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Stock Futures Down Ahead Of Trump's Imposition Of More Tariffs; Rescuers Race To Find Quake Survivors In Myanmar; Citizens' Parents Deported After 35 Years In U.S.; Sentebale Chair: Prince Harry's Exit an 'Attack' on Charity; Using A.I. Drones to Detect Wildfires Sooner Than Ever. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired March 31, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome. I'm Isabel Rosales.

[00:00:31]

Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, Monday market uncertainty. Donald Trump's Liberation Day is approaching, and the White House is planning to impose reciprocal tariffs on many countries but won't say who just yet.

Displaced by an earthquake in a country gripped by civil war. Ahead, we'll discuss the long road to recovery for the people of Myanmar.

Plus, Prince Harry, accused of harassment and bullying after his exit from the charity he co-founded.

U.S. President Donald Trump is gearing up for what he's calling Liberation Day on Wednesday. That is when he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on countries all over the world and includes a 25 percent tariff on imported cars and car parts, as well as reciprocal tariffs.

Earlier, the president told reporters on board Air Force One the tariffs will target all countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: The tariffs will be far more generous than those countries were to us, meaning they will be kinder than those countries were to the United States of America over the decades. They ripped us off like no country has ever been ripped off in history. And we're going to be much nicer than they were to us. But it's substantial money for the country, nevertheless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And here's how the markets are faring as we start off the week. Right now, down across the board in Asia, the Nikkei down over 1,400 points, the Hang Seng down 400 points, all of it as people are growing worried about a potential incoming trade war.

As for the U.S. futures, look at that. The Dow, NASDAQ and the S&P 500 also all in the red. Just 9.5 hours till Wall Street opens. CNN's Marc Stewart joins us now from Beijing. And Marc, from your

vantage point in Asia, are these losses a big surprise?

MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Isabel. Good to see you.

To answer your question, no, this is not a surprise. There's been so much anticipation. And not to sound like an alarmist, but quite frankly, people are scared about what these next few days will mean, not only for the economy here in Asia, the United States, but also around the world.

But let's focus on Asia, where I am, where it's already Monday afternoon. We have seen some very steep losses. In particular, the stock markets in Japan and in South Korea.

In Japan, the Nikkei, which is seen as, the benchmark index, at times has been hovering at losses of around 4 percent. The KOSPI in South Korea has seen losses nearing 3 percent.

To give you some context, normally, if we see losses of about 1 percent, that's considered to be big news. So now that we are seeing these losses, nearly triple or quadruple what we usually see, this is very attention-getting.

But why Asia? Why is Asia being hit so hard?

Well, I think it is very safe to say that the impact on the auto industry in Japan and South Korea is a big part of it. In fact, if we look at some of the most popular cars in the world, some of the most popular cars among American consumers, they are made in South Korea and in Japan.

And these are vehicles that could be targeted, or will be targeted very heavily by these anticipated tariffs. So, if we look at car makers, Japan of course, makes Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda and Subaru. And of course, South Korea manufacturing Kia and Hyundai. All very affordable cars to American consumers, all very popular among American consumers.

We are also seeing some losses here in China, as well as in Hong Kong, in anticipation of retaliatory tariffs. Still waiting for the details on that.

But it's going to be very crucial to see what happens in the hours ahead, not only here in Asia, but also when markets open in just a few hours in Europe.

Will we see a similar sell-off? Is the concern that we're seeing here in Asia going to prompt investors in Europe to start selling off their shares?

And then, of course, when the markets open in the United States at 9:30 Eastern Time on Monday morning, Isabel, we will be here for the hours ahead.

[00:05:04]

But there is no question: there is a lot of anxiety among investors here in Asia, the rest of the world, and that can impact economies big and small, including here in China, as well as the United States.

ROSALE: Definitely in a rough start to the week. Marc Stewart in Beijing, thank you for breaking that down for us.

Well, President Trump says he's, quote, "pissed off" at Russian President Vladimir Putin. He's threatening to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil unless Putin agrees to a deal that would end the war in Ukraine.

In a phone interview with NBC News, the U.S. president said he was angry about Putin's comments, suggesting there should be new leadership in Ukraine.

But Trump has also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself and has called for elections in Ukraine.

Now, in that same interview, Donald Trump also threatened to bomb Iran and impose secondary tariffs on that country unless an agreement is reached over its nuclear program. Here's what he told reporters on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I can't imagine them doing anything else but making a deal. I would prefer a deal to the other alternative, which I think everybody in this plane knows what that is. And that's not going to be pretty. And I do not prefer that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: In his first term, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal which imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, Iran has rapidly developed its nuclear capabilities.

On Sunday, Iran's president said the Islamic republic will not engage in direct talks with Washington, but he did leave the door open for indirect talks.

Time is running out as rescuers search for more survivors after Friday's catastrophic earthquake in Myanmar. At least 1,700 people are confirmed dead, and the true death toll could take weeks to emerge.

Dozens have been rescued across the region at the heart of the quake, but the road to recovery will be long for thousands of survivors who have lost their homes amid the epic devastation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAI HAN LYNN AUNG, CHIEF, UNICEF FIELD OFFICE IN MANDALAY: While we are still conducting the rapid assessment, we know this is an absolute catastrophe for children and families across Mandalay. Many homes have been destroyed, road and bridge damaged. Many children and families are still missing and traumatized. We need urgent assistance, especially for the children, who often suffer the most in these kinds of situations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Buildings have been toppled as far away as Bangkok, Thailand, where at least 18 people are now confirmed dead. Rescuers there still working to free dozens of people trapped under a collapsed high rise.

CNN's Mike Valerio is live in Seoul.

Mike, so good to see you. Let me talk about the story line that's emerging, starting to emerge here, where it's clear that the response to this disaster is not going to be a small feat, given the ongoing civil war and the humanitarian crisis that the country was already going through. What's developing on that front?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think that's a great point, Rosales.

So, people need to understand that not only is this a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in one of the poorest countries of the world. We're talking about a country that has an economy, GDP level similar to Afghanistan, Nepal.

This is a place that has had several quarters of the country in open warfare since February 2021. A civil war waged between rebel groups and Min Aung Hlaing, the senior general who is behind a military junta that has torn the country in two.

So, ever since we started covering this quake, Isabel, on Friday afternoon, you know, we heard from the U.N. special rapporteur, Tom Andrews, who was saying there's a huge level of concern that, even if aid does get to this country under the most difficult of circumstances, it's going to be pretty hard to see that aid gets from the military government to perhaps its enemies fighting in the jungle.

So, the latest lines that we have from our team reporting around the world, from Thailand and Myanmar, is that the rebel groups, the main rebel groups, have said that they're going to stop fighting for about two weeks.

But there's one group, Isabel, that has said that an airstrike happened even after the earthquake. So, it is still a very harried situation between the groups that are fighting in this country, as we look at the scenes of devastation.

So, according to our latest reporting, we have a death toll of around 1,700 in Myanmar, which is expected to rise; 18 in Thailand.

In about two hours from now. Isabel, that's when we reach the 72-hour mark, three days after the earthquake. And why that is so important is because that is the golden window. People are generally able to survive under concrete, under rubble, without food, water, the best of circumstances, for three days. [00:10:10]

And then hope, typically, according to aid groups, begins to dwindle. So that crucial mark happens in about two hours from now.

The United States, for what it's worth, is sending a USAID group to the region.

And also, 76 people are still missing underneath that rubble in Bangkok, where that building completely pancaked. Floor on top of floor on top of floor. So, we're watching that, as well -- Isabel.

ROSALES: Yes. Mike, I remember from my own time in Surfside, Florida, covering the building collapse there of the condo, those rescuers mentioning how important that 72-hour window was. So, just -- you can only hope that they can find more survivors in that critical --

VALERIO: Exactly.

ROSALES: -- critical time frame. Every second so important. Mike Valerio in Seoul, thank you.

Well, the road to recovery is an uphill battle on multiple fronts, as Myanmar grapples with that civil war between a military junta that seized power several years ago and pro-democracy fighters.

The conflict has ravaged much-needed communication networks and health infrastructure.

Joining us now is Richard Horsey. He is the senior adviser on Myanmar for the International Crisis Group. Richard, so good to see you. Thank you for your time.

Let's talk about even before the powerful quake hit. Myanmar was in a tough spot. More than 3 million people displaced. So many people cut off from much-needed food and health programs. Talk about the hardship that civilians have been facing there as a result of this ongoing civil war.

RICHARD HORSEY, SENIOR ADVISOR ON MYANMAR, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Well, you know, this is really important. The fact that there was such a level of need before this crisis. The economy was devastated by the coup. The armed conflict has led, as you said, to mass displacement: three, 3.5 million people displaced. And they were receiving only a fraction of the aid that they desperately needed before this earthquake.

So, you know, with the economic devastation, with the -- with the lack of support that was there before, families, communities, local response organizations have very little left. Very little resources left they can -- that they can tap into.

And so, that's what makes an international relief effort just really so important at this time.

ROSALES: Yes, just monumental challenges there. Do you see this disaster response as having any sort of impact on the regime itself, on Min Aung Hlaing?

HORSEY: Absolutely. You know, Min Aung Hlaing had just returned from a red-carpet visit to Moscow and to Minsk, where he was literally embraced by Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko.

He came back. He was really buoyant. He held the annual Armed Forces Day Parade, and then the day afterwards, this massive, unprecedented earthquake hit.

Myanmar is a -- is a quite superstitious place. But Min Aung Hlaing is known to be particularly superstitious. So, I think, you know, he will be very worried about the sense that this is some kind of karmic retribution.

ROSALES: That's interesting.

HORSEY: And he'll be worried that those in his inner circle and around him might be viewing the situation like that.

So, I think for the regime, there's not much upside here. There's not much advantage to be had from this. You know, they're really in a difficult spot. He doesn't know exactly what this will mean for him and his regime. But, you know, he knows that this is a moment of extreme jeopardy, I think.

ROSALES: Yes. And I think it will take time to see how this all plays out when it comes to the political implications for the regime.

Now, there's been a lot of worry and talk that the military junta might confiscate supplies. First, what do you think is the likelihood of that happening? And do you think the delivery of aid will be equitable, even, considering the bloody and economically destructive military government in place?

HORSEY: You know, what keeps me awake at night is not worries that the regime will steal baby formula or high-energy biscuits. You know, I think there is a risk that they will misdirect aid efforts and try to prevent aid from reaching some of their opponents. But stealing of aid, I think, is quite unlikely.

My real worry is that the international community will not respond in the scale that is needed. You know, there are so many other competing priorities.

And I think, you know, the concerns that have been raised are very valid. It's extremely important that any aid being delivered is delivered in the right way, in an equitable way to those who really need it. But any reputable aid organization will endeavor to do that.

The question of whether the regime will let that to happen is not a theoretical question. It's a very practical question, and we'll find out.

[00:15:06]

And the only way we'll find out is by trying to deliver that aid. And if, you know, blockages are put in the way, then we will learn whether the regime is really serious.

And I think we shouldn't assume in advance that it's not going to be possible to deliver aid. You know, the millions of people in desperate need right now of clean water or food, of shelter, they deserve better than a sort of academic argument or a theoretical argument. You really have to test the regime's willingness to allow this.

ROSALES: Well, let me talk about the American side. The U.S. government froze foreign aid recently, and we saw the massive cuts that have essentially eviscerated USAID, signed off by President Donald Trump.

How is that impacting response efforts? And just a quick answer on this, if we can, Richard. Not a lot of time left, unfortunately.

HORSEY: You know, that sucked an awful lot of money out of the humanitarian system globally. No other country has the resources to step in and quickly fill that gap. So, that is really, really being felt.

That loss of USAID money --

ROSALES: Yes.

HORSEY: -- together with the huge competing disasters in Gaza and Ukraine, means it's very hard to mobilize resources right now.

ROSALES: Richard Horsey, really appreciate your time. Thank you.

And for information about how you can help Myanmar earthquake victims, please go to CNN.com/impact.

Well, in Southern Gaza, a deadly start to the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Israeli airstrikes killed at least ten people, including five children, on Sunday. The strikes are said to have hit a tent and a home housing displaced people.

One official warns the death toll will likely rise.

Meanwhile, Hamas says it's agreed to a new -- a new Egyptian ceasefire proposal. A Hamas source tells CNN that, under the agreement, the group would release five hostages.

A senior Israeli official tells CNN that Israel wants more than that and wants Hamas to release 11 living hostages and half of the deceased hostages. And in return, Israel would agree to a 40-day ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he plans to continue military action in Gaza until there's an agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The military pressure is working. It works, because it operates simultaneously. On one hand, it crushes the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas. And on the other hand, it creates the conditions for the release of our hostages. This is exactly what we are doing.

Last night, the cabinet convened and decided to intensify the pressure, which was already high, in order to further crush Hamas and create the best possible conditions for the release of our hostages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Ahead on CNN, the parents of three American citizens have been kicked out of the country in which they worked, paid taxes, and raised their children for the past 35 years. The full story after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:22:26]

ROSALES: After living in the U.S. for 35 years and raising three American citizens, one couple was arrested, handcuffed, and deported to Colombia. Their children want them back.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez fled Colombia in 1989, applied for asylum in the U.S., and made California home. They raised three daughters, all born in the U.S. They paid taxes, volunteered during COVID, and checked in with immigration authorities every year without fail. Until a few weeks ago.

STEPHANIE GONZALEZ, PARENTS DEPORTED AFTER 35 YEARS IN THE U.S.: I spoke with my mom on the phone around 10:30 a.m., and she let me know that her appointment went great with her officer, that they gave her a year extension, and so, we thought that everything was going to be great.

And then unfortunately, a couple hours later, we heard different news. The officer simply looked at his file and said that he didn't really have a case and that he was going to be detained, and then called my mom back in and arrested her, as well, with no explanation.

JONES (voice-over): The couple was held for three weeks in detention facilities in California, Arizona, and Louisiana, then deported to Colombia.

GONZALEZ: We didn't really get to say goodbye. The phone call from my dad was really short. He just told us that we had to go pick up his car that was left in the parking lot. He just told us that he loved us, that he didn't know where he was going.

JONES (voice-over): In 2000, the couple was issued a voluntary departure order, but had received extensions yearly on their stay until now.

In a statement, ICE said that Gladys and Nelson had "exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S. between March 2000 and August 2021, including reviews by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2001 and 2018, Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2010, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in 2021."

Their attorney says their arrest reflects a broader shift in immigration enforcement.

MONICA CROOMS, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: We're seeing people like Gladys and Nelson, who have, again, cooperated with immigration over several years, have never given immigration any reason to believe that they would flee.

People like Gladys and Nelson are being swept up in these removal efforts, and it's just -- it's devastating. It's devastating to not only their families, but to the communities in which they live, because people are terrified.

JONES (voice-over): The couple spent years and thousands of dollars in legal help, much of it, they say, from unlicensed or disbarred individuals.

CROOMS: Our hope was that the Board of Immigration Appeals would see this and agree with us that there was just a gross miscarriage of justice with respect to how Gladys and Nelson were represented, and would reopen their case to allow them to potentially seek legalization through one of their daughters.

[00:25:15]

JONES (voice-over): The couple's daughters launched a GoFundMe, raising over $75,000 from more than 750 donors to help their parents rebuild in Colombia and pay for future legal efforts.

CROOMS: They'll have to start over again, but the hope is that they will be able to come back.

JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Orange County, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: Still to come, Prince Harry accused of harassment and bullying by the chair of the charity he co-founded.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:26]

ROSALES: Welcome back. I'm Isabel Rosales. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

U.S. President Donald Trump says new tariffs he's imposing this week will target all countries. He's also planning for 25 percent tariffs on all imported cars and car parts.

The announcement is expected on Wednesday, on what President Trump is calling Liberation Day.

A plane carrying 175 deportees from the U.S. landed in Venezuela on Sunday. It is the third of its kind since both countries agreed to resume the flights earlier this month. But it is the first to fly directly to Venezuela since the new agreement.

Time is running out in the aftermath of the Myanmar earthquake. Rescuers are looking for more survivors amid all the rubble. Dozens have already been found, as the death toll climbs to 1,700.

The chairperson of an HIV/AIDS charity co-founded by the U.K.'s Prince Harry says his public exit last week was an example of the, quote, "harassment and bullying" she has experienced while working for the organization.

CNN's Clare Sebastian shares her side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the public spat has now escalated between Prince Harry and the chairwoman of Sentebale --

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): -- the HIV and AIDS charity he co-founded.

Well, Sophie Chandauka gave a wide-ranging interview to Britain's Sky News Sunday, claiming that the Duke of Sussex had tried to oust her for months as chairwoman of the board, accusing him of bullying and harassment, something a source close to the former trustees of the charity told Sky News was, quote, "completely baseless."

SEBASTIAN: Well, Chandauka also claimed that donors had pulled out of the charity after the duke left the U.K. and stepped down from royal duties in 2020. But no one at the charity, she said, felt able to talk to him about the risk his reputation was posing to the organization.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Last week, Prince Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, announced they were quitting until further notice, because their relationship with Ms. Chandauka had broken down, quote, "beyond repair."

Ms. Chandauka said Sunday she had no prior warning of this announcement.

SOPHIE CHANDAUKA, CHAIR, SENTEBALE: At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors or my executive director.

And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their family? That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.

SEBASTIAN: Neither the Duke of Sussex nor Sentebale have commented on this interview, but a source close to the trustees and patrons of the charity told CNN on Sunday they, quote, "fully expected this publicity stunt and look forward to the adjudication of the truth."

Well, a source familiar with events also denied Chandauka's assertion that the press had been informed about the departures before the charity made the announcement last week, saying they sent her a resignation letter on March 10.

Well, as for the charity that Prince Harry, of course, set up in 2006 to continue his mother, Princess Diana's, legacy and help children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana living with HIV and AIDS, well, Ms. Chandauka said its work will continue,

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: We'll be right back with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:38:28]

ROSALES: As wildfires spark devastation around the globe, a German company is developing an A.I. drone system to help firefighters stay one step ahead of them. CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Over the past two decades, extreme wildfires have become more, frequent, more intense, and larger, according to NASA.

Now a wildfire detection company in Germany is developing a drone that uses artificial intelligence to help firefighters suppress wildfires in their early stages.

This week, Dryad successfully demonstrated its first fully functional prototype, called Silvaguard. The drone system detected a controlled fire's location and size using A.I.

CARSTEN BRINKSCHULTE, CEO, DRYAD NETWORKS: It provides ultra early detection of wildfires within minutes from ignition, using A.I.-driven sensors that are electronic noses. And they can detect fires much faster than cameras or satellites.

VALENCIA (voice-over): The idea is to allow firefighters to respond before flames spread.

The drone can capture infrared imagery and provide an overhead view for firefighters.

BRINKSCHULTE: The importance of Silvaguard is that it is the first autonomous, end-to-end system that detects fires using artificial intelligence, and then uses autonomous drones to fly to the location of a fire without a pilot being involved. And delivering precise information about the size and threat of a fire.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Dryad's new technology, if used widely, could also have an impact on carbon emissions.

[00:40:04]

From 2001 to 2023, wildfires caused a loss of more than 138 million hectares of tree cover worldwide, according to Global Forest Watch. That's larger than the country of Peru.

Researchers found that carbon emissions from forest fires increased by 60 percent globally during that time. Dryad hopes its efforts will help prevent 1.1 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions by 2030.

The European Union is co-funding the Silvaguard project with 3.8 million euros, or $4.1 million.

The project's next step will be to add fire suppression capabilities and, eventually, real-world deployment.

BRINKSCHULTE: What we actually need to achieve is we need to detect and extinguish fires within ten minutes from ignition. That's our mission; that's our vision. And Silvaguard demonstrated here today is a big milestone towards that vision.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Nick Valencia, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: Thanks for watching. I'm Isabel Rosales. WORLD SPORT is next.

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