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NEWS STREAM

Unrest Escalates in Ukraine; Egypt's Presidential Election; Thailand Military Coup; World Cup Security Preps; India's Historic Inauguration; Pope Francis in Jerusalem; California Deadly Rampage;

Aired May 26, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to NEWS STREAM where news and technology meet.

Ukraine's self-declared president promises to bring peace to the country's east just as gunmen seize the terminal at Donetsk Airport. Thailand's military chief says he has royal backing to lead the country. And the prime minister of Pakistan arrives in India to attend the swearing-in of his new Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

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STOUT: We begin in Eastern Ukraine, where we are hearing there have been gunshots fired in the volatile Donetsk region. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh says that the shots rang out near the airport there. He also says that there has been an explosion.

Now separatist gunmen took over the airport terminal building overnight. And this comes as the self-declared winner of Ukraine's presidential election is calling on Russia to help bring peace to Eastern Ukraine. Petro Poroshenko says he plans to meet with the Russian government in June.

Senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joins us now with more and joins us live from Donetsk.

Nick, first, very fluid situation at the Donetsk International Airport. What can you tell us?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, the intense clashes here for well over an hour we've been hearing in the distance from where I'm standing, very near the airport here. There have been exchanges of what sounds like large machine guns firing back at each other.

In fact, near where I'm standing, civilian house appears to be hit by a small caliber stray round. It took a large hole out of its roof. But the people here are extraordinarily concerned about what's been breaking out in the past hour.

According to one pro-Russian separatist I spoke to, who's eyewitness (INAUDIBLE) question, he said to me that this began when there were two strategic strikes, as he referred to it, near the airport by a jet, also helicopters in the air as well. That began the gunfire; that's also something which I heard another local tell me, was the case here.

I should point out we're still far from working out quite how these clashes began. But they're enormously significant, not only because hours ago Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president-elect, said he wants to pass and negotiate a way out of this, has already talked to Russia, was ready to talk to those indeed have blood on their hands, even amnesty them.

Here we're seeing intense clashes, the worst that this city has seen since the beginning of this crisis. It's one of the largest population centers in the capital, the largest (INAUDIBLE) have a stronghold and a key infrastructure, its airport is now the scene of a battleground. There has been black smoke billowing out from that area for the past few hours. A jet is still in the sky; we must believe it must be Ukrainian military and the reps keep saying were consistent automatic gunfire, periodic as though a battle on that particular area is continuing.

Locals are seen as bizarrely calm in many ways, and here another large caliber -- may just pause so you can actually hear it yourself.

STOUT: You're reporting intense clashes there in Donetsk.

So how can Poroshenko, Ukrainian's self-proclaimed new president manage the volatility and the separatist movement there?

Do you hear me, Nick?

WALSH: I hear you, Kristie. The difficulty here is the situation seems to flare out of control in totally unexpected directions. Just when you think a political or diplomatic solution is in sight. That's the fear. Petro Poroshenko has seemed in his press conference full of (INAUDIBLE) there a large explosion there now.

Petro Poroshenko, full of good intentions now, to try and talk to Moscow, to talk to those separatists here. But it seems this violence, whoever started it, is a huge game-changer in this area, a key infrastructure. It's near population centers. There have doubtless been some civilians called for at least terrified by the crossfire here. And we're really seeing this happen after a day yesterday, where it was impossible for many locals here to express their opinion in the presidential elections here, simply because the fear and intimidation tactics that have kept many polling stations closed.

Let's take a look at yesterday's report.

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WALSH (voice-over): This is what voters got in Donetsk City, a closed door at polling stations. This is what people power looked like at a pro- Russian rally in the very city center and it sounds like this.

Dozens of separatist militants on trucks, but one truck was different, full of gunmen from Chechnya. What you're about to hear is a startling insight into how involved Russia may be here. These men are not only Chechen, also Russian citizens, but one said he was a Russian policeman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): From Russian Federation, we're here to protect the interests.

QUESTION (from captions): Whose orders are you executing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): (Russian backed Chechen president) Kadyrov's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): Our own. We're volunteers.

QUESTION (from captions): Did you serve in Chechnya?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): Yes, We're Kadyrovtsy (Russian militants).

QUESTION (from captions): Which unit?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): That was (ph) earlier.

QUESTION (from captions): Police, right?

WALSH (voice-over): Vladimir Putin says these elections should be respected, but it's hard to imagine how a former and armed policemen from Brosna (ph) could have got here without Putin's government knowing about it.

Near Donetsk, people did try to vote but the ballot papers had been burned by separatists earlier.

WALSH: Well, the police guarding these polling stations say that during the course of the morning about 20 people have come here and tried to vote, but obviously they are unable to do anything here. The polling booths are not ready and the ballot papers burned outside; there have been no replacements sent.

Allegiances are changing fast, this the home of steel magnate billionaire, Rinat Akhmetov, a local power broker, besieged by protesters who wanted him handed over to separatists.

Militants here, not taking the house, but "protecting the people from danger," they claim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

WALSH (voice-over): Akhmetov's pockets are deep, but his influence waning. So few pro- Ukrainian voices now heard, the ground upon which any new Ukrainian president could take a stand shrinking fast.

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WALSH: Well, the key issue here, Kristie, is just, as I say, how volatile this situation is. It seems that sometimes the politicians here, certainly in their public statements, simply don't correspond to what's happening on the ground, (INAUDIBLE) Poroshenko conciliatory, also saying a very taut line against the separatists here that he calls terrorists, but here what's happening in front of me -- and you can hear that quite substantial burst of heavy gunfire there, large caliber weaponry being used here.

I don't know if you can hear that, Kristie, but we've been hearing noises like that for the past hour and a half now. And just down the road from where I am, in fact, armed men running away very fast, cars pulling away from this direction, certainly people in Donetsk deeply concerned about what comes next and that general feeling, while we see police around us. We don't know what allegiances they have and nobody really seems to, I think, know here quite who's fighting what at this point for whom. We know that the separatists moved into the airport at 3 o'clock this morning, took over, said they needed the Ukrainian army to pull back and at 7 o'clock this morning, according to the airport spokesman, position was taken to suspend flights in that airport.

We simply don't know what happened after that; we do know that I spoke to people for the pro-Kiev governor here, Serhiy Taruta. When this crisis all started, sounded very defiant about the airport as though it was a red line they were unwilling to see crossed by the separatists. It's a key part of the infrastructure here, certainly an international one with flights to Turkey and into Vienna (ph) from this particular city.

The question really being is there a political solution that stops this violence here immediately? Or are we seeing that worrying moment people were concerned about where higher authority, the leading figures, their statements aren't corresponding to what's actually happening on the ground, Kristie?

STOUT: Yes, is there a political solution in sight? As we heard just then, live on the line, the sound of gunfire behind you. You heard it just then. Nick Paton Walsh reporting there, live from Donetsk for us, thank you, Nick.

Let's turn now to the presidential election in Egypt. The polls have been open for several hours now and voters will have until tomorrow to elect a new leader. This is the country's first presidential vote since Mohammed Morsy was ousted by the military last year.

And the man who led that takeover, former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, is widely expected to win.

Our Reza Sayah is covering the vote from the Egyptian capital. He's near a polling station. He joins me now.

And, Reza, security is a big concern in this vote.

What's the latest?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, security is a concern on this election day. The good news is, relatively speaking, it's been peaceful and calm. However, within the past hour, authorities did tell us that an activist working for the campaign of the former army chief, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, was shot and killed in the city of Tarrasa (ph). We're working to find out more information on that incident to see if it was related to the voting and the campaigning.

But where we are here in Cairo, in front of one of the 25,000 polling stations that are open today and tomorrow in these elections, things are relatively calm, as you can see there's no line at this polling station. Earlier today, 9:00 am, when the polling stations opened, there was about 100 people here. But right now, no wait; earlier today, Abdul Fattah al- Sisi and his rival, the left-leaning politician, Hamdeen Sabahi, did cast their votes.

Why are we here?

Why is Egypt voting for a second time in two years for a president?

They're here because Egypt's first freely elected president last year, Mohammed Morsy, was opposed by Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in an incredible reversal of fortune, Mr. Sisi of course is favored to win and Morsy and his fellow Brotherhood leaders are in jail, facing a variety of charges. They still insist they're the rightful leaders of this country and what's happening here is the old Mubarak era figures and the so-called deep state, the military establishment has torpedoed the democratic process and are taking over, of course Mr. Sisi, his supporters and he's very popular. They deny this. They insist they are prepared to deliver the promises of the 2011 revolution. So a lot at stake here in this voting day -- Kristie.

STOUT: A lot at stake here, Reza; al-Sisi, as you said, is widely expected to win.

Would that lead to increased stability there in Egypt?

SAYAH: Well, that remains to be seen. I think to establish stability is he has to address what many describe as a low-level insurgency over the past couple of years, couple of months, a lot of IEDs, a lot of homemade bombs.

But the question is how is he going to establish security when essentially he has declared war over about 10 percent of the population; an estimated 10 percent of the population supports the Muslim Brotherhood. Of course, another key to stability is improving the economy. And the question is how is he going to improve the economy when he has to generate tax revenue and perhaps cut some of those all-important food and fuel subsidies that allotted for Egyptians depend on, a lot of work for Egypt's next leader.

STOUT: All right. Reza Sayah reporting live from a polling station there in Cairo, thank you, Reza.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. And still to come, a royal blessing in Thailand; the leader of the military coup says the king has formally endorsed him to run the country.

And India's next prime minister, Narendra Modi will be sworn in this hour. We'll have a live report on his historic inauguration.

Also Pope Francis concludes his visit to the Middle East. And we'll tell you how he spent the day that made history.

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STOUT: Welcome back. Now Thailand's military is maintaining its grip on power after seizing control in the coup last week. And today, the man who led protests against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government was released. He was among several political leaders detained after Thursday's coup.

Earlier, the head of the army announced that the king has formally endorsed his position as head of the military council that will run the country.

Thailand's coup leaders are keeping a tight lid on information. A broadcast media blackout went into effect shortly after last week's takeover. But controlling the voices of dissent online may prove a bigger challenge. The conversation is continuing on social media with protesters, journalists and observers all posting information, updates from inside the country.

But the military is reportedly starting to crack down on that as well. The Thai newspaper, "The Nation," reports that Internet providers have been told to block access to websites that violate the orders of the coup.

Let's get an update from the ground now. Paula Hancocks has been following events very closely for us, live in Bangkok. She joins us now.

And, Paula, can the Thai military stop these virtual and real-world anti- coup protests?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, we've just come away from one of those anti-coup protests. We certainly saw a greater military police present. Now it was still peaceful; it lasted just an hour or an hour and a half and then everybody went home before the curfew.

But certainly we are seeing a bigger presence. Now we did hear from General Prayuth earlier this Monday. He said that the protesters should not come out into the streets. And he said that at one point they will have to crack down on them. And certainly today was not that day; in fact, at one point the military personnel on the loudspeaker even said that as everyone was leaving, "See you tomorrow."

So they know that these protesters are going to continue coming onto the streets, saying things like they want democracy back; they want elections, chanting, "Get out!" to the military. But at this point, no violence on the streets.

STOUT: And what about cracking down on the virtual protests on social media? How much progress has the Thai military achieved on that front?

HANCOCKS: Well, this was specifically mentioned by the army chief this Monday morning in his press conference, where he was endorsed by the -- got the royal endorsement. He basically said that it was -- he wanted to warn people who were using social media not to incite protesters.

He also (INAUDIBLE) a fairly stern warning for the media, saying that if something was being said or done, that he did not think was appropriate or he thought might be inciting protesters, that he would not hesitate to bring individuals in.

So it was warning, probably for the local media but also there was some foreign media there, saying that he wanted to make sure that anyone using Twitter, using Facebook, was being very careful about what they were saying.

And of course the likes of CNN, BBC, are still blocked within Thailand. The local news stations are allowed to broadcast at this point. But they do have fairly clear rules, that they shouldn't be saying anything against this coup.

STOUT: And, Paula, that royal endorsement, now that the military has received that royal blessing, did that change perceptions at all in Thailand?

HANCOCKS: Not really. I mean, this is protocol. It's tradition for a royal endorsement to come for a coup. This is what happened in the past. This is what has to happen, obviously that the king is very much revered in Thailand. But for those protesters on the street, they're protesting against the coup, against the fact that they say their democratically elected government was dismantled and that the military stepped in. They want to see elections as soon as possible, for the royal endorsement, which is really just protocol, would not make a difference to them.

STOUT: OK. I understood. Paula Hancocks reporting live from Bangkok, thank you very much indeed for that update.

Tourism represents a huge slice of Thailand's economy. It's been hit hard by the recent turmoil. Saima Mohsin reports on how the country is coping.

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SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thailand's flag flies proudly above one of its most famous tourist attractions. But today, fewer tourists are walking through the doors of the Grand Palace. Although this is low season, there's concern that prolonged political unrest, martial law and now a coup are blunting the country's appeal.

Tourism accounts for about 20 percent of Thailand's GDP. Last year that translated into $73.8 billion and 2.5 million jobs.

Bookings from foreign tourists are down 21 percent since January, and that's before the coup. Those who are already here have had to change their plans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know if I was planning to go out shopping in the night market or go have a drink somewhere, I couldn't go out anywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wanted to try the Bangkok nightlife on a tour. It's a shame, that.

MOHSIN (voice-over): General Prayuth Chan-ocha has tried to control what's being seen and said about the coup by taking TV channels, including CNN, off air within Thailand. But scenes like these are still being beamed out around the world and a nighttime curfew is impacting both tourists and businesses.

Bangkok's nightlife is infamous and it's one of the many reasons tourists flock here from right around the world. Now usually these bars and clubs are open 24 hours a day. But because of the curfew, they're having to close and shut up shop early.

TIM RICHARDSON, GENERAL MANAGER, MOLLY MALONE'S: Even though the curfew does start at 10:00, we have to start finishing the night at about 8 o'clock just to get all the staff home on time.

MOHSIN (voice-over): The coup and curfew have led to the bar losing at least 50 percent of its business in the first few nights.

RICHARDSON: We do lose five hours of primetime trade every night, which is unrecoverable.

MOHSIN (voice-over): The coup is affecting everyone, from big business to daily wages, who rely on the tourist trade.

"I have seen it with my own eyes," this tuk-tuk driver tells me.

"When tourists come a lot, I can earn up to $32 a day. But now that's dropped to half."

He says he's not scared of the coup; he's scared of losing customers.

The impact on tourism in the future, now that people may be reluctant to come to Thailand, is the biggest concern, with at least 45 countries issuing travel advisories from words of caution to warnings not to come at all -- Saima Mohsin, CNN, Bangkok, Thailand.

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STOUT: And with TV coverage in Thailand restricted, CNN is committed to continue reporting on Thailand online. You'll find complete coverage of the situation in Thailand on CNN.com. You could also follow CNN's Paula Hancocks on Twitter, as she reports on the ground there in Bangkok.

Now as Brazil gears up to host the World Cup, you might expect the streets to be full of celebration and festivities. But after the break, we'll tell you why so many Brazilians are instead frustrated as some issues overshadow the upcoming football tournament.

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STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching NEWS STREAM.

Brazil is gearing up to play host to the World Cup in less than a month. And as of the upcoming 2016 Olympics in Rio, the tournament should be a time for Brazil to show off for the world. But unrest has become a major concern for authorities.

Shasta Darlington takes a look at their response.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With concerns over violent crime and protests and strikes on the rise, the government has finally come out with this World Cup security plan. They will deploy 157,000 soldiers and police during the month-long sporting event. These police will be patrolling the streets in the 12 cities where games will be played and also the cities where the teams will be stations.

All of this at a cost of about $850 million and really the announcement couldn't come too soon; not only is violent crime traditionally a problem in Brazil, especially in large cities like Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador, but there have been a growing number of strikes and of course protests that have turned violent. Just last month, for example, there were violent clashes between police and protesters just a few blocks down here on Copacabana Beach, a very touristy part of Rio de Janeiro. At the same time strikes across the country, there's strike -- a strike with police in the World Cup city of Recife; teachers around the country and bus drivers in Sao Paulo.

All of this at a time when you would expect Brazilians to be increasingly excited. If the World Cup were happening in any other country, they would likely already be out on the street, throwing parties, wearing their yellow and green shirts. Instead, they're worried about how much the government has spent; $11 billion to put this event together. And some people are also embarrassed about the delays, how behind they are in so many of the infrastructure projects. And of course that leaves us wondering when will that famous Brazilian football party start -- Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: You're watching NEWS STREAM. And still ahead, the pope makes waves in the Holy Land, trying to bridge divides between two long-time foes.

Plus India's next prime minister is being sworn in in the presence of some very important guests. We take you live to the ceremony next.

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STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching NEWS STREAM and these are your world headlines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT (voice-over): CNN reporters have heard an explosion and gunfire near the Donetsk International Airport in Ukraine. Overnight gunmen took over the terminal. The residents are being caught in the crossfire and large caliber weapons can be heard firing.

Unidentified military aircraft are flying overhead. Meanwhile billionaire businessman Petro Poroshenko has claimed victory as Ukraine's new president. The former politician leads the vote count. He says his first task will be to integrate Ukraine with Europe.

Thailand's military chief has announced that he has received royal approval to lead the country's ruling junta. General Prayuth Chan-ocha says the junta will form a committee to introduce reforms but didn't set a time period for elections. He also urged people to stop demonstrating warning that they face a possible military crackdown and prosecution.

Polls are open in Egypt for the first of two days of voting in the presidential election. The former army chief, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is expected to win easily. This is the first presidential election since the military ousted Mohammed Morsy last year.

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STOUT: It is a historic day for India as its new prime minister is being sworn in in New Delhi. Let's bring up live pictures from the ceremony for you. Narendra Modi, he is taking the oath of office as the 15th prime minister of the world's largest democracy. The ceremony due to take place and start very soon; for the first time leaders from across the South Asian region, they're there, including Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.

As you can hear, things are kicking off. But let's get more from our Sumnima Udas. She joins me now live from New Delhi.

Sumnima?

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, this is a very significant moment indeed. I'm just looking at the pictures right now. All the leaders, all the South Asian leaders have arrived; all the members of parliament, Narendra Modi, who will be sworn in any minute now, he has arrived and of course also the president of this country.

This whole swearing-in ceremony is taking place at the presidential palace because it's administered by the president of this country. It's a sprawling, beautiful area in the middle of the city, really a lot of security there. It's a big deal. It's the biggest inauguration ceremony that this country has ever seen as far as prime ministers' swearing-in ceremonies.

So there's a lot of excitement, a lot of optimism, what will happen essentially is Narendra Modi will first take an oath of office, an oath of secrecy, the president of India, again, will administer that oath. Then all his cabinet members will also take an oath of office, all of that should take about an hour and 10 minutes or so.

And then, of course, the national anthem, we're hearing that there's vans, navy, air force, army vans. They'll all be playing ceremonial music. The menu is strictly vegetarian because we know Narendra Modi is a strict vegetarian. He's Gujarati, most Gujaratis are vegetarian but some 4,000 guests there have arrived. And the guest list includes, again, celebrities, Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and of course all the members of parliament and the heads of state and the various prime ministers of South Asian countries.

But the one meeting that everyone will be watching for is the one between Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, and Narendra Modi. And that is, of course, supposed to happen tomorrow. Many people here calling this a diplomatic coup, that he's been able to invite in and bring in here. And of course he's already on a high after that historic win in the national elections.

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UDAS (voice-over): India is celebrating with drums, with firecrackers on the streets and at the stock market. The change in mood is because of this man, Narendra Modi, the runaway winner of the world's biggest election.

PIYUSH GOYAL, BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY: You suddenly see a mood of the nation to reinvest in India, to start, kickstart the investment cycle and I thought that was one of the biggest challenges.

UDAS (voice-over): That's the view from Modi's camp, but winning is the easy bit. Far greater challenges lie ahead. Modi has promised faster growth, more development, better infrastructure in the coming days. He'll need to begin delivering.

Modi will present a new budget in weeks. Some of his decisions might be unpopular, widening the cascade of cutting subsidies. But most of all, he will be judged on whether he can create jobs; 100 million Indians turned 18 in the last five years. This was their first election. Once they hit the job market, Modi will need all those promises and more to come good.

And then there are the unknowns, the infamous 3:00 am call. On Friday, India's consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, came under fire; four men armed with machine guns and grenades. They were eventually repelled.

But for Modi, it was a stark reminder that leading the world's biggest democracy comes with challenges, not just at home but abroad as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UDAS: As you can expect, Kristie, security's very, very tight. Some 10,000 security personnel have been deployed there. There are snipers. There's commandos. There's air patrolling. The whole entire area has been cordoned off and is a no-fly zone -- Kristie.

STOUT: Security is very tight there. There are thousands of guests there in attendance, including a number of regional leaders in the Asia Pacific region.

Could you tell us more about Mr. Modi? Tell us more about his track record and not what he could but what he can, in fact, bring for the future of India?

UDAS: Well, Narendra Modi has really been pitching what he has, was able to do in his state of Gujarat for the past 10-12 years. He was the chief minister there; we're talking about growth levels of 10 percent growth, which is a lot more than what we've been seeing in India. And he's really been promising to take India back to that kind of trajectory, to really focus on development, to really focus on infrastructure. And there's a lot of people here who voted for him precisely because of that, particularly the aspirational youth here. And as we've been seeing right now with this invitation to the Pakistani prime minister, that Narendra Modi is willing to take risks, is willing to sort of put bureaucracy and protocol on the sidelines and really turn everything on its head to just get things done and do things differently. And that's what we're seeing with Narendra Modi right now. He's been showing that time and again with everything that he's doing in the past few days.

So clearly a lot of optimism here; there were a lot of people who had doubts about him, who were apprehensive and many, I'm sure, are still apprehensive. But for the most part, Kristie, a lot of optimism in India.

STOUT: Now Narendra Modi was once denied a U.S. visa. I'm curious, is there a delegation from the United States there at the inauguration ceremony?

And what would U.S. -India relations look like under Mr. Modi?

UDAS: His visa was actually revoked. He already had a visa. But after those riots in 2000, when the riots happened in 2002, but in 2005, his visa was revoked by the U.S.

Now there is a U.S. delegation at this ceremony. It's just the South Asian leaders, heads of state, prime ministers, leaders like Hamid Karzai from Afghanistan, Mahinda Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka, so Modi really showing that he wants to work with his neighbors first and showing that especially these smaller countries, countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka, showing that he wants to -- that they are a priority for him.

No American delegate, once again, perhaps there's an ambassador; we hear all the ambassadors from all the countries in New Delhi have been invited - - Kristie.

STOUT: And it looks like that proceedings are about to begin. Let' s listen in.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the honorable president of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi.

(APPLAUSE)

NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA: (Speaking foreign language).

STOUT (voice-over): And there you're watching a historic day for India as it swears in a new prime minister, Narendra Modi, the 15th prime minister of India, the world's largest democracy. We have our colleague, Sumnima Udas, joining us live. She's also watching events there in New Delhi.

And remind us how we got to this point, Sumnima. I mean, Modi, he won with a very huge mandate. There was a significant turnout in this election that brought him to this moment to be inaugurated as the new leader of India.

What did people in India expect from their new leader?

UDAS: People expect a huge amount from him actually, Kristie. After 10 years of one government, the Congress government with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the head, a lot of people here were looking for some kind of change. We've also seen the country was actually doing really, really well economically for the past -- first eight years really, and then past 2-3 years, we've seen the economy really slow down. So a lot of optimism, a lot of expectation around Narendra Modi, particularly because of what he was able to do in his own home state of Gujarat, where economic growth was at about 10 percent; that's almost double of what we're seeing in India right now. During his election campaign, it's been such an aggressive election campaign. He's been promising to bring those growth levels back. He kept saying to people that give me 60 days, just 60 days. That's -- of course he's equating it to the 60 years that the Congress Party got. He said in 60 days I will bring India back to where you want it to be. Of course, now it might be a bit optimistic right now, but certainly there is a lot of hope around Narendra Modi.

STOUT: We just watched Narendra Modi sign in; he's been taking the oath of office, being sworn in as the newest leader, the 15th prime minister of India. Sumnima Udas reporting live from New Delhi, thank you very much indeed for that.

Now Pope Francis, right now he is in Jerusalem. It's his final stop in the three-day visit to the Middle East. He had a slate of political and religious encounters on the agenda, including meetings with the city's Grand Mufti as well as chief rabbis.

He also prayed at the Western Wall, known as the Wailing Wall. That's considered Judaism's holiest site.

Let's go over to our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson. He joins us live in Jerusalem.

And Ivan, tell us more about what's happening today, the last day of the pope's Middle East tour.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, as you pointed out, Kristie, he's continued, Pope Francis, with his interfaith message, since he has brought along with him an Argentinian rabbi and Muslim sheikh, friends of his from his native Argentina. And so on this day, the final day of his Middle East tour, he visited the most holy site in Judaism, the Western Wall and prayed there.

He also visited the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, removing his shoes while entering there as is the Muslim tradition. Of course, that's an incredibly important place and holy place for the Islamic religion.

He then went on to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, where he participated in a very emotional ceremony there, where at one point it did look like perhaps he was starting to cry, to choke up. And he kissed the hands of Holocaust survivors. And throughout a day of meetings with the most senior Israeli political leaders as well as very high-ranking Jewish religious leaders, he repeated a theme over and over again, denouncing anti-Semitism and all other forms of discrimination and expressing shame about the Holocaust and the deaths of millions and millions of Jews in Europe.

In addition to reaching out and reinforcing ties between Israel and Jews and the Vatican, we have to recall that he has tried to inject new life into the faltering peace process between Israelis and Palestinians that yesterday Pope Francis issued an invitation to both the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, and the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, to come meet him together at the Vatican, both offices have welcomed that initiative, though when it could happen, that's not entirely clear yet.

And also there's a question there, for instance Shimon Peres will be stepping down from office in about two months, though this could be a good gesture, such a meeting between the Palestinian and Israeli leaders. The question is how much really power and political heft could the outgoing President Peres really bring to the negotiating table? That's a question that has yet to be resolved -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right. CNN's Ivan Watson reporting live from Jerusalem, thank you very much indeed for that.

Now up next, in California, a college town is in mourning as new details emerge on that terrifying mass murder that left seven people dead.

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STOUT: Welcome back.

(INAUDIBLE) California college town is reeling after a shooting rampage took the lives of six people. The suspect, Elliot Rodger, is also dead. Authorities are combing through 137 pages of his writings. In them, the shooter rails against women, saying he would destroy all the beautiful girls he desire in life but who had rejected him.

Just minutes before Rodger began his murders, he emailed his parents. They tried to stop him, but they could not reach him in time.

CNN's Sara Sidner joins us now from Santa Barbara, California.

Sara, a horrific series of shootings there in this college town. What more have you learned about the victims?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We can tell you now that we know all the names of all six victims who have died. And you also must remember, there are 13 others who were injured; most were shot. Some were rammed by his car. But we're hearing more about the three victims, the last to be identified, who were all stabbed to death inside the suspect's apartment.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shots fired. Shots fired.

SIDNER (voice-over): All six victim in Elliot Rodger's killing rampage have now been identified. Rodger's roommates, 20-year-old Cheng Hong and 19-year-old George Chen, found dead with multiple stab wounds inside the gunman's Isla Vista apartment along with another man, 20-year-old Weihan Wang. The three men, students of the University of California Santa Barbara, were, police say, Rodger's first victims before taking off in his black BMW to this sorority house.

KYLE SULLIVAN, NEIGHBOR: I saw a gunshot wound to her abdomen and like on her side and also one to her head.

SIDNER (voice-over): This is where police say he shot 22-year-old Katherine (ph) Cooper and 19-year-old Veronika Weiss, killed right in the front yard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (from captions): We need a second ambulance for another gunshot wound.

SIDNER (voice-over): Less than two blocks away, Rodger opens fire again at the IV Deli Mart, according to officials, killing 20-year-old student Christopher Martinez. Surveillance video captured customers diving and scrambling for cover as the bullets flew.

RICHARD MARTINEZ, VICTIM'S FATHER: I'll never have another child. And he's gone.

SIDNER (voice-over): CNN's Kyung Lah spoke to Chris' father, who blames the government for a lack of gun control.

MARTINEZ: I can't tell you how angry I am. It's just awful. And no parent should have to go through this.

No parent, to have a kid die? My kid died because nobody responded to what occurred in Sandy Hook. Those parents lost little kids. It's bad enough that I lost my 20-year old, but I had 20 years with my son. That's all I'll have.

SIDNER (voice-over): Rodger's shooting spree, injuring over a dozen more before, according to police, the 22-year old took his own life.

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SIDNER: And you hear that absolute devastation in the father of Christopher Martinez's voice, talking about gun violence.

But I do also want to talk about another aspect, because some of the students on campus are actually talking about the fact that they don't believe anything could have been done when it comes to stopping this because the suspect used everything he could to try to take revenge on society, not only guns, but his knives to kill his roommates and his car to try to run people over -- Kristie.

STOUT: Such terrible loss there in Isla Vista, California. Sara Sidner reporting, thank you.

You're watching NEWS STREAM. We'll be back right after the break.

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STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching NEWS STREAM.

Let's take you back to Donetsk in Ukraine, where senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is there. He has been reporting gunfire and an explosion heard earlier near the international airport of Donetsk. He joins us now live on the line.

Nick, what's the latest?

WALSH: It's clear there's a full-scale fight for this airport is underway. And what we've been hearing are heavy exchanges of gunfire, explosions, heavy weapons clearly being used. The pro-Russian separatist militants who've been growing here in number have sent in a lot of reinforcements, fighting two groups of about 60 moving in from one direction towards the airport.

These are very well equipped men, moving with some degree of discipline and experience. And the question now exactly is how did this start? According to the spokesperson for what the Ukranian government calls its anti-terror operation, he said on his Facebook page that ultimatum was given by the Ukranian government to those separatists inside the airport.

Remember, they went in at 3 o'clock in the morning, told the Ukrainian army unless they leave, they would hold the airport and then fight suspended from 7:00 am. The ultimatum from the Ukranian government was they should surrender their arms and move out by 1 o'clock local time today. Obviously, that didn't happen; the Facebook post for the Ukrainian official goes on to say there's a (INAUDIBLE) debate and warning shots were fired from SU-25 jet. That will be the jet we saw flying and circling around the city and the airport in the past few hours, but now appears to have moved away.

Apparently that sparked an intense gunfire and they -- the Ukrainian officials are saying that their actions are all aimed at stabilizing the situation. I have to say, there were a lot of locals here, speak favorably of the separatists and actually in one house we ran to, spokesman whose neighboring house had been hit by stray heavy caliber shell, putting a hole in the roof. He was clearly pro-separatist here.

So the military actions, whoever initiated them, whatever the start of this was and whoever's gaining the upper hand -- and I should say by sheer strength of number of what we've seen around the airport, maybe on the side by the Ukrainians' arms it does appear that the pro-Russian separatists are here in substantial number.

But this wider context, Kristie, is the worst violence certainly to hit Donetsk City and that is a main population center of Donetsk region. And of course it comes hours after Ukrainian President-Elect Petro Poroshenko said that he would like to perhaps negotiate with Moscow, would like to amnesty those that have blood on their hands.

Instead, we are seeing very high levels of violence, near very high population centers at a key infrastructure place for this big city. It flies to Istanbul, to Vienna. It's now under siege; black smoke has been billowing from it and periodically we hear heavy explosions and gunfire echoing from nearby -- Kristie.

STOUT: Smoke rising in the air there in Donetsk where separatist sentiment is strong. Nick Paton Walsh reporting live on the scene, thank you, Nick.

And that is NEWS STREAM. But the news continues at CNN. "WORLD BUSINESS TODAY" is next.

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