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Youth Football Team Found Alive in Thailand Cave; Compromise on Migration Keeps Merkel in Power; Commandos Used Drones in French Gangster's Escape; Basketball Game Turns into Massive Brawl. Aired 12- 1a ET

Aired July 03, 2018 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, from search to rescue. A missing football team found alive in a flooded cave in Thailand, but now their ordeal is far from over.

Plus, has Donald Trump's deal with the North gone south? A flurry reports based on U.S. intelligence says Pyongyang has stepped up its nuclear activity.

And back behind bars, again, a French gangster escaped prison for a second time with some help from above.

Hello, everybody. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. This is NEWSROOM L.A.

Rescue divers in Thailand have finally reached a youth football team and their coach trapped in a flooded cave for the past nine days but getting them out will present some challenges and it could take some time. CNN's Anna Coren has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of you? Thirteen? Brilliant.

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The moment divers find 12 boys and their football coach after ten days of searching. All that time without food or word from the outside world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are very strong. You are very strong.

COREN: Outside the cave, the sound of joy after days of agony. Families known as the Wild Bores hear the news their loved ones have been found alive. On the 23rd of June, after football practice, the team entered the cave, leaving their bikes and backpacks near the entrance.

The monsoon season had just begun, and Thai officials believed heavy rains caused flash flooding inside the cave after the team had entered the 10-kilometer long complex trapping them inside. A massive search effort was mobilized involving the Army, Navy, and volunteers with up to 1,000 personnel enduring challenging weather conditions and mountainous terrains. Throughout the week, a contingent of international specialists from the U.S., U.K., Australia, China and others joined the massive operation that had an entire nation praying for its success.

From above the cave system, teams went through holes looking for new ways to locate the missing boys. The pumps were able to drain up to 150,000 liters of water every hour. In the bowls of the cave, Thai Navy SEALs set up a mini command center over a kilometer away from where the boys were thought to have taken refuge.

Finally, late on Monday, divers reached the boys telling them they couldn't leave just yet. First, they will get some food and medical attention and then equipment to help get them out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many people are coming. Many, many people. We are the first. Many people are coming.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And Anna joins us now on the line from Northern Thailand. So, Anna, this search operation is now a rescue operation. What is the plan at the moment to try and get these kids out and what time frame are we looking at here? What does some time actually mean?

COREN (via telephone): Yes. It is really incredible, isn't it, John? This is not a recovery operation. It is a rescue operation and people here in Thailand are celebrating. But you talk about that time frame. Just because they found the boys doesn't mean they can bring them out.

Despite one of the children asking the Navy SEALs can we get out today, the Navy SEAL said not just yet. They have asked for 48 hours to observe these kids. So, it is highly unlikely that they will be moved within the next two days.

The reason being is they need to have a full health examination. They have been collecting rainwater through the roof of the cave, through the ceiling, so that in itself is a natural filtration, so they weren't having to resort to the muddy waters.

So, they managed to stay hydrated. They haven't had any food, so they are certainly malnourished. Whether they're suffering hypothermia, even though we're in Thailand, and it's warm, it certainly drops overnight.

And in a cave, it is even more so, and these kids (inaudible). So many divers have asked for 48 hours to assess these children. In the meantime, John, obviously the pumps are working overtime. They need to drain that water, but that is a huge, huge task.

[00:05:06] As we are driving to Chang Rai, it began to rain. I mean, this is the start of monsoon season, and we are expecting the weather to worsen in the next couple of days. Whether they can continue to pump the water out faster than what it comes in, in some cases that will be a huge challenge.

But in the meantime, there are Navy SEAL divers with these children. We know that a doctor has assessed them. The Navy SEAL divers that are there with them right now, they are to teach them about scuba diving, if they are going to have to get them out that way.

Teaching them how to swim against really strong current. It is a huge task that is ahead for these children, but they are remarkably strong -- John.

VAUSE: Yes. You know, they have gone through a whole lot already and they are about to go through even more, I guess, in the coming day. Anna, thank you for being there. We appreciate it. We'll catch up with you next hour.

Let's go now to Jessica Tait, public affairs officer with the U.S. Air Force, also in Northern Thailand. Jessica, thanks for being with us. I guess, you know, there was the first mission of finding the boys. They're alive.

But now there is this reality of getting them out. What are the logistics here that the rescue crews are facing? It seems hard to overstate how difficult this will be?

JESSICA TAIT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, U.S. AIR FORCE: We're all following the development closely. I think we're thrilled that this was such a positive outcome and that the boys and the coach are alive, and that assistance is being provided.

Like you mentioned, this is a Thai-led multinational rescue operation that is going into its next phase, which is the planning of how to safely extract these boys and the coach.

VAUSE: Why don't you get the kids in scuba diving gear and get them out that way because, you know, that seems to be the easiest and the quickest option (inaudible) the most dangerous?

TAIT: I mean, all options are being considered. You know, the Thai government, they are looking at everything. I think what's wonderful is you have a multi-national rescue effort here. We have been here since the 28th of June working side by side with our Thai partners.

And trying to be able to provide, you know, that assistance and advice. And really, I think what's been most beautiful is also seeing other international forces come here and provide support. So, everyone is working so hard to find the safest way to extract the boys.

VAUSE: Yes. The Chinese are there. The Australians are there. You guys are there, along with the Thai Navy and rescue crews also. It is a truly international effort. I just want to give you some reporting we're getting from "Reuters" about this complex that all these rescuers are facing.

The cave network stretches ten kilometers into a jungle clad mountain and rescue workers believe flood waters cut off the boys in a chamber. Rescue efforts have been dogged by rising waters while heavy rain has fallen incessantly.

We also know that within that cave complex there is different elevations. It is dark. They don't know exactly where the divers are at any particular point in time. Now that they know where the kids are, how difficult and how risky is it to try and get supplies to these kids? Simply to just go to the cave where the kids are to the surface every day?

TAIT: So, all those considerations you just mentioned are being looked at. Right now, this is the planning phase. So, Thai-led multinational rescue effort and everyone is looking at all the possible courses of action, what is the safest considerations to the elements, to the tide, to the kids. So, all the factors are being considered, but really we want to do this -- we want to do this quickly, but it needs to be done safely.

VAUSE: The next step we're told is a medical team, a doctor and a nurse with diving capability to actually go into the cave. Any idea when that is expected to happen and what are the health issues these boys could be facing?

TAIT: Thai authorities will answer those questions on the health conditions and the time line for the employment of the doctor as well as the nurse. But I can assure that I know everyone here is working around the clock in order to make sure that this is done well.

VAUSE: OK. Just when you found out these kids were actually alive because clearly it had been, what, nine, ten days and the rain kept falling and then came word that the British divers had actually reached the cave and found the kids. Can you relive that moment for us when you found out?

TAIT: Honestly, it felt like a movie. When you think about a true miracle, kids being trapped in a cave for nine days, you know, and all of Thailand being here. You have volunteers. You have people giving their time, food donations. You have rescue agencies surveying the land trying to find alternate rescue points.

[00:10:03] You have people cutting down trees trying to establish like helicopter landing zones. You have continuous dive operations. Everyone it seems here trying to find possible solution to this and to see a positive outcome has been truly amazing. I have chills thinking about that moment.

VAUSE: And still a lot more work to be done, but it's getting there.

TAIT: Absolutely.

VAUSE: Jessica, thank you.

TAIT: You're very welcome.

VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, Kim Jong-un spoke of a new dawn of peace and denuclearization at that summit in Singapore. But the latest intel suggesting something different is happening in North Korea. Plus, Donald Trump's former right-hand man makes his priorities clear, what Michael Cohen now says about his loyalties and what that could mean for President Trump.

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VAUSE: The U.S. secretary of state will return to North Korea on Thursday looking for some details from Kim Jong-un about how he plans to denuclearize. The White House continues to put a positive spin on the North Korea talks, but intelligence experts say Kim still cannot be trusted and that his weapons program is actually growing.

Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Seoul in South Korea. So, Paula, over the past few days there has been one report after another report quoting U.S. intelligence forces saying the North Koreans are stepping up their nuclear and missile activity or they are trying to conceal that activity.

Although, reports have focused on total lack of intent by the North Koreans. Clearly all of this is not within the spirit of the agreement reached at the summit in Singapore. But is any of this activity in breach of the deal that Donald Trump made with Kim Jong- un?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it is a very good question because the fact is this Singapore declaration that was signed by both parties was suitably vague, so it is very difficult for the U.S. officials to say that Kim Jong-un is in breach of this agreement.

The first thing on the list was the normalization of relations between the U.S. and North Korea then they talked about trying to forge a lasting peace regime on the peninsula. And the third issue was about denuclearization.

Not the word verifiable, which he had heard before, but saying they will work towards complete denuclearization. And then, of course, number four was the remains of POWs or missing in action during the Korean War. That still hasn't happened either.

[00:15:06] I'm hearing from one source familiar with U.S.-North Korean relations that that was one of the things talked about on Sunday when there was a meeting at (inaudible), the DMZ between North and South Korea between a U.S. and North Korean delegation obviously looking ahead to the schedule, the agenda, for the secretary of state's meeting but also to question why even that part have not happened yet -- John.

VAUSE: Also, the White House has announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head back to North Korea. Is there a direct link between these intelligence reports and the timing of Pompeo's trip to Pyongyang?

HANCOCKS: Well, we have been waiting for some time for this -- the exact time of when Secretary Pompeo would be heading to North Korea. I mean, certainly, that the scenic amongst us might suggest that they are putting a bit more pressure on North Korea.

These intelligence reports, the Defense Intelligence Agency, for example, believing that Kim Jong-un is not going to give up all of his nuclear weapons. That was told to us by an administration official familiar with the report.

But quite frankly, that is what every single North Korean observer, expert has been saying all along, that Kim Jong-un is not going to give up all of his nuclear weapons. Even though we are hearing it from a more official source now, the U.S. intelligence, it is certainly something that's not coming as a surprise to anybody -- John.

VAUSE: Absolutely. Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks live for us there in Seoul. For more on this, joining me now, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, Dave Jacobson, and Republican strategist, Luis Alvarado. Good to see you both.

Let's go back into the time machine. Just a little quick reminder. It was 5:56, June 13th, Wednesday morning when the president of the United States shared the good news with us all, "Just landed. A long trip but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.

Meeting with Kim Jong-un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future." So, Luis, it hasn't even been three weeks since the nuclear threat from North Korea was over and now we're back. How did it all go so wrong? How do we go from no treat to now suddenly increase nuclear activity?

LUIS ALVARADO, POLITICAL AND MEDIA STRATEGIST: Well, I think for years we have seen North Korea is like a poker player. The more chips they get, the more chips they want. They saw they had enough chips to bring President Trump to the table and negotiate. They came to an agreement.

There were no specifics as to what that entailed. They could call it a success as much as they wanted to, but in reality, the professional diplomatic court knew there was nothing good to come out of that.

At the end of the day, it was a check box for Donald Trump. He still claims victory. He moves on to the next challenge.

VAUSE: OK. I want you to listen to Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary responding to multiple reports that North Korea's nuclear activity has been stepped up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We see progress, momentum in the process, and we have had good conversations as recently as yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, even though Sarah Sanders and the administration would like to pretend there is an alternative universe out there where good progress is being made with the North Koreans, that doesn't make it reality.

DAVE JACOBSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. That's a great example of alternative facts from the White House. Look, the reality is I think Donald Trump either got punked, schooled or he's in total denial.

Like bottom line there has been no progress made on this. They are still ramping up and accelerating their nuclear program. The challenge is they haven't given up anything. They won. They elevated themselves.

They had the president of the United States sit there with this brutal, murdering dictator, at the same time, we gave up joint exercises with our close ally South Korea when North Korea hasn't done anything to show they have skin in the game and willing to move the ball forward.

So, I think Luis is precisely right like the challenge is going into this Donald Trump set up these high expectations, all these diplomatic leaders said, you know, what, at the end of the day they will not give up their nukes and they're not. That's the reality.

VAUSE: Shouldn't Sarah Sanders, you know, just sort of come forward and say, hey. The intelligence community is putting these reports out there to counter the narrative coming from the White House?

ALVARADO: That's the problem with this administration and their hope for foreign policy strategy is that nobody believes anything that they say until it is actually done. Basically, everybody is playing catch up. That brings a little bit of destabilization to the world, and it is very unfortunate.

But somehow this is what the American people wanted. They wanted to throw a wrench into Washington. They did. That meant there was also going to be fall out for the foreign policy aspect of managing this country.

VAUSE: We just heard from Paula Hancocks in Seoul saying one of the problems with the deal, you guys mentioned this as well, it was so vague and so, you know, broadly worded that it is very difficult to know if the North Koreans are actually in breach of anything here.

[00:20:07] You know, so Dave, is it possible that the self-described world's greatest deal maker actually struck a deal with Kim Jong-un that is so vague and broad you could drive that ICBM truck?

JACOBSON: Yes, that's plausible. I mean, look, if you go back to the reporting. The fact that you have these undisclosed intelligence officials who are leaking out this information. I think really truly illustrates the fact that these are patriots.

And they are trying to send a message that speaks volumes to the American people that our president is lying to you. There is no progress being made. The threat is still alive and well. And this is a real danger for the American people.

VAUSE: Listen to the U.S. president speaking last month about North Korea's concessions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They have already blown up one of their big test sites. In fact, it was actually four of their big test sites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK. The problem, Luis, according to many experts is that blowing up test sites is a high PR, low impact concession. In other words, it looks great, but in terms of impacting their nuclear program, it is minimal because they could simply go out there and rebuild that site quite easily. With that in mind, does it also set to add up that the president was played?

ALVARADO: Well, you have to also understand that there is an argument out there that they blew up the stations by mistake and there was actually they're trying to get both sides of it. We are trying to sight -- to try to be diplomatic, but in reality, it was just an accident that they had nuclear plant.

I think the president can say that he wasn't played pause his base still believes that he did the right thing and that America benefitted from him going to North Korea. From a political perspective, as long as his base will be there for him, that's all he cares about.

The only thing he has in mind right now are midterm elections in November. Whatever argument fits, to make sure that he can keep control of the House, that's the only thing that's going to matter to him at this point.

JACOBSON: I think that's a testament to why it is critical we have an independent free press. If you look at the coverage of this, it wasn't CNN and NBC, the "New York Times" or "Washington Post," the mainstream media. It was "The Wall Street Journal," who is controlled by Rupert Murdoch.

So, like bottom line is it is right wing and mainstream press that's covering this. I think that's only going to increase if these test sites continue to grow.

VAUSE: It seems to me that right now if you look at the recent Supreme Court decisions, if you look at Republicans in Congress, the only institution that's left right now, which is holding the administration accountable is the media.

ALVARADO: It becomes almost a fourth house.

VAUSE: Yes.

ALVARADO: Of power for the democracy here in the United States. I for one have always argued that the press is one of the most important and probably the most powerful ones. It became very powerful and peaked in the '80s and '90s.

I think it's been hurt and diminished because there is a segment of the population that doesn't believe anymore that the press actually stands for democracy and that's very unfortunate.

VAUSE: Just a little bit off topic, but the president has refused to lower the flags in memory of the victims of the journalist shot in Maryland, which seems an odd decision to make -- Dave.

JACOBSON: It is totally disgraceful. You served in the Middle East during times of war and you risked your life multiple times to report the news to the American people and to the international world stage so that people know what's happening on the ground.

And reporters do that on a regular basis all over the globe. And the fact that the president doesn't stand up and doesn't raise the flag in honor -- lower the flag, pardon me, to honor the work that those individuals did is a disgrace.

VAUSE: Moving along to Michael Cohen now. The former fixer, personal lawyer to Donald Trump who is under criminal investigation has broken his silence, kind of. He spoke to ABC's George Stephanopoulos. This is part of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER PERSONAL LAWYER FOR DONALD TRUMP: My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will. I put family and country first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And then he also talked about the FBI and the Russia investigation, telling him this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: He said I don't agree with those who demonize or vilify the FBI. I respect the FBI as an institution, as well as their agency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes. Luis, I always think the FBI is an institution. That is really telling. Do you think Cohen is about to flip?

ALVARADO: I think he's advertising that he's for sale. That his loyalty is for sale. I think he knows a lot more than the American people can even imagine that he actually knows. If you run in those circles in the way that business is conducted, the morality is not at the top of the list when you work out of the New York or Manhattan Park Avenue area.

[00:25:12] And for Donald Trump to have confided with him so much, I'm sure Donald Trump is a little bit concerned. Not just about the investigation, but in the plethora of other items that could come out under light under interrogation or when you're actually under oath. VAUSE: Dave, Cohen recorded telephone conversations and dealt with Russian officials during the election campaign for Donald Trump. You know, and also because a lot of the alleged crime which is being investigated by Cohen, the alleged crime by Cohen which is being investigated, I should say, is state crime, which means the president's pardon does not come into effect. So, Donald Trump, you know, where should he be at this point? Because we haven't heard from him?

JACOBSON: This is the ultimate nightmare scenario for the president. I think it's clear he is a game changer for the Mueller investigation, as is Paul Manafort. Those are the two heavyweights that Mueller is trying to apply maximum pressure with.

The reality is you have Michael Cohen, who you listed a couple of one of the things he did for the president. But things like the "National Inquirer" running stories by Michael Cohen before they were published or being the fixer, right, giving that $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.

I mean, this guy knows where the bodies are buried and he's probably in bed as deep with Donald Trump as the first lady has been for the last ten years. There is nobody else that has the mix of the Trump Organization, campaign, personal life, all intertwined together and knows all of it as much as Michael Cohen.

VAUSE: Well, we have not heard from the president on Michael Cohen and the interview he gave to George Stephanopoulos. But on Monday, they were talking about Michael Cohen on Fox News and we know that from Fox News it's always a pretty good indication of what the president is thinking. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Certainly, where were right now is if he knows something that is so important and yet he's willing to kind of taunt the president by seeming to go against him, what does that say about this person as a witness? It gets difficult to see him as credible at this point. One thing we know about Michael Cohen is that it seems like he will throw anybody under the bus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes, yes. Now he doesn't have credibility and throwing people under the bus.

ALVARADO: Are you for us or against us? And if you're against, you're fair game. The second that actually it looks like he is going to cooperate with the FBI and turn information regardless of his associations with Donald Trump, he's going to be a number one target.

But everybody in Fox and Trump world will come after him. He's going to be diminished and he will become fake news puppet. I could see the tweets coming from Donald Trump. It is going to be incredibly fun to watch.

JACOBSON: This is also reflective of the broader Trump strategy, right? To get Trump tv to turn on any Trump ally or affiliate. Paul Manafort wasn't really involved in the campaign. Michael Flynn, you know, he only serves in the White House for a couple of days. It's like this is their play book, and Michael Cohen is no different.

VAUSE: Right. And he didn't really say that about Jared Kushner. I'm waiting. Luis and Dave, thank you both.

ALVARADO: Thanks for the invitation.

VAUSE: Still to come, German Chancellor Angela Merkel showing off her political survival skills and reaching a last-minute compromise on migration with her rebellious interior minister, but the stability of her coalition government is still in doubt. More on that in just a moment.

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[00:31:10]JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause. We'll take the headlines this hour. Authorities in Thailand are trying to figure out how to get the youth football team and their coach out of the flooded cave. Divers found the group, Monday, nine days after they entered the remote cave.

Rescuers are sending in food and a doctor to check on the boys' health. U.S. military intelligence believes North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has no intention of fully dismantling his nuclear program. But, the White House says it's continuing to make progress in talks with the North. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, returned to Pyongyang on Thursday.

President Trump's long-time personal attorney and fixer says he's putting his family and country, first. Michael Cohen once said he'll take them forward to Donald Trump, but in an interview with ABC News, Cohen strongly hinted he'll cooperate with prosecutors on his business dealings and the Russia investigation, even if that puts the President in jeopardy.

But Germany now seems to be moving closer to resolving a political crisis over migration, at least, for now. For weeks, an internal standoff threatened to bring down the coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, but now, she's reached a compromise with her interior minister. Under that deal, Germany will set up migrant transits centers along its border with Austria.

From there, migrants who already requested asylum in another European country will be sent back to that country, should that country agree. It's a little confusing but we have all details now from Atika Shubert in Berlin.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, after 48 hours of intense negotiations compromised at last. Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel, saves her coalition government for the leader of the Christian social union, her sister party and her interior minister will stay on in his position, in the cabinet despite this political crisis that erupted between the two. And this dispute became increasingly personal as it were on. In fact,

Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the German local newspaper, quoted Horst Seehofer as saying, I will not be dismissed by a chancellor, who is only chancellor because of me. A pretty devious claim when you consider that, the CSU, only one, about 6.2 percent of the vote during the last national election.

Nonetheless, whatever the numbers, it does goes to show how deeply personal Seehofer was taking this dispute. And consider that these are two political leaders that go way, way back. They've been working together for some 20-odd years, sometimes as adversaries, sometimes as allies, and this dispute ostensibly was about the migration crisis. But there is no migration crisis right now.

It's more of a political crisis, irregular border crossings have dropped by 95 percent. There are no cues of asylum seekers trying to get into Germany, to cross the border. However, that was the case in 2015 when tens of thousands of asylum seekers walked across Europe to get into countries like Germany. And ever since then, Seehofer and Merkel have been at rubber heads.

It will be interesting to see what her other coalition partners, the social Democrats have to say to this new compromise that has been reached. But for now, it does seem that Germany's chancellor, Angel Merkel, survives for another day. Atika Shubert, CNN, Berlin.

VAUSE: For more than a year, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has brought an anti-corruption message to Mexico. Now, as he assumes the role of president-elect, his election maybe sign of things to come across Latin America. CNN's Patrick Oppmann, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to revolution, for over a decade, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, AMLO, as he's known here, he's (INAUDIBLE) the Mexican presidency, promising to upend the balance of power in this country of nearly 130 million people.

[00:35:05] ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF MEXICO (through translator): We will follow three basic principles, he says, to not lie, to not steal, and to not betray the people.

OPPMANN: The political elite that have long ruled Mexico are not just corrupt on local motors, they are "a mafia of power," bleeding the country, dry, is everyone else (INAUDIBLE) even though AMLO ran for president twice before. This time, his anti-corruption outsider message struck a nerve with the public, catapulting him to victory, with over 50 percent of the vote.

It is just in Mexico where voters are challenging the status quo, this year, in Columbia, Brazil and Chile. Voters will also elect new heads of state. And their ceding anger that many here feel could transform the region. In March, obstruction scandal in Peru, forced the president there to step down. An epidemic of violence and self- dealing has led many Latin Americans to break with tradition and party.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's because of massive corruption scandals. These aren't just petty corruption on a street corner and the police came up. This is a complete collapse in confidence in the authorities.

OPPMANN: And many Latin Americans are, again, embracing populism, both on the left, and on the right. Brazilians go to the polls on October where right-wing candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, has surged despite praising the country's bloody military dictatorship. And in the past, telling a female colleague in Congress, which was "not worth raving." He was charged and fined. How populous like Mexico's Lopez Obrador, will get on with Donald Trump, is now the open question.

OBRADOR (through translator): We will be respectful, but we will demand respect too. Mexico's new president-elect says. Mexico and its people will be pinata for any foreign government.

OPPMANN: Whatever happens next, Latin America's outsider candidate say, it will not be business as usual. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back here on NEWSROOM L.A., there are new details about that spectacular prison break in France, including how drones were used in the escape, back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: For new details now, the dramatic jailbreak by one of France's most notorious gangsters. This is his second jailbreak, mind you. Commandos apparently used drones to escape (INAUDIBLE) about the prison, rather, people hijacking a helicopter. CNN's Melissa Bell has the latest.

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Apparently filmed from behind bars, CNN cannot independently verify this video, but these shaky images appear to show the moments gunmen arrived to free this man, Redoine Faid, France's most notorious gangster. France's justice minister says that drones were likely used for reconnaissance by which she describes as an extremely well-prepared commando groups.

[00:40:03] On Sunday, the group hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to fly to a prison near Paris. There, they staged a diversion then smuggled the 46-year-old out of a visiting room before fleeing by air. Police later found the burned out chopper in an area northwest of Paris. The pilot was released unharmed but in shock. The fugitive and his men were nowhere to be found.

Sunday's spectacular escape is shockingly not the first for this criminal mastermind. In 2013, Faid held four guards at gunpoint at the detention center in the northern city of Lille. He then bursts his way to freedom, detonating explosive to destroy five fortified doors. A witness, describe the dramatic scene. WITNESS (through translator): I first saw a prison guard walk by, followed by someone dressed in civilian clothes. He was holding a gun to the guard's head.

BELL: At the time, Faid's lawyer said he was not surprised that his client had broken out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-LOUIS PELLETIER, LAWYER OF REDOINE FAID (through translator): He is also a young man, remarkably intelligent. And he is using his intellect to serve his ambitions. And I think he has so many years in prison behind him, that he thought it was one too many.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: The French man is a self-styled modern day gangster, often taking inspiration, he says, from Hollywood movies. He once wore a hockey mask during a heist, like Robert De Niro's character in Heat, then, brazenly attacked armoured trucks and other targets. But for those who suffered his provato, he is a real-life villain.

The parents of a French police woman who was killed in one of Faid's robbery attempts said they were devastated by the news. According to CNN affiliate, BFM, now that Redoine Faid is free and once again, the subject of an international manhunt, his victims will have to wait for justice. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

VAUSE: Well, there's more like basketbrawl, when Australian met the Philippines in a qualifying match. There were four minutes left in the third quarter of Monday's contest. There were bodies flying everywhere, they were kicks and punches.

One Aussie player was hit with a chair, all 13 players were ejected from the court and the game was abandoned, when the Philippines saying it was down to just one eligible player, for those keeping score, Australia, on the match, again. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause. "WORLD SPORT" with Patrick Snell starts after the break.

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