20
Kasich Also Frops Out; North Korea's Ruling Communist Party Preparing
for First Congress in 36 Years; Strong Winds Making It Hard for
Firefighters Combating Wildfire in Canada; Australian Defense
Officials Say Top ISIS Recruiter Killed in Air Strike; Japanese Auto
Parts Maker Takata Recalling 40 Million More Airbags in U.S.; Several
European Countries Rejecting E.U. Proposal to Ease Mgrant Crisis.
Aired 3-4a ET - Part 1>
[03:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: ... for two minutes for holocaust remembrance day. The names of Jews the Nazi's murdered will be read out loud and officials will lay a wreath of Warsaw Ghetto Square and Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to holocaust victims.
I want to pause for this remembrance as soon as we hear this siren and we will wait through those two minutes as that siren sounds.
(SIREN SOUND)
CHURCH: Israel pausing and remembering the holocaust there. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is making a solemn vow, "There will never be another holocaust."
He spoke Wednesday night at a memorial ceremony broadcast across Israel. And he said quote, "The disaster that came upon our people must not happen again.' Mr. Netanyahu also called on Jews to fight against anti-Semitism around the world.
Well, Israel is also dealing with new violence Hamas. Defense official say the Air Force targeted four Hamas sites in northern Gaza overnight after Hamas repeatedly fired artillery rounds at Israel forces.
Hamas military sources tell CNN they fired six rounds at Israeli troops near the Gaza border.
Well, now we want to turn to the war in Syria. And the top U.N. official says intentional attacks on hospitals and using starvation as a weapon amount to war crimes.
The undersecretary for political affairs tells the Security Council those responsible should be referred to the international criminal court in the Hague. He made the comments after the U.S. and Russia agreed to extend the cessation of hostilities to Aleppo.
One human rights group says the ongoing clashes there between the army and rebels are the fiercest they've been in a year. The U.S. and Russia are now monitoring the situation in Syria to see if this fragile cessation of hostilities will stick.
Our Frederik Pleitgen has been traveling with Russian troops in Syria and has this report.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russia's air force still flying missions at a high pace. We saw more than a dozen strike aircraft and fighters take off within only a few hours. A top official says they're intensifying pressure on ISIS.
(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
"Russian aviation was at work today in Raqqa," he says, also in eastern Syria in Deir ez-Zor. In total, Russian aviation carried out 87 sorties in the past four days."
[03:05:03] While the Russian Air Force has withdrawn several aircraft in the past months, it's ramped up other assets. Deploying in advance MI-28 gunships that have already seen combat action.
Despite Russia's announcement that it would withdraw most of its forces from here from Syria, they maintain a fleet of strike aircrafts and fighter jets showing that Russia is still very much capable of playing a decisive role in the Syria conflict.
The Russians took us to what they say was the signing of a local reconciliation agreement near the town of Hamas. Russian military say they're working closely with the U.S. to also make a ceasefire in Aleppo work to finally halt the blood shed there. The general says, so far cooperation with the U.S. has been positive.
(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
"The coordination over air operations is going well," he says. In the past month, a national reconciliation frank and professional contacts have been established. We share a lot of information."
On May 9th, Russia will mark its national holiday, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany. A parade will also be held at the air base, even featuring Syrian troops. But while Russia celebrates past victories, a clear end to its intervention in Syria's Civil War still seems illusive.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, at the Khmeimim Air Base, Syria.
CHURCH: There's word from Cambria that an Australian who was a top recruiter for ISIS has been killed in an air strike in Iraq. Neil Christopher Prakash appeared in propaganda videos and magazines asking men, women, and children to join ISIS and encouraging acts of terrorism.
Australian defense official say he was killed in an air strike in Mosul on Friday. And Friday will mark one of the biggest events in decades for North Korea's government.
The ruling party Congress is seen as a chance for Kim Jong-un to show he's still firmly in charge. The state-run newspaper is keeping praise on him calling him a great son of the 21st century. And North Koreans throughout the capital are working tirelessly to get ready.
Will Ripley reports.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pyongyang's morning commute begins an hour early these days. Loud speakers wake people up at 5 a.m. instead of 6. The usual six-day work week, now seven. North Korea nearing the end of what they call a 70-day battle preparing for a once in a generation political gathering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HYAN UN MI, PYONGYANG RESIDENT: We do best for the building the thriving country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: Hyan Un Mi says she hasn't taken a day off in more than two months. She's full time tour guide and on a work crew refurbishing Kim il-Sung stadium, one of countless improvement project in a 70-day national campaign.
Everything we're seeing right now here in Pyongyang is the result of months of work from the rehearsals for the mass demonstrations that will take place to the tens of thousands of flowers that are planted along every boulevard.
Now that the international media has been invited in, the North Korean government wants to make sure that every detail is picture perfect. Millions of North Koreans acting on orders from their highest authority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UN MI: Leader Kim Jong-un is our father, just like our father and just like mother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: The supreme leader wasn't even born when the last party Congress happened 36 years ago. But ahead of his own gathering, repeated shows of force, a purported H-bomb test in January.
A satellite launch in February. And this missile launch last month along with three apparent mid-range missile test failures triggering international condemnation and some of the strongest U.N. sanctions ever.
But each successful test also allows the young leader to project power at home. Ahead of North Korea's most important political gathering since 1980s. Three thousand party members arriving in Pyongyang for Friday's seventh Workers Party Congress.
This reads "Great Party, Motherly Party." And it's one of literally hundreds of political banners that have gone up all over Pyongyang. You can't turn a corner here without a reminder of what's happening this week. Observers believe Kim will use the Congress to consolidate his power and reinforce his plan, defying the international community by continuing to grow his nuclear arsenal.
While also trying to grow the North Korean economy, despite crippling international sanctions. Many outsiders doubt the two goals are compatible and say they'll only lead to further isolation and hardship. But inside this tightly controlled world, doubt is not an option. All people can do is keep working.
[03:10:00] Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang.
CHURCH: No one is left standing between Donald Trump and the republican nomination for the U.S. presidency. His last rival dropped out Wednesday. John Kasich had said he would keep running even after significant loss in the Indiana primary Tuesday night. By Wednesday, he apparently told friends his heart was not in it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KASICH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have always said that the lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone. And as I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And Trump says Kasich is doing the right thing by dropping out and that he might even consider him as a running mate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would be interested in getting John. I like John. I have a good relationship with John. I've gotten along with him well. But John will whether he is vice president or not I think he'll be very, very helpful with Ohio.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And on the democratic side, Hillary Clinton says she's ready to run against Trump. But as Jeff Zeleny reports, Bernie Sanders is still in the race and not all of his backers are willing to shift their support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think we can take a risk on a loose cannon like Donald Trump running our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, Hillary Clinton is sharpening her battle plan for Donald Trump and zeroing in on two words to describe him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: He is a loose cannon. He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: She told Anderson Cooper she wouldn't be intimidated by Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Oh, please, I mean, look, this is -- this is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the republicans because they were just dumb founded.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: The race hasn't officially started. She's still contending with Bernie Sanders. But the campaign is suddenly making a sharp turn to the general election. She starts with considerable advantages, leading Trump by 13 points in a new CNN/ORC poll.
She has the edge on a host of issues, including immigration and foreign policy. On the economy, Trump has the upper hand. And that's the issue 9 out of 10 voters say is the most important. But for now, she's still keeping one you on Sanders...
BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
ZELENY: ... who's vowing to stay in the race after winning the Indiana primary Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: I understand that Secretary Clinton thinks that this is over. I've got some bad news for her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: But there is bad news for Sanders, too. He's short on time and delegates. His uphill climb has become an all but impossible task. That doesn't mean his supporters will fall easily into line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: If Hillary Clinton wins becomes the democratic nominee, can you support her?
CHRISTINA BOLLINGER, SANDERS SUPPORTER: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
ZELENY: Not. Why not?
BOLLINGER: I don't trust her. It's everything from Benghazi to Iraq to who she accepts money from. I would rather four years of Trump than four to eight years of Clinton, period. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Sanders says he would not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: I know that all over this country there is a fear that Donald Trump will be elected president of the United States.
(APPLAUSE)
(CROWD BOOING)
I am here to tell you that won't happen.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Now, as long as Sanders talks like that about Donald Trump, the Clinton campaign doesn't mind him staying race, they believe it gives Hillary Clinton more time to prepare for Donald Trump.
The democrats are watching his tone very carefully, afraid of him possibly damaging her for the general election. If he does, democrats will weigh in even President Obama might finally give his opinion on this race.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.
CHURCH: Joining me now from Washington is CNN political commentator, Matt Lewis, he is a conservative and writer and author of the book "Too Dumb to Fail, How the GOP Portrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections,"
Thank you, sir, for talking with us.
MATT LEWIS, "TOO DUMB TO FAIL" AUTHOR: Thank you.
CHURCH: So, the big question now is how can Donald Trump unify the Republican Party? Many big republican names already refusing to go to the convention.
LEWIS: Yes. I don't think this is as big a problem as we think it is. You know, there are prominent republicans and conservatives who are going to hold off supporting Donald Trump and I know that looks bad. But I don't think this is a phenomenon that really reaches out to rank and file republican voters.
So, I think it probably looks worse to the media than it actually is. It's not -- I don't think it's that concerning.
[03:15:02] But I think maybe the way that he can do it is with his vice presidential selection. If he selects somebody who is respected, confident, that might reassure some republicans who are hesitant about supporting him. CHURCH: Interesting you should mention that. Because of course, Trump the ultimate outsider, is looking for the ultimate insider for his running mate. But we're hearing some picks are already saying they're not interested. Who do you foresee as a strong candidate who might say yes to Trump?
LEWIS: Well, look, I think that, you know, that this is there are really three moments during a presidential general election that matter. You've got the debates, you've got the convention and then you've got the running mate selection.
And that's maybe the most important because it's a governing pick as well as a political pick. And sometimes a running mate can solve problems. So, I think if Donald Trump is concerned most about being able to attack Hillary Clinton, maybe he picks woman.
If he's most concerned about winning, let's say, Ohio, he might want to pick John Kasich, the governor of Ohio who won that state in the primary. But if he's most concerned about credibility and someone with a gravitas, that is going to be the hard one for him because -- you know, people in that category -- let's think of Stanley McCrystal, you know, a famous general who would certainly lend a lot of gravitas and reassure a lot of people who are skeptical of Trump.
Those people in that magnitude maybe hesitant to join the Trump campaign. So, it's going to be hard for him to find somebody who solves that problem.
CHURCH: And anyway, history shows that people generally don't vote for the V.P., do they? They don't go on board with that, but it is a critical choice. And of course the latest CNN/ORC national poll has Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump by about 13 points.
There's already talk that some republicans may very well vote for Clinton rather than Trump, which is extraordinary. How does he turn that around and what is it exactly about Trump that's turning off some republican voters?
LEWIS: Well, I think it's the fact that he's not a conservative. I mean, if you down a list of things that Donald Trump has been on both sides of every issue. And if you are a conservative who cares deeply about any number of issues, maybe it's the right to life, maybe it's a national defense, you know, America playing sort of a role, you know, as being a beacon of hope in the world, whatever it is.
Donald Trump has probably been on both sides of the issue. So, there are like legitimate reasons for conservatives not to support him. But again, I think that this is sort of an elite problem.
So, the people who are -- who are vowing to never support Trump are mostly people who are, you know, intellectual, people who care deeply about conservative philosophy. I think the average American, the average person who might vote for Trump just, you know, they're tired of illegal immigrants taking their jobs.
They're tired of trade deals that they think benefit China and not America. And so, I think that Trump can really, you know, win this by running a populous campaign and sort of reaching out to those Americans who feel left behind.
CHURCH: All right. Matt Lewis, thanks so much for joining us as we move into this next phase. Very interesting it will be. It's sort of a semi general election phase, isn't it? We'll see what happened.
LEWIS: It is. Thank you.
CHURCH: Many thanks.
Well, thousands of people in Canada are grabbing whatever they can and hitting the road to escape a wild fire tearing through parts of northern Alberta. We'll have an update for you just ahead.
[03:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley with your CNN World Sports headlines.
Two years we're meeting in the Champions League final round, Real Madrid will yet again face local rivals Atletico in European football showcase event. Real and Man City played out goalless rule in the first leg of their semifinal, and there would be only one goal in this one.
Twenty minutes in Gary failed the strike deflected off Fernando for what would be proving to be the winning goal. Real will hope to replicate that success against Atletico in the Champions League as they beat them in the final two years ago and knocked them out of the 2015 quarter finals.
Chelsea and Tottenham have both been charged with England's Football Association for failing to control their players and staff. It follows the ugly Melee at the end of Monday's match at Stanford Bridge. Spurs threw away a two-goal lead to concede the title to Leicester City.
Tottenham fielder Mousa Dembele is the only individual name after replay seem to show poking Diego Costa in the eye.
And we're now just three months away from the opening ceremony to the Rio Olympics and there is more bad news for the credibility of drug testing facilities across the world. South Africa doping control laboratory has become the fourth lab in the last month to be suspended. An appeal can now be made within 21 days of the lab being notified.
And that's a look at all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.
CHURCH: Strong winds are making it hard for firefighters in Canada to battle a huge wild fire. Authorities have put the province of Alberta under a state of emergency. And here's a look from above. You can actually see a smoke cloud enveloping a community with flames close behind.
CNN meteorologist, Jennifer Gray has the latest on the evacuations. JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Big flames tower over residential area in Alberta, Canada. Instead of welcoming people to Fort McMurray, authorities are scrambling to evacuate the city's 80,000 residents. The uncontrolled wildfire has already consumed some 10,000 hectares of lands, businesses and homes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOANNE BATES, FORT MCMURRAY RESIDENT: While it's a disaster and I find that it's not fair. They didn't even let us take our things and when we ask so we lost everything there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY: It's the largest fire-related evacuation in Alberta's history. At least one suburb is believed to be 80 percent destroyed, consumed by flames.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARBY ALLEN, WOOD BUFFALO REGIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF: It's been the worst day of my career. And I am -- you know, the whole -- the people here are devastated, everyone is devastated, the community is going to be devastated. This is going to go on. This is going to take us a while to come back from.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY: The blaze began Sunday, fuelled by high temperatures and winds. It quickly became an inferno. More than 100 firefighters and emergency workers are working to contain the fire. But weather conditions making it upheld battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT LONG, ALBERTA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Bad news does not get better with time. It's based on the wild fire reports, the conditions and we don't want that to happen, obviously we're working towards that, preventing that but it is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY: It's too soon to know the full financial impact the fire will have on the community and the government. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised his support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I want you to know that our government and all Canadians will stand by you and support you now and when it is time to rebuild.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY: Support that will likely be needed for months to come. Jennifer Gray, CNN, Atlanta.
CHURCH: And our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam joins us now to give us an idea of whether there's any relief in sight with the weather.
[03:24:59] DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, earlier this week, temperatures were 16 degrees Celsius above average for this time of year with strong gusty winds, prime condition for brush fire like this. There are cooler weather -- there is cooler weather coming their way but into the end of the weekend, it heats right back up again, Rosemary.
We'll give a full forecast for Fort McMurray. But I want to first show you what social media has been lighting up with in terms of media pictures. Take a look at this. This is coming from Fort McMurray. Terrifying moments for the residents starting to seek refuge and evacuate.
Remember, almost 90,000 people. But let's put it in perspective using Googler and look how cozy. This is a three-day time span using Google earth and some GIS software. Just how quickly this fire engulfed Fort McMurray. This is the city right here.
And one thing I want you to notice, if we can get it a little closer, this is Highway 63. And notice how that's also been cut off near Fort McMurray, that's where the fire over spread that region. So, really the residents only had one option and that was to travel north away from the city.
So, time will tell if that wraps around over that northern section of Fort McMurray. And if that will cut off that one lone remaining evacuation route for this region. This is an aerial image of the fire just to give you an idea just how expansive this is. And you can start to see how the smoke cloud starts to reach a level where it starts to spread out in all direction.
That's actually the stratosphere, believe it or not, 45,000 feet in the air, 13,000 kilometers in the air that as high as some of highest volcanic ash plumes ever recorded. So, this is major fire, it's significant for Canada. They are calling it one of the worst.
And even to put this into further perspective, they've already burned 10,000 hectares. That's comparable to the size of Hong Kong Island or even half of Manhattan. That's about 100 square kilometers.
So, what is causing the heat and the wild fire conditions while it's this ridge of high pressure that's bringing warmth north. We've even had record highs into the Seattle, Washington area.
Now take a look at this. Overnight hours, we think temperatures should cool off quite dramatically and they have. But at this moment in time, Fort McMurray is actually warmer than Los Angeles and here at the CNN World Weather Center.
On Tuesday, May 3rd, and they were 33 degrees. That is 16 degrees above where they should be. Now this starts to break down. We got some relief. So, I think the narrow window of time for the firefighters is within the next 24 hours. But unfortunately, the four-day forecast shows a warming trend.
We do have temperatures rebounding. And to the upper 20s, if you see Fort McMurray they are 28 degrees by Saturday. And that's when we expect the winds to pick up once again. So, there's that very narrow window of time for them to execute and try to get a handle on this fire as quickly as possible.
CHURCH: Hopefully they can do that in that little bit of time they have.
DAM: I agree.
CHURCH: All right, Derek, thanks so much. I appreciate it.
Well, the crisis over potentially deadly airbags has increased into the largest recall in U.S. history.
Coming up, how long it will take until the faulty devices can all be replaced? We'll have a live report. Stay with us.
[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: A warm welcome back to our viewers from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. It is time of course to check the main stories we have been following this hour.
Donald Trump's last rival for the republican presidential nomination is out of the race. There is John Kasich suspended his campaign Wednesday. He had pledged to keep running despite a dismal showing in the Indiana primary. A source said Kasich had a change of heart on his way to fundraisers on Wednesday.
Australian defense officials say one of the ISIS' top recruiters is dead killed in an air strike. They say Neil Christopher Prakash was killed in Mosul on Friday. The Australian appeared in ISIS propaganda encouraging supporters to carry out acts of terror.
North Korea's ruling Communist Party is preparing for its first Congress in 36 years. The country's highest political gathering beginning Friday in Pyongyang. Many outside the country see it as an opportunity for Kim Jong-un to show he's still firmly in charge.
Japanese auto parts maker, Takata is recalling up to 40 million more airbags in the U.S. because of a risk they could explode. Now, that brings the total number of faulty airbags in the U.S. to 69 million.
Safety officials say there won't be enough replacement airbags for all the cars that need them until 2019. The airbags have been tied to at least 10 U.S. deaths and more than 100 injuries.
This victim, Stephanie Erdman, was injured after a piece of metal shot through her faulty airbag and embedded itself in her right eye. And listen as a highway safety official explains how the explosions happened. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK R. ROSEKIND, NHTSA ADMINISTRATOR: The root cause is a combination of time, environmental moisture and high temperature fluctuations that contribute to the degradation of the ammonium nitrate repellant in the inflators.
In the event of an airbag -- in the event of an airbag deployment, this degradation can cause a repellant to burn too quickly, which creates too much pressure and can rupture the inflated module and send dangerous shrapnel through the airbag and potentially injuring or killing vehicle occupants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: I want to bring in our Andrew Stevens now who is monitoring this story from Hong Kong. Andrew, it is shocking and a real concern. Takata essentially admitting it can't keep up with replacing all these faulty airbags. What will this mean for car owners who may have to wait up to three years to get us to vehicle?
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the main thing sure that they're going to be driving these cars around the place, Rosemary, with these faulty airbags which could explode. Now the NHSTA, the National Highway Safety Transportation Association does say it's better to have an airbag than no airbag at all.
But you're right. It's very, very slow process to replace and the numbers really are staggering. I mean, 69 million airbags need be replaced. That doesn't necessarily mean one for one as far the number of vehicles are concerned because some vehicles ultimately have more than one airbag. But it is still millions and millions of vehicles which will have to be recalled.
And if you think since the first recalled for some 29 million or so, only about 8.5 million new bags have been installed. It just takes a long time, Rosemary. And Takata has said that we want to get ahead of the curve in this. What we are focusing now in talks with the safety regulators, these airbags which don't have a drying agent.
[03:35:05] Basically it's called the desiccant that something that keeps the inside of the airbag dry and that has been the root of the problem, I think. The fact that the moisture has got in there and over time it's led to this degradation of the bag of the mechanism which leads to these explosions, these premature explosions, if you like, of the airbag which sends these shards of metal into the front of someone who's driving.
