News Wrap: French territory of Mayotte devastated by cyclone

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• Geoff Bennett:

  We start the day's other headlines in the French territory of Mayotte, where officials say the worst storm in almost a century has devastated the archipelago.

  The main airport and hospital were damaged and access to food and water are limited. French President Emmanuel Macron said he will declare a national morning period and will visit Mayotte soon.

  William Brangham has this report.

• William Brangham:

  As Cyclone Chido thundered across Mayotte on Sunday, locals cowered in fear. The eye of the storm took a direct route over the two tiny islands between Mozambique and Madagascar.

  John Balloz, Resident of Mayotte (through interpreter): It was the wind, the wind blowing. And I was panicked. I was screaming because I thought it would be the end for me.

• William Brangham:

  John Balloz took this video after surviving the storm. The official death toll is only about a dozen so far, but officials fear hundreds or even thousands might be found dead as the storm clears and relief and recovery efforts begin.

  Nearly 320,000 people live in the densely populated 144 square miles of Mayotte. The French military has a large presence on nearby Reunion Island, another French territory. Soldiers and aid teams deployed from Reunion, while the French interior minister made his way to Mayotte to rally relief workers.

• Bruno Retailleau, French Interior Minister (through interpreter):

  There are still mountains to move, so everyone needs to mobilize. Everyone needs to be at their post and be professional. No panicking. No rushing.

• William Brangham:

  On Reunion, Arnaud Danilala was still waiting to hear if his brother and other family members in Mayotte made it safely through the storm.

• Arnaud Danilala, Reunion Island Resident (through interpreter):

  When you see houses destroyed, you also see a lot of dead people, so it could be a member of our family. So, yes, we're worried about that.

• William Brangham:

  Mayotte is the poorest French territory and the poorest place in the European Union. In Brussels today, the French foreign minister said he would be asking for help from the E.U. to rebuild.

  Jean-Noel Barrot, French Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister (through interpreter): All my thoughts this morning are with our compatriots in Mayotte, who are suffering the tragic consequences of the disaster. The government and state services are fully mobilized to provide support, reinforcement and security.

• William Brangham:

  For the "PBS News Hour," I'm William Brangham.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Also today, health officials in Gaza say that more than 45,000 Palestinians have now been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Family members held funerals today for some of the 13 people killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school turned shelter in Khan Yunis.

  Hospital officials say that six children were among the dead. Israel claims that Hamas fighters were using the shelter as a command center. Across Gaza, Palestinian civilians, lamented the death and suffering caused by more than 14 months of war.

• Alaa Hamouda, Gaza Resident (through interpreter):

  We have nothing to do with everything that is happening to us. We did not do any wrong in order for this to happen. Innocent people die who aren't connected to what is happening, children, women, babies. A boy is born and, two or three days later, we find him as a victim.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Gaza's Health Ministry says the real death toll may be higher than 45,000 because bodies are trapped in places that medics cannot access. It does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count.

  Separately, Israel's defense minister said today that negotiators are closer to a cease-fire deal now than at any time since a temporary cease-fire took effect in November of last year.

  Ukrainian and U.S. military officials say some North Korean troops were killed or wounded while fighting alongside Russian forces this weekend. They are the first reported casualties since as many as 12,000 North Korean troops joined Russia's war effort in recent weeks.

  Ukraine's military intelligence agency says 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded in the Kursk border region, where Russia has tried for months to repel a Ukrainian incursion. The White House also cited casualties, saying that North Korean troops are now on the front lines of the war.

  In Canada, the country's finance minister is resigning from the Cabinet, raising more questions about the political future of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chrystia Freeland cited differences with Trudeau over how to confront Donald Trump's threat of tariffs as a reason for her departure.

  Freeland also served as deputy prime minister and had long been one of Trudeau's most powerful and loyal allies. Her sudden departure further isolates Trudeau, who is facing calls from within his own party not to seek a fourth term. Trudeau says he plans to stay in his role into the next election, which must be held before October.

  Here at home, New Jersey's governor says that drone detectors have found — quote — "little or no evidence" of anything dangerous or threatening from a series of suspected drones spotted in the skies above his state. Phil Murphy also called for Congress to give local officials more authority to deal with the drones. They were first spotted in mid-November and have sparked growing fascination and frustration ever since.

  Over the weekend, sightings at an Air Force base near Dayton, Ohio forced officials there to temporarily shut down the airspace. And, in Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone dangerously close to Logan Airport.

  Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged the government to deploy better technology to track and identify the drones.

• Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

  It's not a bird. It's not a plane. It's a drone. And when it comes to drones, people in the New York area and all across the country have more questions than answers.

• Geoff Bennett:

  National security officials have stressed that the drones do not pose a threat to public safety, nor do they appear to be signs of foreign interference.

  A former FBI informant has pleaded guilty to lying about a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Aleksandr Smirnov admitted to a felony charge related to the made-up story, as well as tax evasions stemming from a separate indictment. Smirnov had told his FBI handler in 2020 that the Bidens had received $5 million each from executives at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma back in 2015.

  That false story was central to a Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Smirnov faces up to six years in prison. He will be sentenced next month.

  Former TV host Carlos Watson has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison over charges related to his failed start-up Ozy Media. The 55-year-old was convicted last summer of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges. Prosecutors had accused Watson of playing a leading role in trying to deceive Ozy investors and lenders by inflating revenue numbers and hyping up deals that were not finalized or even real. Watson has denied any wrongdoing and has challenged his conviction.

  On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed to start the week. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped more than 100 points, or a quarter of 1 percent. The Nasdaq jumped to a new record, closing well above the 20000-point level. The S&P 500 also ended higher on the day.

  And Zakir Hussain, one of India's most revered classical musicians, has died. Hussain is credited with introducing the tabla to the world, elevating the hand drums from an accompaniment to a globally celebrated solo sound. Over a career spanning six decades, he collaborated with music legends, including former Beatle George Harrison, drummer Mickey Hart, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

  Just this year, he became the first musician from India to win three Grammy Awards in the same year. Hussain passed away Sunday in San Francisco after a battle with chronic lung disease. He was 73 years old.