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Trump Lawyer Claiming No Classified Material at Mar-a-Lago; Rushdie Suspect Pleading Not Guilty; New Call for Demilitarizing Zaporizhzhia Plant; Attack on Ukrainian Prisoners of War; Drought Impacting California Water Supply; Worst Wildfire in Portugal Now Under Control; 4th Heat Wave in Europe; Tropical Storm Meari Unleashing Heavy Rain in Japan; Meteor Hitting Atmosphere; Pakistan Celebrates 75 Years of Independence; Afghan Girls Face Uncertain Futures Under Taliban; Greenland Mineral Treasure Quest Funded by American Billionaires; Renowned Floral Show in Belgium is Back in Bloom. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired August 14, 2022 - 05:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom."

We'll have the latest from the search of Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago as high-ranking Democrat seek a damage assessment over the documents seized by the FBI.

And we're live in Jerusalem where a suspected terror attack has left multiple people wounded, including four American tourists.

Plus --

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-- Pakistan's Independence Day celebrations are in full swing. We're live in Islamabad with a look at the legacy of the nation's 75 years of independence.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber".

BRUNHUBER: We begin with more fallout from the FBI search at Donald Trump's Florida estate. Sources now tell CNN that one of former President Trump's lawyers signed a letter back in June saying there was no more classified information stored at Mar-a-Lago. But of course, we learned earlier this week that federal agents recovered 11 sets of documents during their search, including several marked top- secret. Meanwhile, two high-ranking House Democrats are now asking intelligence officials for damage assessments of the seized documents. The chairs of the House Intelligence and Oversight Committee is writing that, "Former President Trump's conduct has potentially put our national security at grave risk."

Now, all of this comes as the FBI is facing backlash from some Trump supporters over the search like this group of demonstrators that gathered outside an Arizona field office on Saturday. FBI officials say the protests ended peacefully but the bureau is still urging employees to be vigilant, saying it's received an unprecedented wave of threats. CNN's Katelyn Polantz is in Washington with the latest on the Justice Department's investigation.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Two months before the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, a lawyer for Donald Trump attested in a letter to the Justice Department there were no classified records to be found on the property, CNN learned on Saturday. But despite this claim, when investigators seized the boxes this past Monday in this criminal investigation, they found in 11 different places records still marked as classified. That included records at three levels of classification, even ones labeled TS/SCI. Those are the types of records that would require the most strenuous provisions for secrecy around them in the federal government, like being kept only in secured facilities.

These new details now, flush out the timeline that was leading up to the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. We learned just earlier this week of a meeting Trump's attorneys had in June and a subpoena for the return of the records before the search. But this letter for Trump -- from Trump's lawyer also adds, to our understanding, of why federal prosecutors may have seen no other way to resecure the records than to go to the beach club grounds for themselves on Monday. They weren't going to be given back by the president's team, that much is clear.

Now, Donald Trump and some of his advisers have claimed he declassified all the records he had at Mar-a-Lago when he was president. But when you look at what is being investigated here, obstruction of justice, criminal mishandling of government records, the Espionage Act. The classification status of these records at this time might be immaterial. What matters as Justice Department -- as the Justice Department investigators continue their work is how potentially harmful it was to have these documents out of the control of the federal government for the last year and a half.

All of what happens in June with this letter from the lawyers, and subpoenas, it's all likely to become important facts if criminal charges were to materialize here. And as investigators try to narrow down who exactly had their hands on these documents. Katelyn Polantz, CNN, Washington.

BRUNHUBER: Joining me now is Political Analyst Michael Genovese. He's also the president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University and he's the author of "The Modern Presidency: Six Debates that Define the Institution". Thanks so much for being here with us. So, I want to start exactly there with your expertise on the presidency, as someone who studied presidents and so on. You know, what we're seeing now with the general nature, we don't know exactly what it was, but the general nature of what Donald Trump removed from the White House. How extraordinary and unprecedented is this?

[05:05:00]

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST AND AUTHOR, "THE MODERN PRESIDENCY": You know, before and after the Presidential Records Act of 1978, the post-Watergate reform, presidents and also members of their family have been accused of taking things that they weren't supposed to take out of the White House when they left office. The normal process is that archives, the National Archives, will say, you know, where is this? We need that. Can we take a look at that? And there's a process of negotiation, a back-and-forth discussion, and they reach an accommodation. That has always been the case until now.

This is different in kind and in nature. The Archives have tried and tried, they've even subpoenaed and they can't get the materials back that Donald Trump took with him. The question is, what did he take them for? What is he going to use them for? This is highly unusual.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and the nature of the stuff, as well, the -- you know, top secret things. A lot of people have said, listen, there's no reason why he would need to take this kind of stuff home.

GENOVESE: That's right. What is he going to do with it? I mean, there's all kinds of fears that he could give it away or sell it. I'm not concerned about those things. I don't think that's what he's going to do. I think it's just Donald Trump's carelessness, his cavalier attitude thing about things, and his attitude that the laws and the rules don't apply to him.

And let me be absolutely clear on one thing, this is not an accident. Every member of a new administration that comes in, has to sit down, and they get a briefing on presidential papers. What you have to keep, how you have to store them, how you have to deal with them, and how they don't belong to you. They belong to us. To the government and to the people. And so, Donald Trump can't say, well, I didn't know or I'm the president, I can do this. Absolutely you cannot. But Donald Trump's attitude is just, you know, cavalier and he just acts like and thinks the rules don't apply to him.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and then the attitude of the, you know, Republican politicians and leaders. I mean, did you expect them to fall so quickly in lock-step behind Donald Trump? I mean, it makes you wonder, sort of, what evidence might be uncovered of wrongdoing that it would take to have them turn?

GENOVESE: Well, you know, usually the past is prelude. And if the past were prelude to this, you would see Republicans saying, wait a second. This is not right. This is -- you've got to give this stuff back. You shouldn't have this. It was a mistake. Just admit it and give it back. It is amazing, but it's been true for the last several years, Republicans have fallen behind Donald Trump. They fall on their swords for him. And there's a pattern that exists where Donald Trump will do something, there'll be an outrage and the Republicans will hesitate and then all of a sudden, they realize if we cross this guy, he's going to maybe have someone run in the primary against us or he might go after us. And so, you know, I have to say in a very cowardly fashion, they, instead of doing the right thing, they follow Donald Trump's lead.

BRUNHUBER: And then President Biden, meanwhile, you know, passes a massive climate and health care bill. A political coup in an election year which would have a, you know, huge impact on millions of Americans, the very planet itself, yet it's relegated basically to the back pages. I mean, it seems even though -- even when Trump is losing his winning by sucking all the political oxygen out of here.

GENOVESE: Well, you know, even out of all of this, Donald Trump is the center of attention and he demands to be such. Teddy Roosevelt's daughter said of her father, poor dad has to be the -- right at every wedding, the corpse at every funeral, and the baby at every christening. And that's kind of Donald Trump. He has to be centerstage. He has to be the guy. And the cameras love him. He's a magnitude of cameras. He's really terrific at, you know, such self- dramatization.

Biden, on the other hand, is -- has a more tepid personality. And therefore, it's almost that the camera seems to be pulled magnetically towards Donald Trump. And even out of office, he still controls and dominates the air wives.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and probably will do for some time as the story keeps unfolding. We'll have to leave it there. Thanks so much, Michael Genovese. Really appreciated it.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Salman Rushdie's agent tells "New York Times" that the author started to speak on Saturday, a day after he was stabbed during a New York book event. While Rushdie remained in the hospital, the suspect appeared in court pleading not guilty to attempted second- degree murder and other charges. He's been held without bond. He'll be back in court next Friday.

According to prosecutors, Rushdie was stabbed three times in the neck and four times in the stomach. And he also has puncture wounds in his right eye and chest. While investigators say the suspect traveled from his home in New Jersey to New York, at least a day in advance, and that he was carrying cash, prepaid visa cards, and a fake ID. Polo Sandoval has more on the suspect's day in court and the reaction to the attack.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The man accused of attacking celebrated novelist, Salman Rushdie, facing a judge as video of Friday's attack continues to shock people around the world. In that footage you can see an individual charged the celebrated the author and then stabbed him repeatedly before he was airlifted here to Erie, Pennsylvania where he continues to be treated.

The big question here on the ground is certainly, what was the possible motive? It was commonly known that Rushdie lived under constant threat of death not long after the publication of his novel "Satanic Verses" in 1988. It's something that eventually led to the issuing of a religious decree by the Iranian government, calling for the author's assassination, it was one that was reaffirmed as recent as 2017.

Over the weekend, we saw the more hard-lined conservative Iranian newspapers print headlines, in essence, celebrating the attack. However, western leaders strongly condemning it. The national security advisor in Washington that's seated at the White House basically calling it, the attack reprehensible and calling it appalling. And there are other literary figures that are basically calling this an attack on freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

You -- we do know that Hadi Matar is the man that investigators have identified as a suspect in this case. He was in a courtroom on Saturday, pleading not guilty to not just attempted second-degree murder but assault as well. Polo Sandoval, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.

BRUNHUBER: In Jerusalem, a gunman who authorities say carried out a suspected terror attack has turned himself into police. Eight people were wounded in the attack, including several American citizens, according to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. CNN's Hadas Gold joins me now live from Jerusalem.

So, Hadas, what more can you tell us about the attacks and the victims, including those Americans?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, what we know is around 1:30 a.m. local last night is when this attack took place right outside the old city walls, near one of the main entrances towards the western wall and towards King David's tomb. And we know this attack took place in two locations right by a bus station and a parking lot.

And from what we understand, this is -- at least eight people were injured, at least two of them seriously, including a pregnant woman who had to deliver her baby early via an emergency c-section. But as far as we know, all are still alive, although some are critically wounded.

Now, this area where this attack took place is a major site, not only for pilgrims, for religious pilgrims to make their way into the old city, into the holiest sites of the old city, but also for tourists as well. And we do understand from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem that there were several Americans who were wounded, among those eight wounded. Now, Israeli media are citing four Americans were wounded. The U.S. embassy says that they're not going to give any further details while they gather information. They do say that they are in touch with the families. They say that are shocked and saddened and that they condemn all acts of terrorism and actions that exacerbate tensions.

The shooter fled on foot after the initial attack that set off a massive manhunt in Jerusalem that involved hundreds of police, as well as police helicopters. But in the last few hours, earlier this morning, he actually turned himself into police and police say they also now have the weapon that he used. Now, Israeli media is saying that he is Palestinian. A security source tells CNN that he -- that the suspect is from East Jerusalem and he holds Israeli citizenship.

Now, this incident comes less than a week after those -- serious escalation in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad that left dozens of Palestinians dead and more than 1,000 rockets were fired towards Israel. It lasted less than three days. And there's now a ceasefire that does appear to be holding. But as far as we know, this suspect has no known affiliation with militant groups there. But obviously, it's keeping this entire city on edge. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate the update on this developing story. Hadas Gold, thank you so much.

More support is being lined up for a proposal to demilitarize Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Still ahead, another powerful voice calls for Russian troops to get out of the facility. We'll have a live report from Kyiv.

Plus, experts try to refute Russian claims about a deadly attack on Ukrainian POWs. Why they believe this satellite picture could help their case. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: A diplomatic push to demilitarize Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is picking up steam. The ground of the facility came under artillery fire this week, prompting calls for the demilitarization from the U.N. Secretary-General, as well as the U.S. Well, now, the European Union is getting behind the area. Its Foreign Policy chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted, the plant must not be used as part of any military operation. Kyiv and Moscow are trading blame for the attacks. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says the strikes will backfire on Russians including those who are directly involved. Here he is.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Of course, there must be a strong reaction. Ukrainian diplomats and representatives and partner states will do everything to make sure that new sanctions against Russia will necessarily block the Russian nuclear industry. And absolutely, all officials of the terrorist state, as well as those who helped them in this blackmail operation with the nuclear power plant must answer in an international court. This is bound to happen. And every Russian military officer who either shoots at the plant or shoots under the cover of the plant must understand that he becomes a special target for our intelligence, for our special services, for our army.

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BRUNHUBER: There's more evidence that Russia is stepping up its offensive in Eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say fierce fighting is underway for the village of Pisky. Russia claimed earlier that its troops had already taken it. Now, CNN can't independently confirm either claim.

And in the south, Ukraine's defense ministry is calling on the possible prosecution of people there.

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Russia is reportedly preparing to hold the proceedings in the city's philharmonic hall.

And western military experts say it's extremely unlikely that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed last month by a U.S.-made rocket. Ukraine has flatly denied they had attacked the prison camp as Moscow claims. Now, experts believe that if the powerful weapon had been used, there would be a massive crater and nothing left of the building. But photos of the burnt-out site show relatively little structural damage. CNN's David McKenzie has our report. We just want to caution you that some of the images are extremely graphic.

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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Svetlana (ph) hasn't heard from her son in more than two months.

SVETLANA (PH), KYIV RESIDENT (through translator): They were promised that they would be taken prisoner in order to save their lives.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): Her son, like sons and husbands of many at this demonstration in Kyiv is a prisoner of war, held at a Russian prison camp in Olenivka.

CROWD: Save our heroes. Save our heroes.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): It's a cry for help. But for many of the POWs, one that came too late.

At least 50 of them were killed in an attack on the building where they were held. Russia was swift to blame Ukraine saying it had killed its own to prevent them from confessing war crimes.

LT. GEN. IGOR KONASHENKOV, RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE SPOKERPSERSON (through translator): A deliberate missile attack on July the 29th from the American HIMARS multiple rocket launch system on a pre-trial detention center in the area of the settlement of Olenivka.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): Russian journalists at the scene displaying remnants of a HIMARS rocket, serial number included. But a CNN investigation found that it's extremely unlikely that a HIMARS struck the prison. CHRIS COBB-SMITH, BRITISH ARMY VETERAN AND WEAPONS EXPERT: We would see a crater in the ground and we would see more blast damage.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): British army veteran and weapons expert, Chris Cobb-Smith, has seen his fair share of missile strikes. He says this wasn't one of them.

COBB-SMITH: We would see, certainly, on this far wall here, we would see fragmentation, pot marking from an explosion from the fragments of the munition as it went off. And that's not happened. All we're really seeing here is evidence of a fire, an intensive fire. So, to me, this does not indicate a large detonation.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): The available video and images show bodies badly burnt, some still in their bunks. Forensic pathologists tell CNN a fire, preceded by a small explosion was likely responsible.

DR. BENJAMIN ONDRUSCHKA, PATHOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER HAMBURG-EPPENDORF: It seemed to be that something needs to be exploded close by to every burned body (ph), resulting in a detonation, resulting in a fire.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): Ukraine is using U.S.-donated 200-pound HIMARS rockets to hit Russian depots and other high-valued targets. But the visuals of the aftermath that have emerged are usually different from the scene at the prison. Before and after satellite imagery from a confirmed HIMAR strike in Nova Kakhovka shows a Russian warehouse destroyed by the blast. At Olenivka, there are burn marks in the wall but crucially no structural damage.

COBB-SMITH: Everything on this site is blackened. The bodies have been severely charred. Everything you can see has been -- is blackened with soot. The HIMARS pieces we've seen presented as evidence do not display any blackening at all. It does not look as though they've been in the scene of an intensive fire.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): Cobb-Smith and other experts say it's unlikely that the incident was accidental. Olenivka is believed to house more than 1,000 prisoners. Here you see the satellite images from the day before the incident showing POWs circulating in different areas of the camp. But Ukrainian officials and relatives say around 200 prisoners were moved to this warehouse in a different zone just before they were killed. Ukrainian officials also say the incident happened on the eve of a prisoner exchange. Kyiv has rejected Moscow's version and accused Russia of using a powerful incendiary weapon against the building and the prisoners.

MCKENZIE (on camera): CNN's investigation can almost certainly rule out Russia's version of events. But we may never know why those prisoners were moved and exactly what happened. Russia has publicly invited the Red Cross and United Nations experts to visit, but both organizations say they have yet to be given access to the prison.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): The families of prisoners are increasingly desperate.

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SVETLANA (PH) (through translator): I'm asking all people who can, who care to help bring back our sons, our heroes.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): But they don't even know who was killed that night nor what killed them. David McKenzie, CNN, Kyiv.

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BRUNHUBER: Now CNN reached out to the Russian defense ministry for comment on the findings of our investigation but we have yet to hear back.

All right. Coming up, California faces a stunning drain on its water supply. We have details on the governor's multi-billion-dollar plan to fix it.

Plus, record temperatures, droughts, and wildfires, parts of Europe are experiencing a fourth heat wave. More details after the break. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom".

Well, this summer's unprecedented heat has affected millions all across the U.S., particularly in California, where experts say the State could lose 10 percent of its water in the next two decades. This week, California Governor Gavin Newsom, laid out a multi-billion plan to preserve the State's diminishing water supply. The plan focuses on strengthening the State's water reserve, most notably through projects to store and recycle water.

So, let's talk more about this with CNN Meteorologist, Karen Maginnis. Drought in California, nothing new but seems to be getting worse and worse.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That is the big problem. It is a crisis and every year it seems to really intensify.

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Interior valleys of California, typically hot this time of year, typically dry. But it is excessively dry, and it's going to excessively hot. Across the interior valleys all the way from Redding to Sacramento to Modesto, all the way down towards Bakersfield. Now, this is going to continue as we go about Tuesday all the way into Thursday.

And take a look at some of these temperatures. Sacramento, 108 degrees. Well, a normal high might be around 92, 95 degrees. So, that lets you know just how hot it is, 10 to 15 degrees above where it should be for this time of year. Now, all you have to do is sneak over towards portions of Arizona and into the interior west and across the Central Rockies. And we've got a little bit more in the way of rainfall.

This is the time of year we see that monsoonal flow. And it has really been very prevalent or very indicative of what's been happening across this region. As high pressure has built across the Central Plains and now, we get that moisture riding on that western edge of that ridge of high pressure. That moisture is riding all the way around it. So much so that it's pushing some of that moisture into the lower Ohio River Valley, all the way over towards the mid-Atlantic region. We'll expect some showers and thunderstorms going to Sunday as well as into Monday. Look for some of those storms to produce some brief and heavy downpours as well.

In sharp contrast, the atmosphere's always trying to even out. And in this case, we're really seeing it across New England where temperatures have been in the 90s. But look in Boston, I always like to look at Boston because Boston is kind of indicative of what happens across the northeast and New England, and this is going to be a very clear picture. Sunday in the 80s. By Tuesday, it's going to be in the 70s. Western Massachusetts may see overnight lows in the 40s. So, we've got heat, monsoon, storms, and cooler than normal temperatures into the northeast.

So, a little bit of everything as we look across the United States. And as I just mentioned, the atmosphere is always trying to even out. And there is a big struggle for dominance here. But we can definitely say, across the west more than 70 percent of nine States of the west are under some sort of drought to extreme drought. Then there's this little disturbance in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. And this does not appear that it's going to develop into anything as an organized tropical system, but it's going to be enough that areas from about Corpus Christi down towards Brownsville can -- could see some fairly significant rainfall as we go into Monday, maybe on the order of, as much as, five, possibly 10 inches of rain. Back to you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thank you so much. Karen Maginnis, appreciate it.

And Europe is suffering through its fourth heat wave since June. Drought conditions are affecting water supplies across the UK, France, and Germany. The starting point of London's iconic River Thames has dried up and moved five miles down the stream. While the Rhine in Germany is at an exceptionally low level. Portugal's worst wildfire in five years is now under control but not before burning through a vast area of UNESCO-designated geological park. Meanwhile, firefighters from across Europe are joining forces to help battle multiple wildfires in France.

Al Goodman joins me now from Madrid. So, Al, first on the efforts to contain the fires. What's the latest there?

AL GOODMAN, JOURNALIST: Hi, Kim. The focus is on the big fire in France in Gironde Province, that's around Bordeaux, it's been burning for days. Officials say it's not advancing. They're showing some signs of stabilization. But they're on high alert this day because of thunderstorms, predicted dry thunderstorms which could bring lightning which could reignite the fires. So, the 1,000 French firefighters already on the scene have been joined in recent days by 360 additional firefighters from Germany, Austria, Romania, and Poland. It's not the only fire in France. There's another big one near Brittany. And trying to prevent fires, the department in the French alps has banned the use of fireworks until September. The amount of land that has burned in France this summer is 20 times more than last summer through this date.

In Portugal, the -- that's the -- you mentioned that big fire. That's the European Union country with the most land burned as a percentage of its total territory among all of the EU nations. Right here in Spain, fires have been burning in one form or another practically every day for the past month. The national government's military emergency unit, which has the big water bombers to help out the localities, has deployed, it said, on late Saturday night. Two of them to fight new fires, one in the north and one in the east. It's basically been back-to-back months of low rainfall. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's exactly it. Fires and droughts, inextricably linked. Tell us more about the effects of those droughts, really hitting the Western Europe hard this summer.

[05:35:00]

GOODMAN: Well, one of the focal points there are the farmers in Northern Italy. it hasn't just been back-to-back months of droughts for them, it's been since last December. Low rainfall. So, they're in now in danger, officials say, of losing up to 80 percent of their crops. That's things like soya, that's things like the ingredient to make parmesan cheese. That's all along the Po River in Northern Italy.

Then if we move into the Rhine River in Germany, low levels. Shipping on barges can still continue with vital things like chemicals, and coal, and grain, but they have to lower the weight. They have to lighten the load so that raises the cost and the less things are getting through to the market. There are drought conditions in various parts of England with many municipalities saying that people cannot use their hoses to water their gardens or wash their cars. All of this, just a summer of extreme heat and drought-like conditions across Western Europe. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, so much happening weather-wise there the continent. Al Goodman in Madrid, thank you so much.

Well, tons and tons of dead fish are turning up in the Oder River which runs through Poland and Germany. Authorities are still trying to figure out why. German officials say an analysis of river water showed evidence of an unknown highly toxic substance and high levels of mercury were also found. Though Poland says mercury hasn't yet been confirmed. Officials in both countries warn people not to swim in the water or eat fish from it.

A tropical storm has been lashing parts of Japan, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds after making landfall, Saturday, in central Japan. More than 40,000 residents are under evacuation orders. Officials are urging people to be on alert for possible landslides, flooding, and high waves.

A new video seems to explain a large boom heard in parts of Utah and Idaho early Saturday morning. Have a look at this.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- was that?

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BRUNHUBER: Webcam footage from the Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville, Utah shows what appears to be a meteor streaking across the sky. You can see it highlighted there. Utah's governor called a meteor which blew up when it hit the atmosphere, the best theory for the ground- shaking noise. The National Weather Service discounted thunder as a cause.

Well, Pakistan is now celebrating 75 years since it was founded in the aftermath of World War II. But beneath the pomp and ceremony lies, a bitter legacy that's haunted the sub-continent for generations. We're live in Islamabad.

Plus, the uncertain future of young girls in Afghanistan. You'll hear from two Afghan women who once held important positions as judges but now live in hiding or in exile. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Pakistani national anthem being played there to mark the country's independence from British rule 75 years ago. Pakistan, along with neighboring India were both founded in 1947 when Britain abruptly ended its colonial rule and divided the sub-continent into two sovereign nations. The partition, as it was called, led to one of the largest and deadliest mass migrations in modern times. Scholars estimated up to two million people may have lost their lives during that turbulent time.

CNN's Sophia Saifi joins us live from Islamabad. So, Sophia, looking ahead now, what are Pakistan's biggest challenges going forward?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Kim, well, if you want to look ahead with regards to Pakistan, you obviously have to look back as well. And it's been a very tumultuous 75 years of Pakistani history tempered with military dictatorships and political unrest. Pakistan obviously has a legacy of partition. There are many scars because the partition was deeply personal, two million people died and millions more were displaced. And these people have obviously carried those memories forward.

And those have, obviously, impacted mutually the relationship between Pakistan's eastern border, India. There is, of course, the contested territory of Kashmir which is one of the inheritances of that partition and continues to be a point of contention between India and Pakistan. Separately, Pakistan is also in a very interesting geographic position. It's got China to the north and Iran and Afghanistan to the west. And it has a complicated relationship with all of these countries. There is economic uncertainty at the moment. There's also a lot of political polarization.

Last night amidst all of the pomp and the, you know, zealous celebrations that were taking place with the fireworks and the music, there were also thousands of people in a giant stadium in Pakistan's provincial capital of Lahore where opposition leader, Imran Khan, had many people come into his rally, calling for change. There is a lot of hope and desire for a better life for Pakistanis.

There's also the issue of climate change the past month. And even today, we've seen extreme weather hit the South Asian region. You've got 500 people died in July alone in Pakistan because of flooding, and experts have said that this is -- this extreme weather is linked to climate change. It is an issue that is going to continue being a problem for Pakistan and India. And it might be a situation where because of its precariousness, because of the fact that this is going to dramatically affect the populations of these two countries, that they will have to actually sit down and reconcile and find solutions to these problems. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much. Sophia Saifi in Islamabad. Appreciate it.

And on neighboring Afghanistan, Monday marks one year since the Taliban retook control of the country. What followed was a mad dash to evacuate U.S. and allied troops, foreign nationals, and thousands of Afghans who have worked for the U.S. and its allies. Well, by the time the airlift ended two weeks later, only a small fraction of the Afghans had made it out. 13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing at the airport before it was over.

Well, today the guns are mostly silent but the country is more impoverished than ever. Afghan women have been all but erased from public life under the Taliban. Food has become a luxury, many can't afford. And huge percentages of Afghan children no longer attend school.

[05:45:00]

The absence of women from important roles in Afghan society will impact that country well into the future and of deep concern is what'll mean for Afghan girls who can no longer go to school. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz spoke with two Afghan women who had been judges before they were forced out by the Taliban.

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): Chaos at Kabul's airport as the Taliban grabbed power. One of the first acts after last year's takeover, erasing women from public life. Fawzia Amini is one of those women.

FAWZIA AMINI, FORMER AFGHANISTAN JUDGE: That's big problem for all of women judges and that's a very darkest day in our lives.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): She is now safe, living in London. But her colleague and friend, Samira, not her real name, remains trapped in Afghanistan. For her security, we are not revealing her identity.

"SAMIRA", FORMER AFGHANISTAN JUDGE (through translator): It was a black day for me. I couldn't believe that one day I would be banned from my job.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): These two women were once among the trailblazers of Afghanistan. Female judges that sat on a court for the elimination of violence against women. It presided over cases of femicide, sexual assault, and early marriage among others. It was dangerous work. In January of 2021, two female Supreme Court judges were shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

After the Taliban seized power in August of last year, the woman's court was shut down. The judges fired, and they tell us their bank accounts frozen. The women say they felt afraid and wanted to seek asylum.

AMINI: We're worried about our -- everything. Our situation, our lives, or our security, especially, it was very hard time.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Leading British lawmaker, Baroness Helena Kennedy, says her phone was inundated with messages from dozens of desperate judges.

BARONESS HELENA KENNEDY, MEMBER O HOUSE OF LORDS: It started with receiving these really terrified messages from people saying please, please, help me.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Determined to help, Kennedy and her colleagues raised money privately for evacuations. Eventually getting 103 women, most of them judges, and their families out of the country. But the journey to safety was terrifying. Amini and her family boarded a bus from Kabul to Mazar-i-Sharif, a 12-hour drive with headlights switched off.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Were you scared?

AMINI: Yes, it was very hard for me and my family.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Hidden in her clothes was Amini's greatest treasure, her education.

AMINI: We had four or five degrees. It's very important for -- it was very important for us. We put on my back, in my dress --

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): So, you hid your degrees?

AMINI: Yes.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): What -- did you saw them in the back?

AMINI: Yes. ABDELAZIZ (on camera): You sawed your degrees in the back of your dress?

AMINI: Yes, in my dress. Yes.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Amini eventually made it to the UK. But Samira and her family are among roughly 80 other female judges still in Afghanistan, some living in hiding.

SAMIRA (through translator): My life now, I live like a prisoner. Please help us and don't forget us.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): And with the women's court now shuttered, Amini fears for those she once protected.

ABDELAZIZ, (on camera): who will defend women now?

AMINI: Not --

ABDELAZIZ, (on camera): There's no one?

AMINI: No one.

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Little hope for the women and girls of Afghanistan. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

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BRUNHUBER: Some of the world's richest people are trying to stake their claim in Greenland. Coming up, how their unusual treasure hunt could yield some of the material needed to take on the climate crisis. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Melting ice in Greenland is a prime example of the dangers of sea rise and climate change. But in an ironic twist, the island in the North Atlantic could also help provide materials for green energy solutions. CNN's Rene Marsh reports it's piqued the interest of American billionaires eager to get in on the action.

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RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): On the southwest coast of Greenland, some of the world's richest men are funding a massive treasure hunt, involving a chopper and a transmitter in hopes of discovering a trove of critical materials capable of powering the green energy transition. A band of billionaires from Jeff Bezos to Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates is all betting that below the surface of the hills and valleys on Greenland's Disko Island in Nuussuaq Peninsula, there's enough nickel, cobalt, and copper to power hundreds of millions of electric vehicles.

KURT HOUSE, CEO, KOBOLD METALS: So, we're looking for a deposit that will be the first or second, you know, largest, most significant nickel, cobalt deposit in the world.

MARSH (voiceover): The Billionaire Club is financially backing California start-up KoBold Metals, a mineral exploration company partnered with U.K.-based Bluejay Mining to find metals that power renewables and EVs. Bluejay Mining says Greenland's climate change- induced ice melt is changing the game for sourcing these sought-after metals.

BO MOLLER STENSGAARD, CEO, BLUEJAY MINING: You can see that we are dealing with longer, open water windows from sea ice. We have longer periods where we are able to transport ores, metals from Greenland to the global market.

MARSH (voiceover): A camp of 30 geologists, geophysicists, cooks, pilots, and mechanics are on site. And CNN is the first media outlet to get video of the activity happening there. They're taking soil samples, flying helicopters with transmitters to measure the electromagnetic field of the subsurface and map the layers of rock below. Artificial intelligence's analyzing the data to pinpoint exactly where to drill next summer.

While the vanishing ice opens opportunity for unearthing and transporting these metals, it's also fueling sea level rise and extreme weather.

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A concern for scientists in Eastern Greenland working below the surface of the ice sheet in ice tunnels using heavy machinery to drill and retrieve ice samples. Analysis of the 60,000-year-old ice may yield clues about Greenland's past climate. Concern is also high in Northwest Greenland where CNN joined a team of NASA scientists, measuring ice melt on the Arctic Ocean.

NATHAN KURTZ, PROJECT SCIENTIST, NASA: We're trying to understand how that melt is happening now. How that ice that used to survive several years in a row is now disappearing.

MARSH (voiceover): The disappearing ice highlights a unique dichotomy. Greenland is ground-zero for the impact of climate change. But it could also become ground-zero for sourcing the metals needed to power the solution to the crisis.

MARSH (on camera): Greenland's significant mineral deposits have the promise of meeting some of the world's growing demand for these materials. Also, allowing the U.S. to diversify its mineral sourcing. Right now, China dominates the global supply of these materials. Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: -- Belgium where the gray cobblestones of the Central Square in Brussels have blossomed into a kaleidoscope of color. Have a look here. The -- you see this famous flower carpet is back after a two-year pause because of the coronavirus. Artists re-created the original design from 1971. And hundreds of volunteers took less than six hours to position all the petals and cut begonias, dahlias, chrysanthemums, and Japanese spindles. Organizers say they'll water the sod between the floral motifs to protect the blooms from wilting in the heat. And the colorful spectacle ends on Monday. It's breathtaking.

Well, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "New Day" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "Marketplace Asia."

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