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Pope Leo Says He Hopes Trump is Seeking Off-ramp to End War; Ripple Effects Threaten Humanitarian Operations in Africa; U.S., Ukraine, NATO Chief to Meet Virtually in Coming Hours; Dozens of Civilians Killed in Gang Attacks in Haiti; American Journalist, Shelly Kittleson, Kidnapped in Baghdad; Tiger Woods Pleads Not Guilty to DUI Charge After Crash; King Charles to Make First State Visit to the U.S. In April; Eurovision Song Contest Expanding to Asia This Year; NASA Prepares to Launch; Donald Trump: U.S. Will Be "Finished" With War In Two To Three Weeks; Oil Above $100 A Barrel Despite Hopes For End To War; NASA Prepares For First Crewed Lunar Mission In 50 Plus Years. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 01, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:38]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.

Just ahead, the U.S. conducts 200 strikes at Iran in the last 24 hours as President Trump sets a new timeline to end the war.

The excitement is building, and the countdown is on, NASA set to launch its first piloted moonshot in more than half a century.

And the big announcement from golf legend Tiger Woods just days after a rollover car crash.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: We are following the latest exchange of fire between Israel and Iran. Israeli authorities say at least 16 people, including a child, have been wounded after Iranian strikes hit Tel Aviv and another suburb earlier. The IDF says it has completed a wide scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran.

On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command released video of what appears to be military operations targeting Iran. CENTCOM says it struck underground military targets.

Well, the White House says President Trump will deliver an address to the nation on Wednesday. This the President announced his new timeline on the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think with two or three weeks we'll leave. Because there's no reason for us to do this.

We have had regime change. Now, regime change was not one of the things I had as a goal, I had one goal, they will have no nuclear weapon. And that goal has been attained, they will not have nuclear weapons.

But we're finishing the job, and I think within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer, to do the job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed President Trump's claim saying the end of the war is imminent, but Tehran says it is prepared for a much longer fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We can see the finish line. It's not today, it's not tomorrow, but it is coming. We are going to get to the point where our military will have achieved all of its objectives in this mission, and they're doing so with extraordinary efficiency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, let's bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks who joins us live from Abu Dhabi. Great to have you with us, Paula.

So, President Trump suggesting that the U.S. could end military operations in Iran within two to three weeks, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. Is Israel on board with a potential U.S. withdrawal? And just how is the region reacting?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, if we start with Israel, they're effectively fighting this war on three fronts now. They are part of the war in Iran. They are also fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. We have seen in recent days, they have been trying to build more of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, so effectively moving civilians and Hezbollah back from the border.

And then we also know that over the weekend, the Houthi rebels in Yemen became involved as well. They have just fired more missiles towards Israel this Wednesday morning.

Now as you mentioned, we know that at least 16 people in Israel were wounded in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area with projectiles hitting earlier this morning.

So, at this point, what we have heard publicly from Israel is that they are in lockstep with the United States that they will do what the United States believes they should, that this is a very close relationship, and there is no light between the two.

What we understand from experts, though, is that the issue in Lebanon for Israel may be one that they are not ready to pull back from at this point, we've heard from the Israeli military saying that in Iran, at least, they believe this was a couple of days ago, that in the coming days, they would have hit all of the targets that were their top priority.

So, the expectation is that they will have to go along with what Donald Trump decides.

Now, when it comes to this region. They never wanted to be part of this war. They were dragged into this war, and we have heard certainly here in the UAE, officials saying that they don't just want a cease fire. They want to have guarantees that Iran will not be able to terrorize their neighbors in the future with missiles and drones, well over 2,000 missiles and drones fired on the UAE alone.

[02:05:18]

Now it's difficult to see how those guarantees will be put forward if the regime remains the Islamic regime, and if they still maintain the potential capability to do this again in the future.

But the U.S. has said that they are targeting Iran's ability to be able to rebuild this missile program as well, Lynda.

KINKADE: And of course, given what we've heard from you know, Iran's foreign minister, and the fact that Trump, in recent weeks, has said negotiations were going really well, what expectation is there around the prospects of diplomacy given the Iranian foreign minister's comments saying there is zero trust right now?

HANCOCKS: Iran's take on this, and they have been very public about it, is that twice, they have been in negotiations with the Trump administration, and twice that has been interrupted by the U.S. and Israel carrying out military operations or starting this war in Iran, so the trust isn't there, that's very clear.

What we're hearing, though, is very different levels of optimism or realism. It's very difficult to have absolute clarity on what is happening behind the scenes, but the Trump administration and President Trump does believe that within two to three weeks, this could be finished. He says that Iran wants a deal more than we want a deal, but it is a very different thing that we're hearing from Tehran.

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, speaking to Al Jazeera, did say that they have prepared for at least six months of war, that they are not in a rush. They are not setting themselves deadlines, of course, saying at least six months of war that would take the United States very close to those midterm elections. So they know that the U.S. president would not want that to last that long.

So, we are hearing very different messages. Pakistan is sounding more positive as well. We know the Pakistani Foreign Minister went to Beijing to meet with his counterpart there to try and create some kind of five-point plan that could be worked upon to bring these two sides together. But it is difficult to know exactly what is happening behind closed doors, as the public announcements by both sides are so vastly different, Lynda. KINKADE: Yes, they certainly are a lot of moving parts and very complex picture. Good to have you with us, Paula Hancocks, we will speak again soon. Thank you.

Well, President Trump says gas prices will come tumbling down once the U.S. leaves Iran, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is about $4.02 according to the AAA, that's up more than $1.00 in the past month. Oil prices is still more than $100 a barrel for the global benchmark, Brent crude.

We want to bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos who is tracking the latest from Dubai. Finger on the pulse, as always, good to have you with us, Eleni.

So, Brent crude hovering around $103-$105 a barrel, forecast suggesting it's going to be sharply higher, and U.S. gas prices, as I just mentioned, averaging over $4.00 a gallon for the first time in years, and in parts of the country, like California, sometimes it's more than double that.

Just talk to us about how the markets are responding, especially to President Trump's comments that the war could end in a matter of weeks.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, firstly, we have a lot of oscillating messages from the Trump administration. And of course, that sort of sends markets into sort of major confusion mode. How long this is going to last, is no -- is President Trump going to secure the opening of the Strait of Hormuz before they unwind the war?

Still questions pretty much unanswered, but you're right to say that certain states in the United States are seeing gas prices sitting at around $5.00 a gallon, but the national average sitting just over $4.00 a gallon. Now that is up 35 percent in over a month.

I mean, these numbers are really significant because we're seeing major push to the upside. What's interesting about Brent crude and WTI, and I've been monitoring them all morning, they were up slightly. Now they're back in negative territory. It really does sort of have to do with a lot of the messaging out of the United States, but also, quite interestingly, that we're 33 days in and not much has changed on the fundamentals.

And I want to give you just an idea of how much oil has been taken out of the market. According to Kpler data for the month of March, 260 million barrels of oil. 260 million barrels of oil have not been produced. So, that is really significant.

If the war continues until the end of April, Kpler is saying it will be a total of 570 million barrels of oil that will be taken out of the market. And I want to remind you that the International Energy Agency is releasing record reserves of 400 million barrels of oil.

[02:10:10]

Now, net, net, you're still seeing a massive deficit here that is playing out. And this is sort of the reality that I think everyone is facing. Because we're seeing fuel shortages in Asia. We're hearing about price increases across the world as well, and this is turning out to be this massive energy shock, one that is worse than what we saw in the 1970s, Lynda.

So, how to unwind? This is not like a switch you can turn on and then off again and often then on. It's going to take some time to actually get this oil back into the market and go back to normal days. This is why you're hearing a lot of analysts talking about $150 a barrel now becoming plausible.

KINKADE: And of course, Eleni, you know, over many weeks now, I've heard President Trump pleading with allies to enter this conflict, to support the U.S. military action. Now, the president is telling allies, go get your own oil amid these soaring fuel costs. How are markets and countries responding, and what does that mean for global energy security?

GIOKOS: So, what was interesting in the first week of the war, President Trump and the administration had said, you know, we're going to offer insurance guarantees to shippers so they can go through the Strait of Hormuz, because shipping and insuring costs and war clauses had started to kick in, and they started talking about naval escorts. We haven't seen any of that materializing.

And what we have seen is Iran has de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz, and a massive drop, obviously, in the amount of tankers that have been passing through. Usually you'd be seeing around 70 tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. On average, we've maybe been seeing five tankers passing through. And of course, there's news that a lot of these shippers are paying a toll fee.

Now, President Trump is saying, listen, to the allies. You want your oil, get some guts and pass through the Straits.

But it doesn't exactly work that way when you have a continued threat of potential strikes. Just yesterday, we saw Kuwaiti tanker off the coast of Dubai that was targeted by a drone where a fire broke out.

So, Lynda, for shippers, it's still very much dangerous territory. President Trump's aid, you know, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, we also heard that, listen, President Trump is thinking about actually unwinding the wall without securing the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and sort of passing the buck to everyone else that is reliant on oil passing through the Strait.

But as we've seen, because of the oil prices, even the gas price increase that you've experienced in the United States, that markets are interconnected if you have this maritime choke point still closed off, this has a ripple effect on the global economy, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Huge ramifications that will continue. Eleni Giokos for us in Dubai. Our thanks to you.

Israel says it plans to maintain control of parts of southern Lebanon even after its current military operations end. Israel's defense minister says Israeli forces will maintain control of the area up to the Litani River, some 20 miles from the Israeli border.

He says that more than 600,000 residents who are forced to evacuate the area will not be allowed to return. Lebanon says more than one million people have now been displaced so far at this war.

Meanwhile, Israel continues its strikes in Beirut.

Light explosions shook the city's southern suburbs overnight. Israel's military says it targeted two senior Hezbollah members in the area, but didn't say if they were killed.

Still to come, NASA is sending four astronauts on a test flight around the moon. We'll have the details on the historic Artemis II mission launch, next.

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[02:18:12]

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

In less than 24 hours, NASA plans to launch four astronauts to deep space for the first time in over 50 years. The Artemis II mission will take 10 days to circle the moon and return back to Earth. It will mark a major test for NASA's rocket and Orion spacecraft systems, with the aim of returning astronauts for a moon landing in a couple of years.

CNN's Tom Foreman tells us what we can expect during Wednesday's launch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No matter how many space launches you have seen, you've never seen one like this because the space launch system is a vessel unto itself. This is a beast, taller than the Statue of Liberty from the base of the tip of the torch, well over 300 feet. It weighs around six million pounds, but that's OK because it can produce about 8 million pounds of thrust, starting with those two big solid fuel boosters on the side there.

They will both burn straight through at the beginning, giving it that extra boost as it gets off the ground and then they will fall away. They could almost get the job done entirely by themselves, but they will have the help of that big orange core in the middle. It's orange because that is insulation to keep what's inside very, very cold.

Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, both of which will be flowing down to these four RS-25 engines down below, altogether sending this well up into space with a tremendous amount of power.

So, where are the astronauts in all of this? They're up here. That's where you'll find the Orion crew module just below it, the service module that will supply water and oxygen and all sorts of things to the crew up above. And below that, another big booster, which will send that part into a giant elliptical orbit around the Earth before sending it on its way. [02:20:03]

One more thing. You'll see that upside down ice cream cone up there, that is a escape module, in a sense, a way for the crew to get out. Even when this rocket is going thousands of miles an hour, it could bring them safely back down to Earth. Of course, everybody hopes that this doesn't get used, that everything falls off as it should properly. And the Orion crew is on its way on this historic return to the moon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, Sarah Treadwell is one of NASA's Solar System ambassador. She joins us now from Rockford, Illinois. What is a solar system ambassadors before I get into this?

SARAH TREADWELL, NASA SOLAR SYSTEM AMBASSADOR: The solar system ambassador program is something put on by NASA to educate the public about what NASA is doing. NASA is, you know, a taxpayer funded program. And so, in order for people to get excited about the programs and things that NASA is doing, they have people like myself do things like this and educate people about what they're doing.

KINKADE: Excellent. Well, I have plenty of questions. I'm hoping you can educate us on, particularly Artemis II, taking humans beyond Earth's orbit for the first time since the Apollo. And for those that remember the Apollo, why is this Artemis mission exciting in a whole new way?

TREADWELL: Yes, I mean, it's exciting because it is. It's taking us back to the moon after over 50 years. We're doing it with a whole new program, and we're not only doing it with a whole new program, but we're doing it with a whole new diverse crew that we we've never had before.

So, we have the first woman and the first person of color going out to orbit around the moon and this is the first step to not only go to the moon, but to establish a permanent base on the moon.

KINKADE: And so, in this test flight, these astronauts will loop around the moon and come back to earth within 10 days. Just to explain why this test flight is so critical.

TREADWELL: It's really important and critical because we're testing out new equipment that we haven't used before. This is also for a way for us to prove that we can put people into deeper space than we've ever done before. So, they're actually going to go behind the moon even further out than anyone in the Apollo program did.

So, there's a lot of different milestones that we're doing here just to prove that we can do it. We can go back and that it can start establishing us on a path to get to Mars eventually, someday.

KINKADE: And we're seeing other countries, like China making rapid progress towards lunar exploration. How does the Artemis fit into the growing international moon race? TREADWELL: Well, you know, Artemis was established quite a long time ago. It actually was initiated by Congress to happen. Well, the SLS rocket, I should say, back in -- it was like 2000 I want to say, so it's been in the works for a long time. It's just been sort of progressed very quickly by somewhat of that global competition.

It is, you know, somewhat of a space race again, but in a little bit of a different way, in the sense that I don't think that there is going to be any stopping the other countries from getting back to the moon as well.

So, it's definitely, it's an interesting progression, and it's a -- it's a new landscape of space exploration, for sure.

KINKADE: Yes, no doubt, a lot of interest all around the world watching this mission when it launches tomorrow. Just take us through the key tests that NASA is doing with these four humans, as you say, quite diverse, a woman, person of color on board.

TREADWELL: Yes, they're going to first, be just -- when they orbit around the moon the first time, they're going to be checking out all the different systems of the spacecraft itself. It's kind of silly to think of it boiling down to this, but some of the very key things that need to work are things like the bathrooms and life support systems, right?

And once they know that that will work, then they're going to send a booth just out to the moon, and really, at that point, the ship's going to do what it's going to do. It's kind of on a track to just follow that path and hit the moon's gravity and then come back.

So, there's going to be just a lot of testing of the spacecraft itself to make sure that it's safe for humans to be able to then eventually take it to the moon and permanently go down to a base at that point.

So, there's a -- there's a lot of things that are going to be tested to make sure that the humans can be safe on the mission.

KINKADE: Excellent. Certainly, a lot of interest. And we appreciate you staying up early in the early hours of the morning to join us to share all that information. Sarah Treadwell, thanks so much.

[02:25:06]

TREADWELL: Thank you.

KINKADE: Still ahead, millions of dollars' worth of aid heading to Somalia could be delayed. How the war with Iran is impacting humanitarian crises in Africa.

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KINKADE: Well, Pope Leo tells CNN that he hopes President Trump is looking for an off ramp to end the war with Iran.

[02:30:00] Speaking to CNN's Vatican Correspondent, Christopher Lamb, the Pope called on world leaders to engage in dialog to reduce the violence in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC KINKADE: Hopefully, he is looking for an off ramp. Hopefully, he is looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that's being created and that's increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: The ripple effects of the war with Iran are being felt right around the world. We've been seeing soaring fuel prices and supply chain disruptions. These issues could push humanitarian crises to a breaking point in Africa.

Somalia relies heavily on imports that could become unaffordable. UNICEF has nearly $16 million worth of essential supplies on its way there right now. These shipments risk delays or added costs because of the war.

Joining me now from Nairobi, Kenya, is Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF's Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. Thanks so much for joining us.

ETLEVA KADILLI, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EASTERN & SOUTHERN AFRICA, UNICEF: Thank you so much, Lynda, for having me.

KINKADE: Etleva, we've been seeing rising global fuel and shipping costs tied to the Iran war impacting countries worldwide. And economists and global agencies like the IMF are warning that a persistent conflict is going to cause consistent problems with shipping disruptions, slowing economic growth. What are you seeing across the African continent, especially amongst countries that are import dependent?

KADILLI: Right. Thank you so much, Lynda. Indeed, the crises have a devastating impact, especially in the most vulnerable communities and countries that continue to suffer multiple shocks. And what we're seeing in this case is that the crises have actually a multidimensional impact on Eastern and Southern Africa, being from the cost of transportation of foods, medicines, fuel, water, everything, the transportation is becoming more expensive, but also the household income are shrinking.

So the purchasing power is reducing. What we see is the rising cost of fuel and the potential disruption in the humanitarian, in delivering of humanitarian aid of the essential supplies can really put a lot of pressure into the children, into the families and the most vulnerable. Lynda, let's also remember that we have this, many of the countries in the region and almost, you know, in Africa overall, they have not fully recovered from the COVID impact, nor from the secondary impact of the war in Ukraine. So on top of this, this crisis is actually putting even additional pressure on top of already a region that is going through multiple protected emergencies. So countries are facing fragility, drought, displacement. This is the case in Somalia, as you mentioned earlier, South Sudan, Sudan, and children and families are really living in dire humanitarian context.

And any delays of transportation or potential delays of aid is going to put additional strain on children and their families that are already living on the brink.

KINKADE: Yeah, I'm wondering how these shifts are affecting UNICEF's ability to deliver that humanitarian aid, especially in Southern Africa and particular countries already in crisis.

KADILLI: Right. Well, it is very complex, Lynda. We know that already we're coming from a region that has been heavily impacted also by global funding cuts. So most of the programs have been scaled back as well. You mentioned the case of Somalia. We already have, as you indicated, $16 million worth of supplies in transit and they are in preparation for dispatch to Somalia.

It is very important that these essential treatments and medicines, this includes nutrition treatments for malnourished children, vaccines, insecticide treated bednets to protect children from malaria. It's so important that actually these shipments do not delay, that they get where they need to get in Somalia, because already, as I mentioned, the children are suffering the recurrent droughts, protected conflict, but also, as I mentioned, the global funding shifts.

So, more than 400 health and nutrition facilities in the past and including 125 sites are already being closed who are actually providing the vital nutrition system that was so much needed for children. So we're trying everything, UNICEF together with the partners on the ground, but also with global partners, trying to make sure as much as possible that all these essential supplies are moving ahead and are reaching children.

[02:35:00]

We actually project 1.8 million children under age of five at risk of acute malnutrition in Somalia alone. And therefore, it is so important that the aid, humanitarian aid, and the supplies are reaching the country as soon as possible. And we want to also make sure that every dollar spent on transport or potential delays actually is a dollar less that would go to supplies for the most vulnerable children.

KINKADE: Yeah, certainly a major issue that's certainly impacting the most vulnerable in the African continent. We appreciate your time today, Etleva Kadilli in Nairobi. Thank you.

KADILLI: Thank you.

KINKADE: People in Iran are doing their best to live through the ongoing war. One Tehran resident tells CNN their family danced and played music to keep children occupied during an intense bombardment. As CNN's Leila Gharagozlou shows us, Iranians are using Telegram to try to stay safe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): These are just some of the messages on the anonymous Telegram channel RahBandoon, Persian for traffic jam.

Hi, it's 9:20. Continuous explosions in Resalat. The power has gone out.

The power went out in parts of the east of the city as well, but not all of it.

In the Nobonyad area, there were two explosions loud enough to shake the whole house.

GHARAGOZLOU: The channel currently has about 47,000 followers and is used by Iranians to stay connected, to let each other know critical information like where an airstrike has hit, what areas have lost power, and the extent of the damage.

It also provides comic relief, users posting jokes and quips, bonding over the dire situation.

Over the course of the last month, Iranians have worked to bypass the regime's communication and information blackout despite the high risk. Telegram channels like this one have strict rules for users. No full names, no arguments, no politics, no talk of where to buy and sell VPNs, and no screenshots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): These channels have been around from before the war. They used to alert people as to where the checkpoints were. During the protests in January, they were a way to tell people where to gather.

GHARAGOZLOU: Due to the sometimes sensitive nature of the information, RahBandoon is a private channel. New users have to ask to join. Other channels like Vahid Online or Ilia Hashemi don't allow user interactions. They focus on news alerts and aggregate information, videos, and photos from their followers all around the country, helping to paint a picture of the broader impact of the war.

GHARAGOZLOU (voice-over): Vahid Online has recently been a target for its work, with Iranian State Media reportedly uncovering the account owner and even reporting a possible arrest in connection with the account.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These channels are incredibly helpful, allowing information to be shared. People go and see what's happened, and in that very moment can post something that can really help people and keep them safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Thanks to Leila for that report. Well, just ahead, we'll bring you the latest from Haiti, where gang violence against civilians is surging across the west of the country.

Then what documents reveal about Tiger Woods' recent crash and what the golfing legend himself has to say about the incident.

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[02:43:01]

KINKADE: Now to another war. In the coming hours, U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet virtually to discuss a path towards ending the war with Russia. Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says NATO Secretary General will participate in the talks along with U.S. Envoy, Steve Witkoff and Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham and other officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The discussion will focus on where we stand and how close we are to reaching a trilateral agreement or at least holding a trilateral meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Russian officials say three people were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack Tuesday. Security camera footage released by the local governor appears to show the moment the drone struck a government building in Russia's Belgorod region.

Meanwhile, European and Ukrainian officials are putting on a united front following a meeting of foreign ministers and others in Kyiv. President Zelenskyy says his country is working to guaranty Europe's interests are represented in the efforts to end the war with Russia.

Deadly gang violence against civilians is surging in Haiti. The latest attacks, which began Sunday, come ahead of the expected arrival of the International Gang Suppression Force this month. CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest in this report, which does contain some disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The streets have emptied in this farming village and gunshots break the silence as violent gang attacks surge in western Haiti. These and other videos verified by CNN show gang members launching attacks across Artibonite, Haiti's major agricultural region, where armed groups stormed communities, opened fire on civilians and set homes ablaze.

So far, dozens of civilians have been killed, according to estimates by local rights groups. Many more have been displaced as gang members moved in.

[02:45:00] Footage shows civilians fleeing across farmland, some with children in tow. One clip shows large plumes of smoke emanating from Jean-Denis, one of the villages targeted. The extent of the damage remains unclear, but heat signatures analyzed by CNN show large fires across at least three communities in the region, each appearing just hours after armed men were seen there.

STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: This attack underscores the gravity of the security situation faced by the Haitian population. He urges Haitian people -- Haitian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

ROMO (voice-over): Just four miles east, additional footage shows a familiar scene as gang members swept through more nearby villages. Young men armed with rifles fire indiscriminately into the air, standing in the center of the town.

HAROLD ISAAC, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST IN HAITI: This has been really the culprit of the gang issue in Haiti is the firepower, where essentially you're washed with armed smuggling in Haiti, which has led to increased firepower on the side of the gangs, and which is creating really a challenge even especially for legitimate authorities that are really struggling to quell this surge of violence.

ROMO (voice-over): Now, these farming communities far from Haiti's capital are left to deal with rising gang violence in anticipation of a new U.N.-backed security force, but previous efforts to fight the gangs have failed. For now, dozens of families are left to mourn and remain exposed as attacks continue.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: U.S.-based news organization AL-Monitor is calling for the safe and immediate release of American journalist, Shelley Kittleson. She was kidnapped in Baghdad Tuesday, and sources tell CNN that Kittleson had been warned about the threat of being abducted or killed by an Iranian proxy.

She had also reportedly been warned to leave Iraq multiple times in recent weeks. U.S. officials tell CNN they're working to try and secure Kittleson's release.

Well, new details are being released about Tiger Woods' latest car wreck. The golf superstar has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence and released a statement saying that he understands the seriousness of the situation and will be stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on his health. He also asked for privacy.

CNN's Isabel Rosales reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Golf legend, Tiger Woods had prescription painkillers in his pocket, bloodshot eyes, and was lethargic when he failed field sobriety tests, according to the arrest affidavit released today by the Martin County Sheriff's Office.

The 50-year-old, 82-time PGA Tour winner, was attempting another comeback after years of health setbacks before he rolled over his Land Rover near his Florida home on Jupiter Island last Friday afternoon.

SHERIFF JOHN BUDENSIEK, MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Mr. Woods did a breathalyzer test, blew triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And so he's been charged with DUI, with property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test.

ROSALES (voice-over): On Tuesday, Woods pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial. He's no stranger to high-profile crashes, the latest one marking his fourth in a turbulent history.

In 2009, he wrecked right outside his driveway. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to reckless driving after police found him asleep at the wheel in a parked car, which he later blamed on a bad reaction to prescription medications. And in 2021, his most serious crash in Southern California, another rollover that left him with a shattered leg that he said he almost had to have amputated.

According to the police report, the arresting deputy wrote that Woods said he was looking down at his cell phone and changing radio stations and didn't notice the truck in front of him had slowed down. Officers found two white pills inside his pant pocket. Hydrocodone, the prescription opioid used to treat chronic pain.

While speaking to Woods, I observed him sweating profusely, the sheriff's deputy wrote in the arrest affidavit. I observed his pupils to be extremely dilated. I asked Woods if he consumed any prescription medication to which he stated, I take a few.

BUDENSIEK: He is cooperative, but he was not trying to incriminate himself.

ROSALES (voice-over): When deputies noticed Woods limping and stumbling, he told them he had seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his leg. Because of his physical limitations, his field sobriety tests were conducted while he was seated on the bumper of a sheriff's car.

Woods made multiple errors, according to the affidavit, such as starting exercises before being instructed to do so and not counting steps correctly. The golf star is dating the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump. And President Trump told the New York Post today, he spoke with Woods after his arrest, saying he lives a life of pain due to existing physical injuries, but is doing great.

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ROSALES (on camera): And we're expecting the Martin County Sheriff's Office to release soon body camera footage of that DUI investigation, which would presumably show those failed field sobriety tests. [02:50:00]

Now, Woods has been charged with driving under the influence with property damage and also refusing to submit to a lawful test. Although it'll ultimately be up to the district attorney to decide which charges to proceed with and how to handle this high-profile case moving forward.

In the meantime, the Gulf icon's driver's license has been suspended.

Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.

KINKADE: The U.K.'s special relationship with the U.S. is hitting a snag with the Trump administration in particular. The British government hopes a visit from King Charles can patch things up. We'll hear about that next.

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KINKADE: Britain's King Charles will make his first state visit to the U.S. in April. He'll meet with President Trump, who says he's looking forward to spending time with the king. The British government hopes the trip will mend the strained relationship between the two countries. President Trump lashing out against Britain for its response to the war in Iran.

CNN's Max Foster reports.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: They've been working on this state visit and planning it for months, but the announcement was delayed because of a political row here in the U.K. Some senior politicians saying it should be delayed because of some of the recent comments that President Trump has made about the United Kingdom.

One of them was that the U.K. wasn't offering enough support with the war in Iran and the huge criticisms that he's made about Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, and how he's no Winston Churchill. But there's also the offense caused to veterans about comments that President Trump made about what really downplaying British Forces' roles in Afghanistan.

So they were two issues that really bubbled up. But actually, in the end, the government clearly made the decision that this trip would be better for relations than it would be worse, and could potentially heal and repair the U.S.-U.K. transatlantic alliance.

So we don't know much about the detail of the visit at this point because it hasn't been published yet. But we know from the president that a beautiful banquet dinner at the White House is being planned for the evening of April the 28th, and that the president looks forward to spending time with the king, whom I greatly respect he said. It will be terrific, the president said.

So, the president is clearly differentiating between the prime minister and the monarchy here, which will be a relief to the king, who wouldn't want to be caught in any moments having to explain British politics and the transatlantic alliance based on temporary ups and downs in the relationship.

[02:55:00]

This is really about the long-term relationship. And key here for the palace and the king is marking 250 years of U.S. independence. So the palace saying it will celebrate the historic connections between the modern bilateral relationship between these two countries.

This of course also comes after the arrest of the king's brother, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, and Andrew was arrested for misconduct in public office. So not in relation to sexual allegations, but nevertheless, King Charles has been asked to meet survivors of Jeffrey Epstein sex offences by Congressman Ro Khanna.

I've been told by sources that that meeting won't be possible because the advice is that that might interfere or prejudice ongoing police investigations. But the sources I'm speaking to are saying the king isn't saying he will never meet survivors, just not during this visit. Worth noting as well that Andrew denies any wrongdoing in relation to anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein and the allegations pointed towards him around that.

Will the king meet his youngest son, Prince Harry, who is of course based in the United States? Well I'm told that's very unlikely according to sources and that's because this visit has been put together by the governments and by the palace, and there's very little room there which would allow a private meeting.

The prince and the king are also on separate coasts, so logistically, it might be difficult.

Max Foster, CNN London.

KINKADE: Thanks to Max. Well, the pop spectacle of Eurovision is coming to East Asia this year. The grand finale of the regional competition will be hosted in Bangkok on November 14th. Ten nations are set to face off in the inaugural competition and so far, they include South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Laos.

The contest's website says more participants will be announced in the coming months. The original Eurovision started in 1956.

Well before we go, we're just hours away from NASA's plan to launch four astronauts into deep space. The Artemis II mission will take 10 days to circle the moon and return back to earth. Don't miss CNN's special live coverage of the Artemis II launch. It starts Wednesday at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back with much more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment.

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