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CNN International: Elon Musk Courts Chinese Electric Vehicle Market; Protesters in Georgia March Against Foreign Agents Bill; South Africa Marks 30 Years Since End of Apartheid; English Premier League Title Down to Two Teams, Man City and Arsenal. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 29, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Prince Harry and wife Meghan will travel to Nigeria next month. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be meeting with service members during their stay and will discuss possibly bringing the Invictus Games to Nigeria.

Elon Musk spent time courting officials and other influential figures in the highly competitive electric vehicle market in China over the weekend. Musk shared online that he met with Premier Li Qiang on Sunday.

Tesla has been losing ground to China due to innovative local options. CNN's Marc Stewart is at the Beijing Auto Show in front of one of those options -- Marc.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Max, this is a very competitive market here in China. This is astounding. There are more than 200 EV makers. Chances are not all of them are going to survive. And then you also have Elon Musk and Tesla into the mix.

We are at the exhibition space for Xiaomi. It's a tech company here in China. This is really one of the hot spots. This is a company known for cell phones and for household appliances, but now it's made a car. This is its entry vehicle, the SU7. Yes, it is fast. It is aerodynamic. Its battery has a very long life.

But what really makes this car unique is the electronic system inside. You really can coordinate your entire lifestyle through this car. That includes turning the lights on and off in your home, even the coffee maker.

So this is a very competitive time for car makers like Xiaomi. They need to stand out and for good reason, because right now, if we look at the Chinese EV market, there is an oversupply. The Chinese economy is very uncertain, not to mention in some parts of the world, there's just a lack of interest in EVs.

Over there is the Ford exhibit. There's a very sleek Ford Bronco, but it's not getting nearly as much attention as the Chinese brands.

And now we have Elon Musk in this mix. As you mentioned, he met with the Chinese premier. He has a very successful factory in Shanghai and would like for things to continue.

But there have been some security issues, a familiar theme we hear between the U.S. and China. He sat down with the premier to try to make a more agreeable business environment, and it seems like that has occurred.

And to be honest with you, China really does need players like Tesla. It needs more foreign dollars. So to hear that some kind of agreement has been reached is not a big surprise.

But for these Chinese car makers that are here at the show, entering the U.S. market is probably going to be a lot more difficult. There are concerns from U.S. officials that some of these vehicles could potentially gather information and send it back to Beijing.

So China for now is the world's largest auto exporter, but without the U.S. market, that's going to be a real tough sell.

By the way, Max, if we look at all of these cars here, certainly some very bright and unique colors, also many price points. These vehicles where I am right now, so anywhere from around $30,000 to $40,000 -- Max.

FOSTER: Amazing. Mark, thank you so much.

Russia's defense ministry says it's making gains in eastern Ukraine, taking over a village in the Donetsk region. That's where Ukrainian troops are facing the fiercest battles currently, according to the country's army chief. He says the situation on the front line has escalated but pointed out that it's changing every day. Ukraine's army chief also described the situation in the south as tense.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes incoming foreign aid will turn things around on the battlefield.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are cooperating with our partners at all levels to achieve the level of efficiency and assistance that is needed not only to maintain our positions, but also to disrupt Russia's war plan. We are still waiting for the supplies that have been promised to Ukraine. We expect the exact volume and scope of supplies that could change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine's interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Zelenskyy went on to say his country is working with the U.S. to firm up support for the next 10 years.

Now, protesters in Georgia were denouncing the government's efforts to force through a controversial Russia-style foreign agents law. Thousands of people marched against the bill on Sunday. They say it'll be used to crush dissent and civil society. If it passes, organizations that receive more than 20 percent of funding from abroad will be required to register as foreign agents. Clare Sebastian joins us now. Obviously, a fierce reaction from the

EU. But, you know, how close are we to this bill being passed?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, the second reading is set for Tuesday. This is why we see these protests stepping up over the weekend. It needs to go through three readings to pass through Parliament, and then it will likely have to overcome a presidential veto.

The Georgian president has said that she will almost certainly veto this. The ruling party can then override that, but that will add a small delay. But it does seem that the government is determined to do this, and the protesters are determined to come out and force very large-scale protests again over the weekend to express their opposition.

[04:35:00]

The background, of course, is that this is a law that the Georgian ruling party, the Georgian Dream Party, tried to force through a year ago but then backed down because of these protests. There's a lot more at stake now, of course, because Georgia has EU candidate status, and the reforms that it's been specifically asked to enact as a result of that include, you know, guaranteeing that civil society is able to operate freely.

Obviously, this foreign agents law, which would impose restrictions on anyone meeting that designation, runs counter to that. Amnesty has called it incompatible with international human rights law, and the president has said that she's very worried that this is a sign of Russia exerting its soft power in the country through propaganda, through what she called, you know, uncontrolled Russian migrants there, and trying to sort of force them away from the European Union. So it's definitely the building, and you can see the divisions over this very clearly in Georgian society.

FOSTER: Yes, absolutely, and just going back to this U.S. aid going to Ukraine, I just want to play you what one U.S. senator said about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH): America is stretched too thin. We do not have the industrial capacity to support a war in Ukraine, a war in Israel, potentially a war in East Asia if the Chinese invade Taiwan, so America has to pick and choose. If we focus on East Asia, if we focus on containing the Chinese, the Europeans can step up in Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Easier said than done, presumably.

SEBASTIAN: Well, I think, look, the clear counterargument to this is that you cannot disconnect those things. This is what the CIA director Bill Burns said back in March. China is watching. China is looking to see how much U.S. leadership is exerted in the war in Ukraine, and then using that to sort of calculate its next move. So if the U.S. pulls out of Ukraine, that could embolden China. That is an argument that many in favor of the U.S. staying in support of Ukraine have put forward.

The other one, in terms of whether the Europeans can step up and handle this alone, he says that, you know, Vance says that Putin is a lot weaker than many had feared. Russia is also a moving target. Russia has evolved dramatically from the army that had to withdraw very quickly from the Kyiv region two years ago.

It's not alone in the world. It's getting support from China in the form of sort of dual-use technology, chips, things like that. Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, warning China about this in the last few days.

It's fired, apparently, according to a U.N. panel, a North Korean missile at the Kharkiv region back in January. It's getting support from Iran. It's actually building Iranian-designed drones inside Russia.

So this is very much a moving target, an evolving military force. And I think that is something to consider when looking at the argument as to whether the U.S. can afford to pull out and just concentrate on China.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you.

Another journalist has been arrested in Russia on charges of extremism. Sergey Karelin is accused of making videos for the late Alexei Navalny's YouTube channel, which investigates corruption in the Kremlin. He's worked for several news outlets, including the Associated Press.

Konstantin Gabov was also arrested over the weekend on the same charges. The court said he's a producer for Reuters news agency and will be detained for at least two months.

Australians are demanding an end to violence against women. Thousands across the country rallied for a second straight day on Sunday, calling for tougher laws on gender-based violence. Prime Minister Antony Albanese, who's been a vocal advocate on the matter, showed his support at a demonstration in Canberra.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: I know. I know. And that's why I'm here. That's why I'm here. I know that we all must do better. But I know this as well, that I've got to be honest. It's not just government's problem. It's a problem of our entire society. And this is a national crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, gender-based violence has re-emerged as a major issue in Australia in recent weeks, after several high-profile murder cases, including the mall stabbings in Sydney, in which five women were amongst the dead.

Iraq's interior ministry has promised to investigate the killing of a popular social media star there. Police say Ghufran Sawadi, better known as Umm Fahad, was killed outside her home in Baghdad on Friday night.

Surveillance video shows the gunman on a motorcycle shooting Sawadi at point-blank range. Sawadi was popular on TikTok, where she shared videos of herself dancing to pop music. She was sentenced last year to six months in prison for what Iraq's judiciary called violating public decency and morals. It says she had published films and videos containing obscene and indecent language.

[04:40:00]

South Africa marks 30 years since Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected president, bringing an end to the apartheid state. When we come back, has the promise of democracy fallen short?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: South Africa is celebrating 30 years as a democracy. It was on April the 27th 1994 that former political prisoner Nelson Mandela cast his vote ahead of being elected South Africa's first Black president. A fitting end to more than four decades of apartheid.

Current president Cyril Ramaphosa marked the anniversary by leading freedom day celebrations in Pretoria. Mr. Ramaphosa stressed the importance of those extraordinary events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: That we have been able to cast off the yoke of oppression and build a new nation rooted in equality, human rights is amongst the greatest feats and achievements of modern history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The ANC has been in power since that momentous election. However, with inequality at an all-time high and crime and corruption running rampant, the once hopeful promise of democracy seems to be losing its glimmer ahead of next month's critical elections. CNN's David McKenzie reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SETH MAZIBUKO, SOUTH AFRICAN LIBERATION HERO: It was actually a corner of death.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Liberation icon Seth Mazibuko lived the painful history of this country.

MAZIBUKO: Students were coming from that direction and police were coming from that direction. That morning of June 16, 1976, this was where the students who were marching peacefully, they were raising their hands and fingers of peace. They were given bullets.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Protesting the apartheid state and its racist education system.

[04:45:00]

MAZIBUKO: I still feel guilty to date that I led students and children out of the classroom to be killed.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Their sacrifice and the sacrifices of later generations helped topple the violent apartheid state, birthing a peaceful, democratic South Africa, the Rainbow Nation, where everyone can vote. But for Mazibuko, 30 years on, the rainbow has faded.

MCKENZIE: Has the leadership of this country respected the sacrifices that you've made?

MAZIBUKO: It sold out.

MCKENZIE: Sold out?

MAZIBUKO: Many of the leaders that were supposed to be leading, they left this community. They left the very people that they are fighting for.

MCKENZIE: When thousands of students were bravely marching down these streets, they were fighting for a better future for South Africa. But decades later, here's a staggering statistic. More than 80 percent of grade fours cannot read.

Has it gotten worse over the 18 years of you being at the school?

MAZIBUKO: Yes, it's becoming worse and worse.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): At Morris Isaacson High School, famous for its role in 76, teachers like Prince Mulwela say that jobs and education are given to the politically connected, and corruption is rife. Primary students now come to his classes unprepared, he says. Corruption watchdogs call it a silent crisis.

PRINCE MULWELA, TEACHER, MORRIS ISAACSON HIGH SCHOOL: We're living in a world in South Africa where it's all about politics. Everything is being politicized. So the education system is also being politicized. So that is the reason why probably we're experiencing such problems.

ATLEGANG ALCOCK, STUDENT, MORRIS ISAACSON HIGHT SCHOOL: I feel honored being in the school because then I get to learn about history.

MBALI MSIMANGA, STUDENT, MORRIS ISAACSON HIGH SCHOOL: Some put their lives in danger for a better future, for better education.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): I spoke to two leading students at Morris Isaacson. They are proud of their school, but acutely aware of the challenges that lie ahead. MCKENZIE: Is there enough opportunity for young people like yourselves

in this country?

ALCOCK: Right now, no.

MSIMANGA: No. It's going to be a struggle. Yes, and it is scary for us to be sitting at home and doing nothing.

ALCOCK: Especially when you know that you went to university for so long, and you have a degree, a qualification, but you're still struggling to get a job because of the unemployment rates.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Those rates are some of the world's highest. An uncertain future, despite the bitter struggles of the past.

David McKenzie, CNN, Soweto.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: We'll be right back.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: It's a bittersweet Monday for the Minnesota Timberwolves and their fans. The team beat the Phoenix Suns Sunday for their first playoff series win since 2004. They'll move on to the second round of the playoffs, but the big question is, will their coach be on the sidelines?

Near the end of Sunday's game, Timberwolves guard Mike Connolly collided with head coach Chris Finch. Finch fell to the ground, holding his knee. The team says Finch ruptured his right knee tendon. But we're told the team visited their injured coach after the game and they're all in good spirits.

Now, one of the all-time greats in women's basketball in the U.S. is leaving the court for good. Candace Parker says she's retiring from the WNBA after 16 seasons. She's racked up quite the list of achievements during that time. Three championships, two MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals. She recently became a commentator and analyst with our sister company TNT, part of Warner Brothers Discovery.

There are only three weeks left in the English Premier League season and there are only two teams who can win the title, Man City and Arsenal. World Sports Don Riddell has more on the fight to the finish.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: The Premier League title race would now seem to be a head-to-head between Manchester City and Arsenal. Liverpool have kind of fallen away in recent weeks, so it's now down to the Gunners to challenge Man City and try to prevent them from becoming the first team to win four consecutive crowns. But they had a tricky assignment on Sunday, away at their bitter north London rivals Tottenham, and although Spurs played well, Arsenal got the goals.

That's Bukayo Saka making it 2-0 midway through the first half and Arsenal were cruising when Kai Havertz made it 3-0 in the 38th minute. This was a frustrating day for Spurs. They had more possession, they had chances, but nothing dropped until the 64th minute when Cristian Romero punished Arsenal's goalie for a dreadful mistake.

And then, three minutes from time, Spurs really rattled their opponents with a penalty from Son Heung-min. Tottenham, though, unable to find another, so Arsenal held on for three crucial points.

The Gunners must win every game and hope that Manchester City somehow slip up. Otherwise, it is City's title to lose. It's in their hands right now. They picked up another three points on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest.

City's defender, Josko Gvardiol, is having a wonderful month. That was his third goal in just five games, while Erling Haaland returned from injury, coming off the bench to make the point safe. That's his 21st Premier League goal of the season.

2-0 the final score. So here's the table. Arsenal still top. The Gunners are a point ahead of Man City, but City have a game in hand. Arsenal have just three matches left to play. City have four.

ERLING HAALAND, MANCHESTER CITY STRIKER: I think the most important thing is to not think, especially in these moments, about taking day by day. Honestly, if you overthink, you're going to be a bit crazy in your head. So relax now. Enjoy. Watch the next one.

RIDDELL: The story will continue on Saturday with both Arsenal and Man City playing their next Premier League games at home. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now, after years of delay, an Australian billionaire is pushing forward with the creation of Titanic 2. Billionaire Clive Palmer and Blue Star Line are accepting proposals and plans from shipbuilders who would attempt to recreate the original ship, only bigger and better.

[04:55:00]

Early designs reveal the Titanic 2 would hold more than 2,300 passengers. They're aiming to start building the ship next year.

Now, a gold watch worn by the richest passenger on board, the Titanic is sold for nearly $1.5 million at auction. That's 10 times what the timepiece was expected to sell for. It once belonged to John Jacob Astor IV, who died on the Titanic during his fatal voyage. The watch was found on his body when it was recovered from the accident site. Since then, the item has changed hands from family to friends until it was sold in the late 1990s.

And finally, a sumo wrestling match, unlike any you've seen before. The competitors aren't the massive hulking dudes in loincloths trying to force each other out of the ring. This time, the match was between babies, and whoever cries first is the one who wins. Around 100 babies joined the annual crying sumo event in Tokyo this year. For some, it took no time at all to become champions, although some babies couldn't but smile.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. CNN "THIS MORNING" up after the break.