'll tell you about a fence-mending summit in Tokyo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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MACFARLANE: Shares of European banking giant Credit Suisse closed 19 percent higher Thursday after news that the Swiss National Bank would give

it a $54 billion lifeline. This after shares plunged nearly 25 percent a day earlier, putting global markets on edge. Meantime, the European Central

Bank has raised interest rates by half point, and U.S. federal regulators are working to prevent more fallout from the collapse of two banks last

week.

Well, we've got a team coverage of the many developments this hour impacting global markets. Clare Sebastian is standing by in London. But

first, let's go to Matt Egan in New York. And Matt, we heard from the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen just this morning saying that the U.S.

banking system remains sound. And yet, today, we are seeing another big sell-off of a U.S. regional bank, First Republic. So just walk us through

what's happening here.

MATT EGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christina, this is really all about confidence. I mean, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank

last week really shook confidence in the banking system, both among investors and the public at large. Now, we are seeing an effort from U.S.

officials and from the industry itself to try to restore confidence.

Now, what's interesting is regional banks, all four on the screen, they all opened the day sharply lower. First Republic was down 36 percent, but now

it is completely turned around, up 7 percent on the day. And that's because there is an industry-led rescue effort underway. A source familiar with

them confirms to CNN that big banks are in talks to provide a lifeline to First Republic, which is a San Francisco-based regional bank.

Now, the big banks include a consortium that includes JPMorgan, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Truist. And the source familiar with the

matter says that this would be structured as deposits, that the big banks would be transferring deposits to the smaller banks in an effort to try to

give it some more financial firepower here to meet customer withdrawals.

And also to try to instill some confidence in the banking system. And we're also hearing that U.S. officials are welcoming this apparent rescue. U.S.

officials telling CNN that this rescue that happens would be a welcome sign of confidence in the banking system, and it would compliment some of the

steps that regulators have already taken.

Now, we don't have anything confirmed yet, First Republic, a number of the big banks are commenting, but a deal could be announced any hour.

MACFARLANE: Yes, and if it is, I mean, that's going to be a significant development. I want to come back to you in just a second on the wider

implications that it would have for the market. But Clare, first, speaking of confidence, you know, both sides of the pond today. We saw a move of

half a percent by the ECB, which have been in doubt, but it's clear that the central bank has decided that, you know, inflation poses a bigger risk

to European -- to Europe's economy.

So, what is going to be the effect of that rate rise? Because we know that, you know, there was some concern around that, that, that would add further

stress to the markets.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, I think it's too soon to tell. Certainly, as you say, the ECB made it very clear that they just cannot

stand by and allow inflation to stay at 8.5 percent in the euro zone compared to the U.S., which is of course, at 6 percent, has shown more

signs of improvement. On what it's going to have, what kind of impact it's going to have? We're not talking so much in Europe about the stress on

bank's balance sheets that you saw in the U.S.

[15:25:00]

European banks don't have as much long-term debt that we'll see it on paper value go down as interest rates go up. But they are monitoring to see if

the overall issue with confidence as you say is going to cause banks to sort of pull back on lending. The Guard(ph) was saying that she was looking

for things like tightening restrictions on lending terms and conditions, things like that.

That is something that closely monitoring. The speculation now is yes, they've done this half percentage point rate rise today, but they did not

telegraph what's coming next, as they have been doing recently. So could they pause after this? That's the question.

MACFARLANE: Let's talk about Credit Suisse in a moment. We know at the very least that Credit Suisse is a very different type of bank --

SEBASTIAN: Yes --

MACFARLANE: Of course, to SVB. And Matt, as I understand it, First Republic is at the very least similar to SVB. In that, it is a midsize

bank, right? So, are we seeing the beginning here of a possible contagion within U.S. regional banks. What's the concern around that right now?

EGAN: Right, well, investors are on high alert for the next shoe to drop. And the logical thing to do is to look at what banks have a similar profile

as Silicon Valley Bank and Signature are the ones that already collapsed. And so, in that sense, you know, First Republic Bank is similar because it

has a large chunk of its deposit base is uninsured, meaning more than $250,000.

It caters to wealthy customers. And so, that is one of the reasons why First Republic shares had been under so much pressure over the last week or

so. Now, regulators are doing everything they can to try to prevent contagion, right? I mean, that's why they come out with all of these

statements, that's why they rescued the uninsured depositors at Signature and Silicon Valley Bank.

And that's why the Fed launched this lending program designed to give banks some liquidity. Banks that are dealing with deposit requests, and banks

that also, as Clare was alluding to, are sitting on a lot of long-term debt that has lost value as interest rates have gone up. So they're doing

everything they can to prevent contagion, and now we are seeing the industry itself apparently working hard to also prevent contagion and to

try to boost confidence.

MACFARLANE: Yes, and it's going to be really interesting to see what the Federal Reserve do next week, obviously following this ECB announcement

today. Nerves still very much running high though, I mean, it's the message we're receiving today, and we're going to have to leave it there. But both,

thank you, Matt, thank you, Clare, both very much.

Now, Japan and South Korea are pledging to turn the page on years of hostility and open a new chapter in relations. For the first time in 12

years, a South Korean president has attended a summit in Tokyo. CNN's Marc Stewart has more on what's been called an important milestone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The visit here in Tokyo between Japan's Prime Minister and South Korea's President appears to be a

new era in diplomatic relations. These two nations have had a difficult past, and now they're trying to move forward amid some sheer(ph) stress in

the region. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Tokyo and Seoul have agreed to resume shuttle diplomacy to open a new chapter in relations in a

joint statement with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

President Yoon saying, quote, "we agree today that the people of the two countries have suffered direct or indirect damage, due to the pros in

bilateral relations, and agree to restore and develop Korea-Japan relations as soon as possible. President Yoon also agreed to completely normalize its

military Intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan.

Relations between the two nations have been difficult in recent years, soured over several issues, including a wartime labor dispute that had

emotional, economic and political implications. No start date has been set to resume shuttle diplomacy, but this is happening in the face of North

Korean nuclear and missile threats.

In addition, we're already seeing the thaw before this meeting, Japan's trade ministry said it would lift export controls on three South Korean

products including one critical for the production of semiconductors. Seoul entered, agreed to lift its complaints with the World Trade Organization.

Both leaders hope exchanges between the two countries will expand to politics, economics and culture. Marc Stewart, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: All right, still to come tonight, a look at how students around the globe are shedding light on a very important topic. Plus, the

Biden administration has given an apparent ultimatum to the Chinese company behind TikTok. We'll have the latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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(MUSIC PLAYING)

MACFARLANE: Welcome back.

The U.K. has now banned TikTok from official government devices. They're concerned the Chinese might share users sensitive data with the Beijing

government. It does not impact personal devices.

The U.S. and E.U. have similar policies but Joe Biden is demanding their owners spin off their shares, threatening to ban the social media app from

the U.S. CNN technology reporter Brian Fung joins me now live.

The pressure on TikTok has been building or ratcheting up just so months now. I think this is the first time the U.S. government has been talking

about a national ban.

How real is that risk, that sensitive data could end up in the hands of Chinese?

BRIAN FUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a potentially real risk here. We're talking about a rare look inside the negotiations, these long running

negotiations between TikTok and the United States about whether or not they will be able to continue operating in the U.S.

Security concerns that you raised and identified earlier. What's interesting about this is that it appears to be a pivot or turning point

for these negotiations, which previously the Biden administration had been sitting on a lot of these talks.

And with that resolution. It had been coming out under heavy criticism for some members of Congress for not acting swiftly enough on the TikTok issue.

So the Biden administration pushing for TikTok to spin off its app from the Chinese owners under the threat of a U.S. ban.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have been proposing expanding the president's authority to issue a nationwide TikTok ban on personal devices.

The White House has also thrown its support behind that initiative but TikTok is saying that a divestiture is not in the best interest of the

United States or the company. It is saying that, instead, the voluntary measures that it has put in place on a technical level and on a

bureaucratic level --

[15:35:00]

FUNG: -- to prevent U.S. user data from falling into the hands of the Chinese government is the best path forward. Of course, many of TikTok's

critics say that is not nearly enough.

MACFARLANE: What is the likelihood the U.S. government can ban the app?

They're likely to come up on challenges with First Amendment grounds.

FUNG: There've been criticisms of some existing U.S. proposals to ban TikTok nationally, saying that it could infringe on Americans' First

Amendment rights to post on social media, to speak on line and to exercise their free speech rights that way.

It is unclear whether or not that argument could fly in courts, it is also unclear whether the Biden administration could sustain a ban, based on its

standing legal authority.

In the past, when president Trump tried to ban TikTok, there were legal challenges then as well that led to some of the long running negotiations

that we've been seeing unfold today.

MACFARLANE: No doubt, TikTok fanatics are watching on nervously. Thank you for your insight.

A new type of drone has appeared in the skies over Ukraine, made in China but was never meant to be used for military purposes. Both sides claim the

other side is using them on the battlefield. More from Ivan Watson in this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ukrainian military footage of a drone strike at a Russian rocket launcher.

The bloody war between Russia and Ukraine is being fought on the ground and in the sky using drones and unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, some of which

were never intended for military use.

This is one of the weapons in this war, a drone that could fly far behind the front lines carrying a powerful bomb rigged to hurl deadly pieces of

shrapnel like this.

Ukraine's territorial defense gave CNN an exclusive look at what's left of a weaponized UAV originally manufactured in China.

Ukrainian state security service says an agent reported the launch of the drone from Russian occupied territory and troops shot it down at 2:00 am on

Saturday.

This is remarkable. The officer is explaining that his man shut this drone down using rifles. Rifles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rifles yes.

WATSON: So the drone was flying low?

"The drone was flying low and visible to the naked eye," he tells me.

This is where the bomb landed. The explosive device on the drone.

Troops rigged the unexploded 20 kilogram bomb with explosives and then sprinted for cover.

[01:39:44]

WATSON: Officers identified the drone as a Mugen 5 which the manufacturer Mugen Limited also confirmed to CNN. The company is based in Xiamen (ph),

China, designing UAV air frames for activities like forest fire prevention and agriculture.

Mugen drones have been available for sale on Chinese online marketplaces like Alibaba and Taobao for about up to $15,000 prompting some tech

bloggers to give it the nickname the Alibaba drone. Mugen 5 condemns any use of its drones on the battlefield, adding that the company ceased to

accept orders from both Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war.

But in January, Russian forces displayed these images of what is also a Mugen 5. The Russian military claims it was a Ukrainian UAV that it shot

down.

Drone expert Chris Lincoln Jones calls these militarized UAVs dumb bombs.

CHRIS LINCOLN JONES, DRONE EXPERT: This particular drone we've been looking at would be much more effective if it had a decent camera on it.

WATSON: The former British Army officer, who specialized in drone warfare says he expected more from a military superpower like Russia.

JONES: This seems to be a very crude, unsophisticated, not very technologically advanced way of conducting operations.

WATSON: Ivan Watson, CNN, in eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Still to come tonight, we are checking in on young people on two continents to see how they are celebrating My Freedom Day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Freedom is being able to choose whatever we want to study at school, especially as a girl.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Freedom is the ability to make decisions about my own likelihood and well-being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:40:00]

MACFARLANE: We are celebrating with young people around the world a student-led day of action to combat modern-day slavery. These girls outside

London came up with an interpretive dance to show what freedom means to them.

We're reporting from schools across the globe. Stefano Pozzebon is just outside Bogota, Colombia, at the San Rafael rehab center.

Stefano, tell us what you are seeing today, what you've been hearing and why you are there?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christina, here we are. We're in a rehabilitation center where some of these patients are here to

overcome issues, like substance abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse in particular and some minor mental disorders.

But we are here to hear about experiences from people who did overcome modern slavery. It's all about being in shared experiences.

So in the morning, we heard the people here, the patients, sharing their experiences. You just caught us in the middle of a conversation with a

couple of people that wear (INAUDIBLE) structure like these and in institutions like these and who are here to share their experiences in

overcoming modern slavery.

One, Jesus here, for example, spoke with us at CNN. He said overcoming slavery, becoming free, is all about work as a team. As a final note, we

shared here on these walls what freedom means for most of these people who are struggling and are in the middle of a very tough time in their lives.

They've written letters about the concept of freedom, slavery; some of them have made drawings. These letters have been put here, placed on this wall

under the hashtag and will stay here for the upcoming days -- this is their common room where they live 24/7 -- to raise awareness.

[15:45:00]

POZZEBON: So everybody here can know the sign about modern slavery, can recognize the situation from whatever background they come from. We've had

people who struggled with cocaine, with marijuana abuse, alcoholism, many other abuses.

They are here to get back on their feet, get better in their life and also to be aware that this phenomenon of modern slavery is still part of our

society.

MACFARLANE: Yes, these are important discussions to be having. The more we talk, the more we can recognize the signs of modern-day slavery. I'll let

you get back to the discussion that you've been having behind you. Stefano Pozzebon, thank you very much.

Lynda Kinkade spent the day at Atlanta International School in Georgia, where the students told her what freedom means to them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at the Atlanta International School, where every student is learning about modern slavery.

This is a fifth grade class in a sweatshop simulation. According to UNICEF, 116 million kids around the world, aged 5 to 17, work in some sort of

forced labor.

These classes are run by sixth graders.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this situation we're trying to make them feel a little angry, sad, because they're working for us basically. We are

shouting, we're like, make it better, work harder, do it faster.

And I remember some kids from the previous class told us, oh, you didn't give us enough time. We cannot do this.

KINKADE: How did you feel being screamed at during that session?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt like it got really anxious, it made wanted to go faster.

KINKADE: How do you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gave me a lot of anxiety. The only thing I wanted to do was cut everything up because it just didn't feel right.

KINKADE: What was the sweatshop experience like for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart ran away with my brain and my hands were just doing things and I didn't know what I was doing. My hands are now

sweating.

KINKADE: They're not one but two anti trafficking groups at the school. They're doing presentations and also action stations, like this petition

run by the 10th grade.

Tell us your name and about these three petitions.

KAIXUAN GUO, 10TH GRADER: My name is Kaixuan Guo and I am a 10th grader at Atlanta International School. For the first petition, we have ending child

labor in the cocoa industry. For the second one, we have migration policies for preventing human trafficking.

For the third one, we have helping young athletes at risk of human trafficking.

KINKADE: Plenty of students signing these and sharing them on social media. My favorite, the chocolate station.

What does this mean to have fair trade chocolate?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fair trade chocolate means that there is minimal child labor and human trafficking going around in your company.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This year we want to have a special focus on the sports industry, talking about what human trafficking and how it relates to

the sports industry.

On Tuesday, we had a charity soccer game, where we had an Man United player to come out and speak about the issue. After each presentation, we actually

have the students writing on the soccer ball and it will go to child trafficking survivors.

KINKADE: Incredible work here.

Earlier today, we saw kindergarten students play hula hoop games to learn about the rights of a child so it's never too early to learn about My

Freedom Day and how you can make a difference.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: It's so great to see the different ways that children have been engaging on this issue. Let's take a look at how students around the

world have been expressing what freedom means to them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We (INAUDIBLE) at the (INAUDIBLE) school and we are rightly claiming our freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) and doing something that you love.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me freedom is to learn (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, freedom is always (INAUDIBLE).

KINKADE: What have you learned about?

This is very important.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) then we can learn stuff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And because we have freedom to go to school and no one is the boss of you except for the teachers.

POZZEBON: They are touching papers, where they write their experiences and how they think modern slavery impacted their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was promised an offer I couldn't resist. My family was struggling and we needed an assist. Little did I know that (INAUDIBLE)

should be the end but the beginning of a mistake I would not be able to amend.

[15:50:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Freedom to me is more having a right to make your own choices and to have your voice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: They created a boulder with the message, what does freedom mean to you?

And responses are all over the rock, including self determination and power over your life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We plan to overpower (ph) slave owners can take advantage of more vulnerable groups and illegally smuggle or transport them

away to remote countries by tricking them or promising them something too good to be true.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right behind me, under this gigantic and beautiful (INAUDIBLE) campus, you can see about a dozen students from high school,

talking about modern day slavery, child trafficking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe the modern day slavery and human trafficking starts with people, very vulnerable nature, being forced to take very risky

opportunities.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) when I am on the pitch (ph) with all my family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel free when I swim.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we need to educate the younger generations on the signs of human trafficking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think our generation can take hold and actually make a positive decision about what we do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should work together to stop modern slavery.

Do we agree?

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Join CNN as we observe My Freedom Day, tell us what it means to you and share your message on social media using #MyFreedomDay. We will

be right back.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MACFARLANE: Finally tonight, I want you to take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE (voice-over): You might be thinking that voice sounds pretty familiar, just like rapper Eminem. That's actually David Guetta, the world-

renowned deejay, who has been experimenting with ChatGPT.

This song, which he has called "Emin-AI-em" -- get it?

While Guetta may not plan to release the song, it does raise some serious questions.

[15:55:00]

MACFARLANE: Vanessa Yurkevich sat down with David Guetta as he addressed those concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GUETTA, DEEJAY AND MUSICIAN: It's a bit of an ethical problem, because, when I'm using Eminem's voice, I don't think there's a law right

now about this.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Do you think there needs to be federal regulation around artificial intelligence?

GUETTA: Maybe not yet. I like that it's very free and open right now. But at some point, yes, the question has to be raised. I think AI is going to

be a huge influence on music.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: This just raises some alarming copyright warning signs in my head. But let's see what Eminem has to say about it, right?

Thank you so much for watching tonight, stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is coming up next.

END