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NEWS STREAM

Robin Williams Dies At 63; U.S. Backs News Appointed Iraqi Prime Minister; Kiev, West Skeptical Of Russian Humanitarian Convoy; Leading Women: Aerin Lauder; Disney, Amazon Feuding

Aired August 12, 2014 - 8:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now remembering a comic genius. Robin Williams is found dead in a suspected suicide after suffering severe depression.

A dramatic rescue -- CNN's Ivan Watson goes along on a mission to save lives in Iraq.

And is Amazon picking a fight with Disney and book publishers?

A brilliant comedian and award winning actor, a husband and a father, Robin Williams was found dead in his California home on Monday. He was

loved by those who knew him and those who only saw him on screen. And fans and friends are still struggling with this sudden loss. An autopsy is

planned for later today, but authorities believe that Williams killed himself on Monday.

Now there has been an outpouring of sadness over the death of a man who brought laughter to so many people. And Nischelle Turner looks back on

Robin Williams' career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His high octane brand of comedy was his trade mark public persona. But Robin

Williams proved himself for an Oscar winner with a strong philanthropic side. Born in 1951, it was in his 20s, Williams was unleashed first as an

American TV star.

ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Mindy, run for your life! The emotions are coming.

TURNER: As Mork from the planet Ork in "Mork and Mindy", Williams became a household name. When the series ended after a four-year run in

1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh. WILLIAMS: My name is TS Garp.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's TS stand for?

WILLIAMS: Terribly sexy.

TURNER: The Julliard schooled actor unveiled his dramatic side for the first time in 1982's "The World According to Garp."

WILLIAMS: So, I was trained as an actor, so it's not like they have to medicate me.

TURNER: That serious side earned him Oscar nominations for "The Fisher King".

WILLIAMS: Good morning, Vietnam.

TURNER: "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Dead Poet's Society."

WILLIAMS: He's the golden dude.

TURNER: He finally won his only Oscar statue in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting."

WILLIAMS: This one, yes. The others were just foreplay. It's extraordinary.

(LAUGHTER)

TURNER: But Williams never stopped being funny even when the topic seemed serious. He helped launch and co-hosted eight telethons over 20

years to help the homeless.

WILLIAMS: Men who sleep with chickens and the women who love them.

TURNER: Comic relief earned more than $50 million. And even when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with

humor.

LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE" HOST: You were drunk?

WILLIAMS: Well, that's nice of you to say that.

TURNER: He took two trips to rehab, most recently this summer. He talked about the process on "LARRY KING LIVE" in 2007.

WILLIAMS: What happens to people basically start the process of, you know, just saying no, and being among others. And learning that you're not

alone and working on giving up.

KING: Do you lose your sense of humor in it?

WILLIAMS: No. You find it. You're there with people who have a great sense of humor.

KING: So, you're funny there too.

WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, you got to be.

TURNER: In 2009, the Williams was rushed to the hospital with heart problems, forced to temporarily cancel his one-man show to undergo surgery.

He talked about his recovery on "The Ellen" show.

WILLIAMS: You have you a heart surgery and they literally open you up. They crack the box. You are really vulnerable. Oh, a kitten, oh, God. It's

-- the kitten -- and you get very, very emotional about everything. But I think that's a wonderful thing. It opens you up to everything.

TURNER: And with a new lease on life, Williams quickly spring back into action. In 2011, he made his Broadway acting debut, starring in Rajiv

Joseph's "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo." That same year, he would marry his third wife, graphic designer, Susan Schneider.

In 2013, Williams would return to the small screen, starring in the CBS sitcom "The Crazy Ones", where he would reunite with his old friend Pam

Dawber, better known as Mindy.

PAM DAWBER, ACTRESS: Never as screwy as you. You're like an alien. TURNER: From stand-up to sitcoms and beyond, Williams would delight

audiences with a whacky humor and joyful energy. He was the definition of full of life. And even now, his comic legend is destined to endure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: That was Nischelle Turner reporting.

Now people have flooded social media with reaction to Robin Williams' death. The comedian Billy Crystal simply tweeted two words, "No words."

Now fellow comedian Steve Martin says this, "I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams. Mensch. Great Talent. Acting

partner. Genuine sole."

And this post by the Academy of Motion Pictures has been retweeted some 220,000 times. It's a frame from Aladdin with the message, "Genie,

you're free."

And the White House has weighed in with a statement saying, "he made us laugh, he made us cry, he ended up touching every element of the human

spirit. Rest in peace Robin Williams."

And over on our eye report website people are sharing their memories of the star. Mark Cole wrote about how Williams flew to North Carolina to

visit his terminally ill daughter just days before she died.

Now Jessica had a brain tumor. And Cole says that she lit up when Williams started doing Mrs. Doubtfire impressions. And he writes, quote,

"I felt very privileged that he came to spend the day with her like that. It was the most moving thing I've ever seen in my life."

Now we want to hear your story. Just go to iReport.com to post your photo and your video tributes, or take a look at the ones coming in right

now.

Now details of Williams' death are still emerging. And authorities, they will conduct an autopsy later today.

Now let's bring in CNN's Dan Simon now. He is near the actor's home in Tiburon, California. And Dan, what have you learned?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kristie.

I can tell you that Robin Williams was a fixture in San Francisco most recently moving here to the suburb of Tiburon, California. You can see the

beginning of a makeshift memorial here at the family home.

Emergency crews responded just before noon yesterday, and that's when they found Williams completely unresponsive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON (voice-over): This morning, the world reeling over the shocking death of Hollywood comedic legend Robin Williams. The Oscar-winning actor

apparently committing suicide according to investigators. Death to asphyxia inside his San Francisco bay area home Monday morning.

Williams was last seen alive by his wife Susan Schneider the night before. "I lost my husband and my best friend," said Schneider in a

statement released Monday, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists.

The 63-year-old had a long history of alcoholism and drug addiction, but was recently battling severe depression, according to his media

representative, entering a 12-step rehab stint in July in order to maintain his sobriety. His sudden death leaving Hollywood and fans stunned.

CONAN O'BRIEN, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: This is absolutely shocking and horrifying and so upsetting on every level.

SIMON: Fellow comedian Conan O'Brien visibly emotional when he broke the news to his audience right before wrapping his late night talk show.

O'BRIEN: We're so very sorry to have to report this to anybody who's hearing it for the first time. And we are going to end our show now and

thank all my guests, and good night, and god bless Robin Williams.

SIMON: Williams' last Instagram post was two weeks ago, uploading an old photo with his 25-year-old daughter Zelda Williams as a child, wishing

her a happy birthday. Monday night Zelda posted a quote from a French poet with a message about her father, writing, "I love you, I miss you. I'll try

to keep looking up."

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: We're very sad. We're mourning the loss of such a great man. And he was also a friend and I admired him. He's --

he's a legend. He's unbelievable.

SIMON: Thousands of fans and celebrities also taking to social media to express their sorrow ,from President Obama tweeting he was one of a kind

to Billy Crystal simply writing, "no words." Several films featuring the late star are slated to release in the coming months, including "Night at

the Museum III." The legendary comic and actor leaves behind a wife and three children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON: Well, Williams was often seen riding his bike and engaging with kids in the neighborhood. We know that at 11:00 local time that

there's going to be some kind of news conference. Authorities will hopefully release more information and an autopsy is scheduled to take

place, as you said, Kristie, some time today.

We'll send it back to you.

LU STOUT: All right, CNN's Dan Simon reporting live from Tiburon, California outside the home of Robin Williams. Thank you for that.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, panic, raging gunfire, a dramatic rescue mission in Iraq. Follow CNN's Ivan Watson on

board a military helicopter as forces fight off ISIS militants to bring innocent people to safety.

And just how far has the ISIS network spread? We'll take a look at the latest non-Islamic nation where the terror group is gaining a foothold.

Also ahead, Ukraine says a Russian convoy is not authorized to cross its border. And we'll tell you why Kiev sees these trucks, a possible red

flag.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: You're watching News Stream. A little bit later in the show we will return to the legacy of Robin Williams. But first, let's go

to Iraq.

Now the U.S. has welcomed the nomination of Haider al-Abadi to be Iraq's next prime minister. Now the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is

urging al-Abadi to quicky form a unity government to help the country come together and defeat ISIS militants.

But the incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki calls the nomination a constitutional violation and has declared the appointment null and void.

Now the UN is calling for urgent action to stop what it calls a mass tragedy unfolding in northern Iraq. A senior Kurdish official says tens of

thousands of civilians may still be trapped on Mount Sinjar.

Now the UN says the Yazidis, a religious minority, are at immediate risk of death by starvation or slaughter by ISIS militants.

Now CNN's Ivan Watson joined an Iraqi helicopter mission to Mount Sinjar and witnessed the fear and desperation there firsthand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Machine gunners unleashed bursts of hot metal. This is the crew aboard an Iraqi Air Force helicopter.

They burn through cartridges and belts of ammunition while rushing an aircraft full of food, diapers, water and baby's milk over ISIS front lines

to the civilians trapped on Sinjar mountain.

WATSON (on camera): They are opening fire at targets down below.(inaudible) They're clearly trying to defend the aircraft. You can

see the people below trapped on Sinjar mountain. They're clustered under olive trees right now, waving to us. They seem to have gathered in these

shelters down here. A lot of women and children waving.

WATSON (voice-over): The crew hurls packages out the door. People swarm the chopper.

(on camera): This has been one chaotic aid distribution. I mean, I really hope he didn't hurt anybody with the bottles of water we were

throwing down from the height of 20, 30 feet. Its chaotic, but people were waving. They were giving thumbs up. And there are a couple people very

relieved to be off the mountain and clearly very, very frightened.

(voice-over): Then the helicopter lands one last time to pick up more passengers.

(on camera): Here they come.

(voice-over): More desperate people throw themselves at the aircraft. Heaving their children on board. It's first come, first served. There were

some who couldn't make it. Aboard the aircraft, shock. Exhaustion. Fear that eventually gives way to relief.

?(on camera)I can't describe to you how relieved people are right now. They're just shocked and the chaos of that moment. But we have little Aziza

(ph) here, she's not happy because she says her father got left behind. The gunners are opening fire on targets below. They're protecting the

helicopter. But it's terrifying these little kids who are traumatized after their week trapped on that mountain. The problem is we're flying over ISIS

front lines. This is the only protection we have right now to protect the aircraft and its precious cargo.

(voice-over) Tensions ease when we cross into Kurdish controlled territory. For a moment, there are even smiles as these children realize

their ordeal on the mountain is finally over.

Ivan Watson, CNN, over Sinjar Mountain in Northern Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: It was really gripping and stirring to watch the raw human emotion there in that story.

Now as rescue efforts continue in the north, political tensions are growing in the capital of Baghdad. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is there for us.

He joins us live.

And Nick, Haider al-Abadi , can he make a workable government for Iraq?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he faces the hurdles of, of course, Iraq's fractious parliament, but there does seem to

be adequate support, at least for his nomination to suggest he may have some kind of chance in the 30 days ahead to create a cabinet and get it

approved by the legislation here. That's something that John Kerry as U.S. secretary of state has urged him to do as quickly as possible.

But the big hurdle, of course is Nuri al-Maliki. He is sounding very pugilistic, really not desiring to step back in any hurry at all and of

course has the option potentially to try and muster security forces here in some degree to forcibly keep him in power. He's also talked about mounting

constitutional challenges through the court. That, itself, has (inaudible) for the constitution is not even 10 years old here, so it's hardly been

tested by the framework of laws.

A very I think quietly tense day here in Baghdad, the political elite trying to work out quite what comes next. And a lot really handing on Nuri

al-Maliki's next word. He is shunning a lot of his allies, not paying much attention to higher Shia religious authorities and their calls for

moderation and the lack of personal ambition in the days ahead, and also the United States now warning him very clearly not to attempt to use force

to stay in power -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: And Nick, from the political struggle in Iraq to the military struggle there, the United States has agreed to arm the Kurds.

What difference will that make in the battle against ISIS militants?

WALSH: Well, it will certainly mean hopefully they won't run out of ammunition when they confront ISIS militants on the various front lines

around there. But at the end of the day ISIS are so extraordinarily ruthless and extremist that many forces who confront them find it

extraordinarily difficult to battle against a foe who simply want to die in combat, part of their religious duty or honor.

So, yes, weapons will certainly I think many in the Kurdish areas hope stem the ISIS advance along with U.S. air strikes too. It has to be a more

fundamental change in Iraq where as many hope perhaps a new prime minister can galvanize a national unity government representing all different

sectarian groups in this country. And the ultimate goal to perhaps make those Sunnis who have so far given solace, or at least ground to operate

for ISIS in the north of the country and elsewhere perhaps change heart, see a future, maybe, in the central government.

But these are extraordinarily complex asks after years of sectarian division, the chaos simply spiraling out of control rather than seeing

itself slow. Every morning you seem to wake to a new form of crisis there, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And also the humanitarian mission there in Iraq, fears are still growing for the besieged Yazidi community. We watch that dramatic

helicopter rescue of some of the stranded, but is more help on the way?

WALSH: Yes. The United States is dropping what it can. 16,000 food pallets, if I remember correctly. A lot of cargo planes in the air. The

British dropping reusable water bottles and also a little solar lamps they say that can help recharge mobile phones, perhaps giving those trapped some

sense of solace. Maybe it's better to communicate with the outside world, at least.

But we are talking about tens of thousands of people trapped in that geographical oddity, the Sinjar Mountains. And of course ISIS nearby held

perhaps in bay by 15 U.S. airstrikes, if I remember correctly yesterday as American officials announce. But it's a mammoth job to hold the sort of

extremist militancy of ISIS at bay with its goal of tackling, killing many of these Yazidis, and a very hard task for some of them to walk out on

foot, or as you saw in Ivan's piece there, get the very rare and limited seats out on helicopters.

The weather here punishing, the conditions lethal, and still thousands trapped and unable to get help -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reporting live in Baghdad, thank you.

You're watching News Stream. And coming up next, this 7-year-old son of an Australian terrorist caught up in a fight beyond his years. And now,

a disturbing photo posted by his father is drawing strong condemnation from around the world. That photo and the details when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now as ISIS militants blaze their way through parts of Syria and Iraq, their brutal tactics have drawn the world's attention and condemnation.

But one particular photo posted by an Australian with links to ISIS is creating new outrage.

Now we've blacked out the worst of the picture in this report, but a warning, the image is still very disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: A 7-year-old boy posing for the camera holding the most gruesome of prizes, a severed head. This twisted piece of social media

posted on the Twitter account of Australian jihadist Khaled Sharouf with the caption, "that's my boy."

Sharouf's now suspended Twitter account, a brutal catalogue of his activities in Syria.

A convicted terrorist, Sharouf fled his Sydney home last year on his brother's passport to fight for ISIS, the militant Islamic group that

controls parts of Iraq and Syria. He is just one of an estimated 150 Australians waging war there, that's according to the Australian foreign

minister. Sharouf's Twitter post singled out by American and Australian leaders who say it proves just how much is at stake in the fight against

ISIS.

JULIE BISHOP, AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: A 7-year-old child is involved in this barbarous display of ideology, and they're Australian

citizens. So when the government says that there is a real domestic security threat from the phenomenon of foreign fighters, we have evidence.

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's really one of the most disturbing stomach turning, grotesque photographs ever displayed. It

underscores the degree to which ISIL is, you know, so far beyond the pale with respect to any standard by which we judge even terrorist groups.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now the grandfather of the boy in the picture told an Australian newspaper he is devastated by the image and he hopes the

Australian government will intervene.

Australia's most senior Islamic cleric also condemned the photo saying it is, quote, "utterly deplorable for extremists to use Islam as a cover

for their crimes and atrocities."

You're watching News Stream, and coming up next, the tragic death of actor Robin Williams is shining a light on an ugly reality. And coming up

next, more on the condition that plagued the comedian, which takes a heavy toll on countless others every day.

Also ahead, permission denied. Ukraine's government says no to humanitarian aid from Moscow. And we'll tell you why in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.

Now the world is mourning the loss of actor and comedian Robin Williams. He was found dead Monday in his California home. Investigators

suspect the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia. Now a spokesperson says Williams had suffered from severe depression. An autopsy will be performed

today.

Now the U.S. has urged Iraq's newly nominated Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to form a cabinet as soon as possible to help the country unite

and defeat the ISIS militants.

Now the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is reiterating U.S support for Iraq during the crisis, but has rejected the idea of sending in U.S.

combat troops.

Turkish health officials say a Nigerian woman is being examined for possible Ebola symptoms at a hospital in Istanbul. Now the woman was

rushed off a Turkish Airlines flight from Legos, Nigeria as soon as it landed.

Preliminary examinations of the patient and her 4-year-old son were carried out on the plane. And doctors say they're on high alert for any

possible sign of the virus.

Now the death of Robin Williams came as a shock, but the star never hid his battle with drugs and alcohol. And he addressed the serious

subject with his trademark humor.

Now Williams took at least two trips to rehab. And he spoke about the process on Larry King Live back in 2007.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAMS: Rehab is just the beginning, having been through it, you know?

KING: You went through it?

WILLIAMS: Went through it, yes.

KING: For what were you addicted?

WILLIAMS: I wasn't -- oh, I had a little problem with alcohol. It wasn't really a problem. Everybody had it. But it was the idea of --

KING: You were --

WILLIAMS: Yes, I was an alcoholic, a drunk.

KING: You were a drunk?

WILLIAMS: Well, that's nice of you to say that.

KING: You said it first.

WILLIAMS: Yes. You know, you wake up in a field with a road flare nicely placed.

What's your name?

Oh, shhhh. It's going to be fun.

KING: What happens in rehab?

WILLIAMS: What happens? You dry out.

KING: You know what I mean, what --

WILLIAMS: What happens is people basically start the process of, you know, just saying no and being among others, you know and learning that

you're not alone and working on giving up, you know, giving up -- that you could do it yourself, because everyone is saying yes, I -- I've got this

under control, Gary.

KING: How do you, though, keep --

WILLIAMS: You keep going because there's this strange secret organization that you go to.

KING: Yes, Alcoholics Anonymous.

WILLIAMS: Yes. Don't say it. Shhhh. It's unanimous. And you go to those and, you know, you find other people who have done things that made

you look Amish.

And you come out the other side like, you know, I almost have a year now without that. So it's good.

KING: Do you lose your sense of humor in it?

WILLIAMS: No, you find it. You're with people who have a great sense of humor.

KING: So you're funny there, too?

WILLIAMS: Oh, yes. You've got to be. One guy who -- his name shall remain nameless, hence the name -- the idea that he tried to commit suicide

and he put a little tube in his car to pump the gas, you know, pump the fumes in, but only had a quarter tank of gas. So, you know, it's a bit of a

kind of a gallows humor. But, you know, like all those people -- they all - - they'll tell stories about, you know --

KING: But when you're a celebrity and you don't lose your celebrity- dom.

WILLIAMS: No.

KING: So you're well known in there. Do they expect --

WILLIAMS: Yes, somewhat.

KING: I mean do you continue to be funny? You're funny -- continuously funny.

WILLIAMS: Yes, sometimes. I mean you can be funny with it.

The truth is the more you do it, the more you lose -- you don't have to be funny. The best stuff is just the simple honesty, you know? That

works. It's a program of honesty.

KING: Now, do you think you've beaten it?

WILLIAMS: No, Larry, it's always there.

Beaten it? Yes, I kicked it. I'm fine. No, the idea is that you always have a little bit of fear, like you just have to keep at it. You know, it's

a day by day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Robin Williams speaking to Larry King back in 2007.

Now a spokeswoman for Robin Williams said the actor had recently been struggling with severe depression. And Authorities believe he took his own

life.

Earlier, my colleague Errol Barnett spoke to a clinical psychologist about those mental health issues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA BLOOM, PSYCHOLOGIST: The thing with depression, that is the leading cause of suicide is depression, OK. And what happens is that once

-- and depression is a biochemical brain disease, this is not some choice the he made, this is a disease. And one of the symptoms of that disease is

that it narrows your field of vision. It makes it much more difficult to solve problems. So what happens is you narrow your field of vision and

what ends up happening is that the only solution to stop your pain looks like the only solution, it looks like suicide.

And depression has a lot of different characteristics to it. I mean, lots of disorders have to do with sleep. Being a new mother, that's a

sleep deprivation. There's a lot of things that have to do with sleep.

The big thing to look at with depression is how are you functioning? When you're having thoughts of wanting to die, that is a serious, serious

warning sign. The good news with all of this is, that depression is highly treatable.

The problem is that the depression, when it gets bad, it tells you you're not depressed, it tells you life is terrible, life is hopeless. But

we want people to know that they can get help, that they can get help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: You can get help.

Now celebrities are speaking out about depression in the wake of the death of Robin Williams. A statement from the actor Chevy Chase says this,

quote, "Robin and I were great friends suffering from the same little known disease: depression. I never could have expected this ending to his life.

I cannot believe this."

Now the comedian Michael Ian Black writes on Twitter, quote, "we lost at least one great comic to suicide or ODs every year. Our jobs are to

communicate, but we seem to not know how to ask for help."

And the talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, he echoes that. He writes this, quote, "Robin was as sweet a man as he was funny. And if you are sad,

please tell someone."

Now a convoy of nearly 300 trucks has left Moscow for Ukraine. Now Russian media say that they're bringing humanitarian aid, but there are big

questions now about whether or not the convoy will get in.

Now supplies are desperately needed in eastern Ukrainian cities surrounded by fighting between rebels and government forces, but western

nations have warned Russian against acting alone or using aid delivery as a cover to intervene. And Ukraine says the convoy is not cleared to enter

the country.

Now the Red Cross also says the arrangements for the aid have not been confirmed. Let's get the view now from the Ukrainian capital. Will Ripley

is standing by in Kiev for us. He joins us now.

And Will, what is happening here? I mean, what is the intention of this Russian convoy?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is the big question right now, Krisite and perhaps the one person who knows the answer, the real answer is

Vladimir Putin.

We know that this convoy of some 280 trucks is heading right now for the border with eastern Ukraine. And for the people who have been caught

in the middle of days of intense fighting essentially cut off from the outside world for a week-and-a-half now. These white Russian trucks

symbolize much needed help.

Russian state media reports that the trucks are full of food, medical supplies, badly needed provisions for the more than 200,000 people who have

been essentially stranded in this intense fighting, intense fighting that claimed six more lives overnight, 24 battles reports in the last 24 hours.

And as you take a look at this new video and listen to it, you can see just how intense it really is on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Now imagine, imagine living in eastern Ukraine and having this happening in your home all around you continuously, 24 hours a day for

days now with no electricity, no running water and no way to communicate with the outside world, because even cell phones aren't working in the

city. Many people living only on bread, because the bakeries are still somehow able to keep baking bread and that's what they're feeding people

right now.

It's a desperate situation, Kristie. Nobody disputes that. But the concern here in Kiev is that there may be ulterior motives for this convoy.

The convoy, as you mentioned, has not been certified by anybody. The Ukrainian government, the Red Cross, the monitors who are here in this

country trying to make sure that people's rights are being upheld.

Nobody knew about this until the convoy started leaving and heading this way. And there's a lot of fear here with the annexation of Crimea

that this convoy could hide a motive to perhaps move in militarily into eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government, Kristie, believes that 45,000 troops, along with tanks and war planes are stationed right now just 20 miles from the

most intense fighting.

LU STOUT: Yeah. Is that convoy a pretext for a possible invasion? That remains to be scene.

Now, meanwhile, will the fighting there in eastern Ukraine, we know it's prevented for a long time now a full investigation into the MH17 air

crash disaster. Any update, any movement on clearing the area of fighting to bring about finally a formal investigation?

RIPLEY: Right now, Kristie, one of the areas that the rebels are fighting so vigorously to defend are the towns that immediately surround

the MH17 crash sit. All the while we've been told that the rebels aren't specifically concerned about protecting the debris or the wreckage, they're

simply protecting an area that they believe is a sovereign country. The Ukrainians, of course, have a different word for it. They say that these

rebels are terrorists who have stolen this land and the Ukrainian military has some 50,000 troops in that area right now trying to retake it.

There's in tense fighting happening right now. It has stalled the MH17 search. And in fact just a few minutes ago on my way upstairs here to

do the live shot, I ran into Angus Houston, a name that may be familiar to many of our viewers, because he's the Australian search chief who oversaw

MH370 and MH17.

Houston told me that he believes -- and this is some bit of good news, or at least some bit of closure for the families of the passengers, he

believes that most of the passenger remains have now been recovered.

And Malaysia -- just today it was approved in the Ukrainian Parliament could be now sending a large convoy to help handle the forensics and as the

remains are then shipped out to the experts to Europe to take a look at.

Angus Houston also said, though, there's still a lot of work to be done. They still need to inspect the wreckage of the crash site. That

work is completely stalled. And with the violence ongoing, they just don't know if or when they'll be able to get back in there, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Will Ripley with the very latest on the MH17 investigation and the crisis in Ukraine reporting live from Kiev. Thank

you.

Time now for a global weather forecast check. Heavy rain in parts of east Asia. There was definitely a system that swept through Hong Kong

earlier in the day. Let's get the latest with Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kristie, I didn't get any rainfall totals from Hong Kong proper, but I do know that you did get some

very heavy rain.

This is an example of the kind of rainfall that has been around your area. In Shantou, they had 107 millimeters of rain. In Guangzhou they had

50 millimeters of rain.

And this is not in a 24 hour period, this is just in the last few hours. So, every six hours, or every three hours, depending on when these

reports come out, that's when we get them and it's a pretty significant rain and all of this rain is expected I should say to hang around this area

right in here.

Let's take a look outside. Let's take a look at Hong Kong. There are a few clouds there. You had a red rainstorm warning just a little while

ago. And you don't see those very often. There was a special statement from the Hong Kong observatory for the Hong Kong area saying be very aware,

because rainfall rates could be as much as 50 millimeters, that's about two inches every single hour.

And you did get some very heavy rain, no doubt. Now that rainstorm warning has been downgraded, has been actually expired, but they're saying

to be very careful with river flooding and there is more rain on the way. So be very, very careful in this area and do expect travel delays.

Look at this as you come back over to the weather map. This is the radar from the Hong Kong observatory. You can see a lot of moisture right

here all around Hong Kong.

I want to show you another area that has been affected by very heavy rain. This is in Shantou. These are people that were affected by that

earthquake last week, remember, that 6.0 that just devastated areas there of this very remote part of China.

They've had some very heavy rain. And if you look closely, can you see inside the tent where this woman is? There's not only water out here,

there's water in there. They've had all of this rain that you're seeing right now across southern and more coastal areas. This was farther inland

and they were the ones that were getting all of this over the last few days. Very, very trying times for people in the aftermath of this

earthquake. More landslides were reported.

Overall, over 600 people have been killed by the quake. And now in the aftermath you can see how dire the situation is. And this is in the

relief camps there.

The rainfall totals -- that, by the way, is the epicenter where the epicenter of the earthquake happened. And you can see the drier conditions

there. But the rain will continue to move farther to the south, anywhere from Shanghai all the way down even into northern parts of Vietnam.

We're going to see some very heavy downpours and the threat for flooding and mudslides is there. Many of these areas have been flooded for

weeks already. So this is a huge concern across the region.

I would not even rule out the possibility of a few sprinkles moving in overnight for you even in the Beijing area. That means cloudy skies. And

if it's cloudy, Kristie, we'll be able to catch this light show.

The Perseid meteor shower expected to peak tonight and tomorrow, so try to find a place, if possible, away from city lights. Look to the north

and east, this is just basically space debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. And it happens every month, but this is one of those almost sure thing kind

of meteor showers. It's one of the more popular ones, because it can give us meteors, maybe about 100, as many as 100 meteors every single hour.

So it's pretty cool. Sometimes they even have radiant fireballs. And I got to see one last year. Only one, though, not 100. Back to you.

LU STOUT: And I remember that. You got to share that with us. And I love that graphic behind you. You know, bring out the lawn chairs, look up

at the sky. Behold these beautiful fireballs.

RAMOS: There you go.

LU STOUT: Mari Ramos there. Thank you.

RAMOS: You're welcome.

LU STOUT: Take cure.

You're watching News Stream, still to come on the program, Amazon and Disney, they're going head to head. And we'll tell you what kind of beef

they apparently have with each other and what it means for you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now when you're at the top of one of the world's most famous makeup brands it's fair to say high expectations do come with the job, especially

when the company was started by your own grandmother. But for cosmetics heiress Aerin Lauder, the family legacy is an inspiration, not a hurdle.

In this week's Leading Women, she tells me about her work-life balance and how she's putting her own stamp on luxury.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Welcome to the curated world of Aerin Lauder.

So when we're saying that this is the world of Aerin, virtually everything here has been touched by you?

AERIN LAUDER, FOUNDER, AERIN: Everything. Fabric, furniture, carpets, vases-

LU STOUT: The wallpaper.

LAUDER: The wallpaper, everything.

LU STOUT: Granddaughter to beauty mogul Estee Lauder, the New Yorker has carved her own footprint in a very competitive industry, creating the

luxury lifestyle brand Aerin in 2012.

So how do you define luxury?

LAUDER: Well, I think it's the materials and the quality and the level of perfection, whether it's a beautiful, comfortable velvet sofa, a

gold crystal chandelier.

LU STOUT: And is luxury attainable?

LAUDER: Luxury is definitely attainable. And I think it could be anything from a beautiful little gold bowl on your desk to a very glamorous

chandelier and everything in between.

LU STOUT: Spending years as the creative director of Estee Lauder, she first made her mark by signing model Liya Kebede to be the first

African-American face of the brand.

LAUDER: So that was a great decision. And she's still a very good friend of mine. And I thought she was the most exquisite person inside and

out. And it was so modern and new for the brand and for many cosmetic brands. And I think there was something -- it was definitely a chapter of

beauty history.

LU STOUT: And in 2011, you made a decision to cast Liu Wen and Joan Smalls as global icons from China and from Puerto Rico. Why is that an

important thing to do in this business?

LAUDER: Because beauty is global. And I think it's the idea that every women can be beautiful, which is the concept that Estee has, that is

still so modern today. It's the idea of beauty from all over the world.

LU STOUT: Now, as she straddles her many professional roles, Aerin also steps in as mother of two.

I think it's amazing, it's also a little bit adorable that you are this beauty icon, and yet you have this family of men at home?

LAUDER: My children are a very important part of my life. And I love being with them and traveling with them. And it's exciting now that

they're older that they can really experience everything that I'm doing.

LU STOUT: Now in addition to when you travel on the road, how do you carve out that time to spend time with your husband and your boys?

LAUDER: Well, I think it's all about balance. I think I work hard. I love what I do, but when I leave the office I switch gears and I become a

mother and a wife, and I think that's very important.

LU STOUT: And her advice for taking on the world of glamour and style.

LAUDER: I think to have passion and drive and to love what you do. If you love beauty and you love style and you love fashion, it's a

wonderful, wonderful past.

LU STOUT: How can I and other working women and moms find great beauty in our lives?

LAUDER: Well, I think the concept that every women can be beautiful if you just take the time is really important and so true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now Amazon is apparently at odds with Disney. As a result of the feud, the DVD and Bluray disc versions of many upcoming Disney releases are

unavailable for pre-order on Amazon.

Now the Wall Street Journal says the issue at stake is the online retailers pricing and placement of Disney products on the website.

Now take a look a the page for the Bluray version of Maleficent. You can still purchase it and watch it online at Amazon instant video, but for

the hardcopy there's a message saying, quote, "sign up to be notified when this item becomes available."

Now neither company has commented on the feud, but it is not the first time Amazon has been ensnared in disputes with suppliers.

Let's get more now from our regular contributor Nick Thompson. He is the editor of the New Yorker.com.

And Nick, a lot to talk about here, but first let's pick apart Amazon's battle with Disney. Now Amazon preorders stop for certain Disney

movies, including Maleficent. What's going on here? What is Amazon trying to gain?

NICHOLAS THOMPSON, NEW YORKER.COM: Well, Amazon is constantly trying to get -- I mean, the whole bargain that Amazon made with its investors was

that it would build up -- it would lose money, get bigger and bigger and bigger and eventually take on a monopoly position and then be able to raise

prices and make lots of money, right, that's the sort of the basic premise of investing in Amazon.

And so Amazon over the last 20 years has built up this huge position of market power and now it's trying to use its market power to gain

leverage in all sorts of negotiations. It's a very canny business move. Investors wanted it to happen. And now Amazon is at a -- they're just

tough negotiators.

LU STOUT: Now let's talk about Amazon's war with Hachette. Now Amazon made its case for lower book prices saying that sales of titles go

up when prices are low. Does Amazon kind of a have a point here?

THOMPSON: Oh, absolutely. Right.

So this is a very intense battle between the book publishing industry and between Amazon. And Amazon is saying let us sell electronic books for

less money. If we sell them for less money, we'll sell more books because there's no marginal cost, because you don't have to actually print them on

paper. Ultimately, you'll get more money, and in fact we've done the math. You'll get a lot more. Isn't it great?

The publishing industry in return is saying, well, maybe that's true, but A, you're going to cannibalize our print book sales, and B, we don't

trust you. We think what you're actually trying to do is to drive all of us out of business.

And what's happened here is that Hachette has become you know sort of entangled in this struggle between all authors and publishers and Amazon,

and the fundamental problem is that Amazon thinks it's just doing something good for customers -- lower prices -- and something good for authors, more

revenue for them. But the authors and the publisher think that Amazon is hell bent on destroying them. So that's where the tension comes from.

LU STOUT: And, Nick, this fight between Amazon and Hachette has gotten quite literally, Orwellian with Amazon recently quoting George

Orwell the great author to criticize Hachette. And then Amazon being roundly accused of taking Orwell completely out of context.

Bottom line, how much does publishing hate Amazon right now?

THOMPSON: Publishing hates Amazon immensely. I mean, it's a combination of hate and fear. And the Orwell thing was perfect, because

Amazon is using Orwell against the publishers. The publishers don't think Amazon reads carefully enough and then Amazon misquotes Orwell, the patron

saint of the publishing industry? It was quite a mess.

LU STOUT: At the end of the day it comes all down to leverage. And Nick, when we look at the fight Amazon versus Disney, or Amazon versus

Hachette or other publishers, who has the most leverage here?

THOMPSON: Well, it's actually quite interesting, because with Disney, Disney is in a much stronger position than the publishers are, right? The

publishers are a declining industry in a very difficult period that latched onto Amazon as a way of growth at a moment of despair. And now they're

saying wait a second, we misplayed them. We gave Amazon too much power, we gave them too much leverage. What can we do? How can we counter this?

But the book publishers are in a very weak position versus Amazon, whereas Disney is in a stronger position.

LU STOUT: And Amazon really flexing its muscles and showing to everyone how much home entertainment clout it has these days. Nick

Thompson of the New Yorker.com. Thank you so much for that.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now, before we go we want to leave you with this tribute to the comic force of nature, the towering talent that was Robin Williams.

Now his legacy will live on in the many performances he leaves behind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN WILLIAMS: Is it true, Mrs. Fisbee, that last summer you had sexual intercourse with a red-headed midget during a thunderstorm ?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy, this is Mork. Mork, this is Mr. McConnell.

WILLIAMS: Nano, nano.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does T.S. stand for ?

WILLIAMS: Terribly sexy. Good morning, Vietnam!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the dead poet's society ?

WILLIAMS: Dead poets are dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life. I'm going to lose my job. Now I may lose my life. What I believe, what I

know, these people are alive inside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you know that, doctor ?

WILLIAMS: I know it. If I could just have the first kiss, I won't be distant. I'll come back in the morning and I'll call you if you let me.

Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck. I've seen nightmares, things you can't even imagine. Things you can't even see. You

do fussy, fussy, fussy, fussy, Martha Graham, Martha Graham, Martha Graham, or Michael Kidd, Michael Kidd, or Madonna, Madonna, Madonna but you keep it

all inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Jack Powell. Class.

WILLIAMS: We need to choose who we let into our weird little worlds. You're not perfect and let me save you the suspense. This girl you met, she

isn't perfect either. But the question is, whether or not you're perfect for each other. Let's get ready to party! One shot left.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's OK.

WILLIAMS: It's a shame to waste it. OK. Where exactly did I tell you it was positive? Answer the question. It was in the park on a bench in

front of those guys playing drums. I feel you're unprepared, you stopped the course before completion.

I have a right to call off the wedding. I'll stab you in the face. Good to see you, lad. Thank you, Teddy. You look fabulous. Don't lie to

yourself. You're a knockout.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

END