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NATO Leaders Present United Front On Ukraine At Summit; Russian Investigative Committee Releases Video Appearing To Show Former Sub Commander Jogging Before His Killing; Wife Of Huw Edwards Confirms He Is Suspended Anchor; Kim Jong-Un Personally Guided Record-Breaking 74- Minute ICBM Missile Test; Thai Parliament Meeting To Choose New Prime Minister; No Deal Between Actors Union & Studios as Strike Looms; Landslides, Floods, Extreme Heat Plague Parts of Asia. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 13, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:32]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. An ungrateful nation after Ukraine's president lashes out over no timeline for NATO membership, the U.K. and U.S. advised Ukraine to be more grateful of what they've already received.

Higher and further than ever before, North Korea successfully launches a solid fuel ICBM, a huge technical leap forward but how?

And doubled trouble for Hollywood not seen in more than 60 years, with actors just hours away from joining a month's long strike by the Writers Guild.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: Thank you for joining us here for CNN NEWSROOM. We begin in the capital of Lithuania Vilnius, where NATO leaders have entered a two day summit with office of security guarantees and promises of unwavering support for Ukraine, but still no hard timeline for membership with the Alliance.

But it wasn't enough it seems for the Ukrainian president who arrived angry and disappointed but leaves satisfied saying the summit was a meaningful success, which removed any doubts about Ukraine's future in the NATO alliance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): For the first time during our independence, we have established a foundation of security on our path to NATO. These are specific security guarantees confirmed by the top seven democracies in the world. We have never had such security framework before at the level of the G7.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: U.S. President Joe Biden left the summit for Finland, the final stop on his overseas trip.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has more now from the Lithuanian capitol.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, President Biden basking in another show of unity for Ukraine.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not waver. Our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken. We'll stand for liberty and freedom today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes.

SAENZ (voice over): Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at Biden's side as he tried to ease some of the NATO summit's tension.

BIDEN: Your resilience and resolve has been a model for the whole world to see, and the frustration I can only imagine.

ZELENSKYY: That you -- like we say, shoulder to shoulder with us.

SAENZ (voice over): The U.S. and G7 allies making historic security commitments prepared to help Ukraine for the long haul.

BIDEN: We're going to provide security to Ukraine for its needs to cut against any aggression that may occur. Our support will last long into the future.

SAENZ (voice over): A declaration from the U.S. and G7 pledging unwavering support for Ukraine with the allies working towards bilateral long-term security commitments to Ukraine, but falling short of establishing concrete security measures even as Ukraine remains out of the NATO alliance.

BIDEN: All our allies agreed Ukraine's future lies in NATO.

SAENZ (voice over): Zelenskyy initially rebukes NATO leaders for not setting a time line for Ukraine's entry, but NATO has removed one significant barrier in the country's path and is ready to work with Kyiv as it makes reforms.

BIDEN: I hope we finally have put to bed the notion about whether or not Ukraine is welcome in NATO. It's going to happen.

SAENZ (voice over): And as the NATO gathering wrapped, a shift in tone from Zelenskyy.

ZELENSKYY: The outcome of the NATO summit in Vilnius was very much needed and meaningful success for Ukraine.

SAENZ (voice over): The summit, another test for Biden's push to reinvigorate the NATO alliance, highlighting America's role on the world stage.

BIDEN: We face a choice, a choice between a world defined by coercion and exploitation, where might makes right or a world where we recognize that our own success is bound to the success of others. SAENZ (voice over): And sending a direct message to Vladimir Putin.

BIDEN: When Putin and his craven lust for land and power unleashed his brutal war on Ukraine, he was betting NATO would break apart. He thought democratic leaders would be weak, but he thought wrong.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Vilnius, Lithuania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: CNN's Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson following developments, he joins us now live from London. Good to see you, Nic, thanks for getting up early.

So, compared to his very obvious disappointment on Tuesday, President Zelenskyy sounded upbeat, even optimistic on that train ride home. Here's a little more from the Ukrainian president. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:05:07]

ZELENSKYY (through translator): We have put to rest any doubts and ambiguities about whether Ukraine will be in NATO, it will for the first time not only do all allies agree on this, but a significant majority in the alliance is vigorously pushing for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Sort of in terms of deliverables or reality, it seems very little has changed at least publicly since he posted it on social media Tuesday, he was highly critical of NATO for not setting a timeline for membership.

So, did he have some kind of out of your changing personal epiphany? Do he receive some kind of off the record reassurances from the U.S. President? Or did he receive kind of a, you know, tongue lashing from NATO allies? What's most likely here?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, I think Zelenskyy shows that he's able to read the room, right? He's this warrior diplomat at times that was demanding F-16 as soon as he was told he could have NATO tanks which had been waiting and pushing for a long time. It's kind of his nature to go in hard.

But in the room, he knows that, you know, the support that he gets from all his allies depends also on him playing his part. But, you know, I think he does have a genuine concern that he wanted this timeline to joining NATO, because he's concerned, let's say, the timeline, and the, you know, a path, a concrete path to join in NATO spins out beyond, let's say, the next U.S. election, President Biden has been hugely instrumental in bringing NATO together and keeping support going for Zelenskyy and he will have genuine worries that if Biden doesn't win, and another -- you know, there's a different U.S. president, then maybe the path to NATO becomes so much harder, maybe even that U.S. president has less interest in keeping NATO united. So, there will be genuine concerns because Russia is not going away.

Presidents and leaders of NATO countries may and therefore the political will inside NATO may shift over time.

But I think, you know, he does go away without being very clearly told all round that his -- that this is -- you're on the path, you're on the right track.

I'm sure he had, -- I'm sure he did hear from others behind the scenes that look, you know, some of your comments can be read the wrong way. Let's not forget, support for -- support for Zelenskyy equals support for -- support for the leaders that are trying to help him. If he undermines that, he undermines the support he ultimately needs for the country.

VAUSE: The British Defense Secretary did raise the G word while talking at the NATO summit. He was at this forum. He said, I said to the Ukrainians last June when I drove 11 hours to be given a list, I'm not Amazon. He then went on whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude.

And you know, the Ukrainians have come a long way from the early days when Germany donated, what, a couple of thousand helmets to, you know, countries now training Ukrainians pilots to fly F-16s.

But you kind of touched on this, is there a perception that no matter what they get, no matter how many demands are met you know, it's a bottomless pit here for the Ukrainians.

ROBERTSON: Yes, and it's -- it must feel like that for anyone who's sort of looking at what Ukrainians get -- of what Ukraine is getting and what Ukraine is asking for, but the harsh reality here, is they're at the forefront of it.

Wars are in a way bottomless pits, because what you put -- what you put in gets used up and burned out, you know, just from my own little limited experience of the frontlines there in Ukraine, you know, we think of how much ammunition goes, we know that there's a shortage of ammunition that's available to send to them, they desperately need it. Zelenskyy says it, but every commander you speak to on the ground, says it.

I was in a command bunker just a few miles behind the front lines. There they had the most amazing technology to watch all the Russian frontlines, and they could see the Russian soldiers pop up from their trenches, if they had the ammunition and the guns, they will be able to take out their enemy and move them back out of their country.

So, you know, Zelenskyy's frustrations on lack of ammo and everything else is a real analysis of what's actually happening at the front line.

So, sure, it looks like a bottomless pit, because you need to -- you need to put in a lot to get the result. It's a war and that's how wars are. VAUSE: It's a -- it's a cold, it's a brutal war too in many ways. And the Ukrainian president did have a response to the British Secretary for Defense, and Amazon deliveries. Here's the Ukrainian president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY (through translator): It just seems to me that we have always been very grateful to the United Kingdom, because really, the people of Britain have always supported Ukrainians. I just don't know what he means. How else should we thank him?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: You know, it is a question, what else could Zelenskyy do? Send a thank you note for the challenge of tanks, a basket of muffins from Kyiv?

You know, there is this point of view from Kyiv as well, that, you know, there is a distinct lack of gratitude coming from the allies for the Ukrainian blood being spilled to protect Europe from Russian aggression.

So, in many ways, this is a two-way street.

[00:10:09]

ROBERTSON: It kind of is. I mean, look, you can take a camera to any Ukrainian village and town and ask them who their favorite countries are right now. And The U.K. would be very, very high on the list. And they'd probably mention Boris Johnson as well, because they like Boris Johnson, he was kind of, you know, did make the big push to get unity and strength and support and military aid to Ukraine.

And Ben Wallace has been, as he said, you know, the U.K. was the first to give the Challenger tanks and, you know, the British Prime Minister Sunak was first up there talking about F-16 training way back at the beginning of this year.

Yes, what can -- what can they do more? It's a great question. But again, and I think when you flip this issue and say, from the Ukrainian perspective, so right, yes. Because they're in a war and to a degree, they're fighting this war. And these other leaders from nations are not being bombed come in, and there's such a disconnect. Because this fighting, the war is such a desperate fight, and you're so busy, and you're so concentrated on it's like, get this other leader in and tell them what we need.

And, yes, that's not the way that that person Ben Wallace, or whomever is used to operate and they're stepping into a real war environment.

And I'm sure Wallace appreciates that that too. I mean, he's been a real consistent supporter of Ukraine. What more could they do? Yes, run a camera around Ukrainian villages. There would be a ton of support there for the U.K.

VAUSE: Absolutely. Hey, Nick, just want to grant the time there, 5:11 in the morning. Thanks so much. We'll talk to you next hour. Appreciate you getting up.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, for a third night, Ukraine's capital has come under attack by Russian drones, at least one person was killed two others injured by falling debris from drones intercepted by Ukraine's air defenses.

Meanwhile, in the east, Ukraine's military claiming progress near the beleaguered city Bakhmut, advancing on the southern flank of the city.

Ukraine's defense ministry also reports rebuffing Russian assaults all along the eastern front lines in Donetsk region.

In the south, Ukrainian forces have stepped up missile and long range artillery attacks on Russian command hubs and ammunition depots, pressing their offensive to reclaim Mariupol and Berdyansk (PH).

Russia's Investigative Committee has released a video purporting to show the moments just before a former submarine commander was shot and killed earlier this week in southern Russia.

CNN cannot independently verify the video but has geo located the footage to a park where Ukraine says the shooting took place. His death is one of several mysteries surrounding senior figures linked to Russian forces.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For Russian generals, a home once so distant from the front is no longer safe. Here, former Russian submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky runs his usual route at the usual time, but with a new unnoticed companion on a bicycle. Moments later, he was gunned down.

Ukrainian defense intelligence said they had nothing to do with it, but they knew a lot about it, saying he had been shot seven times with a Makarov pistol and heavy rain meant no witnesses.

Rzhitsky commanded a Russian submarine accused of many attacks on civilians, Ukraine also said, although his family reportedly denied that. Ukraine added later, perhaps sarcastically that he had been killed by his own men who refused to kill Ukrainian civilians.

Russia was quick to respond with their own propaganda, claiming to have captured the gunman within hours. Video we can't verify. But it was a crude bit to show they are in control of the fate of their top brass after now weeks of chaos.

Russian media said the killing hinged on a clumsy detail that Rzhitsky had made his daily run public on the running app Strava which has a long history of accidentally exposing the location of people who don't want to be found, revealing U.S. military bases in Syria and Yemen five years ago. There are the dead and also the missing. News Wednesday, too, about this key Putin lieutenant Sergey Surovikin who vanished since he appeared early in the armed Wagner rebellion to plead for it to stop. A top Russian lawmaker claimed he was, quote, resting, whatever that means.

REPORTER (through translator): Are you communicating with Surovikin?

RUSSIAN LAWMAKER (through translator): With who?

REPORTER (through translator): With Surovikin. There are various rumors about where he is.

RUSSIAN LAWMAKER (through translator): No, he is resting for now. Not available.

WALSH: Yet, more mystery adding to the bigger one, where is Russia's most prominent military figure, Wagner rebellion leader Yevgeny Prigozhin? Not seen since the weekend revolt despite Kremlin claims he met with Putin days later and pledged a sudden reversal and continued allegiance. Dead jogging or still missing, a turbulent time in the top brass.

[00:15:06]

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: The wife of BBC anchor Huw Edwards has confirm that Edwards is the BBC presenter who was suspended earlier this week following allegations for payments for sexually explicit images. (AUDIO GAP) tape of Edwards was released just moments after the London Metropolitan Police said Wednesday that there was no information to indicate that a criminal offense has been committed. These developments are the latest in a week of British media frenzy as CNN Scott McLean reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The British Broadcasting Corporation has been covering the news for more than a century. But lately, it is the news.

On Friday, the Sun newspaper printed anonymous allegations accusing an unnamed but well known male BBC presenter of paying a young person for explicit images. The BBC reported that they had suspended the presenter and the U.K. known for its sensational tabloid culture was thrown into a frenzy of speculation over his identity.

Several well-known BBC faces were quick to distance themselves online, and even on air.

TIM DAVIE, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, BBC: It's his decision but he needs to come forward now.

MCLEAN (voice over): Alongside questions of who came questions about what, with the young person at the center of the controversy, themselves, even disputing the allegations made by their mother to the Sun. The BBC referred the complaint which it originally received back in May to the London Metropolitan Police.

DAVIE: It is a very difficult and complex situation. And we're trying to calmly and judiciously navigate our way through quite difficult circumstances where as I said, you've got to balance duty of care issues previous privacy issues.

MCLEAN (voice over): On Wednesday, the Met declared there was no information to indicate that a criminal offense has been committed, the second police force to draw the same conclusion.

Shortly after, the wife of Huw Edwards, one of Britain's most famous and one of the BBC's highest paid journalists made a statement on his behalf, confirming the accusations were made about him and asking for privacy. Writing, I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental wellbeing and to protect our children. Huw was suffering from serious mental health issues. The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters. He has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving inpatient hospital care where he'll stay for the foreseeable future. Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published.

Edwards has been open about mental health struggles in the past saying at one point things got so bad he couldn't get out of bed.

In the meantime, the BBC now says it will continue its internal investigation. Other less serious allegations have been made against Edwards. Police say they are aware but haven't received specific information and that there was no police action on them at this time.

Questions about the BBC's handling of the complaints will surely not fade from the front pages anytime soon. Now, neither will questions about the veracity of the original reporting in the Sun newspaper.

Scott McLean, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Next on CNN Newsroom, North Korea's most powerful weapon and the North's most powerful woman. Both making headlines this week as Kim Jong-un tests a long range ballistic missile.

Plus, he's the overwhelming favorite to become Thailand's new prime minister but new legal challenges and the Old Guard might just be standing in his way, a live report as parliament announces.

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[00:21:01]

VAUSE: It seems there's praise all round in North Korea after its latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. State media reports leader Kim Jong-un personally guided the launch of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, which flew for 74 minutes before crashing down in the waters near Japan.

The longest flight ever carried out by this ICBM. It was a solid fuel missile. It's been called the North's most powerful nuclear weapon, but it's unclear if it could actually deliver a nuclear payload.

The launch also follows threats from Kim Jong-un's powerful sister, as CNN's Will Ripley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A menacing milestone for North Korea's missile program. Pyongyang's latest ICBM launch breaking its own record for the longest-ever missile flight, a staggering 74 minutes, hurdling high above the earth at supersonic speed, hitting 6,000 kilometers before splashing down in the sea.

The massive missile's potential striking range, the entire U.S. mainland, and most of the world. Pyongyang's most provocative launch in months, coinciding with this NATO summit in Lithuania, quickly condemned by Japan as an unacceptable threat to regional stability. South Korea's military ready to overwhelmingly respond.

The ICBM, a crown jewel in leader Kim Jong-un's nuclear arsenal, protecting the power, fortune, and future of the ruling Kim family. His young daughter Kim Ju Ae often appearing alongside her dad, barely ten years old, the rising star of a state propaganda campaign, carefully crafted by Kim's younger sister, the mastermind of the Kim family brand, the leader's loyal confidant, trusted adviser, and perhaps the most powerful woman in North Korea.

CHUN SU-JIN, AUTHOR, "NORTH KOREAN WOMEN IN POWER": She is the number two, that is for sure. But actually she is very smart lady, and she actually knows that her position is secure only when her brother is secure.

RIPLEY (voice over): Just five years ago, very few people knew of Kim Yo-jong. She stepped onto South Korean soil, the first member of North Korea's ruling family to cross the DMZ. She carried a message of peace. North Korean athletes and cheer squads got a warm welcome to the 2018 Winter Olympics.

She rose to fame as a fixture to her brother's side, standing silently behind Kim as he met with former President Trump, that brief period of diplomacy feels like a distant memory. The silent sister now a loud voice of defiance, issuing fiery statements on state media, often laced with crude language.

This week, she threatened to shoot down U.S. spy planes, accusing them without evidence of entering North Korean territory. Warning, in case of repeated illegal intrusions, the U.S. forces will experience a very critical flight.

Past actions prove she's not all talk. In 2020, a dispute with South Korea ended with a bang. Kim ordered the demolition of a joint liaison office at the border, turning diplomatic dreams into a pile of rubble. (END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (on camera): She ordered the demolition of a building partially because she was angry that South Korea wasn't doing enough to stop activists from sending propaganda leaflets in balloons to the north. And she's accusing the U.S. and South Korea of having the most hostile and aggressive behavior, calling the South Korean president a fool. And those two countries now strengthening their military alliances, which means there could be even stronger responses from North Korea and the second most powerful person in North Korea Kim Yo-jong.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

VAUSE: For the first time in nine years, Thailand might actually have a prime minister who did not come to power in a military coup.

But now, lawmakers meeting to choose a new head of the government. The leader of the opposition Move Forward Party is seen as the front runner after the military backed establishment was trounced at a recent vote, but he's still facing an uphill battle in the parliament.

[00:25:04]

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong with more. You know, the Thai parliament is holding its vote. So, I guess you know, who's got the good money here? who will be the next prime minister?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, the outcome is still very uncertain, debate is underway. It started at the top of the hour. A election will take place around six hours from now and this is a very critical moment for the future of democracy in Thailand.

Right now, we have both the Senate, the House of Representatives convening to elect a new prime minister, a candidate has to clear at least 376 votes from the 750 members of both chambers to win and the process is ongoing is transparent. As you can see here, it's being broadcast live via Parliament T.V.

And the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who took power nine years ago in a coup is not seeking reelection. He will retire from politics that was announced earlier this week. It was in May when his party, the military back party was defeated by the opposition in general elections.

So, all eyes now are on the leader of the progressive Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, he is a 42-year-old graduate of Harvard. He is a former executive of the Southeast Asian Grab but to become Premier, he needs the votes, he needs to scramble around 60 more votes from rival parties from conservatives and that is a tall order given his party's progressive policies on monarchy on military reform.

Now, the party tells CNN that they're confident that they can get enough votes. But Pita faces a big setback, he could be disqualified as a lawmaker over a shareholding issue. In fact, a Thai Constitutional Court will be reviewing the case next week. If Pita fails, then another party When the coalition will step

forward, Thai will nominate its own candidate. It could be a 60-year- old property tycoon. It could be the daughter of the self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who himself was ousted in a coup back in 2006.

But look, the debate is underway. We're waiting for the election to take place. After Prime Ministers is elected, a government can be formed likely by early August. If no candidate wins a majority, more candidates will be nominated, lawmakers will just keep on holding votes until that majority is reached, back to you, John.

VAUSE: Keep going until they get it right, Kristie Lu Stout, thanks so much, appreciate the live report from Hong Kong.

We'll take a short break, when we come back, two hours and 33 minutes until a deal is reached in between Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild if they don't make that deal, then it's strike time and double trouble for La La Land, we'll explain in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.

[00:30:11]

Hollywood less than three hours away from what a crippling double strike, the first in more than 60 years, with the Screen Actors Guild expected to join the Writers Guild of America, which walked off the job more than two months ago.

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 160,000 actors, performers and other artists, has already voted to strike if a deal with the major studios and screening services is not reached by midnight, Los Angeles time, just about 29 minutes from now.

SAG demands are largely the same as the writers: better pay, residuals, benefits, addressing concerns over A.I. So two hours and 29 minutes. But a strike by actors would bring many Hollywood A-listers into the mix, and that includes Barbie and Ken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGOT ROBBIE, ACTRESS: Yes, absolutely. No, I very much in support of all the unions, and I'm a part of SAG. So I would absolutely stand by that.

RYAN GOSLING, ACTOR: I would support the actors. Yes.

GRETA GERWIG, DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER, "BARBIE": I love the unions. They've always protected all of the artists I know, and I really want them to stand strong and win their fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: CNN media critic Brian Lowry joins us now from Los Angeles. Brian, good to see you. Thanks for being here.

BRIAN LOWRY, CNN MEDIA CRITIC: Thank you.

VAUSE: So speaking of A-listers, they don't get much more A-lister than Matt Damon. And here he is at the London premiere, a few hours ago, of "Oppenheimer."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT DAMON, ACTOR: It's got to be a fair deal. We've got to get what we're worth. And there's money being made, and it needs to be allocated in a way that takes care of people who are -- who are on the margins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A fair deal for all, like the million dollars a line Damon was paid to make the last Jason Bourne movie, for $60 million in all.

To his credit, you know, he has voted to be part of the strike. But here's the thing. There is a lot of money being made in the very top of this industry by movie stars and studio executives, and CEOs. And there seems to be less and less and less for everyone else. And that seems to be at the very heart of this issue for both the actors and for the writers.

LOWRY: Well, that's exactly right. I mean, a lot of the people, you know, this is a -- we tend to focus on the movie stars, because obviously, they get the attention.

But you know, as you mention, there are thousands of people in these guilds, and most of them live job to job and show to show. And for them, the residuals and some of these issues at the heart of what they're negotiating for are very significant.

And you know, there's a sense in Hollywood that you're always -- you're always basically renegotiating what happened before. And the last time this contract came up in 2020, we had the pandemic. Everything was disrupted. There's been some pent-up hostility that I think you're seeing come out in these guild negotiations, where people really feel that the studios are not sharing information with them, are not being open with them about what they're making or not making on their streaming services. And they want to make sure that they're not cut out of that -- that supply chain.

VAUSE: Yes. As far as all these signs have been sort of going back and forth over. Here's actress Zoe Saldana that sort of explains what's happening here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOE SALDANA, ACTRESS: As the business keeps evolving, and technology keeps being created, and technology is used to, in forms of creating I.P. and entertainment and content, I do believe that our -- our policies need to evolve, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: But the policies have evolved in the past. This isn't news. Before streaming there were DVDs and home videos. Before that, there was cable and pay television, which changed the business model somewhat.

But you know, there was always this -- this, you know, residuals in place so that the work that the studios capitalized on, you know, the profits from that was shared with those who did the actual work in the first place. Why is it is so hard to strike a deal this time?

LOWRY: Well, I think one of the big issues, I mean, first off that she knows whereof she speaks. She was a 9-foot-tall blue alien in the last movie she made. You know, so you're seeing what technology has done to the business.

And technology has remade it in a number of different ways. One of the things actors are concerned about is A.I. and other forms of digitization, you know, replacing them.

But I think the real problem is the lack of transparency from studios about what their streaming numbers are, how the model works, what the revenues are from that. And it's basically reshaped the business in ways that are leaving the other participants in the business largely in the dark about how much the shows they're working on are worth and, therefore, whether they're getting a fair share of that.

VAUSE: So this actor strike goes ahead, how long can the studios play hardball? You know, one thing if you -- you can go without the writers for a while. The actors, it's a whole different kettle of fish. There's only so much reality TV that can replace scripted programming at the end of the day.

[00:35:16]

LOWRY: Well, I mean, one thing about the streaming model is, you know, there's a lot on your streaming services, if I mean, like most people, you subscribe to a few streaming services that you haven't watched yet.

So for a while, maybe a short while, but nobody really knows how long people, will say, Well, maybe I'll go back and binge "Breaking Bad." I never got around to that.

But, yes, I mean, this business is driven by new, hot shows. And you need actors out there as the face of those shows promoting them. So the writers create one problem, and as you mentioned, the actors create an entirely different problem, because they not only bring production to a screeching halt, and things are produced far ahead, so you won't see the effects of that right away.

But what you would see right away is they won't be out there promoting their productions. And that's a real problem. That brings the whole ecosystem of marketing this industry to a halt.

VAUSE: Brian, thank you for being with us. Appreciate your time. Good to see you.

LOWRY: Thank you.

VAUSE: We'll take a short break.

When we come back, the climate crisis on full display in Asia. Deadly flooding, sweltering heat, landslides, they've got it all. And experts warn there could be a whole lot more to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Europe now has landmark new laws aimed at restoring biodiversity to try and slow the damage from climate change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it is adopted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The laws require restoration of a fifth of member nations' natural land and sea areas by 2013 -- 2030, rather. But new measures were not unanimously adopted. They faced pushback by right and center- right parties, who say it will harm farmers and food security. Supporters, though, say there is no time to waste.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY REINTKE, MEMBER OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, GREENS/EFA: Our rivers are dying. Our forests are sick. Our nature is in deep crisis. We have to restore our nature. Not in a distant future, not when EPP has gotten their act together. We have to act now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Right now, more than 80 percent of Europe's natural habitats are in poor or bad condition, according to Greenpeace. They say restoring biodiversity will improve the situation for farmers, as well as the global food supply.

We're seeing the deadly effects of climate change right now in Asia. Intense storms, flooding, landslides devastating parts of the continent. Climate experts warn it will get worse unless countries do more to lessen their greenhouse gas emissions.

This report from CNN's Anna Coren.

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ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The rolling front line of the global crisis right now stretches through Asia, from Japan and China, to India.

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Across the continent, stifling heat is giving way to torrential rain, swollen rivers and mudslides. In Northern India, dozens of people have been killed in raging floodwaters. Bridges, cars and homes crushed in Himachal Pradesh.

Roads flooded and washed away. Survivors left to pick through the wreckage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There was so much rain and flooding. It was hard to evacuate our families to a safe place, because the area was inundated with water. All our belongings were swept away by the floodwater into the river.

COREN (voice-over): Authorities across Asia and around the world are now being forced to treat the symptoms of a climate emergency with no immediate cure.

SIMON BRADSHAW, CLIMATE COUNCIL: This is all a harrowing warning about what's at stake and why it's so important we do everything possible to respond to the climate crisis.

COREN (voice-over): In Japan, eight people have been killed in landslides and flooding's just this month. Houses have washed away. Hospitals have flooded. Electricity and water has been cut off.

The downpours, the heaviest they have ever been on the mountainous island of Kyushu, where the forecast is for more rain.

BRADSHAW: We are living in an age of consequences for past inaction on climate change. We see this playing out all over the world, and every community is affected. But there is still so much we can do to limit future harms.

COREN (voice-over): No one nation holds the solution to the climate crisis. But China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gas, holds more sway than most.

The China Energy Investment Corporation, the world's largest coal- fired power generation company, said it produced more electricity on Monday than on any other day in the past.

Hundreds of millions in China are sweltering through what could once again be the country's hottest-ever summer. And it's not just people who need protecting as our world gets warmer.

Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.

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VAUSE: Seems the world's oceans are changing color. It's sad to say climate change is likely responsible. Researchers studied 20 years of satellite images. They say more than half of the world's oceans have changed color to a degree which cannot be explained by natural causes.

The water is subtly getting greener in tropical regions. Greener means more photo-plankton -- that supports animal life -- while blue seas means less life. Scientists confess they still don't know exactly what the change will

mean, but imbalances like this can often ripple through the food chain and have unexpected consequences.

I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, WORLD SPORT starts after the break.

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