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Four Kids See Outside World After Two Weeks; President Trump to Announce SCOTUS Nominee on Monday; Brexit Secretary Resigns. Aired 3- 4a ET

Aired July 09, 2018 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN HOST: -- to resume again soon in the meantime. The four boys saved from the cave were rushed to a hospital by ambulance and by helicopter. Medical staffs are checking on their health making sure that they get the help that they needed. Their families are obviously anxious to see them but they may have to wait.

Authorities say a want to make sure the boys didn't pick up any disease inside that cave. So, it maybe a day or two before they get to see their loved ones.

So let's go live to northern Thailand. Our correspondent David McKenzie following the story. And David, it seems the weather is cooperating at the moment. The feeling so far around the world, so far so good. What are you hearing from your sources about the next step in this operation to rescue the eight remaining boys and their coach?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well nothing is for sure in this extraordinary operation, George. Because of the technical and dangerous nature of getting those boys through the narrow cave systems and out in to the outside world.

So there is a sense of activity. A flurry of activity, if you will, around the cave system. This morning the expectation is that because it went reasonably well yesterday, so well in fact that three of the boys were able to be sent by ambulance and one by helicopter to a nearby hospital, that they would attempt again today after those technical specialists got rest them. They were able to get their systems in place again for another rescue.

Extraordinarily, according to a source of family source. The key family member's parents and mother and fathers are still held in that area of the cave site. What's extraordinary about that is that they will not leave. Not a single one until all of the boys and their coach are taken out.

And they say according to the source they haven't been told which boys have been released yet. That's the real solidarity of the parents right now who have been agonizingly waiting to hear if their loved ones will be safe.

HOWELL: David, do we have additional insight into the health. How these young children are doing the four who had been rescued and what is next for them?

MCKENZIE: Well, we saw those images of the boys both when they were originally discovered in remarkably good spirits and later when they were giving messages and saying prayer from inside the cave site that they were doing fine. But that was the last time we actually physically saw them.

We've seen these touching notes back and forth between the family members and the boys handwritten. The kids wanting to have fried chicken and eat whatever they can have when they get out. Don't give us too much homework. Just the kind of aspiration you would expect from 11 to 16 year-olds.

And we have spoken to a lot of the family in recent days. All they want are the boys out and they have touchingly as well said that they don't blame the coach of these young boys. A former orphan himself he's gone through a lot of his own struggles in his life. Many people at least here have credited him for keeping them calm in those horribly scary days in fact where they had no food and no light deep in the cavern that's in the mountain behind me.

HOWELL: David McKenzie on the story, live for us in northern Thailand. Thank you and your team for the reporting. And we will stay in touch with you.

Let's talk more about these monsoon rains that are certainly David has talked about this. We're watching closely behind his live shot there. Pedram Javaheri in the international weather center. The rains are important because when more rain comes in it floods into the cave raising the water level. Causing a real problem for these teams.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. And you know, the next couple of days we can see more rainfall over the next three days than we had seen over the previous 16 days combined. So, that's why this is becoming a serious situation over the next couple days. Just based on the shift in the weather pattern where you're expecting.

And of course, you can take a look from the 23rd of June the amount of rain that has fallen each and every single day. The massive flow that we saw from about the second of July all the way until the seventh. And in the past 24 hours some rain has come in, and of course in David's live shot there we've seen some rain over the past several hours as well.

The pattern shift here is pretty dramatic going into Tuesday into Wednesday. Each and every single afternoon brings with quite a bit of rainfall from around say noon all the way into the early evening hours.

This a prime set up of the monsoonal season for this time of year. And of course, you take a look at totals how about 17 millimeters, 23 millimeters, another 17 millimeters come Thursday. That's upwards of 60 millimeters coming down over the next several days.

We're about two and a quarter inches of rainfall which may not seem like a tremendous amount of rainfall. But you bring it down to even a football field or soccer field level and measure that up. It's about 500,000 liters or 130,000 gallons of water just in the 60 millimeters when it's spread out over a football field length.

[03:05:10] Now of course, you put this over many, many meters of land and hectares of land across this region it becomes a tremendous volume of water that is coming down rushing down the communities, the mountainside. We know where the cave system is located.

Of course, across this region when you funnel in on the order of millions potentially of liters of water into this region it could really put what is already a serious situation into an area that would be very much inaccessible for quite a bit of time. So this is, again, something folks are working very rapidly towards.

HOWELL: Pedram, thank you. We'll keep in touch with the weather situation. David McKenzie, live in northern Thailand with some new information to share with us. David?

MCKENZIE: Well, that's right. A Thai navy official saying that that operation as we have been seeing that flurry of activity this morning, to rescue those remaining boys and their coach from the depth of the mountain behind me has begun. In fact, they say it's been ongoing for some time. We don't know exactly how much time.

Also interesting that same source saying the same set of divers the specialists, the best of the best one diver said to me, George, are the ones again going in to get the next group of boys today.

Now yesterday, it took several hours for them to bring them out successfully. Many felt it couldn't even be done. I heard some skepticism. Probably from rightly so, because people wanted these boys to be safe. About just how they could get these boys who couldn't swim. Some of them put a face mask on them, pull them through those dark channels for a great deal of time and then out and relay through the team.

So according to Thai navy official, George, the operation is ongoing. We don't know how many of the boys they'll be trying to bring out. We don't know which boys they'll be trying to bring out. Then in the few hours from now, it's certainly worth watching to see if they manage to pull this extraordinary rescue off again. Not just once, but twice. George?

HOWELL: All right. David, so as you're reporting now the rescue operation is resuming. And we start putting certain things together the weather behind you doesn't like look too bad, doesn't look like the rains are coming down too heavily at this moment. We understand as well that they pumped a great deal of water out of these caves.

David, does it still set up a similar situation from what you can understand from your sources and your expertise being out there, that perhaps the cave system maybe like it was before with the previous rescue. Not nearly as much water rushing into it with weather.

MCKENZIE: Well, I think it's certainly going to be better than that original time the two British divers manage to find those boys alive against all expectation. Speaking to divers who have gone into that cave they said that over the days the situation the circumstances got a little bit easier.

But, you know, George, easier is a relative term. They were going still through water that had a heavy current at that point. Very muddy and zero visibility. Very tight spaces. So I expect even if the conditions are at the most ideal, it's far from ideal in fact, it's the opposite of ideal for a rescue operation.

A lot of rescue divers and they're here from militaries from around the world a deal with difficult scenarios and low visibility. Here they are a roof over their heads. Sometimes squeezing through letter box size channels.

And so, really the best here they say several of them to me over the last few days are those recreational British divers. And some of their fellow enthusiasts who over years have developed the system of diving where at times you have to take the tank or keep the tank off your body and squeeze through these tight spaces. Most importantly, remaining calm because sometimes you can't even see the oxygen levels on your gauge just right in front of your face.

HOWELL: All right. Again, getting this information right around 3.05 here on the U.S. East Coast. Just putting a time stamp on it all for our viewers that are keeping up with this. But again our David McKenzie reporting that the rescue operation has resumed. David, we'll stay in touch with you as you continue to monitor your sources there at the scene.

Let's now bring in Neil Bennett. Neil, the managing director at New Zealand Diving, live this hour from Auckland, New Zealand. Neil, you just heard the reporting from our correspondent on the ground there. It seems the rescue operation back underway. And I want to pose the same question to you. You know, putting these dynamics together.

So the weather it seems to be cooperating. We do understand they pumped a great deal of water out. Does this still create somewhat of an a deal situation as ideal as you can see it can be for this situation with these teams to go in and try to rescue the others.

[03:10:05] NEIL BENNETT, MANAGING DIRECTOR, NEW ZEALAND DIVING: It's still their best opportunity. So they are not going to wait any longer while as well trying to hold in, holding back they are going to keep pumping in and they are going to maximize at this window to try and get these guys out. So this is the best scenario they're going to get. If they wait it any longer it's just going to get worse. So, yes, they have to work hard.

HOWELL: Let's talk about the actual process they had in place. It seems to be a relay system. Essentially shuttling person after person through these dives through the mountain caves. Back out to the mouth of this mountain cave system.

BENNETT: Yes. They're working by a system. They will pass the children from one group to the next. That's why the group came after a particular part of the cave so they have familiarity with it. They know the dangerous areas about it where the obstacles. And that's why it speeds up the whole process. (Inaudible) Two divers have to go navigate the whole area of the cave and how process will be able (Inaudible) so this is the best way as possible (Inaudible).

HOWELL: Neil, for a person who is not the experienced diver and again, when we're talking about diving within caves that is an entirely new extra discipline for sure. But what is it going to be like for these children? You know, to basically learn so much in such a short amount of time to patiently go through this system to not panic. What is it like for the kids to deal with this?

BENNETT: It's going to be extremely hard. And it's going to take your hat off to them. (Inaudible) they've been very, very good. They got through in a quick time which means they obviously minimal y problems so they were out very quickly (Inaudible). And they were given the basic concept of how to breathe under water to do and what not to do. And they've achieved a lot in this time. So it will be extremely difficult. It's very scary and very traumatic for them.

HOWELL: We can never underscore enough the fact that these teams that are on the ground in Thailand and certainly international support that's joined in. These people are putting their lives on the line as well. We saw that former Thai navy seal lose his life of course in this operation. How dangerous is this?

I mean, certainly so far so good. That's the resounding feeling around the world. That the four have been rescued so far. But how dangerous is this technical dive the traversing of this cave system for these brave members of this team?

BENNETT: It is extremely dangerous. You can't underestimate how dangerous it is. You're under water. Some of these guys have to take their units off and run through very narrow gaps not big enough for their body space. And it is extreme. It is very, very extreme. You cannot find this in any of the school around the world.

HOWELL: Neil Bennett, we appreciate you being with us for Newsroom for the last several days quite honestly to give us an understanding of what these crews are up against and some sense of how these various factors come together as they watch and continue this operation. Thank you for your time today.

And of course, we continue following the breaking news out of Thailand. We'll bring you the very latest as efforts continue to save the remaining kids in this cave and their coach.

Plus, the U.S. president will kick off a very busy week with a highly anticipated announcement. We'll look at how the Supreme Court could change in the United States. Stay with us.

[03:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VINCE CELLINI, CNN SPORTS BROADCASTER: I'm Vince Cellini with your CNN world sport headlines.

We start with Formula One. Lewis Hamilton seeking a record fifth straight home victory at the British Grand Prix. But a disaster start for him. He went from row one to last place only to battle back and end up in second.

In the end it was Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel that will navigate through what was going out around to take a lead at the start. And despite losing the lead during safety car periods able to move back in front and lock up his 51st career victory the second triumph at Silverstone.

Switching over to the Tour de France. And stage two we've already seen more than our fair share of crashes. Another day of contact with stage two seeing yesterday's winner Fernando Gaviria involved in a crash in the final two kilometers. It left the door open for Slovakia's world champion Peter Sagan to power his way to the win. Meaning he's now in possession of the yellow jersey after stage two.

And the UFC Daniel Cormier becoming only the second person in the history of the sport simultaneously holding two titles in two different divisions. Cormier already the light heavyweight champion fought Stipe Miocic the heavyweight Champion. Cormier was considered a big underdog going into the fight but knocked out the world champion in the heavy weight division in the first round. Miocic surrenders the belt.

That's a look at your sports headlines. I'm Vince Cellini.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm very close to making a decision. Have not make it official yesterday obviously. Have not made it final. But we're very close to making a decision.

Let's say it's the four people. But they're excellent. Every one. You can't go wrong. But I'm getting very close to making a final decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The president of the United States there commenting on his highly anticipated announcement of a Supreme Court nominee set for 9 p.m. Monday primetime in true reality show fashion.

Here's a look at the four candidates who appeared to still be under consideration for replacing the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Any one of them is expected to alter the balance of the court to shift it to a solidly conservative majority.

Our Boris Sanchez has more now on the announcement and the rest of the president's busy week.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump is getting set to make a historic announcement Monday night at 9 p.m. Eastern. His nominee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Of course the backdrop of that decision is the news over the weekend of the president's attorney Rudy Giuliani has laid out some specific demands of the special counsel in order for President Trump to testify. Though President Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to sit down with Robert Mueller, Giuliani laid out a list of demands. One of them being that of the special counsel has to provide evidence that there is suspicion of wrongdoing on behalf of the president.

Giuliani has openly said that he does not believe Robert Mueller will comply with all of these demands. He is effectively setting up a situation where the special counsel would issue a subpoena to try to compel the president to testify. That's something that Giuliani said he will challenge in court.

Here's more from the former mayor of New York Sunday morning on State of the Union speaking to Dana Bash. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: I have no idea what he's going to do. I think if he does we can have the subpoena quashed. To subpoena the president never been done successfully in the history of this country.

There is very, very strong law that the president cannot be subjected to criminal process.

There's very good argument the LSC (Ph) opinion governing Mueller says that but certainly constitutional law they say it, the reality is that we have a very strong argument that they haven't made a case for an interview.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:20:03] SANCHEZ: It appears that the president legal team would prefer this court battle to the president actually testifying.

And of course this is all unfolding during a busy week for President Trump. He doesn't only have that Supreme Court decision, he's headed to Europe to meet with NATO allies to visit the United Kingdom and also that one-on-one sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Boris Sanchez, CNN, traveling with the president near Bedminster, New Jersey.

HOWELL: Boris, thank you. Now to the United Kingdom. The U.K.'s Brexit secretary David Davis has resigned. Marking another stumbling block for Britain's effort to leave the European Union. Davis said that he wasn't willing to be a reluctant conscript to a compromise plan agreed upon Friday. That plan would press for a free trade area for goods with the E.U. and maintain close trade ties with it.

Others conservative lawmakers criticize that compromising, saying it offered a Brexit in name only. The prime minister of the nation, Theresa May faces parliament in the coming hours.

Let's talk about that with CNN international diplomat -- diplomatic editor Nic Robertson, live just outside number 10. Nic, look, certainly this makes for an inconvenient stumbling block for the prime minister as she had planned to sell this deal. It seems the sales pitch just got a lot harder.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. I think if we sort of look at it in the round it's a stumbling block and certainly she may interpret it that way as well. But how big of a stumble seems to be that she carried the weight of the day. Check that cabinet retreat on Friday whether the ministers were sequestered all day.

And believe -- and we've just been listening to David Davis as well explaining for the first time why he resigned. And he indicated around that around cabinet meeting on Friday, yes, she did carry the day. Yes, the majority of people were in favor of the position she put forward.

So really it remains for her now to re-gather or regain her composure, if you will, from what we hear calling a stumble and appoint a replacement for David Davis and continue. I mean, this is what Theresa May has been doing.

There's been dissension in the ranks of the cabinet all along but the people who have been at times most strongly opposed to it. Michael Gove, for example, who was out facing the Sunday talk shows speaking up the agreement. And he seems to be one over Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary who has been critical remains critical.

But still seems to as far as we know, have gone along with that cabinet decision. She has some of the sort of main writers in it, if you will, still on board. So, you know, a stumble from her position.

But that key issue of what David Davis is saying that essentially he believes the current negotiating strategy won't allow Britain to effectively fully leave a single mark the customs union, and be able to strike this important and bilateral trade deals with the United States, for example.

He doesn't believe the current trajectory will lead the country able to do that. Not giving it what Theresa May said it would get. Fully completely leaving the single market and the customs union. And Theresa May in a response to David Davis' resignation as well as saying that she's sorry he's going at a time where Brexit is going to smoothly and so well.

She regret the fact that they'll lose his expertise but she says she disagrees with his characterization. That there still will be Britain in a position to control its own business destiny. And that's really the sort of crux of what David Davis is saying.

HOWELL: Nic Robertson pointing out that Theresa May pushes on. But Nic, certainly this opens the door for Jeremy Corbyn, for instance, with labor to say that the prime minister has lost her effectiveness her authority in dealing with this matter. It opened the door perhaps for people pushing for a new referendum. What about those also pushing for a tougher, a hard brexit?

ROBERTSON: You know, Theresa May for the moment seems at least within her cabinet to have been able to marginalize them. More broadly in her conservative party. No doubt we'll hear about that more in the coming days.

But the scale of the resignation has been another junior minister gone along with David Davis. But the scale of the resignations is not something that at the moment at least from what we see at the moment threatens to bring her down. The wider conservative party will they be one over like the cabinet that conservative supporters around the country will they be one over?

But one of the winning arguments for Theresa May is precisely what you say as the perceived strength of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour. If you look at the local elections just a couple months ago Labour under Corbyn didn't do as well as they might have done. But in the last general election they did very well. And that was a worry for the conservatives and it remains a worry.

[03:25:03] So while they may worry about a weaker than they hoped for Brexit, a greater worry maybe of a new general election and a Labour government.

HOWELL: All right. Good to get the reporting. And of course the context from our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, live outside number 10. Nic, thank you for the reporting.

Around the world and in U.S. you are watching Newsroom. And ahead, the four boys saved from the cave in Thailand they are said to be in good physical health. But, we'll discuss how this ordeal may affect them psychologically.

Also ahead a military grade nerve agent has now killed a British woman. Why officials suspect Russia was behind this attack. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: From coast to coast in the United States and to our viewers around the world this hour, you're watching Newsroom live from Atlanta. I'm George Howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

The U.S. president is set to announce his nominee for the Supreme Court on Monday night primetime 9 p.m. Eastern in true reality show fashion. Mr. Trump reportedly chose from a short list of four leading candidates. All of them expected from change the balance of the court to a solidly conservative court.

Hundreds of rescue underway across Japan. This as the record rainfall caused flooding and landslides there. Officials blame the weather for at least 100 deaths. Dozens of people remain missing.

First responders are using helicopters. They're using boats to evacuate hospital patients and of course, to help the elderly there. The government is advising millions of others in flood zones to evacuate and get to safe ground.

[03:30:04] A train derailment in northwest Turkey has claimed the lives of at least 24 people, 124 others are injured. Government officials blamed heavy rains there. Turkey's president says an investigation is under way. More than 360 people were on board the train headed to Istanbul from near the border with Greece.

Violent protests and riots rock Haiti for a third consecutive day. Protesters are still frustrated with the dire economic situation facing Haiti despite the suspension of fuel price increases. The International Monetary Fund pushed Haiti to end fuel subsidies to generate more tax revenue.

Here at CNN, we continue to follow the breaking news this hour out of Thailand. The operation to rescue a youth football team has been relaunched. And we have seen more ambulances. They have been arriving at the scene where eight boys and their coach remain trapped in the flooded cave system.

Four of their teammates were pulled out of the cave on Sunday. A Thai navy source says the same divers used for the rescue are now back in the cave. And an entire nation and the surely the world is paying close attention and praying that all are brought home.

Let's get the latest on this breaking news from Northern Thailand. Our David McKenzie on the scene with these new details about the rescue operation. David?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, George. As you said, the operation is ongoing. We don't know exactly for how long now but what we do know is that those divers, the same ones that took this incredible rescue, the first go round, are having to do it all over again because there are still those boys and their coach trapped in that cave system in the mountain behind me.

Now that news broke just a short time ago. We also have learned that the family members, the closest family members are all staying near the cave entrance where ambulances were going in and out this morning, prepping for the frenetic rescue when it does come.

But the rescue does take several hours, it it's anything like yesterday's operation because the divers have to make the very careful journey through the chamber system, sometimes squeezing through very small spaces to where the boys are and then finalize those operations to put the face mask on the boys and then guide them back out the extremely hazardous, tight chamber system towards the relative safety of the third chamber.

They will then bring them out on stretcher or on foot, best case scenario, and pull them in ambulances in the road behind me and also possibly in helicopters. But the news is that they're taking the decision despite the rain to move forward and there's a sense of urgency here for sure. George?

HOWELL: David, you touched on this a bit. Tell us just a bit more about these images we're seeing. This rescue system that they had and also the mood right now because there are several factors in play here, the weather being one of them. What is the mood from what you're hearing from your sources about moving forward? MCKENZIE: The mood was extremely gloom of course back a few days when a Thai Navy SEAL seal died in this operation trying to get oxygen. In fact, succeeding in getting oxygen to the boys and then dying on the way back from there, according to official sources. From then on there was a very serious atmosphere.

They moved the press away from the immediate entrance of the cave so they could have a staging ground. Officials say there are around 90 key people involved in this rescue. Fifty of them are foreigners, 40 of them are Thai officials and military.

There's a small -- smallish group, a key group of divers with the most level of experience who are going in and getting the boys, bringing them out, handing them off to the rest of the rescue team. Of course, here, the key officials are the medics who have been training, they say, for days now for every possible medical scenario when the boys get out and then handing them off to the ambulances as I described.

So, they practice. Yesterday, they managed to get it a little bit under schedule based on the drills but still many hours long process. That adds to the level of tension both here on the ground and of course viewers around the world watching this extraordinary story who have been hooked on these details.

But the stakes are obviously the highest for the parents that I talked about near the cave site. And they say, according to family source, that they they haven't even found out which boys up to this point have been freed, rescued, and now in hospital.

[03:35:01] And that is the difficult choice that is, according to officials, will be made by the boys and the doctors, who will go next and will be maybe OK when they come out of that cave later today? George?

HOWELL: David McKenzie again just about 35 minutes ago broke the news of course that the rescue operation had resumed. We appreciate your reporting and your team. We'll keep in close contact with you.

I want to take a moment now and talk about the children, the children dealing with such a traumatic situation. Jennifer Wild is here to help us with that. Jennifer, a clinical psychologist and works with survivors of extreme situations, pleasure to have you there in Oxford, England.

Jennifer, look, when yo think about what these children have dealt with for the past two weeks, how difficult must it have been for them to simply remain calm, to deal with limited air, to deal with limited supply, water and food, to finally find, you know, these rescuers come to their aid?

JENNIFER WILD, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Honestly, it would have been terrifying for the children because they didn't know that they would be found or that there would be a rescue mission in place.

So initially until they had been found, it would have been absolutely terrifying. They're not cavers, they're not divers. They were simply exploring the cave with their coach and then suddenly became trapped and very, very deep in the cave. So it would have been terrifying.

Once they had been found, of course this raises hope. And once information had been passed along about how they would get out, again this will help them emotionally and give them a good emotional prognosis provided they all can get out.

I think the boys who are out now, the four boys who are in hospital, they will be relieved to be out, but of course they will be very worried about their friends who are left behind. And until all the boys and coach are out, this is not over.

HOWELL: And that's the other question that I have for you. As these crews initially engage, what did they have to keep in mind? How important was that first interaction given that these boys again and their coach had no idea how long they would be waiting in there? How delicate was that moment?

WILD: It's extremely delicate and highly anxiety provoking. So much preparation has gone into place to come out with the rescue plan to get the boys out, to think through which of the first boys who will be coming out, you know, communication with the parents, how much information to convey and obviously they haven't been told. They do know that some boys have been rescued.

So it's an extremely delicate situation for the boys who remain behind currently and they really need to focus on the fact that they are going to be coming out and to focus on the next step. And when they are out, it's really important that the boys focus on the facts of what happened, that they had this traumatic experience, being trapped for two weeks, but that they were rescued.

And they need to really think about that rather than thinking about what could have happened. Once we start thinking about what could have happened after an unpleasant event such as this, we're much more likely to develop posttraumatic stress.

Of course, when they are out, they may very well have symptoms of posttraumatic stress in the first few weeks. This is entirely normal. They may have memories of what happened, flashbacks, feeling of being trapped again when they are in a room or if they are in an elevator or closed space with the door closed.

That may bring back feelings of being trapped but this is entirely normal in the first weeks after they are out of the cave. If this persists for longer than a month, then they would need psychological intervention in the form of something like trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

HOWELL: Jennifer, I want to play just very quickly that moment that the crews initially engaged the children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirteen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirteen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

HOWELL: And Jennifer, what we see there, you know, they seem calm, they seem composed. We understand that there is information out there that the coach there was very instrumental in helping them be peaceful, to meditate, to use limited resources and get through the days that they were trapped.

And then they started this process of dealing with these teams to take them into these very dangerous dives. What's that got to be like for a child, especially some children who cannot swim, who are in this situation, what's that like for them?

[03:40:01] WILD: Well, they'll have a range of reaction. I think the importance, potentially help for a way of viewing this is to see it as some sort of adventure for a child rather than focusing on the potential danger and potentially what could go wrong in those dangerous situations.

I think the scariest part for the kids will be the very, very, very narrow parts of the cave where there's potential for getting trapped. That will be quite frightening and something they won't have had any experience really of dealing with. They have got so much support around them and two divers per child.

And as long as they can trust those divers and follow their instructions to this very long journey out of the cave, they will get out. And they will have a good emotional prognosis provided they can just focus on what is happening. To really think completely practically about the next steps and follow instructions and try not to let their mind wander about what could happen or what could go wrong because that will lead to panic.

They need to stay calm. They obviously have tools. They have been using these within the cave and meditating. That's obviously been very helpful in keeping them calm. And they just need to keep those tools in place until they are out again. And as I said before, just really focusing on the facts of what happened rather than what could have gone wrong.

HOWELL: Jennifer, thank you. We focus a lot on the rescue itself, on the rescuers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Good to get a sense from you of what these children are facing and dealing with. Thank you so much for your time. You are watching CNN "Newsroom." We'll be right back after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back to "Newsroom." A British woman has died after being exposed in England to a nerve agent. Police say the death of Dawn Sturgess is now being investigated as a murder.

[03:45:03] Her partner, Charles Rowley, remains in critical condition. He was also exposed to the same nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy and his daughter back in March.

Following the story, our Phil Black. He is live in Salisbury, England. Phil, surely, this is adding to the concern among people there, that even the possibility of coming into contact with this nerve agent is present.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, George. It started with the attempted assassination of a former Russian intelligence officer and his daughter. And now months later, this latest extraordinary twist is the death of a British citizen from coming into contact with the same type of deadly nerve agent, Novichok, a weapons grade chemical nerve agent.

Now, how did this happen? This is what the police here are trying to determine. It seems logical and their working theory is that this new couple had come into contact with an item that has been contaminated in some sort of a leftover way from the initial assassination attempt. But it is just a working theory. They haven't confirmed that yet.

They confirmed that it was the same type of nerve agent. They don't know if it was from the same batch. They do not yet have a precise evidential link between both sets of poisonings, if you like.

But there is an ongoing concern here because although the authorities here say the risk to the public is low and they have been saying that ever since the initial deployment of the nerve agent, there is now clearly a contaminated item somewhere within this community, that these people had come into contact with. And as long as that item is out there, somewhere, then clearly a risk to the people in this part of England continues. George?

HOWELL: And just to get a sense politically, because we remember, Phil, this resonated highly among politicians with the last incident. What are people saying about this?

BLACK: So the British government is only ever been outraged in their belief that the Russians were responsible for deploying a weapon like this. The Russian state, they say, is responsible for the use of a chemical weapon on British soil.

Back when it happened initially, a lot of the concern was based around the idea that this is an indiscriminate weapon and it clearly posed a threat to a wider number of people than just those who believed to be the intended target.

Now, that fear has born out to be true, it would seem. But many months later, months later, I think, than anyone thought likely. And so, you remember that initially, Britain expelled Russians diplomats. They were joined by allies around the world in doing so, around 150 in all.

You can expect another level, another wave of Russian international pressure, I should say, against Russia over this. The British position for the moment is let the police do their work, find the evidence and build a case.

HOWELL: CNN correspondent Phil Black live in Salisbury, England. Thank you for the reporting and we'll keep in touch with you.

Looking ahead now to the World Cup. England's coach is being celebrated for leading the three lines (ph) to the World Cup semi- finals and his bests are gaining a following of their own as well.

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PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A very July-like weather pattern is shaping up across portions of North America. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, watching tropical storm Chris sitting there off the coast of the Carolina as well a stationary parts in place and lot of wet weather across portions of the gulf coast states and of course the big time heat in store in the central United States.

But right now we are watching this carefully because there is very little movement in the initial track of the system here, but we do know that it's going to turn up enough waters here to create a danger for some of the coastal communities there as far as rip currents are concerned, certainly get swells as well across that region.

But initially over the next several days, we will see this gradually pull away and become Category One hurricane Chris. At this point, models indicate this will want to push towards the maritime (ph), enter cooler waters, and then rain itself out across that region towards the latter portion of this week.

But how about this? Very uniform set up of temperatures, 31 in New York, 32 in Montreal, 33 in Atlanta, and it just continues into the lower and middle 30s, just about for everyone across the country with the exception of the northwestern U.S. there. Comfortable even to British Colombia remaining comfortable there as well.

Chicago, how about we cool you off a little bit for the next several days while in New York City, the trend is also a little more bearable. Looking at the pattern along the western United States in places like Portland, Oregon, big time heatwave shooting up to the upper 30s by late week.

HOWELL: The anticipation is building for the World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday. The winner from 1998 France will face Belgium. Fans think it may finally be time for Belgium and the so called golden generation. On Wednesday, the 1966 champions England will try to get one step closer to giving a new generation of fans a World Cup.

Croatia squad could end England's dream. This is England's first time in the World Cup semi-finals in 28 years and many are giving credit to England's coach Gareth Southgate. Mark Bolton has more on Southgate's career and his fashion sense.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK BOLTON, SPORT JOURNALIST: England's unlikely hero and somewhat unexpected manager's foundations lie here at Selhurst Park. He was captain in the 90s when they were outside the premier league. But the qualities he showed early on led to premiere league captaincy elsewhere at two other clubs before he finally put on the armband for his country. Early signs of emotional intelligence and holistic approach to football, it seemed Gareth Southgate come a long way from this humble grand start.

MARK BRIGHT, FORMER TEAMMATE, CRYSTAL PALACE: A good captain, obviously, because of leadership qualities. A humble person. A professional. You know, really good professional as a youngster. And those will carry you through your career. You set your own standards. He's loyal to his friends. And I just think he's enjoying the moment.

BOLTON (voice over): Southgate's class has always been half full, even at an idea (ph) of his playing career when his penalty miss forced (ph) out of the 1996 European championship, making him a national player (ph). He managed somehow to turn a miserable moment into a positive one with some smart self-deprecation (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unless I'm mistaken. Thank you. It took six years to get over it. Have some pan pizza.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pan pizza from Pizza Hut. A light fluffy base with a crispy crust smothered with generous toppings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks a lot. I feel much better now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He learned most important lesson of all. One bad moment in your life doesn't lead to a bad life. It was in July, 22 years ago. That didn't finish his career. It didn't finish his life. It hurt him. He wished to this day he would have scored it. It didn't define his life. He didn't allow that to become the event for which he will be remembered for.

BOLTON (voice over): Management potential at Middlesbro (ph) was unfulfilled but free of the (INAUDIBLE) football management.

[03:55:05] The Football Association embraced Southgate's more cerebral (ph) approach and after promising spell with England's under 21 squad, promoted him to football's so called impossible job.

BRIGHT: And I think reluctant England manager at the start. I don't think he wanted the job. I think he wanted a bit more time. And then embraced it. And made some tough decisions. Joe Hart, (INAUDIBLE), Wayne Rooney. Not going. And got a young group and has molded them. Gave himself belief. And created a history for himself, for the country. And as you see, we are enjoying an amazing summer here and amazing tournaments.

BOLTON (voice over): The queen in country, Southgate and his young team march on. He's quickly becoming another national treasure. But who would have thought a style icon? England may be crowned world champions. Southgate could always be known for that infamous waistcoat.

BRIGHT: His waistcoat mean --

(LAUGHTER)

BRIGHT: I ran out of waistcoat. I went to department store. It's just his style.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Mark Bolton reporting there for us. Thank you for being with us for CNN "Newsroom." I'm George Howell at the CNN center in Atlanta. Our breaking news coverage continues on the rescue operation taking place in Thailand right now.

"Early Start" is next for viewers in the United States and around the world. My colleague Max Foster is on deck live in London with the continuation of CNN "Newsroom." You are watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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