hello, i'm wolf blitzer it's 1:00 p.m. in washington, 6:00 p.m. in london 7:00 p.m. in tripoli, 8:00 p.m. in baghdad. wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. we start with multiple rescue missions under way right now in the mediterranean sea. crews are responding to distress signals from as many as three vessels carrying hundreds of migrants from north africa. over the weekend a similar ship went down near the coast of italy. hundreds including women and children are missing. it's the latest disaster taking the lives of migrants fleeing across the mediterranean trying to get into europe.

earlier we heard from italy's prime minister. >> translator: this is not just our problem and none can accept -- no one can accept that some people can be locked in a vessel and sold to these criminals and then die. >> our karl penhaul joining us live from italy. what's the latest as far as the victims are concerned, the survivors? what do we know karl? >> well wolf we're expecting in the next couple hours or so 27 survivors from that weekend shipwreck to arrive here in the port of catania. they will be off-loaded and given health and psychological checks and the authorities will want to debrief them to find out what happened. saturday night early into sundays because initial survivor reports suggested that maybe between 7 to -- 700 to 950

people had been on board that vessel. the italian prosecutors said we don't know that for sure. he will want to get to the bottom of that to find out how many people may have died because only 28 survivors have been picked up 24 dead bodies have been picked up and fear is the remainder could be trapped in the hull of that vessel which has sunk to a depth of more than one mile deep. but, of course then look to the rest of the day and you only get the impression that this migrant crisis is escalating because in the afternoon hours, we got a report of another migrant boat sinking off the island of rhodes off the greek coast. 83 people on board there. at least three confirmed dead. we understand a rescue operation is still ongoing there. also now we're hearing of three vessels in trouble off the coast of libya. they had also been heading towards italy. one put out a distress call. one of them is taking on water and now we're hearing that nato

warships are heading to that area to try to rescues as many as 200 to 300 migrants on each of those boats, wolf. >> karl the european union ministers meeting and trying come up with emergency plan. what, if anything did they actually come up with? >> they have several levels that they want to try to solve this problem. one is to get to the deep rooted causes of this problem. well that's going to be a long shot because what they're talking about is diplomatic moves to help failed states succeed again so that those migrants won't want to come to europe in the first place. they're talking about tackling rampant poverty. of course the richer nations have been doing that for decades and it hasn't worked. where they will get most success is putting more resources, more money and boats into the search and rescue operations to pull

migrants off these rust bucket vessels before they sink and before migrants drown. that really is a tacit admission of their own failure because only last week there was a lot of criticism that the european union had not put enough money into its triton program, this year's program, to try to help migrants as they come ashore. more funding, more vessels, into the search and rescue operation that again could encourage more migrants to head this way towards europe because they'll feel that if they get into trouble, they will be picked up more quickly, wolf. >> with a failed state and a lot of terror going on in libya, you can't blame these people for trying to get out. the whole country has virtually collapsed. karl penhaul in italy for us right there at catania. let's move on here's where the emergency stands right now. this according to the united nations. an estimated 35,000 migrants have crossed to europe this year. more than a third of those have done so in the past ten days. last year 3500 migrants died

crossing the med der rain yan. this year so far 1600 in the first three and a half months and these numbers don't count the tragedy over the weekend or the ships calling for help right now. joining us via skype is francois capo the united nations special repar tore for human rights of migrants and retired major james spider marks. italy's prime minister says he won't launch a military operation there but still wants to bring the traffickers to justice, stop the flow of these migrants from north africa trying to get into europe especially into italy. can that really be done, though without a military operation? >> no i don't think so. that's the arm of government that really has the ability to solve a problem or at least start toward a solution of a problem of this magnitude. there has to be a military solution embedded in a greater diplomatic solution but certainly italy can do this as a sovereign nation they can also do it inside the organizational

construct of natop. >> francois the european union says they'll double the number of search and rescue ships in the mediterranean area over there. they say they're also ready to exit more money. what else do they really need to do? this is a human tragedy that's unfolding. >> the first thing is to save lives. putting more boats out there and picking people out of the water is essential. the second thing is that these people come for a reason. many of them many most of them at least last summer were refugees from syria. if, you know these people are stuck in turkey in jordan lebanon, with no future in sight. they will examine anyway because that's what we would do in their shoes. we should do what we've done for the endo chinese 30 years ago. a comprehensive plan of action and resettle probably 1 million or 2 million of those refugees

before they get to the smugglers. it would be an orderly process, lives would be saved, asylum claim procedures would be avoided, and the market for the smugglers would be reduced. >> when you say reschedule or resettle these people a million people where do you want them resettled? >> well in the global north. that's what we did for the indough chinese. we took about 3 million indough chinese 30 years ago, we could take 1 or 2 million syrians now. >> take them and resettle them in europe? >> in europe in north america, in australia and new zealand. i've calculated if we take 1 million syrians, for example over the next five years, for a country like canada it's less than 9,000 syrians per year. for countries like the u.k. it would be about 14,000 per year. entirely manageable. >> but you know francois if you're going to start opening up

the doors to a million refugees there are -- what there are 11 million refugees in syria alone, half of the country, they've been displaced from their homes. if you add libya, yemen, if you add somalia, if you take a look at that region what's going on, you're going to want to resettle almost everyone in the middle east and north africa. >> not necessarily. not everyone wants to come here. not everyone. and what is the other option? the other option is to continue trying to repress movements, movements that will happen. migrants are, you know, have agency they just vote with their feet and they are coming anyway. they are coming in droves and many of them lose their lives. if we want to do the right thing, for us them as well as for us we're better to organize this and take the market out of the hands of the smugglers. organize mobility is much better it saves lives saves costs, it's much better for everyone. >> spider marks, what do you think the u.s.'s role should be

given the fact that the united states together with italy and several other european fashion s nations, they went in and launched cruise missiles got rid of gadhafi and in, in fact, at least in part created this disaster in libya, for example right now, this horrible situation, a failed state with a lot of terror groups competing for influence. what is the u.s. responsibility if any, in this? >> wolf i don't embrace entirely the notion that the united states and its partners created the chaos that's in libya today. libyas has had a challenge for years. what we were able to do is ac cell rate the departure of a tyrant tyrant. the libyans had the opportunity to put something right in place and that has not happened. we've seen the collapse of governments throughout the middle east and north africa. what i find most interesting is nobody is talking about who pays for this how does this work.

clearly the united states can step up and it never has altered or stepped away from a challenge like this to embrace humanitarian crises like this. the issue really becomes, how do you get at the root cause? i totally agree it's better to have a problem solved in syria, libya, and north africa and elsewhere in the middle east than launch a bunch of folks on boats. the only price of admission is how much they can afford to pay the smugglers. that's where we get into a problem with the potential integration of terrorists in that type of a scenario we see. >> it's a human tragedy unfolding right now. you're both absolutely right. francois thanks very much for joining us. good luck in all the important work you're doing. spider thank to you as well. we have a lot more on this shocking story coming up but there's other shocking developments happening right now. isis going ahead, beheading, killing, christians more christians in libya right now.

there's reaction obviously pouring in from around the world. the very latest. and on a very, very different note here in the united states we have some brand new cnn polls showing a dramatic surge for republican presidential candidate marco rubio. we will dig deeper into all the numbers. it's more than a network. it's how you stay connected. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner you get an industry leading broadband network and cloud and hosting services. centurylink. your link to what's next. wish your skin could bounce back as quickly as it used to? introducing neutrogena hydro boost water gel. instantly quenches skin to keep it supple and hydrated day after day. formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid which retains up to 1000 times its weight in water.

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new video released by isis in libya shows the brutal execution of 30 christian pen. in the individual a mass fighter warns christians must convert or pay a tax and a group of isis fighters purportedly kills all the christian captives. one group appears to be shot to death in the southern part of libya and another group beheaded

on a beach. our security correspondent vim sciutto and peter bergen. we're not showing the video simply too horrific to show to our viewers. what can you tell us about the latest development? >> in the simplest terms it's sick. disgusting to watch these things. it's also very slickly produced as all their videos are and has all the markers to deliver their typical message one of which you have them in the orange jump suits, evoking guantanamo. two groups of prisoners. one on a beach beheaded in the orange jump suits another we saw in the still in black outfits they were shot in another place. as they did it they called back to the other beheading you might remember on the beach again in libya, egyptian christians who were beheaded on the beach, another horrific one, and then they make reference to a sort of obscure mention in the core ran about how muslims offer christians a chance either to convert or pay a tax. these christians refused.

and what's interesting about that it shows how isis a big debate about whether they're islamic terrorists or represent islam at all, they at least take great pains to tie what they do to the koran. bad interpretations of it but this is what they do going back to medieval interpretations if you don't pay a tax we will kill you. >> in this video, i don't know if you've seen it about a half hour in length slickly produced the narrator says to the nation of the cross, meaning christians we are back again on the sands. so why, what's the point? what are they trying to achieve from the propaganda point of view of isis? why do they have to show -- remember a few months ago they beheaded egyptian christians and now ethiopian christians are being beheaded or shot in the head. what are they trying to achieve from their propaganda perspective? >> they are we are in the final end of times. they believe in certain kind of

prophecyies and one of them they have magazine which is their sort of propaganda magazine a town where they believe the final confrontations between islam and the forces of christianity is going to take place. and they see these kinds of attacks on christians as part of a fulfillment of the prophecy. as jim pointed out, if there is a koran verse saying if you don't convert to islam you can pay a tax but if you don't pay the tax -- >> they say the narrator says perform prayer and pay which means you have an opportunity to convert to islam and won't die. >> they also in the video make reference to other christians in mosul and iraq made the same offer apparently refused the over and were killed. this is the thing. it's not just christians the target. shiite muslims as well yazidis, these old religions that are in that area of iraq and syria they control they're all targets. what's particular about it when

they go after christians is that part of that message is meant for us. it's showing that you in the west are targets as well and they know that these images have particular provocative power for them. >> the -- one group beheaded another group shot in the head is there a symbolic difference from the perspective? >> i generally have no idea. typically they've beheaded their victims. but, you know, there is nothing in the koran about shooting people because obviously these kinds of weapons didn't exist in the seventh century. i don't get it. >> the other video that's come out they're trying to recruit young people and i'm going to show some of the video to our viewers right now. using kids in an amusement park this is in iraq trying to brain wash the kids a about the isis terror group. is this an indication isis is feeling some sort of pressure from iraqi forces shiite militia forces especially after the latter helped liberate tikrit what's going on? >> this is just as message that we've seen repeatedly if you come to the caliphate we've

created there's going to be -- you will have an ordinary life and do the things that ordinary people do around the world. that's the message being communicated with the video. not often you go to a game where one of the kids is holding an automatic weapon. that's the message. >> trying to show life is good under isis rule. >> when you look at the number of europeans and americans who have attempted to go there they buy that message, not only the cause but they will find some sort of happiness and fulfillment and more and more not just young men the typical target group but young women as well. >> i want both of you to stand by. more to discuss. up next an american journalist held in iran now after nine months nine months in prison he knows what he's accused of we'll tell you the charges the u.s. reaction to those charges stay with us.

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. for the first time since he was detained by iranian officials nearly nine months ago we know what "the washington post" reporter jason rezaian is being charged with. his brother tells cnn that the charges are espionage, collaborating with a hostile government and spreading propaganda. the reaction from the state department in washington only a few moments a ago. >> if the reports are true these charges are as we said in the past patently absurd. he should immediately be freed to return to his family and the charges should peedly be dismissed. no confirmation officially from iranian judicial authorities yet. >> jim sciutto our chief national security correspondent with us. you've done reporting and met

jason oef the years as well. what are the iranians up to. a handful of americans they're holding, about to get if the deal goes through huge bonanza, billions in frozen funds that will flow into iran why can't they release the americans and let them come home? >> what's interesting, jason rezaian is caught less between the u.s. and iran than he is caught between factions inside iran. you have the hard line faction that tends to run the judiciary there against the more moderate one, president rouhani who initiated the nuclear talks, the foreign minister et cetera. there is a read of this situation where almost to embarrass the moderates you take this american there and you now put them on the trumped up charges. look at the case they are absurd. some of the evidence i was talking and interviewed jason's brother ali rezaian on "state of the union" yesterday, the basis for the espionage charges was partly him introducing two iranian americans one who works

for a prominent think tank and another one. it's the kind of thing you do over coffee. it's not like he was interviewing -- introducing clandestine spies in a hidden away place. it's trumped up. it took them nine months he's been in prison nine months took nine months to come up with this and now go to the public. you know no one involved in this thinks these charges are true but he's become a pawn if a real political conflict in that country. >> secretary kerry when he was negotiating the nuclear deal the framework, still no final deal they deliberately decided to keep the fate of these americans, a handful of americans, who are being held and affect hostage in iran right now separate from the negotiations over the nuclear deal. >> that's right. they have to be fair secretary kerry and others have raised jason rezaian case and the two other americans being held there, a former marine and abedineny, a pastor. >> a christian. >> christians pastor but it's

been a decision the obama administration to separate to the just the cases of the three americans there, but all the other issues whether it's support for terrorism or, in fact iran's horrendous human rights record with its own people. those issues we're just talking about nuclear issues here. that's been a subject of frustration for jason rezaian's family and the families of the others because they have been sitting here waiting, they would make the argument that you have leverage now with these nuclear negotiations to push for the americans to be released and leverage they don't believe that the american government is using. >> yeah they would like to use that if you saw the story in the "wall street journal" over the weekend they will get an initial, you know, bonanza, $50 billion, you would think if they lift those sanctions at least the first wave of sanctions they would release a few americans they're holing. >> not bad for a day's work. a significant amount of money. >> you would think they would do that. thanks very much. >> thank you. >> jim sciutto. much more news coming up after this.

welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. it's being called one of the largest groups ever arrested in the united states for trying to join isis. six men from minnesota are now ins custody. officials say four of the men were arrested in minneapolis yesterday, two were taken too custody in san diego. they allegedly planned to travel to syria to join isis. the u.s. attorney for minnesota says the suspects kept trying to get to syria even after their

plans were disrupted. >> but what is remarkable about this case is that nothing stopped these defendants from pursuing their goal. they never stopped plotting another way to get to syria to join isil. they were not confused young men, they were not easily influenced. these are focused men who are intent on joining a terrorist means possible. >> cnn's ryan young is joining us live from minneapolis. what more can you tell us about the investigation and the arrests? >> well this investigation was very detailed. so far what we've been able to read someone on the inside of this group decided to give evidence to the fbi and actually start recording bits of conversation as these people started to meet together. this was a peer to peer network where everyone was working to get to syria to join the group and once that one individual decided to start giving evidence to the fbi, they had details you

never could have expected. >> ryan officials say the men were getting help from one of the friends who did actually make it to syria. had a role in direct role with isis in syria. what role was he playing allegedly in all of this? >> well seems like so far he's the guy that everyone wants to be like. in fact we are outside a greyhound bus station where four of these men tried to get to new york to get to jfk to get over to syria. and, in fact they all denied knowing each other but from what we've been told the fbi was able to go through surveillance videos and link them together saying they know they all booked tickets within a few hours of each other and then could all see them sitting together before boarding a bus getting to jfk. once fbi agents started talking to them they said we don't know each other the fbi was able to link them together not only because of the tickets but footage from several locations where they've seen these people meeting over and over again and also reached out to the community because they want to make sure that the people who

are doing this peer to peer network don't have a chance to do something like this again. >> the u.s. attorney there says and i'm quoting now, he says we have a terror recruiting problem in minnesota and also says the men arrested are part of a larger peer to peer recruiting ring. how extensive do they think the operation is? >> well we started to ask that conversation. they said it was an ongoing investigation and didn't want to get into the numbers. they say there are several people in the community who are tired of being linked to terrorism and starting to talk and also have initiative in the community to make sure that anybody who hears of something, starts speaking to the fbi to make sure they can start any terror plot. so far doesn't seem like anything in terms of striking the u.s. everything is about going over to syria and joining isil. >> ryan young, thanks very much for the update. a very disturbing story indeed. up next american politics the race for the white house. hillary clinton dominates among the democrats. look at this marco rubio, he's

surging among republicans after he announces he wants to be the next president of the united states. we have our brand new cnn poll numbers. the 2016 race, much more coming up. jack's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today, his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack be sure to talk to your doctor before your begin an aspirin regimen.

the road to the white house in 2016 runs through new hampshire. it's the latest stop for hillary clinton's campaign. we have brand new cnn poll numbers on clinton's dominance among democrats. the latest numbers on the republican contenders as well. clinton visits a family owned toy company if keen new hampshire, in a community college in new hampshire tomorrow. the crowded field flocked to new hampshire over the weekend. political director david is here with me in washington senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny on the road in new hampshire covering the clinton xap for us. jeff what are we expecting to see? what kind of low-key events is

the former secretary planning today? we know there were several in iowa. >> wolf the second week is going to look a lot likes the first week except she will be in new hampshire, at the new hampshire primary. arrived here a few moments ago and a few supporters braving the elements and rushed if to greet her as she arrived. very small scripted settings here. one-on-one conversations in coffee shops and businesses. her message is the economy. she's going to use this family-owned business that's been in business more than a century, as an anecdote for how small businesses can help improve the economy. so -- but the real questions here for her are any democratic voters going to ask her any questions about some of her evolving positions over the last eight years. that's another thing she's confronting. >> let's see what happens. it will be interesting. david, our new cnn/orc poll among democrats shows she's doing remarkably well not surprising 69%, biden not even

running 11%, bernie sanders 5% jim webb 3% chaffe o'malley 1%p. unless something unexpected happens looks locked up at least at this early stage. >> you don't see a real path yet for anybody else. now obviously hillary clinton would be the very first person to tell you don't believe early poll numbers right. she's been through this before. we've never seen a nonincumbent in such a dominant position as we see her and beyond the horse race numbers, one of the really interesting things in the poll was that 58% of democrats are now enthusiastic about the idea she may be the nominee. last june we asked that only about 41%. that has jumped up now that she's a candidate. democrats are getting more enthusiastic. >> seems to be based on what our poll numbers show. the clinton campaign launched a preemptive strike if you want to call it that, against the soon-to-be published book about donation to the clinton

foundation speaking fees to former president clinton, what is the campaign saying about the new back about to be leased? republicans, a lot of them seem to think there's damming information that could hurt her? >> that's right, wolf. the clinton campaign only responds to things that they think could be a problem so this is a sign they're taking this seriously. this is what they said in a statement about this new forthcoming book called "clinton cash." a spokesperson said it appears this book is being used to aid tis coordinated attack strategy twisting previously known facts into absurd conspiracy theories. it will not be the first work of partisan fueled fiction about the clinton's record and we know it will not be the last. so wolf, from a clinton campaign spokesman, again a sign they are trying to push back on anything that they believe could be a problem here. and david is right about the early poll ratings. clinton advisors know all too well she knows all too well about how these early national polls don't peen a lot in term

of what will be happening a year from now. >> yeah. what's obviously always more interesting at least early on in how these candidates are doing in various battleground states or early states like iowa new hampshire, south carolina. the republican field. let's take a look at the republican field. right now, jeb bush still ahead of the pack we'll put the numbers up there, at 17%. the wisconsin governor scott walker 12%, rand paul marco rubio, 11%. for rubio he's more than doubled his number from a little while ago, right. >> we haven't seen marco rubio in double digits for a couple years, before he hit a speed bump with immigration reform not popular among republicans but a fies rollout. these numbers reflect that. we asked about lots of attributes strong leaders, shares my values has the right experience to be president, marco rubio does well in these attributes and ties jeb bush among who is the future the face of the future of the

republican party. 18% say jeb bush 18% parco rubio. we're seeing a battle shape up between these two floridians. >> do you have a sense, it's early, you speak to hillary clinton strategists out there, who they the clinton campaign would fear the most? would it be someone like jeb bush parco rubemarco rubio, younger than hillary clinton or some of the other candidates scott walker or rand paul? what is your sense and i'll tell you my sense after you tell me yours? >> wolf talking to a lot of advisors in the clinton campaign and supporters and donors believe that jeb bush overall would be, you know the strongest challenger to her just because of his access to fund-raising. just his pedigree his experience matches up with hers. but they do not discount senator rubio at all. they were paying very close attention to his announcement last week when he was talking about yesterday. of course he was referring to the clinton campaign and possibly the bush campaign so that would certainly be an image of the future.

but quite frankly one top democratic adviser close to clinton said we don't know who will be the nominee, a wide open race hard to tell here. if you press them it starts with jeb bush and goes from there. >> heat what i've heard -- that's what i've heard as well. the clinton people say they will carry new york, california the republicans will take texas. what worries them is florida and ohio. jeb bush is pretty popular in florida, twice elected governor right. ohio is a key battleground state. if he were to pick john kasich that would be a problem for hillary clinton. >> no doubt those will be two critical states. they are every election cycle even more so now if a floridian or ohioan is on the ticket. you're right about that. we asked head-to-head general election match-ups in this poll so we tested hillary clinton against eight republicans pfts of the republicans national poll very early, put that out there, marco rubio does best against her the only one of the eight republicans we tested to crack

40% and yet even though he does best hillary clinton still beats him by 14 points. >> that's nationally. >> nationally. >> not necessarily in florida. >> not in the electoral college the road to 270. >> as important as national polls are the road to 270, obviously a whole lot more important if you want to be president of the united states. just ask al gore right? >> exactly. >> thanks very much for that. david and jeff. appreciate it. other news we're following despite warnings from the u.s. government to leave, there are still performs trapped in the fighting in yemen. up next we will meet some of them as they desperately try to escape to safety including one woman from buffalo whose son is an iraq war veteran. she's desperately trying to get out. as are so many other americans trapped in yemen.

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saudi led air strikes continue to pound the shiite houthi rebel positions in yemen. this one targeting a weapons depot near the capital of sanaa. yemeni health officials said 46 civilians were killed more than 300 injured in that attack alone. despite warnings from the u.s. government to get out, there are still some american citizens stuck in the country. our senior frl correspondent nima reports on their struggle to escape the violence. >> reporter: on our way out of

aiden. yemen's second largest city is too dangerous to overnight in. on the journey in we've been warned we must leave before dark. we weren't the only ones trying to get out. for these people desperate to leave, this besieged city our ship was an unexpected lifeline. too scared to sleep at home many were living on the streets outside the port. >> just bombs all the time. gunshots. people are running down the street. >> reporter: she is from buffalo in upstate new york. she was visiting her sick father when the war erupted around her. >> i called the riyadh embassy and asked them to help us interest was about 75 families waiting. my family has been -- >> at the port? >> my family has been waiting there two weeks. we ran out of money, we ran out of food we ran out of shelter. we were just sitting there waiting for someone to come and

say okay where's the americans, let's pick them up. >> reporter: that didn't happen. and she and her family had to pay $3,000 to port officials just to be aloud to leave aiden. she gave them everything she gave them everything she had. >> i want to ask my president, mr. obama, how come we're third-class citizens? how come our country did not come and rescue us? >> reporter: she says there are 75 more american families still stranded in aden uncertain whether they will make it out alive. the u.s. government isn't evacuating its citizens at this time. after a day and a half at sea, we reached the port. for those on board, it's been a grueling journey, but finally they are safe. for the americans, it's time to show their dark blue passports. >> when you get off this bus,

you're going to look for us. >> reporter: we've seen other governments go in and get their nationals. why has the u.s. not been able to do this? >> as you stated, it's a very difficult situation. you've just returned from yemen. it's very fluid. we have one of the branches of al qaeda that's especially active. there's the houthis. neither of these two groups friendly to u.s. citizens. we've had to weigh very very carefully what is the safest way, the best way for us to help them. for many u.s. citizens that's going to mean sheltering in place. for other u.s. citizens we're very actively working at getting information to them on different avenues for travel out of yemen. and then of course when they reach places we're here right away at the port meeting them when they get off thes boats to provide immediate assistance food water, and help them get their papers processed to travel home.

>> reporter: at least the ordeal is now over. for those left behind it's unclear when and if help will be on its way. cnn, aden. >> by all accounts there are hundreds of americans still stranded inside yemen right now. in somalia, a deadly attack on united nations workers. an improvised bomb exploded in the northeast part of the country. six people were killed including four aid workers. the four staff members work for unicef which is the u.n.'s children's agency. the trough group al shabaab has claimed responsibility for this atack. horrific attacks also in south africa. we're going to tell you why hundreds of people are now under arrest after a deadly rampage there.

a word of caution before this next story. some viewers may find the images and content in this report disturbing. in south africa today, deadly protests aimed at foreign workers in the country. more than 300 people have been arrested in the attacks, which killed at least five people including a 14-year-old boy. cnn's diana magnay has more from johannesburg. >> reporter: wolf there are some photographs which capture a story or a moment. in this case the truly evil

face that is zen phone ya in south africa. this photo series was taken by photographer james oatway who's a senior photographer at "the sunday times" here in south africa. he was down in the alexandra township early on saturday morning to photograph some of the looting that had taken place overnight. looting of smolly shops. he literally walked into this situation. he heard a commotion and ran towards it and saw it was a gang of four men who were attacking another man. one man hitting him repeatedly with a wrench. then another man stepping in to stab him repeatedly. this whole process lasted some two minutes. oatway came as close as he could, four or five meters. he feels his presence did stop the men from finishing the job. one man tried to walk in with a butcher's knife and he was pulled away and the four ran off.

oatway then tried to take the man to the local clinic but the doctor wasn't there. the clinic said he was a foreigner, too, so he was scared to come to work. by the time that oatway had managed to take the man to hospital, it was too late and he died. when i spoke to james oatway he said he felt devastated at the level of cruelty and depravity that he'd born witness to and that he hadn't been able to do more. >> this kind of level of violence is deeply disturbing to me. and it's shocking and i'm sickened by it. i'm really disappointed. i'm sickened and i'm extremely angry. i'm angry with the men that did this, and ultimately, i'm really upset i wasn't successful in saving his life. >> reporter: everyone is talking about these pictures wolf. it's as though they more than

anything else that's woken the nation up to the horror that is zenophobia. police have arrested three suspects including the man wielding a knife. a fourth suspect remains. at large. wolf? >> what a shocking story. diana magnay reporting from south africa. thank you very very much. let me end this hour with a quick check of the markets before we go. here in the united states there you see the dow jones industrial is up more than 200 points. that's a big rebound from the loss it suffered at the end of last week. analysts now say that good company earnings are giving investors a boost. we'll see how the markets continue to move over the next few hours today. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. i'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "the situation room." among my special guests senator john mccain and congressman adam

schiff. for our international viewers "amanpour" is coming up next. for our viewers in north america, "news room" with brooke baldwin starts right now. hi there. i'm brooke baldwin. thank you so much for being with me on this monday. live during the show we could be getting the answers that relatives and protesters are demanding in the death of freddie gray. baltimore police now getting ready to hold a news conference one day after the 25-year-old died. according to police gray was arrested back on april 12th quote/unquote, without force or incident. but as you can see from this photo from the family here that may be a different story, according to some. somehow in police custody, gray's spinal cord was severed. his family's lawyer says he lapsed into a