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Japan Holds State Funeral For Fmr. PM Amid Protests; Constant Shelling Threatens Civilians In Eastern Ukraine; U.S. Warns Russia Against Using Nuclear Weapons; Powerful Storm Expected To Make Landfall In Cuba Soon; Iran Widens Crackdown as Protests and Dissent Grow; Japan Holds State Funeral for Former PM amid Protests; Meadows Texts Reveal Direct White House Communications with Pro Trump Operative; Saving the Planet by Crashing a Spacecraft. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired September 27, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:33]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: All around the world, this is CNN Newsroom. And coming up this hour, controversial in life, controversial in death. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid to rest as criticism grows over a decision to honor him to the state funeral.

The other great Russian mobilization, tens of thousands of military aged men heading for the borders and anywhere it seems, but the war in Ukraine. And Hurricane Ian battering Cuba as far as West Coast braces for a storm with a powerful punch. One forecaster said the likes of which we haven't seen in our lifetime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.

VAUSE: Japan's longest serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been laid to rest this hour in a state funeral which has sparked outrage and protest. Abe is only the second politician since World War II granted the honor of a state funeral. But his legacy has been tarnished after revelations of his close ties to the controversial Unity Church. Still, dozens of current and former world leaders are among the 4,300 guests. Protests are also outrage over the government's use of $12 million to bankroll the funeral.

For more now, I'm joined by CNN's Blake Essig, he's in Tokyo, but also Seijiro Takeshita from the University of Shizuoka School of Management and Information. First to you, Blake.

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh John, as we speak, the remains of a former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have arrived at the Budokan, the location for the state funeral over the past, you know, five or six minutes. Several rounds had been fired from a howitzer. We've heard a loud bang.

In watching this video, you could see the howitzer firing rounds into the air to honor the late Prime Minister. One just went off just moments ago. Meaning, of course, this controversial state funeral that has divided the nation is now underway inside Japan's iconic Budokan indoor arena, which is just a few 100 meters from where I'm standing.

Prime Minister Kishida says that the event is being held to honor the diplomatic legacy of Japan's longest serving prime minister who was gunned down more the two months ago while delivering a campaign speech throughout the roughly 90-minute long service that's expected. Flowers will be offered a video tribute with images of Abe will be played and the two men who most recently succeeded him as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will each deliver speeches.

Now about 4,300 people including 700 foreign dignitaries from 217 countries, regions and international organizations are inside Japan's iconic indoor arena that was built in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics to honor Abe. Among them, prime ministers from Australia, India and Singapore, along with the United States Vice President Kamala Harris.

Now, as a result of the high-ranking officials and world leaders planning to attend, roads have been blocked off. And as you can see behind me, the police presence around Tokyo, in particular this area, which is just again, a few 100 meters, you know, from the theater or -- yes, from the theater where this is all happening, has drastically increased to ramp up security.

You know, on a normal day in Tokyo, they're about 20,000 officers patrolling. Today, there are roughly 50,000 around Tokyo and 22,000 near the venue where the state funeral is being held. And John, just around the corner, long lines have formed. People telling us they've been lining up since this morning to lay flowers in areas set aside for mourners to gather and say their final goodbye to Japan's longest serving Prime Minister.

VAUSE: So Blake, it seems that there's two things going on here as far as the controversy is concerned. There is the cost of the funeral called (INAUDIBLE) there abouts. But there's also whether or not Abe's -- Shinzo Abe's legacy lives up to the standard of which a state funeral is justified.

ESSIG: Yes, you know what, John? Well, globally, Abe was known as this charismatic international statesman here in Japan. He's both admired and criticized for his domestic policies. And so, when it was announced that a government funded state funeral would be held to honor his legacy without consulting Japan's parliament, there were a lot of people as you might expect, that were not happy about it.

In fact, one man even set himself on fire in protest of the state funeral outside of Fumio Kishida's residents last week. And protests had been held on a regular basis over the last few months.

[01:05:07]

And here right now over the past, you know, couple hours, we've seen protesters walking through. Just within the last hour, I've seen protesters being tackled by police. You know, and even as we speak, there's a protest going on outside of the dire (ph) where Shinzo Abe spent about 30 plus years of his life.

Now, one is -- excuse me, as I mentioned, underway as I speak the latest polls, just to put things into perspective, John, have just held a polarizing figure and how controversial figure Shinzo Abe in the state funeral is. A slight majority of the public, 56 percent are standing in opposition of this state funeral. And a few reasons as to why the opposition has been growing includes deep divisions about obvious leadership, obvious connection, as you mentioned, to the controversial Unification Church, and the fact that the state funeral will cost taxpayers an estimated 1.6 billion yen, or $12 million at a time of inflation and a weak yen, as well as rising prices that are putting a strain on the people living here. John?

VAUSE: Blake, thank you. Blake Essig there live for us in Tokyo.

Let's go to Professor Takeshita now for more. And so, Professor, until now, the only state funeral for a prime minister after World War II was for Shigeru Yoshida, leader as the country rebuilt after the wake of the war and after two atomic drum bombs were dropped by the United States. He was Prime Minister during American occupation and became a symbol of the new democratic Japan. In that context, is Shinzo Abe's legacy justify a state funeral?

SEIJIRO TAKESHITA, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SHIZUOKA: The answer is pure yes. I mean, if we look at his role as an international negotiator, particularly when we are having very hard times with the hegemony war between the United States and China, he was one of the very first politicians in the world to detect that. And basically, solidified Japan stance against China. And also, you know, while we were seeing, you know, Mr. Trump burning down all the bridges that were built, oh, he was trying to rectify that, especially in the region.

So from an international perspective, I think he's done a great deal. And I don't have a scintilla of doubt that, you know, he is worthy of the state funeral.

VAUSE: There was a lot of criticism after that funeral for, you know, -- after the -- for the previous Prime Minister. So -- and because of that, they actually passed a law or they essentially failed down all funerals in the wake of that because of concern and criticism among the Japanese public. There's now once again, similar concerns and similar criticism, which is coming from the public. In many ways, it seems history has repeated itself.

TAKESHITA: Well, you know, if you look at the reason why they're opposing, if you look at the opposition side's opinion, it's usually know why use tax money or, you know, there's not enough explanation or a lot of, you know, scandals and wrongdoing by Mr. Abe. But they're all focusing on domestic issues only. And they're being very much swayed by some of the, you know, unfortunate medias in Japan, and are basically being guided to, you know, criticizing and looking at small matters, not looking at things from a bigger, wider global perspective, which is how they should be looking at Mr. Abe.

So, you know -- yes? VAUSE: So, you know, the connections which have been revealed in the wake of Shinzo Abe's assassination to the Unification Church, and the controversy, which that has provoked. In your opinion, you believe that that is sort of essentially irrelevant to his legacy and everything he has done before that?

TAKESHITA: It is connected. In fact, if anything that comes out from this very sad incident, it is very positive that now we're overlooking, and you know, revising, you know, various issues in regards to relationship with politics and, you know, religion. Let's face it, this is a bit of a taboo in Japanese media and elsewhere. But, you know, the coalition partner, which is Komeito is very closely related to say the least, you know, with Soka Gakkai, which is a religious group.

So, you know, the government had always been putting backpedaling on, you know, clarifying this issue. But now, I think it's very clear that they have to clarify, you know, and basically truncate the relationship with religion and politics. So that, in my opinion, is a very positive thing in the long run.

VAUSE: OK. What would you call it, though, for the current Prime Minister Kishida because he was, after all, the one who signed off on a state funeral, he thought was a good idea.

TAKESHITA: Well, you know, he could have done a little bit better in methodology that was adopted. He could have gone through a little more explanation, and he should have done it a lot swifter. It's taken too long. Now, I understand that, you know, Japanese police had to go through their security measures, because that's one of the reasons why Mr. Abe had to die. A very, very, you know, lacks and I should say, embarrassing, you know, security by the Japanese police.

So, there were time lapse that basically is going against him. And at the same time, he's having quite a lot of difficulties because of external situations which is hurting the Japanese economy as you just reported earlier. So timing wise, Mr. Kishida is having a quite a lot of headache to say the least, I think.

[01:10:16]

VAUSE: Seijiro Takeshita, thank you so much, sir, for being with us. We appreciate your time.

TAKESHITA: Thank you.

Like almost everything else about Vladimir Putin's war of choice in Ukraine. The recent call up of 300,000 reservists has been a debacle. So about a Monday, the Kremlin admitted mistakes were made. Mistakes like drafting men who are not eligible to serve in the military, like fathers of young children are those who've been conscripted simply by mistake.

A small number of senior lawmakers have now spoken out criticizing what has been a chaotic call up or anger and fear over being sent to fight in Ukraine, as part the first real opposition inside Russia to Putin's war.

For days now, major cities in Russia have seen protests against the draft. But in the Republic of Dagestan, violence has erupted between security forces and demonstrators. Mostly Muslim region has reportedly seen the highest death toll in Ukraine compared to the rest of the country.

Elsewhere, recruitment centers have been attacked in Siberia. Authority say, a recruitment officer remains in serious condition in hospital after being shot when a gunman opened fire.

And in parts, the best way to see the long lines of Russians trying to cross the border is from outer space. These satellite images show long lines of cars waiting to cross into Georgia. The line stretching in some places for 16 kilometers.

Ukraine's President says his number one goal right now is to stop Russian forces in the east in Toretsk region. Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation there as particularly severe after months of intense shelling.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh shows us what residents in one town are going through.

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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): When the blasts pause in rare quiet in Toretsk, there are a few blessings to count and most a bitter. One is here, a familiar scene of private worlds torn open by a Russian rocket two days earlier. But a place that might persuade you to believe in miracles.

19 people were trapped up here when rubble blocked the stairs, but somehow not one of them was even injured. The fiber grade ladder getting them all out. Not even survivors like Natalia know how.

NATALIA, TORETSK RESIDENT (through translation): A noise. I blinked twice and couldn't see. The balcony door flew open and trash blew in. I'm terrified of flames and I realized we're on the seventh floor and it's collapsing. Then someone screamed, don't come out as there's no way. It's a miracle. I can't call it anything else.

WALSH (voice-over): As Putin's fake referenda just a few miles away threaten yet worse here just now. The shelling has finally become too much for some.

NINA, TORETSK RESIDENT (through translation): I am so much trouble.

WALSH (voice-over): Rescuers are evacuating Nina, 73, after six months living alone without water or health.

NINA (through translation): God let it finish fast before I die.

WALSH (voice-over): We're told, she's the last person to leave her block.

NINA: It's painful to leave but it is also good. I've never been so scared. I am strong but I do not have strength for this.

WALSH (voice-over): Two days ago, a rocket hits her building. Yet also magically, she was unscathed and just sat here under the gaping hole. The lonely agony of the struggle before this moment lying around. The pictures of life left of her A student daughter who died of meningitis aged 40 have the choices of what to leave and what to take of how hard.

Just eating washing and drinking this bin. Winter will rip through here. And this may be the last time the lights go out on this home.

She's taken to the courtyard where dozens of similar agonies are gathered waiting for the evacuation bus even after six months hell faces that know still worse is coming and that are baffled by the heaviest question, why?

NINA (through translation): I don't want to be rude or smart but I just want to ask, why did you come to us? Who asked you? Or are we that silly that you wanted to liberate us? I think we will come home soon. Home will wait for everyone of us. It will wait.

[01:15:03]

WALSH (voice-over): Elena is leaving. She does not know where to with her three children.

ELENA, TORETSK RESIDENT (through translation): It is very scary. It is hard.

WALSH (on-camera): (Speaking in Foreign Language)

ELENA (through translation): The most scary moment was when my kids nearly died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elena is leaving she does not know where to with her three children with the digital semester instructional moments respond to the adults in your dorms

MYKHAILO, TORETSK RESIDENT (through translation): A house on my street blew up in front of me. These were fragment all over the courtyard.

WALSH (voice-over): Then the guns pick up again.

(on-camera): Even in leaving, there's a sense of urgency because artillery firing from near where we are, well, that's been responded to by the Russians and a shell landed over here. They're trying to get people on the bus as fast as they can to get them out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Come on, come on faster. No time to relax.

WASLH (voice-over): Dozens of lives with everything left behind them, and nothing certain ahead.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Toretsk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: With us here for more on Putin's problems is Bob Baer, a CNN National Security Analyst and former CIA Operative. Good to see you, it's been a while.

ROBERT BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks, John.

VAUSE: OK. So as far as the call up for Russians to fight in Ukraine, it seems we're now hearing the Kremlin's version of mistakes were made. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESMAN (through translation): These cases of discrepancy with the needed criteria about call-ups that have been issued in air are being fixed. We hope that the speed of fixing will rise, that all the mistakes will be corrected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: This was a war of choice. Putin decided how, where and when. It's been a debacle from the beginning. So we now at a tipping point within the Russian population that could see Putin under enough pressure to at least deescalate inside Ukraine, at least for a time.

BAER: I think the chances of his deescalating are close to zero. I mean, he simply cannot give up so much ground and be seen to be losing and continue as a leader of Russia. He's a strong man. He's portrayed himself that for the last 20 years, he doesn't give in to dissent. He's cornered, he is completely cornered. And like a shark, he's got to move forward.

I just do not see him coming to the negotiating table, agreeing to leave Donbas or Luhansk or whatever. I just do not see it happening. I mean, he's continually resorted to more force, to more force, to more force. He continues to bomb Ukrainian cities. He continues to grab people. He continues to hold on to grounds. And I see -- I don't see him caving in at all.

VAUSE: Well, the biggest fear now is this threat that he made about going nuclear. Moscow and Washington at least have open lines of communication on that. Again, here's the Kremlin spokesman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PESKOV (through translation): The dialogue channels are active, but contact is rather sporadic in nature. At least they allow us to convey urgent notes about each other's positions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And the U.S. State Department believes the threat of using nuclear weapons is a sign that Putin is losing. And that the threat is meant to be intimidation. Here's Ned Price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: These actions from President Putin signal very clearly that he knows he's losing. He's on his back heels. And he's making every attempt to intimidate those who would stand up to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: He may be losing and he is and this could be intimidation. But so far, everyone who says Putin wouldn't be crazy enough to do X have been wrong, because he does.

BAER: John, he's -- the chances of his using nuclear weapons, at least tactical nuclear weapons is going up by the day. The Russians that I keep in touch with in Russia are convinced he's going to go nuclear. I don't know how well connected they are. But this threat, it was a threat initially, but the more trouble he's in, the more likely he's going to use nuclear weapons. And I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't actually use attack against the Ukrainian forces.

VAUSE: If he decided to go down that road, is there a chain of command around him, which can act as a circuit breaker, so that doesn't happen?

BAER: There is a chain of command. He's got to go to the military to launch. They may, in fact, refuse to do so, but we don't know that. We do not know what the key military leaders think about this conflict. They certainly aren't talking amongst each other. It's not something we can pick up on intercepts, and ultimately, they may refuse to launch weapons, and in that case, it's effectively coup d'etat and he's out of power.

[01:20:03]

VAUSE: This is part of the overall problem that Putin is facing with the country in the terms of where it is right now in his leadership.

BAER: He's been an utter failure. I mean, he has completely miscalculated Ukraine. He's completely miscalculated the resistance. He's miscalculated Europe as well. He thought the Europeans would give up by now. He is like a cornered rat, and he will bite before he steps down.

VAUSE: If there is the use of tactical nuclear weapons by the Russians, what will be the response from NATO and the U.S.?

BAER: There's frankly, nothing we can do. We're not going to launch strategic weapons. It will -- we're going to be in unchartered waters at this point. Of course, the Soviet Union never used nuclear weapons. And nor did we during the Cold War. It just -- we simply cannot respond in kind because it would unleash a nuclear exchange, including the continental of the United States.

And that's what has the administration terrified. Because the administration keeps bringing up nuclear weapons. It is seriously assessing the situation that he could turn to him.

VAUSE: Bob, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it. Bob Baer.

BAER: Thank you.

VAUSE: The Kremlin says the school shooting Monday which left more than a dozen people dead was a terrorist attack. The gunman, a former student who was wearing Nazi symbols took his own life after killing 11 children and four adults. Dozens more were injured. Investigators have been searching the shooter's home to learn more about his background and his alleged Neo-fascist ideology.

And the Russian President will timeout from losing the war in Ukraine to grant citizenship Monday to its whistleblower Edward Snowden. He fled to Russia almost a decade ago and faces 30 years in an American jail for leaking highly classified details on surveillance programs.

Still to come here, as Hurricane Ian it's close to making landfall in Cuba, it's then expected to strengthen and take aim at Florida. Residents in the storm's path told to get out now.

And then to Pakistan where the first, the rain would not stop. Now the suffering is without end.

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VAUSE: Right now, Hurricane Ian is a Category 2 storm and gaining strength inching closer to landfall in Cuba. After that, it heads to Florida with expectations of growing into a major hurricane in the coming hours.

Here's a look at the storm from space. In parts of Florida, residents in the path are being told get out now. Authorities warn this could be the storm of a lifetime. In Cuba, they're bracing for severe storm surge flooding, and CNN's Patrick Oppmann is our man in Havana.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As Hurricane Ian approaches Cuba, there's a sense of the calm before the storm but that will not last. We've so felt several bands of rain come through this part of Havana. And as the evening goes on, and we get into the early morning hours, Cuban meteorologists say that is when Ian will begin to cross the westernmost tip of this island bringing heavy rains and wind.

[01:25:05]

And even though Ian is not expected to approach that, Havana, that closely will not make a direct hit of the Cuban capital. All the same heavy winds and rain caused a lot of damage here, because this is a city that is prone to flooding. And with all the aging infrastructure, there are buildings that likely will collapse -- often collapse in that just a heavy rain. And so that is something that Cuban officials are concerned about.

Already, west of here in the province of Pinar del Rio, some 19,000 people have had to evacuate from their homes ahead of the storm. Officials are telling people to get out of the storm's path before the storm arrives, because once it does, they will not be able to rescue people. And as the evening morning goes on, the conditions are just going to get more and more difficult here, as in travels across western Cuba, eventually emerging into the Gulf of Mexico where meteorologists expect it will then continue on to Florida.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

VAUSE: CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri is tracking the storm for us. So, yes, this is going to be a big storm, to say the least.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's going to be a big storm. Yes. You know, John, and it's strengthening at this hour as it approaches the island there of Cuba. So that's the biggest concern with the system that typically when you have some land interaction, you can see a storm begin to break apart. But the environmental conditions in this general region, the sea surface temperatures, among the warmest and all of the Atlantic here are really setting the stage for a powerful storm that is just shy of a major hurricane strong Category 2.

We think landfall possible within the next couple of hours there around Western Cuba. And look at the forecast storm surge here, possibly 3 to 4.5 meters, devastating storm surge no matter where you put it. Of course, you bring it to an area with infrastructure that is vulnerable. Certainly, this becomes a very big story as it makes landfall in the coming hours.

But notice, not much interaction with land. Of course, this narrow tip of far western Cuba is not going to keep it overland for very long. And the system very quickly is rejuvenated back up to Category 3, maybe even Category 4, within the next 24 or so hours.

And now beyond say 24 hours, 36 hours, that's where we get quite a bit of disparity between where some of the models want to take this system and where others want to leave it because upper level winds want to pull this towards Florida, while the lower level winds want to steer it away from Florida. So with that said, pretty good confidence here that the storm will want to slow down. It's kind of battle between the steering environments, it's going to slow the system down.

And anytime you have a storm of this magnitude slowing down, essentially, you're exacerbating a problem that is catastrophic in general, even for a fast-moving system. And we think from Wednesday into Thursday, Ian will begin to slow down, down to maybe 5, 6 kilometers per hour for progression. So for a couple of days, it can linger across a very densely populated area near Tampa Bay, as it produces dangerous storm surge and of course, heavy, heavy rainfall as well.

Notice model disparity, a few of them pulling it off shore, the vast majority bringing it close to land. And a lot of people think if this doesn't make landfall, maybe you kind of stave off the vast majority of what the system has to offer. Unfortunately, because of the lay of the land here and across western Florida and the progression from south to north of the storm system, counterclockwise flow around the system will want to usher in water right into some of the inlets, some of the bays, certainly Tampa Bay in particular.

And then kind of laying the models one by one here seeing very close proximity, one of them keeping it just about say, 40 or so kilometers offshore, as it passes by the Tampa Bay region. So it'll usher in an incredible amount of water right there into the bay, which essentially becomes a worst case scenario.

Look at some of these areas. We know storm surge of maybe 6 up to 9 feet or upwards of 3 meters is going to be devastating. Keep in mind Pinellas County, John, in the area there in Tampa, home to some of the most expensive real estate upwards of $30 billion of real estate across that region of Florida, the highest value properties anywhere in the state.

And again, when you exceed storm surge up to 9 feet, you're talking about pushing up to the first story of a lot of these properties on the coast. So a lot of damage is certainly expected with a track like this one.

VAUSE: The state that banned the words climate change --

JAVAHERI: Yes.

VAUSE: -- in government literature. Pedram, thank you. Pedram Javaheri for us, thank you. Appreciate it.

JAVAHERI: Thank you.

VAUSE: Extreme flooding in Pakistan has now claimed more than 1,600 lives, a third of them children, and they keep dying. While the rain has stopped for now, the disaster has not. CNN's Anna Coren reports from one hospital trying to save children from waterborne disease. Warning her report includes images of children in distress, some of whom do not survive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the scorching heat, a couple carry their listless child towards a packed wooden boat, fearing sick villagers through the floodwaters. The mother grabs her daughter and finds a place to sit. The eight-year-old is burning up.

She's got a high-grade fever and has become unconscious, explained her mother. Let's go, let's go, yells a villager. The mother then wets her daughter's brow with the very same water that has made her so sick.

[01:29:49]

Pakistan's month-long catastrophic flood that inundated one third of the country affecting 33 million people are still causing unspeakable suffering. The monsoonal rains may be over, but the volume of stagnant water is now causing a health crisis, especially in Sindh, one of the worst hit provinces in the country's southeast where cases of cholera, dengue and dehydration have surged.

AADARSH LAGHARI, UNICEF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I've seen families and children consume the very floodwater that they are surrounded and that is -- because they do not have access to any of the water source. COREN: As they reach the shore, it is a race against time. The nearest

hospital is hours away by rickshaw and her daughter's condition is worsening.

These young mothers have found medical care, although their newborns barely have the energy to cry. They have come to the (INAUDIBLE) Mother and Child Hospital where the critically ill are taken to the resuscitation ward.

A baby's chest slowly rises and falls as oxygen, pumped through a tube, helps this infant to breathe. Lying beside it, the body of another baby that didn't make it.

For the doctors here, this is agonizing work. Up to a dozen children are dying each day from flood-related illness, which is unheard of in this small hospital.

"This girl has cholera," says Dr. Nazia, "their bodies go into shock. We try to rehydrate them with fluid they've lost."

One of the four children sharing this bed appears to be going downhill rapidly. Heart monitors are placed on the chest of five-year-old Ikra, who is severely stunted. Her heart is slowly beating, but her eyes glaze over. Minutes later, she dies. A nurse prepares her tiny body for an Islamic burial, as her sister and grandmother weep outside.

Of the more than 1,500 people who died since June from Pakistan's climate change-induced catastrophe, more than one-third have been children. Millions upon millions remain homeless having lost homes, crops and livestock.

Rani is one of them. She wonders if the waters will also take her youngest, three-year-old Abbas, who is suffering from malaria.

"Death is a better option for us," she says, "We accept it, one should not have to live like this."

Anna Coren, CNN in (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:32:49]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Iran says the U.S. and some European countries are trying to make them worse (ph) caused by the death of Mahsa Amin and they are trying to destabilize the country. Tehran's crackdown on the nationwide protests since her death earlier this month has drawn international condemnation.

There are reports of more than 40 people killed during the protests (ph), including several members of Iran's security forces. CNN though cannot independently verify those numbers.

Meantime, according to Iran's state media, the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard has launched a drone and artillery strike against Kurdish groups in neighboring Iraq. Tehran accuses the Kurds of trying to undermine Iran by supporting the protests.

At least 20 journalists have been arrested in Iran since the anti- government protests began last week. That's according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit that monitors press freedom. The group is calling on Iran to end its crackdown on journalists and release everyone. Everyone who's been arrested during the protests.

CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour discussed the protests in Iran with Marjane Satrapi. She is the author of the graphic novel, "Persepolis", which tells the story of her coming of age in Iran during the birth of the Islamic Republic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARJANE SATRAPI, AUTHOR: It gives me lots of sadness because the situation does not change. When I wrote "Persepolis", it was this hope that, you know, we would be living in a better world and in a better Iran. The situation has not changed.

It gives me lots of anger. But at the same, time it also gives me lots of joy because this revolt, this demonstration is extremely different from all whatever else we have seen in Iran.

Actually, to set for example the first demonstration against the veils (ph) -- that was in 1980. The women went to the street to contest that they didn't want to veils but not only they were alone, they were not supported by the men. But even the leftist opposition left them alone, saying that the veils, that was not their problem and that was a fight of social classes.

When that was a demonstration in 2009, between the movement, again that was a seek for reform. They want, you know, the country to be transformed and that was this reformist, this so-called reformist that was actually part of the system. Mousavi was the big leader.

But at the same time he was the prime minister of Iran at the darkest time actually of the Islamic Republic. And that was the reform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, if you steal your own money, is it really theft? That's the question once again, they're asking in Lebanon, where after a weeklong closure, banks are partially back open.

They were forced to shut down after a number of holdups by customers. Some of them armed, demanding their own savings. Many Lebanese have seen these accounts frozen as the country sinks deeper into financial collapse.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Lebanon where citizens storm banks just to get their own money.

Sally Hafiz became an instant icon after she held up a Beirut bank to withdraw thousands of dollars from her family's savings account. She broadcast the heist live on Facebook, explaining she was desperate to pay for her sister's cancer treatment.

"I'm here to get my sister's money," she says. "Because she is dying."

Hafiz later said she was carrying a toy gun.

Lebanon's banks have locked millions of citizens out of their own savings accounts after a financial meltdown in 2019. And with the currency losing 90 percent of its value, more than three-quarters of the population now live in poverty, unable to pay for basics.

From hiding, Hafiz said she had to run out of options.

"People consider me a hero," she says. But, I am no role model, I'm not a hero. I am just a normal person who took back her rights.

Hafiz afiz inspired a wave of copycats like (INAUDIBLE). He failed to get his money, sustained an injury to his hand and wound up in jail for a week. But, he later told CNN that he was just trying to save his business.

"We are not stealing. We are taking what's rightfully ours," he says. "I encourage other people to do the same because there is no other way. We gave the money to our banks and we should take it back from the banks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my money.

[01:40:01]

ABDELAZIZ: No official arrest warrant has been issued for Sally until now. Abid (ph) has been released without charges.

After five holdups in a single day, banks shut down for nearly a week citing ongoing risks to employees and customers.

They reopened Monday, but only partially for commercial banking. Individual account holders can only enter by appointment pushing desperate families, even further away from their own money.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Let's check in on the Asian market right now after a day of worldwide turmoil, let's look at that. We have we have (INAUDIBLE) down right now. We have the Nikkei which is up just a touch. We have the Hong Kong Hang Seng down by almost 1 percent, Shanghai composite what we could see now, really, up by half a percent. Seoul Kospi down almost by 1 percent.

U.S. stocks closed lower on Monday because of fears of a strong U.S. dollar. The Dow dropped more than 300 points and entered a bear market for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

This comes after the British pound hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. Growing fears over the government's plans to deliver the biggest tax cuts in 50 years which are funded by massive public debt.

Euro also hit its lowest value in 20 years against the greenback.

Still to come, more on our top stories. The state funeral for Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Look at the -- looking back on the region with a live report from Taiwan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back.

Live to Tokyo right now and the state funeral for the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Dignitaries from around the world are now attending the ceremony. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is leading the American delegation.

Shinzo Abe was shot at a campaign rally back in July. His death has resulted in revelations about ties between Japanese lawmakers and the controversial Unification Church.

There's also been a fierce opposition to honoring Abe with a state funeral, which is costing nearly $12 million U.S. during a time of economic uncertainty.

And there's a lot more than that. CNN's Will Ripley live from Taipei with more on Abe's connection. Not just with Taiwan but more importantly, I guess with the -- not so much the People's Republic of -- or the Republic of China, but the People'[s Republic of China, which is mainland China.

And much of what Abe did in terms of revising the constitution, upgrading the expenditures on the armed forces was in anticipation of a rising China.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was certainly a knowledge, a nuanced knowledge, on the part of Shinzo Abe that China, by using gray zone tactics, by using diplomatic and economic fire power was moving into a position that could potentially put Japan's security interest at risk. That was Abe's view.

And he was the person who kind of created the concept of the Quad which is the United States and Australia, India and Japan. You know, the four nations in the Indo-Pacific, which is another term that Abe coined to try to shift the focus away from China and expand the focus.

[01:45:00]

RIPLEY: Including India, which is considered a more friendly democracy and ally. Unlike China, which is a competitive adversary and some, certainly here in Taiwan view as a likely military threat in the present and, you know, potentially in the future especially with Xi Jinping about to get coronated with this third -- unprecedent third presidential term.

And so, in China, Shinzo Abe certainly is not being remembered fondly by many people. And that was evident in the social media posts that were not censored by the heavy-handed censors of the Chinese government. People on the day of Abe's assassination, in China were posting things like that the killer was a hero, that this was a historic day to be celebrated.

There was a Chinese reporter who broke down in tears covering the story from Japan. And she was ridiculed and criticized and eventually kind of force to apologize for crying because people accused her -- netizens accused her of not being Chinese even though the official Chinese government statements were much more sympathetic. You know, perhaps not heavily sympathetic but neutral.

I mean even if you look at this (INAUDIBLE), John, as it's going to play out today, it is really an opportunity to kind of see, in real- time, how relations are evolving and changing between China and Japan, and Japan and Taiwan.

For example, China's sending their former technology minister, you know, as opposed to the U.S. sending Vice President Kamala Harris as opposed to Taiwan sending their de facto ambassador and two former legislative speakers.

Taiwan is going to be -- called Taiwan by the Japanese government when they read out the names of countries that are laying flowers in remembrance of Shinzo Abe. That, in the past, has caused huge protests from China because they don't want Japan or anyone to recognize the self governing democracy as its own country. And they don't want it to be called by the name Taiwan.

Because, of course the Olympics, the Chinese Taipei. The official name, Republic of China, the title that was bestowed upon Taiwan.

So, nonetheless, Taiwan is not getting full recognition at the ceremony. They are not going to be attending certain functions after the memorial itself. And they're even being seated, the Taiwanese delegation is being seated in a section reserved for regions, as opposed to a nation.

They're actually sitting next to the Palestinians, who also, you know, don't have a recognize state.

So it is a very complex geopolitical situation. And you can -- when you're planning an event like this, if you are Japan, you have to weigh your relationship with China, which is their biggest trading partner; you're relationship with the United States, which is your only military ally; and your relationship with Taiwan, which has, you know, an island that sits, in some cases, around 100 or so kilometers from some of Japan's outlying island.

So, it's actually a security situation for Japan as well. And they said, as such, if China were to make a move on this island of Taiwan.

VAUSE: You know, there was a very clear message sent by Beijing. They sent a vice premier to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. And as you mentioned, they sent this former junior technology minister for the state funeral for Shinzo Abe. That was pretty clear.

But what we had in Shinzo Abe was a man who's not very popular at home. But at least internationally, and you touched on this with the Quad, he was willing to take leadership within the region. He was willing to set up a new trade organization after Donald Trump essentially killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership which was the anti- China trading block.

This was something which had not really been seen in Japanese prime ministers or Japanese leaders until Abe took over. And I guess the question is, is that his legacy? Is that what he'll be remembered and will it be continued on within Japan as leaders take his place?

RIPLEY: Well look, I think you hit the nail on the head in that before Shinzo Abe, people would probably scratch their heads trying to think of, if they could name a prime minister of Japan, because there were just so many and they were cycling so quickly.

Shinzo Abe, of course he had his quick, you know, first run as prime minister that ended very quickly, but then he came back and he became Japan's longest running prime minister. And he really elevated Japan's image on a global stage and he -- you know, he did try to thaw icy relations with China even as he was working with, you know, like- minded democracies in the west and, you know, working with this democracy here on the island of Taiwan.

He also did make an official state visit to China in 2018 that was supposed to be reciprocated by Xi Jinping in 2020 during the, you know, Sakura -- the cherry blossom season before the pandemic hit.

And now, nobody's even talking about the possibility of Xi Jinping paying a state visit to China. It seems as if that opportunity at the moment has completely -- you know, that ship has sailed.

But the imagery is striking. And I can give you a comparison, you know, today. Here in Taiwan, you have a statute that was unveiled. It's actually -- I think was unveiled yesterday in the southern city of Kaohsiung, ok.

This is a statue that says in Chinese, "Taiwan's Eternal Friend". And it's, you know, a monument to Shinzo Abe. So you have that here in Taiwan.

[01:49:51]

RIPLEY: And then over in Japan, you have thousands of people who are protesting the cost of the state funeral, who are angry about the controversy about Abe's ties to a controversial religious group.

So you can see, his own nation is throwing him an extravagant, expensive state funeral, world leaders are attending, either current or former world leaders. And yet, there is still division inside Japan.

But here in Taiwan, he is pretty much widely regarded as a friend of this democracy and they were very sad.

Many people here are very sad certainly on a political field to see him go.

VAUSE: He's not the first leader to be popular overseas but not so popular at home but certainly striking in this instance.

Will Ripley in Taipei -- thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

An exclusive now, Roger Stone's whereabouts and involvements during the January 6th Capitol insurrection. Longtime Republican operative and ally of former President Donald Trump was followed by a Danish documentary film crew for about three years.

They shared eight minutes of footage with the House Select Committee investigating the riot. In one of several clips obtained by CNN, Stone says Trump should've declare election victory before the actual vote count is even finished.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER STONE, TRUMP ALLY: Let's just hope we are celebrating. I suspect it will be -- I really do suspect it will still be up in the air. When that happens, the key thing to do is to claim victory.

Possession is nine tenths of the law. No we won. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). You are wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A statement from Stone's attorney reads "I challenge the accuracy and the authenticity of these videos and believe they have been manipulated and selectively edited.

I'll also point out that filmmakers do not have the legal right to use them. Ironic that Kim Kardashian and I are both subjected to computer manipulated videos on the same day. The excerpts you provide below nothing, certainly they do not provide I had anything to do with the events of January 6."

That being said, it clearly shows I advocated for lawful congressional and judicial.

CNN's also learning new details about the texts of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows revealing his direct communications with a pro Trump operative behind a plan to seize voting machines.

Sara Murray has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As Donald Trump and his allies made a final push to overturn the 2020 election.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is still plenty of time to certify the correct winner. MURRAY: Retired army colonel and election conspiracy promoter, Phil

Waldron --

PHIL WALDRON, RETIRED ARMY COLONEL: The core of these voting systems are rife with vulnerabilities.

MURRAY: -- communicated directly with then White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, complaining that an Arizona judge dismissed the lawsuit calling for state officials to hand over election equipment.

Waldron, hunting for proof of baseless fraud claims, told Meadows Arizona was a lead domino we were counting on to start the cascade and complaint opponents where using the delay tactics, according to text messages obtained by CNN.

Pathetic, Meadows responded. Waldron and his attorneys did not respond to requests for comment, nor did an attorney for meadows.

The new details about efforts to access voting machines reaching the top tier of the White House, come as federal and state prosecutors are scrutinizing efforts to upend the 2020 election. And as the House Committee investigating Jan 6 is gearing up for another hearing this week.

REP. JAIME RASKIN (D-MD): Expectation is this will be the last investigative hearing.

MURRAY: The committee's top Republican vowing to keep fighting against Trump, even if it means leaving the GOP.

REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): I'm going to make sure Donald Trump -- I'm going to make sure he's not the nominee. And if he is the nominee, I won't Republican.

MURRAY: All these questions swirling about a nine second call from the Trump White House on January 6, to one of the rioters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get a real a-ha moment.

MURRAY: After the brief call was revealed by former committee staffer Denver Riggleman, CNN reporting it went from a White House landline to a cell phone belonging to 26-year-old Anton Lunick, a Trump supporter from Brooklyn, New York, who illegally entered the U.S. Capitol with friends and pleaded guilty to a related charge in April.

Attorneys for Lunick and his friend declined to comment and sources tell CNN that the Trump supporter doesn't remember receiving the call, and doesn't know anyone who worked in the Trump White House.

The calls content and significance still a mystery. One that has committee members urging caution.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): One of the things that I think that has given our committee credibility is we've been very careful about what we say not to overstate matters.

MURRAY: The committee also awaiting an interview with Ginny Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D): She had said publicly that she wanted to come and talk to the committee and she is doing so.

MURRAY: And sifting through a mountain of information from the secret service.

Now we also know the select committee subpoenaed Wisconsin House Speaker, Robin Boss. Boss is recently as July got a phone call from former President Trump, where Trump was once again asking him to decertify the results of the Wisconsin election.

Now the committee wanted to get the testimony from Boss on Monday, but this is all on pause as a legal fight ensues because Vos sued to block the testimony.

Sara Murray, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:54:47]

VAUSE: When we come back details on a mission to protect the planet. NASA slams a spacecraft into an asteroid, all in the name of defending humanity. Was it worth it?

More on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: It is not every day NASA slams a spacecraft into an asteroid. In fact, this is the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh wow. Oh my goodness.

Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Oh my gosh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awaiting visual confirmation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The DART spacecraft was sent on a collision course to the asteroid on Monday. Bruce Willis was nowhere in the scene, but the goal here is to prevent Armageddon.

The intentional collision of an unmanned craft was designed to see if we could actually bump an asteroid off its course before it actually heads towards earth.

It will take time to know if it actually worked. One disclaimer here though, they said the asteroid they actually crashed into was not a threat to planet earth, which is a good thing. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with

us. The news continues with Kristie Lu Stout live in Hong Kong after a very short break.

See you back here tomorrow.

[01:57:37]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)